You got the wrong person

Askafroa: if your muse was / is a supernatural being, what sacrifices would placate them? 

Bergsrå: if your muse ruled over a domain, what sort of ruler would they be? Fair? Cruel? Would they be loved or feared? 

Ceasg: if your muse could have any three wishes granted, what would they be and why? 

Dragon: what sort of treasure would your muse hoard? 

Fylgja: does your muse believe in fate? A higher power of any kind? 

Gjenganger: does your muse consider themselves vengeful? Do they tend to hold onto grudges? 

Hamingja: what would make your muse the happiest right now? 

Kraken: does your muse enjoy being near the ocean? Do they feel at home in the water or do they prefer being on dry land? 

Lagarfljót: does your muse enjoy being near people? Or would they rather be off alone? 

Mare: how often does your muse experience bad dreams? Are they scary or do they tend to be more weird? Both? Does your muse remember them after they wake up?

Nøkken: what sound does your muse find most enticing / pleasant? 

Selkie: is your muse good at getting others to trust them? Why or why not? 

Troll: where is your muse most at home? In the mountains, city, forest, ect.? 

Vardøger: if your muse could talk to anyone in their past, whether living or deceased, who would it be and why? 

"Well, that's easy enough. The radio comes with a power button." Rook replied promptly, "It won't affect the crystals, but the rest will shut off. So I guess I won't be calling you next time I can't sleep."

With it being most evenings, having a way to shut up Radio Birb was advised. The music was bound to improve from here at least. Rook gladly switched back to more peaceful music from her fantasy tavern playlist.

"You may find that you aren't the only one awake if you do." Which wasn't due to trouble sleeping on his part, just the fact that he didn't sleep every night. But then there was still always the chance of getting grumpy asleep Shade instead.

For the moment he didn't plan to turn the radio off unless it started to become a nuisance. The whole point of this was him wanting to be informed and he didn't want to miss something.

Obviously she saw nothing wrong with challenging the odds. Her insomnia occasionally left her able to form coherent sentences but then it was very difficult to find someone to talk to late at night. This was a unique opportunity for some company.

"Neat. Let me know if you find something cool, I'm always looking for new stuff to read and I bet you can give me some good recommendations."

There was a pause before Rook spoke again, now with quite a bit of commotion in the background.

There was no bigger compliment to a huldra than anything regarding her tail. Fae had chosen well there. Though Erica's appreciation showed in the way her ears perked up and her smile grew just a bit wider than what should be comfortable.

Nevertheless, the question was taken very seriously. Slides were Erica's favorite way of moving through the shadows. The possibility of big spiral slides was something she simply had to witness.

Oh! It sounded like she genuinely liked that idea though. Maybe it was going to get a good grade in social interaction after all.

"Alright! Just follow me!" It dropped to all fours and skittered off.

This place was a maze, each doorway you went through leading to some other eclectically designed indoor pool area, some with multiple paths branching off of them. Some of the paths might lead you through several more areas before you ended up back where you started, others winded so much deeper into the complex that you weren't sure how to ever get back to where you started.

"You know how to find the way back to the food, right?"

It didn't feel nice to abandon everything there. She was trying really hard to latch on a scent to get an idea of where they were going but to no avail.

"This place is really goofy." Though the slides looked impressive. Erica looked all the way up in awe. Now, that was a great way to travel between rooms. "That's amazing! How do we get up– Oh!"

"It remains a magical weapon, of course. You must keep that into account as well."

Some would say the sword was held together by a healthy dose of bullshit. It was however ready to be used whenever it could help him have his way. It was as vital as his cane.

"I will be gentle, of course. I wouldn't want to damage something so unique."

He didn't want a time machine to blow up in his face. Five was indeed careful as promised as he took the watch from Percival. He could tell immediately a great power resided within. Too great, even. It felt like his entire arm was burning.

"Fuck—" The watch was dropped as Five grasped his wrist. His mark couldn't have been more clear there. The watch wasn't to be trifled with.

Five backed up against the nearest wall to steady himself. The initial shock was quickly replaced by a rather angry look.

The other's reaction to the watch was more than a little surprising, and for a second Percival could only stare in confusion before he took a step forward with his brows furrowed in concern.

"Oh god, are you alright? What happened?"

The watch had never caused pain simply through touch, so Percival was quite confused as to what had just transpired. He did get a glimpse at the mark, though he couldn't quite figure out in what way that related to the situation at hand.

He scooped the watch up from the ground, wiping a bit of the dirt off with his thumb as he looked at the other man.

"I've tried, but it always seems to find its way back to me."

At this point he was almost certain that it was actually impossible to get rid of the watch, though admittedly it wasn't like he actually wanted to get rid of it to begin with. Moving through time had become such a significant part of his life that the idea of no longer being able to do so actually frightened him a little.

By now he was starting to put a few small bits together. The watch, of course, was magical in a sense, that's how it kept coming back to him, and perhaps this related to what had occurred just now.

"Are you sensitive to magic? To the magic of others? Can you actually feel the magic inside the watch? Do you react this way to all magic or is there something...different, about the magic in the watch? Was it bad magic? Or was it related to the potency of it?"

It served him well, that sword, even when his own knees couldn't be as reliable. It was just as vital as the mark on his arm. There would be no hunter without it, being the source of his power. But more than anything, it was his sixth sense and his protection against lurking threats. An itch on the back of his head, a nudge in the right direction kept him healthy and well fed. This time had been different.

The surprise of it all was the most infuriating part. Five eyed his hand as if the watch had personally insulted his lineage instead.

"Then you should try harder."

But that only made him wonder whether Percival was too far gone already. That was how it went with cursed items. He wasn't going to bother with that. His mark let him know it was something he couldn't deal with alone so it'd be up to his fellow mages to solve instead.

He would be on his way once the numbness in his fingers would have stopped.

"Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions? Of course I can sense magic."

Then again, even one of those morons who posed as hunters could have sensed this. It was most likely the first time he had experienced such a strong reaction and for once he was going to get the hint.

"I can sense an extremely strong influence. I shouldn't have to specify what kind. That watch is nothing but trouble."

There was a certain agitation in Five's perpetually collected demeanor. A small crack that betrayed a great preoccupation for the power he had come into contact with.

"Something obscure hides within. Get rid of it before it becomes everybody else's problem."

Things were definitely looking up. Five had decided to kindly take himself out this time around, which was a bit of a shame. She would have liked to give that stinky creep a reminder of how lucky he was to be fighting a knight like Leofric.

Nevertheless, there would always be another time. Rook didn't mind seeing his self proclaimed nemesis go away and recalled her sword. It didn't look like Five had smeared the blade, but she was going to clean it anyway just in case.

"Well, that was weird." Rook said, before looking over at the rest of the group, "…And that's also very weird. I don't know where Bill gets these ideas."

At least the rain was going to wash away some of the shame along with the contents of the vials. It felt like Five had just wanted to leave a mess there. The toxic gas failed to get past Leofric's protection. It seemed like a good time to go check on Russell.

"I'll try to get mum's attention in the meantime. I know you can figure things out on your own, but she can always help out with all the other scrapes and cuts." With that, Rook began limping visibly towards Russell. Even if she couldn't do much of a difference, she could always sit with him and leave Ratchet to the empathy and diplomacy of the others.

Ratchet was still trying to get away but he was being firmly held back by his own trap and Lucien's magic rope. He needed to clean up after that. The rain wasn't doing enough and he felt horrible.

"Shut up! You don't get a saying in this!" Ratchet was technically correct once again. Lucien was the one in power now. Ratchet could sense his conscience pressing down on his own. Now he simply hoped the half fae wouldn't go digging inside his brain again.

Still, he wasn't going to go down quietly just yet. The moment his arm was free from the harness, he flexed his wrist to unleash a hidden blade.

"What a great idea! Let's start with yours!"

Everything went in that last desperate attack. Ratchet went against the restraints and pushed back against Lucien to go in for the stab. It would make his punishment worse, but he would enjoy watching the aftermath.

"You think you're better than me but you're nothing but sadistic monsters!"

There were some implications to that statement there that Erica disregarded as she lunged at Ratchet. They struggled for a moment, before she moved to bite him between his neck and shoulder before he could deal more damage. Ratchet let out an outraged scream as sharp fangs dug in, his shades falling off in the process.

"Oh, that's disgusting." Lucien said.

Erica mumbled something in return, still holding firmly on Ratchet.

"I appreciate the regard." Willow replied, shaking the tripwires off herself, "Now, let's neutralize this nuisance, for Erica's sake. And Simon, please check our surroundings again. All this commotion is bound to attract unwanted attention... We must leave at once."

"It looks like a job cut out for you, Antonio." Fae chimed in, "It's okay, Willow, I've got you. Guys, I think she needs a hand too."

There was something else to think about. Despite everything they had done, Five was back and as much of a problem as before, if not more. They were leaving this encounter in a far worse shape than last time. This wasn't over yet.

Leofric kept his ears and nose poised for a little bit longer, just in case this was some sneaky tactic to try and catch them off guard. But it appeared that Five really wasn't going to come back, and so he turned his attention back to his found family.

"It was," Leofric agreed, as he then placed the shield back into his coat for the moment, "I am starting to wonder if this was perhaps a trap for Ratchet as it was a possible one for us."

But speculation would have to wait for another time, along with planning for the next encounter with Five. There was never just one after all.

"Sometimes adjusting an old technique is what it takes," Bill said, "And with all the time he's made people feel violated, it felt apt to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Living for a long time does give your mind a lot of places to wander and to gain possible ideas," Leofric said, "That is not the strangest thing that Bill has come up with, I will say that now."

"But we'd be here all day if we did go into them," Bill said, "And we need to teach Ratchet a lesson so we can finally help Russell out."

Russell was still unconscious. But his eyes still moved with a surprising speed beneath the lids. His breathing was deep, but there were a few quiet whimpers. His face was coated in a thin layer of sweat, and he was cold to the touch. Despite the steady breath in his lungs, Russell's heart was practically drumming like crazy in his chest.

Leofric made his way over to Rook as well, his hand starting to glow in that familiar pink shade. He slowly offered it out for Rook to see first.

"Would you like me to help your leg?" Leofric then asked, just in case the offer wasn't enough to signal what he was trying to say.

"Wait, what- whoa!" Travis hadn't been expecting the knife. He was no stranger to bladed weapons of course, but he hadn't thought that the weasel of a man had actually decided to use one, "Asshole! You okay there, Lucien?"

"Yes, I am better than you," Bill said, "And I can be a sadistic monster and I'm still better than you, so I think that says something. But maybe if you hadn't antagonised us, we wouldn't have felt the need to retaliate. You could have gone to live a nice peaceful life after our last encounter, but some people just don't learn."

But then he laughed at the display, and Antonio winced.

"I might have some mints on me somewhere, just so you can get the taste out of your mouth," Antonio then said, "And you know what, yes, I am being sadistic, because you decided to bother us first, and for of all the other people you've harassed."

"Yes, you have a point," Simon said, as he then took a moment to check through the cameras, "At the moment, we're doing all right, but we've probably got a maximum of five minutes before bystanders start poking their noses around."

"I'll be glad to help with that," Antonio then said to Fae, "I feel that I can stand back and leave this to the four professionals."

But then Bill shot a few tentacles from his back so he could indeed help out Willow and antagonise Ratchet at the same time, and Antonio let some green magic dance between his hands so that he could also assist Willow's escape. The telekinesis begun to work its magic almost instantly.

"Yes, this was a strange setup. But I'll be honest, I don't really care about that right now." Rook replied, "If those divorce on their own, that'll be less work for us down the line. I just want everyone to get home safely."

As much as they could do so at that point. Who would have thought Frosty and literal mercenaries weren't in fact Five's most annoying allies. They definitely needed to reflect on that later.

"I guess you have to keep yourself busy somehow." Rook mused as she carefully moved to sit down. She glanced at Leofric's hand, but shook her head before pointing at Russell, "Russell's first. He's not looking great. Five probably tried messing with him before deciding to show some heart. It looks like he's having a nightmare."

They could get the cuff off but there was no way to rewind that. Hopefully, Five was going to bump into a truck on his way down like the annoying mosquito he was. Rook let her hand hover above the cuff, attempting with little result to force the mechanism.

"Well, at least it doesn’t seem enchanted." She then reached behind her back for a glass bottle. A couple of sips should have been enough to keep her going until she could get to her stash. "We just have to take it off."

Rook looked over when Ratchet tried pulling one more trick on them, but was glad to see Erica had found a way to tame his spirits.

"By Gaia, this guy has more tricks up his sleeve than a magician! Oh— With all due respect, of course." Fae gave Antonio a gentle pat on the arm, "Feisty little thing he is, uh?"

Lucien didn't take Ratchet's attempts to resist him kindly despite having avoided getting stabbed and decided to take a firmer approach. Before Ratchet could attack again, his hand twisted hard and there was a quiet snap. Erica decided to let go then, not wanting to be that close if Lucien planned to break more of Ratchet's bones with his mind.

"I'm doing just fine." Lucien replied, his voice almost a whisper as he watched Ratchet nursing his hand while blood from the wound on his shoulder soaked into his shirt.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I've eaten dead things in worse shape than him." Erica reassured as well, "I just really need to brush my teeth."

That would be her priority as soon as they knew Russell would be fine. Erica decided to distance herself from the group to at least wipe her mouth. Blood really wasn't her favorite drink.

"I don’t care! You'll pay for this too!" Ratchet yelled, before kicking his legs.

"Quiet!" Lucien ordered. Ratchet thus simply laid there, his mouth wired shut, unable to do anything else but shoot them mean looks.

"Five minutes really isn't a lot. We should pack this guy up and make a hasty retreat so we can focus on Russell." Fae said, "You guys don't plan on taking this weirdo along, right?"

"We already had the displeasure of his company once and I find that was one too many." Willow said, before finally freeing her arms. The rest of the bindings fell off soon after. "Thank you, Antonio. I'm glad I can always count on your assistance as well."

And hopefully she wouldn't be judged for attempting something that dangerous. Her clothes had taken the brunt of it for sure. Her gloves were due to being recycled once again and her coat was shredded on one side. It could all be replaced, though Willow couldn't help looking disappointed at the tragic end of her outfit.

"It's most unfortunate I only have three copies of this coat."

It was a real tragedy indeed. Erica however didn't seem to mind the situation, as looking at the discarded trap gave her an idea.

"Why don't we wrap him up all nicely and leave him hanging out for whoever's gonna come have a look?" the elf suggested, "It'll be someone else's problem and he'll get cut in places he didn't know he had if he tries to get away."

"That's an excellent idea!" Willow said.

"From spider to fly. It's almost poetic." Lucien added.

"Whatever you guys wanna do, you'll have to do without Bill for a few minutes." Rook called, "I could use a hand here."

Another entirely human trait was the tendency to poke at the wasp nest, or in this case the extremely loyal found family that had formed around Russell. Ratchet had really hit the spot. He had yet to say anything nasty to her and Fae already wanted him to go play in traffic. The only reason he might make it out of this alive was that they had to help Russell too.

They also had to figure out what was there in this for Five. He was too happy about how things were going. But it had to be said, he still had enough in himself to hold his ground while outnumbered. Ground that just so happened to be perilously close to the edge of the roof at the moment.

"Yes, we already established your loyalty to the freak show during our last encounter. You don’t have to remind me." Five replied.

"Establish this!" Rook hurled her sword at Five, knocking him back further. He missed his chance to respond as his foot found nothing but air to lean on. That was most unfortunate. But it played perfectly into his plan.

Indeed, this had all been an excuse to send Ratchet to his doom and this time Five planned to leave him behind. Human or not, he had to learn the consequences of going through his supplies. So that was it for him. He grasped his cane and simply let himself fall backwards.

"You won't be so lucky next time." A few vials of green liquid were tossed to create a cloud of green fog to ensure he wouldn't be followed as he jumped off. Five was long gone by the time Ratchet started screaming for help.

"Get off me, you creepy bastard!" It was safe to say Ratchet wasn't having a good time. The feeling of pins and needles feeling about inside his ears was sickening and made him want to peel his skin off just to get those wretched tentacles away from him.

It wasn't the best sight, but it was something Lucien, Fae and Erica could apparently endure well enough.

"Your mother was very wise." Lucien said, tugging at the rope again, "Now, let's have some fun. Tell me, Christopher, which hand would you like me to remove?"

"Neither!" The answer was of course sincere. Ratchet wasn't ready to face the consequences of his own actions while Lucien certainly looked relieved to see he had taken ahold over his mind once again.

"Yeah. We don't want him to lash out while we steal his pants." Erica agreed, approaching Ratchet to start disarming him and the trap.

"That would be great. Although I would appreciate it if you didn't define this dreadful mechanism in such terms until I'm free from it." Willow asked.

"Yeah, let's not make it weirder." Fae said, before turning to Leofric, "Are you guys okay?"

"I'm...alright." Rook replied, shielding her face from the toxic fumes, "He simply couldn't keep himself from farting on the way out."

It was usually good to try and see a silver lining even in the crappiest of situations.

"I figured seeing as you haven't appeared to have learned a lesson from our previous encounters, you needed a reminder," Leofric replied. He didn't seem even a little bit insulted over the jab, "And you don't need to remind me of your feelings about us."

It was plain to see that they hadn't changed even a little bit. Leofric felt a brief chill in the back of his neck, and so he made sure to give Rook some room to retaliate. He did have the smallest of smiles on his lips as the sword met its mark and knocked Five back. However, he held his own sword and shield with a firm grip, not wanting to let his guard down too soon.

It appeared that Five really was planning to retreat and leave Ratchet behind. It seemed that despite being a human, Five really didn't want to be dealing with his own henchman anymore. Seeing that he wasn't going to fight anymore, Leofric replaced his sword back into his coat and chanted again, in order to make sure their protective spell was still going strong. The rain would also help to keep the poison from being at full potency.

"You're one to talk!" Bill snapped back, "And if you kept still, it would be a lot easier for you."

Once the tentacles had emerged and thrown the earplugs, they shook, like they were trying to get dirt or some other horrible substance off of themselves.

"Let that be a lesson for you," Bill said, "Although it probably won't be to be honest, let's face it."

But then there was a hint of fondness in those grey eyes.

"One of the wisest people I ever knew," Bill agreed then, before a grin crept across his face when he saw that Ratchet was once again stuck Lucien's influence, "Well too bad, buddy. One of them has got go. Might as well choose one."

Even if they weren't going to go for anything like that right now for real, it didn't mean they couldn't scare the ever living shit out of Ratchet for fun.

"That mechanism there, Travis," Simon instructed, just in case Travis wasn't really sure where to start.

"Heh, thanks bro," Travis said, as he then approached so he could join Erica in getting Ratchet disarmed at least, "And sorry, Willow, I'll refrain. At least until we got you out of that too."

"Yes, I'm all right as well, Fae, thank you," Leofric said, as he used his shield as a makeshift fan to help wave away the noxious gas. Given that he was a ghost, he didn't have to worry about it affecting him as much, but he still wanted to assist, "I believe that was to try and slow us down, prevent us from following or tracking him, or all of those. But the spell I had set up before we got here helped give us some protection against it."

It didn't help that it masked Five's scent.

"I believe we should let him go for now," Leofric then concluded, "He is one less immediate threat while we help Russell and work out what we're doing with Ratchet."

Things were definitely looking up. Five had decided to kindly take himself out this time around, which was a bit of a shame. She would have liked to give that stinky creep a reminder of how lucky he was to be fighting a knight like Leofric.

Nevertheless, there would always be another time. Rook didn't mind seeing his self proclaimed nemesis go away and recalled her sword. It didn't look like Five had smeared the blade, but she was going to clean it anyway just in case.

"Well, that was weird." Rook said, before looking over at the rest of the group, "…And that's also very weird. I don't know where Bill gets these ideas."

At least the rain was going to wash away some of the shame along with the contents of the vials. It felt like Five had just wanted to leave a mess there. The toxic gas failed to get past Leofric's protection. It seemed like a good time to go check on Russell.

"I'll try to get mum's attention in the meantime. I know you can figure things out on your own, but she can always help out with all the other scrapes and cuts." With that, Rook began limping visibly towards Russell. Even if she couldn't do much of a difference, she could always sit with him and leave Ratchet to the empathy and diplomacy of the others.

Ratchet was still trying to get away but he was being firmly held back by his own trap and Lucien's magic rope. He needed to clean up after that. The rain wasn't doing enough and he felt horrible.

"Shut up! You don't get a saying in this!" Ratchet was technically correct once again. Lucien was the one in power now. Ratchet could sense his conscience pressing down on his own. Now he simply hoped the half fae wouldn't go digging inside his brain again.

Still, he wasn't going to go down quietly just yet. The moment his arm was free from the harness, he flexed his wrist to unleash a hidden blade.

"What a great idea! Let's start with yours!"

Everything went in that last desperate attack. Ratchet went against the restraints and pushed back against Lucien to go in for the stab. It would make his punishment worse, but he would enjoy watching the aftermath.

"You think you're better than me but you're nothing but sadistic monsters!"

There were some implications to that statement there that Erica disregarded as she lunged at Ratchet. They struggled for a moment, before she moved to bite him between his neck and shoulder before he could deal more damage. Ratchet let out an outraged scream as sharp fangs dug in, his shades falling off in the process.

"Oh, that's disgusting." Lucien said.

Erica mumbled something in return, still holding firmly on Ratchet.

"I appreciate the regard." Willow replied, shaking the tripwires off herself, "Now, let's neutralize this nuisance, for Erica's sake. And Simon, please check our surroundings again. All this commotion is bound to attract unwanted attention... We must leave at once."

"It looks like a job cut out for you, Antonio." Fae chimed in, "It's okay, Willow, I've got you. Guys, I think she needs a hand too."

There was something else to think about. Despite everything they had done, Five was back and as much of a problem as before, if not more. They were leaving this encounter in a far worse shape than last time. This wasn't over yet.

Fae wasn't too keen on mutilation or shedding blood at all if she could help it. But it was up to Ratchet and his ability to tick them off how many bones he wanted to keep intact. There were a lot of things the lot of them combined could do to him. Hopefully he had accounted for that before he had decided to kidnap Russell again.

For instance, his decision to make a whole trap for the sole purpose of gnawing at their ankles was bound to get even on Erica's nerves. Huldras were very particular about their own tails. Despite disregarding most rules and uses of her people, she couldn't bear to see Antonio and Travis get hurt. Her bat was sure to gain another dent before the end of the night.

Five was just as content with the arrangement. Ratchet was standing around like an idiot far out of his reach. He really couldn't wait for the moment Ratchet was going to realize the trap was just as effective against him as the freaks.

"Why, thank you. I take great pride in my fencing skills." Five replied, hinting a courteous bow between swings, "And I did. I'll have you know I won a few competitions back in school. Those opportunities you speak of are quite rare."

"One blood draw and he'd be disqualified from any serious tournament. So now he can only compete in the Asshole Olympics."

That remark won Rook another swipe of the cane, thankfully avoided with the help of the flames form. The first blow had still been harsh though. Rook was forced to shift her weight on her other leg, making it more difficult to keep attacking. Five would consider that another small victory of the evening.

He would latch on that, knowing things were about to take a hasty turn against him and his wretched grunt. Five caught a glimpse of the moment Willow decided to brute force her way out of the web. That fool had really thought someone whose body was at least partially mechanical would have hesitated before pulling something like that. The gaping hole in his trap would be a testament to his stupidity.

As if he had nothing to regret when it came to half baked plans. In any case, Five simply had too much on his plate at the moment to help. Leofric's fearsome attacks were forcing him to retreat.

"Oh my, oh dear, you really took that one personally, didn't you?"

It was truly unfortunate, especially considering how Ratchet had essentially tied himself to his own trap. The gizmo man began panicking when he realized that had been Willow's plan all along and he wouldn't even be allowed to capitalize on it because there was a pile of muscles running at him with a bat.

"Shit! Get away from me–" The frantic fumbling with the straps holding the harnesses extended to the wires, forcing Willow to be very careful and measure every breath while the wires threatened to cut through her clothes. Her efforts however ensured Lucien's safety while Fae burned through the wire.

"I don't wish to be addressed that way by either of you." Lucien snapped.

"Right. We don't have boyfriend privilege." the fairy joked, "There. Now you can go play with the others."

Lucien was ready to run ahead, but stopped when it became clear that Bill was going to go through with his threat.

"I was hoping he would do it." Some things had to be witnessed. "I shall help."

He was sure they could make use of Antonio's chains in a moment, but they wanted Ratchet to be awake for this. Lucien went through a few motions with his hands to summon an arcane whip to tie Ratchet's hands together.

"Let's see if he likes it." Lucien tugged at the rope, forcing Ratchet's hands away from his face while Bill's tentacles caught up to him.

"No! Get away from me!" Ratchet's screaming would do nothing against the inevitable. Those earbuds were going to go. "Boss, help me!"

Especially given that despite all his gadgets and his nasty demeanour, Ratchet was still just a human, and he could bend and break and bleed like any other human.

And as a human, there was a lot of punishment the man could take before the permanent damage was done.

Antonio calmly took the ribbon that he had been wearing on his tail and tucked it into his pocket. He didn't plan to get any of his blood onto it, and neither did he want it getting stained with Ratchet's either. The tail would have to be looked at once this was over. There wasn't time to worry over it now.

Leofric had started to wonder though. Five was enjoying this, and despite the brief assistance he had offered Ratchet earlier, it appeared that he didn't really care that Ratchet was about to get swarmed by a multitude of different opponents. Was this meant to be a trap for them, or for Ratchet? Perhaps it was a mix of both.

Leofric decided he would have to ponder on that later.

"I don't believe that's an official type of competition yet," Leofric said to Rook, "But maybe it could become one."

He then looked back at Five on hearing the comment.

"Whether you find this fun or not, and regardless of your skill in this endeavour, you are still a threat," Leofric commented, "And I am here to protect those I care about, and if I must use more force, so be it. My feelings are irrelevant."

"Oh so now you're begging," Bill said. He was smiling, but there was a blazing fury in those grey eyes.

"I can respect that," Antonio said, "I'll still be keeping it in my memory though."

No one could stop him from doing that.

"My thought exactly," Bill said, "Hey, now you'll know how some of your victims feel, Ratchet. Be thankful they're not going in your ass."

With that, Bill let the two tentacles he had prepared linger around Ratchet's head first, just to make them harder to predict, to make the anticipation that much worse. Without any warning, they were shoved right into Ratchet's ears as deep as they could go, the wetness combined with the slight pins and needles they emitted on contact most likely felt terrible. But then the ear plugs were found and wrapped around. Bill wriggled the tentacles like that of an octopus or a horribly large bug, before he then pulled them out, bringing them with him.

Antonio had found himself wincing with disgust and not looking directly at the display. He was relieved when Bill seemed to be done with that torture.

"Ah, that's better," Bill said, tossing the earplugs, "My mum always said it's good to practice your listening skills."

Travis then nodded at Erica.

Another entirely human trait was the tendency to poke at the wasp nest, or in this case the extremely loyal found family that had formed around Russell. Ratchet had really hit the spot. He had yet to say anything nasty to her and Fae already wanted him to go play in traffic. The only reason he might make it out of this alive was that they had to help Russell too.

They also had to figure out what was there in this for Five. He was too happy about how things were going. But it had to be said, he still had enough in himself to hold his ground while outnumbered. Ground that just so happened to be perilously close to the edge of the roof at the moment.

"Yes, we already established your loyalty to the freak show during our last encounter. You don’t have to remind me." Five replied.

"Establish this!" Rook hurled her sword at Five, knocking him back further. He missed his chance to respond as his foot found nothing but air to lean on. That was most unfortunate. But it played perfectly into his plan.

Indeed, this had all been an excuse to send Ratchet to his doom and this time Five planned to leave him behind. Human or not, he had to learn the consequences of going through his supplies. So that was it for him. He grasped his cane and simply let himself fall backwards.

"You won't be so lucky next time." A few vials of green liquid were tossed to create a cloud of green fog to ensure he wouldn't be followed as he jumped off. Five was long gone by the time Ratchet started screaming for help.

"Get off me, you creepy bastard!" It was safe to say Ratchet wasn't having a good time. The feeling of pins and needles feeling about inside his ears was sickening and made him want to peel his skin off just to get those wretched tentacles away from him.

It wasn't the best sight, but it was something Lucien, Fae and Erica could apparently endure well enough.

"Your mother was very wise." Lucien said, tugging at the rope again, "Now, let's have some fun. Tell me, Christopher, which hand would you like me to remove?"

"Neither!" The answer was of course sincere. Ratchet wasn't ready to face the consequences of his own actions while Lucien certainly looked relieved to see he had taken ahold over his mind once again.

"Yeah. We don't want him to lash out while we steal his pants." Erica agreed, approaching Ratchet to start disarming him and the trap.

"That would be great. Although I would appreciate it if you didn't define this dreadful mechanism in such terms until I'm free from it." Willow asked.

"Yeah, let's not make it weirder." Fae said, before turning to Leofric, "Are you guys okay?"

"I'm...alright." Rook replied, shielding her face from the toxic fumes, "He simply couldn't keep himself from farting on the way out."

Willow eyed her double. That was certainly a time to lean into fairy humor. Nevertheless, the best bet at the moment was to make a mess of that trap so that no amount of tripwire could give them trouble anymore. They could always throw themselves off the edge back to where they came from but that wouldn't stop Five from trying to push Rook in it once he got tired of fooling around and they still had to get to Russell.

If anything, they could trust Ratchet to not be bright enough to stop them in time. The trap itself remained quite clever, though. A thick web of sharp tripwires covered a good portion of the roof, going back and forth and above them just enough to make jumping over difficult. Thanks to the rain, they could now tell that everything was controlled through the harnesses strapped to Ratchet's arms. Each section could be adjusted with extreme precision or yanked aggressively depending on their next move.

That arrangement was making Lucien regret wearing shorts to that fight. He didn't dare move his leg at all as he hoped Ratchet hit himself hard enough to briefly forget about him. It was at times like these that he regretted losing his dagger.

"It's a shame it didn't knock him out." He wasn't enjoying feeling like a fly trapped in a spider's web. The hit seemed to have stunned him for a minute though.

"That's just fine– I don't need to look at you anyway." Ratchet carefully wiped his face, glad to see he wasn't bleeding yet. That really hurt. "Why would I like that– Oh, fuck off!"

Ratchet's meltdown brought the wires in contact with Erica's shadowy tails, causing them to flicker. She was thankful that didn't hurt, but she still found it incredibly rude. Lucien was unfortunately less lucky there as the wires dug further in his leg.

"Ah! Good one." Five said, before the parry forced him to jump back, "And your technique is excellent! You almost got me there."

The compliments somehow annoyed Rook more than the usual monologuing. "What the hell are you on about? Did you get a stick out of your ass all of a sudden or what?"

"Well, I'm having my way for once. Why shouldn't I celebrate?"

It was only a shame this was only a way to punish Ratchet for stepping out of line. But it also provided everyone with a good guess of Five's real physical condition, in case they were planning something else. He was still surprisingly light on his feet and fast enough to switch his attention back and forth between his opponents. When Rook managed to find an opening, he used the cane to bash her knee and that unfortunately hurt even without any toxins involved.

Willow knew they had to regain the momentum before someone got seriously injured.

"Fae, block the wire holding Lucien."

"On it!" Fae lowered herself back to the ground and pinned the wire to the ground. Ratchet could pull all he wanted, but it would not bulge, "Don't worry, Lu. I got you."

"Don't call me that." Lucien grumbled.

With everyone else ready, Willow finally made her move. She reached into her coat for a throwing knife and hurled it at Ratchet. The blade missed his ear by an inch, deviated at the last moment by one of the still partially concealed wires. That knife would have looked great stuck in his face, but Willow was content with simply getting his attention.

"My, you really have a fixation for ropes, don’t you?" Willow said, hiding her hand behind her back, "You must feel like a spider in its web right now. Safely tucked away, in control, waiting to descend upon your prey."

"Shut up. I don't wanna hear your mind crap." Ratchet glared as Willow mockingly plucked at one of the wires, "I thought about you too, you know, you stupid robot! You can't cut these wires."

Willow didn't seem bothered as she raised her hand to throw another knife. "That's quite alright. I only need to hit you once."

Ratchet seemed to disagree as he once again maneuvered the wires to latch onto Willow's hand. He forced her to drop the knife, only to watch her...smile.

"It should be clear to you at this point that I wasn't planning to slice my way through."

The realization hit Ratchet the moment Willow charged ahead, arms raised to grab onto as many wires as she could. More wrapped around her body and her legs slowing down her advance, but to no avail. For even with Willow forced on her knees, Ratchet would now have to deal with the gaping hole she had dug in his trap.

"It's our turn. Let's go, Travis!" Erica dashed forward then, bat at the ready to take a swing.

"Get him, boys!" Fae cheered.

Maybe he could take a leaf out of Antonio's book and take off one of his hands, or perhaps a finger would suffice if he couldn't get an entire hand. He also took a brief moment to admire Fae's lovely display. That was a small shining lining to all of this.

Simon was eyeing the weak spots of the trap, searching for any exploits or gaps the combatants could use to their advantage. He had no idea what Willow was planning just yet. While he did wonder why she had put the katana away, he decided he wasn't going to question it. But there was the thought of finding a way to tamper with or break the harness, rendering it useless. That would help even out this playing field.

"It is a shame," Antonio said, especially now that Ratchet wasn't going to be looking at him, "But that doesn't matter."

He let out a sharp gasp as one of the wires managed to snag the tip of his tail. Some fur was cut away, and a few drops of blood followed, staining the stone. Unlike Russell's blood, it didn't fade.

"We'll get through it, Lucien," Antonio said, "I'm sure Leofric will have something for that if we need to use it."

"Of course," Leofric said. He made sure to keep his eyes on Five while offering that reassurance. There was a high chance the hunter would try something underhanded if he dared look away for even a moment.

"I thought that was up your alley," Travis said with a smirk, before he got himself ready to move again. This was an opportune moment, and while the back of his thigh caught the wire, he only grinned at the pain a little, "Not as bad as my Gramps' belt, but nice try, you skid."

"I must say yours is impressive as well," Leofric only said. His tone was earnest as he kept matching Five's blow. Thousands of years of swordsmanship kept him from losing that skill, "If only you would put this love for battling into a healthier outlet."

Leofric did find himself concerned about how Five seemed a lot more nimble than he had anticipated, and was able to keep up with both himself and Rook.

However, on seeing Rook get hurt with that whack of that new walking cane, Leofric knew he had to fight harder. This wasn't a time to keep parrying and wait. He thrust the sword forward in a set of rapid strikes. His main plan was to keep Five busy, but he didn't mind if he did manage to hurt the man.

"It's a cute name," Antonio said to Lucien then, as he straightened himself up again fully. He didn't look so intimidating as he stood soaking wet and with a bleeding tail, but it was plain to see that he wasn't going to back down.

"Who said she even needed to," Simon only said, making sure to keep his voice quieter, so only his allies would hear. Travis did smirk at that thought, as it dawned on him what Simon seemed to be getting at.

"Holy shit!" Travis could only yell in impressed alarm, his eyes wide in delight when he saw Willow grab and hold onto the wires without them seeming to hurt her at all, and at the massive space she had created for them to walk through, "That is amazing!"

He was also glad that he could actually move again, even if his leg was going to be hurting in the morning. Antonio waved his tail, just to make sure that it was fully free, then he smirked again. It was time to continue their advance.

Travis picked up his pace when Erica spoke out, the words fuel to the fire burning within his spirit. The bat was gripped tightly, and when Travis felt that he was close enough, he swung it towards Ratchet's face as hard as he could.

"Oh we sure will, Willow," Bill said, smirking. With that, he brought a couple of the shadowy tentacles to his mouth and licked the very ends, leaving them wet with saliva, "Now then, about that wet willy..."

With that, he shot the tentacles through the air and towards Ratchet's ears, intending to get those earplugs out and subject him to what would possibly be one of the worst wet willies someone had possibly ever experienced.

Fae wasn't too keen on mutilation or shedding blood at all if she could help it. But it was up to Ratchet and his ability to tick them off how many bones he wanted to keep intact. There were a lot of things the lot of them combined could do to him. Hopefully he had accounted for that before he had decided to kidnap Russell again.

For instance, his decision to make a whole trap for the sole purpose of gnawing at their ankles was bound to get even on Erica's nerves. Huldras were very particular about their own tails. Despite disregarding most rules and uses of her people, she couldn't bear to see Antonio and Travis get hurt. Her bat was sure to gain another dent before the end of the night.

Five was just as content with the arrangement. Ratchet was standing around like an idiot far out of his reach. He really couldn't wait for the moment Ratchet was going to realize the trap was just as effective against him as the freaks.

"Why, thank you. I take great pride in my fencing skills." Five replied, hinting a courteous bow between swings, "And I did. I'll have you know I won a few competitions back in school. Those opportunities you speak of are quite rare."

"One blood draw and he'd be disqualified from any serious tournament. So now he can only compete in the Asshole Olympics."

That remark won Rook another swipe of the cane, thankfully avoided with the help of the flames form. The first blow had still been harsh though. Rook was forced to shift her weight on her other leg, making it more difficult to keep attacking. Five would consider that another small victory of the evening.

He would latch on that, knowing things were about to take a hasty turn against him and his wretched grunt. Five caught a glimpse of the moment Willow decided to brute force her way out of the web. That fool had really thought someone whose body was at least partially mechanical would have hesitated before pulling something like that. The gaping hole in his trap would be a testament to his stupidity.

As if he had nothing to regret when it came to half baked plans. In any case, Five simply had too much on his plate at the moment to help. Leofric's fearsome attacks were forcing him to retreat.

"Oh my, oh dear, you really took that one personally, didn't you?"

It was truly unfortunate, especially considering how Ratchet had essentially tied himself to his own trap. The gizmo man began panicking when he realized that had been Willow's plan all along and he wouldn't even be allowed to capitalize on it because there was a pile of muscles running at him with a bat.

"Shit! Get away from me–" The frantic fumbling with the straps holding the harnesses extended to the wires, forcing Willow to be very careful and measure every breath while the wires threatened to cut through her clothes. Her efforts however ensured Lucien's safety while Fae burned through the wire.

"I don't wish to be addressed that way by either of you." Lucien snapped.

"Right. We don't have boyfriend privilege." the fairy joked, "There. Now you can go play with the others."

Lucien was ready to run ahead, but stopped when it became clear that Bill was going to go through with his threat.

"I was hoping he would do it." Some things had to be witnessed. "I shall help."

He was sure they could make use of Antonio's chains in a moment, but they wanted Ratchet to be awake for this. Lucien went through a few motions with his hands to summon an arcane whip to tie Ratchet's hands together.

"Let's see if he likes it." Lucien tugged at the rope, forcing Ratchet's hands away from his face while Bill's tentacles caught up to him.

"No! Get away from me!" Ratchet's screaming would do nothing against the inevitable. Those earbuds were going to go. "Boss, help me!"

The problem was getting over there. Ratchet definitely knew how to work his own trap and not even Bill could seemingly get through. It wouldn't have surprised her if he planned to shuffle them around before going for the kill. Flies likely felt this way when they got stuck in a spider's web and she was getting too old for this nonsense.

"Oh, that's just disgraceful. Erica, you got a band aid?"

"I do!" Erica replied promptly, "But we're going to need more than that if we touch this stuff."

Not even she wanted to have to deal with that. Erica looked over to Russell again. One way or another, they had to get to him. But for the time being, she would watch Travis' back and summoned her shadow tails.

"Don't let him get to you. We have to focus on helping Russell." The tails stretched to wrap around them then. "Let's figure out where it's safe to step and flank him."

Her instinct told her Lucien's spell was bound to bounce back at him before he could physically recoil from it. The half fae hissed when Ratchet pulled his strings again and caught his leg.

"You little prick." Lucien's cuffs glowed along with his growing frustration.

"Oh, poor baby! Is my little trap forcing you to fight fair for once in your life?" The light bounced off the shades as Ratchet leaned forward. "I'm getting to you too, big guy. Don't think I've forgotten about your little present."

Those dirty socks had left as deep of a mark as the rest. Ratchet however had to endure another humiliation, as he ended up backhanding himself with his own brass knuckles. The surprise hurt more than the blow itself and he stumbled back.

"Bitch!" He really thought he would be safe. But that meant he just had to avoid looking at Antonio again.

There were other variables he had to account for. In an unexpected turn of events, though, Five was actually going to come to his rescue this time. The hunter spun his whip around and struck the ground before him to slow down Rook and Leofric's charge.

"Ah yes, I will be right with you in a moment. My assistant needs, well, my assistance."

Five struck again, then raised his free hand and snapped his fingers. Thunder echoed all around, before the clouds dumped water on Antonio. Rain broke out right after as Five launched himself at Leofric.

"This is for forcing me to hurt myself!" Five yelled, as he swung his sword, "You're looking much better than our last encounter. Bring it on!"

It almost looked like he was having fun with this. Five made sure to swing behind his back as well to keep Rook at a distance. He would deal with her in just a moment.

"See if you can wipe that stupid smile off his face, Leofric." Rook said, swinging back, "I'll go for the knees."

"Ah! Good idea." Ratchet once again tugged with all his strength. The rain was falling on the tripwires, making them more visible. He had to act quickly if he hoped to catch anyone.

That unfortunately left very little space of maneuver. Fae took off, choosing to turn her spear into an umbrella while she stood around on top of a small platform made of light. Erica retrieved her own bat from the shadows to fight back while Willow tried to no avail to slice her way through.

"You got our best shot, Bill. Get him!" Erica yelled.

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you manage that!" Fae added.

"I think I understand how this works." The camera adjusted once again as Willow used its elevated position to get a comprehensive view of Ratchet's web. "Ah, of course."

Willow exhaled softly as she moved to sheathe her katana. It would only be in the way of her plan.

"I'll create a safe path out of this infernal device. Get ready, Bill." Willow paused to crack her neck,"I hope you're still recording, Simon. This action will be one of a kind."

Whether this worked out or not, she would have to rewatch and ponder how could she ever come up with such a dumb idea.

"Everyone else, get ready to move as well."

"I guess I'll just have to burn my gloves if I have to use them directly on his skin," Bill added with a shrug. The shadow had seemed to quickly recover from the harsh tripwire, and it seemed ready to go again after Bill had shaken it a little bit, "If we can get him to let go of the mechanism, that would help as well."

"Simon, help us keep an eye out for any openings," Travis said, "You've got eyes in more places than we have right now, just like Willow."

"Gladly," Simon agreed, as some furious typing followed. It appeared that he was keeping an eye on the cameras he had available, including what Willow had provided.

"That sounds like the best plan, Erica," Bill said. His own tentacles were ready to feel around for any cracks in the trap that Ratchet had waiting for them.

Travis didn't seem at all perturbed by the idea that Ratchet wanted some revenge on him as well.

"Huh, and I thought you weirdos loved the taste of the defeat," Travis said, shrugging, "But I'd certainly like to see you try. I'm the freaking Pervert Mangler and I also have more of groiss socks where those came from."

He had been working out just before this all had cropped up after all, so he could use the ones he had at that moment if he got the chance. Antonio did smirk as Ratchet indeed hit himself in the face with those brass knuckles. It was satisfying to see that stupid smirk get wiped away for a moment. It also meant that Ratchet would be keeping less of an eye on him and what he was up to, which could be helpful for implementing his own plans.

In reflex, Leofric swung his sword, intending to stop the whip in its tracks before it could Rook, but it seemed to be only aiming at the ground. It was a feint to make them stop for a moment. He was going to have to be careful.

Antonio spluttered as the water washed over him, and he shook his head and tail once the barrage was done. The water was cold and it had forced him to pause for a moment as he wiped at his face and eyes, but it wasn't enough to knock him unconscious.

"Shame it didn't last," Antonio only said, before he turned his attention back to Ratchet. Rook and Leofric were handling Five. He didn't need to have a sass battle alongside their physical one.

"Sounds like a fair plan to me," Leofric said. When Five swung the sword again, Leofric held up his shield and swung it in a fast parry in an attempt to bash Five back and interrupt his momentum.

It was almost odd how Five actually seemed to be having fun. Was that another reason why he had set all this up? Leofric decided that it was most likely better not to think about it.

Travis took a moment to look at the wires as they became visible in the rain. They wouldn't be of much use for long. But he could also see some gaps. Those would need to be put to use.

"You got it!" Bill called out. He lifted himself up with four of the tentacles. The rest would be used as extra limbs to attack. He did wince as a couple of them were caught on the wire again, but he ignored the pain. Bill couldn't let Ratchet have any room to breathe.

"Oh I'm recording," Simon reassured Willow, "None of this is getting missed."

"Ready when you are," Bill said, with a quick nod. The tentacles seemed to gesture as well, as though agreeing as well.

"I am as well," Antonio replied. His ear twitched with some thought, and his tail shifted so he could better balance while he followed, not wanting to slow anyone down.

"And me," Travis said, tapping the bat against his palm a couple of times again before straightening himself and preparing to move.

Willow eyed her double. That was certainly a time to lean into fairy humor. Nevertheless, the best bet at the moment was to make a mess of that trap so that no amount of tripwire could give them trouble anymore. They could always throw themselves off the edge back to where they came from but that wouldn't stop Five from trying to push Rook in it once he got tired of fooling around and they still had to get to Russell.

If anything, they could trust Ratchet to not be bright enough to stop them in time. The trap itself remained quite clever, though. A thick web of sharp tripwires covered a good portion of the roof, going back and forth and above them just enough to make jumping over difficult. Thanks to the rain, they could now tell that everything was controlled through the harnesses strapped to Ratchet's arms. Each section could be adjusted with extreme precision or yanked aggressively depending on their next move.

That arrangement was making Lucien regret wearing shorts to that fight. He didn't dare move his leg at all as he hoped Ratchet hit himself hard enough to briefly forget about him. It was at times like these that he regretted losing his dagger.

"It's a shame it didn't knock him out." He wasn't enjoying feeling like a fly trapped in a spider's web. The hit seemed to have stunned him for a minute though.

"That's just fine– I don't need to look at you anyway." Ratchet carefully wiped his face, glad to see he wasn't bleeding yet. That really hurt. "Why would I like that– Oh, fuck off!"

Ratchet's meltdown brought the wires in contact with Erica's shadowy tails, causing them to flicker. She was thankful that didn't hurt, but she still found it incredibly rude. Lucien was unfortunately less lucky there as the wires dug further in his leg.

"Ah! Good one." Five said, before the parry forced him to jump back, "And your technique is excellent! You almost got me there."

The compliments somehow annoyed Rook more than the usual monologuing. "What the hell are you on about? Did you get a stick out of your ass all of a sudden or what?"

"Well, I'm having my way for once. Why shouldn't I celebrate?"

It was only a shame this was only a way to punish Ratchet for stepping out of line. But it also provided everyone with a good guess of Five's real physical condition, in case they were planning something else. He was still surprisingly light on his feet and fast enough to switch his attention back and forth between his opponents. When Rook managed to find an opening, he used the cane to bash her knee and that unfortunately hurt even without any toxins involved.

Willow knew they had to regain the momentum before someone got seriously injured.

"Fae, block the wire holding Lucien."

"On it!" Fae lowered herself back to the ground and pinned the wire to the ground. Ratchet could pull all he wanted, but it would not bulge, "Don't worry, Lu. I got you."

"Don't call me that." Lucien grumbled.

With everyone else ready, Willow finally made her move. She reached into her coat for a throwing knife and hurled it at Ratchet. The blade missed his ear by an inch, deviated at the last moment by one of the still partially concealed wires. That knife would have looked great stuck in his face, but Willow was content with simply getting his attention.

"My, you really have a fixation for ropes, don’t you?" Willow said, hiding her hand behind her back, "You must feel like a spider in its web right now. Safely tucked away, in control, waiting to descend upon your prey."

"Shut up. I don't wanna hear your mind crap." Ratchet glared as Willow mockingly plucked at one of the wires, "I thought about you too, you know, you stupid robot! You can't cut these wires."

Willow didn't seem bothered as she raised her hand to throw another knife. "That's quite alright. I only need to hit you once."

Ratchet seemed to disagree as he once again maneuvered the wires to latch onto Willow's hand. He forced her to drop the knife, only to watch her...smile.

"It should be clear to you at this point that I wasn't planning to slice my way through."

The realization hit Ratchet the moment Willow charged ahead, arms raised to grab onto as many wires as she could. More wrapped around her body and her legs slowing down her advance, but to no avail. For even with Willow forced on her knees, Ratchet would now have to deal with the gaping hole she had dug in his trap.

"It's our turn. Let's go, Travis!" Erica dashed forward then, bat at the ready to take a swing.

"Get him, boys!" Fae cheered.

That sure was a lot to dump on anyone. Erica was simply happy to talk about her adventures, having at one point been stuck in just one world too. Still, she tilted her head at the sudden reaction. If it didn't like being called cute, it really wasn't helping the impression. It reminded her of Smokey whenever he tried to bite into anything.

"Thanks, I think my mother picked a nice name too." She was lucky. Most elven names were a mouthful. "I've got some nicknames too. My friend calls me Tails sometimes."

But as fun as sitting there and talking was, Erica needed to get back on her feet. She hopped off the wall and started stretching.

"Tails is cute too." It wasn't hard to infer where that nickname came from.

It took a moment to consider her question though, thinking about what was in proximity to them that seemed like an appropriate thing to show a guest.

"Do you like slides? I know where to find some really tall ones that spiral around." It turned its finger around in the air as it described it.

There was no bigger compliment to a huldra than anything regarding her tail. Fae had chosen well there. Though Erica's appreciation showed in the way her ears perked up and her smile grew just a bit wider than what should be comfortable.

Nevertheless, the question was taken very seriously. Slides were Erica's favorite way of moving through the shadows. The possibility of big spiral slides was something she simply had to witness.

It was just nice to take her time packing up something nice. She believed in fulfilling snacks over a bottle of lukewarm water or a swig of rum. Edmund was of very different advice, of course. He only spared Shade a glance at the question.

"Aye." Wishing the newest gizmo a long service was a good reason to have a drink. The flask was passed around while Rook eased her radio back in its box for safer transport.

"I'm sure it'll go as planned. Stay tuned!"

The pirates saluted as they followed Rook back in her pocket. The portal closed but the connection remained. It wouldn't be too long before the radio would begin playing music.

"Guess what! You can listen to some radio stations too now!"

He held the device closer to his mouth and pressed down the button to transmit. They knew it worked one way at least, time to test the other.

"I see. It occurs to me there are certain details of operating the device we didn't discuss... such as how to turn it off."

There had to be a way. It was nothing personal, just that if people were going to have an open line to play sounds in your home, you'd like to have some control over it.

"Well, that's easy enough. The radio comes with a power button." Rook replied promptly, "It won't affect the crystals, but the rest will shut off. So I guess I won't be calling you next time I can't sleep."

With it being most evenings, having a way to shut up Radio Birb was advised. The music was bound to improve from here at least. Rook gladly switched back to more peaceful music from her fantasy tavern playlist.

"Sounds like I'll be touring gift shops next time we're in the area." Rook mused. Shopping could be annoying, but Fae's presence often took the attention and much pressure off her.

"You can bet on that, Rook! I love hanging out with you." Fae replied with a grin, "Oh, you're too kind, Bill. Thanks, bud!"

It was really appreciated. Fae decided she would find some way to return Bill's kindness, perhaps with a small performance or by doing the dishes. She would start by humming along as they headed off to set the table.

Erica could share her enthusiasm. It was nice to be accepted the way they were. "You got it!"

Omen gave a thumbs up as well as he followed along. It was good to see no one was bringing attention to the fact Rook had forgotten she wasn't supposed to hold onto hot things with her hands again. Spice was certainly helping there too.

"We're all one big team!" Erica cheered, joining Spice "Hurry up, Russell. You had a rough day, some healthy food in your stomach will be good for you."

She had a feeling Russell's team would agree with her there. Erica carried the bowls, happy to be able to contribute at all.

"I guess that's true. Errol is just a big spoiled baby." Rook replied, minding Thea as she hurried along while receiving more pats.

With the feast quickly assembled, they only had to make sure everybody could have their share. Omen swiftly got to it, sticking to his butler bit as he grabbed some bowls for his feline friends. He would of course turn to Rook, being the one usually in charge of dinner.

"Russell's first." she said simply. Omen nodded and stood by so Rook could get to serving the food while Hypno stared in awe at the feast that was all for them.

"You may expect this sort of abundance on most days. You won't have to ambush humans as much anymore." Willow explained, "Except for the ones you truly dislike. I'm not going to sanction that."

"I'm telling you now, Willow. Keep this up and I'll buy you a fluffy coat to match her." Fae teased her.

"Mine is perfectly fine, thank you." Willow replied, before turning to Lucario. Porygon was still by her side and watching intently while she chatted with the rest of the team.

"She can talk to Porygon." Erica explained to Leofric, perhaps shedding some light on the earlier battle as well.

Rook nudged the pan in place, before grabbing a plate.

"We should probably get a little bit for us and leave the rest to them. It'll be faster if you guys pass the plates." Errol grumbled softly, being tired of waiting already, "Yeah, your food's coming, you big glutton!"

Fae exchanged glances with Erica, who briefly looked at Divine. "You know what this party's missing? Some music! Do you play any instruments, Bill?"

But he smiled at that thought.

"I know a couple of shops here in Galar that might be a bit more helpful if you tell them Old Bill sent you," Bill then said, "I've helped them in the past when they were first setting up so they probably wouldn't mind getting to know a friend of mine."

That smile then turned into a happier grin.

"Heh, I just speak the truth, and what I just said couldn't be any truer. Although you might have to remind me about the mitts later because sometimes I really do have the memory of a Slowpoke," Bill said.

He was having the absolute time of his life though, in meeting these ladies. And there was a fond glimmer in his grey eyes at Erica's response.

"That's a wonderful way to see it," Bill said, "Like a found family. Or maybe you're both a big team and a big family."

It was always possible.

"Heh, we all have a big spoiled baby," Bill said, "At least in the form of a Pokemon, sometimes a human. But I feel it's more endearing when it turns out to be a Pokemon."

It didn't appear that he minded in any case. Bill made sure to keep petting Thea as often as he could while they walked. He seemed to be rather good at multi-tasking, especially if it involved getting to pet a lovely dog. But he looked pleased to see everything all coming together. Now he just needed an excuse to why he wasn't eating.

"Th-thank you," Russell said, before his cheeks turned a little bit pink, "I, I can't thank you, thank you enough for, for saving me during, during that."

But he gratefully took the bowl once it was filled, savouring the scent, and took a slice of the cut bread that Bill had served. He was looking forward to this. As a man who practically lived off protein bars while travelling, this was a wonderful change of pace.

"You know, I might know just the place to find a lovely matching coat for you both," Bill said, "Of course, that would be if you ever inclined to take a look. No pressure from anyone here."

Leofric did tilt his head a little bit at the sight, before he then nodded in thanks for the explanation.

"That is good to know. I appreciate that," Leofric replied, "And that's not a problem at all, Rook. That does seem like the most efficient way to handle this."

Divine looked absolutely delighted to see that Fae was finding a way to get Bill out of partaking. She immediately floated upwards on hearing the question of whether Bill played any music. Bill watched her go, and gave Fae a smile that was a mix of knowing and grateful.

"I do, Fae," Bill then said, "I play a few instruments, but one I've always been partial is..."

With that, Divine came back at the exact right moment, and dropped the instrument down. Bill caught it with surprisingly quick reflex and didn't even skip a beat with his explanation.

"The accordion," Bill finished as he held it up, "And if you don't find that sort of music too annoying, I can gladly play you a tune for a bit of dinner and a show."

"Wow..." Russell only said, honestly impressed by the display.

"Oh, that'd be awesome! I'm especially looking for new little spots to visit around Galar." Fae said, before smiling, "That's quite alright. I'll remind you later if I don't forget about it too."

It could still happen. They were having a great time and she had a schedule to get back to in the morning. Fae had to once again rely on Willow's impossibly accurate memory to ensure she would leave with new mitts.

"I shall remind you both." Willow promised.

"Thanks, Willow. I don't know what I'd do without you." Fae grinned as she leaned for a side hug, a small sign of the deep trust and friendship between the two of them, "Now, let's get this party started!"

Or rather, she would start by placating Elizabeth's legendary hunger. Fae made a big show of setting out a more generous portion, knowing full well the Wooloo would soon be ramming her legs if she felt dissatisfied with the quantity. But there was a deep affection in the way she prepared the bowls for her whole team.

"I think we're both." Erica replied, "And I guess that's because all Pokémon are cute."

"You hear that, you big baby? She called you cute." Rook delivered a bowl to a very content Errol. It was safe to say he had appreciated the compliment. "Yeah. Good luck getting Willow to try new clothes."

"I'm not accepting critique from you on this." Willow said simply.

"See? Impossible."

"It has to be something she really likes to make her try it." Erica explained, "That's okay, Russell. We know you'd do anything to help us too if we were in trouble."

They would all be surprised of the opposite, if anything. Rook quickly resumed her duty helping with filling plates. She figured it'd be best to wait on Bill's, seeing as he had his hands too full to eat once again. He clearly enjoyed putting up a show, if anything. Perhaps he was also the kind of person who got carried away so much he forgot to eat entirely.

"That's an awesome idea!" Fae cheered at the display, "Don't worry, Leofric, I love this stuff."

"Well… The curry is right here." Rook said quietly, her confidence already fading at an alarming rate.

"He's following a special diet, Rook. It's okay." Erica reassured her friend.

It seemed a bit late to mention that, but perhaps it wasn't just about the food itself. Rook figured it could have to do with habits as well and their presence was definitely enough to disrupt routine. Bill seemed happy to cook with her, so she probably didn't have to worry about it too much and she could sit down to eat for the time being. She grabbed a slice of bread and moved to do just that.

It was for the best. They had yet to actually see how that weirdo fought and there was quite the range between a couple of traps sprinkled around Five's old hideout and the device currently digging in Russell's arm. Ratchet still had a chance to surprise them even without their help.

Still, Rook didn't hesitate to take the lead. One funny movement and her hands would find their way around Five's neck. She wasn't going to allow whatever little show he had prepared for the occasion.

Taking advantage of that, Fae moved as well, positioning herself as far away from Bill as possible. His umbrella wouldn't do much against her weapon if they bumped into each other.

"Looks like we're going to have to split." Fae mused, eyeing the two bickering idiots. Ratchet looked too confident for someone who had been beaten a bunch. She didn't feel confident taking a single step forward at the moment.

But Travis did, so Erica joined him and stopped in her tracks when Russell was threatened.

"Whatever it is, it smells really bad. This time we should leave him hanging over a ravine. See if he likes it." Erica growled softly at Ratchet, a simple yet very effective threat that got him to back off a little, "Yeah. That's more like it. You're in for a mean lesson."

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop him. The argument provided a convenient, but too brief distraction. The devious shadowy tentacles were eventually noticed, causing Ratchet to harshly yank his arm back. A thick web of tripwires became visible for a moment, prompting Erica to actually pull Travis back a little.

"That's right! You're free to take Russell, if you can get him!" Ratchet said, before he put on the loudest reflective sunglasses ever, "And the best part? You all walked into my trap like idiots!"

Ratchet's gloating caused more of his intricate trap to flicker into view. Willow pulled her katana closer to herself as she eyed the ground. It was an unfortunate day to not be wearing her usual coat. That wire certainly looked sharp.

"And this brings me to the second part of our arrangement." Five said then, reaching for his sword, "I couldn't possibly lure you all in the same place and just let you go like that. I have a reputation to maintain, you know."

"No, you absolutely can just do that and piss off." Rook snapped back.

"Well, anyway, I crave a fight and Ratchet wants to play extreme hopscotch with the ones who used him for target practice." Five replied, "You may fight your way out of this or give up now and spare me the trouble of chasing you. You still owe me a refill, you know. And after everything we've been through, Rook, you could at least share your stash."

Being a man who loved pouring gasoline over fire, Five topped his disgusting provocation with an unapologetic smirk. If Rook didn't care about being called a traitor to everything they represented, then that would get through to her. She actually believed a bunch of monsters could be her family, implying an ulterior motive was bound to set her off.

"You fucking asshole..." Rook raised her sword and summoned her armor, "Leofric, let's kick his ass."

Ratchet once again yanked at the wires, only for them to cut right through Rook's body. His trap was entirely ineffective on her, but he could however rejoice in the fact she wasn't interested in him at the moment as she continued charging at Five. His attitude was back in a blink.

Lucien raised his stance then. "Leave him to me. His arms won't be attached to the rest of him for long if I can have a say in this."

He had great projects for Ratchet. He would start from the left arm, then work his way up the right one. Ratchet would have to beg for his life after everything he had done to Russell. But first, he had to take a breath.

"...It's about time we have another talk, Christopher."

Power traveled through Lucien's words. His influence would wash over Ratchet like water flooding from a river. But instead of dragging his mind down into the abyss, it all came bouncing back. Ratchet looked like a man who had just outsmarted the devil with a pair of earplugs.

"Sorry, I can't hear you!" Ratchet tapped at his ear, before yanking both arms back, "Now let's see you all bleed!"

Even with being what he was, something about Ratchet made him want to keep the man as far away as he could. But right now, he was going to resist that. Russell needed to be rescued.

"It seems that way," Bill agreed with Fae.

Leofric nodded. It would certainly be more practical to split teams between those who were more protected against Five's toxins, and those who would be better to handle Ratchet.

Travis smirked at the idea of leaving Ratchet hanging over a ravine. Of course, they would need to add a little extra spice to that sort of punishment, but it was a good idea.

"You're going to regret ever existing, let alone coming back here," Travis said. His tone suggested that he intended to make that a promise. But he also quickly realised that Erica had been right not to move yet.

The threat to Russell aside, it seemed that Ratchet had been busy while waiting, and Travis could only be glad he hadn't stepped forward. Bill did wince. While the pain was fainter than it would be for a flesh limb, he still certainly felt it. And the tentacle twitched like one's hand might when going too close to a lit flame or brushing against stinging nettles.

"Bastard," Bill said, as he shook the tentacle briefly. At least it saved anyone else from being seriously injured.

"I guess we're going to be a hybrid of dangerous jump rope, the floor is lava, and hopscotch," Travis said, before he turned that hateful glare back to Ratchet, "You sick son of a bitch."

"We may have walked into this trap, but we did so willingly," Leofric said, as his grip on his sword shifted slightly, "We knew the risks and came here of our own volition anyway."

Antonio raised an eyebrow in disdain at the sight of those sunglasses. He would need to be careful if he was going to be trying one of his mental tricks with his gaze. There was no saying if he would get hit with the urge to smack one of his teammates if he caught his own stare. Another idea was pinning Ratchet's shadow down if he got the opportunity, but he didn't know if he would be able to implement that until he saw the chance.

"You piece of shit," Bill spoke at the same time as Rook then, "Go for it. Kick his ass, you two, because we're not backing down! Shame, I would have been happy to go along with my initial offer if you had agreed to it."

"Sometimes it's okay to say 'no' a craving," Antonio said, rolling his eyes. But it appeared that Leofric and Rook were indeed on the case, and he trusted them to handle this efficiently, "That's what I like to hear, Lucien."

The wires also went through Leofric's body as he became intangible enough for them to not have any effect. It was like they weren't there at all to him. There was a red glint in his gaze when his eyes briefly moved to Ratchet, a warning, before he looked back at Five again, intending to give this battle his all. If Five wanted a fight, then he would definitely get one.

"Oh of course..." Antonio said, on realising that Ratchet had seemed to find a way to block his hearing, "Yes, we all take a path and try to go in from each side, but first..."

He stared right at Ratchet, and his eyes flashed in green, which commanded Ratchet to hit himself in the face with whatever he had on hand. Antonio also felt that need in his hand and his nerves, but he forced himself to take a breath, and to let it pass. He knew his own tricks. He could resist them.

The problem was getting over there. Ratchet definitely knew how to work his own trap and not even Bill could seemingly get through. It wouldn't have surprised her if he planned to shuffle them around before going for the kill. Flies likely felt this way when they got stuck in a spider's web and she was getting too old for this nonsense.

"Oh, that's just disgraceful. Erica, you got a band aid?"

"I do!" Erica replied promptly, "But we're going to need more than that if we touch this stuff."

Not even she wanted to have to deal with that. Erica looked over to Russell again. One way or another, they had to get to him. But for the time being, she would watch Travis' back and summoned her shadow tails.

"Don't let him get to you. We have to focus on helping Russell." The tails stretched to wrap around them then. "Let's figure out where it's safe to step and flank him."

Her instinct told her Lucien's spell was bound to bounce back at him before he could physically recoil from it. The half fae hissed when Ratchet pulled his strings again and caught his leg.

"You little prick." Lucien's cuffs glowed along with his growing frustration.

"Oh, poor baby! Is my little trap forcing you to fight fair for once in your life?" The light bounced off the shades as Ratchet leaned forward. "I'm getting to you too, big guy. Don't think I've forgotten about your little present."

Those dirty socks had left as deep of a mark as the rest. Ratchet however had to endure another humiliation, as he ended up backhanding himself with his own brass knuckles. The surprise hurt more than the blow itself and he stumbled back.

"Bitch!" He really thought he would be safe. But that meant he just had to avoid looking at Antonio again.

There were other variables he had to account for. In an unexpected turn of events, though, Five was actually going to come to his rescue this time. The hunter spun his whip around and struck the ground before him to slow down Rook and Leofric's charge.

"Ah yes, I will be right with you in a moment. My assistant needs, well, my assistance."

Five struck again, then raised his free hand and snapped his fingers. Thunder echoed all around, before the clouds dumped water on Antonio. Rain broke out right after as Five launched himself at Leofric.

"This is for forcing me to hurt myself!" Five yelled, as he swung his sword, "You're looking much better than our last encounter. Bring it on!"

It almost looked like he was having fun with this. Five made sure to swing behind his back as well to keep Rook at a distance. He would deal with her in just a moment.

"See if you can wipe that stupid smile off his face, Leofric." Rook said, swinging back, "I'll go for the knees."

"Ah! Good idea." Ratchet once again tugged with all his strength. The rain was falling on the tripwires, making them more visible. He had to act quickly if he hoped to catch anyone.

That unfortunately left very little space of maneuver. Fae took off, choosing to turn her spear into an umbrella while she stood around on top of a small platform made of light. Erica retrieved her own bat from the shadows to fight back while Willow tried to no avail to slice her way through.

"You got our best shot, Bill. Get him!" Erica yelled.

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you manage that!" Fae added.

"I think I understand how this works." The camera adjusted once again as Willow used its elevated position to get a comprehensive view of Ratchet's web. "Ah, of course."

Willow exhaled softly as she moved to sheathe her katana. It would only be in the way of her plan.

"I'll create a safe path out of this infernal device. Get ready, Bill." Willow paused to crack her neck,"I hope you're still recording, Simon. This action will be one of a kind."

Whether this worked out or not, she would have to rewatch and ponder how could she ever come up with such a dumb idea.

"Everyone else, get ready to move as well."

"Keep it. Five can still dispel the clouds." she explained, "I'll just be more duck just this once."

If anything, she could always have Five try out what it was like to be slapped by her wings in that state. There was no doubt he was wearing another of his boring suits for the occasion, nothing of value would be lost in the process.

"But I'm glad we have our best ambassadors on the case."

"Of course we are." Lucien replied, "Still, let's keep our guard up. I'm sure Ratchet wants to personally thank us for the time spent together, especially you, Antonio."

The video was a good reminder that not even Ratchet should be underestimated, especially with revenge motivating him. He definitely had something in store for them, though Lucien was glad Leofric could at least give them some protection against Five. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with his toxins again.

Fae in the meantime was leaning over the edge as everyone else caught up.

"One battle cat coming up! It's like watching Tails from the old days!" she commented, offering her free hand to Willow.

"I can see the resemblance." the cyborg replied, before nodding at the camera, "I will not. I trust you, Simon."

Erica was glad to hear Travis had appreciated the peculiar ride. Now that he was also accepting her little gift, she took off her cap and retrieved a black sharpie from within.

"Let's make it official!" She proceeded to write MANGLER 3000 on the bat, "There. Get a nice dent in it and it'll be perfect."

That was the true sign of a good fight. Erica looked up once the protective spell was in place. Now they were truly ready.

Sensing Leofric's spell as well, Five braced himself for the imminent clash. He had asked for it, after all, but he wasn't regretting it even though they were heavily outnumbered. Ratchet was the only actually making him regret it so far. There really was no need to rile everyone up even more.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it, uh?" Ratchet pointed at Russell as he kept with his taunting, "Take one step forward and we'll take it out on him! He'll turn into a shrimp by the time we're done."

"Quiet."

Five nudged his annoying ally out of the way with his cane, before leaning on it. He might not have looked as menacing as before, but his sword still hung loosely around his waist, ready to be used and it looked as sharp as ever.

"I must say, that's a tempting offer. Especially if you consider this entire conundrum to be his doing."

Many emotions crossed Ratchet's face then. His confidence in being able to talk crap while cowering behind his boss was overcome by betrayal and then a healthy dose of uneasiness as Five just as eagerly threw him under the bus.

"You see," Five continued, still ignoring Ratchet entirely, "Ratchet here has indeed decided to do a little experiment without consulting me, which eventually led to...that. Russell's state doesn't benefit anyone, so I summoned you here to retrieve him. And that's about it."

He of course wasn't going to take responsibility for what had happened to Russell. The blame was part of Ratchet's punishment as well and now more than ever, Five didn't care to take his parts.

"So your hands are totally clean." Rook said, glaring at Five, "And we're just supposed to collect Russell and leave? Did we hit your head too hard last time?"

"Yeah, boss. We have them where you wanted them. We can fuck them up!" Ratchet complained, "I can get that started for you too. I'm on a roll today!"

"You need to learn the value of silence, Ratchet." Five snapped.

"This is a very awkward hostage exchange." Willow said, getting her sword out.

"I mean, if they're offering to give back Russell, we should at least try to, right?" Erica asked.

Of course, his skin and muscles would come back with nightfall, but he needed to have them for every moment that he could when it came to this kind of situation.

"You can count on us for that," Antonio said, before he looked over at Lucien and nodded, "Good idea. That video showed us that he's learned since last time and he would definitely be holding a vendetta against us for what we did to him."

He knew that all too well, even if he did feel that Ratchet deserved the treatment. Maybe this time, they would get a chance to get rid of it for real.

Along with the spell, Leofric's mind had also turned towards his sword and any antidotes he might need for this potential battle. While he had some on his bandolier, the rest were in his coat, and he needed to think about them if he wanted to retrieve them quickly. His own physical shield was held on a steady arm, and as always, his eyes looked like they could bore into Five and Ratchet's very souls.

Right as Fae finished speaking, Antonio made the final jump up to the top. He did pant a little bit, but then he quickly straightened himself up again, not wanting to appear weak in front of their possible opponents.

"You can trust me," Simon agreed, as he watched Travis emerge with Erica.

Travis grinned when Erica wrote on the bat, officially marking what its purpose was.

"I can certainly try to," Travis said, "Hopefully Ratchet's skull will be a good starting point."

He had already started to take a step towards Russell, intending to take his brother back before more damage could be done.

"Wait," Simon had warned him first, "We don't know if..."

He trailed off when Ratchet spoke up, confirming his suspicion that Ratchet might try to hurt Russell more if anyone got too close, and they didn't know what kind of traps he might have set up yet.

It seemed that Travis also knew to stop when told, for he remained where he was. But he did tap the bat against the palm of his hand, eager for to put it to use when he got the chance.

"You sick piece of shit," Travis commented then, "Haven't you done enough?"

"It definitely smells like it," Bill added. But even he fell into silence, mainly out of curiosity, when Five spoke up. It was actually almost amusing to see him tell Ratchet to be quiet.

"Hmmm," Simon couldn't hide the thoughtful hum that escaped through his nose as he pondered what Five said. Maybe it really was true. Five did appear surprised in the video footage, and he had just been getting an ice cream.

Maybe, just maybe, this kidnapping hadn't been planned by Five; it had just happened and he went along with it on seeing an opportunity. That didn't change the fact that he had still done this.

Leofric seemed to have the same idea as Willow, for he retrieved his own sword from his coat and held it in his hand. He already had the growing suspicion that despite Five's offer to just take Russell and go, it wouldn't be as simple as that.

"Well, seeing as they're having a lover's spat, let's go for it," Bill suggested to Erica then, "And I got just the tools for the job."

It was for the best. They had yet to actually see how that weirdo fought and there was quite the range between a couple of traps sprinkled around Five's old hideout and the device currently digging in Russell's arm. Ratchet still had a chance to surprise them even without their help.

Still, Rook didn't hesitate to take the lead. One funny movement and her hands would find their way around Five's neck. She wasn't going to allow whatever little show he had prepared for the occasion.

Taking advantage of that, Fae moved as well, positioning herself as far away from Bill as possible. His umbrella wouldn't do much against her weapon if they bumped into each other.

"Looks like we're going to have to split." Fae mused, eyeing the two bickering idiots. Ratchet looked too confident for someone who had been beaten a bunch. She didn't feel confident taking a single step forward at the moment.

But Travis did, so Erica joined him and stopped in her tracks when Russell was threatened.

"Whatever it is, it smells really bad. This time we should leave him hanging over a ravine. See if he likes it." Erica growled softly at Ratchet, a simple yet very effective threat that got him to back off a little, "Yeah. That's more like it. You're in for a mean lesson."

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop him. The argument provided a convenient, but too brief distraction. The devious shadowy tentacles were eventually noticed, causing Ratchet to harshly yank his arm back. A thick web of tripwires became visible for a moment, prompting Erica to actually pull Travis back a little.

"That's right! You're free to take Russell, if you can get him!" Ratchet said, before he put on the loudest reflective sunglasses ever, "And the best part? You all walked into my trap like idiots!"

Ratchet's gloating caused more of his intricate trap to flicker into view. Willow pulled her katana closer to herself as she eyed the ground. It was an unfortunate day to not be wearing her usual coat. That wire certainly looked sharp.

"And this brings me to the second part of our arrangement." Five said then, reaching for his sword, "I couldn't possibly lure you all in the same place and just let you go like that. I have a reputation to maintain, you know."

"No, you absolutely can just do that and piss off." Rook snapped back.

"Well, anyway, I crave a fight and Ratchet wants to play extreme hopscotch with the ones who used him for target practice." Five replied, "You may fight your way out of this or give up now and spare me the trouble of chasing you. You still owe me a refill, you know. And after everything we've been through, Rook, you could at least share your stash."

Being a man who loved pouring gasoline over fire, Five topped his disgusting provocation with an unapologetic smirk. If Rook didn't care about being called a traitor to everything they represented, then that would get through to her. She actually believed a bunch of monsters could be her family, implying an ulterior motive was bound to set her off.

"You fucking asshole..." Rook raised her sword and summoned her armor, "Leofric, let's kick his ass."

Ratchet once again yanked at the wires, only for them to cut right through Rook's body. His trap was entirely ineffective on her, but he could however rejoice in the fact she wasn't interested in him at the moment as she continued charging at Five. His attitude was back in a blink.

Lucien raised his stance then. "Leave him to me. His arms won't be attached to the rest of him for long if I can have a say in this."

He had great projects for Ratchet. He would start from the left arm, then work his way up the right one. Ratchet would have to beg for his life after everything he had done to Russell. But first, he had to take a breath.

"...It's about time we have another talk, Christopher."

Power traveled through Lucien's words. His influence would wash over Ratchet like water flooding from a river. But instead of dragging his mind down into the abyss, it all came bouncing back. Ratchet looked like a man who had just outsmarted the devil with a pair of earplugs.

"Sorry, I can't hear you!" Ratchet tapped at his ear, before yanking both arms back, "Now let's see you all bleed!"