Dragon Chronicles Part II - #HERO - A Ghostified Series: By Riot

a surprising attack (with a weird ending and a familiar face)

I had to run back to my room to grab my bag (my money and a place to put my gun, just in case,) and my speaker for music. Luckily, I caught up with them at the elevators. I stood next to Lillie on my right. Meera on my left and Ellona in front of me. We exited the elevator at the lobby this time, instead of the garage. We walked through the elevator doors, past the front desk, to which the receptionist waved at us. We walked out the front door, and to my surprise it started snowing.
Lillie laughed and ran ahead. "It's snowing!"
Ellona wasn't actually shivering; she ran and caught up with Lillie. They started dancing. I was playing 'Broadway Girls' by Lil Durk and Morgan Wallen. Kinda funny. Looking at me and the girls, you'd think they were just after my money.
Like most people.
I knew these women inside and out. They didn't just love me right now, they loved me forever.
Definitely not Broadway Girls.
We walked down the street passing middle class homes leading into the main part of town. Ellona had jumped up on my back halfway into town and she was piggybacking the rest of the way.
We stopped in a weed store to get bud and I got a disposable cart. Another store we stopped in was a clothing store, Lillie wanted to get some stuff for Ellona.
Ellona was so embarrassed when Lillie told her what we were here for, her face darkened and she hid behind me.
"I didn't know there was this side to you!" Meera giggled. Ellona tried to dig her head into the shoulder of my jacket.
"Hey, it's cool." I assured her.
"I'm not worried about you!" She hissed. "I just don't wanna try on clothes."
"That's a bit childish, innit?" Lillie mocked Ellona's British accent.
I butted in. "Hey, if anything that's childish, Mocking her accent!" Then I turned my head to Ellona, "and you need to go try on clothes, they can wait outside while me and you can go in if it makes you feel better."
"We can both pick out clothes!" Lillie smiled evilly.
"If we're gonna go shopping for clothes, why don't we just wait till the mall? More options!" I suggested.
"Ben's right. There's more stuff for me at the mall." Ellona grabbed my left arm and dragged me out the store. Meera and Lillie followed behind.
"Hey what the-!" I was being dragged out. I almost lost my step.
She tried to start running but I grabbed her arm, and she turned around. "What's up? Why are you running?"
Ellona apologized swiftly, then she kind of got excited. She pointed at a sign down the street: Build-A-Bear. I perked up a little and looked back down at Ellona, she seemed closer than normal, like emotionally. Not physically. She was basically on top of me.
"Can we go?" She pleaded.
"Why? What's your reasoning?"
"Well..." she shifted on her feet. She took a step back. Took a deep breath. "I wanted to get a gift."
"For who?" Lillie had finally caught up with us, Meera at her heels.
Ellona took another breath. "I know it seems too early to tell, but I know." The next words out her mouth hit me like a rocket shell, and rocked through my brain. "I want to get a birthday gift for our kid; Ben. So can we please go?!"
Lillie froze dead in her tracks. I rubbed my eyes to see if I was dreaming.
"Are you serious?" Meera cracked a smile. "Has to be a joke, right?"
Ellona pulled out her phone, with a picture of a pregnancy test. "Need more proof?"
My eyes widened, I looked over at Lillie. She had her hands over her mouth, and tears in her eyes. She stuttered when she spoke, "H-h-how..?" Her expression was sadness, mixed with anger.
I didn't know what to say. I was a mix of emotions: fear, sadness, anger.
Then the good ones: Happy, proud, excited.
It was an even balance of emotion.
I addressed Ellona first. "Well, first of all; a surprise for sure. And second, the biggest emotion I have right now, I'm not gonna lie, I'm happy." I dropped the biggest bombshell first. "And, to be honest Lillie, even though she's not officially my wife like you or Meera; I don't feel guilty. I hope you can understand. Imma keep it, and I hope she does too."
"No shit I'm keeping it." Ellona rolled her eyes.
Lillie cooled down and she sighed. "I guess as long as you're happy." She took my hand. She held it in both of her hands.
"Hey." I turned her head to look me up in the eyes. "I love you."
She smiled. "I love you too."
"Alright, you two. Let's get there already, I wanna get a stuffed animal for Her!" Ellona picked me up over her head and ran to the store.
She placed me down and I was terrified of her strength. She looked like a slim, curvy, early 20s. But with Ellona's strength you'd think she was Zeus himself. She then dragged me inside the store. Where she made a Charmander Stuffed animal with black and gray lined coat and black jeans, kind of resembling me.
My eyes widened staring at the stuffed animal as we walked down the street. I kind of hung back a few steps while the girls joked around and talked. I stopped in my tracks and looked up from the stuffed animal, to the girls walking in front of me. It seemed like time slowed down, and I inspected each of them closely. Lillie was walking backwards, talking to Meera. Meera was smiling and talking back. They were talking about baby preparations. Ellona said something smart and both Lillie and Meera agreed and complimented her. She did a little dance.
She noticed me staring at her. She waved, "Hey Slowking! What are you doing? Enjoying the scenery-" she pointed at herself, "Or are you walking?"
I snapped out of  my trance. I looked back towards the stuffed animal in my hands. "Sorry, I got caught up in my thoughts." I jogged up to Ellona and gave her the stuffed animal, and a kiss on the forehead.
She blushed. "I think your thoughts were all over my body."
I laughed, "Take it as a compliment!"
She grinned erotically. "Trust me, I will."
Lillie stopped us before things went farther, "Why don't we stop for food at that diner." She pointed at a pizzeria across the street.
"Sounds fine to me." I shrugged and we walked to the corner of the street so we could cross over. But before we crossed, the ground started shaking. I gripped my bag strap, Meera and Lillie closed ranks on my left and right. I covered Ellona. We looked down, in the middle of the street, a portal had opened.
Out of a flash of fire, Nick appeared next to Lillie. His eyes widened at the sight. "There's no way!"
"Why the fuck are you here?" Lillie jumped.
"No time, Look there!" Nick pointed at the portal in the street. Out of it, we could see tiny arms coming out that evolved into bodies.
My eyes focused on the figures, were those...Zombies? I opened my bag and pulled out the FN Five-Seven. I checked my ammo. Nick pulled his sword out of a fire void. Lillie unholstered her Glock 17, Meera pulled out a pocket knife.
I handed the gun to Ellona, "Save your strength." The boosted gear appeared on my left hand this time. "Nick, can you open a portal to the apartment?" I got into a fighting stance
BOOST! The gear shouted.
"I can do it!" Ellona offered.
"No, save your strength!"  A zombie started to run at me, I punched it in the face.
BOOST! Liagge shouted again.
Suddenly there was a sonic boom. In the corner of my eye there was a fist. The person behind the fist punched me in the side of the head and I flew across the street into a building. It was an office building. My armor had appeared just in time of the impact to save me. I got up off the ground. Armor still intact, just scratches and scrapes.
I used my jet boosters on the armor and boosted out of the office building into the air. Nick was grappling... Mitchel??
I saw the look of terror in Meera's eyes. I flew right back into the action, kicking Mitchel upside the head and he stumbled backwards.
He roared and looked at me, hatred in his eyes. "You!"
I looked at him in disgust. "Maybe I was right in taking Meera away from you!"
He charged at me, I side stepped and dodged the attack. He looked back at me and I grabbed his arm and his shoulder, ripping out his arm, exposing his red juicy internals and exposed bone. He roared in anger and pain. I kicked him in the back, and sent him flying down the street.
When the smoke cleared, he was still standing. His arm had regenerated too.
"What the fuck are you?" Nick looked at him in horror.
He smiled. He could see the horror in all of our faces.
He looked at Meera. "Meera, Baby!" She looked at him and hid behind me, terrified. "I've come to save you from the Dragon. I'll kill him and take you back!" He charged at me again, recklessly but fast. A second before my face would've become mashed potatoes, a figure of light appeared. It blinded Mitchel, and the rest of us closed our eyes.
The light shut off and I opened my eyes. When I opened them, I collapsed to my knees and fell victim to a mix of emotions. Standing in front of me was the only other man in the world I'd kill someone to see come back from the dead.
The man who saved the world from the destruction that would have been caused by Giratina in the Pokémon War, all those years ago. Something was different, although I couldn't tell what. The green haired, dark skinned, maniacal best friend I've had for years was standing above me, ready for a fight.
Hau Machina reached his hand out towards me. "Get up Ben! There's no time for mental breakdowns!"
I took Hau's hand and stood.
"Good, now I'll wait to explain everything to you after we beat this, asshole!" Hau pointed at Mitchel.
"Agreed, we have much to catch up on." I stuck out my fist for a fist bump.
He put his fist on mine. "So much, you don't even know."
I laughed. Then I got into a fighting stance. "Ellona, take Meera back to the apartment. Nick, go with them! Lillie, Hau! On me!"
Ellona put my gun in her waistband and picked up Meera off the floor, who was in complete shock.
Nick lowered his sword. "I'll get them home safe, you guys just stay safe!" He waved his sword and a portal of fire leading to my living room opened. He then took Meera out of Ellona's hands. He waved goodbye to me, "Good Luck," then he disappeared into the portal.
Ellona gave me a hug. "Please be careful, Ben. I love you." She placed a kiss on my cheek, then she ran through the closing portal.
I turned back to face Mitchel. I looked at Lillie, I could see within her breathtaking beauty, she was shaking in her boots, but she was ready. She had pulled out her Sun Bow, given to her by Apollo, her father.
I then looked at Hau, who's eyes were glowing red, and his hands were on fire.
"Just like old times?" I asked.
"Yeah except I don't plan on dying this time." Hau grinned ear to ear.
Mitchel finally opened his eyes. Out came a dark glow, the same one Hades used, encasing his body in a black haze that crackled around his body. The haze thickened and darkened, until it dissipated. Leaving behind a man in an apocalypse like black cloak and a slime green outlined black suit.
"Ah that mortal's body finally gave up and died, what a shame." The Underworld God looked at me. "His final moments were only filled with rage, anger and hatred towards you. Could be worse ways to go out." Hades shrugged. "Just another soul in the underworld." The god then pointed at Hau. "You're supposedly dead, how are you alive?" He then realized something. "Ah, that silly fire god and his plans. Alas, it won't mean much in the end." The god then waved his hand and all of the zombies, the portals, and destruction was all repaired.
"Why did you do that?" I looked around and scratched my head.
"Harran was just a prophecy that needed to be fulfilled. It was only the beginning. Now I may seem like an enemy to you, and I was merely just showing you the worst possible outcomes if we let the Khaos Brigade continue." Hades sneered. "In the end, I may not like my fellow brother and sister olympians, but this world is actually habitable. And I'd like to keep it like that for millennia."
"What do you mean?" Hau demanded answers. "The Khaos Brigade's end goal was just to free the Dimensional Gap, not to destroy anything inside it."
"In time things will start to make sense, but for now children, I am hereby on your side. By doing this I hope I can make up for the Yacht and Harran. Even though I had to make you guys see somehow." Hades then disappeared in a green cloud of smoke. Leaving  Lillie and I more confused then before.
Hau sighed and waved his hand. "There's much to explain, let's get to a safe place. Yeah?" He opened a portal of fire to my living room, and we stepped through.