Ted's head hung down. The binding flesh around his hands and his mouth were all that held him up.

Narissa wiped her gloves off with a hand towel. She looked down at the sleeping Nugget and said, "Seems you got lucky this time."

And with that, she walked back up to the wall and waved her hand across it. The flesh pulled back from binding Ted, and released him. He fell to the ground, and let out a groan.

"You did well," Narissa said smugly as she pressed her palm against the hole in the room. "I hardly had to keep you awake through the ordeal."

"Ugh," Ted groaned. "I can't say I enjoyed that."

That was an understatement. Ted felt like his guts still hadn't settled. Like there was a giant rock inside him and under his stomach that was pushing all of his guts out of place.

He felt tired, like he had been fighting for hours, and all of his limbs were ready to collapse. Each twitch of his muscles was painful, and he just wanted to lie down then and there and close his eyes to rest.

"We don't always enjoy necessary things, but still they must be done." Narissa explained as she pulled her hand away to reveal the hole had been healed completely.

Narissa smirked. "And sometimes they have wondrous results."

"That's cool," Ted wheezed. "But I think...I think I'm gonna lie down for a bit."

"Dear, you're already lying down." She pointed out.

"Ah, good. Good." Ted mumbled as he slowly closed his eyes.

Narissa put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "It's probably not very safe for you to pass out after all that..."

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Ted was already completely out. He was so drained he passed out almost instantly when he decided to.

"...but I suppose you deserve some rest too." Narissa continued.

She knelt down and pulled a small piece of chalk from her bag. She tilted Ted over to the side, and rubbed the chalk in an arc along Ted's forehead.

She stood up without another word and put the small but of chalk in the top of her glove. She stepped over Nugget, and leaned outside the room.

"Yyyyooouuuu ccccooouuulllddd hhhiiitttt ssssooommmmeeeeooonnnneeee oooonnnn aaaccciiiidddeeennnttt," Bakade warned.

But, Sentenza continued to fire at different angles as each bullet was intercepted by another portal the robot created to defend itself.

"Gotta say." Sentenza snorted. "I really couldn't care less."

"Uh, aren't a few people missing?" Narissa called out.

"Hhoooww'sss Ttttteeedddd?" Bakade asked.

Narissa stepped out of the room and shrugged. "He's fast asleep."

"Still exhausted from his heroing, huh?" Sentenza smirked. "Good for him."

Narissa smiled knowingly. "Yep, all tuckered out. Now, care to explain where everyone else is?"

Bakade pointed towards the robot as it used portals to defend itself from the onslaught of bullets.

"Tttthhheeee bbbbiiigggg rrrooobbbooottt ssshhhrrruuunnnkkk. Nnnooowww iiittt mmmaaakkkeesss pppooorrrtttaaalllsss. Iiiitttt cccaaaauuuggghhhttt ttthhheee wwwwooolllfff, Ooo'gggdddrrrriiimmmuuunnn, aaaannnnddd Ddddeeeaaattthhh." She explained.

The horse that still stood firm in the spot Death and Og'drimun left it. But, now it turned its head back and stared at Narissa. She seemed a bit repulsed, and took a step back.

"Don't tell me...did that little monster pull that foul thing together?" Narissa asked.

"You mean the horse?" Sentenza asked with a raised eyebrow as he reloaded his pistols.

"That's no horse," Narissa hissed. "That's the worst abomination his foul mind has ever concocted by a long shot."

The horse stared blankly at her. It's unblinking eyes unwavering from her visage.

Sentenza and Bakade turned to look at the pale horse, and then back to Narissa.

"Iiiitttt'sss aaaa hhhoorrrssseee."

"It's a horse."

Bakade and Sentenza said almost in unison.

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

The room was so cold. Stepping inside would be enough to freeze someone solid in mere moments. And yet, she stood there completely untouched by the cold.

She smiled, and a burst of warmth and light seemed to fight back the cold for a moment. In the corner ice melted around a large lump.

She knelt down and put her hand down on the lump.

As the ice continued to melt, she said. "Poor creature. Abandoned and forgotten. Such a cruel fate you've been forced into."

The ice melted under her hand, and her skin landed on a muscular forearm. It was coarse and somewhat hairy. Toned from a lifetime of struggle and fighting.

She smiled even bigger. "It seems this may be the first really fortuitous event I have managed to encounter so far." She looked the lump up and down. "You will be quite useful indeed."

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

"It's not a horse!" Narissa snapped. "Isn't it obvious? That...that thing is an affront to the very world itself. It...it..."

BOOM!

Narissa ducked back into the room as the robot leaped through where she had been a moment ago.

"Guess it got tired of being on the defensive," Sentenza snorted.

Bakade leaped towards the robot, but as she got close she changed direction and moved away from it. She moved just in time as the robot created a portal where she was first headed.