It took ten minutes to get everyone prepped and ready to move in at a moments notice, slightly faster than expected. Upside to being trapped in a dangerous ruin of a world full of a mutated monster beasts is that it tends to bring a group together. Speaking of which, as we were finishing everything up, I decided to take a minute to talk to Travis and thank him for the help. Stepping up next to the man I held out a hand.

"Hey, I just wanted to say I appreciate the assist." I said sincerely. "Things are kind of awful right now. Your help really made a difference."

He just laughed. "Didn't have much choice. I wish Adrian had been in here with us, he'd have done a better job. But I was all we had, so I had to take charge. It was kind of a default thing, honestly. My group only gathered up a few minutes before the Blood Murder Palace hit us. Not much time for a vote."

"Yeah." I said uncomfortably. "Sorry about that. I was the one who knocked him out of here. I can't help but think this might have been easier with someone like him around."

His smile had no recrimination in it. "Hey, you did what you had to. The boss was a hell of a fighter, but you beat him. You had no way of knowing this would all happen. If you want to make it up to me though, you could let me in on the raid. I'm sure you could put me with one of the teams. Adrian may not be here, but he picked me as his second for a reason. I won't let you down."

I had to admit, his tone was earnest and I could tell he meant it. He had this sort of buzzing excitement about him, like he couldn't wait to get into the fight.

"Alright." I said with a laugh. "I'd say stick with Callen. He's going in the front, but he's a powerhouse so don't be afraid to hide behind him if needed. It was the least suspenseful and hardest to fuck up position, and he'd be right behind us anyway.

Clapping him on the shoulder, I told him to get ready and prepared myself to get in position. We'd be heading in the back entrance after that team hit their target. Straight for Felix. My grip tightened on my staff. I had some saved up death energy to burn, picked up over the last few fights. I'd be using it all on him. Hit him hard and fast.

With everyone in place, we all nodded, and the raid began. Callen smashed in through the front, Bethy vanished into the vents, Chelsea was ahead of us coming in through the back, and Abel headed through one of the other vents, all aimed at their targets.

I'd debated using Moonlit Night, but we didn't want to spook them and it wasn't the fastest spreading skill. As I came in behind my sister, I left her to do her own thing, attacking her target as my eyes locked on mine.

Felix was standing in front of the black marble box that Bethy described, in his hand was a vial of Lamentation Liquid. He was pouring it into an aperture at the top of the box as he slowly turned a dial. Above the box I saw a portal. Forest. Lake. Volcano. I saw different scenes flicker by with each turn. He seemed to be looking for something specific, because each time it came up he growled and flipped to the next one.

The others had hit their targets instantly, and none of them were in a position to destroy the portal. Which left just Callie, Benny, and I to take on Felix. Unfortunately he heard us coming. When the others started their attacks, Felix instantly checked his back, and saw us coming. Pulling out another vial, he poured a few drops into it and set it on the top of the device before shotgunning the rest of it, dumping it all down his throat.

My eyes widened as darkness filled his eyes, creeping blackness rolled over his body. Dripping another three drops into the aperture, he clicked the dial three times, and the thing started to destabilize. Then he turned to me, frustration bleeding off his darkening form. "You know. You're much more irritating than expected. I'm glad I get to kill you before I leave."

"Where's the cup, Felix." I said grimly. "Even with your little psycho power boost you can't take all three of us. Might as well just tell us. I can let you walk away." Which...was a lie. I was going to kill him. Premeditated murder. It wasn't a great feeling, but to be honest him drinking liquid soul torture and becoming a demonic rage monster was helping with my conscience.

He held up a darkening hand. "You mean the one in this ring?" He took it off, setting it next to the vial. "You'll have to be stronger than me if you want it." There was a blur, and he was gone. In his place, a pitch black panther with glowing red eyes. As I watched, the blackness pulsed and a new leg grew where his missing on had been, a grotesque dark pulsating mass of a limb.

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With a yowl, he blurred forward, and I exploded into motion, my staff lashing out to meet him as I triggered Mephistopheles. I didn't hold back either, I poured all my death energy and explosive power into my blow, trying to put him down in one shot.

Felix flipped in the air, his dark limb detaching and slamming into my staff, exploding as he rode the wave of energy away, landing once more on four feet as the Lamentation Liquid regrew him ANOTHER limb. I was kind of glad Billy had thrown himself into a fire after drinking this stuff, fighting him while he was on it would clearly have been a nightmare. The portal was flashing behind him, changing scenes still.

Unfortunately for Felix, I wasn't fighting him alone. I was confident in beating him even in his augmented state given enough time, but time was something we didn't have. So I'd brought backup. The shadows under the cat exploded into a complex webwork of bindings, wrapping tightly around the cat.

Benny appeared behind him, pulled back his fist, and started hammering triple strength tranq punches into every piece of exposed fur he could find.

The bindings gave way after about thirty seconds, but I was already there slamming a blow into the cat. Callie got him in another binding, and I turned to Benny. "Help me get the vial and the ring while she holds him!" I bellowed. We bolted for the altar as Callie redoubled her restraints, trying to deny him any leverage to break free from her. "Hold on." I said as I snatched up both objects. Just watch my b-"

I stopped, staring down at the half foot of steel sticking through my gut. My brain couldn't process what was happening. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Travis smiling back at me.

"Sorry Shane. I'm afraid I need those." Reaching down, he plucked the ring and the vial from my hand. The wound in my gut started to burn. Poison. Probably the same stuff I'd used on the BMP initiates. I dropped to me knees, the burn quickly growing into a bonfire.

I looked around frantically for my best friend, and found him...standing bewildered next to Callen, who was finishing off his target. My eyes flicked back to Travis. Translocation. He'd wanted to be in here so he could get the cup instead of Felix. He'd even told me he only met up with the others a few minutes before we arrived. Travis was the translocator. We'd never actually seen his face.

Slipping the ring on, he clicked his tongue at me. "Honestly, you should be more careful around strangers Shane. Just because someone doesn't have a big black hood on, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two objects. One a small metal orb and one a rock. "Don't worry though. I'm not going to strand you here. In fact, I'm going to guarantee you don't get stuck."

Eye balling the shifting portal, he waited for a specific scene (a swamp) then tossed both objects. The rock went through the portal and the sphere landed right next to Felix. With a wink Travis switched with the rock, leaving it to clatter to the ground. My eyes snapped to Callie, and I flooded the bond with terror, hoping she would get it.

She did, dropping into the shadows instantly when she felt my panic, just before the metal sphere exploded, consuming the black cat in an orb of eerie blue flame. There was a scream as he died, and then the portal, which had stopped when Travis went through it, erupted in a cascade of purple sparks and shifted again.

I stared as my friends all crowded around me, Jessie rushing in through the now undefended front as she heard Callie screaming my name. They caught me as I fell over, and I just stared at the portal. With Felix dead, the wish was fulfilled. The portal led home now. I recognized the outside of the temple.

"Shane!" Snapped Callie, waving he hand in front of me. "Stay with us baby. Jessie says the poison is blocking her healing. Chelsea is going to purify the wound, but she says it's going to hurt a bit. Just bear with it for a minute ok? It'll all be over soon." Her voice was slow and soothing but I felt her terror through the bond. There was a lot of blood.

The venom was preventing my wound from closing, and I was bleeding a lot. My head was fuzzy. Not fuzzy enough that I wasn't cursing myself though. Fucking Travis. I'd TOLD everyone to be on the lookout for double agents. I'd just assumed that once they made their move they'd all be with the hood groups. He'd fucking played me and I'd taken the bait hook like and sinker. That hurt even worse than being stabbed. I paused as my sister applied white fire to the wound. Oh, nope, wait, being stabbed hurt more.

I screamed. Loudly. I felt my fucking throat tear and the room around us shook as my incredibly powerful lungs blasted out vibrations that rattled every surface around us. In the background I saw my friends move through, flooding through the portal. At least they were safe. Once the pain subsided Callie lifted me up, Benny getting my other arm, and they started carrying me through.

Nat came last, seemingly incoherent with rage, though getting stabbed apparently spared me from being the target. She seemed to have taken the attack personally. Valk put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her through before the portal closed, leaving us all sitting on those circles where we'd started, staring dazedly at the golden pavilion and the flame inside.

There was a fuss as dozens of new figures appeared, older figures, surveying the, after a quick count, thirty survivors among those still inside. I recognized some of the early exits, like Vinnie and Simon, and some of the late departures like Adrian. I resolved to have a word with him about Travis, but now wasn't the time.

I was just lying there, bloody, as Jessie continued to pour in healing energy now that the wound was clean. She must have waited until we crossed over to begin. Smart since the portal had collapsed. I saw a shadow fall over me, and glanced up, expecting to see Zeke rolling his eyes. Instead, my eyes landed on something else. A familiar face, half remembered in hazy memories. I reached up and took off my mask, grinning through bloodstained teeth. "Hey mom. I'm home."