The Viscount (Part Three)

Night Fifty

Age 1991

"There is a high chance I could be dying-" Hero managed to get out as the copy of him raised up its right arm shifting and morphing the demonic, and angelic arm Hero had. "Damn it stop using my powers-" He yelled slashing his sword through the fake version of him.

The fake version was split in half falling to the ground like a sack of rocks. Hero's eyes went wide as he stared at it and saw that its insides were empty. It changed becoming a sliced in half rock.

"What!" Hero said alarmed. "It molded a rock into me! It can turn its body into whatever it touches, and turn other things, into looking like stuff! What is this busted bull shit power-"

The snow behind him raised up as the the fake Hero appeared behind him swinging its right arm, which looked like Hero's weapon down. The Bestia Macht slammed its now massive metal arm down into the head of Hero unleashing a powerful wave of heat and sound. The smoke cleared and the fake Hero cocked its head to the side for a moment when it saw the real Hero was gone. There was a massive hole in the ground showing off an underground cave which the fake Hero took note of.

It slowly stood back up turning to where Irene and Light were but stopped when it saw that they were gone. It let out a small growl as its body began to shift into snow again as it slowly molded over the ground... From the snow the small form of the drone that rode on Hero's head rolled up as it flew back into the air and began to scan for the boy.

"Phew..." Hannah sighed from up on the roof where she was. Hero, Irene, and Light were next to her all of them unconscious. "That was a close one." She ran her hand through Hero's messy white hair which was stained red from his blood. "You three nearly died but I managed to use my power and phase you through the floor at the last second... You three lost... If I wasn't hear you'd have died, so its safe to say you failed the mission... Still I suppose there was no counting on the fact a Baron would evolve, and gain such a hacked ability..." She began to slowly sink through the floor once more as Hero, Irene, and Light began to stir. "Good luck... I wonder how the other two are doing..."

"What?" Irene set up shaking her as she let out a groan. Her mind raced as she began to remember what happened making her eyes go wide. "Shit! Light was-" She turned seeing Light was slowly groaning.

"Who turned off the lights..." He groaned.

"You're blind..."

"Oh yeah!"

Irene shook her head as she ran over to Light. "Light? How are you not dead? You're an Equip Type? That means unlike Hero, and I, you aren't resistant to the Virus? One touch should have killed you?"

Light nodded his head as he rubbed at the large gash in his side. "I'm immune."

"What!"

"No don't kill me I'm a hero of justice!" Hero suddenly yelled sitting up with wide eyes. "What? I'm alive?" He turned his head seeing Irene and Light. "Nope. I'm in hell-"

Irene punched him over the head as she glared at him. "You dumbass!" She hissed at him hitting him again, and again as hard as she could. "You nearly got all of us killed, and nearly died yourself! What would I do if you, and Light died and left me alone like my father! You guys are always such idiots!"

"Irene-"

"No!" She stood up brushing his hand off her shoulder as she turned away. "Don't talk to me."

Light went to touch Hero and pat him on the back but Hero hit him over the head and stood up. "We should go check on the other two..."

***

The Ancient City Tacca Chantrieri...

Another Block...

"A hidden underground path?" Kitsune asked cocking his head to the side. In one arm he held the old man. In the other arm he held the small girl. Ken was following behind him as they jumped from building to building. Ace the black coat had gone on ahead to go check on Hero, Irene, and Light in order to make sure the group weren't dead.

"This place isn't dark is it?" Ken muttered quietly.

"What afraid of the dark now?" Kitsune asked.

The small girl stuck her tongue out at the fox teen.

"In order to protect from the harsh ice, and snow, the people who lived in this city one thousand years ago built an underground path..." The old man said speaking in a pained tone. "I think it would be best if we were to go down there..."

"You think so?" Kitsune asked. "What do you think Ken? Or is it to scary for you?"

"Whatever..." Ken said turning away. "Just as long as it isn't pitch black..."

"Would there be any befit in going underground?" Kitsune asked cocking his head to the side.

The small girl in Kitsune's arms nodded her head for a moment. "Yes... It's like a Maze you see. If someone who's never been down there were to go in they would no doubt get lost and be unable to find their way around being trapped. However Zoru knows the way, and there's an exit that we can take that leads to Lillian. As long as we avoid the other half of the cave where the yellow man is we'll be safe."

"Yellow man?" Ken began but was cut off by Kitsune.

"That sounds good." Kitsune nodded. "We may be able to avoid the scent of the Bestia Macht, and hopefully be able to avoid them."

'Ring!'

'Ring!'

'Ring!'

"Is that a ring tone?" Ken asked.

Kitsune came to a sliding stop as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red brick. He hit a button on it and the thing began to unfold into a phone like object. "Hello?" He asked curiously. Ken nearly fell back when she saw it was a phone. The old man, and little girl, stared at the phone with amazement as they had never seen something like this.

"Ace here..." The voice of Ace said from over the phone. "Reporting in. No signs of Mr. Law, Ms. Glacious, or Mr. Light. I could hear a heavy battle going on but when I had arrived the whereabouts of the three are nowhere to be found. I have spotted the Viscount, and the Drone. The Viscount is chasing the Drone around as we speak."

Over with Ace he was pressing his back to a building as he peaked around the corner watching the large creature as it chased around Hero's Drone pet as it flew around in a panic. Luckily for him the Bestia Macht hadn't yet noticed him...

"I hate to say it but Mr. Law, Ms. Glacious, and Mr. Light could be-"

"No!" The voice of Ken said from over the phone. Back over with Ken and Kitsune she was shaking her head. "They're alive... I can prove it to. If you get the Drone we can see what it saw and discover what happened to them."

Kitsune let out a small hum. "That's actually a good idea."

"Of course it is." Ken said rolling her eyes. "It was my idea after all."

Kitsune pouted at that as he turned away from the girl. "Alright Ace... Do you think you can get your hands on the Drone?"

"I'll certainly try..."

'Click!'

The phone slowly powered off as Kitsune frowned.

Back over with Ace the Black Coat let out a small sigh as he placed his phone back into his pocket. He slowly peaked his head out from around the corner and froze when he saw the Bestia Macht was gone. The Drone was still flying around wildly as it spun faster and let out loud clicking sounds.

"Where did it..."

Ace froze as the snow next to him began to rise up and the Bestia Macht formed back converting itself from snow, back into its normal form.

"Oh... Sh-"

***

A few minuets later...

"Okay we're going under ground but do you know the path?" Kitsune asked cocking his head to the side. Him and his group were now standing in a small stone building as the old man was poking around a wall.

"I do..." The old man nodded his head.

"Zoru?" The young girl asked.

The old man reached up pulling off his hat and cloak showing off an old, scared face, filled with blister and wounds making Kitsune and Ken flinch slightly. "I know the path Enforcer..." The elderly man said in a slow tone. "I have lived in this nasty city alone, for nearly one thousand years... I know this place better than anyone else... All I have left are the memories..."

"I see..." Kitsune nodded. "You're the Doll... You're the Ghost of Tacca Chantrieri..."

"I am..." The old man nodded his head. "And Luna is my bonded one."

"What?" Ken asked.

Realization flashed on Kitsune's face. "Luna is bonded to the Equation inside of you? You're an Equip Type that was placed into a Doll."

"That is correct." The elder nodded. "I was built one thousand years ago. And inside of me a small core was placed. The thing you call Equations... Even without a host it forever changed me giving me life... But it wasn't until I met Luna here that I became whole. She is my other half, much like your sword is to you. She is bonded with me and I am her weapon. As such you must protect her no matter what for if the host dies, the Equation will be sent back out into the world somewhere else. You have no choice, but to keep Luna safe..."

"We were gonna do that already." Ken said frowning.

"You two came for my hear did you not?" The Doll asked. "My Equation?"

"Yes." Kitsune nodded. "If we can I'd like to rip it out of you-"

"Kitsune!" Ken said shocked.

"What?" Kitsune frowned giving a half shrug. "He's a doll. He's not a real person. Equip Types can be moved from weapon to weapon by destroying the object they are in. It would be a lot easier to pull the Equation out of him and carry the girl out of here."

"You can't!" Luna yelled. "He's the only one that knows the underground path."

"Kitsune no need to rush this." Ken said.

Kitsune frowned shaking his head. "It's going to be removed eventually. He's an old withered doll falling apart. His Equation will be ripped out of him and placed in a stronger item where the power can be fully unlocked. And we have to make sure the Bestia Macht don't get the Equation."

"Still..." Ken said slowly. "That can... We can cross that bridge when we get there..."

Kitsune looked like he was about to say more but the two of them were cut off when they heard the sound of someone walking up. They both turned seeing Ace was walking to them. he looked kind of beat up and had small stains of blood on his throat and held the Drone in his arms as he walked towards them.

"Ace?" The man reached up rubbing at his throat as he mad several gasps. "Your throat?"

"He's hurt." Ken said running over to the injured man. "He's badly injured."

Ace made several more gasps as he reached past them handing the small Drone to Kitsune.

"You managed to get it..." Kitsune frowned as he picked it up and looked the small Drone over. He clicked a small button on the Drone making it click open. A small pill popped out of it. "A memory pill... By swallowing it I'll be able to see everything the Drone has seen." He swallowed the pill as he closed his eyes. "Oh shit."

"What?" Ken asked.

Kitsune shook his head as he let out a sigh. "Well the good news is I think Hero, Irene, and Light are all alive. Other problem is that the creature can turn into things it touches."

"What!"

"I didn't get a great look at it..." Kitsune sigh as the Drone flew over landing on Ken's hair using her as its nest now. "Most of the pictures were blocked by that devil arm freaks hair. That being said I think it takes on the form of anything it touches... Even copying powers... This thing is really dangerous..."

"Can it become people!" Ken asked alarmed.

"It took on Hero's shape..." Kitsune hissed. "That's a big problem... We'll need to be on guard. Let's get these two-" Kitsune turned to the wall where the girl and old man were and stopped when he saw that they were gone. "What! They vanished!"

"Kitsune!" Ken said alarmed.

"What!"

Ken pointed forward making Kitsune slowly turn. He stopped when he saw the Bestia Macht standing around the corner its right arm still morphed into Hero's form. Ace backed up when he saw it as Ken ripped one of her spikes out.

"Oh..." Kitsune said slowly. "Well... Crap..."