The SLATEPORT Team

Darron hadn't realized he'd been staring until Nally's voice and nudge snapped him out of it. "We have to move while that thing is busy." While the serperior fully agreed, some weight in the pit of his stomach said otherwise, that fleeing was depserately hopeless; a fool's notion that would only slightly prolong the inevitable. This was one of the pokemon that Darron had no power over, and it wasn't in his nature to rely on others so fully. He glanced to Joey, their only hope in this fight, and he was already panting with effort. Darron followed his fellow serpent, taking a spot behind the stallion.

"Got your back," Nally stated, and Darron nodded to it. "Me too, bud. You can do this." Taking in a breath and refreshing the Sunny Day for Joey's sake, the sun beam shone down on the rapidash brilliantly, illuminating the creature with a brilliant light. However, it seemed that the large group wasn't the scizor's target, as it instead went for the downed Shadow. Hissing in alarm, Darron shot out and threw a Leaf Tornado at the creature, hoping to blind it enough to miss the wounded mightyena.

Shadow had been so busy trying to simultaneously attack and recover from his collision with the brick wall that he didn't notice Amalthea disappear for a brief moment, and was surprised to see that she was holding a small tin cup with a berry rolling around inside of it when she returned. "I found it in your things Shadow. It will help you." "You did what?" Shadow's lips curled backwards into an angry snarl as he glared at the female. "When did I say that you could ... oh whatever." Clearly this was not the time to argue; the Scizor was speeding straight for him.

Darron managed to distract it long enough for Shadow to gulp down the berry. Slowly, but surely, he felt the pain in his spine begin to fade and his strength returning. The undead Bug-type flailed its huge pincers around blindly, trying to ward off the Leaf Tornado that was engulfing it. Shooting forward, Shadow butted the creature square in the chest, knocking it onto its back. Before it could react, the Mightyena was standing on its chest, sinking his sharp fangs into its neck. Thick purple blood oozed from the wound as it repeatedly battered Shadow with its pincers, but the Dark-type's jaws were locked, every muscle in his body hardened and sturdy. It would take a lot more than just feeble, badly-aimed hits to get him off now.

"Joey, please don't worry about me. You need to take care of yourself. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."

Amalthea’s words fell to deaf ears, Joey shaking his head adamantly to dismiss her advice. No way was he going to leave her. He had spent a lifetime fighting for something he didn’t believe in. He’d seen so much meaningless death, hundreds of young loves lost over some dispute for power. Now that Joey had someone worth fighting for, he would battle on until the bloody end. No matter how hard she argued, Joey would lay down his life before any of them could.

"Got your back,"
"Me too, bud. You can do this."

Joey found the two serpents at his side, a smile brightening his face in unison with Darron’s Sunny Day. The camaraderie sent him back to the war, the peace just before the Calvary charge as old friends insisted everything would be okay. Memories of those fallen comrades flashing within his eyes, Joey’s mane flared with determination, ready to take down the Scizor with the support of friends. But as he turned, preparing to charge, the insect was gone. Alarmed, flash of red in his periphery saw the undead lunging for Shadow.

Fortunately, Darron had reacted first. The Leaf Torando ensnared the rotting bug as Shadow leapt to his feet, the berry restoring his ferocity as he attacked. Joey could only watch as the Mightyena sunk his fangs into the bug’s throat, the gritty violence evoking a subconscious wincing. Unable to attack in fear of setting Shadow alight in the process, the Rapidash backed away just as the remainder of the Pinsir swarmed. Rearing up, suddenly panicked as claws sunk into his flesh, Joey panicked. Instinctively using Thrash, the equine bucked almost uncontrollably, knocking Pinsir flying as his hooves sought out the delicate faces of the swarm.

Losing himself in the moment, fear becoming the only source of his dwindling energy, Joey was locked in a state of dangerous panic.

((Joey’s going to become confused on the next turn from using Thrash, although the attack’s already all-over-the-place, lol. ))

Amalthea was a little taken aback by Shadow's gruff response to her trying to help, but tried to not let it bother her. "I will replace the berry," she promised, hoping to ease some of the tension. "I just wanted to help." The two serpents had arrived to their aid and the Rapidash sighed in relief. Everything seemed to be going well until Joey panicked and started using a all-sides attack that sent him bucking in all directions, charging off into the horde. She tried to get in front of him but nearly got a hoof in the face for her effort. So frontal approach was immediately ruled not an option.

"Joey!" she cried out. "Try to calm down!" But it was no use. He was lost in his Thrash attack and there would be no pulling him out of it until he was fatigued, which put everyone in danger. He was the only one with fire. Looking to the other three males with her she reared up and let out a loud whinny to grab their attention. "Listen! Joey is going to be vulnerable in a minute so we need to keep him safe! Everyone stay close and wait for my signal!" It was a long shot, but it was the only plan she had left. Hopefully Joey would prove predictable enough for it to work.

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Nalin barely made it out of the way of the uncontrollable equine, rolling off to the side and ending up in an upside-down ball. Looking through his coils he shot an Ice Beam at the nearest Pinsir before bringing himself back upright and tried to figure out just what the hell was going on. The Scizor had disappeared from the chaos and that really worred the Milotic. Moving closer to Darron he tried to see if he could spot the rusting red steel armor of the insect but despite what should be a glaringly obvious color...it wasn't. "Darron..." he whimpered. "I don't see the Scizor..."

Amalthea let out a loud noise and the water snake turned to look at her. She called out for everyone to move back towards Joey, still locked in the throws of a panic attack called Thrash, and he briefly wondered if she had some kind of plan. "What the hell are we supposed to do once we are over there?" he called, but got no response. A screech filled the air and the sound of scraping metal came from behind before Nalin found himself knocked away with a terrible force, sliding all the way to Amalthea. Leaving Darron all alone.

((Sil requested a little battle time with my NPC Scizor so I am leaving it to her. Have fun doll!))

"Darron..." Nally whimpered, "I don't see the Scizor..."

Shit. Darron's coral eyes volleyed everywhere over the scenery, looking for a splotch of red to indicate the lethal scizor's whereabouts. Houses, the other pokemon, debris, street lamps, trashcans, nothing. The bastard was hiding... and the serperior had absolutely no way to defend himself from it. Should that thing get in a good hit and he was definitely a goner... And I thought the pinsir were bad...

"Listen! Joey is going to be vulnerable in a minute so we need to keep him safe! Everyone stay close and wait for my signal!" the white mare cried, and Nally began moving toward her. Darron, if he had shoulders, would have slumped them, already feeling rather defeated. "Keep him safe"? And just how was he supposed to do that-- tie himself around the horse like a meat-shield boa? He could barely knock these guys over with his strongest attack!"What the hell are we supposed to do once we are over there?" Looks like Nally feels the same way... But... He glanced upward, seeing the sun's light dim once more. He used another Sunny Day, not wanting that small advantage to wane while he could help it.

Suddenly, Nally was tossed aside, a metallic screech cutting through the air, leaving Darron out like a sitting duck. He only had the chance to swallow before he felt claws grab him from behind. A flash of red, his surroundings a blur, he only realized he was being tossed when he felt himself airborne and soon crashed into a building, his very breath knocked out of him. As he wheezed for air, he only managed to open his eyes and see the scizor in the distance, suddenly obscured by a glowing "X".

Shit...

It hit him dead on in the chest, his body and mind too dazed to try and dodge it. Blood spattered from the wound, his own mouth even dribbling with the stuff. He coughed, and more came up. The pain... The pain was greater than anything he'd ever known, his coils twitching and attempting to sheild the wound from the rest of the world without much success. Oh Legends... Oh Legends, that hurt! Still, he opened his eyes and fired a Solarbeam, hoping that if maybe he could get in a few hits... maybe the others could destroy it...

"Joey! Try to calm down!"

Past his own frenzied whinnying and the crack of hooves against the undead shells around him, Joey could hear Amalthea somewhere in the distance. Where she was – near or far – remained a mystery to his frazzled senses, the world around gradually being overwhelmed by memories of no man’s land. His cries had become the scream of shells overhead; the Pinsirs rapidly falling beneath his attack were wire, snatching at his bloodied form to ensnare him in an unforgiving grasp. It was like being plunged into a nightmare – the vivacity of such familiar hallucinations rendering his throat hoarse and sapping his energy.

All too soon, he was released from his mental torture.

Fatigue descended on him like a ton of bricks. The Rapidash stumbled, exhausted as the world came into blurry focus. The wartime illusion was gone, instead crumbled, twitching Pinsir laid littered about his shaky hooves as a few other figures gathered around him. He could hardly make out what they were, their voices sounding as incessant screeching as he hobbled forward, confused. It was like being blind, his movements uncoordinated and sluggish as he found himself streaked with blood. Nickering without intention, Joey dipped awkwardly on his foreleg at a sudden movement – a sharp pain shooting up the limb as he dimly stumbled about the vicinity – completely oblivious to friend and foe.

(( Phoe, your last post made you sound like you had some sort of plan to help Joey, so you have my full permission to interact with him however you need. :3 ))

((Forgive me, but I ran short of time and cannot post. Sil, feel free to keep control of the Scizor and I will implement Amalthea's plan next round.))

Darron knew very well that he was in trouble. Very well. With his body already shuddering from the multiple wounds he was sustaining, the feeling of dread weighing his gut wasn't reassurring, nor the slow blurring of his vision. He coughed, spilling more of his own lifeblood on the pavement. That instinct, that ominous, forboding feeling from before... he knew it as fact now. He wouldn't be making it through the day. The solarbeam he'd shot hit all right, but the armored mantis barely acknowledged it. Really, all it did was grab the thing's attention.

The scizor had already been moving too quickly for even healthy eyes, but against the serperior's dying vision, the red foe was a ghost. One moment in front of Darron, he next directly beside him, Darron had only a moment to react as the hungry claws struck out again, slicing the grass snake's vulnerable side. Not only did skin separate, but bones split and organs ruptured. The cry of pain Darron sounded was a strange sound-- a strangled yelp no other being had managed to get out of him. He was flung away, more precious blood pumping out of him by an erratic heartbeat. As he landed, the new wound allowed some organs to spill out, part of his intestines and liver exposed to the world, pooled in an ocean of blood. The rest of him was limp, too exhausted and pained to do anything else.

What scared him was not the fact that he would bleed out in a matter of minutes, nor that he could see his own digestive system. Not even that his reaper was coming closer and closer to finish the job. No... the fact that scared him the most was that he was so calm. With Death so near, His cold hands gripped tight on his soul, he could not panic. Nearly resolved, resigned to his fate, he had little energy and will to fight it. Beaten, dying, it was all Darron could do but merely accept his last few moments.

Red, glazed eyes already bereft of light shifted from the scizor to what he could only guess was Nally. Swallowing, a thought rose from the depths, urging him on. He might have been resigned to his very imminent death, but there were others that needed help. Not moments ago had he vowed to try and do what he could, to try and inflict as much damage he could before the others would be on their own. I... I have to... try....

A cold vice gripped him, the scizor's pinsirs grabbing him and lifting him up. He limply obeyed, gathering his strength for one last attack. His eyes met the clouded, glazed eyes of his opponent, which bore mercilessly into his own. At least there was some compensation in this death-- at least he wouldn't become one of them. Before the scizor could decide what it wanted to do with Darron's body, the serperior opened his mouth and unleashed a Solarbeam, a last-ditch attack to fulfill his silent vow. It hit all right, punching through those same clouded eyes that had just been staring at him. The mantis' scream pierced even Darron's fogged mind, and before he knew it, he was dropped back onto the ground with a wet slap, his blood a small pond in the grass.

((Phoe, I'll let you decide whether the scizor died with that attack. :3 Darron's still alive, but only just.))

Shadow's mouth practically hung open at the sight of Darron going all out again the Scizor. It surprised him that the Serperior was doing this to protect them; previously Shadow had labelled him down as a selfish, idiotic prick who only cared about his ego and his stomach, but he was starting to realise that perhaps he had been wrong.

"SHIT!" The sight of Darron's wounds by the time he had launched his final attack made Shadow feel positively sick. The Grass-type twitched in a pool of his own blood, and Shadow finally managed to get his limbs moving again. As the dust settled, he limped over to the fallen Pokemon and placed a paw on his face, patting it gently. "Darron? Darron! C'mon, stay with me. Hang in there!" Shadow could feel the guilt as it bled through every inch of him; not only because he had vastly misunderstood Darron, but because he had absolutely no idea what to do that could possibly help him. "C'mon, it's going to be OK..."

Nalin saw everything happen to Darron like it was in slow motion. He couldn't move, couldn't think, hell he could hardly breath as he saw the Serperior sliced and beaten down. When he could see literal innards of the grass snake he felt his gut turn and he had to turn his head and hurl onto the street, giving one of the Pinsir a free shot at him and knocking him away. He struggled to get up and was forced to use an Aqua Jet to get closer to Darron, thankfully taking out three of the Pinsir while he was at it. He found himself next to his fellow serpent and realized he was crying. He didn't want Darron to die...not really. "Darron, please..."

He didn't know what else to say.

Amalthea began to whinny as her plan was being shredded, but Darron had one last trick and nailed the Scizor with a Solar Beam giving her just what she needed. Running at full gallop she found herself on top of the Scizor, Stomping on it as best she could until it flinched. "Now Joey!" she called. "Come at me with whatever fire you have left! It won't hurt me!" With him in such a delirium it was the only way for him to get a target, if it wasn't moving and he had a bigger one to go for. "Just aim for the white! I promise I will be fine!" Without their leader the Pinsir would be momentarily confused and their defenses would drop, leaving them open for the group to finish off. Luckily there weren't many left.

((I am going to leave Joey to kill the Scizor and then the rest of the Pinsir shall die in the round following.))

It was weird, dying. Darron was only slightly aware of anything as a strange, serene calm settled over him. He no longer cared about the creeping cold and numbness that was slowly claiming him, the fact that his blood was all he could taste and see and smell. Though, the latter could be blamed on the fact that his senses were dying as well; any sort of stimuli was just... half its importance. His body instinctively tried to keep going, but his mind was already at that point of acceptance where a lot of shit really didn't matter anymore. And he didn't really care that he didn't care.

"Darron? Darron! C'mon, stay with me. Hang in there!" A familiar voice was barking at him through his partial deafness, and the serperior's already glazed eyes flicked lazily upward to see Shadow. "C'mon, it's going to be OK..." Well, that's nice of him... "...Didn't... know you cared..." he managed to say with a small, genuine smile. That sure was nice of Shadow to come and say something. Just...so darn sweet...

But another voice, a quieter, sweeter voice, floated by him, and he nearly missed it. "Darron, please..." Eyes now struggling to focus, the grass snake had a hard time getting his eyes to stay on the beautiful creature before him, the milotic that looked so sad for some reason. It may have been the bloodloss, but Darron chuckled off the sorrow. There wasn't a need to be sad... He was just tired, after all. Fuck, was he tired... You'd think he hadn't gone without sleep for... ages... or something...

"...Hey, Nally..." he began, his words slurring together. "Don't... look so sad. You're... prettier when you smile..." He chuckled, his eyes losing more and more focus. "...'Swhy you never... never won, you know. You... you didn't smile enough..." His head began losing strength, his neck faltering and letting his head loll to one side, his eyes dialating and glazing further. The rest of his body was already gone, his heart sputtering within his chest. "...You... should.... s..." His lungs failed, and his sentence remained unfinished. His body was limp, cold, and now empty. Coral eyes stared into nothing, but the small smile he'd bore for his words to Nally didn't leave. Forever would he be smiling softly, even into death.

[[Dying post. ;n; I'll miss you guys!]]

This was just going so, so wrong ... Shadow decided that he was a fool to even hope that Darron would pull through with such horrific injuries. The Mightyena gritted his teeth together to stop his bottom lip from trembling as the Serperior's hazy eyes flickered up towards him. "...Didn't... know you cared..." Guilt shred Shadow's heart to pieces as he failed to hold back the tears any longer. "You ... Of course I care!" Did they really think that he was cold-hearted enough to witness such a harrowing scene and not even bat and eyelid? You've only brought that on yourself.

After a few parting words with Nalin, Darron's eyes suddenly glazed over and Shadow knew that he had died. Shadow's jaws curled into a snarl of rage as he watched Amalthea wrestling with the Scizor. Darron's murderer. "BASTARD!" Charging forward, Shadow noticed that the white Rapidash had pinned down one of the bug's pincers but the other was unguarded. Rushing round to the other side, Shadow clamped his jaws around the Scizor's arm, holding it in place and waiting for whatever Joey was going to do to end this.

Joey, lost within a whirlwind of his unstable mind, hardly registered the tragedy taken place in his periphery. He staggered awkwardly, conscious of the scent of blood growing heavy on the air, nostrils quivering in panic as he struggled place a source. As he stumbled in a circle, his footing constantly looking to send him toppling, the Rapidash saw nothing but red – a slither of green amidst the gore. The shouting and cries were breaking through to the equine then, his mind witnessing but failing to register the horror of Darron’s death.

"Now Joey!"

The words wriggled through the barrier of confusion, Joey jerking his head towards the ethereal white of Amalthea as she called to him, reassuring everything would be okay. He hesitated at first, tossing his head about in silent protest until a blur of grey joined the female, pinning the writhing red down – helpless. Against his better judgement, Joey emitted a whinny and charged.

Flames erupted about his head in a Flame Charge, the equine stampeding towards the undead at breakneck pace before they collided. The fire spread across the Scizor in an instant, the creature giving a shrill cry of pain as the armour melted beneath the intense heat. Losing his footing last minute, Joey’s head dipped – his horn delving deep into the undead’s throat to silence it. Soon, his weight toppled down, crushing the beast as he desperately attempted to avoid catching Amalthea and Shadow in his collapse, legs flying out randomly as he landed atop the bug heavily on his side.

The undead moved no more, embracing death as blood pooled rapidly about the insect and the exhausted horse resting atop it. The world was beginning to come into focus once more, Joey breathing deeply as the chaos in his mind died alongside that around him. His body have a great shudder, the pain from his injuries bombarding his senses all at once to leave him shaken, hissing in agony. His coat was almost entirely stained by his own blood – yet he was alive.

Smiling, shocked and pleased that they had all come through the horrendous battle, Joey turned to Amalthea, beaming. It took a moment to register the scene over her shoulder. His expression fell slowly, cold truth rearing its ugly head as Nalin stood over an unmoving body coated in gore. Joey saw the intestines, the ungodly amount of blood. He felt nauseous, forced to look down his hooves as he struggled to control his feelings.

“…He’s not…” Joey couldn’t bring himself to say the word, desperately wanting someone to tell him that his eyes were betraying him – that he was still locked in some cruel confusion. “…No,”

"...Hey, Nally..." Nalin looked in agony at the wounded Serperior, his mind begging and pleading for the other male to hold on. "Don't... look so sad. You're... prettier when you smile..." His eyes widened at those words and the long fought tears began to stream down his face as he realized the harsh truth. "Darron...I..." But he had to face it, that Darron was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. "...'Swhy you never... never won, you know. You... you didn't smile enough... ...You... should.... s..." And with that, his rival, his most hated bully, the only creature had ever admired...was gone.

Nalin wept openly and curled up with Darron, not caring of the blood that pooled around him. He just wanted to be close to him. The body was already going cold but Nalin couldn't feel it, nor did he feel the Pinsir bearing down on him. Even as fangs and horns tore at his scales he allowed his blood to flow knowing it would bring him closer to Darron. 'With you, I'll never be alone.' As his heart stopped beating a smile still played at his lips, knowing that in death he would be with Darron and his boy again. This time forever.
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Amalthea allowed the flames of Joey's attack to wash over her, the blunt force of his body crushing into the Scizor and knocking her away. The fires gave her renewed energy and for a moment she was excited that it was finally dead...until she looked over and saw Darron and Nalin. The Pinsir dispersed once their ringleader was killed, too confused to continue the assault, but not before they had taken the Milotic's life for their own. There he lay, coiled with the very being he had claimed to hate, their blood running into the street.

Joey came up behind her and was just as flabbergasted but it was just white noise to the female. Even as she had travelled she had never seen anything so horrific or heartbreaking and she just couldn't take it. Eyes brimming with tears she reared, backing away and turning to take off down the street. She offered no reason, no goodbye, she just had to get out of there. Amalthea realized with a heavy heart she was unprepared for the pain and suffering of this world, and that in her hunt for the Red Bull there would likely be more.

((This is Amalthea's leaving post and Nalin's death. Been fun guys!))

((Skip me for now. Shadow just can't believe what's just happened and is standing on his own in shock. Help me get things going again, Jay! XD))

([ooc: OMG IM SO SORRY NIGHTY ;______; I swear I was going to post but then blah blah blah and shitty things happened and asdfghjk skip please D':])

((Skip me again then, I'll post something next round.))

George was lost—as per usual. It wasn’t often when the poor Flareon wasn’t confused, lately the world was just becoming… dull. Almost grey, but—why? The infection could be one component, maybe it was just his feelings. After losing all of the pokemon and people he liked, all the ones he loved. It’s hard not to think about it—like the pokemon at Mossdeep. They seemed nice in the short time he knew them.

Oh well, He thinks, sighing as he continues to pad along. George continually stops at times, hearing something in the distance. Are there other pokemon around here?
The Flareon, after multiple times of thinking, decided to go towards the source. ”I really hope that isn’t infected…” He whispers to himself—with anticipated trouble. He looks around, it was evening, he didn’t notice this before. Obviously, the flareon hadn’t been paying attention to the time, but he could of sworn it was morning two seconds ago. He must have been walking for a long, long time…

([ooc: i really tried, since this is my first post in a while, I didn't really know where to start ;-; at least I tried, right? xD;;])

He just ... could not believe it. At all. Darron was dead, Nalin was dead, and Amalthea and Joey had just left him. Gone. No reasons, no words of farewell, they just left him. On his own. To clean up the mess. Shadow was so angry that he literally felt his blood beginning to boil. The Mightyena howled his rage at the sky and started to gouge at the ground, ripping the grass up in large chunks. "FUCK - THEM!" he bellowed in between tearing pieces out of the ground until there was a small hole in front of him. "FUCK - THEM - ALL - TO - HELL!"

He was so upset, so angry, so hurt ... Shadow was sure that he could easily sink his fangs into the next thing that moved.

"FUCK - THEM - ALL - TO - HELL!"

... What? George stopped -- looking around in confusion. Who was this, who were they talking about, and why? Did something happen? Getting nervous, George steps back, resisting his strong urge to flee. It could be someone in need of help, who was stuck and became frustrated, George had CERTAINLY gone through that before... After moment of thinking, his sensation to flee subsides, and in comes the sudden need to help. The Flareon quickly begins to go toward the source.
As he turns the corner, his eyes lock upon a Mightyena... What was it doing? For some, odd reason, it was ripping out grass chunks, angrily creating a hole in front of him.

"... Hey--" George took a few steps forward, "-- Are you okay? Wait--Scratch that, you don't look okay... Can I help you?"

George comes closer, almost circling around the Migthyena. George begins to think -- Well, whatever happens next, it most surely will be bad...

([ooc: sorry for the short ass post, lol. just in a rush and not thinking straight cause of a headache. >~<])

Shadow panted furiously as he continued to gouge up the earth in front of him, stopping only when he realised he had created a hole about a foot in perimeter. His entire body trembled with rage as he stood up; he was pretty sure that he was drooling as well, but he did not care. His friends - the only friends that he had even managed to make on his own - were gone. He didn't blame Darron for leaving him; it was no fault of his own, but he hated Nalin for just giving up on them all. Not only that, but he was sure that he'd be sinking a fang or two into Joey or Amalthea if they ever showed up again. This was just solid proof of what he had always believed: go through all the effort, time and careful dedication into making friends and just have it all thrown back in your face. Never again. Never again would he go through this. He had been perfectly content on his own before that lot had come along into his territory and ruined everything. He'd let them in, even let them share his shelter and food. Well, no more. "NEVER AGAIN!"

Spotting a shape moving nearby, Shadow pounced at it without thinking. Pinning the Pokemon to the ground on his back, Shadow noticed that it was a Flareon. His eyes grew wide, mad, as he glared down at his victim, slapping his tongue across his wet lips. "This city ... is my territory," he growled. "Nobody enters ... or leaves." His jaws snapped themselves together just inches from the Fire-type's neck. "You have five seconds to give me a very good reason why I should let you live."

As he stared into the Flareon's oddly coloured eyes, Shadow lost all will he had to fight. The constant, nagging feeling in the back of his mind that had been planted there by Sakura told him that what he was doing was wrong; putting all of his anger on this newcomer when it was no fault of his own was out of order. With a snarl, Shadow stood back to allow the Eeveelution to get to his feet. "Consider yourself lucky that I don't even have the will to kill you." And in a flash Shadow was gone, sprinting from the city through the nearest exit. He would find his will again soon; he just needed time ... and another city to dominate.