'Yes, of course. My people will be stationed nearby at all times, and Dianne will be there. There's no need for you to attend.'

Jerry: "Thank you, Frederick. I'm just sorry it had to come to this."

'Why? You're not responsible for their decisions. By the way, you may wish to wait until after the executions before you inform the rest of your family. The last thing we need is more people coming here to try and stop it.'

Jerry: "Of course. I've lost enough family already..."

'Yes, well... I'd best be off, then,' said Fred, seemingly not wanting to talk to Jerry too long when he was this morose. 'We'll do what we can to stop Carl trying anything.'

He then hung up.

{With a sigh, Jerry puts his phone away, grabs his coat, and heads out the door.}

Meanwhile, back in the restaurant, Armin had finished his food and drunk the last of his drink. So had Esme.

'Ready to go?' he asked.

Dianne: "Yes. Here, Esme."

{With her food finished, Dianne gives Esme back her train.}

Dianne: "Where to next?"

'I feel like some fresh air... maybe we could go to the park for a short walk?' Armin suggested.

Dianne: "Sounds lovely. Let's go."

{Paying for the meal, Dianne walks for the exit, ordering the automaton to follow.}

(Should we maybe skip to nightfall? We could have Carl looking for Crowley.)

(Yeah, set the scene.)

----

Across the windswept Northern Plains lay the small town of Frostwood. As night fell, all seemed peaceful. However, all of a sudden, an angry shout broke the quiet air.

'--AND STAY OUT!'

A boy with blue hair and a long white scarf stumbled out of a bar after being shoved by the bartender. She didn't seem impressed by his apparent drunkeness. Unfazed, he just cackled.

'Aw, what's uuuup? Killjoys.'

Abruptly, his form rippled and morphed. A skinny dark dragon with ratty feathered wings stood where he had been. The bartender stumbled back, eyes wide with fright.

'It's that monster! Someone get the hunters!'

{Carl had arrived in Frostwood earlier that night. He was roaming around, disguised in a cloak without his helmet, looking for Crowley. Hearing the commotion, he rounds the corner, seeing the crow dragon he spent most of the evening searching for.}

Carl: //Yup, that's him. Should have known there'd be a mountain of trouble chasing him...//

Just then, several figures shoved past Carl. They paid no attention to him, instead running towards the crowdragon. Other figures were emerging from different sides, closing in.

'Fire! He's quick!'

Crowley laughed maniacally, diving away down a side street. Bullets whipped past him and at least one or two must have struck him, but he seemed to find the chase nothing but exhilarating. The hunters began to split up, some pursuing him directly while others ran down different streets, trying to cut him off.

{With a sigh, Carl takes off after Crowley.}

Carl: //He's no good to me dead. I can't let these guys kill him.//

{Gripping his concealed revolver, he watches for Crowley as he runs.}

There was a commotion up ahead. Crowley had found himself cut off. He darted into the air and started zigzagging upwards. Suddenly, one hunter threw a grappling device on a long rope, which latched onto Crowley and dragged him back to earth. As he smashed into the pavement, the other hunters jeered and began to saunter towards him with their guns, thinking they'd finally got him caught.

{Carl sets upon the hunters, knocking one in the head. Once they realize what's happening, he begins to shoot them in the arms and legs, non fatally.}

Carl: "Sorry, gentlemen, nothing personal. I need this one alive."

The hunters weren't prepared for this. They floundered, half-panicking. The ones who were shot in the legs crawled away, while the others yelled, backed up and started trying to shoot Carl.

During all of this, Crowley pulled the grappling hook off himself and leapt into their midst, grinning as he clawed, slashed and kicked at the hunters.

{Carl dove behind cover, calling out to Crowley.}

Carl: "Oi, Crowley is it? I got a business proposition for you."

'The eff are you?' Crowley yelled back. He paused to claw open the face of one hunter, spinning around to disembowel another with a kick of his talons. Someone put a bullet through his wing, but he didn't seem to notice.

Carl: "The name's Carl."

{Popping out of cover, he shoots the guy who shot Crowley's wing.}

Carl: "I need your abilities. If you help me, I'll give you whatever you want."

Crowley paused mid-fight to look over at Carl, squinting.

'Weeeell... Guess we could go and chat...'

He launched himself at the last uninjured hunter and, rather casually, ripped his chest open. Then, he turned and created a swirling portal in the street.

'If you want my help so bad, come on in,' he said with a grin, before disappearing.

{Carl dashes and leaps through the portal.}

When Carl emerged, Crowley closed the portal behind him.
They were now outside the town, on top of a low, windy hill.

'Alright, Mr Hero,' said Crowley sarcastically. 'What do you want? And it'd better be good.'

{Carl picks himself up, looking around before speaking.}

Carl: "I got a brother in jail. He's going to be executed soon. I need your help to get him out. You can open portals, so it should be pretty easy for you to do. Also, you're one of the only people who's fought Dianne and hasn't died."

Crowley examined his bloody claws, feigning boredom while Carl spoke.

'Yeah, I'm awesome like that,' he bragged. 'I'm waaay too fast for her. OK, I can probably definitely save your dumb brother, but you'll owe me, understand?' Abruptly, he pushed his long muzzle close to Carl's face. 'That means if I /ever/ say I want something, you gotta pay up, or you'll /suffer.'/

Carl: "Fine, whatever you want. Be simpler if you could name your price now, but whatever..."

{Carl pushes his muzzle away, then looks towards Sovereign.}

Carl: "We should get back to Sovereign. We don't have much time."

Crowley grinned. His breath smelled faintly of alcohol, but he must not have drunk much, to still be coherent.

'Hey, time's not an issue, baby. I can warp back there wheneeeever I want. So, we going now?'

{Carl looked momentarily surprised, then nodded, looking a bit impressed.}

Carl: "Yeah, let's go. Portal away."

Crowley casually waved a paw, and a vortex appeared on top of the hill. He dove through. When Carl followed, he would see that the portal came out in the middle of an abandoned industrial site. Nobody was around and the buildings were being overtaken by ivy and brambles.

'I hang out here sometimes. So, where's this stupid brother of yours? In the prison thing?'

Carl: "Nice place. I dig it. Yeah. Here's what I'm thinking: You get us in there, we kill the guards before they call for help, grab the keys, let him out, then we get back to Frostwood. Sound good?"

'Sure, I guess. Now listen, we're gonna have to be quick, cuz when I open a portal here, it'll open a portal inside the prison. We gotta jump through and kill them fast, got it?'

Carl: "Absolutely."

{Carl pulls out his revolver and puts his repaired helmet on.}

Carl: "After seeing your handiwork, this will probably be easy."

'Yeah, yeah.'

Crowley opened another vortex and jumped through. The gateway emerged inside the main hall of the prison. Armed guards were positioned outside the cells holding Sam, Sarah and Jack. They wore cuirasses and carried revolvers.

'What the--'

One guard yelled out in alarm as Crowley leapt on him fearlessly in a whirl of claws.

Carl: "Surprise!"

Jack: "Bro?"

{Carl began to shoot the guards, aiming at their heads. In their cells, Sam and Sarah scramble back in alarm.}

'Get Fred's lot! They're outside!'

One guard ran to the exit to alert Fred's people, while the others fought back. Carl's shots downed a few of them, but he was still very much outnumbered. Several guards surrounded him and opened fire. Crowley pounced on one from behind, knocking them to the floor and savaging them mercilessly.

{Carl steadily ran back, firing at the guards and trying to avoid being shot. His armor was holding well so far, but that didn't mean getting shot didn't hurt. Quickly dipping down, he grabs the keys off a guard and tosses them to his brother's cell.}

Carl: "Get yourself out! Let's go!"

As the guard ran outside, he nearly crashed into Ryder, who was fully armoured and carrying a revolver. He had heard the commotion.

'Inform Fred and Dianne! Quickly!' he said, then ran into the prison.

Crowley was still gleefully wrestling with the guards. He was covered in blood, both his own and theirs. He wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Moments later, a telepathic call from the vampire relay came in to both Dianne and Armin. //Carl Tussock and Crowley are invading the prison. Repeat, Tussock and Crowley are attacking the prison...//

{At that time, Dianne was relaxing with Armin in the rec room. She was in the middle of nipping his neck when she heard the call, her expression shifting to alarm, then anger.}

Dianne: "Oh, for gods' sake! F&*king j$+ka$$es couldn't have picked a worse time! Son of a-"

{She runs to get her armor and weapons, cursing filthy the whole way. Meanwhile, Carl was hiding behind what cover her could. When Jack got his cell open, Carl ran in there, while Jack tossed the keys over to Sam and Sarah.}

Carl: "What are you helping them for? They're the reason we're in this mess!"

Jack: "What am I suppose to do, let them be executed?"

Armin stiffened with alarm, then scrambled to his feet, a little behind Dianne.

//I thought they'd attack tomorrow, before the execution... not now...//

He grabbed his sword, while Esme just kind of watched them run off with a vague expression, not wanting to leave her TV show.

Crowley viciously slit the throat of a guard and the blood-soaked body collapsed against the front of Sam's cell. 'Hey, pretty boy!' he said, aggravated. 'I didn't agree to help anyone /else!'/

Carl: "See? Can't help 'em."

{By that time, Sam and Sarah were free and grabbed revolvers.}

Sam: "Too bad, we're coming too."

Jack: "Come on, Crowley, just open the portal. Whatever Carl's paying you, I'll double it for the extra trouble."

{Dianne appears in her armor, holding Igneum's Anguish, the large two handed mace.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, stay with Esme. Armin, let's go."

'Oh yeah?' Crowley sneered. 'I haven't told him what I want from him yet. You /might/ end up paying something you're not willing to give...'

Just then, Ryder came marching down the hall. The thick plate armour given to him by Dianne gleamed faintly in the dim light.

'Game over! All of you, drop your weapons and sit down!'

Armin wasted no time. 'C'mon, we'll fly the whole way. The car will be too slow.' Once outside, he shifted to hawk form and took off.

Jack: "Oh, please. How bad could it be?"

{When Ryder entered, everyone looked at him.}

Carl: "Yeah, f&*k that."

{He shoots at Ryder, but the bullet bounces off the plate armor.}

Carl: "Oh..."

Jack: "Who gave this joker an upgrade?"

{Dianne shifted and took off towards the prison, flying as fast as she could.}

Ignoring the bullet, Ryder lunged at Sam, who was closest, wrestled the gun out of his hand, and forced his arm behind his back. He tossed Sam's revolver away.

Crowley was still trying to decide what to do. 'Uh, well, I guess it doesn't cost me any /extra/ to bring those two through the portal... but still...'

{Everyone starts shooting Ryder, trying to drive him off.}

Jack: "Make up your damn mind, Crowley!"

Ryder's armour deflected the brunt of the shots. One hit a small gap between two plates on his arm, and he grunted in pain, hefting Sam in front of himself as a living shield.

Crowley shook his head vigorously and opened a new vortex. 'OK, whatever. Come on, losers! One at a time, no pushing on the ride--!'

Armin flew all the way to the prison. Diving down, he flew through the open doors in hawk form, not wasting any time by shifting back.

{Dianne was a little ways behind Armin, given that he was quite a bit faster than her. Sarah jumps on Ryder, pushing her revolver between Ryder's plates and pulling the trigger. Carl grabs Jack and drags him through the portal.}

Sarah: "Let him go!"

Crowley looked back at Sam and Sarah. 'Ya got ten seconds!' he yelled, then dove through the portal after the brothers. It remained open after he left.

Ryder yelped as Sarah's shot went straight through an unarmoured part of him. He stumbled slightly and his grip on Sam loosened by a fraction.

{Sarah grabbed Sam and Sam struggled with all his might, trying to get free.}

Ryder growled through his teeth, holding on.

'Oh... no... you... don't...'

Just then, Armin came flying down the corridor. He shifted back and slashed his sword, sending a cutting blast of wind at Sarah in an attempt to push her backwards, away from Sam and Ryder.

{Sarah leapt away from Ryder and Sam to avoid losing a limb, then opened fire on Armin.}

Sam: "Just go! Leave me!"

{Sam continues to fight with Ryder, trying to get free. After a moment's deliberation, Sarah runs for the portal.}

Armin dodged. He then started to chase Sarah, swinging his blade at her as she ran, making another projectile strike. However, she wasn't far from the portal.

Crowley's portal came out on the eastern edge of Bloodwater Lake. He was watching the vortex intently, waiting to see if anyone else made it through.

'...Yup, they're dead,' he said.

Ryder was panting slightly, blood oozing from between the plates on his arm. However, he was a dragon, so he was tougher than most. He kept hold of Sam.

{Sarah leapt through the portal, narrowly evading Armin's attack.}

Jack: "That's one. Where's the old man?"

{Sam continued to fight and kick at Ryder, desperately trying to free himself.}

'He's takin' too long! I've got better things to do,' complained Crowley.

After Sarah went through, the portal started to shrink and close. Armin saw it, and growled at the thought of Sarah and the Tussocks escaping. //They can't be allowed to go free...//

Making a split second decision, he grabbed a fallen gun, shifted to hawk form, and dove through the portal seconds before it closed.

'Armin--?' said Ryder.

{Dianne was running into the room as Armin did that. She saw him for a split second, then he disappeared.}

Dianne: "Armin?! Armin, don't-"

{And then he was gone.}

Dianne: "Ryder, where did that portal lead to?"

{On the other side, Jack yelped when the hawk flew through.}

Jack: "Vampire, vampire, vampire!"

'I'm not sure,' said Ryder worriedly.

Just then, a vampire ran into the prison just behind Dianne.

'Brayden! Get the relay to spread out and find where that portal led to. Check outside the city first. We're looking for Sarah, the Tussocks, Crowley, and Armin.'

The vampire nodded and ran out again.

'Wait whut--' said Crowley.

Once through the portal, Armin shifted back to human form, grinning.

'Hello.'

He then swung his blade in a wide, horizontal sweep, trying to hit the whole group at once with a projectile strike.

{Jack, Sarah, and Carl leapt down the hill to avoid dying, then started shooting at Armin.}

Carl: "Go home, Armin, before something bad happens to you!"

{Dianne wasn happy about this at all.}

Dianne: "Gods, damn it, Armin! What the hell were you thinking?!"

{Dianne runs out to help with the search.}

Armin shifted again and took to the sky to avoid being hit.

//Sorry, no. I'm not letting a bunch of deranged racists go free to threaten me and my family.//

He swooped and darted around above the group, trying to get them to waste all their ammo.

Ryder dragged Sam back over to his cell, threw him unceremoniously inside, and locked the door. Looking worried, he followed Dianne out.

'Let's take to the sky and look around,' he suggested. Once he had enough clear space, he shifted and went airborne.

Carl: "There's four of us and one of you!"

{Carl keeps firing at Armin, leading his shots to try to hit Armin.}

Armin didn't seem concerned. He continued to dodge the shots as best as he could, darting back and forth with lightning reflexes.

//How many bullets do you have left?// he said conversationally.

Crowley was just kind of watching all this, with a bored expression. 'Fighting with guns is for wimps...'

{Dianne shifted and followed, headed for the outskirts.}

Dianne: "If they hurt him, Ryder, I swear, I'll kill them all myself!"

Carl: "I don't have any other weapons, Crowley! You know what, forget this guy! Let's just get to the car and drive away, he can't follow us out of province."

{With that, they start walking down the hill towards town.}

'Yeah, I know...'

Ryder began to head north, towards the edge of the city.

//Fred's not going to be happy about this...//

//...Are you serious?//

As the group started to walk away, Armin dropped down behind them, shifted, and shot Crowley in the back. While the crowdragon spluttered and staggered, Armin swung his sword hilt at Jack's head, aiming to knock him out.

{Jack fell back, stumbling and rolling down the hill. Taking advantage of Armin being a bigger target, Sarah and Carll start shooting at him again.}

Carl: "Well, we can't very well hit you as a birdie, now can we?"

Armin jumped sideways and tried to evade the bullets. Some missed, but one hit him in the shoulder. With a growl, he flung a wind strike at Sarah and Carl. Just then, Crowley - who was bleeding but seemed unfazed - pounced on Armin, knocking him to the ground and started to tear at him with his claws.

'Hey! Get off, you little--'

{Sarah got hit, and she went down with a pained cry. Carl was quick enough to evade. Getting up, Carl approaches Crowley, revolver in hand.}

Carl: "Crowley, hold him still!"

Armin was wrestling with Crowley, trying to point his gun at the dragon's head.

'You can't kill me with a bullet, you ass!' he snarled at Carl.

'Don't tell me what to do, pretty boy!' said Crowley at almost the same time.

While Dianne and Ryder were flying towards the outskirts, a telepathic message came in. //They've been spotted on a hillside just east of Bloodwater. They're fighting.//

{Dianne immediately turns that way, flying as fast as she can. Carl kneels down and takes aim, shooting Armin in the leg.}

Carl: "No, but I can disable you. Fix this fight, if you will."

Armin cried out, then gritted his teeth, aimed his gun at Crowley's torso, and fired straight through it, at Carl.

'Ow!' Crowley exclaimed. 'Knock it off!'

Ryder quickened his pace as well, racing to reach the hillside. Three vampires in bird forms appeared and followed the two dragons in their pursuit.

{Carl wasn't expecting that. He caught the bullet right in the chest, falling back with a grunt. Sarah had gotten back up, bleeding heavily. She started towards Armin, pointing her revolver at his head}

Sarah: "End of the line, $h!t sucker!"

Crowley snickered. Armin started to move his gun to aim at Sarah, then froze. Though it might not kill him, he was certain that being shot in the head would be an unpleasant experience.

'Oh... yeah?... Would it make you... feel better... to shoot me...? Go on, then, you racist psychopath. Do it...' He sneered.

(Wait, do you actually want me to do that?"

(It doesn't really matter either way. You can shoot him, or you can choose not to. Either's fine. I think Dianne and Ryder are almost there.)

(Ok. Dianne will fly into a murderous rage. It may scare Ryder.)

{Sarah fires, but because of her injuries, she misses his head and hits his chest instead. By this point, Dianne and Ryder are within eyesight. Seeing this, Dianne lets out a soul chilling scream of sheer rage as she accelerates towards the scene.}

Jack: "Crap! Crowley, open another portal! Now!"

'What?' said Crowley stupidly. He craned his neck up and saw Dianne. 'Oooh...'

He jumped off Armin, who was wheezing and choking, blood trickling from his mouth. The bullet had done significant damage to his chest and grazed his heart. He tried to fire his gun, but just collapsed back to the ground.

Crowley opened a portal. Ryder roared and accelerated too.

{Dianne hit the ground at an alarming speed, but she simply became a mass of billowing smoke. The smoke rematerialized into a livid Dianne with glowing hot mace. She bolts at the group swinging her weapon at Sarah. Sarah hardly had a chance to react before she was struck. The mace became engulfed in white hot flames as it was swung and when it contacted Sarah, it tore right through her, showering Crowley and the Tussocks in charred, burning pieces of her.}

Carl: "Holy $h!t! RUN!"

{Carl and Jack leap headfirst through the portal, with Dianne very close behind, winding up her weapon again.}

'Holy sh.it!' Ryder exclaimed, eyes widening.

'Wow, burning flesh!' said Crowley. '...Uh, every man for himself!' he shouted, dashing past Jack and Carl to get into the portal before them.

Ryder landed and examined Armin. He was unconscious, but alive.

{Dianne didn't hesitate to follow them through the portal, much to the Tussock's terror.}

Jack: "Is it too late to surrender?"

{Dianne simply roared in rage, dashing towards the brothers. Carl shot at her, but her armor was too thick. She brings her mace down on him with all her might. In the wake of the flash of fire and light, there wasn't much left of him after that. Just glassed earth and unrecognizable charred bits. Jack was too shocked to do much other than fall over.}

The portal had taken them to a random grass plain. Crowley hadn't had much time to think about where to go. When he looked over and saw Dianne basically disintegrating Carl with her mace, he decided he wasn't hanging around.

'Yeah, sorry loser, but I'm not dying for you.'

He made another portal beside Jack, and dove in. Once he was through, the vortex immediately began to close.

(Jack might have enough time to jump through that portal just before it closes, if you want him to live. Though, he might be too traumatised to move.)

(I think it could be interesting later if he lives.)

{Acting seemingly out of pure instinct, Jack scurries through the portal. It closes right before Dianne can reach it, leaving her stranded on the grassy plains. Dianne screams in frustration, casting down her mace and falling to her knees. After a few minutes of calming down, she looks around, trying to determine exactly where she ended up.}

(Yep. Also, new room.)