Big Bad Wolfie

Like I was on autopilot, I pulled the poisoned knife from my waistband and sliced it through the Hybrid King's arm.

It hardly broke the skin, but that's not the point.

I sliced the knife across his arm to losen his grip, then grabbed onto Marco and slammed my foot into The King's chest. The combination of it all gave me enough momentum and strength to pry Marco from his iron grip so we both fell to the ground.

I scrambled onto my back so I could have eyes on the enemy, but the second I saw his towering frame standing over me with the whip clutched in his sadistic hands, I was a defenseless dear in the headlights all over again.

He smirked evilly.

Oh goddess.

"Come on Maria! Now is not the time to freeze!" Trainer Marco growled while grabbing me under my arms and forcing me to my feet.

By this time Rose was up the hill and composing herself to fight, and, as to be expected, Brandon came sprinting out of the forest after her.

I glanced around at the people counting on me to get my sh*t together.

And realized how dumb they were for doing that and how terrible of a person I am for tricking them into it.

All I can do is stand, stare, and be afraid.

Why did I think I could do this?

How could I forget how broken I am?

The three of them started to engage The Hybrid King, keeping him semi occupied.

It still looks like he's just playing with his food from where I'm standing.

I wonder if it looks that way from where Desi is looking down on us too. . .

Or my parents. . .

I wonder if they already know how this fight is going to end.

The smell of new blood spilling filled the air.

Now's clearly not the time to be wondering things about the after life, but I can't force my mind back into the present like I sometimes can.

. . . Or maybe this is the perfect time to wonder about the afterlife.

Either way my emotions won't turn off.

So there's nothing I can do about the thoughts.

How unfortunate.

I thought I trained myself so well in how to control them, but now the fear is forming in my stomach, crawling up my spine, and slithering around my throat like a vice, and I can't do a single thing about it.

I can't pinpoint where to intercept it, it's too overwhelming, too all encompassing.

Then two more bodies emerged from the forest.

One of which made me momentarily feel something other than fear when I sensed his presence.

But then the sharp sting of a whip slashed across my face, leaving fire in its wake.

That mixed with concern for Wolfie brought me out of my jumbled thoughts enough to notice Brandon, Rose, and Marco struggling to stand from their nearly defeated positions.

The Monster didn't pay any mind to them though, he just leered at me, a look of utter disgust on his face.

"You've got to

"I came here looking for a challenge.

And I got

How disappointing.

Maybe you and your little boy toy

my mouth at

"Your parents were

I wanted to end their legacy

legacy really

How anticlimactic."

What he said didn't have time to have an impact on me because suddenly,

moon goddess and all the other good people that have been lost, like I sometimes imagine when I have nothing else to think about. Or alive and well from a fond memory from when

The parents I see now aren't like that. Now they're what

they're alive, but not well. They're fighting, and

fact, losing

being destroyed,

by piece, they're torn apart, and there's nothing I can do to stop

So much blood pouring from them,

They still push on

They still fight for

what they believe

For

.

I gaze on as my heroes

their everything to

To save my day.

precious faces came, they were

saw Rose get up after every

off his face and run

Happy and Marco, people who truly have every reason to hate each other, work

if we make it through this alive, I won't have to face the rest of

I intend to take full advantage of

Desi didn't die for

And my parents' legacy is still alive

time

because I think it's possible, but because I have

losen. The knots in my stomach didn't stop tightening, but the way it felt like electricity shooting through my muscles, reinvigorating my previously paralyzed form, told me

Crimson red.

stood up,

felt in the presence of this

at my change of

does he know, it's not only

you think?" He gestured at

primal vigor I had growing inside me to end

"Better late than never."

And I pounced.

while in blood lust, I attacked with my knife aiming

it in two, but I used one leg to push off his chest and the other to push off the ground and flipped

maneuver Marco taught me that I never thought I'd be able to

guard by the sudden burst of raw force when I slammed my forearm down onto his neck and sliced the knife through the skin on his back, making sure to break

whipped around. The anger growing in his eyes

it caught me around the wrist, but I threw myself into an

quick enough to block it, so the force of the collision had me crashing to the ground and nearly flung me

ignoring the instant tears that leaked from my eyes triggered by getting