RED HOOD ✔

ALWAYS ANOTHER WAY

He just stayed there, on his knees, a dagger is in one hand with blood all over him, he just looks at the dead body blankly, he just killed for the first time, to top it off, he was only ten years old. "Joshua, you didn't have a choice" he just lies there, "there is always another way... But I chose to kill him" I couldn't let this happen, his innocence was disappearing already, I walk up to Marshall's body, he was evil, heartless and a maniac... But I am the guardian of this village... So that means him to, I check for a pulse... Its weak, but it's there "I can save him" I told Joshua, "he's alive but barely" Joshua looks at me "how?" Asked Joshua, my gut clenches, I begin moving my hands in circular motions, my right hand going clockwise and my left hand going anticlockwise "kauarisei" I said, "kauarisei" I say again, I begin to chant it and after saying it for the fifth time, a green aura leaks out of my palms and into Marshall's wound, the wound heals but he is still asleep, "come on... He won't be asleep for too long" we carried him upstairs and this time Nathan fell on the floor and pretended to be knocked out, poor guy probably has a migraine by now, we leave the shop and I yell "KENDRA!!"  Seconds later, my personal beast comes whooshing in,

Master. Kendra says in my head. Where do you wish to go.

Aunt Liza's house, I responded.

We all climb on and I strap on Marshall to the beast,

Joshua was quiet for a while, he hasn't spoken since he stabbed Marshall, " Josh... You okay" he nods "yeah... Why you asking" I think he knows that its obvious why I'm asking "you haven't spoken since you..." He sighs "I'm okay Vincent, its just that, even though he's still alive... For a second, I thought I killed him, I thought I had taken a person's life, It was brief, but for that short time... I felt like a monster... And in a way, I still do"

"What do you mean" I ask him, I was really concerned about his mental state at this point... He was only ten.

"I had the intention of killing him when I stabbed him, I wanted him dead, I wanted to take his life..."

I sighed... "But you didn't Joshua" I said trying to comfort him,

He just turned his head away from me, unconvinced by my attempts to make him feel better. This was my second time on kendra with Joshua, and in both times... It was really awkward.

We finally reach Aunt Liza's with Marshall still on Kendra's back, I told Joshua to watch him while I go get the others, he nodded.

I step inside the house to see everyone worried, "hey" I say with a shy smile, drawing everyone's attention to me, "VINCENT!!!" they all screamed in unison before they rushed to hug me, this has happened one too many times, I was about to tell them to get off, cause they were being to mushy about it, especially Apsychos who I did not expect this from, but Anna hugged tight and did not want to let go and I don't know if its weird, but I kinda liked it... its cold, I probably like it cause I need warmth.

"I thought you were gone for good"she said with tears running down her eyes.

"I've fought Marshall before and I'm still alive" I said giving her a smile to say I'm okay,

"But you weren't alone all those times... You never go alone, I was terrified of what might have happened to you"

"But I didn't go alone, I had help from the dark hood" I say with a smirk.

She raises up an eyebrow in confusion.

"Long story... I will explain it later". Joshua opens the door and says "you guys... Marshall is up" they all look at me in confusion and Apsychos was the first to respond "you actually beat him?" Great to see you have confidence in me bro, "nice to know how much you believe in me man" he chuckles, and I give out a fake pout.

We all walk out and meet a cursing Marshall, he was just screaming and struggling to escape his constraints, and he used words that I'm not sure I'm aloud to even think about, I give out a chuckle "Vincent!!! Let me out, I'll kill you, I'll kill everyone you love, Vincent, VINCENT!!!" He yelled before Joshua knocked him out with his sword hilt, everyone except me were shocked and he looked at them confused "what... He was really annoying" he said still wondering why they had the looks they had on.

That night I gave them a recap of what happened at the crooked blade and how me and the dark hood (Joshua decided it would be a bad idea to tell them who he was) took down the whole crooked blade, and a kilometre long serpent, which I found out was another legendary monster, like the three blind mice and the wolf. They were mostly interested in the dark hood, Anna seemed to like him, so did aunt Liza, but Apsychos seemed to be annoyed by him, "so basically a red hood wannabe" he said as Joshua cringed, I notice it and say "well I think he's really cool, you should have seen him take on the serpent, took a fiery spear into the monster's head" Apsychos shakes his head "doesn't matter... You're still my favourite hood" I give him a smile after that.

Marshall is in prison, but the sacred four are still out there and the beast is still out there killing villagers and keeping Ruth hostage, the group watched as my mood changed from excited to gloomy, "your thinking about the beast aren't you Vincent" said Joshua, I nodded, he was the next threat, I want to take down the sacred four really bad, but Ruth needed saving, she has gone through this torment for too long, I can't let her suffer it any longer. "Well you'll be happy to hear that we don't have to wait a Month for the next eclipse" surprised, I look at her at the peek of my interest, "how... What do you mean?" She frowned "but it won't be easy" she said

I don't care what I have to do, who I have to face, I can't do nothing, I'm going to save this whole village, "bring it on... I'm ready" aunt Liza looked at me and chuckled "fine then, you're going against Lady arachnid, she holds the moon stone, it has the power to control the moon" I laugh a little, "lady arachnid? I'm going against a spider?" She gave me a stern look "do not underestimate lady arachnid for she has ended countless warriors before you, and she is a legendary beast, she is closely ranked under the beast, for she and the wolf of Gi ton thàvmaton are the only ones that cannot be controlled by high level mind controlling items, and are intelligent, even smarter than most humans" I frown... Great... Why can't it ever be easy, "OK... Whatever, where's this 'lady arachnid'?" I ask, hoping it would be somewhere easy for me to go to, but having the kinda stupid luck I have, doesn't grant you such luxury "its at Mount Magma" oh no... That's the biggest mountain I know, I don't even know any mountains on earth bigger than that, I nod "OK... Fine... We leave tomorrow" I say before going to sleep.

My dream began with me sitting down on a wooden chair and surrounded by a ring of fire, I struggle in an attempt to free myself but it is of no use, four men walk in, each coming from a different direction, it was the sacred four. "Vincent, I was beginning to think this village will never stop being boring" another nods "yes, I almost feel bad about having to end your life" says another, then the one with the flaming axe then says, "Lose all thoughts of you thinking you can defeat us, for we have existed for thousands of years and we shall continue to do so, you are merely a form of entertainment" damn it, I begin to yell "damn you, damn you all, I will end you, I was always afraid to take away true life, to kill a human, to kill someone with a soul, monsters can be reborn... Humans can't, but you are monsters, all of you are monsters. You gave me these powers and doing that was your worst mistake, you've lived cause you hide... You are all a bunch of bloody cowards... I'll slay you, I'll slay you all!!!!" I scream at the top of my voice, "the insolence of this child, you shall pay for your ungratefulness" said the tattooed wizard. They all summoned swords and thrust their blades into me and I yelled in agony.

I woke up tired and drained, with sweat running down my face, for a moment after I wake up, I could feel the pain, I felt it all. Anna came into my room "Vincent, you okay?" Said Anna

I nodded, "yeah... Let's go."