Castle Hell
Kid sat politely with hands folded as Lord Balder entered his office. Though he tried to bear a stoic expression, he couldn't help but let his eyes scowl.
"Your Majesty… I have come to a decision."
"A decision, Lord Balder?" Kid asked.
"I have decided… to allow the Kids Next Door to assist in the matter with Skull Face, and with securing the Lost Voices."
"Is that so? And why the sudden change of heart?"
"The truth is… there is a reason why I was so desperate to protect the Tower of Babel. Centuries ago, I gathered the Voices myself and opened the tower. I locked a certain secret inside it, a personal, regretful secret that I dreaded anyone finding out. When Skull Face made his threat to open the tower and manipulated Mr. York as he did, I feared you KND would want to open the tower as well and thus discover that secret. But with the way things are progressing, it may be inevitable that the tower is opened, so for the sake of apprehending Skull Face, I will accept your help."
"And you're no longer afraid of this 'secret' getting out?"
"No… I don't believe I am, anymore. I will cross that bridge when it comes."
"Very well. I will send word to the KND. In fact, I've already sent Sector YU to protect Meloetta."
"That is good. As it stands, only one of the Voices should still be in its sanctuary, the others have been taken. We must strengthen forces at the tower for when and if Skull Face comes."
Mushroom World; The Last Resort
The Last Resort currently held the record as the largest and most diverse hotel in the Mortal World; ironic, however, as it was built by ghosts. It was commissioned and owned by King Boo, a favorite vacation resort for famous people from all around.
The 14th floor was the Dance Hall, a rather groovy, colorful, disco-themed floor where the guests loved to party the night away. The dance floor was especially packed today, for the resort had invited a very special guest to host the party!
"HEY, all you Goobs!" cheered Don Quixote Sugar, acknowledging the blue ghosts in the crowd. Having already acquired fame as a singer on Coruscant, she had become master of the dance floor as soon as she set foot in here. "Keep on those groovy hoodies, because this song is sure to twist your noodle!"
"But no matter what," followed Meloetta, the Firstborn sharing her spot on the neon tiles, "know that you'll always be 10 out of 10!"
"Now let's dance!"
Music Chi was fluent across the room, stirred by their dancing. Ghosts, Toads, and Koopas were spinning around them like twisters, using either the tops of their heads or backs of their shells as a base.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the Master Suite, Ibara was meeting with King Boo, watching Sugar's dance on a large TV. "Yes, that's the one." Ibara observed Meloetta with a sneer. "Many thanks for luring her for me."
"Many thanks for the five million gold!" King Boo said, his purple tongue drooping from his mouth. "A little chump change never hurt anybody! Just don't target my ghosts with your little device~"
"You have my word. As for the mortal guests, all it will do is stun them for a few hours. Plenty of time to take Meloetta far away." Ibara held Dr. Stone up to his mouth and said, "Target: Firstborn Spirit. 1,000 meters, one second."
In a second, the weapon exploded into a sphere of green aura. Meloetta was immediately frozen into stone. "WAAH!" Sugar tripped on the Firstborn, the dancers stopping with a gasp. "Ow…M-Meloetta?! What happened?! Hey, did anybody see what happened?!"
"Nobody that needs to know, my dear." Ibara smirked. "I'll let you wallow in confusion for a moment while Dr. Stone recharges. You'll be petrified next! I'll have to get far away when that hap-"
"So, THAT'S where you've been hiding, old man!" Ibara gasped, facing the elevator. The one who spoke was a teenage boy with smooth blackish-green hair and a green school uniform, and his name was Yusuke Urameshi. Accompanying him was Jin, a yōkai with thick red hair, a small white horn at the top, long pointed ears, and a white toga with baggy pants. There was a younger boy named Rinku, with brown hair under a puffy, yellow- and red-striped cap, a red shirt with yellow sleeves, and three pink stars under his left eye.
"And just who are you brats?! King Boo, you didn't invite these hoodlums, did you?!"
"As if I would ever." The king stated.
"We don't need permission from the likes of you." Yusuke remarked. "We're Sector YU, and we've been asked to protect Meloetta from Skull Face."
"Yusuke, I bet ya that's the man who turned the Heaven's Hotel residents in ta stone." Jin said in an Irish accent.
"This old fart?" Rinku asked rudely. "Who does he think he is?!"
"Of course, I didn't expect to accomplish this mission without struggle." Ibara said. "But this cautious old man is always prepared for a bout."
"And I couldn't let you brats invade my private suite unpunished." King Boo inferred. "You'll make splendid decorations!"
"SPIRIT GUN!" Yusuke fired a blast of energy from his finger, Ibara dodging. Rinku conjured yo-yos between his fingers and launched them to bind Ibara's arms, hauling the man overhead to slam him into the polished floor. However, Ibara had also tossed Dr. Stone, emitting a small burst that nearly petrified Rinku, but he dodged in time. Ibara slashed Soul Blades from his fingernails to cut the strings, then formed a sturdy white shield to protect from Yusuke's Spirit Gun. Jin used airbending to spin King Boo around, but the king extended his tongue to whip Jin away on the rebound. King Boo created a portrait and tried to suck Jin into it, but Jin stirred the air in his favor and escaped the vacuum.
While confusion still plagued the people of the dance floor, a young, thin woman with a light-pink kimono and light-blue hair tied in a long ponytail approached Sugar. "Miss Sugar, you have to take Meloetta and escape!"
"Who are you?!"
"My name is Botan, I'm part of the Spirit KND. There's a villain trying to kidnap Meloetta! I think they lured you to this hotel to trap you!"
"A trap?! Then let's go!" Sugar lifted the statue and jumped off the stage, shuffling through the crowd to escape the room as Botan followed.
"Ghosts, don't let them escape! Seize the Firstborn!" King Boo ordered through the speakers.
A band of Goobs in hoodies ambushed Sugar and Botan in the hallway. Botan drew an oar and forcefully bashed the ghosts away, while Sugar cut a path through the center with a Song Beam. "They'll trap us on the elevator, so let's take the stairs." Botan suggested. Sugar nodded and kicked open the stair door, gracefully grinding the rails on her slippers.
Ibara grit his teeth and phased through the floor, intending to ambush the ladies on a lower level, but Yusuke tackled him as they crashed on the 12th floor, a pirate restaurant. The teen violently punched Ibara's jaw, but Ibara forced him off with Thrust. "Five meters, one second!" Ibara flew away and threw his weapon at Yusuke—a yo-yo shot down from the ceiling and bounced it against the floor, its explosion touching nobody. Rinku phased from the ceiling and launched more yo-yos from his fingers, but Ibara sliced their strings once more. However, Rinku jumped out of his shoes and lashed yo-yos from between his toes, binding Ibara. Yusuke shot a Spirit Gun through the floor and directed it in a U-turn, coming up from beneath Ibara and blazing past his front to blast him in the chin.
Jin fell from the ceiling and landed on Rinku. King Boo dropped down and smashed them beneath his girth, forcing them down to the 11th floor, the Twisted Suites. Sugar and Botan were trying to navigate the mazey floor when they were stopped by the ghost. King Boo immediately tried to suck them in a painting, but Botan kicked Sugar away and was sucked in herself. Boo spun in Jin's whirlwind and was blown up through the ceiling, and he proceeded to save Botan by breaking the painting.
Yusuke was grabbed by two red, block-shaped ghosts called Hammers, leaving Ibara to fly down lower. He flew down to the 10th floor and found the entrance to the stairs. "10 meters, one minute. Seems like a fair gamble." He set Dr. Stone beside the door, then flew back up to the restaurant. Yusuke had forced the Hammers off with energy blasts, but returned to defending against Ibara's finger slashes. Rinku's yo-yos came up from the floor and wrapped Ibara's ankles, yanking him down to the Twisted Suites and slamming him against a large saw on a magic casket.
Sugar was able to find the stairs and hurried down to the 10th floor. However, while sliding the rail, a green light suddenly burst from the door. "AAAH!" She immediately stopped herself, the light enveloping her legs as they turned a shade of blue. "M-My legs! I can't move—AAH!" She fell off the rail and down the shaft of stairs, crashing on the floor below as Meloetta's statue shattered. "MELOETTA! NO!"
Ibara sensed the explosion and flew down to retrieve Dr. Stone. "Bright Heaven Cannon!" Ibara conjured 10 pink energy spheres that would shoot beams up through the floors to strike the spirits. The man flew lower and found Sugar's hindered form trying to reattach Meloetta's pieces. "Don't worry, my dear! I'll fix her up!" Sugar gasped and blew a Song Beam, but Ibara dodged and quickly latched the stone pieces with Soul Ropes. Making sure he didn't miss any pieces, the man retreated through the walls.
Ibara flew outside the hotel and toward the top, but Botan followed him, riding her oar. Ibara stored Meloetta in a sack and fired Soul Beams that Botan countered. "Return the Firstborn at once!"
"Sorry, sweet cheeks. This old man's late for a meeting!" Ibara struck Pale Lightning, but Yusuke took the hit for Botan's sake.
"Hey, that's no way to treat a lady." Yusuke retorted, blasting a Spirit Shotgun. Ibara conjured a shield to block it, phasing into the top floor.
"Yusuke, I can sense a Ghost Portal inside." Botan said. "He must be planning to escape through that."
"Call the others and let them know! I'll keep chasing him." Yusuke shot after the man and found the green, swirling portal inside the main office, bravely diving inside.
Mira; Gormott
Team Rex made their base in the house of their Nopon friend, Tora. Tora's house was located in Torigoth, Gormott, in a rather hidden location. It was suspended on the underside of the village and provided a good view of the Cloud Sea.
Nia was seated in front of a TV communicator, which displayed a black-haired girl named Lin from Sector NLA. "So, is this dark Core Crystal really Malos's?"
"No other Core Crystal has that color, it has to be him." Nia replied in a Welsh accent.
"His memories will be all wiped by now." Pyra said. "The question is, who would be a suitable Driver for him?"
"What about Jak?" Rex asked. "His personality seems to fit."
"Mehmeh! Tora terrified of Jak!" Tora exclaimed. The Nopon wore blue overalls with mechanic equipment. "Putting Malos with him lead to great catastrophe!"
"But if someone unworthy tries to link with Malos, they'll be destroyed. Jak is the best chance."
"We could at least ask Jak if he would consider it." Lin replied.
"Um, I was wondering…" Ursula spoke shyly, the young Blade nervously hugging Beary. "Even if Malos does lose his memory… would he really be our friend?"
"We'll rack up those Affinity points eventually." Pyra said.
"Tora make friends with Malos easy!" Tora cheered. "Just look at Tora and Poppi! The best of friends!"
"Even though Poppi do all work for Masterpon." said Poppi, a purple-haired robot girl.
"My Lady!" They turned to the entrance tunnel as Dromarch entered. He was a white tiger Xenoblade. "We have visitors."
The team exited the house and found two familiar figures standing outside. Leic was sitting on a table and swaying his feet and Dimentia had her hood up. "Ahem, hello." she greeted awkwardly. "Do you… remember me?"
"'ey, it's you!" Rex jumped, as did his teammates. "That lady… from the top of Gormott!"
"Mehmeh! This the evil woman friends mentioned?" Tora asked.
"I'm not evil!" Dimentia quickly defended.
"We know." Rex replied. "You were actually… saving KOS-MOS, right? She told us. We're… sorry for attacking you."
"You aren't mad at us, are you?" Ursula asked.
"Nah, of course we're not mad!" Leic walked up and patted Beary's belly. "Haha! I love your polar bear!"
"Thank you… Would you like me to show you his sweet spot?"
"Gladly!"
"Heheh…" Dimentia chuckled. "Anyway… I've been chasing around the culprit, the one who kidnapped your friend, and I learned that she's working under someone else. To put it bluntly, I need your help to stop them."
"You want our 'elp?" Nia asked.
"When you were chasing me earlier, I sensed powerful chi inside that girl." She pointed at Pyra.
"Well, yeah." Rex replied. "Pyra's an Aegis, one of the legendary Blades created by the Architect."
"The Architect?"
"You know, the spirit who watches over Alrest? You really aren't from around here, are ya?"
"Well, it makes sense why she has that power."
"But why do ya need our help, anyway?" Nia asked. "How do we know this isn't some sort of trap? We know we misunderstood the first time, but that doesn't mean…"
"It's not a trap, I really do need your help! I'm really not strong enough to beat that woman's boss on my own, but you guys are a different story. If you guys can help me beat them, we may be able to stop them for good. Stop them from hurting anybody else."
"Alright, then. We'll help you!" Rex replied cheerily.
"Seriously, Rex, just like that?" Nia asked.
"She saved KOS-MOS, so we can't just refuse. 'Always help others that help you.' That's the second rule of the Salvager's Code! Besides, all our other side quests are fetch quests, this sounds way more exciting."
"Hehehe!" Ursula giggled as she and Leic tickled a spot on Beary's back. "See, Beary loves it when you scratch this spot!"
"I have a ticklish spot, too!" Leic replied.
"Leic, that really shouldn't be a conversation starter." Dimentia said. "So… you'll help?"
"Mehmeh! Stranger should not ask for help without first giving name!" Tora shouted.
"My name? Well, the thing is, I'm sort of a spirit warrior who fights interdimensional evil. And my name is… PHOENIX ANGEL!" Dimentia sported a proud smile and posture.
"Ph-Phoenix Angel?! That so cool!"
"Poppi is speechless!"
"What kind of dorky name is that?" Nia asked.
"Heheh!" Dimentia laughed. "Anyway, I'll tell you guys about who we're up against…"
After the briefing, Dimentia and Leic parted ways with the group and flew to the Gormott Plains. "So, have we gotten everyone that we need?" Plex asked.
"Not yet. They'll only be the first part of Var's lesson. We also need… a proper instructor."
Ghost Zone
The entrance to the Labyrinth of Deceit was located under a statue of Pandora, with four arms, one holding a spear, and armor with a purple flame on the helmet. Leading her friends, Emily Dickson was the first to step down the stairs. "Why are you making me lead? I already said I've never been down here."
"You're still the ghost expert. We need you to Tattle them all." Nolan remarked.
"Oh, bullocks."
"It feels rather normal so far." Joker said. "Do our phones still reach down here?"
"Let's see." Nolan tried to call Maria on his communicator, but all he heard was static. "Hmm…no, I'm not getting anything."
"My phone has no reception either."
The group progressed down the stairs in silence for about half an hour. "Isn't anyone noticing a bit of repetition?" Alucard asked.
"Yeah, the island didn't look that deep from the outside." Snake said. "It feels like we would've fallen off by now."
"Interior spaces vs. exterior never really mattered in the Spirit World." Nolan reminded. "Still, this is taking a while."
Joker turned. "Hm? Hey, isn't that the entrance?!"
When the group turned around, they saw that they were only 20 steps down from the entrance. "Seems we're already caught in the labyrinth's trap."
"Then where are we supposed to go?" Snake asked.
"Wait, look!" Emily pointed at one of the side columns. "I see a narrow gap between this column and the wall." She pressed herself against the gap and tried to squeeze through. "I can just… barely—AAAAH!" The wall suddenly flipped around like a revolver door and sucked her in. The group gasped in surprise and entered the "door" after her.
They found their selves in a brighter area, consisting of a gaping wide hallway that was rotating like a giant cog. The hall branched into four paths, which each branched in two paths. "There is NO way we're going to solve this maze." Emily moaned in defeat. "Honestly, you guys had to go after THIS Voice last?"
"If our phones don't work, it feels too dangerous to split up." Joker said. "We should stick together."
"We should also not just choose any path that suits our fancy." Alucard suggested. "There would have to be clues or at least discrepancies like the one we just discovered."
"Oh, there's a discrepancy!" Emily was quick to say, having looked up at the ceiling on an impulse. "Check out that rope!" She flew up to the strange rope hanging on the ceiling and pulled it.
Immediately, a huge hatch opened on the ceiling, dropping five giant balls composed of springs. "DWAH-DWUH-OOF-OW!" The Spring Balls brutally pushed the five along, giving them no time to recover. "I guess it was the wrong discrepancy!" Emily cried as they were pushed toward the rotating halls.
"Hey, grab on or we'll be separated!" Snake shouted.
"I've got you!" Joker grabbed Alucard's coat.
"What sort of blasted trap is this?!" Alucard yelled. "I'm so dizzied, I can't transform!"
"NOLAN!" Emily screamed as he was forced up a hallway on his own.
"Just stay with me for now!" Snake yelled, keeping hold of her. "W-Wait, the floor!"
As soon as they were branched off into the different halls, the floor and ceiling became springs as well, powerfully bouncing them along without giving them a say in the matter. "I hate mazeeeeeeesss…!" Emily's voice echoed from the depths.
Outside
Gohda steered the carriage far from the acropolis. He parked it on the flat top of a lone asteroid, roughly 50 square feet with nothing but pointed rocks of varied heights. Gohda approached the tallest rock, even though it wasn't that distinct from the others. Gohda positioned his right arm at an angle, his hand before his chest. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a wristband. A blue, triangular blade of energy emerged from the wristband.
My Zanpakutō is called Beatrice. Beatrice allows me to create illusions from lies. If I told someone that I had a sister, and that she was at home, an imaginary sister would take solid form at my house. This ability has several weaknesses. First, the illusions can only be seen by people who were told the lie, but those people can spread the lie around. Second, if people have evidence to contradict the lie, or if they already know, the illusion will disappear before them. I was "given" this power… by the Voice of Stolen Truth.
"Well, you seem like a handsome little visitor." said Pandora, a blackish-blue flame atop an altar. "What brings you to the depths of my lair?"
"Goddess Pandora… I seek the Stolen Truth." Gohda answered. "I need its power… for the sake of my Young Miss's happiness. A terrible thing has happened to our family… and there is no way to rectify it. The least I can do for my Young Miss… is allow her to live her eternity the way she envisioned. At this moment, she believes in a lie. A legend. Her immortal soul is bound to that legend. I sought a way to help that legend become a reality… and my studies led me to the 'Stolen Truth,' a treasure which sleeps in this labyrinth."
"You are committed to creating a lie, and ensuring that lie lasts for eternity? What a remarkable, yet difficult goal. But if that's truly your wish… perhaps you may be a suitable vessel for that power. In any case, you have already been lied to. The Stolen Truth doesn't sleep in my lair. That lie was created to deceive poor souls who come seeking it. But because I'm curious… I'll tell you where the real Truth is."
Gohda was directed to an asteroid. He opened a hidden compartment on a tall rock, revealing a grouping of small pebble bumps. He pressed those bumps in a certain order, and the tall rock slid open.
Gohda climbed a ladder down into a green, temple-like chamber. A green orb with a song note sat on an altar. Gohda stepped up and took the orb patiently. He spoke nervously: "The Spirit World… is known as the 'Golden Land.' The Ushiromiya Family and its servants, including myself, were taken here by the Golden Witch, Beatrice. When I return to Maria-chan… I will be with her family."
Maria Ushiromiya was blissfully asleep under a tree. "Maria? Maria-chan?"
The young witch slowly awoke… "Aaaah!" Before her eyes was Gohda, and behind him were sixteen other people.
"Maria-chan, we've been searching everywhere for you!" her mother, Rosa shouted.
"You love to wander off on your own, don't you, Maria?" asked her big cousin, George.
"You are lucky Gohda was there to find you." said Genji, the head butler.
"Mama! Battler-san! You all made it! We're all in the Golden Land, uuuuu!"
"To think the Golden Land actually existed!" Rosa grinned. "This is quite amazing! Uuu-uuu!"
Gohda climbed down into the sanctuary, seeing the Stolen Truth still situated on its altar. The butler approached and removed the Voice. He began to climb out of the sanctuary. "Everything was going fine until Maria decided to join the Spirit KND. She formed a sector with that Emily woman, and those Dillon and Corey boys, even if they didn't get too involved with Maria-chan or her family. But because Maria was worried about the current state of her family, unsure if they were in the treehouse or out on a walk, the illusion has been distorted and they disappeared."
Gohda exited the sanctuary and resealed it. "But it doesn't matter… eventually, they would have searched for the Stolen Truth, and it would have spoken my lie before the Tower of Babel. York-san's group has grown too large… and furthermore, Skull Face has most of the Voices. Those noble heroes may not allow me to uphold the lie, but Skull Face may not interfere, so long as he can accomplish his plan. I must protect Maria-chan from the truth… Hm?"
Gohda sensed small bursts of Spirit Chi a couple miles away. Ibara was flying across the Ghost Zone, dodging the blasts of Yusuke's Spirit Gun. "Ten meters, two seconds!" Ibara threw Dr. Stone, but Yusuke flew out of the explosion's range.
"Hey, old timer, why do you never use that thing up close?" Yusuke asked with a smirk. "Would it petrify you, too?"
"You modern boys are awfully persistent and rude." Ibara glared.
"At least I know how to treat a lady! Get back here!" Yusuke fired beams from his feet and flew faster.
Bayonetta dropped from the sky and stamped him under her boots, forcing him against an asteroid. "So, you're a 'ladies' man,' I presume? Well, you'll be happy to know I know how to treat a man~"
"Yes, Bayonetta!" Ibara cheered. "Put those sexy moves of yours to use!"
"You have to pay me to watch, Creep." Bayo retorted before she was pushed off by Yusuke.
Gohda drove the carriage to where he sensed the pressure, recognizing Bayonetta and Ibara. "Those two are Skull Face's accomplices. Yes… perhaps the time is now."
Labyrinth of Deceit (Play "Arsenal's Guts" from Metal Gear Solid.)
"Draw to life, Phan Art!" Emily drew Johnny Bravo, the muscular man coming to life and socking a centaur in the lower front. Snake shot a missile at the beast's head, then Emily flew behind to grab its tail and slam it on the back. Johnny Bravo leapt to slam his fists in its belly. "You know, I never thought to ask, but where exactly are a centaur's guts located? Also, where are the privates?"
"Who cares, he's a freaking ghost!" Snake shouted, grabbing Emily and running past the monster. "For all I know, they don't have anything."
"As a ghost myself, I kind of beg to differ." Emily inferred. "So, what's your ability, anyway?"
"I don't have a Zanpakutō. All I need are the abilities I'm used to."
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
When they turned a right corner, a giant sponge ball suddenly rolled up and crushed them, smothering them in soap. As they coughed bubbles, they struggled to walk up the sudsy hall, but they slipped as the soap pushed them back like a river. "Let's fly!" Emily lifted Snake and flew up the hallway, though soap bubbles would swell to giant size and attempt to explode against them.
"So, Emily, how long have you known Nolan, anyhow?"
"I knew him for about 23 years, but we never really got close to each other. So, even though I'm not really 'dead' yet, I'm allowed to see him. To give a brief backstory, I was forcibly turned into a ghost mutant by some supervillains."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks, but it was actually pretty amazing! I was a big fan of this show called Danny Phantom, and all of a sudden, my dream came true! I adapted to my ghost powers like it was natural!"
Emily landed them on some stairs, but as they raced up, Piranha Plants would randomly pop out of holes and try to bite them, with Snake brutally stomping the plants. "It just feels like there's something wrong with him. Like… he isn't in his right mind."
"He was always pretty complicated from what I remember, but he's a kind man deep down. He always looks out for everyone's best interests."
…
The Sandman had landed in a dark corridor of the labyrinth. He felt that he landed on his head, for it was throbbing painfully. Dim blue lights calmly faded on and off, Nolan using them as a guide. He hid behind a corner as a Seer Hollow was floating by. Once it was past, he kept moving. "Hmmm…" Nolan held up his Soul Phone and tried to call the others, hoping they may have been mistaken about the lack of reception in here. "Emily? Snake? Can anyone hear me?"
"He always looks out for everyone's best interests." Emily's voice said. "At the same time… I dunno, he always felt pretty selfish, too. Always running off, playing the hero and leaving his family all alone. I talked to his wife on occasion… she said she was always sick of it. She said the best thing he ever did was sacrifice himself; they got a ton of money out of it."
"Yeah, he does feel pretty selfish. He should've been returning the Lost Voices where they belonged, not handing them to Skull Face."
"Ghhh…" Nolan growled at their words, trudging forward despite the pain. He came upon a door and calmly opened it—Nolan fell into a pit, but he threw a Soul Rope up at a hook on the ceiling, pulling himself up to a ledge. Almost instantly, he stepped on a switch that opened a slot on the wall, causing a spikeball to roll out and bonk his head. "Nnngh!" The impact was painful, yet gentle, but it caused his vision to blur. Struggling to face forward again, a black-clothed figure tried to take shape.
"Why would they call you selfish, Sandman? After all, you're trying to save Maria's family. You want to stop me, don't you?"
"Maria's… family… But I've never met Maria's family… How did you find our treehouse so quickly? How did you find Maria's room? Why did Emily say it didn't look like anyone had broken in?"
Skull Face disappeared. Nolan weakly blinked his eyes a few times… and they turned a light shade of purple.
…
Joker and Alucard found a group of five doors. They exchanged suspicious glances and began to look for anything that stood out. Joker found a hidden compartment in the left wall and opened it: an arrow flew out and pointed at the middle-left door. Alucard calmly opened it—a hand shot out, grabbed him, and forced the vampire into the middle door, where a giant hammer would smash him down into a pit. "ALUCARD!" Joker shot an energy grappler down to seize him. Once Alucard regained himself, he flew back up as a bat.
"You have my gratitude. …What's this?" They looked back into the door where the hand came from. "It seems there is still a way past. We may as well proceed."
"If you say so." The two cautiously bypassed the door. "Honestly… the further we go into this place, the more I feel like we're being led into a trap."
"A trap…" This thought plagued Alucard's mind as well. "Joker, I must ask… what do you know of that 'Gohda' man? It seemed you were already somewhat acquainted with him after I joined this crusade."
"He cooked us food while we were in the dollhouse. It seemed like he was a friend of theirs, and he seemed like a nice guy. Why do you ask?"
"When he served Maria that tea… I caught a whiff of… small, yet potent traces of sleeping powder."
"Sleeping powder?"
"It wasn't enough to put one to sleep right away, unless of course the receiver were already physically or mentally fatigued. And because you seemed acquainted with him, I thought it was a drink he served often to calm one's nerves. But thinking back… Gohda was the one who found Skull Face's message. He hastily begged Emily to guide us to the labyrinth… and it was his assumption that Skull Face wanted to use Mr. York's thieving abilities."
"Are you… suspecting Gohda of something?"
"Have you something in his defense?"
"I…I don't know. I barely had time to get to know these guys, and it seemed like…"
…
Sandman encountered a three-headed Hydra ghost and zapped Pale Lightning whenever it gnashed its teeth. He Flash Stepped into the mouth of a Hydra and beheaded it from the inside using a spin attack. However, a bunch of giant fish came spewing up, springing Nolan up like a fountain. He would be caught in the teeth of a Hydra, swung, and thrown into a tunnel by the ceiling. Nolan crashed onto a floor of spikes, but fortunately found that they were made of rubber. "Ugh…"
Nolan heard static from his phone and picked it up. He heard Joker's voice. "It seems like Sandman really doesn't care what becomes of us. He's the only one who wants to find all the Voices, he just gathered us all to help him with it. I just wanted to save Haru and continue with our lives… why did we get dragged into this mission?"
"Perhaps it is best that we exit this maze. Leave Sandman to find the Voice."
Were these really their voices? Were his own teammates thinking of abandoning him, doubting him? …Progressing forward a bit, Sandman arrived at a wide room with a dark abyss. He would have to cross a balance beam… but it was only after setting foot on it that he realized this balance beam was the true pit, and he fell right in. "URGH!" He crashed in a pit of sand, and the way it stirred around made his vision go blurrier.
"But I must say, that fake Voice was pretty impressive. It almost looked realistic." The illusion of Skull Face said. "How did you make it, Sandman?"
"Maria told me… that Gohda made it."
"So, Gohda is a master of forgery? How strange. You don't suppose he forged that message from me, did he?"
"But, why…why would he lie? He's been helping us… he's the one who showed Maria the book about the Voices… But why would his family's library have that book? Did they find it? …Did Gohda read it?"
"This is quite the phenomena, Sandman…" The sand stirred and took the shape of Morpheus. "But it is not one unfamiliar to you… the feeling of manipulation and deception. Do you truly believe you have been tricked into this labyrinth on a lost journey?"
"Morpheus… I…I need to get out of here. Something is wrong with this labyrinth… and everything else…"
"Then we must return. We must escape this labyrinth and confirm the deception."
"I…I can't… I'm too tired… I can't… breathe…"
"It sounds like you need a little help, Sandman." Skull Face inferred, looming over the fallen hero. "Allow me… to help you. It might benefit me to let you decay in that labyrinth… but I couldn't let a spirit like you go to waste. One That Covers… will protect you."
A gas mask took shape around Nolan's head, its goggles shining purple. Purple veins pulsed throughout Nolan's muscles, allowing him to push himself up. Allowing his own body to walk for him, Sandman backtracked the way he came. (End song.)
Outside
Bayonetta pelted Yusuke with bullets, the boy enduring as he returned with a Spirit Bazooka. Bayonetta dodged and used a Demon Heel to kick him, Yusuke dodging and flicking a quick energy bullet at her eye.
"That snotty brat will never defeat Bayonetta." Ibara sneered, having flown far from the conflict. "Now, I wonder if Sandman has arrived, yet? We must be ready to-"
"Pardon me, sir."
"What?!" Ibara slowed with a start, twisting around to find Gohda on the carriage. "Who the hell are you?! And what are…?!" His eyes fell to the green orb in his hands. "Wait! Is that the last Voice?!"
"I would like to make a bargain with Skull Face. The Stolen Truth has resonated with me. I will go with you to open the tower. In return, I only ask that no other soul learns of my lie."
The two sensed more presences heading their direction and looked in the distance. The fleet of Divine Angels were approaching. "Then we'd best meet up with him. Skull Face said he would be coming here, waiting to greet Sandman."
"There is no need for that." Gohda assured. "I have tricked Sandman and his group into entering the Labyrinth of Deceit. They will be lost in that dungeon for eternity."
"Oh, that isn't going to float well with Skull Face. He was waiting for his parasite to adapt with Sandman's body, and he doesn't want it to go to waste."
"S-Sandman's body? Parasite?"
…
Skull Face patiently strolled through the Acropolis of Athens, feeling a strong burst of his own chi radiating from its depths. "It was obvious to me that the Stolen Truth would not be located in the labyrinth… but I expected your journey would take you there eventually. And when you wandered lost in that maze, your mind would succumb to it… allowing my parasite to develop in that conflicted little mind."
The Sandman trudged out of the labyrinth's entrance. His breathing was hoarse and eerie behind the gas mask. "But if you're leaving… your instincts must suspect where the real Voice is. So… let's find it together, Sandman."