Showdown

[Argoth/Maximus]

Icylius rocketed into the cave, the wind tearing at his clothing causing it to flap wildly. He came to an abrupt halt next to Mathayus, shooting Syrus a cold stare. Not soon after he entered all his friends showed up to join him. Icylius noticed Max's limb body lying on the cold cave floor. He noticed the beating the boy had taken and choked down his rage toward Syrus, losing it now would not be benificial.

"Ah!" Syrus began, rising from his throne, "You've all arrived, finally." He started down the steps toward the unconscious Maximus. "I believe you all came this this? Hm, well take him," he kicked Max across the floor and over to Torak, "I've run out of uses for him, however, I can't let you leave here without a fight. So allow me to begin," a menacing smile spread across his face and he motioned to Thom, who promptly snapped his fingers. Suddenly the entrance to the cave exploded and tons of rock filled the only way out. The goron withdrew a massive two handed blade as thick has his biceps. He yelled something unintelligle at Eldrin sending a powerful shockwave at him while swinging his gargantuan blade down at Torak.

By this time Auria was already minupulating the shadows around her, snaking them into the crowd of heroes, making attempts to snare them while whipping projectiles at thier throats.

Syrus however, did not make a move he simply stood where was, chuckling maniacally to himself as his minions fought for him.

Mathayus knew what he had to do, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to get his daughter back. He rushed Syrus with incredible speed, but when he reached for where his katana should have been it was nowhere to be found.

Syrus laughed in his face and responded with a powerful strike to the face, knocking Mathayus onto his back.

Icylius was next, launching tight controlled blasts of telekinetic energy at Syrus, careful not to bring the entire cave in on them. Unfortunately, his attempts were less than futile as Syrus began easily teleporting around them. Soon he began retaliating with precisely aimed punches to everywhere on Icylius's body; teleporting around him faster than Icylius could process.

[Faro/Blade]

Blade moved quickly as Thom bellowed at Eldrin, catching the swing of his massive sword inside the hook at the end of his sword.

"Sorry, big guy, but you're fighting me." He said to the possessed Goron. "Master, you and Eldrin deal with the shadow witch. I'll handle him." Blade said, using Torak's rightful title to indicate a matter of the utmost importance. Blade slashed at Thom with his other sword, and twisted his arm to release the Goron's claymore. Thom slashed down at Blade, who stepped to the side. As he landed, Thom bellowed at the assassin, sending him flying back.

[Azrael/Iris]

Torak picked up Max and leapt out of the way as the Goron brought down his rather oversized sword.

"Bene. I've always had pretty good luck with the ladies." Torak said, grinning slyly underneath his hood as he placed Max in a safe spot before drawing his blade and looked at Aura.

Torak's eyes followed the shadows she manipulated, his keen wolf eyes picked out the ones that were headed straight for him. He nodded and used a series of leaping over tendrils and slapping the projectiles away with his sword.

[Argoth/Maximus]

Thom chased after Blade as he flew away from him, he swung the sword down in him with one hand. Thom had a feeling the assassin would easily dodge it, so he anticipated where he would dodge to with a forceful punch from his massive goron fist.

Auria withdrew a short sword from her back and ran straight for Torak. She minupulated her shadows to creep up behind him as she slashed at him.

Icylius was taking a heavy beating from Syrus. Each punch harder to endure than before. Syrus finally stopped and slammed his boot into his chest, sending Icylius sprawling backward. The defeated teen crashed into the cave floor with tremendous force, expelling the air from his lungs. By this time Mathayus was back on his feet and after Syrus. The madman smiled maniacally as Mathayus approached him, slightly chuckling to himself as well. It was as if he welcomed the fight. Mathayus lunged forward at Syrus, who promptly disappeared from sight. Mathayus anticipated this and immediately shifted around using his weight and momentum to put even more force behind the punch.

Syrus reappeared right where Mathayus though he would and a the punch landed direcrly on his chin. His head whipped to the side, light speckles of blood spewing from his mouth. Mathayus wasted no time and followed up with another powerful punch to the gut. As Syrus doubled over Mathayus slammed his knee into his face causing him to sail backward.

Just before Syrus hit the ground he disappeared again but this time reappeared at Mathayus's front. When he reappeared however, he was in mid strike that caught Mathayus by surprise. The punch landed, hitting him right in the cheek. The next thing he felt was not a punch, a sharp stinging sensation erupted off to the left of his gut. Mathayus was punched againd before he could realize what the sensation was, and the final attack sent him sliding across the cave floor. As Mathayus lay there he looked down to where he felt the sharp pain. The hilt of a knife was sticking out of him and it was bleeding profusely down his lower body. It was beginning to soak his clothing. Shit..I need to stop the bleeding, he thought.

[Kadina]

Kadina emerged from the cold straddling two bombachus and riding them into the chaos, balancing each of her two feet on both of their backs. Once she had steered them toward Auria, she jumped from their backs and dismounted securely into a somersault. The bombchus exploded before Auria and momentarily eradicated her shadow whips. Kadina smiled at Torak in the ephemeral flash of light. "There's a reason I'm late.... I think that was it though..." She was slightly disappointed to be all out of tricks.

Kadina had separated from the group back in Clock Town due to a sense of familiarity with Syrus' tactics. It reminded her too much of the rebels throw down with Calamity and she knew it was best to separate and surprise.

On her journey to the mountain following the other's tracks, she had come across two bombchu. Although she was originally trying to avoid their gaze and get by, another idea had occurred to her and she decided to incorporate them into her surprise attack. That and she was aiming for style points.

Kadina quickly assessed her surroundings. Her attention was immediately drawn to the pool of blood near Mathayus. "Torak!" She nodded in Mathayus's direction for Torak to assist him. Though Kadina had seen him on more than one occasion, she barely knew who he was. "I'll take care of the shadow witch..." She readied herself and charged Auria.

[Faro/Blade]

Blade made no attempt to dodge the goron's sword. He had stopped it before, and he would stop it again. He raised his own blades above his head, and caught the sword as it fell.

"I barely moved an inch. Is that all you've got, big guy?" Blade taunted, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of the creature.

[Azrael/Iris]

"I am just glad you arrived while these bastardo's were still breathing, amica!" Torak yelled back over to Kadina as a wave of red energy burst out from Torak, dispelling the shadowy tendrils behind him.

When Torak heard Kadina yell his name, he nodded and ran over to Mathayus' side. He placed his blade back in it's scabbard he looked over the knife wound.

[Kadina]

Unsure of how to take Auria out without any special powers, Kadina hoped her stealth would be enough to get close. She was wrong. Shadow after shadow wrapped and whipped at Kadina's ankles keeping her off her feet. It was quite a struggle to keep them from doing more than just that while she frantically slashed them away.

Dammit... I'm so sick of this! This is why I should stick to my thieving. It doesn't require being a fucking god! Where's Eldrin and his flames when you need him? Or Iona and her electricity...

Kadina tried sprinting to the nearest light source, but every time she grew close, her own shadow would extend, rise, and break over her body like a tidal wave plastering her against the cold stone ground. Auria had manipulated Kadina's own shadow which was now pulling her off the ground and clasping her hands behind her back in captivation.

Suddenly, from a source unknown, Kadina's shadow was struck by a bolting whip of blue electricity releasing her in a flash of light and static. She fell to her knees, eyes shut tight to avoid blindness. Luca?

[Argoth/Maximus]

Icylius regained himself and returned to his feet. He launched himself at Syrus who was in the process of stabbing Mathayus only to fly right into the wall as he disappeared from sight.

Icylius whipped around and was punched in the face by Syrus sending him back into the wall. The deranged teleporter seized Icylius by the collar and was about to finish him with a hidden blade when a massive explosion rocked the cave.

A man walked through a hole in the wall carrying a strange object under his arm, "Syrus!" he thundered, "I have it."

A wide and maniacal smile stretched across Syrus's face and he disappeared and reappeared next to the man. "Good, give it to me." The stranger handed over the object without hesitation.

Syrus turned and began to address the others, "Ha! Thanks for coming everybody but I really must go. I have much bigger things to attend to now. Enjoy the brat, what's left of him...hahahahah! Oh, and before I go I do have one last surprise for you," Syrus withdrew a box from his pocket and pressed a button in the middle.

A horrendous number of explosions began erupting around the cave, throwing rock this way and that. The cave was now beginning to crumble in onto the heroes. "Goodbye! I'm sure I'll be seeing you all very soon, hm hm." and they were gone.

Icylius immediately kicked his ass into gear rocketing from where he stood to grab the boy. Once he scooped Max up off the ground he jettisoned out of the cave.

[Exit Icylius and Max]

[Faro/Blade]

"Damn him." Blade said angrily. Thom threw another punch which Blade dodged effortlessly. "Sorry, big guy, we'll finish this another time!" He called back to the goron as he tore out of the cave.

[exit Blade]

[Kadina]

Kadina grimaced as she just barely managed to roll over and dodge a falling rock. She scurried to her feet and before dashing out of the cave, took one last look around. She thought surely he would reveal himself in the chaos to escape, but concluded her assumption was incorrect. Confused and a little dizzy, she sprinted toward the exit.

[Exit Kadina. Where to now?]

[Argoth/Maximus]

[Nowhere yet, I'm putting my storyline on hold for a while. Probably until I go down to Florida this summer and visit Faro and Mike]