We were in heavy combat with the shadows when Lory asked for help. As I looked at her, I saw some, Thing look back at me. It tilted it’s head as if it were curious. Shadows flew around me but all I had eyes for, was that, Thing, that monstrosity looking at me. It walked past Lory, it walked on all fours, like a creature of the dark. It has brown skin with tinges of dark. That is when I noticed its claws, it has blue claws. For some reason, they resemble the claws of the man I met in Stratos Isle, the one that never gave his name. Are they related?

Not the time to think about that, saliva drooped to the ground as it has a mouth that seems to open four ways. It almost had no eyes, it made, clicking sounds as it came closer. It looked like a monster from my nightmares, it instilled fear in me as it came even closer, and its jaw opened up, wide enough to swallow me whole. Lory suddenly called out, “Steve!”

I glanced at Lory, “Please tell me that Thing, in front of me, is real?” The shadows started fleeing, one of them came close to the thing in front of me. It got grabbed and bitten in half, black blood splashed in front of me.

Lory called out again, “It is real, I see it too, hit it!” Funk ran towards the thing and tried hitting it, the thing tried to claw Funk, it stopped in front of his face. The Thing hissed and pushed him away with a gentle breeze. Funk rolled aside.

“What is up with people not being able to punch him?” Lory ran over and jumped to strike it down. A translucent beam came out of its back and hurled Lory away, she hit a tree and got knocked out instantly. I did a step backwards while firmly grabbing the handle of my sword.

The Thing took a bipedal stance, its saliva drooped on me and it burned. “Time to take you back to hell.”

I swung my sword, and the thing did not even move, as my sword hit its skin, my sword shattered into pieces. Khione made an ice sword for me and I tried again, once again my ice sword shattered. Eris shot tentacles, the thing ripped them out of me and threw them away. That hurt like hell. I spawned my shotgun and shot it point-blank, expecting its head to be blown off.

It just, it just tilted its head as it took my shotgun and ate it like a tasty snack, it is looking at me, seeing if I had any other attack to try. Just, taking its time with seeing its prey to fight back. Fuck you, you stupid Thing, I threw the scepter at it, hoping that the knock back will not hurt me too much. The thing grabbed the scepter and ate it, it blew up, but it sounded more like a burp.

Captain fed me energy and I shot a red a beam at the thing, my energy deflected and flew somewhere. I did a few steps back, “Does anyone have ideas?”

It remained very silent in my head. J spawned his giant sword in my hand. “Well, I guess, I can give it a try.” With tremendous force, I slammed down the sword, it made a small tiny dent on its shoulder. The Thing ripped the sword out of my hand and snapped it in half. It punched me and I spit out a lot of blood as my insides got rearranged. I keeled over on my side. The Thing rolled me on my back.

It raked me with its claws, over my chest, and my blood splattered everywhere. It seemed to be taking its time with killing me. I managed to grab a rock and smashed it against its ugly face. Nothing happened, I looked at Funk, even thought the push was gentle, he was knocked out, when I looked at Lory, she was also knocked out. I started to infuse myself with a lot of energy, silver energy, ready to teleport and run. The thing slammed its claw on my chest and took my energy, it completely drained my reserves.

I panted in fear, and in pain. I spoke up in my mind, “Anyone, ideas? This Thing is impossible to hurt.” I could feel all of them shaking their head, with the idea, this might be the end. We have no way to damage it, it is just playing with me. It reverted my form to my normal form. I don’t even know how.

It hissed, “Steve.”

“Oh fuck, it knows my name.” It took a bite out of my side and ripped it off. It stopped the bleeding and my blood dripped from its mouth, it giggled, a horrific fucking creepy laughter. The Thing let its nails run over my face, a tendril shot out and shot into my head. I shot up in the command center, looking at everyone. “Holy fuck, what is going on?”

Angel shook his head, “I have no clue, mate.” We all looked at the screen, the Thing pushed on the screen, towards us, it started coming through, like a horror movie.

J pointed at the door, “There is no time, run, I will hold of that thing.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“But, what-”

“No but, Steve, go!” We all rushed through the door, we heard J locking it.

Eris looked at me, “Now what?”

“Go to Khione’s room!” They all nodded, and we started running, when we made it to the training room, Agent looked at me, “I will always live in your memories Steve, go.”

Angel looked at him, “I am staying with you.” He looked at Captain, “I will live on inside of you.”

Captain nodded and dragged me, “Come, they are saving our asses,”

I looked back at Agent and Angel both getting a rocket launcher ready. Once we were in Khione’s snow room. We blocked the door with as much ice and power as we could. Eris looked at me, “Are they going to die?”

Captain shook his head, “They are not going to die, not as long as I have something to say about it.” He teleported outside.

I could hear explosions, rumbling, energy beams. Eris looked at me, “I am going to help them.” She rammed through the door. I looked at Rose and Khione, they both nodded.

Thanos shook his head while laughing, “We are all going to die.”

I looked at him, “What do you know?”

“I know what that is, but this is not the time to talk.” We all rushed through the door, to find a massive fight going on. J is using some kind of healing magic on Agent. Angel and Captain are fighting the Thing. I joined in the fray, we totally whacked its ass, not that it minded, it shook off everything we threw at it.

It came for me with an open jaw, Captain pushed me aside, and his right arm got bit, the thing ripped it off and his blood flew everywhere. Captain grunted in pain, Khione started firing ice magic at the thing. Rose walked in while firing two guns, suddenly being able to make every shot count. When Thanos walked in and drew his red sword, the thing immediately looked at him. It charged at Thanos, apparently, that Thing wanted him dead, badly.

Thanos jumped aside and slashed his sword at the thing, his sword shattered. Everything shook, and the thing got pulled through a portal. I woke up, for a second, I checked if everyone was fine in my mind, J, Captain and Agent were not looking too well, but they will live. I looked at the thing rolling away with someone.

Grunting in pain, and drained, I sat up and looked at Robot Steve, he had fucking saved me. He traded blows with the thing. He looked at me, while trying to fight it off, unsuccessfully, might I add? “Steve!?”

“Yes?”

“This Thing, you cannot kill it, it is the real deal, not one of the fakers, kill the fakers by taking out their shadow core. Pretend, they are not real, that is the only way, it does not work on the real one but if enough fakers are around, then she will adapt.”

“She?”

“There is no fucking time to explain,” he got slashed with the claws, metal pieces were flying everywhere. He jumped back and shot a void beam while transforming his arm into a demonic arm. “I am not going to win this Steve, you are my brother, whether you realize it or not. That is the reason I saved you, get Lory and Funk, get the fuck out of here, just believe it is safe, and she cannot harm you, as there are enough fakers around.”

I grabbed Funk and Lory while changing into Roses form and hoisted them on my shoulder while looking at Stevie. The thing came down with its gigantic jaw and Stevie grabbed the edges of her jaw, but it slowly went down. I looked at him as I passed him, “Thank you, Stevie, you are my brother.”

He nodded, “Go, and, I apologize for things I have done in the past, even if you will only realize later what I mean.” I nodded and started walking away, when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Stevie grunt as the jaw came down on him and his upper half got snapped off and chewed up. I looked away and walked away. Believing nothing happened. At first, I heard clicking, but as I kept walking towards the dungeon of this city, I believed, this place was safe.

The clicking noises stopped. Once in a cell, I put Lory and Funk down against the wall. I lit up a campfire and sat down. Waiting for them to wake up as I patched myself up, believing this cell was safe.

After a while, Lory woke up, she grabbed her sword. I looked at her, “Calm down, we are safe.”

“Thanks to the heavens, what happened?”

“Stevie saved us.”

Lory looked at me, “Stevie, is that what we are calling him these days?”

“He just sacrificed himself to safe us, so yes.”

Lory nodded, “And that thing?”

I heard clicking noises behind me, “There was no Thing, we are perfectly safe, they don’t exist.” The clicking noises stopped.

Lory looked at me and understood, “I see, we are safe, perfectly safe.”

Funk woke up, “Wow, that was quite a punch.”

He looked at me, “You are missing a bite out of your torso.”

I just grunted, “That is not our biggest problem. But, we are safe here.”

Funk pointed at the exit, “And that Thing?” I heard the clicking noises came back.

Lory shook her head, “There is nothing out there, we are perfectly safe.”

Funk seemed to have an aha moment, “I see, we are safe. Nothing can harm us.”

I nodded, “You get it, we are safe, perfectly safe. Once we had some water, maybe a bit of food, we should look for the gem in this peaceful city.”