Burning_Brawler_NA

Burning Brawler grinned as the last Christmas present was teleported under the tree. He was glad the spell worked this time. If what happened last year happened again, he'd be on the couch for a month.

Pstorm walked into the room, a sly smile on her face.

"Don't try reading my mind, there are blockers for that all over the place," said Burning with a grin of his own.

"How many?" she asked.

"Seven."

She glanced about the room. Shouldn't be too hard to find 'em inside the apartment. "So, where's mom?"

Burning's grin turned to a frown as he looked towards the door. "It'll be another hour. She's still searching."

Rachel nodded. What was her brother doing right now, she wondered.

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Two armored figures silently skulked towards the door. The light from the warm fire inside the house played hauntingly over their rotted faces.

Muck lifted a skeletal hand, and pressed the doorbell.

A woman opened the door, and the family inside instantly drew back in fear as she saw their deathly faces.

Guck nodded to his brother, and they opened their mouths wide.

Oh holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
The staaaaaaaaaars
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
It is the niiiiiiiiiiiight!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Long lay the wooooooooorld
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
.........Appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

The family stared, dumbfounded. Suddenly, there was a loud crash as a window shattered.

They turned back toward their tree and discovered that all their presents were gone!

They turned back towards the Grave Knights in time to see them disappear in a flash of smoke.

Void Brawler leapt over their backyard fence, carrying a large sack. He grinned under his cowl as he faded from all sight.

If you're still taking request, I'd like one of either Burning Brawler or Blightlord. Your pick

Linkies in my Flickr page.

The Night Widow smoke grenade's -Perception seems to be a little bit stronger than it should. I popped an Insight, and still couldn't see the red Toxic Tarantula just down the hall.

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Could you at least keep your stuff in one thread rather than cluttering up the forum?

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I think it's something that this person cannot comprehend.

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Laureth! *catches in a cookie net*

Burning Brawler walked through a ruined city. His tracking spells said Blightlord was in this area.

Every rock falling to the ground, every whisper from the wind sounded like an enemy's approach. This dimension was less safe for a hero than the Rogue Isles.

As he walked, Burning saw a deep hole in the ground ahead, almost like a load of explosives had gone off. He quietely snuck up to the spot, and his eyes went wide as he recognized the signs of what had caused this. The damage here looked almost identical to the kind he created whenever his anger got the better of him.

Had his evil self been here?

Burning glanced about, but saw nothing. Now even more wary, he continued on.

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Blightlord and his servants walked out of The Lord of Life's former stronghold and back into the destroyed city. The master of undeath nodded to Grime, who turned to the entrance, and began weaving a spell.

Muck stared curiously at the wrapped body they had been instructed to carry. Guck reached to lift a flap, but as he felt Blightlord's stare, he quickly decided it would be better to wait.

Grime finished his spell, and the entrance faded away. There was a short rumble, and the job was done. "It will serve our purposes should we need to return," said the Lich.

Blightlord nodded. If they ever were forced to return here, they would have a base of operations only they could access. "Teleport us back to our home then, Grime."

The Lich nodded, and prepared the spell. A dark light wrapped around them, and their bodies slowly faded away.

And popped right back where they were.

"Enough games, take us back to the base," said Blightlord, annoyed.

"I don't understand, my lord, it should have worked," said Grime.

A deep scowl crossed the undead master's face. "Longbow. Come then, we will find another route."

Burning sat in a large office char, rubbing his forehead as he heard the news. "How did he even get access to the coordinates?"

Lieutenant Robinson grabbed a remote, and a small display screen slowly descended from the ceiling along the back wall.

He pressed a button, and an image of Portal Corp. came into view. The building was not looking very well. Burning stared at the image for a moment and sighed. "Why didn't you call me?"

"We didn't even know an attack was coming," said Robinson. "At approximately 0200 hours an Arachnos helicopter uncloaked. Their new stealth technology gave us no signs until their forces were all leaping out, Blightlord exiting behind them.

He pressed the button again, and a new image appeared. Citadel was on the floor of Portal Corp., his chest and face hacked and melted. Burning sat back and scratched the back of his head. This was bad.

"Citadel was placed on duty to guard a scientist Arachnos was after. What for, we're not sure, except that it deals with portal tech. Blightlord's job was to retrieve him and leave, but it seems he made a pitstop at one of our computers," said Robinson.

"And the technician gave him the codes to Praetorian Earth, where he plans to what? Overthrow Tyrant?"

"Possibly. Our agents attempted to track him but shortly after sighting him, we lost contact," replied the Lieutenant. "Luckily, however, we recovered the technician Blightlord kidnapped. He gave him the coorect coordinates, but the codes were slightly off. He could get in, but he's trapped unless he finds another way."

"So all I have to do is head to one of the more dangerous known dimensions to defeat and retrieve an equally dangerous villain," said Burning.

"Exactly. Their waiting for you down at portal C-2."

--------------------

Blightlord glanced at statues that were now lining the walls with little interest. They were all of different men wearing long robes and holding the same gnarled staff. There was one thing they had in common however. Something in their eyes that Blightlord wasn't able to quite place.

After a while, they had begun to hear a low echo. They now realized this was in fact a voice saying incantations. After a few moments, Blightlord had discerned the spell.

Resurrection.

The chanting was cut off by a dismayed sigh. "She is too far gone, it seems," said the man. "There is no way of bringing her back."

"It is alright, your lordship," said another voice. "You tried your best."

"I know, Shine, but every loss is hard."

"Weaklings," muttered Grime.

Blightlord turned the corner and saw them. The first was a man in bright red robes with white tracing up along its side in a wavy pattern. He seemed to be a normal man, save for one small detail, his purely white eyes.

The other man wore blue robes and a dark green sash covered in runes. A hood covered his face. Grime instantly saw his counterpart and hissed at the man.

The two turned, and for a moment, a cold silence came throughout the halls.

"I knew this day would come," said the man. "Your evil would not allow the existence of a being of the light that so closely resembled you. Just as I cannot allow your perversion of life to continue."

Blightlord stared into his eyes, and snapped his fingers.

There was a roar as dozens of undead screamed fiercely and charged forward. A loud cry echoed as sword wielding soldiers leapt from balconies and ran in through doors to defend their leader.

Muck and Guck ran forward, swords drawn, as Grime held out his hands to cast a spell.

Suddenly, two men in silver armor dropped from the ceiling. "We will repay our debt to you, Lord of Life," said the first.

"We are forever yours for our resurrections," said the second. They met Muck and Guck's charge, quickly catching the undead's blades with their own.

"How noble of you. You find the recently dead and bring them back, and in turn they serve you." Blightlord walked through the battle between Lich and Wizard. He held several glass balls in his hand. He took the red one and held it up for the Lord of Life to see. "Do you know what this does?"

A dark look crossed the man's face. "You will not escape this place, villain."

"I have little need for your overused statements," said Blightlord. He threw the glass ball, and it crashed into the man. The Lord of Life looked down as he slowly melted away.

"I will find a way to return," he said.

"We shall see." Blightlord turned, and walked away.

With their leader dead, the soldiers seemed to lose their strength of will. It was not long before they were overwhelmed.

Grime appeared alongside Blightlord through a portal of darkness, carrying a form wrapped in gray cloth. "This was the body he was working on. Perhaps it could serve some better purpose?"

Blightlord looked down towards it. "Perhaps."

The Consumed took a few steps back until he was pressed against the wall. He swung at the ground, and accidentally stepped in the large hole, sinking his leg down into its never-ending depths.

He struggled, and seemed firmly stuck. Every shot against him caused dents in his seemingly more insubstantial form. He slammed his hand down towards the heroes and villains, but was doing so from an awkward angle.

Danica climbed to the top of his hooded head, and slowly made her way towards his face.

Burning saw what she was doing, and quickly worked harder to distract The Consumed, throwing fireballs while spinning through the air.

Pstorm sent a lightning bolt straight into the fiend's stomach, giving up the attempts to harm his mind.

The battle was going well. It seemed like any moment now they would have him.

((Your avatar=

Invader Zim fans unite! >_&gt)

The Consumed took tiny steps back with each of the blows, ripples of darkness running across his form whenever one of them struck.

Burning quickly flew around his head, throwing blast after blast at him while dipping under his swipes.

Pstorm tried to keep the group under cover. Her mists were beginning to help fight the effects of the shadows, but the darkness was still stronger. She tried to attack him psionically, but almost all her attempts were thwarted by the nether energies around him.

Danica silently crawled up Consumed's back, nodding to Acid as she did so.

The Consumed bent down and swung his hand at the heroes, then slammed a glowing red fist on the ground that sent shockwaves through the room.

((Think classic console boss battles))

Name: Burning Brawler
Level: 50
Global Handle: @Burning Brawler
Archetype: Blaster
Primary: Fire Blast
Secondary: Ice Manipulation

Burning Brawler quickly flew high in the air, careful to make sure his invisibility spell remained intact.

The streets of Grandville were a dangerous place for a hero.

He held out a small wand, its tip glowed steadily brighter as he continued to head towards the large tower in the city's center. Blightlord was in there somewhere.

He hovered high above, watching warily with his enhanced vision letting him view the villains coming and going. He looked up, thinking he caught the sound of something in the wind.

He whirled around as a creature slammed into him, his claws ripping at Burning as they fell to the ground. He grunted, flailing and flinging balls of flame directly into Captain Mako's face, but knew he wouldn't be winning this fight.

He exploded in a massive burst of flames, and was mediported to safety.

He reappeared a few moments later in the hospital, fully healed. He glanced over at a table where a small invitation was propped up. He read it, and looked up.

"All I want is to end Blightlord's threat to my family."

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Name: Blightlord
Level: 46
Global Handle: @Burning Brawler
Archetype: Mastermind
Primary: Necromancy
Secondary: Poison

Blightlord watched as Captain Mako limped into the conferance room, covered in scorch marks.

Black Scorpion snickered. "What happened to you, fish boy?"

"Train," he muttered, leaning back on the wall as his personal attendants began to heal his wounds.

"As I was saying," said Blightlord, returning focus to his conversation with Lord Recluse, "I find it in your best interests to cease your attempts on me. You know their futility, now know that you will never win."

Ghost Widow watched from afar, somewhat stunned. He hadn't truly pulled off the task, had he? No one could defeat her lord.

"You put yourself at great risk coming here, Blightlord," Lord Recluse said, arms crossed as he stared down at him from his pedestal. "What could you possibly do to prove to me that destroying you is not the best path?"

Blightlord snapped his fingers, and Grime stepped into the room. Scirocco's face twisted in a small mix of hate at the Lich.

Grime stood behind his master, and reached inside his robes. Lord Recluse's eyes slowly widened as he saw the object the Lich held out.

His own head.

"I believe this will suffice," said Blightlord.

Lord Recluse glanced about the room to make sure his servants had not seen. "Very well. I leave you free to go about your own schemes. Just make sure they do not interfere with my own."

Blightlord walked out of the room, but not before setting the head in the center of the large table. Lord Recluse's servants stared in surprise. Ghost Widow gave a small nod of approval, and Blightlord closed his dealings with The Rogue Isles pitiful leaders.

He walked past the long line in the tower's lobby, the citizens standing their glancing at each other. The worry and fear on their faces was unmistakable.

"S-sir!" said a man, running up behind him.

Muck and Guck dropped from the ceiling, and held their swords out to gut the man. He fell back as he hurriedly scrambled from them and their wide, menacing grins.

Blightlord held a hand up, and they disappeared. He approached the man who lay on the floor, wincing and shying away in fear.

Blightlord held out an open hand. The man reluctantly held out his own to be helped to his feet. Blightlord shook his head, and pointed at the piece of paper.

The man handed it to him, and quickly scrambled away. He ran into the corridor, causing a shout from Arachnos guards. There was a cry of pain, then silence.

Blightlord walked out, a zombie soon coming behind him. He opened the envelope and read the invitation inside.

"Soon, all shall bow to my power."

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Nameanica
Level: 22
Global Handle: @Burning Brawler
Archetype: Scrapper
Primary: Martial Arts
Secondary: Invulnerability

An Arachnos mace smashed into the ground, splintering into hundreds of pieces. "No, please! Let me go!"

"Let you go?" said Danica as she stared at the Wolf Spider.

As she hovered over the Steel Canyon skyscrapers.

"Yes! I mean no!"

She let go, and he fell, flailing and screaming as certain death seemed to rush towards him.

And suddenly he stopped as Danica gripped him once more, hovering back up. "I know Arachnos has trackers in their medi-port system. How do I access them?"

"I will never tell you!" said the soldier.

Danica shook him. "You don't tell me, and I swear this won't end well. Where... are... those... FILES?" she yelled, shaking him.

He stared into her eyes with hatred, and spat in her face.

"Wrong answer," said Danica, and she let go.

This time, death and he became quite good friends.

Danica stared down at the ground, regret clean on her face. But that man was scum. Who knows how many he had killed? She quickly wiped any traces of the emotion from her face.

She set down on a rooftop and sighed. Would she never find him?

Suddenly, a small piece of paper slammed into her face. She tore it away, and glanced at it. A tournament? Maybe he would be there.

"Matt, I'll find you somehow."

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((Did I catch anything?))

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((edited))

Bear's Consumed stood there, headless. It took a swipe at him before fading into darkness, and fleeing to the shadows.

Alpha's Consumed doubled over for a moment, but recovered quickly, swinging both hands up to strike him in the jaw.

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Burning let loose a large blast, turning the ice his Consumed was wrapped in to steam. He stared at the spot for a moment. Something wasn't right.

The Consumed sprang up from behind him, leaping into the air and falling fast to bash his head.

Burning whirled around and fired a large burst straight into his chest. The Consumed melted away mid-fall, and retreated. "I think they're getting weaker!" he called to the others.

One by one, The Consumeds were falling away as more of them were defeated. Soon, there were none.

Burning looked at the shadows warily, as did several others. Pstorm gasped and fell to her knee.

"Pstorm?" Danica said, quickly helping her to her feet. "What's the matter?"

Her question was soon answered, however, as the shadows all drained from the room, and converged into its center. They rose fast, and The Consumed reappeared, ten times the size of the largest of the group. The shadow Acid pursued almost escaped for the most part, however he did catch a piece of the darkness in his field.

"You shall feel my wrath this day, mortals!" he cried as he slammed his foot into the ground. Everyone could feel the shadows around him slowly draining away their life, their will to keep fighting. They would need to work fast before the hopelessness of eternal darkness consumed them all.

James Warrens walked into the kitchen of his and Danica's apartment. "Hey hon," he said, kissing her on the cheek before heading towards the door.

"You're not gonna have some breakfast?" she said.

"Can't. I have to meet with some Longbow agents. They think they have a lead on what Blightlord's been up to," he said before putting on a green sweater.

"Alright. Just remember, tonight it's my turn for hero duty," she said.

"I know," said James, walking over to a high chair where a baby girl sat. "See you in a bit, Rachel," he said, kissing her forehead and heading for the door. "Tell Rach she needs to hurry, or she'll miss the tram back to Golden Eagle," he said as he walked out.

Danica nodded. Golden Eagle was the all hero highschool that Rach, the older Rachel, went to. She had come to visit when... well, when herself was born, and would be heading back today.

James walked outside, waving to a neighbor as he passed. He looked around to make sure the coast was clear, and ducked into an alley. James snapped his fingers, and a whirlwind of fire rose up around him. It burst away, revealing his normal costume, green tights with black flames along the arms, legs, and a fireball on his chest, as well as a hood to hide his face as the disguise spell dropped and his eyes glowed.

He adjusted his belt and cape before kicking off the ground, and flying to the Longbow complex in Bloody Bay.

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Blightlord, Grime, and Muck and Guck stepped out of the portal, the Lich immediately wrapping them in a spell of invisibility.

They walked down the torn apart street as Blightlord held out a small wand thats tip pulsed with a blue light. They turned a corner, and it glowed brighter. "This way," said the master of death.

They continued until they came to a solid wall. Blightlord glanced about the alley, waving the wand in different directions. He let it drop for a moment, as all the directions showed the same result, and it flared a huge light.

"Of course," said Blightlord, placing the wand back on his belt, and drawing a small vial. He stepped back, and motioned for his servants to do the same.

Blightlord slid the vial into the launcher on his wrist, aimed it at the spot, and fired. The vial slammed into the ground and exploded, leaving a hole large enough for them to descend into the cavern revealed.

One by one they dropped inside, the Grave Knights going first. Once inside, they found themselves in a large hall of marble, the gleaming building a sharp contrast from the ruins they found outside.

They looked for enemies, but finding none, moved on.

((Might need to tone down the demons a bit. Having a pet with the Master Illusionist powers, another with the most powerful Corrupter power, and so on is a bit much. Plus having a Corrupter controlling them.))

The Consumed absorbed the much of the Blackstar's darkness, the excess shooting from his eyes and mouth, rushing for the ceiling.

As the Soul Storm reached out for him, he dropped into the floor, causing the other attempts to hurt him to miss.

Darkstorm's Consumed rushed straight for him, and leapt up from behind, aiming to grab the back of his head and slam him to the floor.

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Acid's Consumed stared in shock as he was impaled, and quickly had a large whole in him. He melted off of the sword, and quickly zipped around Acid, retreating into the darkness.

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Hallucinogen's Consumed slithered between his friends feet as he stalked him. He felt the radiation beginning to weaken him, but his goal was clear.

The Consumed rushed forward ahead of him, and leapt up, arm out to clothesline the rapidly speeding hero.

The copies of Essex, Toy, and Alpha received the same amount of attention as Darkstorm's distractions: none. This Consumed had one goal, kill Hallucinogen.

He melted into the floor, rushing about in search of his prey.

Schizo's Consumed grunted as he impaled him. He struggled for a moment before melting away, hiding somewhere in the shadows.

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Acid's Consumed took the light in, and the puddle rippled before he reformed. "Mortal, will you never learn?" he said as he lunged for Acid.

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Cortianna's Consumed stopped his slide a few feet from his target. He quickly dropped into the floor, and raced forward. When he was under her, The Consumed erupted all around her, aiming to absorb Cortianna.

AJ's was content to fight her head on, trading blow for blow, electricity crackling over him when she struck.

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As Burning's Consumed reeled back, he leapt up, placing both palms on its chest. The hero fired a burst of flame straight into him, leaving two large holes.

The Consumed glanced down, and snarled. He leapt forward, and was encased in ice as Burning stole the heat from the air. The hero crouched low, and began preparing a blast as the ice slowly melted.

Danica landed on the floor, and whirled around in time to a recieve a backhand that sent her spinning back the other way. She wiped the blood from her lip, and turned back to her Consumed.

As he ran for her, she rolled to the side, and took his feet out from under him. She quickly grabbed his head before he fell, and slammed it into the floor, causing a loud crack.

Before he could melt away, she gripped his forehead and chin, and brutally snapped them to the side. His neck cracked, and he melted away, retreating into the darkness.

Pstorm's Consumed snarled as he walked towards her, the girl's attempts to overload his mind proving ineffective.

He faked a leap, and instead melted away, the blast of air sailing over him. He rushed at Pstorm, appearing right in front of her, in the eye of the winds around her. He gripped the girl's throat as the winds caught his legs, making him flail in the winds.

He squeezed, and her armor creaked. She gasped as it became hard to breathe.

Pstorm's knees buckled, and the winds died down. The Consumed growled in triumph.

Suddenly, his head snapped forward, and he slumped. Danica stood over him as he faded into the floor, retreating into the shadows as hers and Schizo's had done.

Hazthri soon found himself being absorbed and crushed by the eternal night The Consumed was composed of.

He ignored the illusional creatures attacking him, his single-minded determination keeping him focused on Darkstorm. He leapt at him, seeking to wrestle him to the ground and break his neck.

The Ruby Blade suddenly appeared next to the 360, and impaled it with his blood red sword. "I believe you have better ways to waste your time," he said, kicking the sparking box into a corner.

The Obsidian Arrow crashed through a window, a grenade arrow at the ready.

"I am thankful for smoke bombs," said the assassin, disappearing with one.

Arrow growled and rolled his eyes. "Always the same thing," he said. His eyes began to twinkle as he grinned. "Which is why I'm thankful for tracking devices."

He leapt back out the window, but not before grabbing a plate of stuffing and mashed potatoes.

The shot went straight through The Consumed, leaving a large gaping hole in his chest. He looked down, and melted into the floor.

He disappeared for a moment, but returned just as fast as he dropped down on top of the reptile.

Burning Brawler walked in with Danica and Pstorm.

They each took a plate and sat with the others around the table. Pstorm glanced back at the family cowering in the corner. "Um... Don't you guys want some?"

When they shook their heads, she shrugged and heaped a pile of mashed potatoes onto her plate. "I'm thankful that I'm not trapped inside my armor," she said, removing her helmet. "'Cause then I'd have to miss all the food. Oh, and that in a few days I'll already know what I'm getting for Christmas."

Burning sat down with a turkey leg and grinned under his hood. "Which is exactly why I'm thankful for mind shield spells."

Danica sat down, going for the stuffing first. "And I'm thankful that so far, not one villain has tried to blow this place up today." A small cry of fear came from the mother. "I said they haven't!"

Blightlord popped into the room, Muck and Guck quickly diving for one of the turkeys.

"And I am thankful that you all fail to examine your food for poison before you eat it," he said.

Void Brawler walked in, grabbing the china off the table. "And I'm thankful for unlocked doors." He turned to see his parents at the table. All the plates dropped, and the mother banged her head on the wall. "M.... mom? D-d-dad?"

Blightlord disappeared in a flash of darkness, reappearing by Void Brawler. "I am also thankful for mind wiping potions," he said, dropping a red vial's contents down the boy's throat. They disappeared as Burning lunged for them, just too late.

He growled and held out a hand. "I've got to go while the teleportation trail's still there."

Danica wiped her mouth with the napkin and hurriedly raced out the door after her husband. Pstorm put her helmet back on, and did the same.

Pokin' Prodder glanced back. "The food's that bad?" he said, taking a seat at the table.

He grinned, a spike popping out from his arm. "Grub!" He shoved the spike into a large piece of turkey. "I'm thankful that not one of you could beat me one on one if you tried," he said in-between mouthfuls.

Hal's blasts of light seemed to do little to his Consumed as it leapt up at him, both arms reaching out to grab him, and slam the hero to the ground.

Schizo's attempts to hurt Consumed's mind were not working well, the darkness around him seeming to absorb most of it. The thorns however, stuck, and elicited pained grunts from the creature.

As Schizo made another pass around, he leapt up to club him over the head.

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Alpha's Consumed staggered a bit as the bullets hit him, but soon dropped into the floor, becoming a pool of shadow.

He raced forward, popping back up behind Alpha and swinging both arms to box his head.

Bear's Consumed grunted as his feet were caught in the tar. He was about to melt into darkness when it all erupted in flames.

He hissed, and quickly rolled out of them, still smoking as he lunged at Bear.

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Each of the Consumed's Toy faced melted into the floor. Three popped up under the smaller drones, trying to tip them, while the others sprung up from behind, slamming fists onto their heads.

Toy's Consumed appeared directly in front of him, striking up with a fierce blow to his chest.

The Consumed facing Archlich quickly recovered from being blown back, and dropped into the floor.

He raced under Archlich, and grabbed his ankles. The puddle rushed forward, seeking to pull the undead wizard's feet out from under him.

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Acid's Consumed grunted as he was thrown back by the shot. Shadows seemed to flake away from his face as he rocketed forward to bowl the reptile over.

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Darkstorm's attack didn't seem to phase his Consumed much as it kept walking towards him. He suddenly sped forward, gripping the arm holding the ruby, and twisted it sharply before slamming his other fist into Darkstorm's ribs.

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Burning threw up a wall of flames and sent it rushing towards his Consumed. The creature walked through it, smoke drifting off his form.

Burning crouched low and brought his palms together, a fireball steadily growing. He let it loose, only for The Consumed to sink into the floor, and leap back up, slamming his fists into Burning's abdomen.

The hero doubled over, and The Consumed slammed both fists onto his back.

He reached down to grab Burning's collar when the hero flipped around and sent a large blast into his face.

Danica ducked under her Consumed's first swipe, striking him quickly under the arm, before sweeping his feet out from under him.

He melted into the floor, appearing under her. Instead of toppling her however, she rose with him, staying firmly on his shoulders until she kicked off his head, flipping in the air to land.

Pstorm glanced about, worried, as her winds kept up their dizzying pace. So far, her Consumed had tried to pop up in front of her twice, only to be thrown away by the winds.

She tried tracking his mind, but all The Consumeds seemed to share the same things she normally used to track.

Suddenly, he dropped down from the ceiling. Pstorm gasped and threw up her arms. A burst of air smacked into him, and sent him flying off-course.

He landed with a heavy thud, and was soon greeted with a lightning bolt.

The attacks ripped straight through The Consumed, but he did not flinch, or react in any way.

Suddenly, several more of The Consumed sprang up around the group until they were surrounded, and there was one of him for each.

"Mortals, know you will not be going any further," they said in unison before charging the group, fists wrapped in red energies.

"Alright, first things first. Everybody shield up with what you can," said Burning, wrapping himself in an aura of flames.

Pstorm nodded and created a large mist around the group, before surrounding herself in gentle winds that would snap into a hurricane the moment she needed.

Danica just stood there, though she did seem less tense.

"We'll need to keep an eye out for any traps. I doubt we'll get far before we hit the first," she said before following her husband as he led the way to the large double-doors at the end of the large hall.

Burning glanced back to make sure everyone was following before pushing the doors open.

He quickly leapt back as acid fell from the ceiling, and burrowed straight through the cracked marble floor in seconds.

"Hopefully he won't try anything new," said Burning before stepping over the hole, and glancing into the room. Everything seemed clear at first.

Suddenly, Pstorm cried out as a shadow rushed over her, throwing her back. The Consumed rose from a pool of darkness in front of her, catching the girl as she fell, and sending her flying towards Essex.

"Expect to meet some old friends along the way," rang through the hall.

The zombies seemed relentless. A never-ending hoard that wouldn't stop.

Until a snap rang through the room, that is.

All of the undead collapsed, melting away into dust. In the balcony above, Blightlord stood, leaning against a pillar.

"Disappointing," he said, shaking his head. "I had hoped you would have killed twice as many by now. It seems the traps I have in store for you may be too powerful."

He leapt off of the balcony, landing on the floor three stories below. "Don't bother attacking me, this is merely a projection," said Blightlord, walking towards them. "You are all here because you have, in one way or another, offended me, and must receive your punishment. You see, I have done this countless times since the dawn of creation, though I must admit, never to this scale."

"I'll play your stupid game, but let the kids go!" said Burning, eyes flaring.

"Now, now. Don't they deserve to play to?" said Blightlord. "I eagerly await to see you all writhe in agony. Perhaps I'll keep some of you. Good servants are always hard to find."

Blightlord stopped in front of Essex, and bent down to eye level with her. "You can't save them all, child." He stood, holding his arms out. "This is it. The Final Vengeance. None of you will leave this place alive, so enjoy your last precious hours. Oh, and Acid, I wouldn't try anything like the last time. That toxin you were all splattered with has rendered any means of teleportation useless. Let the games begin."

With that, he was gone.

The undead were taken down quickly, but by no means were small in number.

As they took down one, two more seemed to take their place. They fought aggressively, firing volley after volley of acids at the group, but did not seem to be after any specific target.

Burning kept up his fireworks, keeping the zombies a decent distance away as he blasted them again and again.

Danica leapt up and knocked the head off one. She landed, and crouched into a spin, taking the legs out from several others.

Pstorm quickly created a snowstorm over a group of zombies that was attempting to break through Toy's shields. She brought her hands up, and fired a lightning bolt that scattered them.

The Uniter calmly watched the battle, safe inside his force field as his minions aided the fight against the undead.

Even if Blightlord didn't intend to poison them with that stuff, Burning was sure it served some purpose other than to ruin everyone's clothes.

He didn't have much time to think about this as a thump echoed throughout the hall.

Danica looked up, and readied herself into a crouch as she looked about for the source of the sound. Pstorm created a large mist around everyone as her mental alarms went crazy.

There was a loud roar, and zombies poured from everywhere. Doors, the ceiling, the balconies, underneath stairs. An entire small army came rushing for the heroes and villains.

The Uniter calmly ordered his thugs forward before pressing a button on his wrist, wrapping himself in a protective bubble.

Burning grimaced. He had been expecting something like this. He quickly leapt into the mass of undead, soon becoming a massive fiery rage.

Danica looked back towards Acid. "Explain things later, kill zombies now," was all she said before joining her husband in the fray.

Pstorm created a whirlwind around herself, and to keep the undead from the others by her as they launched acid volleys into their midst.