If there was one type of monster that Evie always feared facing, it was a Golden Heart.
Impressive powers, regeneration no matter how bad the damage was, immortality... Only by finding their real hearts could they be permanently terminated.
When Evie met Zeth, she never thought she'd meet someone like him, but now one of Queen Zafira's Envoys was here, willing to do anything, even kill.
And Evie didn't know how to protect the boys from her.
Golden Hearts were in the top ten of the most powerful monsters, and no Hunter had ever been able to terminate one permanently in history. Of course, as far as Evie and the Hunters knew, there had only been two: Queen Zafira and Zeth himself.
"Hands where I can see them," Evie said, handgun raised, finger on the trigger.
"We are beyond asking her to raise her hands to be honest," Kasey whispered.
"All these people who idolize Zeth..." Athenisia said, staring at all the Mashers running out of the hotel through the pool's emergency exit, "They don't know what kind of person he is."
"But they will know the kind of person you are now," Evie put her gun in her holster, hands up in surrender. The pain of the dagger stuck in her right thigh still made her moan in pain as she limped towards the enemy, though, "I know you are angry, but only through dialogue can we solve this."
"So you are the infamous EV-13 everyone was so afraid of?" Athenisia laughed, "I am so disappointed," she rolled on the ground, grabbed Evie by her arm and spun her around, sending her flying through the air, smashing her against the tables below the stage. She screamed as she fell, the dagger digging deeper into her thigh. There was no blood, there never was because she wasn't the kind of monster that bled, but the pain? There was always that.
"Evie!" Kasey raised her handgun, Athenisia jumped, kicked and flipped, knocking Kasey off the stage. She fell back-first onto a table.
"Pathetic!" Athenisia looked up at Zeth, who had his hands open at his sides as if to protect the boys. "How cute! You want to protect these perfect strangers, but you murdered your own sister. Hypocrite!"
"They're not strangers," Zeth looked over his shoulder at Finn, nodding, "They're my family. The only real family I've ever had."
"Then you will see them all die," Athenisia began to walk slowly towards him.
There was a gunshot, a grapple gun.
Athenisia didn't know what was happening until BC-13 swung and landed with a little bit of skidding in front of Zeth, holding a handgun up.
"Bad idea sending your assistant with a firearm," BC-13 said, pointing his handgun at Athenisia, "Hands where I can... Fuck!" She spun on her heel and a Warhammer made of golden energy hit his torso, sending him flying through the air. Something cracked inside him. Surely a rib had broken. BC-13 fell to the ground near Evie and Kasey, moaning in pain.
"Draco, we have to transform!" Alex yelled, but Zeth put his hands on both of their chests.
"I will take care of this, you guys must get out of here," Zeth said, observing how Athenisia summoned a golden shield and a spear, and she took a defiant pose.
Zeth turned to look at Frank crawling on the edge of the stage behind her, in no physical pain, but visibly sad at losing his bionic limbs.
"I think we both know why you are here." Zeth told Athenisia, "But my friends? Leave them out of this. It's just you and me."
"I want to take the ones you love most from you, Uncle Zeth," Athenisia looked at him with a disgusted grin, "I want you to feel my pain."
"Me vale tres pitos tus pinches rencores, pinche vieja loca! I'm going to rip your head off for what you did to Frank!" Alex immediately ran towards her.
"Alex! Stay back!" Zeth shouted, but Athenisia spun like a ballerina in the air. Her sword turned into a warhammer, delivering a strong and accurate blow to Alex. He crashed into one of the screens, crossing to the other side, falling hard to the floor behind the stage.
"Alex!" Draco burst into tears, falling to his knees, "Athenisia! Please! Stop!"
"Anyone else want to try?" Athenisia asked, "Because I think this just turned into a Death Match, me against all of you." She pointed her Warhammer at them, and it quickly became a sword.
"No, it is just me against you," Zeth cracked his knuckles, then his neck, taking an attack stance, "Leave my friends alone."
"Zeth, no more dealing with everything alone," Finn said, putting his hand on his shoulder, "We'll fight by your side."
"Ha-ha! How pathetic! Who would have thought?" Athenisia laughed, walking towards Zeth and Finn, "You've gone soft, Uncle Zeth, but I..." She stopped dead in her tracks, brandishing her energy sword. She cut a flying chair in two, staring up defiantly, "It's very hard to surprise me."
"Leave the boys alone!" Paul shouted with his hands up and several tables and chairs floating right behind him.
"Or what?"
"Or this!" All the objects floating in the air flew towards her, but Athenisia, with graceful spins, cut through each and every one with her golden swords.
"The humans named me Goddess of War!" She shouted, conjuring a bow and arrow, "Now you'll see why!"
"Hey!" A male voice made Athenisia turn around. It was Deadgar, who was looking at her with his fists clenched below the stage.
"And what do you want?" Athenisia asked.
"To distract you," Deadgar laughed. As she turned, an orange cloud, as if shot from a flamethrower, threatened to burn her. Athenisia quickly conjured a shield of golden energy, blocking the flames.
"That was it?" Athenisia laughed, looking at Damon with his hands covered in flames on the stage, "You think you, foolish demon, can beat me?"
"Death Match!" Everett roared, conjuring an ice sword from his hand. It came shivering through the air.
Athenisia met it with two golden swords.
When the weapons met, there was no ring of metal on metal, only a high sound at the edge of hearing.
It was as irritating as the sound of nails on a blackboard.
"You hurt Evie," Everett growled, "You hurt Bodyguard Boy, Frank, and Alex... And I'm going to destroy you for it."
"Excellent, finally a worthy opponent," Athenisia smiled at Everett, "You want a Death Match, Yeti? You will get a Death Match."
"Everett! No!" Frank yelled from the stage floor.
"Hey, Rubinstein," Deadgar whispered, silently approaching the stage, hissing, "Shit. Your legs are fucked up."
"What are you doing, Deadgar?"
"I'm going to get you out of harm's way, Rubinstein," Deadgar replied, picking up Frank's sizzling bionic legs, "I'll take your legs to see if they can repair them. And I will carry you on my back. Do you think you can drag yourself to the edge of the stage and put your arms around my neck?"
Frank nodded, but first turned to see Athenisia brandishing her golden energy swords. With an ice shield, Everett blocked one sword, with his ice sword he blocked the other, but Athenisia spun very quickly, elegantly, as if she were a deathly ballerina.
Again and again their weapons met with strange, eerie clashing sounds.
"Damon! Fire!" Zeth commanded. Damon nodded, firing a blast of flame at Athenisia, which she blocked with a golden energy shield. "Paul!" Zeth shouted and Paul nodded, telekinetically throwing a table at Athenisia, but she quickly spun around and cut it, resuming her fight with Everett, who was panting from the effort now. Athenisia's blows were so strong that they were already cracking both the ice shield and the sword in his hands.
"Guys, this woman is very proficient in art of Yeti Death Match!" Everett grunted.
Athenisia was very fast, almost like a tornado of blades, and with each quick spin came the sound of her energy weapons cutting the air.
Draco was crying, watching Everett duck and dodge.
Afraid of losing another family...
No. Not this time!
"Athenisia! Wait!" Draco ran and stood right in front of Everett, catching one of her golden swords in both of his palms. Everyone gasped. "Athenisia, what are you doing?" Draco asked, sobbing, "Please! Stop! You are hurting my family for nothing! Zeth is innocent because..."
Then there was pain...
"Draco!" Everyone cried out.
Draco gasped, looking down ever so slowly.
Athenisia had crossed his stomach with her other sword, making him fall to his knees.
"Get out of my way, Von Stroker," she said, pushing him away with her foot. Draco fell on his shoulder.
"Death Match!" Everett roared louder than ever, "Why?! Why did you hurt Draco?!"
"You're pathetic, Yeti!" Athenisia jumped and spun, bringing down her swords with the strength of a thousand men, and Everett's shield shattered into a hundred brittle pieces, the shards scattering like a rain of glass.
"Everett!" Draco was in a complete panic, pulling the sword out of his stomach, which healed rapidly, "Fuck. Everett! Give up! Please!"
"You are too slow!" Athenisia yelled and knocked Everett back with a hard kick to the chest. He fell on his back, "You're an amateur. My father was a Yeti King and my mother's warlord. You don't stand a chance against me!"
"But I do!" Zeth charged towards her.
"We'll see," Athenisia wildly slashed at him.
She managed to make a cut on Zeth's forearms, on his cheek, across his chest, but Zeth just threw accurate punches and kicks again and again without thinking about the pain.
Athenisia moved back slowly.
"Zeth! I'll help you, just give me a second to think how!" Finn shouted.
"Finn! I don't want her to hurt you!" Zeth dodged Athenisia's sword, rose up and delivered an accurate punch. Athenisia staggered a little, "Finn, I know I said I don't know you, that I don't know any of you, but you are my family and I'm going to defend you!"
"No! Why do you..."
"Because I love you, Finn! I love you and... I don't want you to die because of my past mistakes!" Zeth turned to look at Draco, who was sobbing, ready to open his mouth and reveal a secret that would change everything, but Zeth shook his head, and Draco nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I will always protect you, all of you, even if I have to die a thousand times for you."
"So this boy, Seamons, matters to you?" Athenisia laughed, with a spear emerging from her hands, rising to her feet, "Oh Uncle Zeth! I will make sure this boy suffers much more than the others!"
"Not today!" Kato fell from above, landing on Athenisia's back, scratching her face with his feline claws, meowing like a cat in a frenzy. "Boomer! Now!"
Boomer jumped onto the stage. His shadow soon detached from him, punching Athenisia's.
"Ouch!" Athenisia doubled over in pain.
"Nobody messes with Monster Mash!" Boomer said.
His shadow hit her shadow again, and again, and again.
"Damon! Flamethrower, now!" Boomer ordered.
"I'm not a Pokémon!" Damon rebutted, "And I'll burn Kato if I do!"
"And we can't shoot!" BC-13 said, holding his aching ribs. Evie stood beside him, the dagger still stuck in her right thigh.
"Well, I don't know about you," Kasey said, raising his gun, "But I'm going to shoot."
"Enough!" Athenisia grabbed Kato and spun around, sending him flying towards Boomer. They both fell off the stage hard. "You fools." Athenisia rolled on the ground, punched Damon in the face, grabbed his arm, spun him around and threw him into the air, "You're nothing!" Damon fell on BC-13, crushing him.
"Enough!" Zeth ran towards his niece, but with a strong kick she sent him flying off the stage.
Evie and Kasey raised their weapons, but Athenisia conjured a bow and arrow.
"No, I wouldn't do that if I were you, Hunters."
"Hey, that's enough!" Paul shouted, climbing up onto the broken stage, "Look at me! I won't use my powers," he said, raising his hands, "I understand that you are angry. But I am sure that this is all a misunderstanding."
"You're a diplomat, huh? Admirable. But if you get in my way..." Athenisia held Paul by the neck, choke-holding him a foot off the ground, "You die!"
"Hey!" There was a gunshot, and Athenisia conjured a golden shield to block the bullet, turning to see Kasey with her gun up, "Enough!"
"Kasey... Go... Away..." Paul was turning red.
"You changed my life, Paul," Kasey said, firing again. The bullet ricocheted off Athenisia's shield, "Now let me save yours."
"I'm going to teach you how to use a long-range weapon, hunter," Athenisia dropped Paul, conjured a bow and arrow made of golden energy, and fired down at Kasey who, barely missing three arrows, ran for her life and rolled to hide behind a large flowerpot.
"Don't. Touch. Angry. Blonde!" Everett was soon on his feet, roaring, conjuring an ice sword and shield. Athenisia looked over her shoulder, summoning a warhammer.
"I see you're a very stupid Yeti," she laughed and brandished the weapon with both of her hands. Everett was sent flying by a strong blow to the jaw. With a crash, he fell off the stage.
Athenisia turned to see Draco, who had already recovered from his wound but was still kneeling on the floor, crying profusely.
"I almost feel bad for you, Von Stroker," Athenisia said. Finn was soon by Draco's side on the floor, comforting him, looking up at the woman.
"Don't you dare take another step, Athenisia," Zeth stood in front of the two of them protectively.
"Step. Aside. Uncle. Zeth." She ordered, "I want your friends alive."
"Your plan is to torture them and force me to watch," Zeth said and she nodded, "Tell me where you took Jade."
"Who the Hell is Jade?"
Finn and Draco watched this from behind Zeth, shivering and cold inside.
Finn felt useless right now.
Alex was probably unconscious backstage, and Everett was barely reacting, rubbing his jaw. Evie was beside him, staggering, falling to her knees, weak with a dagger stuck in her right thigh.
Kasey was behind a flower pot, checking the chamber of her gun, which was empty.
Deadgar and Frank were at the far end of the pool area, at least they were safe.
BC-13 and Damon were both standing up, groaning in pain. Kato and Boomer were in the same situation.
Paul was coughing on the floor of the broken stage, holding his throat.
"We can still fight," Draco whispered, "I'm going to become a vampire. Boomer and Kato can help, Damon too."
"Grandpa said I inherited his power," Finn whispered, looking at Draco. "I have nothing to lose by trying." Finn put his hand towards the pool, squeezing his eyes shut, "Please... Please..." He focused on everything he loved. His friends, the new band, Evie, Kasey and BC-13, his fans and the journey he had been through so far. Slowly, the water began to move, like a whirlpool, "Come on Finn... You can do it!"
"Is anybody else seeing that?!" Kasey asked, watching as the water in the pool rose into a massive fist.
Athenisia looked around, in horror, at the giant fist made of water rising up, taking a step back.
"It can't be," she took a step back, "It's impossible! A Seamons with the power of hydrokinesis? It's impossible!"
"I did it?" Finn opened one eye, but just as he did, the water fist shattered into gallons that fell into the pool again, "No! Fuck! No! I'm useless!"
"No! You're the perfect distraction!" Zeth shouted, and just as Athenisia turned to look at him...
A blow sent her reeling.
"Come on Zeth! You can beat her!" Draco shouted, encouraging him.
"You're not going to finish us, Athenisia!" Zeth spun in the air and punched her in the face so hard she tumbled backwards. "You are not going to hurt my family," Zeth delivered a kick to her stomach, "You are not going to ruin our present or our future," a punch made her stagger, "And you're not going to take down Monster Mash!" And with a quick spin in the air and a kick, Athenisia finally fell to her knees, dishevelled and glaring up at him.
There was a loud bang, headlights of a vehicle approaching.
The tour bus!
The pool grate broke, and the horn blared as Melody Operman drove frantically across the grassy area, skidding and leaving mud marks.
"Kasey!" Evie shouted on her knees, holding out her grapple gun at her fake-sister, "Compartment of the roof! Rocket launcher!"
"On it!" Kasey ran from her hiding place and took the grapple gun from Evie's hand, using it to land on the roof of the tour bus, quickly opening the compartment.
"Are you okay, Evie?" BC-13 fell on his knees next to her, and gently held her face in his hands.
"I've been better," she nodded, turning to look at the stage.
"It's over, Athenisia," Zeth said, looking down at his niece on her knees and defeated, caressing her cheek, "Give up."
"Never," Athenisia quickly rose up, grabbing Zeth by the neck, strangling him, "I will never give up! Not until I have my revenge!"
"Pedro! Use this!" Kasey shouted and tossed the rocket launcher. It landed near the front of the tour bus. BC-13 nodded and rushed to get the rocket launcher, holding his aching ribs as he knelt on the floor and aimed.
But he shook his head.
"What the hell are you waiting for?!" Kasey yelled from the roof of the bus, "Shoot, you asshole!"
"I can't shoot without blowing Zeth to pieces!" BC-13 replied.
"Shoot! I will be back!" Zeth shouted, kicking to try to free himself from Athenisia's choke-hold, "Now!"
"Finn, we have to go!" Draco shouted, pulling Finn by the arm.
"No! Wait! Zeth! Zeth!"
"Finn! Come on!" Draco ordered, pulling on his arm, "Paul! Alex is backstage! Use your powers and run!"
"G-Got it," Paul stood up and jumped off the stage, using his telekinesis to pull a still unconscious Alex away from danger.
"BC-13! Shoot!" Zeth ordered.
"I don't think so," Athenisia tossed Zeth aside, conjuring a bow and arrow, with BC-13 in her sights.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three bullets hit their target. Athenisia grunted, and the sand on her body healed the bulletholes in a second.
"BC-13! Now!" Evie pulled the trigger again, but her gun was empty.
"Is that all, huntress?" Athenisia aimed her bow and arrow at Evie, "I expected more from you, you know? Your species doesn't die from conventional wounds, but your brain? Oh! That's your weak spot, baby!"
The arrow flew through the air.
Evie closed her eyes.
Death did not come.
When she opened her eyes, she realised that a wall of ice had emerged and stuck inside it, was the golden arrow.
"I protect you, Evie," Everett nodded by her side, "As you have protected us."
"BC-13! Now!" Zeth ordered, climbing on top of Athenisia, putting his legs around her neck, swinging quickly to drop her and restrain her in a headlock, "Shoot! I will revive anyway! Shoot!"
"But Zeth..."
"Do it now!" Zeth turned to see Draco sobbing, and Finn shaking his head with tears in his eyes, "I'm willing to die again for them!"
"Zeth! Don't do this!" Frank shouted from the floor, dragging himself towards the stage, but Deadgar held him back by the shoulders.
"Don't do this again, Zeth!" Draco pleaded.
"Zeth! Reconsider!" Everett yelled.
"This guy is too attached to them for his own good," Kasey gulped with the wind blowing her black dress on the roof of the tour bus, "Quite the hero."
"Zeth!" Evie shouted from the ground, "We'll find another way!"
"This is the only way!"
"Zeth! Zeth please! Don't do this!" Evie begged, "Zeth! I love you!"
"I love you more, Baby... Hey Finn!" Then Zeth turned to see him, "Sank like a ship into the sea! Thought it would be the end of me!" he tearfully shouted a part of 'Rise Like A Kraken' at the top of his lungs, "You're in charge until I'm back, Seamons!"
"Zeth! Don't do this!" Finn begged.
"BC-13! Now!" Zeth ordered as Athenisia began to break free from his tight grip.
"But..."
"I said NOW!"
"This is nothing personal, Zeth," BC-13 murmured.
Then he pulled the trigger...
The rocket whizzed through the air.
Zeth closed his eyes, wanting to finally make up for all his mistakes once and for all. Dying was always hard, but coming back was always the best part. At least this time he would die for people who were a worth it. He would do it for Monster Mash.
"You are everything I thought I never deserved, guys," Zeth whispered.
Then came the darkness... And the flames.
The portable stage burst into an explosion.
The ground vibrated, the sound was deafening, some windows shattered into a thousand pieces.
There was a huge orange cloud that slowly turned into hissing black smoke. Car alarms blared all around.
All the boys and girls covered their faces from the debris and ash that was flying through the air.
Afterwards, there was only calm, a funereal silence, and a ringing in the ears.
"Zeth!" Melody broke the silence when she ran out of the tour bus, sobbing and slamming the door, "No! No! No! No! Zeth!"
"Did we beat her?" Kasey asked, looking at the spot where the stage used to be from above.
"Zeth! You fucking idiot!" Finn shouted with tears in his eyes, falling to his knees, "Why? Why do you always do everything alone? Why do you always sacrifice yourself for us?!"
"Because that's what you do when you love someone," Evie said, sighing heavily.
"Zeth! You killed Zeth!" Melody yelled at BC-13, who fell to the side clutching his ribs, "You bastard! You killed Zeth!"
"Zeth will be fine, Melody," Draco whispered, wiping away tears. "A ritual must be performed to bring him back though, but I'll take care of that. I've done it before."
"What about deathly woman?" Asked Everett.
"Although Athenisia won't be able to return in her physical form if we don't do the ritual, I think we should put her Golden Heart in a vase full of mercury to give her some rest, so to speak. She will sleep and dream and won't be able to hear us if we do that." Draco explained.
"Are you sure Zeth will be okay?" Kato asked, with Boomer behind him, giving him a hug from behind.
"The guy's a Golden Heart," Draco nodded tearfully, "He'll be fine."
"That's the most heroic thing I've ever seen," Deadgar said.
"Wow. The guy's got balls." Damon pursed his lips.
There was a long silence afterwards.
Until...
"I kept moving down... Cracked under the pressure." Finn surprised everyone when he started singing his part of 'Rise Like A Kraken' on his knees with his eyes on the floor, "I hit rock bottom... Didn't drown. You'll see me rise now... Shake the ground... I'll rise like a Kraken."
"Finn, calm down," Draco patted him on the back, "Zeth will be back soon, don't be sad. I've seen him die a thousand times in all these thousands of years. And when he comes back, believe me, it's the best part."
"He was willing to die for us," Finn wiped away a tear, "He's not... He's not who I thought he was."
"He's going to revive," Everett patted Finn's head, "But I don't think you want to see state his body is in now."
"No one has the stomach to see that," Paul shivered.
"Well, I do." Kasey said from the roof of the bus, shifting her shoulders. "There's not much to see, just a lot of golden sand. There won't be any blood or anything like that."
"This is terrible for our image," Finn rose to his feet, "That's what he would say."
"But Zeth would do anything for us, too," Paul said, trying hard to keep a proud smile on his face, "And we will have already cleaned up the mess and our image by the time he comes back to us."
"I'll have to ask Baphelise for a favour." Draco whispered, biting his nails. "But I can't stop wondering if this is the vision Zeth had. The one about a woman ending the band?"
"Zeth told me that the girl he saw in the vision was Jade," Evie replied, "At first, he thought she was a Huntress, that's why he ordered me to investigate her the night you guys met her."
"Zeth's visions are always accurate," Draco swallowed thickly.
"No one is going to take down Monster Mash," Frank said on the floor, loud and clear, staring at the hole in his bionic hand, "No one is going to take us down. And we have to rescue Jade no matter what," Frank looked up at the hotel from the ground, "Do you think we will find her?"
"We will... Nice shot by the way, BC-13," Kasey said, jumping off the tour bus, landing with a grunt, "I hope you don't get fired after this."
"I broke every rule in the book tonight," he replied, looking at Kasey from the floor, "Let's find Zeth's golden heart. It must be placed inside his sacred sarcophagus and wrapped in sacred bandages for him to regenerate."
"I would help you, but I don't have the stomach for it," Evie said, breathing hard. "I know there will be sand everywhere, but I can't bear to have Zeth's golden heart in my hands."
"Oh Evie!" Frank dragged himself closer to her, hugging her on the floor, "Oh God! Evie! I thought I was going to lose you forever!"
"Frank," She hugged him tight, kissing his forehead, "Oh Frank! I thought I was going to lose you too! Don't worry, we'll fix your legs."
"But we're going to need more Vorpal steel." Draco said, "Zeth and I used everything we already had."
"And where will we get that?" Frank asked.
"Evalon," Draco replied with a shudder, "I think we'll have to go there."
"I can go alone," Evie said, "I'm not going to risk you guys."
"No. We go with you. You've put yourself in enough danger for us tonight, Evie," Everett said, kneeling next to her, caressing her cheek, "In fact, you always have. Thank you."
"You guys are everything I ever wanted to have: A family," She smiled at Everett, "You're worth the risk."
"A la verga! Qué chingados pasó? Me duele un chingo la jeta!" Alex sat up, rubbing his head, touching his aching face, inspecting his bloodied fingers, "A su puta madre! Why is there blood on my face?"
"Oh shit," Everett made a disgusted face, "Alex, I think wound is going to leave scar. We need first aid kit."
"What happened to the woman? How's Frank?! We won?! Where's Zeth?!" Alex was so worried he pulled strands of his hair.
"I'll bring you Zeth in a second, Alex. Come on, Pedro," Kasey eyed BC-13, "You know what? Jade was right, you have a Pedro face."
"My name is not Pedro, Kasey," BC-13 frowned.
"Do you really think Zeth killed that woman's mother?" Paul asked Draco, crossing his arms as Kasey and BC-13 walked towards what was left of the stage, arguing.
"Zeth didn't kill Queen Zafira, Paul. He would never do that," Draco replied, looking up at him with his cute scarlet eyes watering.
"You sure?" Everett raised an eyebrow.
"Zeth would do anything for the people he loves, even take the blame," Draco looked down, rubbing his hands, "And I know Zeth didn't kill Queen Zafira because..."
"Because what?" Finn raised an eyebrow and Draco swallowed hard.
"Because the person who killed Zafira..." Draco took a deep breath, closed his eyes and let it go, "It was me."