Avenger...You'll pay for this outrage.

[Rocky]

Thats right, you may have fluked a victory over Magus, but there is no way I will let you defeat me. You think you can make a mockery of Satan's legion of followers, you will pay for your insolence. Fight me, or are you too scared?

I request Cuc to ref this battle, not only is he at the top of FC but being the leader of NoA I can be sure there will be no biased judgements.

 

[DiebytheSword]

Accepted. I will name the terms when avenger accepts.

 

[Rocky]

You mean IF he accepts, I bet he's cowering in the corner in fear for his life, and so he should be.

 

[Avenger]

I shall accept, just be aware that I have a lot of school to do now, so the work I do might take a little more time than it usually does. I also hope Rocky has achieved a level of skill matching his arrogance, otherwise he's in major trouble.

 

[DiebytheSword]

The venue is a lonely pass in the moors. Fog filled night . . . don't lose the road or the will 'o the wisps will get you. Far off in the distance, a sleepy town can be seen. What would they do if these monsters began to fight in their homes?

Best of three rounds gentlemen.

 

[Rocky]

Heh, you actually showed up, I can honestly say that I'm quite surprised you found the balls to accept the challenge. I think Magus summed it up perfectly when he called you a gooch. Speaking of that, Magus went easy on you because you were new, don't expect me to extend the same courtesy.

 

[Avenger]

You're suprised that I found your balls, so am I. Magus summed things up perfectly, when he lost. If he went easy on me, why did he lose? I don't expect you to give me any courtesy, because you're going to lose either way.

 

[Rocky]

The moon loomed over the top of the moors, however not even the glow of the large round orb could pierce the thick fog that had swelled in. During the day, the field looked safe and welcoming, but a weary traveller at night could easily fall astray and be lost in one of the numerous bogs that littered the grassy knoll. The dry dirt path wound its way from a thick forest and ended in an abandoned village. There were many rumours about the demise of this village, but the most used and believe one claimed that it was the last Aztec village, which was ruled by the hand of a mighty yet gentle warrior. A great warrior who gave up everything he held dear to spare the sleepy little town. However rumours are just rumours, a more pressing concern was the battle deep in the fog…

Rocky crash landed on the dirt path after being shot out of the bog, the unsuspecting Demon had fallen right into the Catalyst duo’s trap. Avenger leapt onto the Demon, his energy katana at the ready…

“Avenger! NOW!”

The voice of the android Hwoarang echoed throughout the Demon’s head as he stared into the face of death. Avenger, eyes blazing a bright white, drew his hand back; the tip of his sword aimed at Rocky’s chest, without further delay, the assassin thrust the sword deep into the Demon’s chest. Rocky’s mouth opened but no sound came out. The sound of his own heartbeat rang deep in the Demon’s ears. He watched as Avenger, almost in slow motion, withdrew the sword and rose to his feet. Blood gushed forth from Rocky’s latest wound. The world began to grow fuzzy. Hwoarang emerged from the gloom, and stood side by side with his apprentice. The two dark figures looked at the dying Demon, no remorse in their eyes. Rocky clasped a hand over his wound and felt the warm blood run over his fingers and onto the path. He tried to speak, but still he could make no sound.

“If you can’t even beat my apprentice, then how do you expect to challenge me?” Hwoarang gloated from his position. The android had orchestrated the trap with expert precision. Rocky felt like a fool for walking right into it. Avenger looked on; there was no joy in his face despite his easy win and Hwoarang’s pride. He had defeated Magus, escaped the dungeons of hell and now defeated the strongest Demon of the underworld. The experienced fighter with no memory had accomplished a lot since his alliance with Catalyst. Pitying the helpless, dying demon, Avenger turned and walked away. Hwoarang continued to gloat to himself as he slowly turned and followed suit. Rocky began to feel his very life seep through his skin and sink to the floor. His eyes could no longer focus on the surroundings and slowly began to roll into the back of his head. A bright light appeared in the distance. Rocky felt compelled to move toward it, but something was holding him back. The Demon pondered how he had gotten into this situation. At first it was all completely perfect. Rocky’s barely conscious mind sunk into the realm between life and death as he recalled his last day, coming back to haunt him…

“Avenger…I made a recent discovery…I cannot consume your soul…Due to the hidden power it contains. I wouldn’t want to destroy hell, by magnifying my power hundred fold now would I? So, I shall lock you within the torture chambers of hell, until you realize which side you should be on.”

A sad smile crept across Rocky’s face as he watched as Avenger was levitated against his will toward the dungeons of hell. Avenger had given Magus a run for his money, and Rocky was sad to not have a chance to test his worth against the ancient assassin. Rocky’s thoughts were interrupted when suddenly; out of nowhere, Kelesk appeared and disrupted the spell. Rocky quickly leapt to his feet. He watched Avenger run up a flight of stairs. Rocky was torn between two choices; Chase Avenger, or protect his master, Rocky decided his Master was more important. Rocky leapt from his platform towards the Spectre, who simply lifted his elbow and struck Rocky deep in the throat. Rocky fell back to the floor, looking up and saw the last of Avenger before he passed to the level above, Rocky paid for his momentary distraction as he was kicked by Kelesk, Rocky was launched back to the feet of his companions, but quickly stood up. Rocky glared at the Spectre knowing that Avenger was freed because of him. Kelesk just smiled broadly, the Rogue Scythe now in his hands. Beside him, Magus, Vladimir and a third mystery fighter who remained in the shadows, glared at Kelesk. Satan has long since returned to his chambers.

The four fighters each drew their weapons, save Rocky who had none. Vladimir charged first. The two fighters engaged with their weapons. However Kelesk was far superior and Vladimir was soon overwhelmed. Magus quickly stepped in to even the odds. The switch in momentum was obvious as Kelesk now struggled to keep up. Rocky waited for his moment to step in and once and for all deal with the Spectre; however his plans for revenge were soon interrupted.

“Rocky, I have a more important mission for you.”

Rocky immediately cleared his mind and begun telepathic communication with Lucifer.

“Avenger has powers that could very well destroy us. I want you to find him and return him at once.”

“What if he won’t return?”

“…Kill him.”

“As you have commanded. I will obey.”

Rocky looked on as Kelesk struggled to fight his two opponents, whilst in the shadows, the mystery fighter stood ready with his long sword. Rocky gazed at his new comrade with curiosity. So the new warrior had been brought back after all. Rocky peered into the gloom, but could only make out the flowing of incredibly long bright red hair. Rocky wished to meet this new ally but knew every second he wasted down here, Avenger would get further away. Rocky gave a silent nod to the newcomer who calmly returned the favour. Then Rocky turned and headed for the stairs. As Rocky travelled up the stairs he heard Kelesk cry in pain, the third fighter had finally made his move. Rocky continued his ascent to the world of the living, hoping to find any trails or traces left by Avenger. As Rocky continued up the stairs he was surprised that Avenger had made such progress. The fighter was nowhere to be seen; only a faint dribble of blood here and there left the Demon a path to follow. Rocky’s fears were realised as he found himself staring at the end of the trail…right in front of the elevators out of hell. Rocky swore, never in his right mind did he believe Avenger would make it this far, the Demon entered the lift and pushed the up button.

Rocky wiped a puddle of sweat from his brow, running up from twelve levels of hell could be quite tiresome, but Rocky knew he had a long ride ahead of him to cool down and as he did he began to feel the temperature change dramatically. The thermometer at the top of the elevator originally read one thousand degrees Celsius, but after twenty minutes it had halved to five hundred. Rocky continued to watch the thermometer drop as the minutes ticked by. Uncertain of whether he’d even be able to track Avenger once outside. Surely he would have bandaged his wound by now and even if he hadn’t, it would have stopped bleeding by the top. Rocky cursed his misfortune. Explaining the situation to Lucifer would not be easy. Rocky rose to his feet when the thermometer read forty-five. Knowing the outside temperature in these parts never rose above thirty, he knew he was getting close. Finally the long and boring hour had ended and the doors opened. Rocky was greeted by a refreshing breeze as he stepped forward from the elevator. As Rocky had suspected the blood trail had ended. He had lost his prey.

Rocky passed under the large VVU sign, looking for any traces. It was then that Rocky noticed the door guard had been knocked out and lay helpless on the floor. Rocky wasted no movement, immediately he headed to the half-demon and begun an attempt to wake him up. The demon let out a long groan as he opened his eyes. Only to yelp with fear as Rocky stared down at him.

“What happened here?”

“The elevator doors opened and this young looking man jumped out, of course nobody is allowed to leave hell without orders from the big guy. So I tried to stop him when I got him from behind by some weird fellow in an orange gi.”

”Do you have any idea where they’d be heading?”

“Well there’s only one direct path from here. I don’t see how they could go any other way, we’re hidden quite well you see. From here they’d have to travel through a forest and from there they must trek across the moors until they reach a small village. From there they could go anywhere. The escapee looked quite ragged; I’d say they wouldn’t be travelling very fast. You could still catch them.”

Rocky eyed the Halfling as he rose to his feet, the Halfling extended his hand for Rocky to help him up, but the Demon turned his back and pushed through the black gates of hell. Immediately, Rocky was surrounded by a dense black forest. As he was told, only one obvious path lay through the forest. Rocky considered flying over the top and meeting the two as they exited. He would make good time but decided against it, as he wasn’t sure if they’d even come out. Rocky took his first step into the forest, and immediately felt himself inclosed in a deep dark world. Rocky ignored the new sights, sounds and smells as he pushed forward into the deep black.

Rocky’s enhanced vision easily adjusted to the gloom; the roof of the forest was so dense that not a drop of sunlight was able to penetrate it. Rocky walked through the dense undergrowth, the crunch of dead leaves broke the silence as Rocky continued his walk. The Demon knew he’d have to watch his noise level, alerting his prey to his presence would surely be a bad idea. Rocky was certain the two fighters were a good distance away to not hear him as yet, and as such he kept a steady pace, moving fast enough to gain on his targets but not too fast so that he could find any traces left behind. As Rocky travelled further he felt the air become thicker and denser, beads of sweat collected on his forehead, since there was no air movement the forest became hot and humid. Rocky wiped his brow as he continued. It wasn’t long before Rocky found his first sign. Rocky stepped out into a small clearing where he found traces of a fire which had been put out a while ago, searching around; Rocky found some cloth with blood stains, more than likely Avenger’s ally had changed his bandage. Rocky gazed to the sky which was perfectly visible through the clearing. The sun was beginning to set. Hopefully he would find his targets before the next day. The Demon had a sudden idea; extending his massive wings he took flight out of the clearing. From his extended position he noted that he was about halfway through the forest. From there he could see a large grassy plain. In the distance the Demon made out a tiny village. Connecting all three was a long and windy dirt path.

Rocky landed and set forth back into the forest. The Demon hastened his pace, the pair were obviously further ahead than he originally anticipated. He hoped now to catch them whilst in the moors, the village would be too late and they would be able to go anywhere from there. Rocky soon found himself running through the forest. Sharp little branches snapped as the Demon passed, tiny scratch lines grazed his arms and face. As Rocky travelled he began to see a small white light in the distance, instantly the Demon recognised the exit. However he had seen no more traces of his adversaries. Rocky began to worry, how much of a head start did they have. With Avenger’s injured leg they couldn’t have travelled this far. It then dawned on Rocky; Avenger’s healing ability must have been at work. The bandage wasn’t changed at the clearing. It was removed. Rocky suddenly picked up the pace, worried that his opponents may have already reached the village. The air became lighter, and the damp smell of the forest receded, a light breeze began to blow, Rocky was moments away from the end of the forest. Once Rocky reached the mouth of the forest he took a long deep breath and once again wiped the sweat. The sun had set long ago and a thick fog had covered the moors. The air was much cooler and Rocky instantly adjusted to the new climate. Any thoughts of finding his foes from the air instantly died when he realised how thick the fog was. Flying overhead he could easily pass over them. There was also the concern of not sticking to the path. The bogs on either side could easily swallow anyone. Rocky chose to continue on foot.

Submerged in the grey mist, Rocky kept one eye pointed down at all times, ensuring he would not get lost. His other eye he used to spot any clues left behind by his opponents. Once he had adjusted to the new change he began to pick up the pace, he figured the two would camp it out for the night and that’s where he would catch them. Rocky could go days without eating or sleeping. It was just part of the side effects of being a Demon. As Rocky ran along the path something caught his attention. A large footprint had been imprinted in a soft mound of dirt. Although the fog made it seem like the footprint was made moments ago, Rocky could see it wasn’t. The Demon stood up and began running along the path. The dense fog made vision extremely difficult, even Rocky who had enhanced sight could only see a metre in front of him. In the distance, Hwoarang smiled as he listened in on Rocky’s footsteps. The Demon had covered an extraordinary amount of ground in such little time, and had it not been for the Androids enhanced hearing, he might have got the drop on them. Instead it was the pair from Catalyst that was going to perform the surprises. The thought of falling into a trap made by his foes had never occurred to the Demon, who ran almost blindly through the mist. In fact it was not until he was sinking into a bog that he realised the situation.

Rocky heard laughter as he slowly sunk down. Turning his head in a fit of rage he realised the tiny switch in the path that caused Rocky to run straight into a bog, had he not been in such a rush, the Demon probably would have worked it out, now it was too late. Avenger and Hwoarang emerged from the mist, in Hwoarang’s hand; a small red ball was glowing, on Avenger’s arm; the pointy white light of his katana, shone as clear as day. Rocky swore as he realised his predicament, what made him more furious was that there was nothing he could do about it. As much as the Demon struggled, Rocky was unable to break free. Hwoarang smiled as he threw his orb at the Demon, the resulting explosion shot Rocky out of the ground and back onto the path. The Demon’s instincts told him to stand up immediately, but Avenger was on him in a flash. His energy Katana at the ready.

“Avenger! NOW!”

Rocky once again felt the pain of being stabbed by the sword composed of pure energy, but this time it didn’t fade to white. Rocky screamed in agony, as he regained consciousness. His immediate reaction was to clasp his hand over his bleeding chest. However the wound had dried over. The Demon painfully sat up, then got back onto his feet. Almost immediately he dropped down to his knees. Although he wasn’t bleeding anymore, his shoulder still ached tremendously. Rocky had no choice but to contact his master for help. The Demon sat back down and closed his eyes. The next time he opened them they were pitch black.

“Master, I fell into their trap. I am badly injured.”

“Rocky, I am disappointed in you; I thought you knew better than this.”

“They knew I was coming, I was in a rush…”

“Never mind that, I will cast a healing spell on you. Then you will go after them again.”

“There is one more thing. I need information on Avenger’s partner; I think his name is Hwoarang. He possesses… some kind of energy…I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

“I can’t promise anything but you will have whatever we find.”

“Thank you Master.”

Rocky’s eyes changed back to red. Almost instantly he felt a sharp pain in his wound. The wound opened up as a dark light shone through it. Rocky gritted his teeth as the hole was patched up and smoothed over. When the process was done, Rocky attempted to move his arm. Everything worked fine. Rocky smiled, it was now time to finish what he started. The Demon stood up and peered into the mist, the fog still remained, and he estimated that he had been unconscious for no more than thirty minutes, he still had time. Rocky spread apart his wings, tracking his prey through the mist was too dangerous, especially with the enhanced senses of Hwoarang, Rocky decided to fly on overhead and meet them in the town, at least he’d have the surprise element. Rocky spread apart his massive wings which cut through the fog like a knife. The Demon leapt into the air and quickly elevated himself above the fog. The Demon quickly got his bearings and made his way to the village. Surprisingly he was closer than he thought. Rocky instantly soared in the direction of the village, fearing that his targets may have given him the slip. As Rocky flew in over the village, a tiny orange light caught his attention. The Demon zoomed in for a closer look. With his enhanced sight, Rocky realised it was a campfire, and sitting around it were too dark figures. Rocky breathed a little easier. So for now he had one last opportunity to settle the score. Rocky remembered Hwoarang’s keen senses and kept his noise to a minimum as he perched on top of a nearby building, masked in shadow.

Rocky began developing a plan in his head just as he was contacted by Lucifer.

“Rocky, I have the information you requested. Avenger’s partner, Hwoarang, is a highly complex artificial being, developed by a company called Bio-Rad. He is a highly dangerous member of Catalyst and I want you to bring him here immediately.”

Rocky took a moment to comprehend what he was just told.

“…and what about Avenger?”

“He is of no more use. Consider him…expendable.”

A broad smile appeared on Rocky’s face “With pleasure.”

Rocky had worked out his plan. The new objective worked in perfectly. Rocky closed his eyes and began concentrating his thoughts. Slowly the light of the moon failed and all turned to darkness. The only source of light came from the dying fire between Hwoarang and Avenger. The two catalyst members looked around in curiosity. Now alert of a new presence. The long low growl of a creature from another world caused both fighters to look around. Then they saw it. The blood red eyes of an unknown creature; illuminated the darkness that was all around it. Avenger got to his feet. His energy katana had come out to play. Hwoarang eyed the creature with curiosity, and then its friend which came from the opposite side. It was the androids turn to get to his feet. The two catalyst members stood back to back in anticipation. In perfect synchronisation the two beasts ran forward and leapt at the fighters. Who expertly dived out of the way. Avenger was quickly back to his feet, his katana out in front as he charged to the waiting creature. Avenger struck, but the beast somehow avoided damage. Avenger swung again, still to no affect. Becoming impatient, Avenger swung numerous times in an attempt to slay the beast, but it was all in vain. Hwoarang eyed the creature that was staring at him. The android’s confused look turned to a smile as he charged a ball of red energy. The creature stood unflinching, till Hwoarang threw the ball. The creature miraculously avoided damage and leapt at the android. Hwoarang only just avoided damage. Although it seemed impossible for the beast to miss.

“Avenger, can you sense the chi of these creatures?”

Avenger was silent for a moment. “Now that you mention it, no I can’t.”

Hwoarang smiled, “That’s because they’re an illusion. Here I’ll demonstrate”

Hwoarang charged wildly at the two beasts which retaliated, but went straight through the Android. Avenger’s eyes opened wide as he realised the illusion. His only consolation was that Hwoarang had also been fooled. The two warriors stood next to each other eyeing the illusions, they looked so real it was quite unbelievable. Their thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of laughter. Hwoarang and Avenger turned around to see Rocky in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. The sudden shock of seeing Rocky alive quickly wore off as Hwoarang was consumed in a fit of rage. The thought that Rocky had survived Avenger’s stab and had arranged this elaborate illusion angered the android, and to top it off he was laughing at them. Hwoarang charged a red energy ball in his palm as he charged toward the cackling demon. However just as he was right in front of Rocky, he suddenly disappeared. Avenger looked on in horror. The beast was still laughing. Avenger re-ignited his weapon. Ready to charge in after his master and mentor. But then…

“BOO!”

“Despite being on the other side of the square, Rocky appeared behind Avenger and kicked the fighter right in the spine. The force of the kick sent Avenger flying into an empty building; the straw house was no match for Avengers body as it instantly fell to the ground. Slowly the darkness began to lift. The yellow moon light returned, and in place of the laughing Rocky, stood a bright red dimensional rip which slowly began to close and seal up. Hwoarang had been sent to hell. Rocky smiled, his plan had worked perfectly. In fact it couldn’t have gone any better. Although not the smartest creature, his battle sense was second to none, he anticipated each of his opponents moves perfectly, and had now completed the first part of his mission. Hwoarang was gone and Avenger was lying under a pile of rubble. Soon it would be complete. Rocky stepped toward the crumpled house, just as Avenger stood up amongst the mess.

“What have you done with Hwoarang?” Avenger’s tone was harsh and unforgiving.

“Oh, just sent him home. You’re quite familiar with my home aren’t you?”

“Why him? I thought it was me you wanted?”

Rocky shook his head in fake pity. “Avenger, Avenger, Avenger. When will you learn? The world doesn’t revolve around you. I mean sure you’re quite powerful when you want to be, but Hwoarang presents a more interesting and unusual challenge.”

Avenger began to get angry, the blade on his arm shot out, stronger and brighter than before. Rocky smiled, his taunts had gotten to Avenger and had begun to make him angry, in his anger he is more likely to make a mistake. However he hadn’t forgotten the searing kiss of that energy sword. For an instant, Rocky’s eyes flickered black. All of a sudden the ground began to shake. Avenger looked down and saw the ground in front of Rocky cracking and breaking. A dark purple light emerged from the cracks and the hilt of a massive sword poked through the top. As soon as the sword was within reaching distance, Rocky grabbed the hilt and thrust the sword into the air. Now he was ready to fight. Avenger didn’t wait for Rocky to familiarise himself with the Devil’s Blade, he lunged at Rocky with his energy katana, however Rocky was quick to defend. Crackles of energy erupted from the struggle. Avenger’s blade matched completely evenly with Rocky’s, but the physical strength of the two warriors was very different. Rocky put all his strength into a push which sent Avenger tumbling backwards. The Demon quickly stepped forward in an attempt to end the battle right there, but Avenger had speed on his side, he quickly rolled out of the oncoming slice and managed to get back onto his feet. However Rocky had the advantage now. His sword stretched farther than Avenger’s and he could easily prevent Avenger from striking. The Demon hefted the massive blade and swung it in a wide arc. Avenger back-flipped to safety but Rocky quickly moved in and swung again. Avenger found himself on the back foot, being pushed further and further away. Suddenly Avenger found himself pinned against the central building in the village. Rocky smiled like a cat that had caught his first mouse. With a quick kick, Avenger was smashed into the wooden building.

Avenger crawled around the dust and broken debris. The light of the full moon streamed in through the gaping hole. Avenger slowly adjusted to the darkness and had a look around. The room looked quite like a throne room, a large glamorous chair sat atop a stage and two smaller but equally glamorous chairs sat on either side. Above the main throne was a portrait of what looked like a grand warrior king in his battle clothes. The portrait was old and faded, and the face part was torn slightly, almost purposefully. Suddenly the moonlight went out. Avenger turned in shock as the ominous figure of Rocky stood in the gap. His massive figure blocking out almost all the light. Avenger quickly got back to his feet, ready to continue. But something else had caught the Demon’s eye, the creature walked right past Avenger, his sword dragging along the floor. Avenger followed the Demon’s gaze, he was looking at the portrait of the King, but it was more than that, Rocky was captivated and almost… not all there…

“Tenochca, Tenochca!”

Rocky whipped his head around “Who’s there, who said that! SHOW YOURSELF!”

Avenger watched with morbid curiosity as Rocky shouted in the open room.

“What have you become, what have you become. Tenochca!”

“What is that name, why are you calling me that?”

“Name, whose name, name? Why it’s your name, Tenochca”

Rocky spun around in circles, his hands clasped around his head. The Demon tried to make sense out of what was happening. Finally he stopped. Right in front of him stood the spirit of a beautiful woman. Rocky looked at her, and instantly the evil inside him faded. Rocky stood face to face with his long dead wife. Avenger looked on; the spirit had become visible to his eyes too.

“Tenochca, what have you become?”

“NO! Don’t call me that, it’s not who I am anymore.”

“It’s who you will always be.” The spirit pointed to the portrait on the wall. Rocky took one more look, for the first time his eyes focussed on the gold medallion hanging around the warrior’s neck. The markings were very familiar. Rocky suddenly remembered his own medallion; the Demon had always taken it for granted as something he’d had for his entire life. Never before had he thought much of it, till now. The markings on his medallion were identical to the portraits; suddenly Rocky’s head began to swell. He dropped to his knees and began weeping. His past memories had all returned. The drought, his prayers to the gods, even his first day in hell. All came rush back to his mind, the Demon could do nothing but sit and cry.

“It’s not too late to repent, you were a great man, and the almighty one will recognise your accomplishments as a human and not of your deeds as a Demon. You can still turn back.”

In the background Avenger rose to his feet. Suddenly it all became clear. The Demon had made the ultimate sacrifice for his people, and as punishment he wasn’t even allowed to remember them. For an instant Avenger felt sympathy for the creature, he too knew the pain of memory loss, and wished for the day when his past would all become clear. Nevertheless, Rocky was a danger and a threat. Should he lose sight of his memories he would return to Lucifer and continue his rampage. Suddenly, Avenger had a thought that could satisfy both parties. He walked toward the wailing beast

“Rocky! You are a pitiful creature, yet I feel sympathy for you, I know the pain you’re going through. I can help you; this will hurt for only a moment.”

By this time Avenger had stepped up to Rocky, his hand had formed the energy katana. Avenger drew his hand back and aimed the tip for Rocky’s heart, the centre of his soul. Rocky’s head lurched back as the blade pierced his skin. Tiny particles of white smoke, poured out from around the blade. As Avenger pulled the blade out from Rocky, his body fell to the floor in a clump. The woman smiled at Avenger, finally Tenochca, could return home, she slowly disappeared. Avenger looked down at the Demon, as he was, he looked quite peaceful. Avenger knew his mission was not done yet, Hwoarang was still missing in the depths of hell. He would have to rescue his master like his master had done for him. Avenger turned around and headed for the gap in the building. But something made him turn back. Rocky was laughing, but it was more than that. Rocky was balling with laughter. Avenger turned back in a fury. To find Rocky standing, tears had begun to well in his eyes from the intensity of his laugh. Avenger felt his anger boil. How was it possible?

“Rocky! This is impossible, I purged your soul!”

Rocky answered back with even more laughter, the Demon was out of control.

“WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?”

“FOOL!” Rocky’s laughter instantly stopped, his tone turned icy cold as his head tilted downward. His red eyes began to glow, lighting up the dark room, something had excited the Demon. Rocky folded his wings around his body, and his tail began to lash out in random patterns, smashing to pieces anything that dare get in its way. Slowly, purposefully, Rocky lifted his head. His red eyes pierced even the darkest corners of the chamber. Avenger saw the hint of a smile on the Demon’s lips. The smile sent a chill down Avenger’s spine. It was like none he’d ever seen before. The Demon had something special on his mind, and he was savouring his moment to say it. Finally the Demon opened his lips.

“I must thank you for attempting to put me to rest, but it had quite the opposite effect.”

“You can’t be alive…your soul, I removed it from your body!”

“The soul…what a quaint idea. Tenochca is dead; I gave up his soul a long…time…ago”

Rocky erupted in another burst of insane laughter.

 

[Avenger]

A coated man was sprinting along the road. His sunglasses reflected the moonlight shining from above. Howls rang through the empty plain; few lights could be spotted ahead. Black sneakers hit wet asphalt as they darted forwards through the thick mist. “Avenger, reporting in . . Please respond, over.” Avenger said as he spoke into a headset. “Roger, this is Catalyst HQ, status report please, over.” A voice answered, coming from Avenger’s ear. “I’m pursuing target now, possibly an A type demon. Dead bodies were spread around in the last city, target is very violent.” Avenger said into his microphone.

Ahead, a large, robed creature was sprinting toward the few lights in front of him. Avenger seemed to be gaining on it, but slowly. “Avenger, target’s power level is higher than expected . . HQ will send backup to Greenville right now to help you neutralize the threat, over.” A voice again told Avenger through a little black speaker in his ear. “How high is the targets power level? And let’s screw the over crap . . I know I’m new at doing missions for Catalyst, but give me a break.” Avenger said into the microphone.

The creature which was running towards Greenville had stopped, and was turning around. Avenger also stopped, a mere hundred feet from it. A black robe fell from the creatures back; 6 inches of horns were visible from the demons forehead. Long black hair was flowing in the wind. The demon seemed to have tanned skin, and it wore no clothes besides a pair of tattered shorts. A golden medallion hung from its neck, down on a lean, fine toned body. Even in the mist Avenger could see a pair of red eyes glowing as they stared at him through the fog.

This power is incredible . . I’ve never met a demon with such a power before . . This is bad news for me damn it . . .

A barefooted demon walked carefully towards Avenger, every step revealed new things about the creature. Metal wings seemed to be fastened to the demons back, and a large metal tail was wavering around.

I know only one creature with wings like those . . But his power was nowhere near this . . Rocky . . .

“I know what you are thinking, lowly mortal . . Yes, I am Rocky, but reborn.” Rocky said, his voice had changed since last time him and Avenger had a close encounter, but it was recognizable. The demon continued walking toward Avenger, it was a very large creature, and looked strong as it looked fearsome.

Knowing his opponent was unprepared, Rocky leaped through the air at Avenger and coiled his long metal tail around Avenger’s body, and before he even had a chance to escape, Rocky grabbed his arm and bit him. After this, he simply threw Avenger away. His body rolled sideways through the mist on the asphalt, blood was dripping from his arm, where two fangs had pierced through.

It stings . . I wonder why Rocky didn’t simply pound my head in, but bit me?

“That’s going to hurt in the morning Avenger . . Ah, the devils curse is such a splendid thing.” Rocky said, a smirk entering his face as he watched Avenger glare at him. “You’ve heard of it have you? Weakens you, until I decide to kill your measly spirit and take it to hell.” He continued, however, he was not pleased with the results when Avenger smiled. “Poisons, curses, neither of them work on me very well, read your homework demon.” Avenger said, keeping his smile.

Rocky looked suspiciously at Avenger, as if he wondered how Avenger could possibly resist his attack. “I regenerate.” Avenger said, knowing what Rocky was wondering. “You are a vampire then? I did wonder how you survived . . .” Rocky asked Avenger. “I don’t have fangs demon, and I don’t require drinking blood.” Avenger told Rocky with a mocking tone. “I was wondering, seeing as you’re brave enough to stand in front of me, even while sensing my power is tens of times stronger than yours.” Rocky finished before he sprinted at Avenger again.

A large fist barely missed Avenger’s face, fist after fist followed Avenger as he dodged and threw himself to the side. Rocky did not seem angry, simply pleased that he found a decent adversary. Punch after punch missed, before Rocky began getting annoyed. The metal tail mounted to his lower back swung around and coiled around Avenger once again, and lifted him above the ground. Cracking noises came from Avenger’s ribs, and soon he was thrown to the ground again. Blood was running out of Avenger’s mouth, while he held his ribs with one arm. Helicopters could be heard approaching from the air, troops were sliding down ropes from them and were now sprinting to Avenger and Rocky’s location.

“Oh come on, they can’t expect to defeat me with mere weapons!” Rocky said, before he jumped up in the air and continued upwards in the air using his metal wings. Diving at the chopper Rocky held his fist ready, and as he hit it he swung inside the machine and retracted his wings. “Hello, I’ll be your hijacker for today.” Rocky said, with an excited tone in his voice before punching three troops out of the helicopter. The helicopter pilot jumped out the door, forgetting his parachute in fear of Rocky. “Ah well, no rides for me today then.” He said, sounding disappointed before jumping out the door as well. Gliding down towards Avenger, soldiers were attempting to hit him without luck. The moors had no cover, but Rocky needed none as he continued to fly around in the air.

Without warning, Rocky dived down at one of the soldiers, the particular one he aimed at carried a rocket launcher. The soldier was stabbed a single time, into his heart, and swiftly afterwards Rocky jetted upwards in the air, aiming the rocket launcher at a mass of soldiers. Terrified troops ran for their lives as a missile dived through the mist at them, a large explosion blew about twenty people aside while the demon laughed. “Avenger . . Do you read? We’ve had soldiers drop off a pair of berettas in the little nearby town. They fire quicksilver bullets, which should be enough to stop our target. Proceed to Greenville instantly, we will keep sending troops to keep the demon busy!” The little receiver in Avenger’s ear said.

Long range weapon?! I can’t use a pistol . . I never could! Damn this mission command of mine . . .

No doubts were in Avenger’s mind, he had to get the beretta even if he couldn’t use it, and the only thing which could hit Rocky high up in the air was good, damaging long range weapon. The instant he received the transmission he began sprinting to the town, running through the mist at incredible speed. Soon the few lights became many, and a little town appeared in the mist ahead. “I’m at location, where are the guns?” Avenger asked while continuing inside the city. “In the diner, ask for the Sunday special.” The voice from Avenger’s ear answered.

A diner was ahead, which Avenger sprinted inside. “Avenger! Your weapon is here!” A man in a black suit shouted to the Avenger, who picked up a package from beneath the counter. “Go! He’s going to wreak even more havoc, the longer he stays airborne!” He said, while watching as Avenger dashed out of the quaint little diner, headed back to Rocky’s location. He pulled out the guns from the package, placed the belt of clips around his waist, and finally loaded the guns while running. Rocky’s figure was ahead, the stench of death was evident when Avenger reached the vicinity of his previous location. Someone fired gunshots, which died as a scream replaced them.

“You decided to land, eh demon?” Avenger asked Rocky, who had again retracted his wings. “No . . This was the last one, and I thought he deserved to look me in the eyes when he died . . I hope you realize, a hundred of your men died by my hands, and didn’t even scratch me . . A mere human who regenerates can’t possibly replace a hundred skilled soldiers with machineguns . . .” Rocky explained, and began smiling after he saw the silver berettas in Avenger’s hands. “What? No katana this time? I was looking forward to killing you and claiming it as my own . . Oh well, I guess I could always treasure a pair of guns as well . . .” Rocky continued, while watching Avenger walk closer to him. “Well, I hope you rea-“ Rocky’s sentence was interrupted as a silver bullet nearly hit him between the eyes.

“Fight back, freak.” Avenger said, his tone of voice had become remarkably cold. Another bullet was fired, yet dodged by Rocky who had an amused expression on his face. The demon ran at Avenger, who continuously fired bullets at the large creature. A second before Rocky was going to hit Avenger, a white blur replaced where he had been, two silver bullets flew at Rocky’s back, which was defended by a pair of metal wings. The bullets simply dropped off, and before Avenger had a chance to respond, a tail had stabbed the top of his left lung. Avenger didn’t scream, because he didn’t have the opportunity. Rocky delivered a strong punch to Avenger’s face, and sent him flying, tumbling along the road.

Both of Avenger’s berettas had been crushed under Rocky’s feet, as the useless weapons they were. “Now human, how much did those guns help you?” Rocky asked, sounding amused. Avenger got up from the asphalt, and stared through the mist into Rocky’s red glowing eyes. “I got what I wanted, if that’s what you mean.” Avenger said, still keeping his calm posture and attitude. Blood was dripping down from wounds, and he was still clenching his ribs. Avenger threw down his coat, and revealed a black karati gi with white stripes.

Rocky seemed to become even more amused, and dashed toward Avenger with his fist. The fist passed Avenger, and a single punch knocked Rocky backwards, making him lose balance. Avenger was not finished yet, a flurry of devastating punches continued to force the demon backwards, and finally he delivered a kick towards Rocky’s face. His foot was caught in Rocky’s hand, which now lifted Avenger by his leg up in the air before dropping him head first down on the asphalt. Rocky smiled, while rubbing a bruise on his bare chest with his right hand.

Avenger stood up, to meet another of Rocky’s overwhelming punches, which got him straight in the gut. An uppercut knocked Avenger up in the air, and a powerful kick sent him flying across the asphalt, leaving him face down in the moors. Rocky’s eyes flickered back, he began mumbling, and suddenly a large blade came up from the ground and into Rocky’s hands. The full moon was shining brightly, but not brightly enough for Avenger to notice the dark aura surrounding Rocky’s sword.

Damn it! I’ve got no choice but to show him my trump card right here and now!

Rocky neared Avenger with his giant blade, and watched as Avenger arose from the ground. The giant blade rippled through the air toward Avenger, but a bright light stopped the blade in its tracks. It was gone when Rocky regained his sight, and Avenger had not changed a bit. Again Rocky swung his gigantic sword at Avenger, but this time he got to see what had blocked it. A three foot, white blade of energy had formed from Avenger’s fingertips. White energy was stretching from his hand and down to his elbows. Rocky’s eyes could not believe what they saw, white energy was blocking Lucifer’s blade with ease.

“Games are over Rocky, I will not show mercy on you!” Avenger shouted out, before his body became a blur and appeared behind his opponent. His blade went straight through Rocky’s body, like a warm knife through butter. “Aaargh!” The demon screamed out, while Avenger teleported in front of Rocky once again. “No mercy demon, next time I’ll kill you.” Avenger said, but this time his voice had turned even colder than it had ever been previously.

The demon seemed to be in pain, unlike the times Avenger had simply punched him using Tai Chi methods, proving he still had a lot to learn from Hwoarang. Raging, the demon threw himself at Avenger, his leg about to hit Avenger a second before his target disappeared into a thin blur again. Rocky screamed out, and without warning his entire body entered a metamorphosis, changing his muscle mass to twice its size. A grotesque creature had appeared, formerly Rocky, but it no longer even resembled. It looked much more like a demon, than anything else Avenger had ever seen.

Foggy air made it nearly impossible to see what he had become, but in the moonlight it was clear, he had become something terrible. The creature walked toward Avenger, the misty ground shaking as its feet moved forward. Avenger was in such a state of shock, he could hardly move his body. Rocky had become gigantic, and his power was obvious.

Avenger leaped at the infuriated Rocky, and delivered the strongest kick he could. No effect, besides Avenger being caught in Rocky’s giant fist. The power Rocky had in his hand alone was crushing Avenger’s entire body, blood was running down in flowing rivers from Avenger’s body, fractures were undoubtedly made, considering the cracking noises coming from Avenger’s body. The demon released Avenger, and dropped his bleeding body to the wet, moist ground. Avenger’s body just lay there, half dead, half alive. Extreme blood loss alone, caused by Rocky’s grip would have killed a normal human being, but Avenger was still alive, barely.

Avenger could see all the bodies far away, all of whom were dead because no one was there to save them. The large pool of blood around Avenger’s body was rapidly growing, without a doubt, Avenger would soon be dead.

Those soldiers . . They came to keep Rocky away from me . . Long enough for me to get a pair of useless weapons . . I should have known from the start . . Weapons such as those are not for me . . I am a weapon, one of the most lethal . . All I have to do . . is use myself!

Rocky laughed out, as the beast he had become, he watched Avenger crawl to his knees with enjoyment. There was no mercy in Rocky’s eyes; he was going to kill Avenger. His metal tail swung around, before it pointed straight at Avenger’s heart. Rocky’s tail shot down toward Avenger’s organ of life, his red eyes glowed even stronger the second before it hit. Suddenly, a white flash again blinded Rocky’s eyes. Avenger’s blade had blocked Rocky’s tail, and cut it off in the process. A white eyed Avenger stared into Rocky’s eyes, his left hand had also become white, but in burning white flames of energy.

A strange creature stood in the distance, watching the two fighters battle it out through a foggy perspective; and looked up at the full moon which reflected its light in a pair of yellow eyes, glowing slightly in the darkness. Rocky stared at Avenger in fear, knowing he was now stronger than him, even in his berserk state. Avenger’s left palm, lit up with flame struck Rocky’s muscled chest, making a burn mark as he was blown backwards and tumbled sideways across the asphalt, to the other side of the road.

Avenger’s aura was not large now, but it still lit up the misty moors. Rocky got up from the moist ground and stormed at Avenger, who simply jumped to the side and hit the beast with his left palm, still engulfed in white flames. The huge creature again tumbled along the ground, while screaming out in pain. Rocky had stopped attacking now; instead he simply stood there on the moist ground after getting up. His muscles began to morph once again, but they now returned to normal size, as did his body. Rocky seemed infuriated still, but he had obviously realized Avenger was too fast for him.

Far away, many creatures with yellow eyes had gathered around the first one, all observing Rocky and Avenger through the hazy weather. Rocky’s eyes had flickered back, and it seemed as if he was mumbling to himself. ”Please lord Lucifer . . I cannot beat this mortal, and I know I have done you wrong . . My power is not enough . . Take my body . . And destroy Avenger . . I am too weak for you my lord, but you can use me . . .”

Fierce wind began to sweep the moors, Rocky’s legs, which had sunk a little down into the ground were levitating above the wet surface. Red flames blazed up from where Rocky had stood, engulfing his entire body in flames. His horns began to extend, and were now a foot long. Already razor sharp fingernails became claw like, and his skin began to turn red. Crimson eyes, already glowing, were now fearsome enough to make Avenger step backwards. A black aura surrounded Rocky’s body, and the blade he had used before simply shot up from the ground and directed itself into his hand.

What . . Is this . . Power . . I can hardly keep myself from getting blown away . . The ground itself is splitting where Rocky’s feet are . . This can’t be Rocky . . No . . Rocky was never this powerful . . This creature I see before me . . Is Lucifer himself . . .

“Mortal, your death will be slow and painful, have no doubt about it. I have long wanted to kill you, but Kelesk seems to have a soft spot for you . . He is the only reason you escaped hell alive, but this time . . He will not be here to save you!” Rocky’s voice said, except, it was not Rocky’s voice this time, but Lucifer’s.

Lucifer walked toward Avenger, but while crossing the road he saw lights in the distance. A large ball of flame began to form in Lucifer’s hand, and it grew to thirty feet in diameter, up in the air. His hand flung it toward the little city, well knowing every single being within it would be destroyed. Avenger darted after the ball of flame, and jumped in front of it a mere hundred meters in front of a school. Both of Avenger’s hands were engulfed in flame, which rapidly grew along with his aura. White energy spread feet at a time, growing at every second that passed. Avenger’s hands were shaking, as they were firmly placed around the large ball of fire.

I have to . . Save . . Them . . I need to . . Remember . . Hwoarang’s teachings . . .

-
Satan, quickly threw Avenger backwards onto the path leading up from hell, smiling as his telekinesis manipulated Avenger’s body. The second Avenger regained control, he sprinted upwards, teleporting at times to make it up quicker. Further below, besides the screams of tortured souls, he could hear Rocky screaming out in pain. After many hours of killing zombie Nazis, Avenger reached the top of hell, an elevator near a throne was slide eerily open. Avenger ran into it, and pushed the button labeled, up.

Many hours later, he reached the top, and exited the elevator. The building logo noted VVU. A lady sat behind a counter, greeting visitors, developed and evil smile as he walked by. Avenger quickly walked out, where a man in a white gi with blue stripes met him. Hwoarang.

"You look you've been through Hell and back." He exhaled. Avenger glanced back at the VVU building with a nervous and paranoid assertiveness, "You wouldn't believe . . . "
"The fact is, I can't have Satan trying to kill you, and your powers not at their obvious potential." Avenger turned back to Hwoarang, a confused look on his face, "What do you mean, potential?"

Hwoarang smiled, it almost resembling the desk secretary he had just walked past. Disappearing into thin air, Avenger suddenly felt a hand grab him by his jacket, his feet no longer the touching the ground, as he was lifted into the air. "Where are you taking me?" "Somewhere with plenty of open area... and less civilization." A few hours of flying over city, that turned into suburbs, that turned into farmland, Hwoarang dropped Avenger in an open field, landing beside him.

"Can you feel it, Avenger? What's all around you?"
Avenger continued to hold a puzzled expression, "Feel what?"
"The energy . . . "
"I know of the energy that I have, within my body."
"That's the interesting thing, the energy you think that only your body can withhold, is actually all around you."

Avenger began to feel a churning in his stomach, a mix of cold and hot waves dancing across his skin, the simple cause and effect of realizing what Hwoarang had just explained to him. He extended his right hand, forming a Palm of Will, a white flame soon beginning to dance in his palm. Hwoarang noticed, telling Avenger to, "Imagine the entire Earth is helping you make that ball stronger, the ball is surrounded by energy, and it's concentrated at your command.” Avenger nodded, staring at the flame until he began to develop a trance-like state, the flame increasing in size faster than Hwoarang had expected, "You’re a natural.”

“Now, imagine even more energy is being concentrated.” Hwoarang's pupil began to slightly shake, and was sweating as if he was standing in oven. The flame had began to envelop his entire hand, it's diameter easily reaching two to three feet, causing Hwoarang to take a couple steps back.

"I think it's safe to say you've easily grasped the concept. Go ahead and release that."
Avenger exhaled, the flame quickly fading, and his skin showing signs of slight burns, "This was kind of painful, how do you deal with such a torment?”
Hwoarang sighed, "I am no longer an entity of physical pain, for I am a rebirth of capitalist design. An android, a machine, who can no longer comprehend any emotions, except anger. But, I will say no more... it's time for you to truly enter the realm of Tai Chi. I must also acquire a gi for you to wear, it is the appropriate and honorable measure."

They spent three straight days at the field, Hwoarang showing Avenger both the long and short styles of Tai Chi. Avenger would soon be an unlimited of energy, just as Hwoarang as already was.
-

Both of Avenger’s hands now exploded in energy, the ball of flame turned white and was now held in Avenger’s left hand, with burn marks fading away from it. Avenger walked along the road, watching the eyes of Lucifer with a smile. Lucifer approached Avenger as he neared three hundred feet, looking surprised as he saw the large ball of energy focused in Avenger’s hand. Without uncertainty Avenger threw it with all his power towards Rocky’s possessed body. The devil simply slapped it to the side, sending it flying through the mist.

“You really thought I would use my strongest attacks against you? Human, you cannot begin to understand my power . . I shall demonstrate some for you now, demon hunter.” Lucifer told Avenger. “Demon hunter? What are you talking about Lucifer, I am no demon hunter!” Avenger yelled out at Satan, who simply laughed. “You were, and you always will be, an angel, or should I say demon? In the past, little one, you’ve hunted down thousands of my minions and slaughtered them without remorse. Even angels you have killed, for doing injustice to others.” The devil continued, while stretching his muscular body.

Rocky’s metal wings fell off, as did his damaged tail. A new pair of wings grew out on Rocky’s back, their demonic resemblance was incredible, Rocky now looked like a full blooded demon. “Nor I or any other being I know of, knows your previous life, as we have known you for thousands and thousands of years. It is obvious you are not evil, but you are not evil either, which leaves no side at all! However, the mystery will end tonight when I kill you, and bring your dead body to hell for examination.” Lucifer finished before his large blade disappeared.

Avenger did not speculate on what he had to do, but dashed with all his speed toward Lucifer, and he seemed like a white blur when he leaped at Rocky’s body with all his power. A white blade formed on Avenger’s hand, but it was too late for that. Rocky’s hand had gripped Avenger’s wrist, and simply twisted it around, forcing Avenger to the damp ground. Not knowing what would happen, Avenger simply closed his eyes, knowing he could not resist the strength of Satan’s embodiment. Catching him in nearly 90 mph, without even trying, proved that Avenger had no chance this way.

“So Avenger, how would you like to die?” Satan asked Avenger, who did not respond. His eyes were still closed, knowing certain death was at hand. He had dodged death many times in the past, but none of those times had he been fighting the devil himself. Avenger’s ears twitched, noises of soft footsteps were all around him. Suddenly he opened his eyes, and realized, at least fourteen wolf like creatures had surrounded Rocky and him. Yellow eyes stared at them through the mist, razor sharp teeth and claws were revealed when one of them walked closer to Avenger and Rocky.

Rocky’s red skin seemed to be tough, as the razor sharp claws of a werewolf struck down on his arm, only a little scratch was made. The werewolves were not large, around six feet tall, but their claws were over four inches long, and two inches broad.

If they hit me once they’ll tear my flesh to pieces . . Even in this form I cannot possibly survive this onslaught . . .

The creature which had attacked Rocky’s possessed body was now thrown away, several hundred meters, landing with a whimper. In an instant, all the werewolves threw themselves at Rocky, biting and slashing with their brute force alone. Avenger realized Satan was occupied, and walked slowly away. Before he could reach a safety of a hundred feet, he looked into another pair of yellow eyes. This creature was twice the size of Rocky easily, and it looked more powerful than any creature Avenger had ever seen. It looked down on Avenger, snarled, and continued walking on its hind legs towards Rocky.

Many of the beasts attacking Lucifer were dead, their fur burnt into ash, and deep wounds leaked out a dark crimson liquid, which sunk into the moors. Lucifer laughed out as he killed yet another one by plunging a fireball into its face. The large beast which walked towards Rocky’s possessed form growled; as it watched its brethren die by his hands. A dark aura gathered around the large werewolf, but it did not seem evil. Like shadows, darkness was being sucked into the werewolf’s aura.

Suddenly the beast sprinted towards Lucifer, with its right claw stretched out. Black blood splattered all over the moors, Rocky’s body had been damaged. Another claw struck Rocky’s shoulder, before the large creature was knocked away by Lucifer’s power. But once again, the werewolf darted towards Lucifer. They both engaged in intense battle, claws ripped at flesh, knocking each other backwards. The werewolf now seemed to grow larger, and so did its aura. Satan looked surprised, but not afraid. Again they continued in intense battle, exchanging blows every second which passed.

An orb of flame formed in Lucifer’s hand as he smirked, only to realize the lycon had done the same, but with a shadow ball. They clashed together, throwing Avenger who stood a hundred feet away, another seventy, with spiritual pressure alone. Both Satan and the lycon now lay on the moist ground, sinking slightly into it. The mist hid wounds, but the light of a full moon revealed them again. Avenger got up from the asphalt before he walked towards the two fighters.

Avenger focused his energy, forcing the aura which surrounded him to grow extensively. Satan looked to the side, where Avenger now made his way towards the two fighting creatures. Lucifer looked to end the fight quickly, as he stretched out his hand and summoned the blade he had previously. It was brimming with energy; crimson flames had lit up the giant sword. As Satan swung the blade at the lycon, he met hard resistance. The werewolf had summoned its own blade of darkness, but it was smaller and seemed to require no strength at all.

Lucifer seemed to be tired of games, as he gripped the blade in one hand and sent the other as a fist into the lycon’s face, sending it flying thirty feet away from him. It seemed wounded while the moon shined down upon its injuries. Avenger seemed to realize, this beast was his only chance, and began sprinting towards the lycon to defend it. Lucifer’s blade was prepared to land the finishing blow, and as he swung the blade, a bright white light stopped it. Avenger’s right arm had been completely covered in light, and the white blade which had previously stopped Lucifer’s blade had done the deed again.

Avenger smiled before he pushed Lucifer’s sword out of the way, knowing his energy blade was tens of times stronger than his. His figure faded into the mist the second before Satan shot his fist into it, and saw a blade of light pierce through his right chest. Lucifer jumped forwards, knowing if he had done otherwise Rocky’s body would have been shred to pieces. Satan dropped the blade, leaving it to sink down into the ground. He seemed angry, with himself, that he had let Avenger hit him.

”Master? How can this be? You . . Are losing to his blade . . Master, forgive me . . My body is not strong enough to be possessed properly yet . . .” A voice echoed in Rocky’s mind, as him and Lucifer were bound together now.

The lycon whimpered, its wounds seemed fatal, and Avenger knew the only way now was to defeat Satan. Satan smiled, before he lifted his right hand and stretched it upwards. Red hounds burning with fury came up from the ground, and the chains which held them were in Rocky’s hand. Another bunch of chains were in Rocky’s other hand, but they were on fire; it seemed strange that the fire did not burn through the chains. A previously terrifying pair of eyes had now changed back into Rocky’s usual ones. Yet, the power stayed the same. A new tail had grown out as well, with a tip seemingly drenched in poison.

A golden medallion still hung from Rocky’s neck, but in his hands there was fire. Rocky smiled, looking amazed by his new powers. “The dogs of hell . . Quite an upgrade for a battle, I guess he didn’t want to kill you on his own then Avenger, but wanted me to prove myself! With this power . . There is no limit to what evil I can accomplish . . There’s hardly any human left in me! Not that there was before . . Time for you to die Avenger, and I’ll end that mutt over there which helped you as well.” Rocky said, smiling while looking at his hands. A pair of fireballs appeared in Rocky’s hands, and before Avenger realized it, they were both on their way at him.

Avenger’s white blade cut one of the fireballs, and destroyed it. While the other seemed to be absorbed in Avenger’s left hand, which was lit on fire. Rocky did not hesitate; he threw his powerful fist at Avenger, who blocked it with Rocky’s own fireball. Another fireball was flung at Avenger, but it was simply knocked away, and flew through the mist leaving a trail of blazing heat.

Rocky seemed to have noticed the chains of fire on his hand, as he swung them at Avenger. Three of the six chains struck Avenger, leaving long trails of fire where they hit, as well as knocking Avenger backwards. Avenger looked at Rocky, who seemed to be playing around with his new abilities. The wings Satan had made were light, and could be rendered nearly invisible, as they went into his back.

Quick dodging was required to keep Avenger away from Rocky’s poisonous tail, which was now at least three times the speed of his metal one. A sudden wind reached Avenger’s face, and before he could realize it, Rocky had shot up into the air. His wings were larger than before, yet they seemed much more agile and strong. Rocky’s hand seemed to have once again, summoned chains which had red dogs attached at the end. In a blaze of fire they had jumped at Avenger, and were now tearing his flesh apart with fierce blood lust.

Argh! I can’t believe this power . . He’s summoning creatures with enough power on their own to destroy me . . .

A flash of light again appeared where Avenger had been, and a blur was the only thing left for the dogs of hell to rip apart. Avenger stood ninety feet away from Rocky, who was simply smiling as pieces of flesh had actually been ripped from Avenger’s body. The white aura which had grown large during the battle with Rocky in his possessed state, was now shrinking down, only covering a few inches from Avenger’s feet. His blood had gathered in a massive pool, which was still expanding with the crimson colored liquid.

“Death to you, mortal!” Rocky shouted out, obviously drunk with power. Within a split second, Rocky was blown down from the air, cracking his skin as he landed. The previous color Rocky had was beneath a red layer of skin, which operated as armor. Avenger’s aura had once again recovered, and its power was stronger than before. Rocky’s faint, yet powerful aura was fighting Avenger’s. White energy was battling red, the red shaping as a horrific beast. Soon Avenger’s aura began to take shape as well, but as himself. Soul Reaper seemed to have appeared on the aura’s figure, and was now slashing into the beastly aura of Rocky.

The fiery fire beast created out of Rocky’s aura was now battling Avenger’s clone with all its power, forcing the clone backwards. Avenger saw Rocky’s smile, as his beast began devouring the aura clone. Soon after the clone disappeared, so did the fiery aura of Rocky. “I do hope you realize, I’m just toying with you. My real aura is fifty times stronger than the one you just faced! This is indeed the power of Lord Lucifer! Now bow, and let me devour your soul.” Rocky laughed out, and to prove his point, the faint red aura he had used earlier expanded greatly, knocking the wounded werewolf away. A loud whimper came out of its mouth as it hit the cold moist ground, tumbling through the mist.

Avenger’s hand lit up with energy again, Soul Reaper forming in an instant, but suddenly vanishing again. Rocky’s power was nearly blowing Avenger away, the feeling of needles tormenting his skin increased, making a few of his wounds rip open again. Avenger could see the energy clearly now, unlike normal people who never trained Tai Chi. The mix of energy seemed terrifying, simply looking at Rocky’s aura seemed to give a look of terror upon Avenger’s face.

“Enough, demon. You get your wish, I will not play around any longer!” With that said, Avenger’s blade materialized on his hand. The world seemed to be in slow motion from where Avenger stood, having focused all his energy, and the energy around him, his mind was clear. Avenger no longer struggled to stand in the fierce aura of Rocky; he dashed towards the demon with a speed unlike anything Rocky had ever seen, even in the pits of hell. Smiling as he put up his hand to block, Rocky punched Avenger, he thought . Avenger had teleported behind the demon, and delivered a stab to his chest. As Rocky turned around, Avenger began a frenzy of teleportation and dodging. Rocky struggled to see where Avenger was, as he was continuously stabbed from the opposite direction of where he saw his opponent. Finally, Avenger stopped behind Rocky, his blade pointed at a demons neck.

Rocky froze in terror, knowing he had no chance of blocking or dodging Avengers attack due to the combo of stabs. “Demon, here you meet your destiny.” Avenger said, his voice still cold and emotionless. Rocky laughed out, even with his blood dripping to the ground making a massive pool, even larger than the one Avenger had made. “That was only twice my power, fool.” He spat out, before blowing Avenger and the lycon away. Red energy scorched the ground within three hundred feet of Rocky, causing both of his opponents to be trapped within a wall of fire.

Avenger coughed, his combo had taken a lot out of his body. The lycon seemed to be alive, but Avenger knew that if he did not defeat Rocky, it would die in vain. Fog which previously shrouded Avengers sight was seen through easily, as his focus was not dropped.

No . . If he defeats me here . . There will be no one to stop him from destroying the earth, enslaving us all . . Sensei Hwoarang . . I shall defeat him as I promised you!

White burning energy put out all of Rocky’s flames, the new one stronger than anything before. Avenger dropped to the ground, screaming out as he shook. Large flames of energy shot up from the ground, white lighting struck down around Avenger’s wounded body. Energy stronger than Rocky’s had begun to envelop Avenger, two wings of energy seemed to take shape on his back. Muscles bulged up, but not much. His hair spiked upwards, and both hands seemed to have Soul Reaper’s full form on them.

Rocky watched curiously at Avengers new found power, his facial expression revealed fear, the energy of this new form seemed to be twice what Rocky had used before.

“No mercy demon, you shall pay for your sins and injustices!” Avenger shouted out, his voice had altered, and sounded now deep and blurred.

------


Note, I have not written anything on this since Rocky posted, I've been busy and forgot to post, sorry.

 

[DiebytheSword]

A tough call, but this round narrowly goes to avenger for having slightly better flow and a better cutaway. Rocky, your duplicitous dipiction of events in out-of-order sequence was a nice twist, but it could have been executed better. Ultimately, it's stuttering of the story cost you the round.