(ACE) The BURNED Team

((Lost my post and fuck rewriting it.

With the commotion distracting Florges, Sil makes her way to where Kinah was thrown and says this:

"Are you all right?" She checks over her a moment before turning and listening to the others talk before asking in a hushed voice, "Hannibal is one of the most powerful pokemon in the room. I think... I think we need to remove the muzzle."))

Astrid lay there on the ground, motionless, his eyes half closed, but his hears slightly raised as he watched and listened to everything happening in the room. He didn’t know what to do as everything happened around him, playing dead just seemed like the smartest thing to do, hoping the undead monster in the room would leave him be, thinking he had already died on impact, or at least passed out, which he almost had.

"You bitch." The sound of Kinah’s voice made him move his head a little to try and spot the purplish pink pokemon. "You and all of your kind. I'm so sick of all of you tearing around this world like it's your own private playground. I'm through with all of you! Do you hear me? I'm THROUGH!" She was shouting at the other pokemon, as though she knew it, or it’s kind, before his eyes widened as she was then thrown across the room. His body was trembling. She shouted that at her, was even about to attack, didn’t even seem afraid, before getting tossed across the room like she was nothing but a twig.

"Through? Through? Yes, I threw. You. Right across the room. Monsters, beasts, praying on little ones; I don't fear you and your tough talk. I don't fear your kind. I judge your kind, oh yes. Yes. I have a lot more blood to shed here tonight." The laugh, and the smile, sent a chill down the Houndrunt’s spine. He was fighting every muscle in his body that was telling him to run to try and stay put and not move, but that wasn’t stopping him from trembling.

Why is it doing this, what did we ever do to it? The thought raced in Astrids mind as he continued to lay there on the ground, trying to stop trembling, but he couldn’t, he was practically frozen with fear of what might happen to them next. Am I going to die? Is this how I’m going to meet my end… I’m sorry mother I guess I wasn’t strong enough… He could feel the tears in his eyes as he thought of how long he’d fought to stay alive, to stay strong for himself and his mother who had died protecting him.

It was the Jolteons shout of pain that snapped Astrid back to reality, his eyes jolting around as he once again took in his surroundings, and their predicament. Frowning, and believing himself to be insane, he slowly began to get to his paws. His body was trembling, his tail tucked between his legs, ears lowered, eyes wide, his fur standing on end and his legs feeling like they were about to give out from under him as he stared at the undead pokemon, fear clear in his mismatched eyes. “S-stop… p-please…” He felt like a fool, his voice was so low he wouldn’t be surprised if no one heard him. He felt like an idiot for even trying to grab its attention. Did he want to die? Why was he doing this, he just met them, he hardly knew them. He had more to live for then they did, and yet, he felt like he needed to try. “L-leave them alone… w-we didn’t do anything t-to you… so s-stop… p-please…”

(( Do let me know if there is anything wrong with this. ))

Unfortunately for Aaden, he was bright red.

The movement out of the corner of her eye, the sudden flash of bright color flicking upwards didn't make the flower turn her head or even acknowledge it; in fact, it seemed for a moment that Aaden might actually land that hi jump kick. Her eyes were on the angry Mightyena who had already started yelling.

"Then just do it," Florges's lids closed and opened slowly, watching her as the dog worked herself up "Just kill me, you fucking rotting bitch! If anyone here deserves to die first, it's me."

"Don't flatter yourself," the flower's smooth voice responded as she sidestepped Aaden, a nest of thorny vines awaiting gravity's inevitable call for Aaden to come back down "Death is death is death; it doesn't matter who goes first. You'll all experience the judgement."

“S-stop… p-please…” The little voice almost escaped her notice. Almost. “L-leave them alone… w-we didn’t do anything t-to you… so s-stop… p-please…”

"Excuse me?" she whispered "You didn't do anything to me? You didn't do anything to me?" A vine reached out to yank the child from the floor, dangling him by a leg from the ceiling. "You, who gored my little girl's face and put her in the hospital and almost cost her her life, didn't do anything to me!?"  

Deep breaths, now. Killing him so soon would be a waste. She remembered this one, oh yes; what a cocky pup. Sociopathic little thing, tearing into a scared little child. The orphanage had to keep the children inside for a good long while after that incident and little Kaitlyn had never wanted to go outside without her again. Even then, not for very long. Poor baby; she thought she heard the director mentioning separation anxiety...

...

Well, now was not the time to dwell on that. She could avenge her child right now, after all. The vine lazily swung the pup back and forth, the harbinger humming a very calm tune, nearly a lullaby, half-lidded eyes watching the others.

Aaden's attack doesn't even have a chance to land. At the last moment the creature's eyes turn to him and it side-steps out of the way. Unable to stop his momentum now, he crash lands hard into the thorny cushion trap. Recoil damage hits him hard and he lets out a strangled cry. Thorns cling to him and dig in painfully as he tries to crawl out of the vines. The blaziken's mind a swirl of voices and a throbbing pain. Somewhere in the room he could hear Bath baiting the creature to attack her first and a panicked apology from Sparkster. "No...I'm sorry..." He says, gritting his beak together with effort. Groaning and grunting, the fighter pulls himself through the thorns and brings himself back to his feet. Blood streaks through his feathers, staining it a darker red to match the other blood-soaked ones forced free when he crawled through the thorns.

Bracing himself, he takes a wide stance, squinting from the pain the action brings from the cuts covering his body. Again he leaps into the air, preparing a hi jump kick, but his aim is too far off from the undead to strike. Instead, he brings his full power down onto the wooden boards below their feet, smashing the group's earlier efforts at securing the floor and reopening a hole to the lower floor. "It's not over yet!" He cries, charging the undead, praying the others get the hint to escape. "Get Astrid! I'll take care of this one!." Aaden's wrists ignite and the flames burn wildly, increased by the intensity of the battle. The closer he gets the brighter they become, spreading like a wild fire over his form until he is close enough to release the energy. The flames collecting and forming into a single blast of overheat that cones outward at the harbinger.

"Don't flatter yourself. Death is death is death; it doesn't matter who goes first. You'll all experience the judgement."

Great. Not only is the bitch getting philosophical, it can't even grant Balthazar the death she should have been given a lot time ago. At least, not before anyone else. And not only does that happen, the goddamn thing lazily dodges Aaden as though it can sense anything around it. It probably can. Goddamn it. Balthazar had one chance to do something, and of fucking course their adversary ruins it in one fell swoop and some stupid fucking line about the pointlessness of death, as if she doesn't already know the fucking obvious fact that "death is death". Yes, thank you for enlightening her with that nugget of wisdom. Thank you for beating the shit out of a person Balthazar actually likes. Real fucking helpful.

“S-stop… p-please…” Astrid's tiny voice becomes like drums echoing throughout the room, drawing attention he probably-no, definitely didn't need. Fuck. The kid-that thing hates sound, and hearing him speak is going to cause it to turn on him. Fuck fuck fuck. She needs to act before the monster can kill Astrid like the sick fuck it is, uncaring for the life of a helpless, timid child. “L-leave them alone… w-we didn’t do anything t-to you… so s-stop… p-please…”

With a snarl, Balthazar tosses aside all vestiges of caution and lunges toward Astrid, vainly hoping to reach the child and perhaps take a vine through the heart in his stead. It didn't matter that she barely knows him, or anyone else here. She would rather be torn apart piece by piece than let this rotten fucking plant have its way. However, as fate would always have it be, she is too late.

"Excuse me? You didn't do anything to me? You didn't do anything to me?" In an instant, Astrid is snatched up from the ground by a vine and dragged all the way up near the ceiling, far out of her reach. Balthazar swung around to face his captor, her face twisted by hopeless fury. Her entire body is flooding with pain, upheld only by her stubborn refusal to stand aside. That would fade eventually, assuming this thing didn't kill them all beforehand. Right now, it's a little amazing that Balthazar is still able to stay on her feet. "You, who gored my little girl's face and put her in the hospital and almost cost her her life, didn't do anything to me!?"

What the fuck is she talking about-oh, who fucking cares? Nobody gave a fuck about her stupid little girl and whatever happened in this psychotic bitch's past. Maybe that's a little unfair to the child in question, but Balthazar can't care less. That kid is very likely dead, and this disgusting stain upon the earth is going to kill another innocent kid in a fit of its own delusion. Over her dead fucking body.

Aaden, however, is not one to be brought down easily. Even after sustaining so many blunt force injuries and suffering at the claws of the vines, he is still standing, bringing down a hi jump kick upon the floor beneath them. A hole to the lower floors is opened up, their one last chance to get away from this crazy plant bitch. Balthazar would have taken the time to be impressed had the situation not been so dire; she hadn't thought about taking such a path.

"Get Astrid! I'll take care of this one!"

Balthazar looks up again. Astrid is still too far up in the air for her quadruped self to have any hope of reaching, and biting her way through vines would be too slow. Her eyes then go to Sparkster, collapsed on the floor. In that condition, there's no way in hell he'll be able to escape. Save one kid, find some way to help the other too, right? In that split second, her decision is made.

The bright yellow kid isn't too far away, though each second feels like an entire lifetime when you're dancing with death. Balthazar picks up the Jolteon by his scruff, perhaps a bit too roughly, but this situation is too dangerous to try being nice. Fuck having nothing but paws. She has to get Sparkster to the lower floor somehow, then return to help get Astrid.

(Got permission from Shadow to pick up Sparkster \o)

How many times was she going to get tossed about like a ragdoll by one of these overly powerful creatures? Despite her rage fueling her Hidden Power she wasn't even able to break through the creature's defenses before being slung around. "Through? Through? Yes, I threw. You. Right across the room. Monsters, beasts, praying on little ones; I don't fear you and your tough talk." Kinah hit the wall with enough force to daze her, stumbling back to her knees every time she tried to push herself back to her feet. "I don't fear your kind. I judge your kind, oh yes. Yes. I have a lot more blood to shed here tonight."

She was not going to die this way. Not here. Not by her.

The small child's plea caught the psychotic plant's attention long enough for Kinah to recover from her confusion and when she saw the child dangling like a party toy from one of the vines. All hell broke loose as Aaden unleashed everything he had at the monster, shattering their cover of the stairwell and creating a path. "Get Astrid! I'll take care of this one!" His voice was desperate but then again so was their situation so as Balthazar went to recover the fallen Jolteon Kinah used her Acrobatics to draw her higher into the air where the pup still dangled. Switching to Drain Punch she hit the vine holding Astrid soundly, drawing it's own energy into herself to help give her the extra boost to get to the ground where she could catch the pup when he came down.

"Come on! Sil get Hannibal and get the fuck down those stairs!" Their only chance at getting away from this alive now was just to run like hell.

(( Please skip me, lost my post due to a miss click and I don't feel like rewriting the whole thing. Astrid was simply flailing as he dangled there before yelping in surprise as he fell into Kinah's arms. ))

"Get Astrid! I'll take care of this one!" The undead flower god did not bother with names; they meant nothing to her broken, rotting mind. But somewhere inside her a couple of dots were connected. Clearly, he was talking about the mutt she had strung up from the ceiling.

Her attention was stolen just for a moment by the dog helping the stupid yellow one (what species was that again; it looked familiar...?) but a moment was all the cat needed, giving her vines a sound punch. Having not braided them together, the hit made them drop the pup, the cat catching him easily

"Come on! Sil get Hannibal and get the fuck down those stairs!"

"NO!" she roared, her vines shifting and moving to block the stairs off several times over. "YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM YOUR JUDGEMENT!"

They were not, they were not, they were not!

((All right everyone. Now it's decision time! If you want your character be killed, as a couple of you have discussed the possibility with me, now is the time to make a final decision what you want!))

Everything happens at once in a blur of movement. Off to one side, Balthazar grabs hold of Sparkster, dragging the immobilized jolteon to safety. Kinah launches herself into the air, drain punching the vine holding Astrid as she does and forcing the undead to release the child. Aaden can only assume Silverishness and Hannibal are attempting their own escape, though from his position, it's hard to determine. He braces himself, expecting the undead to make it's move against him as he stands between them and the newly opened escape route.

"NO!" The creature bellows, moving to have her vines shift and shoot out to cover over the hole in the floor securely. "YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM YOUR JUDGEMENT!" The fighter realizes this turn too late. "No!" He screams, right wrist burning hot with a flame that spreads and engulfs his clenched fist. "You monster!" Aaden throws the dwindling strength he has left into his fire punch, aiming it at the fresh vines blocking their escape. "Fight me instead!"

The growing fire on his arms and the harbinger's abuse makes his head spin as he attempts to burn the hole back open. Sharp, shooting pains running up and down his infected arm with each attempt. Exertion causes the wound to open and leak pus down his feathers this pain being one his mind pushes out as he single-mindedly continues to try. "You coward!"

Everything was utter chaos. Before Sil got a reply to her albeit recklessly desperate plan,they were all tossed against the walls for one reason or another. Everyone was screaming and Sil's frazzled mind couldn't keep track of any of them. There was hope, for a brief shining moment, when the infected Blaziken managed to rip a hole in the floor, but the monster's vines made short work of it. How in the hell were they going to get out? She scooped up the lame Houndoom, aiding him onto her back, as she tried making a hole in one of the walls with her Double Kick. They had to escape.

Had to.

All she could hope for now was that her efforts remained unnoticed as the monster fought Aeden.

So far it seemed like the only thing that went right was her catching the pup as he fell. She darted as fast as she could towards the stairs but the devil plant had blocked the route off as quickly as they had gone for it. Aaden was trying to distract it but with every one of them broken, exhausted, and terrified they had nowhere else to go. Sil bashed away at a wall while holding Hannibal, the Mightyena was dragging an unconscious Jolteon out of the fray, and she held a small pup, what the hell were they supposed to do about getting out?

Kinah knew she didn't have much time to decide so she ran over to the Mightyena once she was out of the way and set the pup near her. "Please...watch him for a minute. I have to help Sil or we'll never get out of here." Looking to Astrid she tried to offer a reassuring smile. "Stay here okay pup? You're safer away from the vines. I'll be right back I promise." She didn't have time to wait for a confirmation before running back to Sil to aid in her demolition of the wall. It took all of her might to punch cracks into the stone surface along with the beat of the Sawsbuck's hooves but unless Aaden could keep her busy long enough they weren't going to get through in time. She didn't want to die here... Not here...

"No! You monster!" The furious bird punched the thorny vines with flaming fists, rage in every movement of his body. Good. He deserved that fury. Let it burn him alive. "Fight me instead! You coward!"

"Coward?" She opened one eye, insanity staring out through its pupil. Her voice, smoothed into calmness, was a departure from the barely contained fury of before. "I am not the one running."

It was amusing, for a bit, to watch the bird fruitlessly attempt to burn her vines. It was a mite painful, sure, but it was worth watching his frustration and the knowledge that his fear must be growing. Oh yes, it was very much worth that.

... Wait, there were far more of them. What have they gotten up to? Glancing around, her face split in a snarl to find them attempting to make their own exit. The sight of the cracks spiderwebbing the brick...

"I don't think so," the flower snapped, more vines rising from their center to lash out out the offenders, scooping them up and flinging them from their escape attempt. "How dare you."

If someone gave that wall one last really good punch or kick...

She saw red.

((Edit: they have asked for one more round so this is how the post stays.))

The second his fist collided with the creature's vines it hurt. Thorns were everywhere, digging into his flesh like miniature claws. Adrenaline keeps the fighter punching, each hit burning away and searing vines that are only replaced with more. It wasn't working. None of this was working. Their escape route was gone, his fire attack was barely even making a dent and above him he could hear the undead sneering at him. Fear drives him to punch harder, his hits become more uncoordinated with each failure to damage. He screams in frustration, the thought loud and incoherent, but the meaning clear.

Time appears to slow for Aaden as the harbinger attacks his teammates behind him with ease. Like he wasn't even there. The thuds of them being flung across the room are audible. "Leave them out of this!" He yells fruitlessly, squatting then thrusting his legs out to jump into the air. His arm pulls back, flames burning bright in an attempt to break the vines lashing out at his friends. They were so close...! If they could get one more hit, a few more precious seconds...

Her rescue attempt must have roused some sort of consciousness back into Sparkster; the kid began to speak, though by the weakness in his voice, he obviously in no condition to move or fight on his own.

"Balthazar? You came...to help me to safety?” Not now, kid... Balthazar can still remember what happened once Astrid spoke. Speaking of which, it looks like the Fighting-type went to his rescue, saving him from the vines when the rest of them couldn't. Thank fuck. Their luck doesn't hold out forever, however, as the undead bitch blocks off their escape route down the stairs with those fucking all-purpose vines before anyone can jump down. How the hell will they escape now? She refuses to let go of the kid and try to save herself. No, no way in hell. There has to be another way...

"How....do we get out from here...Balthazar? The stairs are blocked off....and there's no other way...around.” Yes, she knows that all too well. "I...could try to use thunderbolt...if needed to break the vines off....metal."

Balthazar's eyes nearly pop right out of their sockets. Is he crazy? Using Thunderbolt while she's holding him-it's like the kid wants her to become roasted Mightyena meat. Turning to the rest in order to avoid becoming a lightning rod, she catches sight of the Sawsbuck attempting to break down one of the walls. Fuck them, that might just work. Balthazar is not the pinnacle of physical strength, but her Retaliate is definitely nothing to scoff at. They need all bodies working on this escape-it may be the only hope left.

Perhaps sharing the same thoughts, Kinah hurries towards her, setting Astrid next to Balthazar. "Please...watch him for a minute. I have to help Sil or we'll never get out of here." She doesn't object; there's no time to argue when everyone's lives are hanging in the balance. There's the problem of her being unable to carry two of the kids at once; would Kinah even have enough time to return if this plan works? Fuck. This isn't looking good. "Stay here okay pup? You're safer away from the vines. I'll be right back I promise." With that, she is gone, joining the rest at the wall and leaving Balthazar with the kids. What is she supposed to do now-?

She felt the air shift; its familiarity clicks in the split second it takes the vines to fling her and everyone else back, her jaws releasing their grip upon Sparkster. Once again, Balthazar slams into the ground, the pain flooding back in full force. She groans audibly, her limbs refusing to respond. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck...

"How dare you." There isn't a way to escape this, is there? No matter what happens, this plant fuck always has a counter. Always a way to stop them. They are all going to die in this shitty tower with this shitty zombie freak, surrounded by rot and these repulsive vines. Balthazar didn't want to give up. She didn't. But what other choice remains? The agony of her breaking body is so great, she cannot even lift up her head.

What goes through Balthazar's head is not her sister, but of all the people she had encountered in this accursed place, both those she liked and those she would have rather never met. Aaden, Cold Stare, those two kids, Sparkster, Astrid, Kinah, Sil, that creepy Houndoom...she barely knows (or knew) any of them. They should mean nothing to her. What reason did she have to care? Even as she questions it, Balthazar knows the answer. All of them are living creatures that simply want to survive. All of them want to get away from the monster breathing down their necks. She doesn't have to be all mushy and friendly with them to understand that basic truth.

Escape could not be achieved easily. What is she willing to do to get everyone out of here?

As it has always been, Balthazar remembers her sister and the human woman that had loved them so. Dearest Iris, lovely Monica...she wonders if they are looking down upon her now, and granting her strength. Even if it is mere delusion, the thought of their faces is a comfort, and the one relief from her pain. Finally, Balthazar could make up for that day, all that time ago, when the world and the last of her loved ones burned around her. Iris, Monica, Mother, Father, all her nieces and nephews...Charon. She has missed them for a long time. Balthazar is tired of running, and of fighting. Being with her family right now is the only form of a heaven she wishes to have.

"Leave them out of this!" Aaden's yell is unnecessary, but his attempts to break through the vines certainly aren't. Balthazar might not have enough strength to attempt to aid him, though it is not for a lack of trying; she can only rely upon Assurance, for if the move activates, her natural typing and the damage of her body might be enough to empower it to break through. Balthazar doesn't need to defeat the bloody bitch, she just needs to provide a long enough distraction for them to break through. That means drawing attention to herself. She has to stand up, even though her legs want to collapse again and never rise.

”Hope-hope you're ready to meet your precious little girl in hell. Is this what it looked like when they tore her apart?” Balthazar snarls, her body trembling so horribly that she almost topples over again. She can't let that happen. With another growl, she begins to tear rabidly at the vines with teeth and claws, uncaring about what will occur next.

God, let it work...all of them, even the kids, will die if that goddamn wall doesn't go down.


(Let me know if anything needs changing. I kinda winged it lol)

((Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand I lost my post again. Goddammit.

Sil was terrified when the vines ripped her from her post. Hannibal tumbled limply out of her antlers and they struggled against the vines. As Balth attacked them, Sil went at the ones wrapping her with her antlers, but wasn't out just yet.))

As Balthazar had a hold of Sparkster, they was trying to find a way to escape. The Jolteon felt weak and if anything, he didn't have the strength to even use another thunderbolt. What's worse, the electric type was in no condition to walk or fight in that matter. "Please...watch him for a minute. I have to help Sil or we'll never get out of here." The Meinshao had came in with the houndrunt. There wouldn't be much time for talking."Stay here okay pup? You're safer away from the vines. I'll be right back I promise." Kinah set Astrid by the Mightyena and ran back to where the harbinger was. After that she was gone and back to helping the others. They're all fighting for our lives. If only I was stronger then I'd fight along side them. He couldn't though. Whether he was at half strength or not, the eeveelution wouldn't stand a chance against something as powerful as the undead they're dealing with right now. Things looked like they was calm, but something was amiss. Like they was not in a safe place still and they're presence missing from the harbinger's sight would make it even harder for them to remain safe.

Just before a moment's notice, they was swept back from they're safe spot. Sparkster felt Balthazar's grip completely release him as the Jolteon fell to the ground. His vision got blurry as he hit the ground. He couldn't do anything other than move his head. As his vision started to clear up he seen Balthazar once again being held by vines. The eeveelution looks seeing vines creeping towards him. "How dare you." It knows they are trying to escape. Sparkster tried to move, but to no avail, he couldn't move and had no strength left to get up. "Arceus.....I can't do anything.....to help my friends." The Jolteon knew it was stupid to waste all of his energy on a single attack. Now either he'll witness everyone fight for their lives or losing someone he just met. "Leave them out of this!" Aaden yells at the harbinger in an attempt to focus on him instead and Sparkster didn't want to lose him. Again he couldn't get up no matter how hard he tried. "Aaden....you're fighting to...keep us alive." Of course he was and everyone else was as well.

As he laid on the floor, the sounds of snarling could be heard back in the room they attempted to escape from. ”Hope-hope you're ready to meet your precious little girl in hell. Is this what it looked like when they tore her apart?” Looking into the room from where he's at the dark type was fighting to break free. "Astrid...c-can you...help me move..somewhere safe?" Though chances are the young kid might not be able to hear him. Only thing he could do is lay there and watch the fighting, but the vines crept closer and closer. It won't be long before it drags him back into the battle and this time there will be no escape. If the harbinger turns it attention to Sparkster then he'll be a wide open target with no way of defending himself.

Astrid was terrified to the point he could barely move, his body trembling as Kinah held him, and continued to do so even after she had put him down next to the Mightyena and Jolteon. His leg also hurt, probably from the sudden yank when he was lifted into the air. He was just trying to help, understand why this pokemon was doing what it was doing even though it seemed to have some sense of awareness, but it was just as insane as the rest of those mindless beasts out there.

"Astrid...c-can you...help me move..somewhere safe?" The sudden voice of the Jolteon saying his name managed to somehow snap him back to reality, though his face still held terror as he slowly turned his head to look at the yellow pokemon. Help? Yes, help, that’s what he wanted to do, help them, show that he could pull his own weight and wouldn’t be a burden. Saying nothing he simply nodded as he tried to get to his paws, but let out a yap of pain when he put pressure on his back leg, the one that the pokemon had pulled at, causing him to fall to the ground again.

He tried to hold his whimper of pain as he looked back at his leg. It looked perfectly fine, which made him thinking maybe the sudden yank had pulled something, causing it to hurt. He just hoped it would pass and wouldn’t be permanent. Attempting to get to his paws again, this time putting as little pressure on his hurt leg as he possible could he limped over to the Jolteon and nuzzled at him a little to try and get himself under him so he could help him up.

“I think I pulled something in my leg…” He said in a low voice, though being this close he was sure the other could hear what he had said.

(( Sorry for the late reply, I didn't notice Phoenix was in the safehouse. ))

"Leave them out of this!"

Florges scoffed, rolling her eyes. False bravado, that' was all he was. Window dressing. Her eyes move from him to each of the others, a deeper scowl splitting her face; she should have thrown them all together in a pile. Keeping an eye on all of them at once was not particularly easy, especially when the pounding headache behind her eyes is rising. There was no point in gracing that pathetic little shout with a reply.

The feel of someone else joining in on the tearing of her vines, however, was absolutely worth her attention. There were others tearing at them, but this one... this one was especially vicious, vigorous. The flower glanced over at the source of the pain to find the dark hound as the culprit, locking eyes with her as the creature snarled up at her.

”Hope-hope you're ready to meet your precious little girl in hell. Is this what it looked like when they tore her apart?”

She didn't feel her eye twitch, but she definitely saw the red that flooded her vision again.

"You," she breathed, her vines moving to flick the hound up into the air, the appendages wrapping around each paw and pulling. "have no right to speak of her in such a manner. Any matter. Ever. That little angel is in heaven where the likes of you can't touch her ever again and you-" A violent pull. Bones crack. Screaming. "-you-" Wrenching, bones pop out. More breaking. Higher pitched screaming. "-you-" Thorny vines dig in for a better grip, pulling again; the screaming must be tearing the hound's throat. "are going someplace much different!"

A final pull and she tore the hound into two pieces, dropping them to the floor. The smell of blood hit her, overwhelming her senses, soothing her anger. The world around her melted away, her stomach reminding her of how hungry she was. That's right; it's late- late? Early? Whichever. She was hungry, and the children must be hungry too, of course. She should eat. Flower food isn't appropriate for human children, of course, but there may be some vegetables suitable to share with the children. They were never enthusiastic about eating more vegetables but they did love to know she thought of them and was willing to share. Maybe some nice tomatoes. They liked those.

As if the remaining pokemon around her no longer existed, her vines took up the two halves of the body, swept the organs that had fallen out back inside, and the entire flower slipped back through the window from which she had entered, taking with her her meal. and leaving behind several bloodstains, traumatized pokemon, and a partially broken brick wall, but otherwise, surprisingly little existence she had ever been there at all.

((I was given permission to kill Balthazar; I will edit if needed if it turns out there is some sort of mistake that needs to be fixed. Otherwise, this is my final post. Goodbye everyone!))

”Hope-hope you're ready to meet your precious little girl in hell. Is this what it looked like when they tore her apart?”

As Balthazar uttered those words, all focus on the rest of the party ceased. Aaden's shouting didn't matter, Sil cutting at the vines with her vines didn't, nothing...Balth tore into the closest vine as if all their lives depended on it.Then, before any of them could have possibly tried to intervene, the creature was dangling the canine up in the air by her paws. The more attention the harbinger paid to her, the more vines that slipped away from and loosened around the rest of them.

Then the screaming started, mixed with the undead's crazed accusations. "have no right to speak of her in such a manner. Any matter. Ever. That little angel is in heaven where the likes of you can't touch her ever again and you-" Aaden cried her name, but was drowned out as the vines started pulling. The blaziken grabs and tears at what vines he can still reach, desperately trying to bring the creature's focus to him -- to drop Balth, loosen it's grip, anything! Cracking. More screaming. So much screaming that raises in pitch as the wrenching intensifies.

One final pull and a shower of blood stains the floor below, Balthazar now resting in two pieces in the undead's thorny grasp. No... An eerie silence follows, like a switch being flipped, the harbinger changes. All the vines finally recede and scoop up the remains as the undead seems to quietly consider something. As suddenly as the monster had came, it slinks back out through the window and out of view. Aaden drops to his knees beside one of the large blood stains, unable to bring himself to look away nor fight any longer as tears begin to stream down his face. They were dead...they were fucking dead and it should have been him.

Astrid came over to help the jolteon up, but from the sound of Astrid's voice, the houndrunt wasn't fairing to good either. “I think I pulled something in my leg…” That might hinder his movement if he tried to carry him to safety. The sound of Balth fighting as hard as she could at first made it simple enough that they would win. It was not to be as the sounds of snarling and tearing had turned to blood curdling screams. "You," It was speaking and it was angry from what Balthazar said. "have no right to speak of her in such a manner. Any matter. Ever. That little angel is in heaven where the likes of you can't touch her ever again and you-" The screams was getting louder and more painful. Sparkster's eyes widened in fear as the harbinger was squeezing the life out of her. "are going someplace much different!" Finally the sounds of organs and blood hitting the ground had the electric type terrified. Balth's body split in two, both halves hit the ground as Sparkster had realized that she was was dead.

He tried to call out her name, but his weak voice was unable to be heard. "Balthazar....no, please....why are you killing.....other pokemon?" But even if he was heard, there would be no way that the harbinger would respond to him. Afterwards the harbinger had scooped up the mightyena's corpse and just like that it went away. only thing there was left was blood on the ground. Seeing Aaden had told the whole story, the loss of a partner, a friend. He tried his best to stop the killer, but all was in vain. A sad look came over Sparkster's face and soon tears had came rolling down as well. It wasn't fair! The jolteon already had suffered for the two years he's been alone and just as he was getting used to Balthazar, death took her away. I....I can't take it anymore, every time I get close to befriend someone, death has to take that away from me. How long must I suffer? Is this my curse for being a nomad? If only I was stronger! Tears was dripping onto Astrid from Sparkster's fur. If anything was to be done, they'll need to give the mightyena peace and remember her by her deeds. "Aaden...Astrid, take me...to Aaden." With Aaden struck with grief, Sparkster wanted to be at least present to show he's still alive.

His thoughts though was burning in agony, the Jolteon somehow felt that the answers was already there right in front of him. The others had more experience than him and if he was to learn anything, it would be from them. The answer was to train as hard as they could even if it means sparring with each other to get stronger. I know what must be done. I'm going to get stronger for not only Balthazar's sake, but for my sake as well. A vow he now took and his wits will be the one to bring forth a stronger, smarter jotleon. Revenge was out of the question, but he would fight for the honor of the fallen.

Blood.

Always blood.

No matter where she went, no matter who she met, one of those things always appeared and someone always died. Kinah could only watch in horror from Sil's side, giving up trying to break through the wall, as the Mightyena was torn asunder and her blood rained from the sky. Sliding down the wall in defeat she waited for her turn, for the inevitable final blow, and hung her head in despair. What else was there to do but wait? They couldn't fight her. Even against that damned Weavile she had stood little chance and she was supposed to have had advantage over the beast. This thing? It was impossible.

But the final blow never came. Instead when she lifted her head she found the vines receding and the devil flower retreating with her prize. Why?! Why did they always take a trophy?! It's like once they killed something suddenly they forgot there were more creatures unless provoked. It was the most bizarre behavior and Kinah couldn't for the life of her figure out what the hell their motivation even was for them to flip a switch like that. So she remained seated against the wall watching everything end as suddenly as it began, finding herself once again on the surviving side of it. And not for the first time considered how much worse it was to be in that position. Sometimes dead is better.

((Was 1 million percent sure it was not my turn so this is super late and I couldn't think of much. I'm so so sorry for the late/crappy post. I AM A FAILURE.))

Astrids eyes moved away from the Jolteon to see what was happening in the battle, only to wish he hadn’t as he watched Balthazar fight against the crazed pokemon. Images began to flash in his mind, images of his mother fighting off the first undead he’d ever seen, hearing her voice as she screamed at him to run. His body began to tremble as everything he had tried to bury began to make it’s way back to the surface at seeing this battle in front of him. “Mama…” The word was shallow and hardly audible as he tried to look away when the Mightyena became trapped in the vines, watched them pull. “No! Stop!” He said, trying to move to help but only found himself falling over right before he, and everything else, seemed to get sprayed with blood as the Mightyena was torn in two.

Astrids eyes were wide to the point where they could probably be perfect circles as he trembled on the ground, his eyes fixed on the now mutilated corpse of the pokemon he had  recently just met, but he didn’t see a stranger, no, he simply saw his mother, what she probably looked like after the encounter with the Ursaring all those moons ago. “Mama… no… why… why didn’t you run…” His voice shook as he could feel himself begin to cry, still unable to look away, it was only when the undead had picked up the body that he finally moved. “No, let her go! Mama!” He tried to move, but his hurt leg just made him fall again as he watched the undead disappear with the stranger he was mistaking for his own mother.

(( Sorry for the short, lackluster post. ))

Seconds stretch on long as Aaden continued to look down at the blood stains and broken floor. A part of him almost expected Balth to appear, still whole, from behind a pillar or back through the window. It was a stupid fantasy, he knew, denial, but he couldn't help it. He picks himself back up, finding getting to his feet much harder now than it had been in combat. Exhaustion was setting in as adrenaline left him and all the scratches and embedded thorns were making sure their presence was known. Winching as he takes his first few steps, Aaden makes his way to the window to look out.

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon in dazzling colors that only made everything appear cold and lifeless in comparison. As expected, the undead was no where to be found nor was Balth's body. Everything they had done was a waste, the thing got in any way. He was useless in the fight, too useless to even be able to take the fall instead. His fingers ball into a fist that he brings up and collides with the wooden frame. Without the strength and determination from before, the hit does little to damage the structure.

Still silent, he pushes himself from the window to walk back towards the rest of the group. "I'm sorry." Aaden says finally, his eyes downcast. "She sacrificed herself...she knew we all wouldn't be able to get out...Balth..." He trails off, shaking his head in a futile attempt to shake off all the dark thoughts. "I tried..."