Zylon watched on as She sang her heart out on the stage, the succubus dancers syncing to her every word like automated puppets. The crowd was going haywire. The female elf from earlier grazed his arm tenderly. Zylon looked at her, a smile of mischievous intentions filled her face she closed in on him, her lips become close to his. The Security Automation that was there earlier was now comforting a forest nymph having a anxiety attack as this was her first time at a club like this.
"Aww what the hell." Zylon thought to himself and proceeded to lean in to kiss her. He didn't noticed the portal open up behind him.
She stopped him and smiled at his dumb face.
"Well this was easier than I expected." She mused as she saw a giant hand grabbed Zylon by his collar and snatched him into the portal.
She sat back down and enjoyed the show.
Zylon found himself on the ground, looking up at a rather intimidating mountain of a man. His ashen-grey skin and coal-black suit. His eyes was glowing a dark shade of purple.
"Well well well, How the tables are turning!" A man wearing a mask said as he look down at the speedster in question. Satisfaction was in the eyes of the leader of the three as he did a little fist pump.
Zylon recognized the three men that looked down at him. He assumed the big bad man was their boss.
"So you're their boss? I guess this is payback for what happen earlier today?" Zylon asked, formulating a plan in his head. He calmly took in the four crooks surrounding him and regarded them with ease.
"You guessed correctly, Son of Myraniss." The boss said as he cracked his knuckles, an grey aura of energy around his fists as he did it.
"Remember what i told your cocky scrawny ass?! YOU WON'T BE SHIT WHEN THE BOSS GET A HOLD OF YOU!" Radam yelled at Zylon, feeling extremely confident right now.
"There you go again with that scrawny nonsense, i can take off my shirt if you need to be convinced." Zylon said to Radam, who attempted to kick him in the head only to be stop by the boss putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Quite a tongue you have there, messenger." The boss noted as he listened to his wife sweet voice booming from the stage.
"Well thank you I been told that-" Zylon attempts to speed out of there but much to his annoyance, surprise, and then horror. He find that he couldn't move his body at all, he couldn't even lift a finger.
"Oh this ain't good." Zylon said fearfully.
"Yes i imagined not being able to solely rely on your speed would be detrimental in your position. Your grandmother had a lot of skills at her disposal, so did your father, but then we have you, the one-trick pony." The boss said kneeling down.
"Fantastic work Boss!" Nazolo complemented the boss.
The Boss slowly wrapped his large hand around Zylon's neck and lifted him up like he was nothing. He began to squeeze harder and harder.
Zylon began to choke for air, the three men looked at the situation with a mixture of satisfaction and fear. Radam was just glad it wasn't him this time in the boss's grip.
Black spots began to invade the demi-god's vision. He was slowly losing his grip on consciousness. He found himself standing in the abyss.
"Think back on your mistake, the one mistake that led to you on this path of redemption." He heard a voice said from the darkness, a voice that creates a warmness inside his heart.
Zylon was unsure if this was the wise thing to do, flashbacks to that night surfaced in his head, distorted. The woman with the charred skin, the screams of terror that sent him into sobriety.
"How will you make it up to her? If you were to perish here?" The same voice from before ask him calmly.
She was right, he needed to move, he need to warn the others. But he felt something was stopping him. He look down at his feet to see he was slowly sunk into a dark void. There no other sound except for his breathing.
"I'm scared mom." He sounded no older than a child.
"I know. It alright to be scared, but right now you need to move. Just know that I will always be by your side." Myraniss said, hugging him within the recesses of his mind.
Zylon begin to glow a bright blue and in a brilliant flash, The Boss let go as he was electrocuted. He was staggered to say the least. Smoke emanated off his suit. The other three had to shield their eyes to avoid being blinded.
Radam shared a look with Nazolo, who nodded.
Zylon was able to move again, breaking the spell of The Boss.
"Ok, time to run out of here, tell Dialoco, warn everybody, figure out a plan to beat him, maybe get Malakai and Winfrey to back me up, save the day. Simple." He thought to himself before crashing through the wall and tumbling. Knocking over a couple of elven workers.
"The hells? I was heading out the door, I'm sure of it." Zylon thought bewildered as He got up and dusted himself off.
"Sorry about that. You guys might want to get out of here." Zylon said to the group of elven workers who simply scurried off.
Zylon now had an idea what was going on, as the floor itself became a pit of squirming larvae that exploded into snakes. All of them screaming. A pit formed in the speedster's stomach.
"Mental Magic, the worst type of Arcadia to deal with." Zylon thought as he lightly jog, not wanting to crash again. He kept his cool as he bounded down the stairs which seemed to twist and turn.
"It not real, it not real, it not re-" Zylon tripped and felled on his face. He was at the bottom and Swano was starting up another song. The Demi-God couldn't feel the blood that pour down from his nose.
"FROM THE TOP, BOYS!" Swano sang with passion.
Zylon got out the door and was confronted with a woman who was seemingly melting into the floor. His heart stopped, he had seen her before.
She had on a regular blue hoodie, her once black hair became a stark white. Her brown skin was flaking off, showcasing her raw flesh. smoke was emanating off her wounds.
He wanted to vomit, he wanted to run far way from here.
But this was no time for fear.
"Why did you do it?" The white-haired woman asked accusingly of Zylon who was walking away.
"You're not real, the real you is alive and well, I will apologize to her, I will-" These was things Zylon have repeated to himself over and over to keep himself from going mad, when he had nightmares for months after that faithful encounter.
The woman simply laughs, it was a laugh full of pity for the demi-god.
"Sure you will...sure you will." The woman told him, not believing him for a second.
The woman's voice and image fade slowly as he made it to the dance floor. He saw Malakai and Winfrey dancing together. The sight of them calming him down.
"Good for them." Zylon thought as he also saw the metal assistants of Malakai at the bar. He had no time to waste so he headed over to the bar.
A golden warrior that look like he came straight out of the ancient Greek era made his way through the large crowd who was drunk off of Swano's sweet voice. He was wearing a golden metal skirt and golden sandals. He had a chiseled chin and his abs was well-defined. He was wearing what most in the modern realm of Earth would call a spartan helmet.
"Where are those two?" The automation thought to himself as he ignored the lustful looks he got, and the smacks on his metal ass which causes the perpetrators to scream out in pain.
"WHY THE FUCK WOULD THEY MAKE HIS ASS METAL TOO?!" The woman screamed out in agony.
"Rickter! Almonda!" The automation yelled out. His voice cutting through the seductive tones of Swano.
"Jag?! We're at the bar, Almonda is on the dance floor!" He heard Rickter yelled out.
"We're?" Jag questioned.
"Me and our friend, Malakai!" Rickter said.
Jag looked over to see Malakai wearing a orange tuxedo with a hood of the same color over his head, covering his face in darkness, sitting down on a cushiony stool. Rickter was next to him, drinking a large beer. He was short and heavy set, a large circular hat that Jag didn't recognize donned Rickter's head, his metal skin a mint green.
He was wearing a toga outfit that was a darker shade than his skin. He requested Malakai to give him this outfit because it seemed cool to wear and Malakai obliged. The beer itself didn't have much of a effect on a automation, it was more for fun, plus Rickter can convert the alcohol he drink into a powerful flamethrower located in his mouth. Rickter was watching the dance floor. Jag made his way over.
"Hello Jag." Malakai greeted happily, holding a glass of root beer in his hands. Jag could tell that his creator's anxiety was worsening by the second. Malakai's hands was shaking badly, He probably thought everybody was looking at him like a freak.
"Are you alright, Sir?" Jag questioned. Malakai was about to answer but got interrupted by Rickter yelling out in excitement.
"WOO GET IT ALMONDA! SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'RE CREATED WITH!"
Malakai and Jag turned their heads to a amazing sight! It was Almonda and Winfrey dancing back to back. Almonda metal skin was pink, her long hair was made of metal fibers that matched the color of the skin. She looked like a secretary from the modern realm with her chest plate made to look like a suit jacket, she had a flexible metal pencil skirt. Winfrey did a split and Almonda jumped over her. "She look like she having fun." Malakai noted, happy for his friend. The fact that they was all here made him feel a little better.
"I didn't know she could dance." Jag noted.
"She does it all the time when we're away, she got inspired by the street performers on Xorway." Malakai told Jag. He remembers when he walked in on her and she hastily explained that she was exercising. Malakai silently chuckled at the memory of her bad lie.
"There a shit ton of things you don't know about our girl!" Rickter commented. "Hey Malakai!" Winfrey yelled jubilantly. Almonda looked towards her creator as she was doing a new dance move that Winfrey taught her. Werking? Tweaking? She was midway doing it until she caught Malakai, Jag, and Rickter looking at her with shocked faces. Winfrey grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Almonda certainly was a fast learner.
"OH! Um hi Mr.Malakai, I...was just dancing?!" Almonda said, feeling some form of embarrassment.
"I could see that, you're doing very well." Malakai awkwardly complimented her which made her giddy with pride as she continue to do it. Winfrey skipped over to the booth they was at.
"What are you doing sitting when you could be dancing your ass off?" Winfrey asked Malakai as she took two bottles from the bar and pored them into a metal shaker.
"Well i'm not really a dancer." Malakai said quietly, feeling the shame from before coming back stronger.
Rickter coughed and Jag shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Almonda sadly danced.
"Oh..." Winfrey said gracelessly, chastising herself for not remembering. She shake the container with surprising speed and drunk it in one sitting.
"Well that fine, nobody can dance good, it not about if you can dance it about having fun and letting go! If your friend over there can shake what you gave her after some convincing, you can too!" Winfrey said, grabbing Malakai hands gently.
"I don't-" Malakai was about to protest until he thought better of it.
"can you t-teach me?" Malakai asked of her, who simply just grins in respond to his request. "Oh Malakai, when I'm done? All the ladies and men will be crawling all over you like ants on cream!" Winfrey exclaimed jubilantly.
Malakai nodded and downed the rest of his root beer, trying to gain some sort of liquid confidence before making a complete fool out of himself. Winfrey guided him to the center. The dance floor itself was a dizzying blur of lights and bodies. The grip of his friend Winfrey gave Malakai some sense of clarity. Almonda went past him.
"You got this Mr. Malakai!" She said confidently as Malakai nodded, emboldened by her and Winfrey. Malakai conjured up a memory from his childhood, his mother Eris loved to dance. The way she move and the way she combine two conflicting styles of dance to create something new was inspiring to him.
"Ok Malakai, the first thing you do, is start moving your feet!" Winfrey demonstrated by tapping her foot, then she shifted from side to side.
"Ok, uhh like this?" Malakai slowly shifted from to side to side, almost in beat with the vibrant music.
"Ok, close, speed it up just a little." Winfrey advised, smiling wider as Malakai slowly got the rhythm of it.
"Next! Clap your hands to the beat!" Winfrey said, clapping her hands at the drop of the bass.
"Alright, here goes!" Malakai clapped his hands, but just miss the cue to be on beat. He wanted to go back into his workshop. He embarrassed himself enough.
"That alright! keep going until you get it!" Winfrey exclaimed, Dropping to the ground and in an instant bounce back, which amazed Malakai. He began to focus on the music, slowly he found himself going in time with the rhythm. Letting go of his thoughts. Winfrey watched in appreciation , she got closer, a crowd formed around watching the two gods with fervent interest. It wasn't every day two gods dance together. Especially two Gods with history like theirs.
She placed her hands on Malakai shoulders, swaying her hips and Malakai unthinkingly placed his hands on Winfrey's waist, her smile grew wider at this development.
The three assistants of Malakai watched the two gods as they got in rhythm. Jag couldn't help but feel proud of his friend Malakai. When Malakai created him and his friends Almonda and Rickter five years ago. He had never saw a man so sad and so downtrodden, oh he will put up a mask when his brother and the Gods Of War came around. But they easily see through his act, his desperate cry for help that he was trying to smother because he felt he didn't deserve help. They could only do so much to help him out of the funk he thrown himself into.
But right now, looking at him dancing with Winfrey. The automations felt that what Malakai really needed was to just let loose.
"Malakai a little stiff, but he getting the hang of it! GO MALAKAI! THAT OUR CREATOR!" Rickter cheered and bragged to the others sitting at the bar.
"The cuck?" One of the orcs in a business suit asked of Rickter.
Rickter belched, a powerful fireball came out of his mouth and ignited the orc's suit on fire.
"Ok ok touchy subject i guess." The Orc sighed and and asked the drunken mage who arguing with the bartender to extinguish him.
Almonda and Jag both have to laugh and then they join in with Rickter.
"Mr.MALAKAI SHAKE WHAT YOU BAKE, I THINK THAT HOW THAT SAYING GOES!" Almonda cheered, jumping up and down.
"Yeah sir, do that thing you doing." Jag cheered on.
Malakai was aware of how close Winfrey was to him, it made him extremely nervous, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying the sensation. He was truly having fun, and he didn't have to create anything to achieve it. Winfrey once again had to look in amazement at Malakai. He was actually smiling! She was so proud of him at this moment. Malakai soon begin to do what would be considered in the modern realm of Earth a Moonwalk. But it was mixed with a another dance commonly referred to as the Wave. Winfrey clapped in delight at his creativity. Jag's golden eyes turned to the Disheveled Zylon who was walking quickly, looking around wildly.
Jag was mildly concerned. He knew from the few times Zylon had come over to Malakai's workshop to pick something up for a client that he was a Demi-God. So he wasn't too worried about Zylon's condition. Almonda and Rickter look at Zylon, both of them concerned.
"Dude must've got jumped." Rickter thought passively.
"Who are those three men?" Almonda thought worried as she saw a masked man who was leaning on the shoulder of a bald man with a skull tattoo on his neck and a man with wild black hair and green eyes.
Zylon saw them and in the time it would take one to blink, he was right next to the metal family. "Guys, big trouble. You might want to get out of dodge, where Malakai and Winfrey?!" Zylon spoke in fractured sentences. But Jag and Almonda understood.
"He on the dance floor, getting his groove on!" Rickter said happily. "Go Zylon, we'll handle this three." Jag said, but to his surprise, Almonda was already walking up to the group.
"Excuse me you fine gentlemen, but are you planning to dance?" Almonda said happily, distracting the three men. Zylon went to the dance floor. Making a mental note to thank Jag, Rickter, and Almonda with a gift for each of them.
"Winfrey, Malakai!" Zylon yelled out their names, Malakai was too busy going in rhythm with the music and actually enjoying himself for a change to paid attention to Zylon. But Winfrey heard him loud and clear, that why she pulled him to the dance floor. Zylon, whose mind was still foggy like hell, went along with it and began dancing with the two gods, Swano's intoxicating voice bringing some sense into him.
"Ok both of you, don't freak out but you may have heard that I took down some robbers just earlier today, Right?" Zylon said as he shuffled side to side.
"Oh yeah, some of the workers was talking about that, great job! What going on? " Winfrey said as she backflipped and hit a split on the way down. Malakai clapped his hands at the sight of this.
"Impressive! So anyways They're here along with their boss who can disable my movement and one of them have crazy mental Arcadia, so we should probably get people out of here!" Zylon warned as he hit the worm, a move he saw in the modern realm a long time ago.
"The guards needs to be informed, i got this." Malakai said as he send out a mental signal to the automations in question, sans Jag, Almonda, and Rickter. All the security automations stopped what they was doing which was currently separating a heavily inebriated dwarf and a equally inebriated incubus from having public sex by the corner behind the speakers. They all moved in formation, each of them in sync with each other. Minus one who was just off by a step. They all walked over to the group of criminals.
Zylon saw the same man, The Boss walking up calmly with his hands behind his back, simply smiling. Few party-goers was aware of who this man was and made way for the bar, away from the optional battlefield of the dance-floor, others kept dancing. Completely oblivious to the coming danger heading their way.
"One more time! HIT IT GIRLS!" Swano singed her heart out, watching her husband about to fight these jokes for Gods.
"We right here for you Zylon." Malakai said reassuringly, although he wasn't a fighter by any means, he was undoubtedly the strongest of Gods here.
"It been a whole two days since I got into a fight! This is shaping up to be an unforgettable party!" Winfrey said, excited as she cracked her knuckles and grabbed an empty wine bottle from her bag that she saved for occasions like these. She smashed it on the floor and now she has a weapon.