Halloween Havoc (IC)

[Pixilated]

Livia curses herself for being distracted for the second it took to lose her grip on the artifact. But there's no time now for Monday-morning-quarterbacking; as the chaos erupts around her, she knows she's got to pitch in.

And she has to fight twice as hard to make up for Cain. He insists he's fine but she can hear a light rasping noise as he breathes, and it gets worse the more effort he expends. It's amazing enough that the silver spear didn't kill him outright; she has no explanation for that, and so doesn't know what damage it has done, nor how to counteract it.

She and Astir attack the invaders in concert, being careful to remain within sight and easy reach of Cain. He seems to be holding his own with the attacking demons. But they both worry how long he can continue to do so.

Then the shafts of golden light strike through the battle, striking Livia, Astir and … Cain. Livia can feel her strength doubling, tripling; she feels as if she could continue to give battle until the sun burns out. Astir's accelerated attacks suggest the same.

But Cain … where has Cain gone? She drops the dead body of her latest victim and pauses … until she hears the deep growl that sounds as if the Earth itself is growling a warning. Astir too has stopped fighting and is staring behind Livia. She turns and sees … the ultimate Dire Wolf, nearly eight feet from nose tip to tail, and weighing in at at least 200 pounds. He moves with the grace and speed of a top predator, and she notices that the rasping noise is gone from his breathing.

Cain bounds back into the battle, fangs already running red. He turns to stare at Livia and Astir as if to say, "Well? What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation??"

Livia, dazed, gives a brief shake and returns to the attack.

[Mytical]

Ester calmly goes about collecting weird things as the den of battle swirls around her. A horn from Orcus, a bit of tail from Bal...one by one as the lieutenants fall. With Cain back in the fight, the werewolf trio having returned from their collection of their artifact, and several of his generals already down..the fight is tipping swiftly to the groups favor.

Cain himself confronts and holds back Malbozia, while the group goes fight off his army. At first it is a bit uneven. Cain is much too strong, and too fast for Malbozia, so even though Malbozia can not die or be trapped he is being thrown about like a rag doll. As each of his minions fall, however, Malbozia becomes stronger and faster. Seeming to draw strength from their defeat. "Give it up Malbozia." Growls Cain. "You know my curse. Even you are not immune to it."

Malbozia, wiping blood from his mouth chuckles. "Yes, yes. You will walk the earth until the end of days..and whosoever does you harm will receive unto them seven times worse as they have dealt you. Here is your problem Cain. This IS the end of days, and I can withstand the penalty dealt to me."

"For now." Cain seems amused. "What of when the last of your generals fall?"

"By then I will have all the power I need to defeat you." Grins Malbozia.

"Perhaps..you might defeat me..but what about them?" Cain indicates the rest of you, and Malbozia does seem worried.

"Mere children. Even with the foul witches double crossing me and giving them the power of their ancestors for this night, they do not have the wisdom to use it to it's fullest."

Ester cackles this time. "You think this the extent of my 'treachery' as you call it. Oh no, when you came to me with your plan..I saw its brilliance. Bringing back your fallen ... all in one place. There is two sides to every coin however. If those of evil can be brought back...then...those of good can be also." She chants and Rick sees from the fallen body of his foe rising two very familiar forms. He is almost crushed by Hilda who gives him a troll hug in greeting.

"NO!" Even as his powers grow, as his generals are one by one destroyed, he seems very dismayed. "No.." it is almost a whisper now. "I WILL NOT BE DENIED!" He yells defiantly. "Even all of you combined will not stop me! Not this time!" He is managing to push Cain back.

"Come now Malbozia.." comes a very distinct voice, learned..old..wise..and with a very odd accent. "Our young ones have our strength, we have the wisdom to guide them and our own strength has been increased by the spell YOU wrought." Vlad, alive (well sort of) and well turns to the group. "Strike now, with all your might. Do not relent, do not give mercy for he will show you none."

He has no generals or lieutenants left, yet he seems invincible. There may not be a way to defeat this last and final foe...

[Jay 2K Winger]

Rick Angstrom - Uber Troll

As the archdemon's generals fall, and his mercenaries flee while they can, Rick is lending aid where he can against the other generals. Grabbing their tail to temporarily halt them for an attack from one of his comrades. Hurling them into a wall to stun them. He uses all of the raw, brute strength of his supernatural body, roaring troll challenges and shrugging off all the attacks that are mustered against him, his troll regeneration healing him almost instantly.

And then the witch Ester raises Hilda from the dead. She hugs him, and with a booming laugh, he returns the hug with equal force. The two uber-trolls turn to face the archdemon Malbozia, who throws off Cain, only to be grabbed by Rick, who throws him to the ground, then hurls him into the air. With a grin at Hilda, Rick's fist comes around as Malbozia plummets, sending him arcing toward Hilda, who uppercuts him with her own hand, volleying him back toward Rick, who leaps in the air and spikes the archdemon into the floor.

Seeing that Malbozia is already getting back to his feet, none the worse for wear, though perhaps a little humiliated at being used in a brief game of 'Demon Volleyball,' Rick and Hilda both back away, but still ready to keep the archdemon off-balance, trying to fight too many foes at once.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Reggie notices that those he has bitten are awaiting his command. He looks around the battlefield and sends them to attack Malbozia and the remaining demons. They may not be able harm Malbozia, but they can interfere with his attacks and keep him distracted and off balance. Every little effort will help the battle.

[Mytical]

((Ok..having a heck of a time coming up with a satisfactory ending to this. So..here goes))

Ester gets the spell from Sunny..and begins to read it. Malbozia makes a move to go after her, only to be blocked first by Rick. He thrusts his hands into Ricks chest, pulling out his heart and tosses it and Rick aside..too intent on remembering that trolls can survive just about anything as long as fire or acid is not involved. As Rick falls (it still hurts terribly, and takes a good length of time to recover from), he manages to grab..something..and it rips from Malbozia..it is the spirit of on of the demons..in spirit form it is hard to tell which.

Malbozia weakens, but presses on..only to be confronted next by Cain..he snaps Cain's neck, his own head being twisted around seven times by an unseen force, and as Cain falls..he too pulls loose .. something.

Weakened further..he is swarmed by the zombies..he knows enough to go for their heads..but their seems to be no end to them. Just as he clears them away, Reggie manages to get in to grab something also. He just ducks as Malbozia makes a move for him..and gets away.

One by one the rest of the group manages to remove the demons souls from their prison in Malbozia..by the time he successfully reaches Ester..it is far too late. Standing over him is every one of the monsters, and his powers are gone. He is a broken demon. Vlad reaches down, picks him off the floor..and ribs the demons heart from his chest. "We know that in a thousand years you will be back, but we will cast you to hades..you betrayed your own..and will be very weak during the next thousand years..we would not want to be you." Malbozia is cast back into the darkness..and things go quiet.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Rick Angstrom - Doesn't Need His Heart

Well. That's something he's never experienced before. And every cell in his being hopes he doesn't have to experience it ever again.

Even so, as the archdemon throws aside his heart, Rick grabs him by the throat before falling aside, feeling a flailing, snapping something thrashing in his grip, but he stubbornly holds onto it, instinctively realizing that this thing he's holding is key to Malbozia's power.

And so he watches, clutching the soul-piece in his arms as his body slowly recovers from the grievous wound, as one by one, his fellow monsters tear apart the archdemon's soul, until at last Vlad finishes off Malbozia and casts him back into the darkness once more.

Rick lays back on the floor as he slowly heals, breathing heavily. "We won." He grins toothily and raises a fist up weakly. "Heavyweight. Champion. Of the world."

[Pixilated]

Panting, Livia slumps to the floor, only now becoming aware of assorted bruises, scrapes and scratches, and the occasional small driblet of blood here and there, courtesy of the recent battle.

"Gone," she says, looking at Astir. "He's gone." Astir, also battered and bloodied, can only nod.

They manage to limp over to Cain, who lies trembling on the floor. His breath is rasping loudly now, but as they watch, it becomes quieter and evens out to normal breathing. Cain lifts his head tentatively.

"Bloody DAMN, but that hurt!" he says, reaching up and gently massaging his neck.

Astrid snorts. "I should think so." Livia doesn't know whether to envy Cain or feel sorry for him. Sure, he's immortal but ... is it worth the price of suffering would-be fatal injuries -- painful injuries -- over and over and over, into near-eternity?

Well, it's not like I have to choose it, she thinks.

The trio settles down in a corner, watching as the other victors begin to wind down from the rage and fury of the battle.

[Ironclad Alibi]

As the demons’ bodies faded from existence, Reggie felt changes come over himself. He became his human form, way before dawn. He felt that the curse the old woman had laid upon him so long ago had somehow changed. He felt more in control of himself. Perhaps the involuntary change would stop happening. But he was still a zombie, and would forever be one as long evil threatened mankind. He turned to his companions, looking forward to new relationships and a new life.

[jedimaster91]

Arisa fell into step easily with Dracula and Mina, relieved to see them alive--well, in a manner of speaking. The rest of the battle is easy and Malbozia is soon defeated.

"What kept you?" Arisa teased Dracula. With the battle over, she had shifted back to a more human form, however since she was among friends Arisa didn't bother to disguise the natural gold color of her eyes.

Dracula chuckled. "Magic has its rules, my dear. You've done well."

"You didn't really think they'd killed us for good did you?" Mina asked.

"Of course not," Arisa answered. But she relented under the twin stares of the two elder vampires. "Ok, I'll admit, you had me worried. Just for a bit." Something Dracula had said earlier bothered her. "So, Malbozia. He'll be back?"

Dracula nodded. "Unfortunately, one such as he can never truly be vanquished. Only contained. And even that doesn't last forever."

"The forces of good and evil require a balance," Mina explained. "Where there is light, there must be shadow, and where there is shadow, there must be light."

"And we guard the light," Arisa finished.