Of Monsters And Men | Discontinued |

Episode Twenty Six - Impasse

They stand at an impasse.

It's as though the Hand is at one side of the river, and they're at the other, simple waiting for the water to move just a little bit differently, for something to change or something to move, before they pounce. Evren and Rot stand together, Rot above her skin and Evren below. Elektra is in the middle, dividing them from Matt.

They're their own army- a small one, one that might fail, but one nonetheless. They charge first.

Arrows fly towards them, ricocheting off of Rot, Matt deflecting them and Elektra spinning passed them, sheltering behind Rot.

A shouted phrase makes the bowmen stop.

The small army turn, looking over their shoulders.

Nobu awaits them. "No one escapes destiny."

Evren glances at Matt.

Nobu steps forward, swinging a weapon hanging from a chain. "You belong to us. And you, you belong in the ground. Beast, you can be a pet of sorts. An experiment for us. A new weapon." He screams, rushing forward.

Rot strikes first, yanking the weapon from its course. It snarls and releases it when burning greets it, jerking its hand backwards. Nobu only chuckles.

The fight is more akin to a desperate dance than anything else. They twist and spin and evade, then step and leap and attack. Back and forth in dizzying circles, heavy breaths, and gravel crunching beneath their shoes.

Elektra falls, and Hand surround her.

"Control the Black Sky!"

Rot breaks from Matt's side, stepping towards Elektra, the Black Sky, only for a band of Hand to surround them. It hisses, low and feral, leaping for them, only to scream- a scream that should never be uttered, one that sounds like metal scraping against metal- when fire plunges into its flesh.

Still, they fight. The taste of bitterness plagues the back of their tongue and top of their throat, ignoring the pain that spreads through their veins. The circle disappears, bodies littering the ground- organs strewn, legs and arms thrown away, blood staining sickly, dark green skin that shimmers on its own.

Kicking, biting, snarling, their back to Matt and Elekra's, dropping Nobu to the ground.

"You're done, Nobu." Matt says, breath heavy and heaving, fists raised. Rot growls beside him. "Your army will crumble. And you will leave our city alone."

"Your city belong to no one. And she belongs to us!"

He charges again, meeting all three. Hit for hit, snarl for snarl, evading and attacking all at once. Matt and Elektra hit the ground more than once, yet Rot remains standing, Nobu evading the snarling kicks and tendrils with eerie precision.

Elektra screams as Nobu twists her arm, shoulder cracking. She stays on the ground, and Matt jumps in. Again and again he's hit, Rot pulling him back when they can, yet, eventually, Matt hits the ground and can't get up, either, helmet rolling across the rooftop.

Nobu smirks as Rot approaches, snarling and furious, shoulders tight.

"You have forgotten. We know your weakness."

Rot screams, then, too, dropping to their knees and shuddering as more fire burns into their skin. They twist their head, Evren screaming with their shared throat, to see arrows, smoldering arrows, stuck to their back.

Tendrils rip them out, but more appear.

Matt pushes himself onto his hands and knees, breath labored. Nobu slams his knee into his face. Rot snarls, stands, and approaches, only to falter as more arrows dig into their skin. They can feel when the posion comes- hot and liquid fire in their veins.