Execution

Three days have passed since the battle of copper hill. Out of the sixteen hundred men who joined the revolution over six hundred have been injured, and two hundred forty seven have died. Among the dead is the right hand of Talon, his body may still be at copper hill, yet Talon stares blankly at a pile of stones that represents his friend's grave.

Aqua and Skull oversee him from a distance.

"I should have stayed, it wouldn't have ended like this." He faces the ground from the outskirts of a makeshift camp.

"No. If you stayed, you would have died as well. Benit knew how important you are, that's why he fought Whip alone." Aqua attempts to comfort Skull, but he's too drained from the regret to listin. They snap to attention as Talon approaches.

"Aqua, are all the injured being taken care of?"

"Y-yes sir!" She stands in anticipation for what he needs done.

"Please, with Benit gone, you and Skull are the only one's I can firmly rely on. There's no need to be so formal any more." He rubs his tired eyes, and wiped off the sweat from under his mask.

"O-okay." She softens her voice, unsure of what to say.

"Skull, Benit was working on something special for you." Skull's attention is fully grasped, as he looks up to Talon. "He managed to finish it, however it's over at the old base. We'll have to go over there sometime, just the three of us." He takes a glance at the rocks.

"But before that, I have reason to believe we have a mole."

"Who in the hell is it?" Skull's face darkens as he stands.

The shadow of a man lurks nearby. A pair of eyes widened behind red tinted glasses. This figure, with a metallic arm, picks up a dagger.

"Get your hands off of me!" As everyone's attention is taken by this commotion, the stealthy figure disappears into the forest.

Two people drag Herbert out of the forest as another points a spear at him. "I said let go of me!" Herbert notices the trio approach and begins to panic.

"Quincy, can you explain what's going on?" Talon ignores the writhing Herbert.

"Yes sir! You see, Herbert was not present among the injured, or even those who fought at copper hill. Now we see him, while patrolling camp parameters, spying on you." The spear woman straightens up.

"W-well I didn't want to go anywhere near that monster, but I-I was also searching for you for the past few days, you guys left to go train without me." He looks up from his knees, his face seems full of genuine terror. "W-where's Benit, I told him I'd be out." He looks around as the sweat drips from his face.

"Benit died from an ambush at the training grounds." Talon's words stun Herbert.

Herbert cracks a smile and begins to laugh. "That egotistical ass-hole had it com-" Herbert is cut short by Skull, who snatches him by the throat.

A flash of lightning strikes behind Skull, the sparks fade into the image of a dragon. Skull raises Herbert off the ground, Aqua moves next to Talon as they wait to see what Skull does.

"W-what are you?" Herbert can barely get the words out as Skull slowly chokes him.

"I know exactly what traitorous scum like you deserve!" Lightning comes out from Skull's eyes and arc around the dragon. The dragon moves over Skull, mouth agape, the dangerous carnivorous teeth descend upon Herbert. When it snaps its jaw shut against Herbert's neck, a blast of electrical power courses through him. His blood-curdling scream fills the midday sky. Skull sets down the unmoving and charred Herbert.

"I-is he still alive?" The spear woman named Quincy is shaken by the example of Skull's power.

"Not for long." The dragon fades away as Skull then grips the sides of Herbert's face. Leaning in close, Skull gives a shout of force as the black ooze erupts from his gloves and pours out of his face. Herbert falls completely to the ground, this time there could be no way for him to survive.

"Skull." The concern is obvious on Aqua's face, as she holds close to Talon.

"It's alright Aqua, if he hadn't done that then I would have, and many of our valued members may have been put off by that." Talon's eyes never leave Skull, as Aqua looks up to him she begins to understand.

The pair watch Skull. He doesn't move for a while, until suddenly a bolt soars through the air, Skull catches it before turning the direction it came from. They all look over to the forest to see Whip and his army charging the camp.

With a booming sound Skull throws the bolt, it collides mid-air with another directly in front of Aqua. "Aqua, go defend the injured. You three go with her." He points to Aqua and the three scouts.

"Wait, but … okay, just don't get all shaky again." After a brief moment of hesitation, Aqua smiles at Skull.

Skull watches as she runs over to the camp. "It looks like you trust her skills more now." Talon puts a hand on Skull's shoulder.

"We don't need the three of us to fight him." Skull points towards Whip, who begins walking to them.

"Let's tear this shit head apart." Talon draws his dagger as he stands besides Skull.

Whip directs some of his soldiers to attack the pair. As the fodder approaches, Skull and Talon don't hesitate to butcher them. Skull catches one by the face, directly blasting them with the black ooze, he then picks up their sword. Any close to Talon seems to be shredded to ribbons by a spiraling wind. Crossbows are ineffective against them, as the bolts are splintered by the wind and lightning. One spear-man attempts to attack Skull, only to be cleaved apart from under the shoulder.

"W-we stand no chance." The soldiers look to Whip for answers. Whip is shocked as he sees the rooster and dragon flash behind the two. His surprise quickly turns to wrath, beside his arms, long and hairy limbs appear for a glimpse, after they disappear his muscles begin to bulge. Whip extends his claws as he assaults the pair with his tentacles.

He continues the barrage as he closes in on them. "Careful Skull, this is how the bastard got Benit."

"Oh? Then we'll see how he handles this." The dragon reappears, grasping onto Skull as lightning surges around it. As the dragon coils around Skull, Whip attacks him with both tentacles. Whip stagers back from a sudden discharge, gripping his head, he looks up to see what injured him. Skull stands confidently within an electrical barrier, created from the dragon.

Whip stairs at Skull for a moment, before his arms and tentacles split apart, they quickly heal, forming two sets each. He screams in rage as the face of an ape, filled with equal wrath, appears in front of his own.

Whip leaps towards Skull, ignoring an arc of lightning that directly hits him. A great burst of wind knocks him off course.

Strange black lines cover Whip's body as his tentacles split apart again and stretch further out. Skull braces himself as eight tentacles cut through the air towards him.