[b]Solis-[/b] RUN FOR YOUR F*CKING LIVES!!!! [i]The students scream as they run in the opposite direction. The ground begins to shake as Golgoroth immediately chases after them. Strike scoops up Nightly and throws the Nightstalker over her shoulder. Blades turns to Storm as they make their way through the corridors.[/i] [b]Blades-[/b] What the hell does that guy want?! [i]Storm shrugged.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] How the hell am I supposed to know?! Bubbles was the one who woke him up! [b]Bubbles-[/b] IT'S NOT MY FAULT! I DON'T EVEN LIKE POTATOES! [b]Blades-[/b] For God's sakes, HE'S NOT A POTATO. [b]Bubbles-[/b] Blades! You're right! [i]Blades raises an eyebrow at the Defender.[/i] [b]Blades-[/b] I am...? [b]Bubbles-[/b] Yesssss. He's a [i]potahtoe[/i]! [b]Storm-[/b] Both of you, just shut it! I have a plan. Bubbles, can you remember where Golgoroth's lair is? [b]Bubbles-[/b] Meh. [i]Behind them, the ground-pounding of Golgoroth's feet speeds up. He was gaining on them.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] "Meh"? What does THAT mean?! [b]Bubbles-[/b] Not only is my short-term memory horrible, but so is my short-term memory. [i]The pounding grows louder.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Just FOCUS! [b]Bubbles-[/b] Okay, okay! Geez... [i]After taking a look around, the Defender points at a fairly large rock up ahead.[/i] [b]Bubbles-[/b] There's Tony! TURN RIGHT! [i]The students make a sharp turn around the corner.[/i] [b]Solis-[/b] Who the hell is Tony?! [b]Bubbles-[/b] He's a rock. Really nice guy. [b]Solis-[/b] You name your ROCKS? [b]Bubbles-[/b] Of course! They have names [i]too[/i], Solis. Separate but equal. [b]Solis-[/b] THAT'S NOT WHAT THAT MEANS! [i]Golgoroth tries to turn, but crashes into the wall behind them.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] That should slow him down! Where next? [i]Bubbles turns around.[/i] [b]Bubbles-[/b] That's Tammy, Cindy, and Johnny, so take a left! [i]The students make another turn. Once again, Golgoroth crashes into the wall, just barely missing them as they wrap around the corner.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] It's working! Keep going! [b]Bubbles-[/b] William! Henry! Neal! Take one more left! [i]The students make their final turn onto a long hallway. Broken and dilapidated pillars lay across their path.[/i] [b]Bubbles-[/b] There it is! [i]Bubbles points at a doorway up ahead.[/i] [i]The group breaks into a sprint as they jump, glide, and lift themselves over the rubble. Behind them, Golgoroth charges through the pillars, sending debris flying past the guardians. Violet takes a glance behind her, only to see the raid boss lift one of the pillars into the air.[/i] [b]Violet-[/b] DUCK! [i]The students duck down the as pillar flies over their heads, grazing past them and crashing into the ground. After jumping over the thrown debris, they make their way into Golgoroth's Lair, jumping down into the muddy pit below. Storm points at the archway on the other side.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] There's a door in the way! We're stuck here! [b]Strike-[/b] Not for long. Just follow my lead. [i]Strike leaps to the front of the group and sprints full speed ahead, Nightly still in-hand. Arc energy swirls around her as she dashes forward, Shoulder Charging through the door in a blast of blue lightning. As soon as they step through, Golgoroth crashes right into the doorway. The students look back at the Raid boss, who was now stuck in the large doorframe.[/i] [b]Solis-[/b] Haha! Who's the fat one NOW! [i]The raid boss roared at the Sunbreaker, sending him flying into the wall.[/i] [i]The students took a deep breath as they sat themselves down, still panting from the chase. Nightly shifted herself off of Strike's shoulder.[/i] [b]Nightly-[/b] Ugh, my head. [i]The Nightstalker lowered herself onto the ground.[/i] [b]Strike-[/b] Well look who it is. [i]Violet knelt down beside the Hunter.[/i] [b]Violet-[/b] You scared the crap out of us. [i]Nightly laughed.[/i] [b]Nightly-[/b] I'll bet... I'd be dead if it weren't for you guys. [i]Violet smiled.[/i] [b]Violet-[/b] Anytime. [i]Flint stood up.[/i] [b]Flint-[/b] Can we keep going? That Fun Run was a blast, but it's high time we finished this raid. [i]Storm held up her hand.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Not yet. I need to ask our big friend over here a couple questions. [i]Storm stepped in front of the Ogre, who was no longer stuggling to break free from the doorway, and looked him in the eye.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Hi there. [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Meanie. [b]Storm-[/b] Aw, what's wrong? You hungry for some Guardian? [i]Golgoroth shook his head.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] WHAT?! Why, in all of the f*cking Oversouls, would I wanna eat a Guardian? [i]Storm shrugged.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Maybe because you're an [i]Ogre[/i]? [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Oh, I see. It's cuz I'm an OGRE? Well guess what, you little shit! Your Titan friend back there is BLACK. [i]Solis steps forward.[/i] [b]Solis-[/b] So what? [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Does he eat Thrall? [i]The students remain quiet for a moment.[/i] [b]Sunny-[/b] You know, when you put it like that it actually makes sense... [i]Storm waves off the Sunsinger.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Look, tubby, we need to finish this raid. [b]Gogloroth-[/b] Fat chance. [b]Storm-[/b] Just LISTEN to me.... There's someone else here. In the raid. And whoever they are, they're powerful... Hell, they're already ahead of us. [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Wait, you mean the crimson guy, right? [i]The students turn to the Ogre in shock.[/i] [b]Blades-[/b] You saw him?! [i]Golgoroth shrugged.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] I got a glance, yeah. He looked like a Hunter. Average height. Crimson armor. Wore a black and blue cloak. [b]Storm-[/b] But how did he make it past you? [i]Golgoroth looked at the doorway he was currently stuck inside.[/i] [b]Gogloroth-[/b] His little robot picked the lock. Snuck right past me before I could even run after him. [b]Storm-[/b] Which way did he go? [i]The Ogre motioned to the path behind them.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Back there. To the next Jumping Puzzle. Dumbass is probably still out there scaling the wall. [i]Storm raised an eyebrow. Golgoroth gazed at her.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] What? [b]Storm-[/b] ............ [b]Golgoroth-[/b] WHAT? [i]The Warlock folded her arms.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] I don't suppose you'd know a shortcut? [i]Golgoroth laughed.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] What do I look like, the soup kitchen of intelligence? [b]Storm-[/b] So there IS a shortcut? [i]The Ogre was silent for a moment. Eventually, he spoke up.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] .....Through the passage up ahead. The jumping puzzle is to the right, but continue straight and you'll see a crack in the wall. If you hit the sweet spot, you [i]might[/i] be able to crack open it. [i]Storm looked at Solis and nodded.[/i] [b]Solis-[/b] Hammer time! [i]The Sunbreaker pulled out his hammer, and strode over to the wall. The pounding of rocks and flame blared throughout the hallway.[/i] [i]Storm turned back to the Ogre, who was silent once again.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Thank you.... Why are you helping us, though? Don't you serve Oryx? [i]The Ogre looked down at the ground.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] The Warpriest.... He was my friend.... [i]He chuckled.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] I remember how we used to talk while we waited for guardians to enter our checkpoints.... Had some good times, too! Used to laugh our asses off at how long it took the raiders to figure out our challenges. [i]Storm lowered her gaze.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] And he's dead... Raid bosses can come back, though, right? [i]Golgoroth's laughter echoed through the room.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] You poor, misguided child.... [i]The students all looked at him.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Oryx has the power to bring us back, but only as puppets. No feelings. No love, no anger, no laughter.... It's a life renewed, but not a life worth living.... It's just not ours to live.... [i]The Ogre let out a long, deep sigh.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] That Crimson guy might've killed my friend today, but Oryx took his life a long time ago. [i]He looked up at the Stormcaller and stared into her visor.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] If you learn nothing else, child, learn this: Your friends are your friends. Never be afraid to believe in them.... Because it just might be the last time you do. [i]After a brief moment of silence, Storm nodded.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] Yeah... [i]She turned around and looked at Strike. Strike looked back at her.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] I believe. [i]Golgoroth shifted his body, pulling himself out from the door and back into his lair. Rocks tumbled down from the ceiling as he stood up on the other side. The Ogre looked at them through the doorway.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Go on, brats. Finish what you started. [i]Storm looked up at him and smiled.[/i] [b]Storm-[/b] You can count on it. [i]Solis smashed his hammer against the wall one last time. With a loud, thundering crack, the wall tumbled down and onto the ground, opening up a new path in front of them.[/i] [b]Solis-[/b] Done! [b]Blades-[/b] Took long enough. [i]Blades turned to Storm and motioned towards the path ahead.[/i] [b]Blades-[/b] Ladies first. [i]The Warlock grinned, stepping into the newly-opened hallway. The rest of the group followed after her, with Blades and Solis entering last.[/i] [b]-----------------[/b] [i]Back in the other room, Golgoroth watched as the group drew further and further into the shadows. He began to make his way back into his lair, but at a second glance, he noticed something peculiar about one of the students. He looked at one Hunter in particular, who strode along next to the Sunbreaker at the back of the group. On the Hunter was a black and blue cloak, waving in the breeze as he walked.[/i] [b]Golgoroth-[/b] Black and blue...