Of Heroes and Villains

The Chapter With the Big Bad

Out of nowhere, a wave of pitch black darkness appeared. It swallowed the ice whole, destroying a massive bit of the ground in the process. The power it emitted alone was enough to freeze Don to the core even more than his recent near-death experience.

The darkness started gathering together as Dimitri ran over to where his teammates were. The black substance took the shape of a man, and then all color drained from it, revealing Unbound.

"I see I'm just in time."

Sean pushed himself off the ground, ignoring the pain the ice was causing him. Taking a bunch of pills, he spoke, "I'm not gonna ask what you're doing here, 'cause that much is obvious, but I do wanna know how you knew to be here."

Not taking his eyes off the ZONE members, Unbound replied, "The last time I was here, I planted a bit of my darkness into your shadow. It allowed me to sense you were in danger, then brought me here through that portal you just saw. I'll explain the rest later. I really must tend to those three first."

"Alone?" John Brody scoffed, no longer injured. "Do you really think you can take on the three of us at the same time?"

Unbound smiled calmly. "I do."

"Cocky punk!"

Brody sent a wave of water at Unbound, who thrust out his palm. A blast of smoky darkness flew out of it and completely enveloped the liquid attack, then turned it into nothing.

The girl was the next to try. She spread her arms, and bee after bee started coming out of her hair. All of them met the same fate as the water, and the three started to become nervous.

"Surrender," Unbound warned. "You lost this battle the moment I showed up. There's no need for you to get hurt here. For your sakes, come quietly."

John snarled, then took something out of his pocket.

'An injection?' Don realized, and the shark man gave himself the shot.

The effect was immediate. The pipes broke as water surged from them, quickly travelling toward Unbound. Just before a wave could hit him, the man pumped his fist into the air, and his darkness made the water part.

From the parts of the water on his left came John, riding a wave as he willed the water to move. The two halves slammed into each other, swallowing Unbound whole.

"How'd you like that!?" the water esper cheered.

"I didn't much care for it," said a voice from above.

Sean looked up just in time to see Unbound flying above him, completely unharmed.

"It will take more than what you've got to bring me down. Come quietly, now."

John was starting to lose it. He raised his hands into the air, and all of the water he had released was directed at Unbound. It flew toward him in several spiraling torrents, each one capable of destroying a building on its own. The water surrounded Unbound just as he started to release some darkness.

But the water never went directly for him. Instead, it changed into a sphere, covering the air around Unbound in a thick barrier of water.

That water then froze.

Don looked over to where Dimitri was standing, and immediately noted the girl's absence. 'Did she run away, or is she hiding?'

"Yeah, got him!" John cheered again, grinning at Dimitri. "We've got this, dude-"

He had clearly forgotten about his other enemies, because Sean sneaked up behind him, pulled his head back, then sank his teeth into his neck.

"W-What?" John gasped. "I should've been able to smell..."