I climbed to my feet. I picked up the Green Knights extra sword. The thunder of guns still rattled outside, shooting adrenaline up my legs and clenching my shoulders. I didn't have a lot of time. Unfortunately, I didn't have any magic bullet proof armor either. I left the hotel room at a brisk walk, thinking furiously as I made my way to the stairs.

Nobody had told Mike how to summon his armor, but he'd done it. If he'd figured it out that quick, it probably wasn't hard. In books, characters were always willing things to happen. I tried that. I immediately realized I had no idea how to will anything.

New tactic. "Armor on," I commanded. Nothing happened. "Armor up. Armor activate." I raised my purloined sword. "By the Power of Greyskull!" Still nothing. "God damn it."

I started down the stairs. Come on Kevin. Think. Mike turned the stupid thing on, and he's an idiot. Is it keyed to emotion, maybe? I was plenty scared. I tried to think about how nice it would be if I had a bunch of shiny metal around me. I cleared the second landing. If I didn't figure this out quick, I'd have to hang out in the lobby like a moron while my friends fought for their lives. And William, I guess.

I got frustrated. "Just fucking do it already!" I made a fist. I demanded that the armor appear. Suddenly I couldn't see the stairs. The armor had been summoned, and I only had a little slitted grill to see out of. I missed a step and took a horrible clanking tumble the rest of the way to ground level.

"Crap." I clambered to my feet and cast about for the Sword I'd dropped. I was lucky I hadn't stabbed myself with the thing. I found it, and noticed my arm was sheathed in platemail so white it probably glowed in the dark. It probably looked cool, but it wasn't exactly inconspicuous. A similarly shining shield with gold trim was strapped to my arm.

The guns were still firing. How many bullets did those assholes have? I started walking again. Ok. So summoning the armor wasn't that hard. What about powers? The Green Knight healed, the Blue Knight did water and ice, and I was pretty sure the Red had super strength. What did I have? My armor was white. Were these things color coded?

Strictly speaking, I didn't need to figure it out yet. I could probably run out there and get the Sword to Patrick with nothing but my glow in the dark bullet proof platemail. On the other hand, I didn't know jack about swordfighting, and I doubted I'd be much more help as I was. A few seconds to learn my power might be the difference between saving the day and dying like a chump. I decided to give myself until I made it out of the lobby.

So, White Knight. Healing? No, probably not. That was William's thing. Purification? Holy Smite? Being Shiny? I didn't know, and I didn't know how to check. As I stepped out of the hallway and into the lobby I pointed a finger at a helpless lounge chair and tried to call down the lightning. Didn't work.

Ah, hell. I didn't crazy lightning powers anyway. What I need was stealth. Some way to be inconspicuous. I paused for a moment, seeing my reflection in the sliding glass doors leading out to the parking lot. I was covered head to tow in shiny white metal. It might as well have been glowing. Not inconspicuous at all. Why couldn't I be the Camouflaged Knight? I fervently wished I could become invisible. My reflection disappeared.

What the hell? I looked down at myself. I saw nothing. I looked back at the glass door. Still nothing. Just a hotel lobby with no people in it. "Holy shit," I whispered. "I'm invisible."

Could it do sound, too? I stomped, my steel clad boot making a clanky thud on the tiled floor. I thought, no. I willed myself to be silent. I stomped again. It was quiet as the grave.

I cackled a laugh that I wasn't able to hear. That's right, Mauvaise. I'm about to fuck you guys in your asses. I stepped for the sliding door. The sliding door didn't open. I smacked into it.

Oh. Right. Those things use motion sensors. The door wasn't opening for an invisible man. I didn't want to drop my stealth mode. I wasn't sure I could turn it back on. Instead I picked up a small coffee table and waved it at the door. The door opened.

I was briefly tempted to walk out. You know, all calm and cool like. I rejected that idea on the grounds that it was stupid, breaking into a dead run. Mike was in a fight to the death, and I'd wasted too much time already.

I reached Patrick first. The Blue Knight was pinned under a swarm of shadows. Several of them had their ghostly hands wrapped around his throat. I swept the Green Knight's sword through the mass of them. They let out their stupidly annoying high pitched screams as they unraveled in a flash of green light. I'd missed the two holding Patrick's legs, but a second swing took care of that.

Patrick started to sit up, coughing. I didn't wait for him. "Go help Mike!" I yelled. Tried to yell. I forgot I was muted. Whatever. He'd figure it out.

William and the Gray Knight were still duking it out. The Green Knight slashed through Mr. Evil's neck. Mr. Evil took the opportunity to stab William in the chest. They both kept fighting. It looked like a stalemate, but it wouldn't last. Eventually Mauvaise would get lucky and cut off a limb. It was only a matter time before the Green Knight got Monty Python'd.

Two seconds of thought told me there was nothing I could do. If the Green Knight's main magic stopping longsword could touch Mauvaise, I doubted the Bequest holding only a fraction of his power would do better. I moved on.

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Mike was wrestling with Shadows. Five assholes with guns stood around pumping rifle fire into him. The Red Knight was stronger than the spirits, but he didn't have a way to hurt them. Mostly he just threw himself around and tried to keep his head covered. For their part, the gunmen seemed content to keep their distance and hold down their triggers. I watched as one ran dry and swiftly reloaded.

The Shadows seemed to be trying to flip Mike over. I remembered the big gash Mr. Evil had left in his armor. One shot into the gap would be all it took. Even hitting the armor, the Red Knight bucked and jerked. I couldn't hear much over the gunfire, but I got the impression the rifle rounds hurt. Mr. Evil's henchmen weren't shooting just to be shooting. No. They were beating Mike to death. With bullets.

Henchmen first, I decided. I hauled off and swung as hard as I could. The Sword felt almost no resistance as it cleaved a head from it's shoulders. The gunman stayed upright, continuing to fire. Huh.

Screw it. I tossed the Sword of the Bequest. It became visible, passing through a mass of Shadows before clanging off Mike's armor. All the spirits it touched unraveled, and Mike grabbed the Sword like a lifeline.

I fumbled for a second, than drew my own Sword. I didn't know what power it had and I didn't care. All the Swords I'd encountered so far had been supernaturally sharp, and that's all I was looking for. A quick chop severed the right arm of the headless gunman. His assault rifle fell, still firing. The bastard's arm wasn't attached anymore, but it was still pulling the trigger. I quickly removed the other arm and swept my sword through his legs. He fell.

In the meantime Mike had dispatched the remaining Shadows. He charged one of the other men, his shield held over his chest. The gunman tried to step back, still firing. Mike caught up, smashing the man's rifle with a mighty swing of the Green Knight's Bequest. I got to work chopping up the other gunmen.

Patrick arrived by the time we finished the last of them. Their parts were still moving, still trying to point guns at Mike. Patrick's rapier flashed out in rapid succession, freezing the dead men.

"What the fuck is going on?" Mike gasped. Oh. Right. He couldn't see me.

"The White Knight," Patrick explained. "Looks like Kevin came through."

"Fuckin' A." Mike dropped the Green Knight's Bequest and picked up his own sword. The Red Knight's sword burst into flames. "What's his power?"

"Illusions," Patrick looked around. "Where's Lady?"

"Still in the RV, I think." Mike pointed his flaming sword at the Gray Knight's fight with William. "We'll grab her after we deal with that asshole."

"Right on."

The two split up, each Knight circling a different side of Mauvaise. I reached down with my shield hand. Having an invisible arm made it harder, but I just barely managed to pick up the Green Knight's Bequest while holding on to my shield's strap. I wanted it close if Mauvasise summoned any more Shadows.

"Stop!" It was Mauvaise's voice. I was pretty sure before, but now I knew he was the Gray Knight. William stabbed him again, but he ignored it. "I know you're here, James. Drop the illusion or my Revenants will kill your Lady of the Lake."

"He's bluffing," said William, going for another stab.

"Am I?" I could hear the prick sneering. "I don't need her alive. I only need her blood. Show yourself."

I swallowed. William had mentioned a Jim. I was assuming he was the former White Knight. Mauvaise knew I was here, and what I could do. That knowledge had made him change tactics. Why? The prick was immune to swords. He should be able to take all of us all by himself, if given enough time.

Was it a time thing? He'd been in an awful hurry after Nynyane had named herself. Maybe he was trying to get out of here before the Servant showed up. Or maybe it was me. Maybe I could-

A gunshot and a scream derailed my train of thought. "That was a warning," said Mauvaise. "Drop the illusions or the next one will be fatal."

Shit. He must be able to control his Revenants with his mind. That put the Lady in immediate danger, and us over a barrel. I had no doubt he'd kill Nynyane. I was also sure surrender was a bad idea.

"Fine." I couldn't hear myself. I willed myself visible and tried again. "Fine."

Mauvaise turned to look at me. "Ah, James. Good of you to join us." William stabbed him again. "Stop that," the Gray Knight snapped. "If you kill me, Nynayane still dies." He pointed his sword at me. "Drop the sword."

"Fine." I let go of the Green Knight's Bequest.

Somehow, Mr. Evil managed to give me an annoyed look despite the fact that I couldn't see his face. "Drop both the swords."

I tried for a stall. "You do realize you're dead if you kill her, right?"

"Stop stalling, James." Mauvaise gestured impatiently. "Drop it, or she dies and I'll take my chances."

I dropped the sword, concentrating. Patrick had said my power was illusions. I dearly hoped I could make this work. I made letters appear in front of the Green Knight. GET LADY. I turned him invisible and left an illusory version in his place. At least, I hoped I did all that. The only feedback I was getting was what I could see for myself. The Green Knight looked real enough, but that might be because he was the real one, and I hadn't managed to do anything at all.

"The rest of you, too," ordered the Gray Knight. Mike and Patrick looked at each other, than at William. William hadn't moved. Belatedly, I realized I'd have to make him move. I pictured him cursing and tossing his sword. He did it. A flood of relief washed through me. The Green Knight was an illusion and I was in control.

Mike and Patrick dropped their swords, too. Mauvaise peered at them, then at me. Finally, his gaze turned to William. His sword flashed out, flickering through the Green Knights neck. I tried to picture William's head falling off, but I was too slow.

"Fool!" the Gray Knight spat. "You just..." He trailed off. Green light flashed through the windows of the tipped RV.

"Saved the Lady, I know." I picked my sword back up. "For my next trick, I'm going to make an asshole disappear."

"We'll see about that." The Gray Knight rushed forward. Mike and Patrick both struck, but their swords had no effect. "Goodbye, James." Mr. Evil's sword shot out, so fast I could barely see it.

I had no chance of stopping it. The Gray Knight was too close, too experienced, and way too quick. His sword snaked around my feeble defenses and struck true. Or it would have, if he'd been attacking in the right direction. I'd made a fake me and moved my invisible self while we were talking. He noticed his mistake just in time for me to stab him in the back.

The Green Knight's sword hadn't been able to touch him. Mine did. The Gray Knight seized up as my blade punched through his armor. "Fuck you," I told him. "And my name isn't James." I jerked the blade out of him. Light blasted out of it. The Sword blazed like a sharp sun as I brought it back around. I squinted against the glare, shouting as I swung as hard as I could. The blazing Sword sheared through his right shoulder, whipped down through his chest, and erupted from his left hip in a spray of blood. The Gray Knight fell in two pieces.

"The name's Kevin."