Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Captain Britain Corps

"ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME!" Ricky yelled all while laughing at the absurdity of it all, gazing at the coven completely divided.

This united front had unknowingly split into two factions, one group becoming tourists from San Francisco, and the other missionaries from North Dakota.

"You have to understand, this about principles-"

"What principles, you're an atheist, why do you want to be a missionary!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

"ENOUGH!" Ricky's voice thundered over theirs, silencing the squabble as they all turned to face him as the sun dipped behind him, casting long shadows as he reached into his pocket.

"Heads or tails." Ricky said, holding up a quarter as both sides frowned, not wanting their precious sides reduced to a mere 50/50 split.

"This-"

"Heads. Or. Tails." Ricky wasn't asking anymore as his tone carried the weight of finality, his patience long worn thin.

The gathered warlocks and witches exchanged hesitant glances, their stubborn debate now at a standstill and slowly, their eyes drifted back to him, knowing they had no real choice.

"Heads."

"Tails."

5 minutes later,

Night crept in, yet the streets remained eerily empty, the only figures moving through the dimly lit paths being the gathered coven members.

"This is suspicious," Cedric muttered, his eyes sweeping over the eerily vacant streets as it was too convenient, too unnatural, for an entire bustling city to be this empty.

"Wow, good observation, Captain Obvious." Ricky laughed, striding forward without a care, masking the fact that he'd nearly had a mental breakdown just moments ago.

Honestly, Ricky didn't care anymore as he had long since stopped expecting the unexpected and instead kept his guard up all the time now, silently navigating the empty street.

Ricky was already exhausted, his patience as thin as dental floss as he walked with a blood debt that he was desperate to cash in, eager to vent the accumulated stress clawing at his nerves.

Huff

Huff

Huff

The sound of ragged breaths reverberated through the empty street as a man burst from the corner, moving with unnatural speed. 

His entire body was drenched in blood, skin pale as death, head ducked low but what caught Ricky's eye first were his fingernails, sharp, yellowed, almost claw-like as he charged straight toward him.

"Hi, we're missionaries from North Dakota-OUCH!" Dexter introduced loudly, only to get punched in the shoulder by a nearby warlock, who shot him a disapproving glare.

The reason being when the man's face jerked upwards, revealing his fangs, which protruded from his blood-soaked lips. 

His eyes, desperate and strained, locked onto Ricky, who simply raised an eyebrow in response.

'That's it!' The man thought, his pupils narrowing as he surged forward with a burst of superhuman speed, closing the distance in a flash.

Reaching out his hand, it felt as if everything could be solved if his grimy, yellow fingernails could just grab onto the flesh of the man in front of him. 

In almost a second, the distance closed as he lunged, ready to sink his claws into his target. 

But just before his fingertips could make contact, he saw Ricky snarl, his eyes flashing with not fury, but disgust.

BAM

The vampire didn't even register it at first as his face jerked to the side, a sharp crack echoing in the air, before the undead nerves in his cheek finally acknowledged the impact. 

Ricky's fist had already crashed into his face, rippling the skin around his cheek with the force of the blow. 

The vampire was sent tumbling backwards, disoriented, his mind struggling to catch up with the sudden pain.

"Clip your f*cking nails," Ricky spat, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the vampire in front of him. 

The man's grotesque, yellowed fingernails seemed to be the least of his problems, but Ricky couldn't help the disgust crawling up his spine at how this guy couldn't trim his damn nails.

"You-..........YOU BASTARD-" The vampire coughed up a mouthful of black blood, disoriented before regaining himself as rage flooded into his eyes before Ricky cocked back his fist once again.

BAM

CRACK

Black blood flushed out of his nose, the vampire crumbling to the ground like a sack of potatoes before Ricky stood over him with a frown.

"Why? Why would you just try to attack me again after I literally sent you tumbling seconds before?" Ricky genuinely asked, his voice laced with incredulity as he watched the vampire flailing around on the ground, clutching his face.

"You broke my nose~" the vampire whined, his voice muffled as he winced from the pain, clearly more upset about the broken nose than the fact he'd just been knocked on his ass.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here." Ricky muttered, raising up his foot and slamming it into the vampire's stomach.

"You."

BAM

"Are."

BAM

"Cunt."

The vampire's mouth coughed out with a mouthful of blood, the red liquid splattering against the cobblestones as he writhed in pain. 

He couldn't even form coherent words, just gasping for breath as Ricky's foot repeatedly slammed into his stomach. 

The fight had gone from ridiculous to downright pathetic, and Ricky couldn't help but scoff at the vampire's inability to even understand the situation.

"Are you done?" A couple words sounded from the side, the tone feminine and yet, familiar but Ricky was too busy.

"Yeah, hold on." Ricky muttered unconsciously, adjusting his attire before halting as that tone registered in his mind.

"Well, how about that?" Ricky chuckled, turning towards the side to see a familiar woman he hadn't seen in a while.

It was then that, from Ricky's perspective and that of the coven members, who had somehow become reluctant backseat spectators, an unexpected figure emerged. 

A woman slowly stepped out of the alley, drawing the attention of everyone around her.

Rachael Van Helsing.

"Hello, Ricky," Rachael chuckled, her smile warm and inviting as she effortlessly parted the coven members like the Red Sea, making her way toward him.

"Oh, baby, how I've missed you," Ricky said, his voice laced with something between longing and impatience, stepping forward just before she could open those plump lips of hers.

Ricky pulled Rachael into his arms, her protruding belly pressing against his, but he honestly didn't care. 

His hands slid down her backside, landing on her two plump ass cheeks before squeezing firmly as he kissed her deeply, pushing his tongue into her mouth. 

Rachael laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning back as he leaned forward, their bodies melding together in a heated embrace.

"I am confused, is he not with multiple women already-" Boney, dressed in robes to hide his skeletal appearance, asked only for Chuck to slap his head back down.

"You fool, it is common for kings to have several dozen women within a harem, have you not read the sultan books I gave you!" Chuck yelled in a whispering tone, comparing Ricky to a sultan since only someone as impeccable as his master could be such a sovereign ruler with a harem of beautiful women.

"No, I don't read any of the books you give me, they're boring and have no pictures." Boney said, adjusting his skull while promptly responding to him as Cedric felt uncomfortable.

However, even though the other coven members shared this sentiment, Ricky was stronger than them all. 

As their beliefs held true, he could almost do whatever he wanted without much resistance. 

His power was something they could only admire and reluctantly obey, for the strong were allowed to make decisions that the weak had to accept.

If any of them had a problem, all they had to do was be stronger than him to tell him otherwise but it was that reason that none of them spoke a single word, simply turning away and awkwardly whistling.

"Is this guy bothering you, Ms. Rachael?" Suddenly, a voice called out from the alley, the figure of a small boy stepping out from the shadows.

He appeared to be almost a teenager, dressed in a crew cut half top, his features clearly of African descent. 

But there was one unmistakable trait that set him apart, a pair of sharp, glistening fangs seeping from his lips as his eyes locked onto Ricky.

However, his entrance to the scene was met with the slobbering sounds of Ricky continuing to stick his tongue down Rachael's throat.

Cough

"Ms. Rachael," Eric coughed awkwardly, trying to get her attention as her eyelids barely fluttered open, and she side-eyed the disturbance before her eyes widened in recognition.

"O-Oh, Eric, this is the man I was talking about!" Rachael said with an actual blush, surprising Eric who widened his eyes as he pointed at the man currently laying her neck with deep kisses.

"Wait, this is Ricky Luciano, the guy who killed Draucla?!" Eric asked, his voice laced with shock, staring at the man before him, who looked more like a poon hound than a vampire slayer.

"Aye, go buy a pack of cigarettes and get lost," Ricky muttered, tossing a crumpled twenty at Eric's face, shooing him away.

"I'm twelve," Eric replied flatly, his eyes widening as he watched Ricky casually grope Rachael, whose attempts to push him off were met with his chuckles.

"And?" Ricky shrugged, his tone indifferent, since he had been binge drinking since he was eight and couldn't see what the big deal was.

"Stop," Rachael murmured, her words a plea, though her body betrayed her as she bit her lip, clearly missing his touch.

"She doesn't like that; you're bothering her," Eric interjected, watching the scene unfold.

"The only thing bothering her is you, you little cockblocker, so shut up and let me stick my tongue down her throat." Ricky sneered, not missing a beat as he kept his focus on Rachael.

"I'm warning you, stop." Eric slowly bared his fangs, his brown eyes turning red as Ricky suddenly stopped, before laughing in this kid's face.

"Who's the black kid?" Ricky asked in between chuckles, looking at Rachael who sighed and looked at him with a smile.

"A friend of Abrahams."

The words hung in the air, leaving Ricky momentarily speechless as he stared at her, his expression one of shock, before his face twisted, holding back laughter that threatened to burst out

Snort

"Seriously, who is he?" Ricky, barely holding back his laughter, asked Rachael again since Abraham didn't have any friends.

Sigh

"I'm serious Ricky, Abraham had friends, one at least." Rachael tapped his cheek, chuckling as Ricky raised an eyebrow.

"What was he, a pedo in his spare time-"

"HEY, WATCH IT!" Eric yelled, hissing at Ricky who looked at the kid as if gazing at the ant and then looked back at her.

"Seriously, who's the kid?" Ricky asked seriously this time, pointing his thumb to him as Rachael shook her head.

"Way back in his youth, he became friends with a man known as Jamal Afari." Rachael said, stroking his cheek with an expression filled with longing.

"No, he retired before—" Eric began, speaking matter-of-factly, but his words trailed off as they caught in his throat.

"He's… missing," Eric finished, the weight of his words hanging in the air as it wasn't a lie, but had some truth buried within it.

Rachael's gaze dropped to the floor, the realization settling in, while Ricky's skill suddenly and without warning, buried into the truth.

Revealing the image of Eric, surrounded by multiple women torn to shreds, he backed away in horror at the man he once knew, covered in their blood.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" An old black man roared, his fangs jutting out as an overwhelming bloodlust filled the air.

In front of an even younger Eric, who slowly began to back away, the tension grew.

"Old man, what's-"

"Go, GO BEFORE I-ARGHHHHHHHHH!" The old man's voice cracked, almost changing into a guttural bloodlust as this man, who held up his hand for him to leave, was none other than his master, Jamal Afari.

However, it seemed as though he was shedding his human form as his nails elongated into sharp blades, and his skin began to peel away, almost as if it were rotting.

"N-No, I-I won't leave you!" Eric said, however his body betrayed him as he toko three steps back in fear at what Jamal was becoming.

"Ru-run-...…..so, so hungry~" Jamal begged, his voice twisting into a guttural growl, the desperation in it thick with an insatiable hunger that seemed only to be satisfied by the taste of human flesh.

"Old man?" Eric asked, backing up into a wall as his chest heaved up and down as the old man he once knew was slowly shedding into a ghoul.

"HUNGRY!" Jamal screeched, his teeth sharpening as he lunged towards Eric with the complete intent to devour him.

BAM

Within the next second, a beast lunged forward, delivering a heavy punch to Jamal's stomach.

The force sent him spiraling into the wall as the beast then side-eyed Eric, who flinched at the intense gaze but showed a warm smile to him.

"Don't worry Eric, I'm here to help you."

'God, this skill is such an unpredictable mindf*ck.' Ricky thought to himself, weirdly recoiling at looking into the buried truth of Eric.

"Aye, kid, I don't know what kind of connection you and Rachael got, but let me save you the trouble, she's never gonna be into you." Ricky said suddenly, uncaring about the kid's trauma, figuring it wasn't his problem.

Besides, Rachael seemed more than capable of handling it herself.

"Wh-WHAT?!" Eric stammered, his face flushing red, while Rachael let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head.

"Oh, Ricky, no need to get jealous, he's like my little brother," Rachael cooed, pinching Ricky's cheek and speaking in a babyish tone, clearly patronizing him.

"Ouch, way to let him down easy." Ricky laughed, side-eyeing Eric before his eyes formed into crescent moons and rested his head on her shoulders.

'Jealous?' Ricky mouthed, watching the little kid go from red with embarrassment to red with anger.

While Eric started throwing a tantrum, Rachael trying to appease him, and Ricky's make-shift army standing awkwardly at the side, alone in the desolate street.

Four figures slowly gathered atop Big Ben, their eyes fixed on the scene below as each of them held an orb that illuminated Ricky's image, one that matched his sleazy appearance at that very moment.

"That's him, the villain?" one man with blue skin and a wagging tail asked, swishing it back and forth as a girl sitting on the edge, kicking her feet, tilted her head.

"He doesn't look so bad-"

"He killed people, our people, innocent people," Another man said, stepping forward as he wore attire matching England's flag, his chest puffed out and a shield to complement his outfit.

"Brian is right, do not let your guard down." Another woman, blond hair and pointed ears spoke resolutely, joining Brian by his side as the blue skinned man rubbed the back of his neck.

"Can't we talk to him-"

"Yeah, let's at least hear him out-"

"Kurt, Kitty, did we watch the same scene?" Brian asked the two, holding up that orb a little higher as it played that brutal video of Ricky slaughtering the Ordo Of Draconium.

"Okay, geez~" Kitty ducked her head, feeling her stomach churn after seeing a small second of Ricky slicing through a man like butter.

"He's threat level red, we have to watch carefully." Brian said, squinting his eyes while looking towards Ricky once again kissing Rachael.

"Kurt and Kitty, you will be back up, protecting me and Meggan from any head on attacks." Brian first ordered, showing himself to be the leader of this four man team as they all gazed back at him.

"Don't underestimate him or buy into his words, we are ordered to take him down and bring him back to the Starlight Citadel for his judgment." Brian ordered, turning back to Ricky before thinking up an approach to this fearsome Black Knight.

"First we'll-"

While the plan was forming, Ricky was spinning Rachael around before lightly pecking her lips before holding her stomach.

"How long were you gonna hide from me?" Ricky jokingly asked, watching Rachael chuckle before slightly turning away.

"Until I made something of myself-"

"Oh come on-"

"I'm serious, Ricky," Rachael interrupted, cutting him off as she turned to look back at him.

"After we parted, I was kind of lost, left with skills that revolved around hunting Dracula, hunting vampires," Rachael said softly, brushing her thumb in gentle circles on his cheek.

"Don't tell me you're going after-"

"No, I'm not going after Lilith, but I did join an order that hunts vampires." Rachael's words, more specifically the one involving 'order' made Ricky let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't tell me it's like-"

"No, no, no, it's an organization Abraham founded with some other old vampire hunters to originally share information, but it evolved." Rachael chuckled, denying his thoughts they were like the Ordo Draconum.

"It's called the Order of Tyrana and-" Rachael began to say, but Ricky suddenly felt a vision coming on. 

This time, it wasn't from his lie detection, but rather his skill, Temporal Insight.

The combined power of Defensive Precognition and Heightened Awareness, consumed by the Eldritch abomination that birthed this enhanced skill, now manifested in unstable flashes, flashes that had almost never occurred before, but were happening now.

"Team Excalibur, now!"

The orders rang out, suddenly appearing above Ricky's head, a shield hurtling toward him. Instinctively, he reached for his sword, but in that moment, he released Rachael.

Then, that thing, Kurt, appeared next to her in a flash of blue, and in an instant, they both vanished.

Boom

Literally interrupting his own distorted vision, Ricky's entire body surged with a green aura as his form began to convulse, black armor oozing from his skin.

But this time, it was different from his usual black armor and instead of fighting, the Ebony Crown and Ebony Shield reluctantly yielded as his attire morphed into something new.

His helmet, once smooth, now spiked upward, forming a crown with three pointed spikes.

The armor itself ascended, inscribed with intricate designs that seemed to etch themselves into the minds of everyone who witnessed it as a black cape fluttered in the wind, completing the transformation.

Then, to Team Excalibur's horror, Ricky slowly turned toward them as his face was consumed by darkness, but his eyes gleamed a piercing green that highlighted only a complete and utter bloodlust that sent their entire skin in goosebumps.

"Ricky? RICKY!" Rachael shouted, reaching out, but before she could get any closer, Ricky opened a portal. 

He pushed her, and the little cockblocker, into it before swiftly closing it behind him.

BOOM

His entire body erupted, not only in his green sovereign aura but also in the vibrant red energy of the Ebony Blade, crackling with traces of electricity. 

As he absorbed the Necronomicon into his being, the memories watching the process saw it merge with him as if they weren't even worth the power it contained.

"Do you guys wanna f*cking die?" Ricky asked in a low tone but it felt as if it boomed in the scenery, the only thing fluttering with the hearts of team excalibur was his cape.

"Ricky!?" Cedric asked, holding up his hand to cover his face as RIcky wasn't even using any other power except his will and it only held his rage.

"RICKY STOP THIS AT ONCE-"

"Get out of my way, I ain't asking again," Ricky said, side-eyeing Eldric as he watched the old man recoil, his expression darkening.

"Back away, NOW!" Eldric shouted, knowing immediately there was no reasoning with Ricky.

The air grew tense, as the conversation seemed to drain everyone's breath, indirectly affected by Ricky's willpower. 

One by one, they escaped through their portals, until only Ricky remained.

Gulp

"T-That wasn't in the orb!" Kurt gulped heavily, his finger shaking as Brian's eyes became grave, squatting and putting his shield in front of him.

"Team Excalibur, assemble-"

BOOM

An explosion rippled through the air, causing the four of them to scatter as they turned to see Ricky, his spectral arms pulling back the Sunflare Bow, drawing a void-fused arrow ready to fire once again.

Whoosh

Without a second's hesitation, Ricky released the arrow from his bow, aiming directly at the blue-skinned man. 

The man instantly teleported, but Ricky's green eyes flickered, and in one swift motion, he swung his sword backward.

"ARCK!" Kurt, who had just appeared behind him, barely managed to dodge as Ricky's sword seemed to skip through the space between them, leaving a deep gash across Kurt's chest.

"Merlyn sent you to take Rachael, didn't he?" Ricky asked, his voice icy cold. 

The image of Rachael being ripped from his hands echoed in his mind, causing Kurt's eyes to shrink in realization.

"N-No we were just trying to get her away to a safe distance-"

"NOW!" Brian roared, cutting off Kurt's words as he lunged at Ricky with Meggan close behind.

But Ricky was already swinging his sword, sensing the danger and reacting instantly.

SPLAT

The slash tore through Brian, his eyes widening in shock as his vibranium shield was sliced through like butter in the blink of an eye. 

Kitty, who had been jumping alongside him, quickly reached out, managing to stop the sword from piercing any deeper into his flesh.

Her ability, phasing, allowed her to pass through solid matter by shifting her atoms through the spaces between the atoms of the object she was moving through. 

Normally, this would have allowed the Ebony Blade to pass harmlessly through her, as she expected.

But this was no ordinary blade. 

This was a weapon forged to cut through anything, and that included her ability.

Kitty's eyes widened, her pupils reflecting the arc of Brian as blood sprayed out, his left arm completely severed at the elbow.

"KURT!" Meggan yelled urgently, her words making Kurt flinch as he vanished in an instant, reappearing behind all three of them and teleporting them backwards to safety.

"Huh?" Ricky suddenly hummed, looking weirdly at these four and Brian currently holding his decapitated right arm that was spewing blood.

"Why didn't you dodge? Are you really sent by Merlyn?" Ricky asked, his voice cold as he knew that if these four were truly sent by Merlyn, they should have known the Ebony Blade could cut through anything.

"I-I thought-" Kitty began, but Brian raised his remaining hand, stopping her as he winked.

"It's fine, Kitty. I'm fine." Brian chuckled, conjuring golden energy that formed into a rope as he swiftly tied it around his severed arm, the makeshift bandage glowing with a faint aura.

"We are from the Captain Britain Corps and we are here-"

"So you are sent by Merlyn." Ricky got straight to the point, his words only highlighted by Alexander peeking out of his armor.

"Quickly, Ricky, strike while they're distracted. Let them talk themselves into their own demise," Alexander whispered, offering his advice as he eagerly watched the bloody mess of Brian, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I know, I'm waiting for-"

"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Meggan roared, her words interrupting exactly what Ricky wanted as his simmer chuckle resounded in the desolated surroundings.

"Defending myself?" Ricky asked, turning his back to them as if lowering his guard as she became infuriated by this statement.

"YOU'RE A MURDER-"

*WHOOSH

"Er-r?" 

It was so sudden, unexpected, and completely caught everyone off guard, including Meggan, who looked down in shock at the gaping hole in her stomach, the void arrow still traveling behind her.

BOOM

The explosion from the arrow, which slammed into a nearby house, jolted the stunned members of Excalibur. 

The moment Ricky turned his back and they lowered their guard, he released the bowstring still being held by his spectral hands and fired an arrow straight through Meggan's stomach.

"MEGGAN!" Brian roared, his voice raw with grief as she collapsed to her knees, blood pouring from her wound and splashing onto her hand.

She was in shock, desperately trying to press down on the wound, but her hands just passed through the hole, the blood slipping away as Kitty covered her mouth in disbelief.

Kurt was frozen, his eyes reflecting the horror as Brian rushed toward her, reaching out, only for Ricky to suddenly lunge at her. 

With a burst of fire exploding behind him, his pyro-kinesis propelling him forward, he closed the distance with brutal speed while slashing the ebony blade through the air.

Team Excalibur watched in stunned silence, a subtle current of red electricity flickered in their eyes. 

Brian reached out toward Meggan, but before his hand could touch her, the light flashed across her neck, an ominous sign of what was to come.

WHOOSH

His hand grasped nothing as her neck was severed in two as her head flew into the air, a look of horror frozen on her face, not even realizing that she had just died.

"Ricky, the blue demon, on the right!" Alexander roared, his words jolting Ricky as he suddenly lunged towards Brian as Kurt snapped out of shock.

Tears streamed down Brian's cheek before Kurt vanished, the droplet continuing its descent until it splashed onto the ground and in an instant, Kurt appeared beside him, standing on his right side.

SPLAT

But Ricky wasn't thrusting his sword towards Brian and instead, he drove it into the air on his right side, piercing straight through Kurt's chest. 

Blood splattered as the blade tore through him, emerging from his back in a crimson spray.

However, before Ricky could push the sword forward, Brian reached out and grabbed his wrist, his body humming with golden energy, amplified by the very country he stood in. 

The force of it was so overwhelming that Ricky struggled to pull his sword free as Kurt coughed up a mouthful of blood as Brian was literally burning his life force to stop him from killing his friend.

CRUNCH

Without hesitation, Ricky slammed his helmet into Brian's nose, crushing it into tiny pieces but even then, he didn't release his grip but instead squeezed down even harder.

"KURT, THE AIR!" Brian roared, his voice echoing through the chaos and at his command, Kurt acted instinctively, and before they knew it, they were high above Britain, 5000 feet in the air.

"JUST!"

BAM

CRUNCH

"LET!"

BAM

CRUNCH

"ME!"

BAM

"F*CKING MURDER HIM!" Ricky seethed, slamming the ebony shield into Brian's face, mangling it into a bloody mess and still, Brian wouldn't release his grip.

Ricky's fury burned deeper with each blow as the image of Rachael vanishing from his grasp, taken by the blue-skinned Kurt, seared into his mind. 

No matter what, Ricky couldn't let it go.

No one took what was his and walked away unscathed, no one. 

Even if it was just a vision, the thought of it drove him to violently bash Brian's face into a bloody pulp as he was going to kill this guy whether he wanted it or not.

Ricky brutally hammered Brian's face, the force of the blows sending them spiraling from a height that would have killed most people. 

As they fell, Brian, known on this Earth as Captain Britain, had blood spraying out, splattering onto Kurt Wagner, the blue-skinned demon who had been both an ally and a friend.

"Run~" Brian gasped, his voice strained as he could no longer hold on.

Kurt's eyes widened in shock, but Ricky suddenly paused, a realization hitting him as the bow on his back seemed to hover above him at this thought, as he quickly nocked an arrow.

WHOOSH

The arrow shot out, but instead of striking Kurt's flesh, it tore through the blue smoke as Kurt vanished with a snap of a finger.

"F*CK!" Ricky yelled in frustration, cursing himself for getting too caught up in pummeling the man. 

With a growl, he planted both his feet on Brian's body and pushed off, propelling himself away from the man's hold while still falling in the air.

Brian, now realizing Kurt was gone, smiled warmly as his life force began to fade into the depths of death. 

Ricky, with a fierce expression, wound up his bow and fired an arrow directly into Brian's head as it exploded on impact, consuming him in a burst of darkness.

BAM

BAM

Brian's headless body fell limply, crashing against nearby buildings as it spiraled through the air like a pinball, leaving destruction in its wake. 

The lifeless form bounced off the walls, each impact punctuating the brutal finality of the moment before he smacked into the ground with a gruesome thud.

"RICKY DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE-" Alexander yelled from his shoulder, his urgency papable as he knew first hand what happens when a formiable enemy is allowed it regroup.

"I KNOW!" Ricky roared, his voice a storm of frustration and fury as his eyes locked on Kurt, who reappeared next to Kitty, his body battered and limp from the previous wound. 

Despite his exhaustion, Kurt reached out toward Kitty, his hand shaking as the girl was completely terrified, frozen in shock after watching Ricky dismembering her best friends.

Ricky's vision blurred with rage at the thought of this guy vanishing away made his veins in his neck feel like they were on fire, blood vessels threatening to burst from the pressure of his fury. 

His grip on the sword tightened, muscles straining with the raw force of his intent as his entire body exploded with a fierce red lighting.

With all his might, Ricky pulled back his sword, eyes narrowing into a fiery blaze of determination. 

His arm swung forward, putting everything he had into cutting through the distance between them with the pure, unrelenting intent to kill Kurt. 

The Ebony Blade carried the weight of his anger, the sheer fury of his refusal to let Kurt escape.

Every ounce of strength, every drop of his rage, coursed through his body and into the strike.

The air itself seemed to wail as the cursed blade tore through it, a force so absolute that reality seemed to bend for just a moment. 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ricky roared, his voice raw, tearing from his throat like a beast unchained. 

His body burned as the red electricity swarmed around him like a budding tornado of locusts, his muscles screaming, but through all the pain, that memory of Rachael vanishing forced his grip to tighten through it all.

The Ebony Blade carried his fury, his sheer refusal to let them escape, and the world itself seemed to recoil from the force of his will that sliced through it.

A thin, deathly line rocketed through Kurt just as his fingers brushed against Kitty's in a perfect, absolute swing.

For a single, frozen moment, everything was still as the red electricity coursed around Kurt's form that was submering into a blue smoke.

BOOM

The explosion of power detonated outward, consuming the space where Kurt and Kitty had stood. 

The red electricity twisted and coiled like a furious storm, illuminating the battlefield in erratic bursts of crimson light. 

It was not just an attack, it was a desperate, all-consuming refusal to let them go.

For a heartbeat, Ricky thought he had done it, that his blade, his rage, his his relentless will had severed Kurt's escape before it could fully take hold.

But when that spell of electricity vanished, there was only one thing.

Emptiness.

The smoke dissipated, leaving behind nothing but scorched air and the echoes of crackling energy. 

No bodies. 

No victory. 

No satisfaction.

BAM

Ricky's body crashed into the ground, sending debris flying in all directions as a thick cloud of smoke billowed into the air. 

When it finally cleared, he was hunched over, chest heaving, breaths ragged and sharp.

But something had changed.

The usual deep green of his eyes had been consumed by a violent shift, one pupil now burned a searing, bloodthirsty red as a single realization tore through his mind like his ebony blade.

They were gone.

"F*************************CK!" Ricky roared out his curses, his voice raw with fury. 

Rage exploded from within him, an uncontrollable force that threatened to consume everything in its path. 

His body pulsed with surging energy, green and red intertwining in a volatile storm, his very essence teetering on the edge of sanity of mindless berserk rage.

HUFF

HUFF

HUFF

"F*CKING DAMMMMMMMMMIT!" Ricky bellowed, his body erupting in another volatile wave of energy before it suddenly dissipated, leaving only the sound of his ragged, heaving breaths.

"Good, control it." Alexander murmured from his shoulder, unshaken by the display as he knew Ricky had the strength to harness what would drive lesser men to madness. 

As Ricky's chest rose and fell, his breath heavy with lingering fury, the storm within him teetered between chaos and control, until he slowly slowed his breathing.

"It's all in the breathing!" Asteiron called out from the side, peeking from behind a streetlight as he had been there the whole time, unsure if his assistance was needed or if he would only get in the way.

"Ha~" Ricky let out a breathy laugh, ripping off his helmet as he tilted his head back, eyes fixed on the sky with a manic glint.

"I can't believe I let him get away, f*ck!" Ricky's laughter twisted into a snarl, his expression darkening as frustration carved itself deep into his features.

"If it makes you feel better, those types are my weakness!" Asterion called out again from behind the same lamp post, offering Ricky some moral support with an easy chuckle.

Asterion was a relentless and pure fighter, excelling only against opponents optimized for close combat.

However, powered individuals like Kurt or those with incredible speed were his absolute weakness, something that made Ricky sigh.

"Is it weird that it does?" Ricky's frustration melted slightly, his chuckle returning, more genuine this time.

"Not at all." Asterion grinned, his own laughter joining Ricky's.

Alexander watched the two of them before puffing out his furry chest with exaggerated pride.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Alexander's booming laughter drowned them out, shaking the air around them, until it suddenly stopped.

"I don't get it," Alexander said shamelessly, holding up a paw toward the sky while striking a dramatic pose.

Ricky and Asterion exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter again.

Sigh

"Damn~" Ricky sighed heavily, falling onto his ass and slicking his hair back while sheathing the ebony balde.

"Is something the matter?" Asteiorn asked, seeing the mood shift as Ricky just chuckled.

"It's nothing, it's just-"

"I've just been acting like some hormonal chick on her period." Ricky sighed, slicking his hair back in an attempt to calm himself.

"Everything has been so stressful, but ironically enough, my mind hasn't felt clearer than it does right now." Ricky realized since after being overwhelmed with frustration for so long, actually venting it out in that fight left him feeling better.

"Roses do not bloom through the comfort of a soft bed, but through a prickly bush of thorns," Alexander said poetically, patting Ricky's cheek from his shoulder as he chuckled at the gesture.

"Indeed, after all, you are only one man." Asterion chimed in, adding to Alexander'sbeautiful statement that he made a mental note of it.

"It is natural for you to feel like you have to bear this weight, and I wish I could tell you what to do," Asterion explained, his voice steady yet regretful.

"But honestly, I think this is a path you must walk alone." Asterion wanted to offer guidance, but in the end, this was something Ricky had to come to terms with himself.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but I think I need to just relax and stop f*cking whining and get sh*t done." Ricky said, looking upwards since it felt like he had been putting it off for too long.

But I think a part of that had to do with the fact that Ricky had gotten too comfortable. 

Power had a way of making people soft, and even though he'd never admit it, he didn't feel as sharp as he was against Dracula. 

The hunger that once drove him into this brutalizing figure almost had dulled at the edges, blunted by indulgence, luxury, and the ease that came with the things being handed to him.

Still, deep inside, right here and right now, there was a gnawing feeling, something restless and unsatisfied. 

Ricky wanted to be the leader, the man everyone thought he was but he was beginning to realize that he didn't just want to sit on a throne.

He wanted to keep building, keep climbing, keep proving that he was the kind of man who didn't just take power but held onto it with a grip that could break bones.

Because for all his bravado, all his swagger, Ricky had forgotten what it meant to bleed. 

To struggle. 

To lose. 

Power had insulated him, wrapped him in a cocoon of control where people bowed before him, not because they had no choice but to respect what he had grown from.

But in that bubble, he'd grown careless, mistaking dominance for invincibility, mistaking comfort for progress.

That distorted vision, that reel that continuously played like a loop in his head, even now, watching Rachael get ripped from his grasp sent a jolt through his chest, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. 

It was like losing Abraham all over again. 

Like watching Henry fall. 

Like that slow, sick realization creeping in, the one that told him, despite everything, he wasn't untouchable. 

He wasn't beyond suffering. 

And worst of all, he wasn't beyond losing the things he cared about.

His fingers curled into fists, nails digging into his palms before he loathed this feeling, this weakness. 

It made him feel like he was slipping, like he was falling back into the person he thought he'd outgrown, the boy who used to let sh*t happen to him instead of making it happen to everyone else.

It was at this moment the coven members all slowly started to trickle back into the scene, because this wasn't just a fun little party, this was real.

Sometimes, life isn't about the battles or the victories, it's about the spaces in between. 

The uphill struggle, the triumphant peak, the inevitable descent and then, the flat ground.

That quiet stretch where you walk from one mountain to the next, one adventure to another, one war to the one waiting just over the horizon.

Everyone here, whether it was that lowly warlock, just a flicker on the world's radar, or Dexter, whose name would be forgotten by history, or even Ricky, whose presence was starting to cast longer and darker shadows, they all felt it. 

That same realization sinking into their bones.

Life, up until now, had felt unremarkable. 

Comfort had dulled the edges of their existence, turned the pages of their stories blank, stripped their words of meaning. 

The fire that once drove them had burned low, leaving only embers.

But maybe that was the point.

Maybe it was the lack of flavor that made this moment taste sharper. 

Maybe it was the stillness that made this step feel heavier. 

Maybe, just maybe, the emptiness before was the only reason they could truly see what lay ahead.

And what lay ahead was Big Ben.

No more words of rebuttal needed to be said. 

No back-and-forth excuses as they argued amongst each other to escape those fears they had long since buried. 

They were ready.

That fight, watching from the sidelines, feeling the weight of it settle in their chests, and Ricky experiencing it firsthand, had shaken them.

It had torn them from the numbing embrace of comfort, stripped away hesitation, and left them with only one choice.

Forward.

Up the hill.

"I know it's been hard." Ricky suddenly turned around, his back revealing the entire coven, silently gathered without a word of debate.

"F*ck, it's been hard for me too." Ricky laughed, looking down, shedding that skin of invincibility, that illusion of being larger than life.

"But this is real. All of this is real." Ricky raised his arms, Big Ben looming in the distance, its presence undeniable.

Alexander slowly smiled, and the rest of the coven didn't just look at Ricky.

They looked up to him.

"The pain is real, the fear is real and yet, we've forgotten, hell, I've forgotten."

"I forgot what it felt like to hurt, to have a wedge driven into my side with every step forward. I forgot that FEAR!" Ricky gripped his chest, his fingers digging in as if trying to rip the feeling out of himself.

The coven members stood rigid, some biting their lips, others shifting uneasily, the weight of his words pressing down on them.

"We went through so much, all of us gave everything at that castle, and then what? We settled into New York and forgot!" Ricky's voice rose, the anger he had been swallowing now spilling out, raw and real.

And that anger, it was contagious. 

A slow burn in the eyes of those who had once fought by his side, now stirring, now remembering.

"We forgot what it was like to feel fear. And when that monster showed up on our shores, we weren't ready, goddammit, I wasn't ready!" Ricky's voice cut through the night, his chest rising and falling as he scanned the faces before him.

The coven members ducked their heads at first, guilt gnawing at them, but slowly, their gazes lifted, drawn not by obligation, but by the sheer weight of his words.

Here he was, Ricky Luciano, the man at the pinnacle of their belief system, standing raw and exposed before them. 

He wasn't preaching from a throne, wasn't barking orders from above, right now, he was one of them. 

And in that moment, his vulnerability made them feel seen.

"I thought I was pissed at myself because of all the stress I was dealing with, but that's not it." Ricky exhaled sharply, shaking his head. 

"I'm angry, angry that I let it happen. Man, I'm furious that Merlyn sent that thing into a city where my kids live. Where your kids live. Where your families live. Where the Luciano family lives. Where we all LIVE!" Ricky's voice carried, stronger now, the confession spilling from him like a weight finally lifted, it wasn't just stress, it wasn't just the pressure of leadership.

It was personal, that thing got too close, to his woman, his kids, his blood.

What if Ricky hadn't been there? 

What if that thing had torn through New York unchecked, leaving nothing but blood and ruin in its wake?

The thought made his blood boil, it had happened under his watch, right under his nose, and he had only just realized it now.

It drove him mad.

"How much more will we let him take from us?" Ricky's voice thundered, his chest heaving with rage. 

"From YOU?!" Ricky arm shot out, pointing at the coven, at the witches and warlocks who had once stood with pride but now clenched their fists, their knuckles turning white.

"They treated your coven like spare f*cking parts, and you LET THEM!" Ricky roared, the raw fury in his voice cutting through the air like a blade. 

"You let them take everything from you while telling yourselves that you'd get your revenge one day." Ricky's glare swept over them, daring them to deny it, daring them to keep swallowing the lies they'd told themselves for so long.

His voice dropped, but it hit harder than ever.

"Today is that f*cking day."

Something ignited.

A long-buried hunger, an anger that had been dulled by time and comfort, now it burned, searing through them like wildfire. 

The coven didn't just hear Ricky's words.

They felt them.

They all thought they had joined for revenge but deep down, that wasn't the truth.

They had joined to escape, to run from that worthless feeling that clawed at them when they got home, when they sat alone with their thoughts, when they realized that nothing they did could fill the hollow space inside them.

And what had they done since leaving their old lives behind?

Just complain.

They complained to Ricky, they complained to each other, they filled the silence with empty words, avoiding the truth until it caught up to them, until it cornered them and forced them to look in the mirror.

"I ain't begging you to follow me, I just won't."Ricky exhaled, shaking his head as his voice was low, steady, but it carried a feeling of resignation.

"I ain't begging you to throw away your lives for me. I ain't even asking you to chase my petty revenge." Ricky let the words settle, let them feel the space between them.

"I'm just gonna ask one question. One question that's driving me forward right now." Ricky's eyes locked onto them, unwavering, and holding one, single finger.

"Can you live with yourselves if you turn away from the very thing that makes you feel small right now?" Ricky asked, his voice thick with the weight of the question, one that mirrored the shadow Merlyn had seemingly cast over him.

"Cause I can't." Ricky's voice rang out, resolute as his eyes burned with a fierce clarity, like a man who had finally seen the path ahead and refused to look back.

"I'm done trying to mitigate that drive to push all of you forward. I'm done flipping coins over stupid disagreements, and I'm done avoiding Merlyn." Ricky's words cut through the tension like a knife, each sentence a declaration of his own reckoning, his refusal to remain stagnant any longer.

"But the real question is, are all of you done avoiding Merlyn?" Ricky glanced over them, his gaze fierce and unwavering. 

There was no more room for doubt, no more space for hesitation, only action.

"If so, then come with me." Ricky took a step forward, his presence commanding, his energy undeniable, his leadership solidified.

"If not, just leave." Ricky's words softened, but there was no mistaking the finality in them.

Ricky was done asking others to follow him, he was done with waiting, done with second-guessing. 

He knew what he wanted, and he knew exactly how he was going to get it. 

Sure, there would be struggles, setbacks, moments of doubt, but if he succeeded, if he finally reached that pinnacle of power he'd been chasing, and when he finally turned back, only those who followed down his path would be the only ones to reap the rewards.

He wasn't going to waste time trying to convince anyone anymore. 

If they were on board, fine. 

If they weren't, that was on them. 

He had come too far to let worthless arguments or petty grievances slow him down now. 

Ricky would pander when he had to, sure, but only for the moment, never letting it hold him back. 

He had bigger plans, and nothing, not even the distractions of others, would stand in his way.

It was time for action, time for results, and finally wasn't looking back, he was looking forward. 

Towards that peak.

And Alexander smiled, a knowing, almost proud expression crossing his face. 

He'd been through it himself, watched the transition from hesitation to clarity, from doubt to resolve. 

It wasn't something that could be taught; it had to be experienced firsthand. 

Only then could you truly understand the weight of commitment, the power of certainty.

Ricky had finally crossed that threshold, and Alexander could see it in his eyes as that hunger was back, sharper than ever. 

He had stopped chasing approval and started chasing something much greater, his own vision, his own truth. 

It was the only way forward.

He didn't need to say anything, Ricky had already made his choice, and Alexander knew that from here on out, Ricky was going to stop asking for permission to lead.

"Chuck-"

"Already on it, master." Chuck's voice echoed through the room, the dark, hollow chuckle reverberating in the silence. 

As he spoke, the headless bodies of Brian and Meggan lay sprawled on the ground, leaking out puddles of blood that Boney was using as paint.

Boney, standing nearby, was hastily drawing blood runes on the floor, sloppy work, but done nonetheless as Ricky watched them, his gaze steady as he took in the scene.

These were heroes, he knew that much. 

They had probably saved countless lives, fought for something greater than themselves. 

But now, as they lay there, defeated, broken, and Ricky couldn't help but feel the weight of their history pressing on him. 

They were good people once, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and now, they were nothing more than a stepping stone on his path.

It didn't matter that they were heroes.

The power in his hand was what mattered, the power that could shape the world as he saw fit, and the power to turn these heroes into his undead.

"Get up."

The runes began to glow with a sickly green light, their energy pulsing as the headless bodies of Brian and Meggan twitched violently.

But even as those bodies writhed, the other half of Team Excalibur was facing their own nightmare. 

Kurt, the blue-skinned teleporter, had actually fallen victim to Ricky's attack. 

His teleportation abilities had been disrupted, and as he attempted to shift, the ebony blade cut through his mutant power as his lower body was completely vaporized, his legs becoming lost in the moment where he crossed dimensions to teleport, probably still there drifting into nothingness.

Right now, they were at a cliff side as Kitty stumbled forward, staggered and fell flat on her face before crawling forward towards him.

"Kurt! KURT!" Kitty's panicked scream rang out, her voice cracking with desperation as she tried to reach him, to save him, but it was too late.

Kurt was already lying in a pool of his own blood, his body twisted and mangled beyond recognition.

Yet, in his eyes, there was something unexpected, peace. 

He wasn't crying, wasn't struggling. 

He was calm, his fingers gently tracing the cross necklace he always wore during missions, a symbol of his faith. 

His thumb rubbed over the grooves of the cross slowly, as if savoring a final moment of connection.

"I do not fear death," Kurt murmured softly, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"I am ready."

Kurt couldn't save everyone, he couldn't save Brian and he couldn't save Meggan, but he saved Kitty.

That was enough and as his words hung in the air, a calm acceptance of what was happening took root in his very soul. 

The fight had taken so much from them, but for Kurt, this was the end of the road. 

He had lived with a purpose, and now, that purpose had led him here. 

There was no regret, no anger, just peace.

However Kitty stood frozen, unable to process the weight of it all. 

The loss, the brutality, the inevitability of death since it wasn't just Kurt she had lost; it was the whole idea of what they had fought for, everyone close friend she had made, gone by the hands of a man once called a hero just like her.

Sniff

Hic

Kitty's heart pounded in her chest as she crawled desperately toward Kurt's mangled body, the blood pooling beneath him and staining her hands. 

She could barely hold back the tears, each one feeling like a weight she couldn't lift as she placed her hand gently on the back of his head, her fingers trembling as she cradled him in her arms.

Kurt's smile, even in the midst of death, was a soft and warm thing. 

His eyes, though growing dull, held a kind of peace that made the situation feel all the more tragic. 

Kitty bit her lip, the words trapped in her throat, but she knew she couldn't leave without saying what was in her heart.

"Goodbye, Kurt," Kitty whispered through a choked sob, her voice quivering with sorrow, disbelief, and the depth of the pain she felt.

Kurt tried to respond, his lips parting, but the words never came as his smile faded slightly, the life draining from his eyes with the steadiness of a candle burning out. 

He attempted to speak again, but his voice fading into nothingness, but the air was thick, heavy, and it was clear his time had passed.

Kitty would never know what Kurt was trying to say and because of that, it would forever haunt her.

Kitty held him tighter, pressing her face into his chest, feeling the coldness of his body seep into her skin. 

A quiet sob racked through her body, the fog of the night surrounding them as her tears fell freely. 

She didn't care about the blood staining her hands or her clothes. 

All that mattered was Kurt, the man who had fought so hard, who had always been so strong, even in the face of death.

To save her.

She pulled him into her embrace, wishing she could turn back time, wishing she could stop the inevitable. 

But she couldn't, all she could do was hold him in this final moment, mourning the loss of a friend, a comrade, and the pieces of her own heart that were now gone with him.

And as the fog rolled in, and the fight around them continued, Kitty whispered through her tears, barely able to breathe through the pain.

"I love you, Kurt."

DING

(Legendary Servant) Brian Braddock, The Headless Dullahan: Once Captain Britain, Brian Braddock is now The Headless Dullahan, a fearsome undead who is capable of commanding an army of undead. Unable to attain his full potential due to his lack of head, his sorrow because of it is turned into a scythe that he carries in hand, he is a harbinger of death.

Abilities:

Soul Reaping Scythe: A weapon able to sever and damage souls, able to piece through connections with a single strike.

Necrotic Aura (Passive): Drains the life force of enemies nearby.

Ethereal Command (Passive): Commands undead with ease, bending them to his will.

(Epic Servant) Meggan Puceanu , The Wraith Steed: Transformed into The Wraith Steed, Meggan now serves as Brian's ethereal mount, her skeletal form bound to him. Her head floats beside her, a constant presence. Though no longer human, their bond as lovers endures beyond death.

Abilities:

Necrotic Charge (Passive) : Gallops across the battlefield, sending waves of necrotic energy that drain life from enemies.

Necrotic Empathic Metamorph: Able to control her form into any rideable form for her rider.

Storm of Despair (Passive) : Conjures storms of shadow and grief, sapping the will of enemies.

Undead Bond: Shares Brian's necrotic powers, amplifying his aura, and they fight as one entity, bound by love and death.

Ricky raised an eyebrow at the summon, recognizing the possibility of two beings merging, but he'd never seen it done quite like this. 

"Kill me~" Corpse Collolious moaned from the side, as always, repeating its incessant, pitiful plea. 

It had become so habitual that Ricky, along with the rest of his undead servants, had long since tuned it out as it was the only thing it ever said, a ceaseless echo of desperation.

With a brief, almost dismissive wave of his hand, Ricky gave a silent command as his newest creation, the Dullahan, mounted its wraith-steed with a slow, deliberate grace. 

The skeletal knight took its place in the ranks, joining the growing army without a sound.

Ricky's gaze swept over the group, his eyes briefly lingering on each member of the coven.

They all stood in unison, their decision clear without a single word spoken as he didn't need a grand speech this time, there was no need for empty promises or dramatic proclamations. 

A single nod was all it took, a quiet acknowledgment of their shared purpose.

With that, he turned his back to them and began his slow walk towards Big Ben, the looming structure in the distance serving as both a symbol and a destination. 

The others fell in line behind him, their footsteps echoing in the desolate streets as they marched together, determined and unified. 

The world around them may have been broken, but they were moving forward.

As the scene played out in Merlyn's orb, he watched intently, his expression shifting from intrigue to subtle annoyance. 

He pinched his chin thoughtfully, dragging his hand down to his beard, a frown deepening across his face. 

The sight of Brian and Meggan being converted into the undead didn't bother him, not at all. 

It seemed that he was more frustrated with the fact that he only managed to claim two of them.

It was a pitiful return for all the effort that had been put into preparing that skirmish.

But that wasn't what really gnawed at Merlyn's mind, no, what truly unsettled him was the sight of Ricky. 

It wasn't the power, the brutality, or even the resolve that Ricky had shown during the fight with Team Excalibur, it was something else. 

As Ricky and the coven made their way toward Big Ben, something about the way he carried himself lingered in Merlyn's thoughts.

'It's not enough.'

The disappointment was palpable, hanging heavy in the air as Ricky's fight, his strength, his resolve, they all felt like scraps to Merlyn. 

It was as if he had expected something more, something grander from this piece of the puzzle.

As he contemplated this, a flicker of thought crossed his mind, leading his gaze to a single, twisted branch that seemed to stand out from the rest. 

His eyes narrowed in frustration, and with a quick, deliberate motion, he opened a portal.

A hand emerged from the rift, long fingers reaching out with an eerie precision, as if responding to some silent command. 

Merlyn's hand brushed against it lightly, placing that twisted branch on those horrid fingertips.

He let go, and the hand receded back into the portal, leaving only the chilling whisper of its presence behind.

"Fate is what I decide, not you." Merlyn's voice was quiet but firm, the words carrying the weight of someone who believed in their absolute control over destiny. 

He wasn't about to let anyone dictate the course of events when he could shape fate itself, or at least, that is what he believed.

Arriving atop the spiraling tower of Big Ben, Ricky and the coven stood before an unexpected sight. 

Instead of the typical light fixture that would normally adorn the tower, a glowing orb of light hovered in midair, its brilliance the true source of the tower's illumination throughout the night.

The orb was mesmerizing, its light pulsing with a life of its own, casting an ethereal glow across the surrounding cityscape.

Ricky felt an odd pull toward it, an irresistible attraction as if he were a moth drawn to its radiance. 

His gaze fixed on it, something deep inside him awakening in response and Alexander, too, stood transfixed on his shoulders, his pupils dilating as he stared at the orb with a mixture of awe and curiosity. 

Asterion, usually enamored with literally everything, stopped what he was doing and took a moment to admire the beauty of the orb, his breath catching in his chest.

Without a word, Ricky reached out, his hand hovering just above the glowing sphere, then touching it lightly and the instant his fingers made contact, everything shifted.

The air hummed, a strange energy crackling around them and suddenly, the cacophony of the urban world fell silent, replaced by the soft sounds of birds chirping. 

Ricky's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the noise, only to be greeted by an astonishing sight.

Before him stretched a lush, verdant paradise; fields of green, towering trees, and vibrant flowers, all rising from the very ground beneath their feet. 

The landscape seemed to have sprung from the earth itself, wild and untamed. 

It was so vivid, so full of life, it felt like a stark contrast to the cold, industrial reality of Britain. 

The beauty of the scene was overwhelming, as if they had stepped into a dream, a world untouched by time and human hands. 

The lush greenery seemed to pulse with life, the ground itself teeming with the kind of vitality that could only exist in a place free from corruption and decay. 

It was as if the orb had opened a door to another world entirely, a world where nature and life reigned supreme.

This was Otherworld.

"Greetings, Ricky and his compatriots." A voice echoed from the side, drawing Ricky's attention.

He turned to see an undead skeleton, its bones blackened with age and damage, and its hollow eye sockets ablaze with a flickering green fire. 

"I am Jenkins, the esteemed butler of Her Majesty Morgana Le Fey." Jenkins' voice was deep and measured, with a formal tone that carried an air of quiet authority.

"I am here to be your esteemed guide."

Author's Note: Sorry if the chaps leading up to this felt a little boring but I kinda wanted to really exemplify how sometimes, sh*t is normal and a pinch bit boring, maybe I went overbaord and It didn't reall bring the effect I wanted but that was the reason, anyways enjoy.