“Being… watched?” Fluttershy whimpered the phrase, already curling to the ground as her mind began to process the idea. Unseen eyes staring at her, judging her, mocking her. It brought a cold shiver down her coat.

“It’s the most likely possibility.” Batman answered easily, closing the display on his forearm as he said so. “But it doesn’t change much. It would have been a safe assumption before that we were being monitored in same way. Now, we just have confirmation.”

“Then what… what do we do now?” The large eyes of the pegasus looked up at the darkly dressed man, waiting with bated breath for what he would say. However, instead of answering, he let his gaze turn to the large building sitting within the clay walls, dark and foreboding. Fluttershy followed his gaze, already hating the answer he didn’t speak “Oh, oh no. We don’t have to go in there, do we? I-It’s so dark a-a-and scary.”

“It’s the only place we can go.” He answered back calmly, gaze focused. “If we were going to be trapped or held captive, we wouldn’t have anywhere to go. Whoever is watching us wants us to go in.”

He took a step forward, moving towards the entrance. Fluttershy was quick to nip the end of his cape, holding onto it until it was taunt in her grip. It stopped his movements, letting him turn to look down at the timid pony.

“But that means it will be dangerous, right?” Her question may have been clear to his ears, but so too was the terror weaved into each syllable she made. Batman held his gaze with her eyes, nodding his head as he did so. The pegasus’s eyes grew wide the moment he finished the movement. “Can… Maybe I’ll just wait out here. Oh, yes, it’ll be much safer out here, and I can wait for you or one of my friends to come get me. That is, if you want to come back for me. I mean-”

Fluttershy let out a small gasp as she felt his hand place itself on her shoulder. It was hard and coarse, like the chest she had gripped before when they had first arrived here. She couldn’t feel any warmth coming from it, the sensation little different than if she had pushed herself against the clay wall they were so near. But with the gaze Batman was giving her, she felt confidence flooding into her.

“I am not going to leave you here alone.” He began to speak, voice deep and confident, like he was a prince speaking to her. “You’re scared, and I can understand that. But even if we’re in an extraordinary position, we can’t act as if everything will be okay without doing anything.” Fluttershy’s lip quivered as he spoke.

“But, my friends… I’m not strong enough for this. I just take care of animals. Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack… my friends are much better at this than I am.” She felt her the fingers of his hand hold her harder.

“And they aren’t here. I don’t know where they are.” The words didn’t bring the same level of calm confidence to Fluttershy as the ones he had spoken before. “But if we wait here forever, we’ll never find them.” His gaze flicked towards the still dark passageway before looking back at the pegasus. “There are going to be traps in there, dangers that we’re supposed to fall victim to, but we won’t. Do you know why?”

“N-No.” The word was spoken on shaking breath. “Why?”

“Because there is always a way out.” Batman stood to his tallest, cape draping over his form, hiding all of him except the cowl adorned over his head. Fluttershy had never seen a sight so terrifying and so brave at the same time. The nervous jitter still playing with her lip, she asked a single word question.

“Always?”

“Always.”

Fluttershy felt her lips pull upwards. He wasn’t bubbly or fun like Pinkie Pie, not nearly as energetic. But, this man, Batman, did a great job at making her smile.

“Oookay,” she answered simply, letting out a long breath of air as she spoke the word. She did her best to smile up at the man who appeared so worried about her. His lips did not even twitch.

“Good,” he spoke simply, eyes turning back to the dark structure. “We’re going to have to be careful.” In a smooth motion, he kneeled down before standing back up. It took Fluttershy a moment to realize he was holding the light stick in his hand again. It was outstretched towards her, the arm pushing through the cloak of his cape.

With a gentle blush, she stretched her neck outwards, grabbing the object with her teeth. It had the taste of dirt and plastic, but nothing the pony was unused to. Her eyes looked back up to him, watching as the glowing stick gently illuminated his dark form.

“Stay close to me and do as I say. I’ll do everything I can to make sure we both get out of here.” Fluttershy nodded in understanding, immediately huddling closer to towards him. She could feel the fabric of his cape conforming against her side, draping over her closed wing. It felt odd to her, not like the silk Rarity would use for her dresses, but also different than any bedsheets she had slept on. It felt stiffer, heavier. But in the end, it didn’t really matter.

Batman promised he would keep her safe, and she trusted that he would.

Without waiting for ceremony, he began to walk forward, slowly entering the dark structure within the cavern. Fluttershy followed close behind, making sure she was in constant contact with him. As the torches of the cavern outside began to disappear, and the walls of the structure started to surround them, the pegasus never let herself walk even a hoof out of place from Batman’s side.

The darkness of the halls were chased away by the small stick she carried, the soft glowing light illuminating the clay structure they began to venture into. She gave a quick glance upwards, looking at Batman’s eyes, focused forwards into the still thick shadows. She could tell, at least by how sure he stepped, he was confident in where he was going.

However ironic it may have been, intentional or not, he moved blindly with the same level of confidence a regular bat did in flight. Both seeing with something other than their eyes alone. Fluttershy smiled at the idea. A batman indeed.

Her eyes looked at the walls that they passed, slowly revealed from the light she was guiding. They didn’t have the markings like the ones outside. No art decorating them or even small marks of age. They all looked perfectly new, freshly set and undisturbed. It was almost more unnerving than walking in an old ruin.

A small breath left her as she noticed a wall rising in front of them, a dead end to the short hallway already. Her eyes looked left and right, seeing new paths as she did. They both looked the same to her, dark and endless even with the small light she carried.

Batman looked down them as well, eyes focusing as his head aimed sideways. The scanners and light within his cowl focused and magnified the images hidden by the shadows, softly showing faint outlines. The walls and ceiling were easy for his computer to distinguish, unseen waves bouncing and reflecting off their surfaces with ease.

At the end, however, his sonar was able to capture another shape, faintly different from a wall. Faintly in that it wasn’t a complete wall. The shape itself wasn’t too odd; flat and tall, stretching as wide as the walls and from the floor to ceiling top. What made it less of a wall and more of an obstacle, was the odd shape that was carved into it.

Even with his cowl on, eyes trained through the seemingly dark shadows, Batman could see the almost altar like shape placed in front of the wall. It was outlined over his eyes with small grids, denoting the sharp and well carved edges. It rose from the ground, slightly outwards from the wall itself, and rose to just over his height. The definite details about it he couldn’t see, but at the altar’s top was a shape large enough for his sonar to distinguish.

A hole.

A large empty hole was surrounded by small spikes, each protruding from the dark void as if fleeing from endless pit. Batman didn’t need a cautious mind to know how dangerous such an object could be. His eyes glanced down momentarily to see the pegasus at his still, form still leaning heavily against him. Alone, it would be a risk he could talk. With her, it wasn’t worth it.

“This way,” he spoke as he began to walk to his left, eyes already looking forward and tracing the hall. Already there was a wall at the end of the hall, but it wasn’t a dead end. Instead, it turned right and right alone. No other path to take, but no ominous devices either. Fluttershy followed by his side, not questioning his judgment for even a moment.

The further he walked, the more Batman thought of where they were. It was highly likely that the darkness was supposed to hide something from them. What exactly, he couldn’t say. It would be impossible for him to properly see paintings set directly on the walls, but the pegasus by his side, eyes shifting in every direction with every step her hoofs took, would doubtlessly see something. Combined with his sonar, heat, and tri-dimensional optical display, all kept protected and functioning within his cowl, it was highly unlikely they would miss anything.

He could see every object and passageway. Fluttershy could see every detail the walls could possibly have, if they decided to gain one. The only logical conclusion was that they were being led somewhere, indirectly forced to move in a certain direction. Like a push from a magician, it was supposed to give them the illusion of being in control.

Batman knew the moment he was thrown through reality, time, and space that control was the last thing he had. All he had now were his wits and tools. He would have to gain the upper hand against whatever it was they were facing before he could say they had control again.

He stopped moving. Fluttershy stopped just beside him.

“What is it?” She asked cautiously, voice barely above a whisper and muffled with the glow rod in her mouth. Batman didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he focused his eyes, looking forward into the shadows.

His scanner was having trouble focusing on an object. It moved randomly, unable to gain focus. It couldn’t map the surface and was having an even more difficult time giving him proper readings of its basic composition. Fortunately, he didn’t need to examine it to know what it was.

“Water,” he answered simply. “There’s water up ahead.”

“O-Oh,” the pegasus acknowledged, but didn’t say a word otherwise. One of Batman’s hands rose to lightly cover his exposed mouth, thinking of what the water could mean.

The depth of the water couldn’t be determined until he set foot in it, but he found it highly unlikely there would be pits of water in the hallway, not without a trap of some sort to accompany it. No, the far more likely option was to be a method of tracing movements.

A law he had proven and realized several times before was the impossibility of moving through water without making noise. While air was spread out enough to limit the vibrations of movement, water density was far too high to allow such movement. Any creature with even the dullest level of physical sensations would be able to feel them coming. That’s if the noise they produced didn’t grow high enough first. But that contradicted the already watching eye on them.

A small flip of his wrist to reveal his computer screen gave quick enough indication to show that the X-Ray levels were still present, permeating even into the deep the clay structure. There was no need for there to be a method of passively monitoring them if there was already an eye on their movements.

Unless…

“Stay close Fluttershy,” Batman gently ordered as he started to walk forward. He could feel the pony push further against his cloak and leg.

“Is… is there… something up ahead?” The words were laced with as much fear as Batman could expect from any life suddenly thrown into the dangerous and unknown.

“I don’t see anything yet.” He spoke honestly. “But water has traditionally been used as a cheap and effective method for detecting intruders or assassins. Unless we find a way to climb on the walls, then anything else in the water is going to be able to tell where we are.” He felt Fluttershy give a shiver against him, her leg hooking over his.

“That’s… that’s horrible.” She whimpered outwards. Batman was inclined to agree. However, he looked down just in time to see her face spark with an idea. The stick dropped from her mouth as she looked up to him.

“Could… could I fly over the water?” Her wings extended outwards to prove her point.

Silently, Batman gave them a once over. She doubtlessly had control over them, strong enough to lift herself from the ground. Their full span wasn’t great enough to match the width of the hall, limiting the likelihood of grazing against it. It would limit and reduce any the chance of her falling victims to any traps in the water, which was a beneficial.

But the sound of anything flying, short of gliding through air, would produce just as much sound as cautious steps through water. Worse, she wouldn’t be able to silence her wings without falling into the water, defeating the purpose of flying in the first place. Flying was just as risky as walking, except any traps in the water would doubtlessly be too fast for her.

There was a middle road. It just wasn’t one Batman was keen on taking.

“Hold on,” was all the indication Batman gave before he began to take action.

Fluttershy felt his hand wrap around her midsection, lightly lifting her off the ground. She gave a gasp of surprise, leg curling under her until they hugged against his covered arm. She was still as stone as she was lifted off the ground, eyes wide and terrified as she watched the floor leave her. It was only too fast that she matched Batman’s height.

Slowly, she felt herself begin to descend again, but the trip down was much faster than the trip up. Her underbelly felt the cool material of his cape, followed closely by the rough and hard edged clothing he wore beneath. For a moment, Fluttershy realized that armor would probably be a better way to describe the gear, tough and thick as it was.

A quiet eep left her lips as his hand slid out from under her, leaving her legs to cling to his shoulder instead. It wasn’t terribly comfortable to her, but his broad shoulders made it rather easy to keep her balance. Her head twisted, easily making eye contact with him. The same neutral expression across his features was all she saw.

“Less risk.” He spoke simply to her. Fluttershy nodded in return.

“Oh, okay.” Her voice weakly spoke, head curling downwards as she pulled her legs into her body. Her eyes fell on the small glowing stick on the ground.

In a moment slightly faster than she could follow, Batman knelt down again, grabbing the stick from the floor and lifting it to his shoulders. The pegasus looked at it for a moment, surprised at his kindness again. Gratefully though, her head reached out and grasped the stick between her teeth. She gave him a smile of thanks. Batman just nodded.

“Hold tight,” he spoke again as he began to walk forward. Fluttershy did just that, holding him like she would her pillow during a thunderstorm.

It only took a few steps forward before the pegasus began to feel uneasy about the method of travel. She was not unused to heights, or even moving at the pace that he was. It was just odd to her, holding onto something while it moved. She wasn’t used to riding on other animals. It felt wrong to her.

A moment later, she heard a splash, and her thoughts of discomfort were dashed. Just like Batman had told her, they walked right into a pool of water. She watched as the water rose to just beneath his knees, the cape around him floating over the dark reflective surface.

The light emanating from the glow stick revealed nothing about the water except for the surface itself. She could see herself looking down at the water, her reflection broken by the rippling water, her yellow feathers clear as day against Batman’s dark as night cape.

“Try to keep an eye out for anything I miss.” She nodded at his words, watching his lips move in the water as he spoke. Her eyes looked upwards as he continued to walk, seeing the water reflecting the light from the stick further down the dark hall. It brought a small amount of comfort to her, knowing that she was that much further away from the darkness.

Batman, however, was also unused to offering such support to others. Solitude was far preferred when he was alone on such work, or at least in the company of others who could easily handle themselves. This pony, a pegasus with the ability to speak, was unused to being in the dark, let alone being forced to venture into what was very likely a crypt.

It was to his benefit she was so light. Slightly larger than the size of his torso, but easily half the weight. It felt similar to his training before the years of reign began. Crawling through the dark, searching for answers he wouldn’t recognize, and saving lives he didn’t know rested on his shoulders. Only now, it was a bit more literal.

His eyes scanned the readings of his displays as he continued to let his mind work. The lack of any proper display of artwork thus far was clear it wasn’t meant to be entered often. If it were a mausoleum, or a tomb for the great, it would be decorated along every wall, ceiling, and floor. A fort or home, and just as much art would have been carved as reliefs in the least.

But in a crypt, an empty place for the unnamed dead, there needed to be nothing but a hole in the ground and walls surrounding the bodies. No art, no grace, nothing but simple words of passing. He already suspected the carved markings outside were just that, but telling the skittish pony such words would do nothing but create more fear and unease. That was something he couldn’t have. He needed focus, and focus needed a sound mind. Fears or emotions of unease would disrupt those completely.

He saw the paths diverge ahead, one splitting right again and the other continuing forward. Simple like before, and a little different, but he could see no other indication that it might be a trap. Batman stopped at the small spot between the three paths; the path forward, the path behind, and the path to his right.

It only took a glance to his right to know that it wasn’t a path he could take. He heard Fluttershy give a small whimper of fright on his shoulder. That was all the indication he needed to know that she had seen it as well.

It was another decorated altar.

“W-what.. i-i-is-”

“Nothing.” Batman spoke quickly in return, already moving forward through the water. He could tell the increase in his speed was causing more than simply waving in the water. The splashing of the water created much more sound, but it was of little consequence now.

“That was… That… o-o-oh dear.” Batman could feel the pegasus shivering against her, holding against him with a strength he didn’t think she had.

“Forget about it. It’s gone.” He told her, still walking a fast pace through the water. Small whimpers continued to come from Fluttershy, regardless of his words.

His pace began to slow, however; quickly so. They were already past the hallway with the dark altar. Moving fast now would be beneficial to no one.

“It’s alright.” He spoke again, slowing his pace until he came to a stand still. She was still shivering on him, soft subtle whimpers coming from her muzzle, pressed against her chest. She was far more sensitive than he had initially realized. Just the sight of something ominous made her curl like a startled foal.

This was going to be a difficult night.

His pace began again, slower than before. The sight of the altar had done much to his mindset, in both thoughts of the crypt’s design and assurance he had made the right decision in carrying the pony. She was a skittish thing, and seeing such a sight could have very likely sent her running from him, something they could not risk. Upon his shoulder, large as she was beside him, Fluttershy was not going anywhere.

But why was there another altar? Was one not enough? Would they find more the further they traveled down this water-logged hall? It wasn’t impossible, already having found two before, but without knowing their purpose, it was impossible to predict the likelihood of more or else the further they traveled.

This hall had to end at some point, and Batman’s mind began to theorize the likelihood of finding another altar. As far forward as his cowl could scan, he saw no other protrusion of metal and spikes, no sadistic template for what he could only assume was a sacrifice. But there was another turn ahead, not too far away either. And, much like the turn after fork they found at the start of the crypt, this turn only twisted right with no other path to take.

If they were headed off by another metal altar, Batman would have to think of a way to investigate the items without Fluttershy running off or causing too much noise. His own sound was reduced to a minimum even in the water, years of training showing their worth. It was beyond unlikely the yellow pegasus could produce the same effect.

The turn was upon him before he realized it, causing the dark knight to momentarily degrade himself for slipping into thought and forgoing reality. Regardless, he had to focus. He felt Fluttershy stiffen beside him, a clear sign that the light from the stick in her mouth had just illuminated the turn.

Batman approached it cautiously, body curling slightly in preparation for what could come. Coming to a still, he leaned outwards, letting his cowl mark and scan the new hall. It was the same as all the other, thankfully without an altar, but also without a visible end. He heard Fluttershy give a small squeak as he continued into the hall, followed closely behind with a sigh, probably of relief. He couldn’t blame her.

“Um, Mr. Batman?” The voice was lower than a whisper, a volume he could appreciate. He twisted his head to let his eyes meet the look from Fluttershy, staring at him with a curious gaze. “What… What do you think those… th-those things we-”

“Nothing.” He answered simply, cutting her off before she could finish. His gaze returned forwards, looking down the ever-growing hall for a sign of something different.

That was when Batman’s display began to change.

His hand rose to the side of his cowl, pushing the material closer to his head. Small heat sensors began to vibrate, shades of red and orange appearing over the familiar cold blue from before. His motion tracker began to lightly hum, directing his head forwards towards the same object his heat source was detecting. His body came to a stop as he realized what it meant.

There was something alive ahead of them.

“Wait.”

The sudden cold tone froze the pegasus. The same rough hand that had guided her to his shoulder was now over the top of her mane, holding her head still as her body became rigid as stone. Even the breath in her ceased to move.

Fluttershy’s eyes looked towards him, following Batman’s gaze as he looked forwards down the waterlogged hallways. The faint glow from the stick in her mouth didn’t shine far enough to give her gaze even the faintest of hopes of seeing what lay down the path.

But her sharp perked ears could.

A low groan, deep and rumbling, came from the darkness. It echoed off the walls, making the timid pony’s fur stand on its highest end. The air in her throat slowly began inhale, her eyes widening in slow matching terror. The muscles in her legs began to shake, fearful of the sound that was being made.

For a moment, it subsided, fading out of tone and leaving the pony and human again with only silence. But, Fluttershy didn’t relax, her body still creaming to turn mane and tail and run. The urge only became a demand once the noise began again, far loud and far deeper than before, shaking the pony from the tips of her hooves to the edges of her coat.

She leaned against Batman’s head desperately, clinging to him through his cloak and clothing with fearful need. He didn’t speak or make motion for her to let go. Instead, with the same level of care he had given her since they had met, he reached up and cupped her face, holding her gently against him. Fluttershy felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks as the noise only grew closer.

“W-Wha-” the hand holding her head quickly covered her mouth, silencing the words. Her wide blue eyes looked up to see his expression still focused forwards, staring at something she couldn’t see. She was glad for that. Not seeing it was probably the only thing keeping her from screaming.

In a quick silent motion, Batman’s hand slipped over the light of his glow-stick, covering the luminescent material and bathing the hall in darkness. He felt the pegasus curl against him nearly hard enough to crack his bones, but she wouldn’t, or at best, couldn’t.

The sound began to change. The deep low rumbling that shook the halls began to not only grow in volume, but was soon accompanied by another sound, one less ominous, but no less terrifying.

Deep and heavy booms echoed over the clay walls like thunder, dulled only slightly by the water-logged floor. To the man who had fought enemies thrice his size, he recognized the sounds for what they were.

Footsteps.

He pushed the side of his cowl closer, attempting to read the heat signatures that were being shown to him. All it did was tell him something was there, far in front of them, and approaching with a pace he couldn’t name. The vibrating walls and continues booms of noise made it too difficult to place the rate. He needed more.

His fingers slipped over the side of his hood, flicking through the multiple displays. He saw nothing on the magnetic scale, optical scale, x-ray penetration, or any other views he had designed for the purpose of finding and tracking evidence.

Nothing, at least, until he turned his display off all together.

Then the figure became more than clear.

BEGIN

A slow steady breath of air drew itself into Batman’s lungs. His muscles tightened as he stared down at the creature that continued to approach them. The lights from its display lit up the hall without effort, reflecting off the water that waved with its thundering steps. It moved with labor, swinging its arms with each step its legs took, one arm with one leg, and then the other, body twisting with each moment.

It was a hulking thing, framed in metal and doused in a thick material he couldn’t place from sight alone, dark as it was to boot. The helmet it bore, assumingly at least, reflected the same head plate as those of diving suits, but it was far out of proportioned. Batman, however, had his vision focused on one detail of the beast.

The monstrous drill attached to its arm.

It was thicker than Batman’s own torso, doubtlessly the same size as Fluttershy, and twisted with sharp edges from bottom to top, ending at a point that would doubtlessly rip through steel with ease. Aside from the swinging of the creature’s arm, the drill didn’t move, but Batman had no ideas or thoughts to see if it could spin.

The creature let out another high groan, shaking off the walls as its large metal boots splashed at the water and hammered the ground. It didn’t move any faster the closer it approached, but Batman had no intentions of waiting for it to pass near him.

He turned smoothly, already pushing at the water as he moved. He couldn’t run, not with his legs submerged. It would require too much force to lift and operate his legs with the weight of the water. Too much energy with too little movement. Instead, he was forced to drag his legs through the water, not changing the pressure on them, but not moving nearly as fast as he desired.

The growl Batman wished to make was washed away by the another deep groan from the beast behind him. The man didn’t entertain the thought of turning to see it. He lowered his arms, intending to use the momentum of their swing to retreat from the beast.

In doing so, he released Fluttershy’s mouth. The pegasus didn’t hesitate to scream.

“No!” The shout echoed off the walls with a near deafening force, forcing Batman to whip his head towards the terrified pegasus. He had a moment, and only a moment, to memorize the horrible fear wracked face the small pegasus had.

A moment later, he felt himself flying through the dark air, pain blooming from his back.

Batman hit the water with a splash, the pain racing through his form without patience. He ignored it, as he always did, too many other things far more important than his own well being. He twisted in the water, pushing himself to a low crouch with his cowl aimed backwards, hands already along his belt.

That was when he realized what was missing.

There wasn’t any weight on his shoulder.

His eyes widened as he saw Fluttershy lying in the water, head barely above the surface as she doubtlessly was on her side. Her pink mane was just visible under the light of the beast, wet and clinging to her neck with the water that now dripped from her. But, now it looked ten shades darker, as did everything else in the hall. The reason was just as obvious, and just the same, as the reason Batman and Fluttershy were now separated.

The monstrous creature stood just in front of Fluttershy, it’s lights no longer a neutral yellow, but glowing a dark and ominous red. Red was a color for many things, but in battle, it meant the same thing across every world and culture Batman had ever seen. Danger.

“Fluttershy!” Batman yelled, straightening himself out of the water, already in misprint towards the pegasus as did so. The light of the creature continued to bounce and shake off the walls, forcing his vision to come and go. He never lost sight of the pegasus though, curling in the water that reached past her neck, whimpering beneath the hulking creature that stood over her.

Batman ran faster towards her, arm already stretched outwards to swipe her from the stream. But, but fortune favoring his instincts again, he saw the light around him grow brighter. There was only one reason for that.

His legs pushed against the ground beneath the water, giving him the force he needed to jump backwards. The drill of the beast spun into the spot where he just stood, swirling the water like a beater, but tearing up the clay beneath it like putty. Deadly, indeed.

The red eyes continued to stare at him, Fluttershy now behind the beast, the monster between Batman and the pegasus. To the dark knight, it was the ultimate worst case scenario. But even the worst cases had ways out.

With a deft flick of his wrist, he threw a batarang at the monster, aiming for one of the lights on its hood. The metal object made connection with a small chink. It made as much impact on the beast as water did on glass.

Another thunderous cry came from the monster, and it began to run towards Batman, boots pounding forwards, unhindered by the weight of the water. It leaned down quickly, rising just as fast with its arm stretching outwards, aiming to slam its foe against the wall.

Batman gave a low crouch and small stride to the side, avoiding the massive arm as he did so. He heard the creature make contact with the wall, watching as shards of clay fell from it under the dark red light of the monster. It was difficult to see with the sporadic illumination, but Batman’s disadvantage was not shared alone. At least he was not glowing.

He squeezed his hand into a tight fist, activating the force conductors in his gloves. He swung his arm forward, aiming again for one of the lights of the beast. This time, when it made contact, Batman was rewarded with the sound of cracking glass, followed by the creature taking a step backwards.

It righted itself far too quickly. Its drill began to spin again, pointing towards the dark cloaked man with clear intent. Crouching, Batman readied himself.

END

“Stop!”

The call came from Fluttershy, Batman didn’t need to entertain any fantasies to know that. The desperation, the pleading, the helplessness. He had heard the same hopeless command a thousand times before, and he doubtlessly would a thousand times still. It never did any good though. Criminals didn’t care for what their victims thought, and monsters didn’t listen to their prey.

Imagine Batman’s surprise when the monster did as the pegasus commanded.

Without wasting a moment, or even offering caution towards Batman, the metal monster turned around, facing the pegasus as it stood as tall as it could, no longer lumbering under its own weight. The lights of its helm brightened, now the same neutral yellow as when Batman had first seen it.

His hand tightened on a Batarang, ready to throw it at the creature, but he hesitated. There were too many variables to consider throwing it. Not to mention the fact that Fluttershy had successfully given it an order.

Batman hated it, but he couldn’t solve this quickly. Instead, he slowly approached the monster from behind, keeping his cloak close and movements minimum. As long as the creature didn’t mind him, it wouldn’t be able to stop him.

“P-Please… stop…” the same whimpering tone came from Fluttershy again, muffled over the water. Batman still heard it clear as day. But so did the creature between them. He could tell, because it made an action that forced the dark knight to stop his slow approach.

It bent into the water, and came as close as it could to matching the pegasus’s height. Fluttershy looked up at it, wide eyes full of wonder and shock. Batman watched on with just as much surprise, but tempered with caution. Hand still clung to the tools in his belt, ready to act if need be.

Shaking, Fluttershy stood in the water, raising herself to her tallest height, the pool rippling just beneath her chest. Her mane fell from her like drapes, hiding her fur and giving her a look of desperation Batman had seen too many times on the streets of Gotham. This was the one of the first times he had seen the look work.

“Please… Don’t… Don’t attack us…” The words carried as much strength as a child’s wish. Batman was watching the wish be granted.

The metallic beast stretched its arm outwards, free of any drill or malicious intent. Fluttershy gave a small gasp of shock as it drifted into her vision, but quickly calmed as it sat in front of her, still in the air, and only occasionally making contact with the ripples of the water.

The air was still for a moment, the action clear and unreasonable, but present all the same. Batman heard Fluttershy take in a breath of swallowing slowly on what he hoped to be her nervousness. Then, carefully, delicately, she raised a hoof from the water, the liquid rushing back into the vacuum of space she had left. Her fur dripped from the ends of her hooves as it hung in the air, just a little bit beyond the creature’s own outstretched limb.

With another tentative move, she let her hand fall on the large hand. A slow groan came from the creature, more… kind than those that had come before. It was hard for either of them to place. Batman kept his hand tight on the tools at his side. Fluttershy, however, was finding the tension and unease in her body slowly leaving, a smile washing over her lips.

“Thank you.” She spoke again, louder than anything so far, screams aside.

Batman watched on, hiding his amazement, as the creature’s lights softened into a peaceful and inviting green. Another low groan came from the monster, its hand pushing forwards as it did so. Fluttershy’s eyes blinked in mild surprise, her free hoof lifting to push away wet strands of her mane from her vision. Looking back up into the light of the creature’s helm, she placed her other hoof on its large hand, offering a small smile as she did so.

Fluttershy gave a small eep of fright as she felt its hand rise, lightly guiding her to stand on her rear hooves. Before she could easily adjust to her new posture, the creature’s hand slid lower, forcing the pony forward.

The pegasus landed on the creature’s hand with wet slap, her fur releasing the water it had absorbed on impact. Her wide and confused eyes blinked upwards, staring at the creature. She adjusted herself as best she could on its appendage, curling to make sure her entire form could fit on it.

Another gasp left her as she was lifted into the air. Its hand rose to its shoulder, beside the mesh and lights of his helm, onto its broad and large shoulder. Fluttershy slipped from his palm as it turned perpendicular to the ground, sliding her onto the thick material.

She blinked twice, sitting on her haunches as she looked behind the beast. Batman stared back at her without emotion. His mind was swimming with the possibilities of what he could do, should do, and wouldn’t do.

Her head quickly began to spin as the creature moved, heavy boots lifting and turning in the water. As far as Batman could tell, it did so with little to no effort. It continued to adjust itself until it faced Batman once again, but this time, without any clear sign it wished to harm him.

Fluttershy readjusted herself on its shoulder hoof pressing against the metal grate that was its helm until she was facing forward as well. Then, as slowly as all her movements thus far, she slid herself until her rear hooves hung over the creature’s back, allowing her to have a great sense of security on it.

She stared at Batman with a gaze that lingered in confusion, but was also laced with small joy.

“He’s… He’s actually very nice.” Fluttershy spoke easily, giving a small smile as she did so. Her compatriot simply stared on.

“Wow.”

Batman spoke simply, staring at the two with a sense of disbelief. It was a good thing he only trusted his eyes, because if he had heard of the encounter, he never would have considered it possible. But here it was, Fluttershy sitting on the shoulder of the creature, as she had done to him prior. The creature staring at him, assumingly, with its green gaze lighting the hall as it reflected off the water. One of its lenses was still cracked from the blow Batman had given it.

“Translation Complete”

His eyes fell to his wrist, popping open the small compartment to watch the display on his wrist. The small lights along the screen rearranged themselves quickly, organizing the runes he had scanned before.

Slowly, he watched English characters appear beneath the chiseled markings, letters forming before words, and then finally sentences. When a small beep echoed from his wrist, he knew the lines were completely translated. He read over the translated message quickly before deducing he should have scanned more of the marking, preferably all of them.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked him from the shoulder of the massive thing. Batman’s eyes looked at her, watching the interaction between her and the soft glowing yellow bulbs of the monster she sat on. No matter how long he stared, he couldn’t think of a reason why it was so easy for her to earn its trust. But without a reason to research, there wasn’t a question to ask.

“The markings are translated, but the meaning is still useless.” The words he spoke earned a twisted head from the mare.

“How can the words be useless? Twilight always told us that words were knowledge.” Batman’s eyes had since returned to the screen, reading it over again as he mind began to search for any possible connections. He couldn’t think of any.

“They make sense, but what they mean doesn’t. At least not yet.” His hand snapped the display closed again, shutting off one more source of light in the already dark hall. It was left to be illuminated by the glowing helm of the monster that Fluttershy sat on. Batman still couldn’t believe it was threatening them.

“Oh, so it’s a riddle then.” The deduction of the pegasus was impressive, but nothing he hadn’t already concluded.

“Highly likely, but without an idea of what its referencing, it doesn’t mean anything yet. We’ll just have to keep going and see where this leads.” Without waiting for a response, he turned, walking down the path the monster had come from. He took all but three steps before the pounding of metal boots echoed behind him, followed by the walls shaking with the creature’s presence.

Already, Batman was aware that stealth for him was nearly out of the realm of possible should the creature continue to follow them. If it was, by some minute chance, something to be trusted, then its massive body and thunderous sounds it was producing would warn any enemy nearby. If it was playing the part of a spy, then it would already know what to look for.

He had to limit himself, in his actions and words. The less the creature knew, the better chance he and the pegasus would have.

“What did the words say?” Flutteshy asked above the pounding of boots. “Maybe I know what they mean.”

“Doubtful,” Batman responded simply, eyes still tracing the walls for any alternate route to the straight path they were walking. “You couldn’t understand the glyphics, so it’s unlikely you know what they were referencing.”

“But I… I can try.” Batman shook his head, doubting Fluttershy could see him.

“It’s nothing to worry about.” He responded. “Even if you knew what they meant, it probably wouldn’t serve any purpose until we reach a spot that requires a riddle or understanding of a hidden meaning.”

Silence followed his words, aside from the larger creature’s continued pass. It left time for Batman to think, wondering about the words. His hand reached out and traced the wall beside him, feeling the condensation of water over the clay walls, a clear sign that water was present, and in a significant amount as well.

He couldn’t place any location that would need such a phrase, not one that was without another hidden wall of messages or dials to turn. By themselves, the words were useless. And they would stay that way until he found a purpose for them.

Batman just had to think of when the phrase would ever be worth saying.

‘Would You Kindly.’

“Kindly this, kindly that, what the hell kind of secret it is ‘would you kindly’?” Handsome Jack popped another handful of popcorn into his mouth as he watched the dark suited man walk, his screen adjusting to get the best view of him and the monster behind him. He lips kept sneering at the thing.

“God, it would have been so much better if that drill had just done one of them in.” He let out a chuckle at the thought. Twisting in his chair, he looked towards the body of his daughter, still wired into her chair with vacant eyes. “Can you imagine that Angel? I mean, think about it. He’d be like ‘Gaaaaahh!’ and screaming and stuff, and then that pony would be like ‘oh no, oh no, oh no,’ whimpering in the corner. It’d be hilarious!”

“Of course, father” Angel replied in a monotone voice, auto-tuned with the electricity lacing her body. “It would be enjoyable to see others being slowly killed.”

“See!” Jack shouted with joy. His hand pointed towards her, remote in hand. “Now you’re getting it! That’s why it’s so great being the hero!”

“I do not follow what you said.” That earned a double-take from the masked man.

“Don’t what now?” Jack asked with a raised brow. “You don’t get why it’s funny? But you were so close!”

“I do not understand how torture equates to being a hero. Please explain.” The grin across Jack’s face was constrained only by the mask he wore.

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked!” Twisting his chair until he faced his daughter, Jack leaned forward, putting one hand on his knee and the other in the air. “Do you remember Aegis Seven? A couple dozen light years away from Pandora. You know, that borderline paradise planet with all the little geniuses and stuff.”

“I do father.” Jack’s head nodded up and down at the affirmation.

“Good! Then you must remember how they loved me there!” His hands spread to his sides as he leaned back. The popcorn bowl in his lap fell to the ground, hitting the metal with resounding dull thuds. Neither of them paid it any mind. “They loved hearing about how I liberated planets, established an entire new weapon line for Hyperion, and how I did it all with just my dreams, ambitions, and a few billion dollars worth of weaponry. They didn’t care about how the bandits died, just that they were dead!”

His arms fell, his hands slapping against his inner thighs. A dreamy sigh left his lips. Angel listened on with the same amount of apathy as before.

“Being the hero is so great. Ya get respect every time you walk out the door, more rewards and honors than you can count, even at base 100, not to mention the people willing to bow down and work for you with just a drop of an offer. Oh god, it’s so great!” His eyes fell forwards, looking at his daughter, still hard-wired into the computer they existed in.

“Not for you though, Angel,” he spoke darkly. “You helped those bandits.” Jack stood from his chair, walking towards his near comatose daughter without an ounce of sympathy in his movements. He stopped only when he stood just above her, leaning over so one hand held the armrest of her chair, the other ghosting over her empty gaze.

“You ruined what took me years to develop, all for some worthless sympathy towards those barbaric bandits.” The hand above her gently fell, cupping her face with a father’s gentleness, but behind it was a monster’s strength. “But I forgive you, because I love you. You were tricked, that’s all. I didn’t spend enough time with you. That’s my mistake. We both screwed up, Angel. Both of us.”

“I am sorry, father.” Jack smiled at his daughter.

“But don’t worry, we’ve got a second chance now. All we have to do is make sure we play our cards right and wipe out all these filthy bandits and prehistoric natives. Then… then we can be the heroes again.” He rose away from her, turning back to the monitors that lined the walls of the room. The remote lifted in his hand, pressing the command to switch the displays. It landed on a pair he hadn’t seen before.

Unlike the previous group he had ghosted past, all of them still as stone by Discord’s will, Jack stayed on this pair.

They were moving, but they were trapped.

“Well, this just got a little more interesting.” Taking the few steps necessary, turning at the end of his brief walk, he fell into his chair, spinning it until he had the perfect view of the televisions again. Heterochromatic eyes focused on the pair, he leaned down, gripping the bowl on the ground as he did so.

“Oh, and Angel,” He spoke with the air of a command, waving the bowl as he did so. “Would yo kindly get me some more popcorn, would ya? I wanna keep an eye on the knight and his pretty pony princess.”

“Of course, father.”

Celestia was a monarch that prided herself in being prepared. For almost any action taken against her, she had a course or plan to retake what was stolen from her, or repair what was damaged. It held true for almost any assault on her kingdom, from minor to grand.

So she cursed herself for still falling for Discord’s own twisted plans once more.

Her prison was nothing like what she expected, which meant it matched the mad draconequss’s art perfectly. Crystal harder than any stone, enchanted to repel her magic, yet still allowing her to see beyond the walls.

There was nothing she could do for now but watch the monolith of an island floating in the sky, hovering over her kingdom like the great ominous object it was. She could see her little ponies, cowering and crying in confusion, wondering what was happening. Her hall still in ruin, her trusted court scrambling for action. And all the while, the most precious ponies to her long and endless life were stuck inside the structure, fighting for what very well was their lives.

She snorted harshly to her side, the only action she could do to control her rage. The turn of her head brought her vision to land on her fellow captured life, a knight from another land that had fought for her like a servant to her crown.

Link sat in one of the corners of their prison, one leg stretched outwards on the ground as the other was brought upwards, arm resting on it’s knee. His head was lolled backwards, resting on the pink crystal with a look Celestia couldn’t place. It was caught somewhere between empty, perhaps in the knowledge he had only just recently learned, and contemplative, no doubt from planning his next move. At least, the monarch hoped for the latter.

Celestia, however, could not plan unless she knew what she was planning for. She needed to know what he did, and there was no better way to learn than to ask.

“Link,” she spoke evenly, earning his immediate attention. “What can you tell me of this… Ganondorf?” The look across his face hardened, brows creasing downwards as his jaw visibly tightened. But, she already knew their relationship was one born of hate.

His free hand rose to rub at the bridge of his nose, no doubt to calm his likely angered thoughts. His breathing softened the longer the action progressed, either as a force of his muscles or a result of his action. Still, regardless of what he did to calm himself, Link had yet to tell the Monarch of what she needed to know.

“Link,” she spoke again, turning to face him completely. “That man is likely responsible for all of the trials I see my ponies enduring on those… moving pictures. He is as much my enemy as he is yours.” The shake of the green clothed Hylian’s head made the princess stop with a start.

Before she could speak again, Link made for motions of his arm. He pointed to the ground, aiming towards some targets she couldn’t see. It cut the air back and forth parallel to the ground they stood on. It made a jagged and vicious cut across his throat with his oddly jointed finger. Then his hand gave a rough stab towards Celestia herself.

The movements were only too obvious to the monarch.

“He has done harm to you, in a way that only time may allow the wound to heal.” Link scoffed at the remark. Celestia knew not what words she spoke to earn such a gesture. She continued regardless. “But my ponies, my charges, are being tortured by both my enemy and yours. Now is not the time to be idle and patient. Now is the time for action.”

Link once again shook his head. This time, however, when he raised his arms, they appeared, weaker. Not thinner or more gaunt, but moving as if there was little energy in them. It was Link gave them commands, but they performed the actions in a sluggish state.

His hand pointed down again, finger tapping on the clear crystal floor he sat on before rising to his throat again. He gave a small flick of his wrist over the small support for his head before letting his hand fall again. This time, it cupped his chest, over the most important muscle in his body. As before, Celestia understood. She understood all too well.

“I know, Link. I believe my words when I say that I can sympathize and do such as well.” The warrior’s features softened, but did not settle. “Though I have lost no pony yet this day or last, I have lost ponies in the past. My own sister, the one you have met only briefly, was taken from me for a thousand years. It felt no different than losing her the same way you have lost your own significant other.”

Link’s hand fell, his features matching the action. For a moment, just long enough for the monarch to memorize, his features twisted into the expression of agony. Eyes clenching, lips tightening, and head rolling forwards. He wanted to mourn, he wanted to cry, but he would not allow himself the release.

Celestia understood that pain as well. It was a pain that every immortal soul would be forced to endure.

Now, however, she could do something to help.

It took fewer than a moment’s worth of trots to approach the knight, standing tall above him. Before he could give her presence his notice, she settled by his side, legs curling beneath her. Celestia watched Link’s blue eyes look at her, still tightened with pain, but now cross in confusion. His mouth opened, perhaps simply to breath, but Celestia wasn’t wasting time. There was no time to waste.

Her wing extended outwards, wrapping over the knight before he could react. She felt his body tense beneath her feathery appendage before it fell against her side, hands pushing on her to support himself. It felt awkward, a position their bodies clearly weren’t designed to allow, but still the monarch didn’t move. Instead, she spoke a command she knew Link’s sharp ears would hear.

“Mourn.”

She gently commanded, wing tight against him. Her wing extended under what she presumed to be him trying to leave her grasp. A single flexion of her muscles pulled him back in.

“No others can see, and no pony will judge. Mourn.”

There was a moment of silence between them, no air being moved and no limbs making motion. But then, as sure as her sun’s rising, Link’s breaths became clearer to her ears, rising in volume as he began to suck in and release his breaths in heaves. His fingers clenched at her fur, pulling at her alabaster fibers.

Then, finally, like the last plucked string of a grand symphony, she felt his tears begin to stain her coat. Soft whimpers soon followed.

Celestia was silent as Link mourned the loss of his princess.

As far Chrona was concerned, the hall of the stairwell changed little the further they walked. The air felt the same the higher they went, the carpet the same color, the walls the same stone, and the company the same people. Well, person and pony.

His arms continued to hold the small unicorn in his grasp, content and oddly happy to know there was another life aside from one other that trust him to perform such an action. It was endearing, and heart-warming, to his used and betrayed body.

“Hey,” Sweetie Belle lightly spoke, earning the attention of the boy carrying her. He looked down at her with a curious expression, waiting for her to continue. “What do you think is at the top of the tower?”

For a small amount of time, Chrona said nothing in return, eyes looking upwards blankly as his feet continued to follow the blue haired woman in front of them. Sweetie twisted her head to look at Maya briefly, noticing how her golden eyes flashed backwards at them as well, maybe to just make sure they were still there.

“I’m not sure.” The pink-haired boy admitted, almost depressingly. “I don’t think it’s the way out… but… but we might find someone who does know the way. Or who is at least trapped, too. Maybe we’ll find nothing.”

“It’s highly unlikely we’ll find nothing.” Maya spoke this time, head still trained forward as she continued to walk, leaving Chrona and Sweetie to stare at her back. “Every fool who has ever built a spire leaves his grandest treasure or the greatest throne atop of it. It’s a clique act that no man has ever diverted from.”

“You sound awfully sure of yourself.” Sweetie Belle noted, almost accusingly. The dry laughter from the siren killed any suspicion, however.

“I’ve read a lot of books and been around too many castles myself.” She admitted easily. “Plus, I can tell you that this place was built for something, or someone, of great importance. Rather than, say, for defending any group of people.”

“What makes you say that?” Chrona asked next, letting the words slip before Sweetie could voice them herself. Instead of answering immediately, Maya stopped, causing Chrona to cease walking as well.

BEGIN

The woman’s head turned to look at the wall just beside them, holding a frame of ornate glass. It was something they had all seen before, though in different locations at different times. The size of the window wasn’t anything surprising or magnificent either. It was just a little over Maya’s height, and only a third as wide as it was tall.

The majority of the stained glass was a sickly dark red, letting the light shining through it match the carpet they walked across. Aside from that, an odd pattern of black was placed in the center of the image. It was a symbol none of them recognized. But they could tell, by its size alone, it was nothing that was to be ignored.

“I have no idea what that means.” Maya admitted after a moment of silence. “But if this tower was meant for anyone belonging to some high class to venture through, that glass would be clear as air and easy to see through. Instead, it’s painted and stained to be one way, and with a sign you’re supposed to never miss.”

Her hand waved forwards, motioning along the wall at all the other windows that continued upwards, curling with the stairs. Their numbers were like the steps, seemingly never ending. It was only now Chrona realized the lack of light that came from them. Whether that be from darkness outside or some other event, he couldn’t be sure.

“So… are we going to find someone at the top then?” Chrona’s question was met with silence, broken only by the soft thuds of their feet connecting with the carpet the higher they walked. The silence continued without any sign that it would end.

That was, until Maya stopped ahead of Chrona and Sweetie Belle.

“We’ll soon find out.” Her words earned a curious feeling from the pink haired boy and alabaster filly, but their curiosity was quickly satiated.

In front of the blue haired woman, standing in a grand stature that befitted the large and near endless staircase, was a door. Rooted with gold and black designs, painted a deep blood red across the open wood, and bearing the same intimidating symbol as the windows from before.

Chrona swallowed on a ball of saliva. He heard Sweetie Belle do the same.

“Stay close,” Maya commanded the two, giving them a brief look backwards as she did so. “We have no idea what we are going to find. But until we do, we are only going to assume the worst.” Neither the pony nor boy spoke against her.

With what was clearly well trained strength, Maya put her hand over the large wooden doors, giving them a heavy push forward. They groaned as they opened inwards, fighting the force the woman gave, but in the end, that bowed to her might.

A gust of wind rushed past the trio, earning a squeak of fright from the pony cowering in Chrona’s arms. The boy covered her further, leaning over to shield her. Maya shut her eyes only briefly, enduring the chill the wind brought. She was used to it, from the winters of her old home.

When she opened her eyes and gazed inside, she saw what she both did and didn’t expect.

It was a grand room. Colored, detailed, and designed with all the grace and perfectionism befitting of a high king. The ceiling stood high above them, and the walls from their entrance even further away. They were decorated with pictures and memorials the woman couldn’t recognize, and doubted her two companions could either. But she could at least recognize the time they must have taken to make, and the skill they needed to be brought to reality.

The same mark from the windows and the door also laid across the walls, painted, carved, or set. There were reliefs of figures bowing before the crossed symbol, submissive to it as it hung high in the air. Then there were others who were holding it close, eagerly guarding it from other foreign figures approaching. Nearly every scenario Maya could name, she could see a relief, statue, or painting of it.

This room was made to hold that mark holy. But, there was no gold, no grand prize, and no throne as far as her eyes could see. There was nothing up her that she could see was worth putting in such a high tower.

However, far ahead of Maya, Chrona, and Sweetie Belle, on the far side of the room, there was something far different than the rest of the walls. Different, not by what it had, but by what it lacked. There were no stones, no art, and no displays of great beauty. Instead, there was nothing, nothing but a few carefully constructed supports for the ceiling that hung above them.

The open section, however, showed them only what they windows in the stairwell did. An empty blackness, a canvas with no stars, moon, or any lights to brighten the sky, and it was the sky, or so Maya would swear it was. It was clear it was the sky by the clouds that slowly drifted past the opening, but nothing else.

There was nothing, except for the figure standing in front of the open section of wall.

Maya tensed the moment her golden eyes fell on it, too far away for her to give any kind of judgment of the figure, but clear enough to recognize it wasn’t any work of art. She heard Sweetie Belle gasp behind her, and Chrona doubtlessly doing the same. It didn’t matter, their presence was already known the moment the door opened.

Carefully, she began to walk forward, being wary of where she stepped. She traveled slowly, carefully, at a pace that would take minutes to reach the thing at the far end of the room. The duo behind her soon followed.

WHAM!

No more than a few steps in did the doors slam shut behind them.

Maya whirled on a heel to see the grand doors firmly locked in place. Her eyes were first met with the shocked and terrified expressions of Sweetie and Chrona, looking forward, as the sudden sound had given them a start. She was sure she had a similar expression on her features.

The door was, indeed, locked in place. The same mighty symbol as they had seen before looked down at her as she looked up at it. The difference now was what the door was made of. The outside was hard wood with metal trimmings. This was nothing but painted metal. No grips to hold onto and surface to generate tension.

There was no method Maya knew of to open the doors. She swallowed on the pool of saliva that had collected in her mouth. This was bad.

“It’s a wonderful sight.”

The voice shook Maya’s concentration, sending a chill through her body. She didn’t need ears or eyes to know that her companions were doubtlessly shivering with fear. The figure, however, didn’t turn to see them. It kept its gaze and body turned from them, looking out the window at a sight the three couldn’t see. The woman was starting to doubt she wanted to see it at all.

“Looking down on the world from a place higher than they could ever hope to reach.” He spoke as in the companion of old company. Fear kept Maya’s friends from speaking, intuition told her to remain silent. “I traveled the world once looking for a place I could call my home, once I had left the tortures of my own. When I did, I saw more evil and spite than I had ever witnessed before.”

Maya flexed and extended her fingers, wishing not for the first time she had a gun on hand. As she did not, she chose to slowly approach the man, sure that if he had a weapon on him, the closer she was, the better.

“I saw rulers and those with powers demeaning and harming others, for the sake of their own gain. It didn’t matter to those with strength who was crushed beneath them, only that they still stood tall at the end.” The figure’s arms spread, and Maya stilled as they did. They bore no weapons.

“It took me years, but once, I was so, so very close, to finally being above them, close to being able to damn the same people who so willingly damned others they didn’t now. But in a single decisive instant, it was taken from me.” His arms fell back to his sides, briefly hanging from his shoulders, before folding behind his back, gripping one another as he continued to stare out and down the window.

“But now, after I had failed, I now find myself in a tower of my own, bearing my symbol, and showing those who exist far beneath the power I have.”

The figure then turned to race them.

END

“Welcome,” the man spoke. “Welcome to my tower.”

Next Chapter: Bounties and Rewards Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 21 Minutes