The Raven Part 5: Hell On Earth

Chapter 12

Jake walked beside Alexis with Beth and Pam close behind them. The conversation and small talk had finally died down. Alexis leaned in and whispered, "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Would it matter if I said yes?" he asked.

"What's your plan for dealing with Goth?" she asked, "I mean, I know we gotta deal with Dorothy first, but are you really gonna be able to stand up to her?"

"I'm out of second chances," he replied, "I trusted her, helped her, and she's betrayed me again. She used me and I'm through letting other people suffer because of me. I'll use the power I got from Lilith and Ashley to bring her down."

"Yeah, that sounds great on paper, but I've seen you in action against her," she whispered, trying her best to exclude Beth and Pam from overhearing her, "I'm not trying to get under you skin, I swear, I'm just wondering if you'll be able to actually stand your ground against her this time."

"I don't have a choice," he said after a moment of silence, "Too many people are counting on me for me to back down. She won't stop, I know that now. I should have let Beth put her down when we had the chance."

"Jeez, that's dark for you, birdie," Alexis said before adding, "You know that whatever happens, those two will stand with you, right?"

"What about you?" he asked.

"Eh, depends on the mood I'm in," she replied honestly, "Our goals align right now, but even I can't see the future. For now, though, I'm with you all in this. Once Dorothy is finished, who knows what's gonna happen. I'm kinda curious to see who this new group is, to be honest."

Beth and Pam couldn't hear Jake and Alexis, but they could see them whispering back and forth. Beth hadn't let go of Pam's hand since their battle with the scavers. It felt good to have her girlfriend close once again. "What do you think they're talking about?" she asked.

"My guess is Rebecca," Pam replied, "Just based on the tension I feel from Jake. His demeanor shifts whenever her name is brought up, and I can feel guilt mixing with anger inside of him. I know you're still mad at him for helping her, but he really does harbor a deep amount of regret for what he's done. He only did it because she manipulated him into thinking that she would change once she got her powers back."

"That doesn't make him any less of an idiot for doing it," Beth said.

"Consider this, if you will," Pam said, trying to help her pet understand her friend's situation, "If I lost my powers, spiraled into a depression, and was on the verge of a breakdown, what would you do? Would you tell me to deal with it, or would you try to help me regain the missing piece of myself?"

"That's not fair," Beth replied, "You're not some sociopathic bitch with a God complex."

"There was a time when you saw me as just that," Pam said, "You're not answering my question, Kitten, what would you do?"

Beth sighed, she knew the answer and knew that Pam already knew as well, "I'd do whatever it took to get you better."

"Why?" Pam asked.

"Because I love you and last I checked you love me," Beth said, stating the obvious.

"His situation is a parallel to that exactly," Pam said, "He loves her, even if it hurts him, he still does, and I promise you that she loves him as well."

"She's got a fucked up way of showing it," Beth said.

"I know that it doesn't make sense and by no means is anything she's done right, but everything she's done has been out of love," Pam said before trying to explain further, "There's a story she told to all of us who were initiates that I'll tell you once we get out of here. It's the tale of how she came to start her descent into madness and her rise to power. I never realized until after I'd ascended that the tale was actually about her. Imagine, centuries of loss, failure, and loneliness, and tell me you wouldn't struggle to keep your mind intact."

"You sound like you feel sorry for her," Beth said.

"In a way I do," Pam replied, "It's part of the reason why I continued to try to maintain a friendship with her. Yes, I owe the person I became to her, but more than that she was alone for so long. Everyone needs someone, Kitten. Look at yourself and tell me otherwise."

Beth had never once thought of Goth as a sympathetic character; to her, she'd always been another psychopath. Then again, she had felt the same way about Alexis before everything began. It didn't erase the things that either of them had done, but maybe there was more than one side to them. She found herself curious to hear the story that Pam mentioned, but it would have to wait until they'd dealt with immediate threats. "How much further, Alexis?" Beth asked.

"Mm, this tunnel system should lead to a facility just outside of the The Spire," Alexis replied, "Once we get there, we should be able to bypass some of the outer security through the ventilation systems. We're close, I can hear the distant screams of new arrivals above us."

"That's a little unsettling," Jake said.

"After processing, each arrival I'd assigned a different level of torment to endure," Alexis explained, "The Well is what powers the majority of Hell's cities, but the suffering of individuals also helps to generate additional power. It's not that different from the power grids back on Earth."

"This place is fucked," Beth said.

Alexis shrugged, "It's Hell, a place of eternal torment and torture. What did you expect?"

"I don't know, nothing good, but this is awful," Beth replied before asking, "What do you mean when you say The Well?"

"The Well is the primary source of power for all of Hell, and more importantly the place where the person in charge draws their power," Alexis explained, "In this case, Dorothy, but there have been others who used The Well to further their own agenda. Lilith herself used it centuries ago before Goth screwed her out of her position. Any soul that dies a painful or traumatic death, or the ones that have been primed through torture, are sent directly to The Well. Demons and magic users on Earth often try to exploit it and funnel the energy from the souls into their own being. The result varies, but the one thing that remains is that anyone who does receives a significant boost in all abilities."

"So they just suck in those that died?" Beth asked, "What happens to their consciousness?"

"Exactly, and that is something that there is only speculation and theories about," Alexis replied, "Some think it's the closest a tormented soul can come to peace, but others believe it is a whole other level of pain and suffering."

"What do you think?" Jake asked.

"Me?" Alexis asked with a scoff, "I think that being used as a cog in a machine for someone else's gain is a shitty way to spend eternity. I think it's like being a battery, you're just getting continually squeezed so that someone else can use your life-force. My gut tells me that the only thing left is pain."

"That's horrible," Beth said with a shiver, "We have to put a stop to that!"

"We can't destroy The Well, but we can get rid of Dorothy," Alexis said, "The Well existed long before any demon conquered Hell, and it'll be here long after whatever domain is in place falls. That's just the way it is."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Beth asked.

"No, there's nothing any of you can do to stop what's to come," a familiar and cold voice said, "But don't worry, you'll all see what happens to souls soon enough first hand!"

The turned to see Analise slowly rise from the ground, "What are you doing here?" Jake asked, "We're upholding our end of the bargain with your mother."

"Silence, boy!" Analise snapped, "That deal wasn't with me, and I'm afraid I have no reason to honor it. Your soul may be mother's, but your little friends are fair game for my sister and I."

A crazed laugh echoed around them as Cherrie zipped through the air around them, "Playtime!" she cheered as she came to rest beside Analise, "I'm~ going~ to~ break~ you~!"

"You're going against Lilith?!" Jake asked.

"Mother has made the mistake of trusting humans before, and just look at where it got her!" Analise barked, "She's a shell of her former glory, a pale imitation of the queen she once was!"

"So you're going behind her back, and you're going to try to use us to get in with Dorothy," Alexis said, "Clever, but predictable. What's your plan for when Dorothy falls? Also, weren't there three of you lunatics?"

"Our sister has chosen to remain with our foolish mother," Analise replied, "We don't need her to deal with you four pathetic dogs, and I'm afraid that the only way you'll see Dorothy is when she's preparing your souls for The Well!"

"Clearly, you two have no idea who you're dealing with," Alexis said with a smirk, "I guess we could use a warmup, though, so why don't get this over with?"

"Oh I am going to enjoy cutting the tongue out of your smart mouth, girl!" Analise said as she held out her hands and two crescent blades formed, "Cherrie, the traitor is mine. Do what you please with the other three, but remember that we need them for Dorothy."

"Yes, sister, I remember," Cherrie giggled as she spawned two of her own blades, "Who's ready to play?"

"Goddamnit, I'm picking the next place we visit!" Beth yelled as she and everyone prepared to take on the two specters.

Alexis moved ahead of everyone to try to intercept Analise, while Cherrie weaved around her to focus on the others. She leapt into the air with a flying kick aimed at Analise, but the ghostly woman easily dodged before slashing at her back. The end of her hook sliced into Alexis' back, but Alexis wasn't phased by the wound. She grimaced from the pain, but she quickly spun around and prepared to counter Analise's next attack. The sadistic brunette gave a wicked grin as she lunged forward and swung one of her blades in a downward arc. Alexis leaned back to avoid the edge of the curved blade, and quickly tried to punch Analise. She was forced to change her attack when Analise tried to catch her arm in the crook of the blade, and with blinding speed she launched into a roundhouse kick to Analise's midsection that sent the ghostly girl stumbling back.

Whereas Analise seemed more calculating in her attacks, Cherrie was much more wild and mobile. She cackled as she zoomed around Jake, Pam, and Beth swinging her blades wildly anytime she got near them. It made her impossible to track, and she managed to evade Pam's magic. Beth didn't even bother trying to shoot at her, and her and Jake were forced on the defensive. Blocking and attempting to parry her blades was all they could do with their weapons. Pam's cloak wrapped itself around her whenever Cherrie got close, but her blades slowly ate away at the crimson fabric.

"Stand still, you psycho!" Beth yelled as she took a swing at her with her sword.

"Naughty, naughty girl~," Cherrie mocked as she spun through the air to avoid getting struck, "Doesn't your mistress teach you manners?"

Pam raised her hands to bring up her chains in an attempt to lead and subdue Cherrie, but she phased through them before they could wrap around her. "Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard," Pam remarked as she continued trying to either lash at her or seize her, "Don't question my methods of training, you demonic filth!"

"Oo, you're a mouthy one too~," Cherrie mocked, "Mouthy toys get punished~!"

Jake put away his escrima sticks and swapped them for his blessed birdarangs. He threw a few to force Cherrie to break her charge for Pam, but he waited until he recognized the mad girl's pattern before throwing the rest. They embedded themselves in her legs and ripped part of her gown. They were treated to a shriek of pain before a horrific sight. Cherrie's exposed leg looked to be a charred black, but what was more unsettling was the faces that shifted across the skin. Pained expressions of anguish that morphed around her body, and a sickening green light radiated from her exposed leg.

"What the hell are you?" Jake asked.

"Bad boy!" Cherrie exclaimed as her eyes locked on Jake," That hurt, and to think I was going to play with you in a nice way! Come here, you little whelp!"

She launched herself at Jake with her blades positioned in scissor-like cross. He rolled out of the way, and Pam capitalized on her distracted state by coiling her chains around Cherrie. "Beth, now!" Pam yelled.

Beth nodded as she moved in to slice Cherrie in half. Before she could ubsheathe her sword, Cherrie growled and released a surprising shockwave of green energy that knocked the three of them back. The force was enough to dispell Pam's chains, and Cherrie was left standing amongst the magical embers. She let out a long slow laugh that bubbled up into a cackle, "Such rude and hurtful little playthings, hehehe, let me teach you just what the difference is between you and I!"

Her body began glowing and emitting wispy strands of black smoke. Jake, Beth, and Pam could only watch as Cherrie continued cackling and glowing brighter. Pam could feel a change in the air as a strong current of air began swirling around them. Cherrie's gown of smokey energy lifted ever so slightly and they could see those tormented faces on her legs. Faint screams and pained moans started to fill the air alongside Cherrie's crazed cackling. The sight was unsettling, especially when her hair began fluttering in the rising updraft. Those eerie faces started leaving her body in the form of green orbs that cried out in pain. They flew around all of them, seemingly aimless, until they started slamming into the walls.

Alexis and Analise had been busy trying to best the other in combat, with neither succeeding in gaining the upper hand. They both paised their fight when Cherrie's energy began filling the room. Analise grinned while Alexis looked past her to watch as the air around Cherrie changed, "Looks like your little friends woke the darker side of my lovely sister. It isn't often that Cherrie forgos her bubbly nature like this. You and your little friends are in for a real treat, girl."

Alexis tried to ignore Analise and focus on their fight, but the air around them was feeling heavier, darker, more sinister. She had a bad feeling about whatever was happening, and she decided to try to end things with Analise quickly. She tried to take advantage of Analise's slightly distracted state by grabbing one of her wrists. She needed to disarm the sadistic girl, if only by one weapon. Analise growled in response and drove the edge of her blade into Alexis' shoulder. Alexis cried out in pain, but refused to let go of Analise's wrist. As much as it hurt, she threw herself into a backflip and kicked Analise in the jaw with her foot. The edge of the hook was ripped out of her arm, but she managed to cause Analise to drop one of her blades. Blood rolled down her wounded arm and droplets of crimson splattered along the ground at their feet.

"You little bitch!" Analise growled as she regained her footing, "How dare you strike me?!"

Alexis quickly scooped up the black curved blade with her good arm before replying, "You let your guard down, princess, s'not my fault you're sloppy and arrogant."

The two women launched themselves at each other and locked blades. Sparks flew along the cavern as they parried one another. Alexis was left with one good arm, but she was a skilled martial artist. Losing one limb just meant that she would have to rely more on her others. She waited for an opening before throwing a spinning sidekick to knock Analise off balance. Before she could capitalize, however, one of the souls from Cherrie flew between the two of them. It slammed into the wall and caused the stone to explode. The debris was coated in an eerie green glow before launching itself at Alexis. She was forced to bat away the rocks, and Analise was given the perfect opportunity to close the gap and attack. Alexis barely managed to roll out of the way of a swing aimed at her stomach.

"Where's that tough talk now, girl?!" Analise taunted.

Jake, Beth, and Pam were dodging the steady stream of tormented souls that were coming from Cherrie. The wispy smoke of her gown continued to roll down around her and rise up. The bubbly maniac from only moments ago was quickly changing into something more sinister and menacing. Without warning, she began spinning around in a smokey whirlwind with her blades positioned outward. The souls reacted to her movement and started encircling her, their screams continuing to grow in volume as they did. They wrapped around her blades as she swept through the three of them, and if it weren't for Pam casting a barrier spell around them they'd have been sliced to ribbons by the spinning sociopath.

Pam felt the combined weight and might of Cherrie's soul enhanced blades causing her barrier to waver. She called out to her emotions, and they responded by gifting her with a significant boost in power. Her own body began to glow as every side of herself joined together to unlock her latent energy. Her cloak billowed out around her as her body became encased in glistening purple energy. It acted as an extension of herself, and it lifted her into the air as she prepared to lash out at Cherrie. The souls of the damned were drawn to her, though, and they swarmed her to prevent her from unleashing her transcendent might on Cherrie. She could feel them sapping her power as they swirled around her like flying leeches. They weren't working as a distraction, they were draining her of her energy!

While Pam was preoccupied with the souls encircling her, Jake and Beth were left to deal with Cherrie's frenzied assault. Jake had quickly retrieved his escrima sticks and was using them to fend off Cherrie's flurry of attacks. She was fast, incredibly fast. Her laughter grew in volume as she attacked and countered the two of them. Anytime Beth would try to surprise her, Cherrie would whirl around and knock her sword away with her own. It was like she could sense whenever either of then would make a move, anticipating and evading with ease. Both of them were becoming increasingly frustrated and worried by the change within the manic girl.

"Don't tell me this is too much for you?" she mocked, "I thought after toppling Abaddon, you'd at least put up some kind of fight. This is pathetic!"

"Shut up, you ugly bitch!" Beth roared as she swung her sword at her only for Cherrie to catch it between her own.

"Awe, poor wittle girl," she laughed, "So slow, so weak, and such a foul mouth!"

Alexis and Analise were locked in a battle that prevented either from aiding their team. Alexis could hear Cherrie mocking Beth, and she could see Pam struggling to deal with the souls that served Cherrie. She wasn't sure what was more intriguing, the swarm of souls from Cherrie or whatever it was Pam was doing. She picked up speed as she spun Analise's blade in her good hand to block an incoming attack and tried to land another kick, but Analise anticipated it and blocked. Alexis was surprised when a blast of green energy that Analise released from her free hand. It created the opening that she needed, and with a vicious swing she sliced into Alexis' stomach. The wound wasn't too deep, but the damage was already done. Alexis was just barely able to parry a swing aimed at her throat.

The situation was quickly going from bad to worse. Abaddon had been a titan, but she'd been overconfident and slow. These two were skilled, calculating, wild, and dangerous. They were full of themselves, but they had an element of surprise and mystery about them that made them next to impossible to read. "What's wrong, girl?" Analise taunted, "Don't tell me you're already out of steam!"

"Fuck you," Alexis spat as she took a deep breath and blocked out the pain before taking a fighting stance, "I'm just warming up, you ugly lacky."

"That's more like it!" Analise exclaimed as she rushed forward and resumed her assault.

Pam was in trouble. She didn't understand how she was doing it, but the souls around her were funneling her power into Cherrie. The more power she exuded, the stronger Cherrie seemed to become. She had two options, continue trying to fend off the souls, or she could try something much riskier. It would undoubtedly boost Cherrie's strength further, but it would rid herself and the others or these troublesome souls. She didn't see another option. If she continued like this, then Jake and Beth would exhaust themselves before the fight was finished. At least this way, they stood a chance together. She'd overload the soul siphoners with an explosive wave of her own power.

She focused all of her energy inward. She could feel a ball of warmth building in her chest that slowly started to spread through her. She poured everything she had into it before letting it all out. A tremendous burst of energy exploded from her and the green orbs were filled until they burst. The subsequent wave of energy that shot out of her knocked everyone back. Analise and Alexis sent flying off their feet, and Jake, Beth, and Cherrie were blown back as well. This was the opening she needed, but she hadn't anticipated the sheer drain that followed her sudden exertion. The glow surrounding her body was gone, and she had to fight to stay on her feet. Her cloak dug into the ground to keep her on her feet, but even it was struggling to support her.

"Ugh, you little whore!" Cherrie exclaimed as she regained her composure, "I'm going to break you for what you did to my pets!"

Beth was forced down to one knee from the unexpected blast from Pam, but Jake recovered quick enough. Cherrie was rushing towards Pam who, despite her abilities, seemed more exhausted than she or Jake. Jake used his enhanced speed to intercept Cherrie, but she quickly drove the end of her blade into his shoulder and drug him behind her. She threw him into Pam before hovering over the two of them. She watched as her hands began glowing along with her eyes and mouth. She could only watch as Cherrie literally began draining the life from the two of them. She got her feet and tried to move, but found herself paralyzed with an unexplainable fear.

"Do you wish to save them?" she heard the spirit of her sword ask.

Desperate, she thought back, "More than anything, I can't lose them again."

"Then place your hand on my hilt and let me in," the spirit replied.

She didn't know what else to do. The love of her life and her best friend were in danger, so she put her faith in the spirit of the sword in her left hand. She could feel a cool energy radiating off of the sword as she clasped her hand on the hilt, and time seemed to slow to a halt as she gripped it. She saw an image of a great warrior wandering the wastes of Hell, battling beside a river of boiling blood. The warrior's armor was a deep shade of cobalt blue, and he stood alone against thousands of demons that surrounded him. He moved with demonic speed and aggression as he cut himself a path through the demons that circled around him. Then, just as quickly as it came, the vision was gone and time began to move again.

A violent pulse of energy rushed out from Beth and knocked both Cherrie and Analise to the ground. "What's this?" Cherrie asked as she got to her feet, "Is the little girl finally ready to fight?"

Beth didn't answer as she felt herself becoming overrun with power. She took a step forward and felt something pull at her limbs. Her eyes glowed a bright bluish white as she walked, "Get away from them," she ordered in a strange dual toned voice.

"Annoying little slave girl," Analise spat, "Playing with powers that aren't yours and are far beyond your comprehension and control! Who are you to speak to us in such a manner?!"

Analise left Alexis, bleeding and tired, to rush towards Beth. She was shocked when Beth managed to not only block her attack, but she drew her sword with blinding speed and cut her across the chest. Analise stumbled back as she felt the raw power of the sword cut through both her gown and her chest. She glared at Beth who had a large figure looming over her. The spirit of the Northwind Blade was with her, standing over her and mirroring her movements. She was distracted by the sight and Beth rammed the pommel of her sword into her jaw before deftly sliding it back into its scabbard. Analise recoiled from the surprise blow, and moved closer to her sister as she realized that Beth was more dangerous than they'd previously considered.

Cherrie flew around her sister in an attempt to use the influx of power she'd siphoned from Pam on Beth. She was faster in this state, but Beth easily parried her attacks and created an opening that allowed her to land several quick successive slashes. Cherrie recoiled from the pain and shrieked, "What's happened to the cute little toy from before?! Sister, help me show this one her place!"

"With pleasure," Analise snarled as she and Cherrie prepared a tandem attack against Beth.

Alexis watched as Lilith's daughters rushed her friend and attempted to overwhelm her. Amazingly, Beth held her own against the two of them with ease. Not even their surprise bursts of soul energy could throw her off balance, and with pinpoint accuracy she fended off the two girls. She batted away an overhead strike from Cherrie, kicked Analise away from her, and released a sudden burst of furious energy in the form of a slash from her blade that knocked the two of them away again. Whatever was in that sword was giving her the upper hand in this fight. She'd barely managed to hold her own against Analise, but Beth was single handedly battling the pair with ease!

Beth let the spirit of the Northwind Blade into her, and from that moment it was as if time was slowed. It was too easy to spot the patterns in both women, and more than once she fended them off without having to unsheathe her sword. This time she was aware of the spirit behind her, guiding her movements and lending its strength to her. She'd finish these two off, save her friends, and the four of them would break out of Hell after defeating Dorothy. Nothing was going to stop her this time. There was a power building in her sword, and she waited until both girls had been pushed back before releasing it. A flash of blinding blue light shot out and pulverized the two of them. They were sent flying into the wall and landed beside Jake and Pam. All she had to do was land the killing blow and this would finally be over.

"Ugh, she's too strong!" Cherrie exclaimed, "We have to retreat, sister!"

Analise glared at Beth before nodding at Cherrie, "We take these two, and come back for the others after we've recovered. They should be more than enough to earn us a place beside Dorothy."

Beth's eyes widened as she charged forward, "No!"

It was too late. Analise and Cherrie grabbed her girlfriend and friend before phasing into the ground with their weakened bodies. They were gone just as Beth sliced through the wall they'd been pinned against only a second ago. She'd failed. She clutched her sword and fought back tears of pain and anger. She heard the spirit of her sword call out to her once again, "All is not lost, child. You fought valiantly, but they are cowards too afraid of finishing what they started. We find them, break them, and save your love and your comrade."

Beth fell to her knees and drove the blade into the dirt in anger, "What if we're too late?" she asked aloud.

"Are you that quick to admit defeat?" the spirit asked.

"No," she said adamantly, "But I can't lose them, not again."

"Then we won't," the spirit said, "You have my blessing, girl, at least for now. Invoke my name when the time is right, and I shall come to aid you in your battle."

"What are you?" she whispered.

"Sborra of the Northwind," the sword answered, "A warrior who ventured into Hell to save his people from death and destruction at the hands of a demon. My battle was fought and won, but you still have many more left. Show me you have the will of a true warrior. Stand, fight, and protect those that you care about!"

Alexis had watched the entire scene unfold. Beth had had them, but those bitches had fled before she could finish them. She was furious that they'd taken Jake, but she knew that Beth was just as upset. She limped over to her, "Beth, we'll save them and make those freaky cunts pay for what they've done."

"You're hurt," Beth said as she looked up and saw the blood on Alexis' midsection and arm, "We have to get you patched up."

"I'll be fine," Alexis replied, waving her off, "Perks of being here as long as I have, I'll heal up quick enough. Just like old times, you and me against a mad woman and her army, eh?"

"We're not losing this time," Beth said, "You're sure you can circumvent the security to get us in?"

"Doubt my badge still works, but in the worst case scenario we do just like we did at the Castle," Alexis replied.

"I'm not leaving you to die again," Beth said.

"I'm stronger this time, and I got my shit together….relatively speaking that is," Alexis said, trying to reassure her, "You got a better shot at saving them with that sword and that spirit thingy you got. If it comes down to it, I'll take care of the goons while you deal with Dorothy and those soul eating sisters. We're not losing them. Trust me, I know how much it hurts losing someone you love."

Beth nodded and got to her feet before sheathing her sword, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Did you ever think the two of us would be working together like this?"

"Footgirl and Catgirl?" Alexis laughed, "Not on this level, no, but I'm glad we are. You're actually pretty cool, and your girlfriend is pretty badass. I might not be able to get the love of my life, but I'm not letting you lose yours. Wow, what is happening to me? Did I really just say something selfless?"

Beth couldn't help but laugh at her zany friend, "Guess we're rubbing off on each other. You once told me we weren't so different, and I told you that you were wrong. Truth is, after months thinking about it, I think the two of us have more in common than either of us realized."

"We both have a foot fetish," Alexis said.

Beth's cheeks turned red as she snapped, "Not what I meant!" she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was dealing with an unstable woman, "We're both determined to succeed, ready to fight for what we believe in, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to win."

"That's true, but we both do have a foot fetish too," Alexis said.

"Just….come on, you nutjob," Beth said with a sigh, "Win or lose, we do this together."

"Together," Alexis repeated as they started their walk back towards The Spire, "I actually like the sound of that. Let's go kick some demon ass!"