41 Big Bad Bugman

Jayce dove into the sand just as a clawed hand slashed towards him. An eruption of sand blinded the bugman and it hesitated for a second. In this pause, Micu fired off as many arrows as he could towards the eyes of the monster. One finally found the intended target and the bugman hissed loudly in rage. It opened its back and the four wings again appeared as it zoomed towards Micu.

This had been their plan. Blind it and attack the wings. Micu grinned, "this just might work." He dropped into a kneeling position and continued to fire arrows at the bugman as it descended on him. As it landed Jenira jumped from the sand and Ralnas appeared after the five-second invisibility wore off. They slashed towards the exposed wings. Each managed to slice one of the wings. The remnants of the wings floated slowly to the ground but Jenira and Ralnas were already sprinting away.

The bugman tried to fly after them but found it couldn't move nearly quick enough to reach them. It whirled around to face Micu and swatted him with a clawed hand. Micu was sent flying with trails of blood flowing behind him. He landed in a heap to the right of Ralnas.

"Micu!" Ralnas screamed and changed course to reach his wounded friend. He slid to a halt just before his body. He put his head to his chest and heard a weak heartbeat. He sighed with relief before standing. He turned his head to look for the bugman. A powerful kick greeted him and he slammed into the wall. Ralnas held onto consciousness just long enough to see Jayce slide in between the bugman's legs to grab Micu's bow before darting away from a celebrating bugman.

The bugman arched its arms above its head and rattled its wings together to make a crinkling sound. Jayce and Jenira stood next to each other with grim looks on their faces. "Have any magic that can get us out of this Jen?" Jayce asked hopefully. Jenira frowned, "Wouldn't I have used it by now?" Jayce had to admit that was a good point. He slotted an arrow into the bow and prepared to loose it once the bugman had faced them.

It finally lowered its arms and turned to face the two remaining humans. It started running towards them shaking the ground with each step. Jayce concentrated and let the arrow fly. It flew straight towards the bugman and Jayce hoped his aim had been true this time. If he wasn't then they were as good as dead. The bugman failed to spot this rapidly approaching arrow due to the eye that had already been pierced. This one slammed deep into the eye next to the eye that had already been blinded. The bugman swung wildly to try and remove the arrow from its eye as Jayce let out a sigh of relief.

Now the bug was completely blinded on one side of its face. Jenira handed Jayce one of her two remaining daggers and they sprinted towards the bugman. Jayce was on the side where it still had vision while Jenira hoped to completely surprise it. The bugman finally pulled the arrow from its eye and the angry hissing now had a pained sound to it. The bugman saw Jayce approaching and swung its clawed hand towards him. Jayce had expected this and was already diving forward when the claw swung towards him. It slammed the hand into the sand and shockwaves reverberated through Jayce's skull.

Jenira slashed at the exposed joints of the bugman's legs trying to cripple it as they had the green monster from the first round. She had limited success before a swinging leg slammed into her back and sent her sprawling on the ground. She twisted her body as the bugman stood over her. It lifted a thick hand in the air to bring it down to crush her.

A tear escaped her eyes and Jenira thought this was assuredly the end for her. She closed her eyes and waited for death to claim her. A long second passed and she opened her eyes in surprise. The bugman was fighting with Jayce. She tried to stand quickly to help but the overwhelming pain in her back forced her to kneel and watch with grit teeth. Her eyes opened wide as she watched Jayce fight.

Protruding from his wrists were weapons of some sort. They looked like they were formed of pure shadow. Covering his body were tattoos in the shape of spider webs. Jenira watched open mouthed as Jayce went blow for blow with the bugman. The claws that had sliced through swords and shields couldn't pierce Jayce's shadow swords. Jayce knocked the bugman off balance and swung his sword through the legs of the beast. In one fell swoop, it had lost its entire lower body. Jenira gasped with surprise and delight.

Jayce only felt an unimaginable power coursing through his body. His mind had screamed at him to protect Jenira and that seemed to push the abilities he harbored within him to the surface. He had lept towards the bugman and slammed a fist into its head. He was shocked when his fist knocked the monster off balance. Next thing he knew the shadow man from before had affixed swords to his arms and dissolved. They felt a natural extension of his body and he dove forward to continue his assault on the bugman. Finally finding an opening he let loose his power and slashed through its legs.

A thought crossed his mind that he wished he could finish this monster with his greatsword. Almost as soon as this desire appeared in his mind the swords on his arms came together to form a pitch black greatsword with a lions face on its hilt. He lifted the greatsword high in the air before slamming it down through the center of the bugman. It split cleanly in two and a pool of purple blood formed around the three separate pieces it now lay in. Jayce heard Neith's voice in his head, "You're not too bad with that sword of yours you know." Before her flirtatious laugh echoed in his mind before gradually fading into silence.

Jayce smirked and dropped the greatsword which vanished into nothing once leaving his hand. He went to raise a hand in victory before a wave of exhaustion rocked his body. He barely had time to utter, "Jenira" before the lights of the Coliseum faded from his sight and he fell into darkness.

Ralnas came back to consciousness just as a stream of medical shuttles descended on the arena. He looked around confused before feeling a light touch on his bruised shoulder. "It's okay Ral, sleep." He drifted off into unconsciousness again with a faint smile on his face. Jenira helped him into a shuttle before stepping into one herself and letting the various emergency medical robots take care of her. She felt exhausted from everything that had happened and allowed the drugs to spirit her away into sleep.

...

Zakzakiel stood stunned next to his viewing window. He turned to a hovering TV screen and rewound the clip. There was no doubt about it Jayce Good was wielding shadows. "Impossible..." he uttered as he rewatched the clip dozens of time. He quickly contacted the three other high angels. "Brothers, we have an issue."

...

Jane Good felt faint as she watched the horde of medical shuttles land on the arena floor. She had no idea how Jayce had killed that monster or where he had gotten that black sword. She was just relieved that he was alive. She loosened her grip on the armrest and noticed it had finger indentations. She laughed in embarrassment and looked to Chiron. His face was still a ghost white and he hadn't taken his eyes off the screen in front of him since the bugman had fallen. "Mr. Chiron? Are you okay?" Chiron moved his mouth but no words came. He looked up to Jane with an unreadable expression on his face. "H...h...h...how? How did he do that?"

Jane raised her eyebrows in surprise, "I don't know? Is there something wrong?" She felt her nervousness returning quickly. Chiron slowly turned his head back to the screen before him and watched the rewind of the battle with the same shaken look on his face. Jane decided not to bother him and looked around the stadium.

She realized that after Jayce had slain the bugman there had been no applause, no cheers, in fact she could hardly remember any noise whatsoever. She scanned the crowd and the majority of the faces she could read had the same expression Chiron was wearing. Starting to panic she was about to stand and try and get to the hospital Jayce was at when her watch buzzed. She looked down to see the caller was Ionas.

"Mr. Ionas! I'm so glad you called! You see.." He held up a hand sternly and looked her dead in the eyes through the screen. "Jane you need to see me now. I have sent a taxi for you. Outside look for one with a double helix. One strand will be biological and the other will be mechanical. Get in it quickly. Do not talk to anyone." He hung up and Jane swiftly stood and moved to the exit.

...

Nitro's hands still rested against the glass. His mouth hung open and he hadn't moved in minutes. C-4 had abruptly hung up on whatever technician was on the call with him and sat with his scaly hands knit together tightly. Dynamite was repeating the word, "wow" endlessly. C-4 tapped his watch and dialed the last member of their leadership team. "Bazooka? Yeah, I'm going to need the film from Chiron's Chosen ready for us to review when we get back. Thanks."

He clicked the end button and then stood slowly. He pushed against the glass that Nitro had been pounding on profusely. The window easily shattered from his light pressure. Nitro's hands finally fell to his side limply. He patted Nitro on the back and then turned towards the exit of their suite. "We've got a lot to discuss when we return to the base," C-4 said calmly as he held the door open for the shellshocked Nitro and Dynamite.

Dynamite grabbed C-4's hand and looked his boss in the eye. "That power... it's the power of Tohil isn't it?" C-4 nodded, "I'd remember it anywhere." Dynamite's eyes spun and he walked behind Nitro again uttering endless "wow"s as they exited the Royal Coliseum.

...

The six armed Overwatcher watched all that was happening below them with a smirk. His six arms split into twelve and he raised to his full stature beside Zcerneboch. "Brother. It seems you have failed." Intense flames billowed from his arms and he began weaving something in the air. "Tatewari, please! There's no need to alert Ahti to this right now!" Zcerneboch pleaded. His brother's intense gaze stopped him cold and he looked down.

"Brother Ahti it seems our youngest member has failed us. It is time for you and me to speak privately. I will come to your quarters shortly." Tatewari merged his twelve arms back into six and then look dismissively at their youngest brother. "Things are going to change due to your failure to eliminate our brother and sister." He shapeshifted into a phoenix and flew off towards the domain of Ahti.

Zcerneboch stood still and glared at the human who had killed one of his most trusted generals. He looked into the distance where his brothers met together. "If there must be another war in heaven then so be it." He gestured to a humanoid ant standing near him. "Prepare my armies for war." He gazed back at Jayce with a murderous gaze. "Do not think you will be rid of me so easily."

...

Jayce was back in the web world and breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down on the webbing. He waited patiently for Neith to return. In the distance, he saw two figures approaching. He stood quickly as they neared. A man with deeply tanned skin strode towards him with a smiling Neith following close behind. "You must be Jayce!" A throaty voice spoke and Jayce looked at the tall man. "That's me. Who are you?" The tanned man smiled and looked Jayce up and down. "I'm the reason you're still alive."