Episode 22: Hell's Lash
Jungle – Sea of Japan Region
Nathan Moya's mind was a battlefield of nightmares.
"Get to Ri Kwon Jae!" he shouted at the others, voice strained as he wove another layer of terror illusions around Laughter. "I'll hold this clown off. Go!"
Tiago, Derek, and Ferrum exchanged quick glances before breaking away through the burning undergrowth. Laughter's manic grin widened. "Running away? How boring!" He blurred forward and slammed a fist into Nathan's gut, the impact carrying hypnotic force that made Nathan's vision swim with false memories of failure.
Nathan staggered but retaliated instantly, snapping a powerful kick into Laughter's jaw that sent the psychotic general spinning. They clashed in a whirlwind of illusions and hysteria—Nathan layering mind-crushing visions of the Garden's horrors, Laughter twisting every fear into uncontrollable laughter that echoed through the trees.
Rhino Valley – Collapsing Safehouse District
R. Dogder descended like a shadow given form, his presence warping the air around him. His Glimmerfall minions swarmed in behind him, grabbing the injured Sasha, a struggling Wyatt, Devonte, and even Lil Micah who snapped and barked furiously in Devonte's arms.
Kevin's circuits blazed white-blue. "Don't you touch them!"
Peter Shotstock stepped up beside him, body already shifting into his battle-hardened state. "I got the witch and the headless freak. You handle the big bad."
Peter charged. Kim Al Anzi reformed her sand constructs, while Headless Dullahan's demonic horse breathed fire. Peter's super durability let him tank devastating blows—sand blades slicing across his chest, hellfire scorching his skin. He roared through the pain, closing in on Kim and delivering a vicious chop that severed her arm at the elbow in a spray of blood and sand.
Kim screamed.
But Dullahan cracked his whip. "To Hell with you." The lash connected, and reality tore open. Peter's body ignited in spectral flames. Visions of eternal torment flooded his mind. He screamed—a raw, guttural sound—as the whip dragged him into a nightmarish hell-realm. The portal snapped shut.
"PETER!!!!" Kevin's scream tore from his throat, tears streaming down his face as the Rampager mantle flickered wildly with grief and rage.
R. Dogder moved like lightning. His fist punched straight through Kevin's chest, white-blue circuits cracking under the brutal force. Blood sprayed. Kevin dropped to his knees, gasping, the destructive power inside him stuttering.
Wyatt's eyes widened in horror, then pure fury ignited. "I WILL KILL YOU, DOGDER!!!" He strained against the minions holding him, something primal awakening in his gaze.
Kevin collapsed forward, bleeding heavily onto the ruined street.
Jungle – Deeper Wilds
Derek, Ferrum, and Tiago pushed through the dense foliage, following Tiago's Past Sight toward Ri Kwon Jae's rumored hiding place. A low growl rumbled from the shadows.
Derek's hands crackled with electricity. "Something's here."
Behind Tiago, a humanoid figure emerged—muscular, gray-skinned like a rhino, with a wide, unsettling smile. It backhanded Tiago hard, sending him crashing into a thick tree trunk.
Derek unleashed a bolt of lightning. The rhino-being absorbed it with a grunt and charged. Ferrum transformed fully into living iron and met the charge head-on, the clash ringing like colliding steel.
Tiago, coughing but conscious, lunged forward and touched the creature's arm. Flashes of memory flooded his mind.
A boy. Koa. From Burkina Faso. Orphaned young. His power—Spirit of the Beasts—allowed him to summon and temporarily become the spirits of animals. Rhino. Hawk. Jaguar. Swordfish. Bat. Dingo. Impala. Monkey. Komodo Dragon. Kangaroo. He could only hold a form for twenty minutes, and most spirits remained locked, waiting to be awakened.
Tiago pulled back, eyes wide. "He's not an enemy… not yet. His name is Koa. He can merge with beast spirits, but only for short bursts. He hasn't unlocked most of them."
Koa shifted back to a more human appearance, still wary but listening. Derek kept his electricity ready. Ferrum stayed in iron form. The three Guardians charged forward together—not to kill, but to subdue and recruit the wild card in the chaos.
Zimbabwe – Safe Location
Far away, in a hidden tech den, eighteen-year-old Bane Mugabe stared at glowing holographic screens. His Technology power let him interface with any system, hacking through R. Dogder's encrypted plans in real time.
"Shit… this is bigger than we thought," Bane muttered. He activated a secure line and patched through to Oftentse Zwane.
Oftentse, a powerfully built Zulu-Mpedi man with intricate tattoos representing every South African ethnicity across his six-pack, answered immediately. His Omnilingualism made him invaluable—languages of men, beasts, or even ancient Glimmers bent to his understanding.
"Bane. What's the situation?"
"Dogder's making a move on the White-Blue Heart Pillar. He's got the Rampager kid on the ropes. We need to move. Redfern Ridge. Now."
Oftentse cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready. Let's go crash this war."
To Be Continued…