Rita dashed as fast as she could down the staircase. She was limited to moving only so far in the time she had. It was incredibly frustrating. She had to get down there and help. It was no use just sitting around doing nothing. She was afraid but she would destroy her upbringing right here, right now for the very last time.

"You taught me nothing Uncle." She said, actually quite proud of the fact. She hit the door release. First came 4889. That wasn't so important. Then came the tower. She walked out into 2124.

"Rita!" Boone howled across the width of the room.

"Boone!" She called back. "How did you get free?!"

Boone turned to look as the rest of his group were edging their way to the tower entrance.

"I'll tell you later. Do you have the sword and the guardian item?"

She nodded.

"I do but..."

"Good! No time to talk! Trust me, you want to run over here right this second!"

Rita began to speak as the Eastern door burst open. All hell broke loose along with it.

Cerberus was mesmerisingly foul. An enormous feral dog, all red like the colour of blood. His flesh was gnarled and his entire form was completely hairless. Skinless too in places. The beast snarled and howled with all three heads at once, making a dash straight to where Rita was standing.

"Hurry!" Lee called down from the doorway. Rita dashed over as the rest of the group each ran inside. She could do this...it was only a little further.

The beast lunged as Rita slid and rolled across the floor. It was painful and degrading but she just avoided its jaws by a fraction of a second. She rolled her way towards the tower entrance and dashed inside. Lee was stood by the doorway. An enormous metal panel was positioned on the inside. With a loud grunt, he hoisted it across with all of his might, sealing the tower completely. There was a clank as Cerberus bashed against the door. That was very close...

The inside of the tower was very sinister. A set of spiral stairs extended upwards farther than the eye could see. The six remaining survivors each dashed towards them and began their ascent. They weren't quite sure how far they would get, but it was too late to turn back now.

"Is everybody up to this?" Asked Lee to the others. There were unanimous nods of approval.

"Good. Let's finish it."

It was still concerning that there were no guards. As Boone clambered up the staircase, lagging behind the others, he began to ponder about why this would be the case. Cassandra had told him it was because Willis didn't expect them to succeed. But right now the six of them were fairly well armed and carrying each of the guardian items not to mention the sword. It always seemed like he was watching their entire progress. Something just didn't feel right.

He stopped a moment to catch his breath. The climb was proving to be quite challenging. His primate body whilst enjoyable, couldn't quite muster up the strength to continue. When all this was over he would need to develop a new method of transportation. He wasn't too interested in finding a way to restore his human form, truth be told. There were certain perks that came with what he had right here.

"You will have to go on without meeeeEee!" He called up the stairs.

"Not a chance." Came a familiar voice. Before he knew it, a large stone hand had hoisted him up in the air and placed him somewhere he had a certain fondness for.

"Thank you tree. I promise I will try not to poooOoo on you this time."

Boone grinned and pulled a banana from his pack. He then adjusted Tyrese's sweatband and pointed ahead. Onwards to victory or death.

Dennis was more expecting the death side of things himself. He didn't speak up because the last thing they needed before the charge was an attack on morale, but the fact remained that this place was surprisingly unprotected. He suspected the majority of the force lay ahead somewhere.

"When we get out of here, can I come with you on one of your adventures?!" Asked Hobert excitedly. Peter scratched his head with a frown.

"Isn't this an adventure enough? You should enjoy some life without big adventures. I wish I'd had the chance to."

Hobert disagreed. This was only the beginning. It was everything he could've hoped for and more. It wasn't over yet but it was exciting to see what was going to happen next. It was scary too, but it was a good kind of scary for him. He'd already faced death and come out the other side so what else could happen?

Rita was happily leading the charge. With all of her upbringing safely quashed, she felt reborn. Once this was over she would go back to what remained of her uncle's empire underground and take her place as the rightful ruler. They had never had a female leader but she had a feeling they'd welcome the change somehow. By undoing all of his laws and inspiring the people to do more than just grovel, the Bito Isles would become prosperous once again.

Lee was thinking of back home too. He wasn't altogether sure he'd make it, but what mattered most was helping his people. It was sad to think they would always remember him as a runt but in his heart he was proud. It wasn't about the glory, when it came down to it. He had the power to change things for the better and he fully intended to.

"How much further could it be?" Asked Peter as they climbed yet another set of seemingly endless steps.

"Be careful. There's a door up ahead." Dennis pointed out.

A large wooden door signaled the end of their climb, at least partway. It led to some sort of inner chamber within the tower. Rita approached it cautiously and pushed the door. It wasn't sealed.

The inside of the room was a large study. It was decorated with a number of tomes and scrolls, all lining the walls. Alongside them were any number of sealed chests. It was reasonably well kept. A series of terminals were lining one of the rear walls. They contained footage of the rooms below. One was pointed at the base of the tower where Cerberus had obviously given up the chase and gone on to find new prey.

And at the back wall was an enormous sealed window. It overlooked a red horizon that shone with flashes of purple. Occasionally the floor rumbled slightly. A desk was positioned in front of the window with an ornate chair. Some papers lined the surface and a figure sat waiting, smiling at the group.

"Bear!" Rita called out.

"Hello Rita. It's been a while! Nice of you to drop by. We're about to start the show."

"You're starting nothing." Lee called out, storming across to his position and picking him up by the neck. Boone cheered and howled on the top of his head, flinging a banana peel towards his face.

Bear flailed around under the iron grip and slammed his hand down onto the desk. There was a button carefully positioned there. With a loud rumble, the bookcases subsided, revealing a series of passageways set into the walls. A number of shades began to emerge from the chambers within.

"I knew it." Said Dennis.

The others remained quiet. They suspected the mainstay of the force would be at the top, but they were more than willing to fight. Rita pulled the hatchet out from her pack. Dennis grabbed the shotgun. Peter grabbed the rifle and looked down a little awkwardly. Hobert pulled out Tyrese's sword which was far too big for him.

Lee continued choking the life out of Bear.

"It won't do any good. He's already dead." Said Rita shaking her head. "They all are."

"How do you kill the dead?!" Asked Hobert frantically.

Dennis smirked. "One at a time."

His finger pulled the trigger and a tremendous blast burst forth from the shotgun, splitting several of the shades into pieces. And with that it was time to fight.

Lee flung Bear across the floor, sending some of the other shades flying in the process. He cracked his knuckles. You can keep your weapons, this was the true way to do battle. He stretched for a couple of seconds, placed Boone on the floor and then charged into the throng, stone fists flying.

Rita darted around with the hatchet, swinging it excitedly through as many of the ranks as she could. Her target was Bear. It had to be her who finished him for good. She had no idea how to go about that but she would try at least. He had already picked himself up from the floor and was approaching. Good. She swung the hatchet, cleaving off the head of a shade. Bear winced slightly at the sight.

Peter was backed up against a wall nervously. Hobert was frantically trying to slice up the three shades that approached him but he kept falling short of his target.

"Hobert...I can't do this! Throw me the sword buddy."

Hobert flung the sword into the air, slicing off one of the shades' appendages in the process. It let out a horrifying shriek and backed away. Peter's hand grasped the sword handle and he let out a satisfied smile. With his free hand he tossed the rifle to Hobert in order to free himself up. This was more like it. Leaping up into the air, he came down hard with the sword blade, slicing through the ranks.

Hobert was faring less well. The rifle was still too bulky for him to use properly and he couldn't seem to hold it straight. A shade picked him up by the throat and hissed right at his face. The grip was icy cold. No matter how hard he struggled, there was no way to properly break loose.

A loud gunshot suddenly permeated the air and the shade fell down, releasing its grip. Hobert backed up against the wall and glanced around frantically, just in time to see Boone hold the pistol in the air and blow the end theatrically.

"I don't think we can win...." Hobert muttered.

Boone shook his head.

"Probably not. There are far too many of them and most of our weapons are limited. But weeeeEee can at least try."

Rita rolled across the floor as Bear grabbed her by the neck. She flung the hatchet in different directions, trying to do some damage but he had a tight hold. Writhing around, she managed to land a solid kick in his stomach. He released the grip and she span around, raising the hatchet above her head.

He looked up at her, not saying a word.

"I'm going to make sure you die like a bitch." She said triumphantly. And then she swung.

The room filled with the sound of high frequency energy blasting forth. A beam of it careened past the struggling survivors and smacked into the back of Rita's hatchet-hand. She screamed at the intense burning pain that flooded it, forcing her to drop the hatchet mid swing. Bear scuttled out from under her.

With that, the fighting stopped. A figure was standing at the rear of the room with a hand raised. He was wearing a long brown robe, with a slightly scruffy ginger beard visible beneath it. It was him...

"......Enough......" He hissed out.
"It is....time........."

The shades stood stock still and waited for instruction. The survivors didn't make a single move. Willis could probably put them all down in a heartbeat.

"Bring them....to the roof......"
"I want them.....to see......before they.....die......"

He strolled over to the desk and pushed a button beneath it. The window at the back of the room slid open slowly, revealing an outer walkway that led up to another spiral staircase. He turned to look at the group carefully and then raised his other hand for a few seconds.

Without warning, the guns and sword they were all holding burst into dust. Willis disappeared in a flash of energy and the shades surrounded them.

"Take them to the roof!" Ordered Bear, watching with glee as they hoisted the heroes upright and walked them to the window.

Tyrese was restless. He found himself walking back and forth. He had nowhere to really go, and that was only part of the problem. He wasn't altogether sure what would happen to this time period once they defeated Willis...if they even managed that. Maybe he could stay on here? But wouldn't that screw with time? The whole maze was in some kind of time protected bubble because otherwise it just wouldn't work out.

He liked having clean air...and clean water. He missed the world from before it went sour. But what he missed most of all he could never have. He would love to be up there fighting Willis along with them but he knew the temptation would be too much. Back here he could hold it back. He had to.

He wondered if they were close. Moving in and out of the same exits, he continued to wonder. It was hard to focus on anything else. Right here was his one shot and he wouldn't take it. He'd trained so hard to face situations like this but when it actually came through to it, he didn't have what it took.

"Why do you care if they get hurt? It'll all go back to how it was. The world will be better for them too..."

That didn't make it right though. What if something went wrong? Would they just disappear...would the new versions even be the same people? Would he just jump back into the world to enjoy it or would he disappear too, allowing another Tyrese to be happy.

She'd be happy though wouldn't she? She'd be alive and well. It would be doing it for her. It wouldn't even be selfish. Tyrese was acutely aware that these might not be his own thoughts but he agreed with them entirely. Or did he? He seemed to be agreeing but who could tell how much of it was him? It was so hard to think right.

He clutched at his head. He just wanted to think straight!

"What you want is yours to take. Finish what you started. The power is yours..."

No. He couldn't do it alone anyway. They'd just kill him! There was no way it would work. Besides he made promises and...

"The promises will be undone too. What does any of it matter? This is all but an illusion. This world will be a mere ripple in the pond. It will dissolve into nothing. It will be nothing."

Nothing...but he needed support....

"You are not alone. Right now somebody else longs for the same as you. There is no reason you both can't have what you desire."

Who? One of the ones he left behind? Were they going to turn on their friends?

"The girl. The one you came in here with. She has suffered many losses. She wants a new world too."

The girl? Rita? Brie?

"Her. She waits by the tower. Go with her and take what is yours. Why would you choose not to?"

Because it isn't right. Because I can't just decide the destiny of the world like that. It isn't fair.

"Destiny is never fair. Was it fair when you lost her? Was that fair? Is it fair that the others are up there as we speak, also deciding the destiny of the world? What gives them the right but not you? Because you feel you are evil? What evils did you ever commit?"

He'd done things in this place he wasn't proud of. Things he could never reconcile. Things that would stop him from going back out into the world because of the guilt.

"You attacked a killer and you fought back. Nothing unjust to be seen."

But he'd reset traps and he'd been waiting to kill. He'd even enjoyed the thought. There was no place for him in this world now.

"Then create a new one. It is the only way."

It was right. That was the only way. He had no choice. He focused his mind on the future and jumped into the portal. This would hopefully be the last time he had to do this at least.

When he came to, he was stood in a room with a mangled body. He crouched down to look and realised it was Sophia. She'd been torn to shreds. What had happened here? She had no items on her he could use.

"Don't worry." He said calmly. "I'll fix your world too."

And with that he strolled towards the Western exit, pushing the door release. As he pushed it the ground rumbled slightly. A surge of purple energy that quickly transformed to red blasted across his vision.

"What was that?!" He exclaimed as he backed into the door towards the tower.

"It's happening right now." Came a female voice. Not the one from his mind though, this was....

"Brie?"

She was holding a knife, poised to throw it at him. He raised his hands and backed away towards the door he'd just come from. She had an angry expression on her face.

"I'm sorry about before but you have to trust me. We want the same thing here. I can help you. We can...we can change it together."

She glared at him some more before lowering the knife slightly. He relaxed a little.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

She looked up at the tower in deep concentration as another purple bolt of energy came downwards.

"Waiting." She said.

The stairs went on for quite a distance. The shades were dragging their captives right to the top. The entire structure overlooked the barren wilderness below. But something wasn't right with the scene. Boone craned his head above the captive arm that was holding him firmly in place. Every so often, the wilderness below was filling with a flash of energy.

With the flashes came a change. It was no longer a dusty wilderness with scorched red ground. Instead it was a lush green plain, darkened by the clouds overhead. He could also make out a serene lake. A bright red light was reflecting in its surface as well as the clouds themselves. It was much more beautiful, but it only lasted a fraction of a second.

"That's our time..." Said Peter. "I have to say it's a lot nicer than yours."

"Quiet!" Bear insisted. Boone craned his neck up to look at the clouds instead.

They were dark purple masses, swirling around a central core. He couldn't quite make that out from this position though. Just a few more steps up and he'd have a clearer view. They continued the climb and he checked back once more. This time the core was visible and it took his breath away.

It was a bright red sphere of energy that flashed through to different colours. It was hard to make out how big it was but he estimated it was at least three times the width of the rooftop which was about half the size of the room the tower was stood in. It was spherical so it was probably about the same height too. Occasionally, a bolt of energy would careen from the surface and blast down to the ground, Earthing itself in the tower and then bounding down the walls.

Willis was stood beneath it, holding his hands up and moving them ever so slightly.

"It is....beautiful.....isn't it?"
"What you see....is the future.....but it is not....the future in the sense....you understand it...."
"It is all of time......and it is waiting to be reborn......"

The shades placed the captives down on the tower roof. More of them were climbing up the stairs. There seemed to be no end.

"So you let us come all this way just so you could kill us at the end." Said Lee despondently.

"I have no....intention of.....killing you....."
"You see....it's rather simple. I am....on the verge of creating a new world.....one in which.....I am the supreme ruler...."
"In this world I will....be able to create all as I....see fit.....anything can be changed....."

He smiled.

"There is no need....to kill you.....because in a few moments.....my world will be born.....and you will not be in it."
"I may allow you to be.....and make things....very difficult for you. I have learned....much about your lives you see..."

He turned to look at Lee who took several shade guards to keep down.

"For instance.....your people can exist....in my world. But they can be my servants......"
"Whatever they are suffering now....it will become a thousand times worse....before my world is done...."

Lee snarled and tried to lash out at his captors in a blind rage. This just made Willis laugh.

"So you're nothing more than the stereotypical evil villain." Said Dennis. "Why do you even care about a new world? Why can't you just go on running this one? You were doing a pretty good job."

"This world....is ruined.....just look at it....."
"I do not want.....to live in a world....full of ash and smoke.....full of poison....."
"You say I am evil but.....I still long for a real world to exist in....this kingdom of bones.....it is nothing. It has been burnt through...."
"Just like me.....a hollow shell....I need to be myself again.....I am no longer.....myself....."

He looked over at them, his face contorted in some kind of inner agony.

"It is hard....not to be yourself. It is a terrible....affliction....but soon I will.....have full control......."

He shut his eyes.

"Every day....he fights back.....every day he resists......but slowly I take over. In my world though....it will just be me again.....I will no longer have to contend with......his insolence....."

Suddenly his eyes snapped open again.

"Enough of this.....it is time to finish the process. Watch....for it may be the last thing you see. Killing you would....end it too quickly.....I want you to know......how badly you failed......"

Waving his hands around with caution, the energy in the sky began to discharge into a myriad of colours once more.

"Release them....."

To the group's surprise, the shades backed away completely. This was the opening they needed. But they had to move fast. Rita shot the others a look and then slowly reached her hand to her pack.

"Going to call the guardians....? I hope you do....it will save.....some trouble......"

She stopped.

"What do you mean?" She asked suspiciously.

Willis let out another awful two-tiered laugh.

"My dear....I froze them all last time. You don't think I can do it just....as easily again?"

There was a flash of light as a sword appeared in his hand. Rita recognised it all too well. It was the Sword of Theseus. It was exactly the same as the one in her backpack. It hadn't aged or dented by a fraction. A perfect copy.

"This sword can....defeat anybody....and anything. With it....and my magic....you never had a chance....and neither do they...."

Hobert scrunched his face up in confusion, about to speak but Rita quickly shot him a look, shaking her head frantically. He fell silent again.

It just hit her in that moment. He didn't know.

How could he? He might be powerful but he wasn't omniscient. Maybe he could see everything in the Labyrinth, but only in this Labyrinth. The other one...the one from the past...Bear wasn't in that one. Willis was but it was a different Willis. It wasn't him.

It was true that everything they did altered the future while they were in this...bubble. They could leave messages and bodies that would later show up. They could activate major changes to the structure of the place. But there was a disconnect. Willis back then...he could see and understand what they were doing....

But it wasn't reaching this Willis. He was the reason the two worlds existed and connected. The time passage was because so much of him was now in Pandora that it bridged them. But they were distinctly different entities. Otherwise their actions could have affected this Willis. What if they'd killed him in the past? Would he have died in the future, thus destroying the time bridge? Because there would have been no Willis to attempt to open Pandora to begin with.

It was a paradox. And it was unsolvable. The only way it worked was if the two versions were different. That meant...

That meant he didn't know what they were doing in the past. He knew they were time travelling but he didn't know....

He didn't know they had the sword....

"What are you waiting for?" Willis sneered. "Summon them....to me.....I want them to see....as well....."

Rita nodded and reached into her pack. But instead of pulling the poem out, she grabbed the sword.

Rita pulled the sword out of her pack in a swift arc and immediately turned to strike at the shades behind her. They let out a horrifying scream. That quickly got Willis' attention. He really hadn't realised? Was it that easy? It was hard to believe. He seemed so astute with everything else. He seemed to know what they were doing and even thinking at times.

And yet, the look on his face was one of contorted horror. He hadn't seen this coming. This was where his plan fell to pieces.

"Grab that sword!" He yelled in his hideous two toned voice. The shades immediately set to surrounding Rita but she struck as best she could, slicing left right and centre.

"To me Rita!" Shouted Peter. She flung it through the air and he grabbed it. He knew how to use them more.

Willis raised his hand in an attempt to freeze the sword mid-throw but it was completely immune to his magic. Dashing around the tower, Peter fought off as many of the shade creatures as he could whilst Boone scuttled along the floor, rummaging through the packs.

"Hobert! Get to as many as you can! We need the four items."

Hobert nodded and joined Boone in the search. In the distance, Bear just stood and watched with arms folded.

"Tired of fighting us?" Said Rita. She was resting on the floor, the attack had taken a lot out of her. Bear shrugged.

"No point right now. I wanna see where this goes."

Peter reached the edge of the tower where he swung his sword forth to attack the throngs of approaching shades, but there seemed to be a somewhat infinite supply. He looked over at Willis whilst continuing in the melee. Willis had turned towards the energy in the sky and was moving much faster than before, sending sparks out in all directions.

"He's speeding up the process! We have to do it nooooOoow!" Boone shouted.

Peter took a moment to catch his breath and immediately felt one of their hands wrap around his shoulder. He sliced it away quickly but it was getting harder and harder. There were too many. Lee was dashing into the crowd now too, beating them as best he could from the rear.

"Peter, throw it up here!"

Peter looked up for a second and saw Dennis behind him. He was in the air, floating with his pack. He glanced back at the crowd and nodded, throwing the sword through the air. The shades tried to catch it but wound up getting sliced in its arc. Dennis flew down and carefully gripped the handle.

He assumed it would be certain death for a while, but he realised it needn't be that way for everybody.

"So long guys, I'm going for one last flight!"

"Dennis!" Peter shouted as his pack burst forth with a tremendous jet of energy.

"Stop.....Him...." Willis shouted above the noise.

The shades abandoned Peter on the ledge and took flight themselves. A huge black cloud emerged from the tower top and chased the speeding object in the sky. Dennis was flying faster than he'd ever dared to before. All the while he laughed. This was the most fun he'd ever had with this thing.

He just had to take it as high as it could possibly go.

Lee bounded across the rooftop and grabbed Hobert and Boone, placing one on each shoulder. Hobert cheered with excitement. Willis was too busy with Dennis' escape to really notice.

"We need to go somewhere out of the way. The study will do." Boone suggested.

At that moment, Willis raised his hands and burst forth a single round of energy into the sky towards the speeding figure of Dennis. Dennis saw it coming and hoisted the sword up in the air. The energy wrapped around it and coursed through his body. He felt the life sapping out of him.

It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was his aim. In just three...two...one....

He pressed a switch to detach the jetpack. Dennis plummeted down towards the tower at an alarming rate as his jetpack fell away to the side.

Both Willis and Peter dashed forward to the landing point but Peter got there just a fraction of a second earlier. Dennis' body hit the tower with a horrifying thud and Peter grabbed the sword a moment later.

Then like lightning, Willis leaped through the air. He brought his own blade down onto Peter's which deflected it perfectly.

Rita looked on in awe as the two figures clashed in a magnificent display of swordsmanship. The shades were re-emerging from the air now but Bear was no longer amongst them...

"To the study! Stop them!" Willis shouted, his two tone voice becoming almost incoherent. The shades immediately darted away towards the stairs.

In the room below, Boone was frantically gathering the items along with the journal entries he'd collected detailing how to use them. He saw the dark shadows approach the window.

"NooooOooo! There is not enough time!"

Lee clenched his fists and then turned to the two figures behind him.

"Boone....Hobert....when this is over....."

"Lee no! You cannot!"

"When this is over...go and find my people....make sure that they recovered....from the magic. They live in the mountains behind the Labyrinth."

And with that, he flung himself towards the open window, fists pumping. The dark clouds surrounded him and consumed him as he bashed away, crying out in a series of roars.

"Hurry!" Screamed Hobert.

Boone threw the poem to him.

"Read it!" He instructed.

Back on the rooftop, the two figures were still locking swords together as bright light descended from above. Peter didn't even flinch from his position and continued with the fray. Willis was ridiculously more agile than he looked like he should be.

A figure in a white robe came down from the base of the bright light. He turned to Rita with a knowing smile.

"Hello Rita. Is it already time?"

She nodded enthusiastically to Virgil.

"Can you stop him?"

Virgil turned to the battle and concentrated. Peter felt words enter into his head.

"This is Virgil. I am a messenger and I can send forth messages, but there is very little else I can do for you right now."

He turned back to Rita with a frown.

"I'm sorry but I need the others. I cannot do it alone. I can send for help though..."

Virgil closed his eyes and focused. The dark clouds began to rumble with a strange light.

The world came back into focus for Brie. Tyrese was stood behind her impatiently.

"What did you see?" He asked.

Brie smiled.

"A way up. They're fighting a lot. I think the guardians will be coming out soon. Pandora is almost open."

"Almost. You are so close."

Tyrese glanced at the tower. The metal door on the front was pretty much impenetrable. He'd tried several times. What way up?

"Look up and right." She instructed.

Something was falling from the sky. It had a parachute attached. It looked very much like a backpack but it was slightly different. It had been heavily modified. Was that?

"Dennis' backpack." Said Brie happily. "He probably had the parachute fitted for emergencies but it didn't help him much this time."

It came to rest on the floor.

"Put it on. We're going for a flight."

Boone scrambled through the notes. They really should have worked this out sooner. The helmet was in front of him. He stopped suddenly.

Was that it? It was so much simpler than Virgil's.

But it was too late. A dark shape appeared in front of his eyes and lifted the helmet in the air. It turned back towards Boone and hissed.

"NoooooOoooo!"

They were so close.

Hobert scowled and dashed across the floor to where he'd placed the broach Daedalus had given him.

"DAEDALUS!" He shouted.

Almost immediately, a flash of light permeated the room. That was fast! It charged directly into the shade that was holding the helmet, forcing it back towards the entrance of the study.

A man was hovering outside of the window. He was clad in a pure white robe and was hovering in the sky with a set of wings. He had dark brown skin and was holding his arms upright. Another blast of energy shot forth from them. That wasn't Daedalus...that was....

"Andrael?" Asked Hobert in awe. Andrael smiled at him and winked.

Up on the rooftop the shades were dashing in a number of different directions as more of the white clad angellic beings attacked.

"The army of Paradiso. Not many can be spared because Willis is attacking it with his own army even as we speak. The majority of his forces are up there."

Another flash of white came down from above, leaving a second figure standing beside them. He was wearing a red cape and had a thick beard.

"Daedalus. So glad you could join us." Said Virgil.

Daedalus grinned.

"It is time to settle the score." He turned to where Peter and Willis were still locked in swordplay. Willis was getting the upper hand. The two of them were completely untouched by the fighting going on all around them.

Daedalus concentrated and then turned from the scene. He held his hands aloft and immediately, a set of glowing tools appeared in them.

"What's he doing?" Asked Rita.

"Building." Daedalus confirmed.

A third flash signaled the arrival of Cassandra.

"It is almost time. Your friend will be free in a moment. I see it."

"Cassandra can see things before they happen." Virgil explained.

"So she knows where Willis is going to move to."

Peter suddenly felt the presence of a voice in his head.

"Peter, you need to move back towards the Eastern side of the tower roof. Once at the very edge, throw the sword up in the air. You absolutely must do this."

He backed away nervously and headed over to the point. It was as if he was being guided by another force.

"Minos!" Boone called as he held the helmet aloft in the room below. Peter flung the sword in the air.

And a heavily armoured fist caught the handle. Minos stepped out and approached Willis.

"So....it is this again.....fat king......"

"FOR THE FINAL TIME."

Minos charged Willis with the sword and the two of them locked blades together. Cassandra concentrated as Daedalus continued his construction. Virgil stood the other side, looking to Cassandra and then looking back at the fight. He was relaying her visions to Minos.

"There." Said Daedalus proudly.

Virgil turned to him and Daedalus nodded.

"It's time."

He ran towards the Western side of the tower, just as Minos and Willis reached it. Then he reached into his cape and flung something forth. A purple flash filled the air as a field of energy coiled around Willis' body. He let out a horrifying roar and dropped the sword, which Minos picked up in his free hand.

It was over. They'd won!

Andrael flew overhead, carrying Boone in his arms. One of his angel friends was carrying Hobert. They placed both of the survivors on the roof and then flew off into the sky with all of the other figures. The shades were dispersing in a number of different directions, wanting to be anywhere but here. With a nod and wink, Andrael flew off into the dark clouds above.

The core rotated and shifted, casting a horrible red light on the scene below. Willis looked over at the four guardians with a scowl.

"And so...it ends....." He said reluctantly.

It was hard for him not to smile, but he resisted. His plan was nearly complete.

A bolt of lightning blasted down onto the surface of the rooftop. In its place stood a very familiar figure, clad in a long black robe.

"About time you showed up." Said Rita, bitterly.

Roth turned to glare at her but turned away again.

"The armies of darkness won't fight themselves unfortunately."

"Well we did it all without your help anyway!" Boone scolded.

Roth sighed. He never got the respect he deserved.

"Well now I'm here to finish what I started. I've been waiting for this day for a very long time."

"Do a clean job, Roth." Said Virgil, placing a hand on his shoulder. Roth smiled at the guardian as he departed. The other three each disappeared in a flash of energy.

It was just the six of them now. Boone, Rita, Peter, Hobert, Roth and Willis who could do very little but struggle feebly.

"Last time you prevented me from doing it. This time it ends."

Roth raised his hands in the air and began to chant as thunder rumbled overhead. Lightning began to course through the air as he spoke, increasing in volume repeatedly.

"Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde! Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde! Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde!"

It was quite an impressive show. Occasionally a blast of lightning would strike Willis' body, causing him to yell out in agony. Finally it reached a climax and Roth practically shouted into his face.

"Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde!"

Willis felt himself...falling....he couldn't hold on any longer. He struggled for purchase but it was no use. The power was too compelling. There was nothing he could do....falling....falling......"

The energy containing his body exploded in a vibrant flash, sending him scattering lifelessly across the surface of the rooftop. A monstrous dark shape rapidly ascended from his body. It flew itself up into the air with a blood-curdling scream before the air finally cleared.

"He's gone now. At last..." Said Roth wearily.

The four survivors rejoined and sat together in the middle of the rooftop.

"What happens now?" Asked Rita exhaustedly. She wanted to go and find Bear to finish things properly.

"Now weeeEe go home I suppose?"

Roth looked up at the glowing shape in the air.

"Pandora needs to be settled. They were training me for it in Paradiso. I just need to go up there and calm the energy that Willis put in. It might take a while."

He looked back at the group with a shrug.

"Sorry to say but you'll have to wait around until I'm done."

"I don't mind." Said Hobert happily. "I've grown quite used to it here."

"Boone?" Asked Rita nervously. He looked up at her.

"Did Lee?"

He nodded sadly. The group fell into silence.

"Let us take a moment....to remember the fallen...."

That phrase brought back powerful memories for Roth too. He turned to the energy in the sky and focused. He would do it as quickly as he dared but it was very temperamental. Too much and he might....

There was the sudden sensation of pressure as something pierced him from behind. It was a blade but it had been put through with such force that....even Roth couldn't fight it. Even though he was technically a dead man...it would be enough to.

"No....no....no!" He shouted out as the knife blade was withdrawn.

"A man called Kane taught me that trick." Said Brie sweetly.

Roth wearily turned back to the rooftop. Tyrese was standing, wielding the sword of Theseus that Willis had found and tying up the survivors with a long rope.

"I trusted you! I spoke up for you! But they were right....you really were always just evil....weren't you?" Said Hobert miserably.

Tyrese looked down at him sadly.

"I'll make sure you get a better chance next time. It's the least I can do."

"The least you could do would be to untie us and let us have this time. We don't want a next time. We want right now."

Tyrese turned back to watch as Roth fell limply to the roof. Brie was hovering over him with the jetpack and concentrating.

"There's nothing left of right now. Just hold tight. It won't take long." He confirmed.

Roth disappeared in a flash of lightning but she'd managed to get what she needed in the brief second he was down. His essence would be enough. She could use what he had and turn it. She was really going to do this! Her head was giddy with excitement. She flew up to the bright red ball of energy in the sky and raised her hands.

No mistakes this time. She would fix everything. She would make it all better.

"None of it will matter anymore. You're so close..."

Brie could feel it. It wouldn't be long until it was done. It could all go back. She'd do it all better this time. She wouldn't screw it up again! She couldn't.

Beneath her, the prisoners were struggling. Tyrese occasionally batted the sword towards them in a semi-threatening gesture.

"We all know you won't use it so you can stop pretending." Said Boone scolding.

He scowled at them but he knew Boone was right.

"One thing you can do for me since you are trying to make everything better apparently. Can you remove your sweatband from my head? The thought of wearing it is making meeeEee feel quite sick."

Tyrese lowered his head and then walked over, pulling it from Boone's head. He looked down at it and then flung it away angrily.

The energy in the sky was growing more and more unstable. Brie used the jetpack to lower herself to the tower roof carefully. She could feel it. The more she did this, the more Pandora connected with her. It was like she was becoming a part of it.

She felt so powerful. She had never had anything like this in her whole life. Even Parker's ability was nothing compared to this raw power.

A bolt of energy struck her directly in the chest and she smiled as it overloaded her senses. Another bolt came down and danced across the rooftop. It blasted into the backpacks that were resting besides the captive survivors. Tyrese looked at it absent-mindedly. He wanted to be anywhere but here right now. Soon though, right?

"Soon."

Every second he found himself doubting it. What if there were no do overs? What if this was it? He couldn't...that couldn't happen.

"There are. You must trust."

Rita's pack flung open from the impact of the blast and the strange amulet clattered onto the floor. It was glowing.

"Where did you get that?" Asked Peter curiously.

"Helm found it on Maria's body. It must be the one she was looking for."

It was glowing faster and faster at this point. It rocked back and forth across the rooftop a little. Tyrese was watching it closely but not moving to stop it. He didn't want to be involved anymore.

"In a moment she will need your help. You must help her."

The amulet hovered into the air as a red light emanated from its surface. It was forming a shape.

"Don't forget." Came a voice on the wind.

The shape of a glowing girl appeared beneath the amulet. The energy emitted was quite mesmerising. It was unlike anything else they'd ever seen.

"Is that?" Boone asked.

The girl turned towards Brie and concentrated. Then she dived. The rooftop shook with the impact as Brie recoiled in shock from the attack. She turned to face her attacker.

It didn't matter. She was powerful now. She could do anything. She could make it all go away. She could make this go away. Brie concentrated on the energy of Pandora in the sky which was growing increasingly less stable. Then she turned with her hands upraised towards the glowing girl and swung.

A blast of Pandora's energy emanated from her fingertips, sending the girl recoiling backwards. She retaliated by channeling the energy from the amulet. The two powers locked together in a spectacular stalemate.

"Aren't you going to help your friend?" Peter asked bitterly to Tyrese. He was sat on the edge of the tower, sweating profusely.

"She needs your help Tyrese. Do it! Do it before it's too late."

But what if you're wrong. What if this is wrong?

"Tyrese...."

That voice was all too familiar. It was straight out of his dreams. It was Sarah. But how?

"Tyrese you have to trust me....you need to do it. It's the only way we can be together again."

Sarah....

A bolt of energy whizzed past his head but that wasn't enough to break his concentration. The two figures were encircling each other once again, waiting for a second chance to strike.

"Do it Tyrese! Take the sword and do it! Attack the girl and we can be together at last!"

Sarah...

She...

She would never ask him to do anything like that.

It wasn't true was it? It was all just a lie. There was no undo. There was no do over. It was all just a trick. Everything had to stand....

Everything.

"There's no taking it back. The past does matter. All of it matters."

Tyrese marched across the rooftop to Brie's position.

"What are you doing?!" Brie shrieked as the sword arced up in the air.

She felt the full force of it plunge straight into her back.

"You're wrong. But you're lucky. You won't have to live with it."

Brie felt the power leaving her body. The energy girl disappeared in a bright flash in front of her as her own energy faded.

She couldn't have been wrong...nothing felt more right. Gabriel had hand-picked her. Everything had fallen so perfectly into place. It all made so much sense. The mission was meant to fail because she was meant to take it over. It was all set up for her wasn't it?

She just...she just wanted to make things right...

She teetered backwards.

Like everything...it was ruined....forever...

The last thing Brie Halloway saw was the beautiful red light as she fell backwards from the roof of the tower. It was everything she could never have been.

Slowly, Tyrese backed away from the edge and walked over to the group tied up, releasing them with the sword. Peter responded by punching him in the face.

"He saved us!" Hobert protested.

"Unfortunately no. Because now weeeeEee have no way to shut off Pandora. Any more bright ideas?"

Tyrese rubbed the blood from his lip and looked up. There really was no going back was there?

"Maybe I can help!" Came a strangely familiar voice from the other side of the roof. The five figures turned to look and Boone shrieked out in horror.

Willis grinned at the group. His voice was no longer two tone. Only the higher tone remained. He seemed very pleased with himself.

"I don't....understand...." Said Rita with exhaustion.

"It's really easy. Even Bear's retarded family should be able to figure it out. I can tell you if you want but I dunno. I kind of just want to end things."

He paused in thought for a second.

"Nah I'll tell you. It's more fun. It really took quite a lot of work."

"You are not Willis...." Said Boone.

"Right! Willis was a bitch. He came into my head and tried to take over. Can you believe that? It was really hard to fight him off but I managed it in the end. Not completely though. That's what I meant when I said I wanted to be whole again."

He looked at their faces and laughed.

"What, did you think that was him talking? Nah. He hasn't had much power over me for ages. He actually tried to stop me from opening Pandora. Said it was crazy. He's been slowing me down. Every time I blasted that thing he held back some of the energy."

"So we set things up just enough...just enough that you'd really struggle but I actually wanted you to come up here. He was fighting me the whole time and really pissed off because he couldn't get anywhere. Finally you all came to do your little exorcism and it was just too perfect. You got rid of him! Finally I can be me again without him stopping me!"

"He even left me a little something!"

The butcher grinned as he raised one of his hands. A blast of electrical energy shot out and coursed through Tyrese's body. He yelled out in agony, dropping the sword. Like a flash, the butcher rushed over and grabbed it. He smiled down at the hapless group. They were really out of options now.

Then came the maniacal screaming. The butcher turned his head and looked on as Bear ran towards him with another sword. This just made the butcher grin more.

"Come back for round two? Good. Killing you was too much fun last time."

"Bear!" Rita shrieked.

The butcher swung his sword forth and sliced at Bear's advances. The two of them were locked together.

"I've been waiting for this to happen! I knew it would!" Bear shrieked.

"You didn't know shit, Bear. And I'm about to kill you all over again. Did I ever tell you, you died like a bitch?"

This set his blood boiling and he charged more frantically.

"Don't listen to him bear! Fight your upbringing. Don't get irrational. You always were the smartest son."

He ignored her and Rita shook her head.

"Is there anything we can do?" Asked Peter emphatically.

Rita looked around awkwardly.

"There might be....one last thing....but...."

They looked at her.

"It's kind of a last resort thing...."

Boone scratched his chin.

"I would call this the last possible second, personally."

Rita nodded.

"You're gonna want to hold on to something." She warned.

Rita concentrated. This was going to be hard but she was given very specific instructions. She didn't know what the consequences of this were and truth be told, it scared the hell out of her.

She hadn't wanted to tell the group just in case somebody misused it. But the fact was, it was now or never.

"Here goes..." She said wearily.

She shut her eyes and begin to speak in the deepest voice she could muster.

"c.̳̯͇͔ͅ.̺̤͖.̬̙̻͕̪o͝m̼͈e̞̣̣̬͓ f̘̰̣͎͍̪o̲͎ͅr̶̺̲̲̞͖̹t͕̲̝̪͕h̟ t̙̼̲̰͍o͈̗͚ u̬̠̣̞̯͟s͈"

Hobert, Peter and Boone stared on in disbelief.

"What was that?!" Hobert shouted. Tyrese looked up. It was becoming hard to focus.

"Just grab hold of something!" Rita shouted as the tower began to shake.

Both the Butcher and Bear stopped what they were doing as they tried to steady themselves. Something enormous was coming and it was causing the whole tower to rock back and forth. Boone scrambled to the edge, took one look down and shrieked above the crashing sounds.

What came up from below was very hard to describe. It was like what might happen if a squid, a fungus and Godzilla were interbred with one another. It was all tentacles and gigantic eyes...at least they looked like eyes. It was very hard to tell. The Butcher considered his options as the beast rose around the tower. Bear decided the best option was to flee. He dashed towards the stairwell just in time to be tripped over by a rogue tentacle.

He looked up with a scream as another one shot straight through his forehead. It crawled around his body and constricted him tightly.

The tentacle hoisted itself up with Bear attached in front of the group and for a moment, the tower stopped shaking.

"Would somebody mind explaining...." Said Peter weakly.

"DO NOT SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, MORTAL. FOR IT IS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION." The words came out of Bear's mouth in a horribly deep drawl.

"Okay then!" Said Peter throwing his hands up in the air.

"Urk? Is that....is that really you?" Asked Rita nervously.

"URK. THIS IS A MORTAL NAME. IT IS A NAME WE MAY HAVE USED AT ONE POINT. IT IS NOT A TRUE NAME. NAMES ARE A CONCEPT WE HAVE NO VALUE OR NEED FOR. WE ARE NOT A THING THAT CAN BE NAMED. YOU COULD TRY TO BUT THERE DO NOT EXIST ENOUGH OF YOUR MORTAL YEARS TO NAME US TRULY."

"Didn't he die?!" Asked Hobert, a few steps behind everybody else.

"DEATH IS A CONCEPT WE HAVE NO VALUE OR NEED FOR. MORTAL CONCEPTS DO NOT EXIST IN OUR REALM. WE HAVE SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND THEM BUT IT IS A TRIVIAL PROCESS. THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN SPECKS ON THE FABRIC OF REALITY. THEY ARE INFERIOR AND HAVE NO VALUE."

"I liked you much better before...." Said Rita, looking very afraid.

"BEFORE IS AS AFTER TO US. TIME HAS NO ORDER. ONLY MORTALS DEEM IT TO BE AS SUCH. DO NOT SPEAK OF SUCH MATTERS MORTAL."

Rita opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again.

"So...are you going to help us? You told me to say the words and..."

"YOU SPEAK IN MORTAL TERMS STILL. WE ARE NOT SERVANTS. WE DO NOT SERVE. WE OBSERVE AND WE PARTAKE ONLY AS IT PLEASE US. HOWEVER A BOND WAS AGREED. YOU ASSISTED US. YOU CALLED US FORTH AND OUR STRENGTH GROWS WITH EACH CALLING. YOU ALLOWED US TO TAKE A STEP TOWARD OUR GOAL. IT IS RARE FOR A MORTAL TO ACHIEVE THIS. WE MAY DECIDE TO ASSIST. WE WILL SEE."

The Butcher took this moment to glance up at the surface of Pandora. It would only take a second. He took a deep breath and then concentrated.

In a flash of energy he vanished and re-appeared right next to the surface. It was time.

"Urk please! He's gonna open Pandora! It'll destroy the universe!"

"THE UNIVERSE IS A CONCEPT WE HAVE..."

"We get it!" Peter scowled.

"MORTAL, FOR INTERRUPTING US, OTHER ENTITIES HAVE SPENT SEVEN ETERNITIES CRUSHED BENEATH THE WEIGHT OF A MILLION STARS. BE GLAD THAT THE BOND EXISTS. IT IS TOO LATE TO STOP WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN STARTED. THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS OFFER PASSAGE AWAY."

"It can't be too late!" Wailed Hobert.

"THE END HAS ALREADY BEGUN. IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE YOUR MORTAL LIVES YOU WILL ENTER THE PORTAL."

A tentacle struck forth and a portal appeared in front of their eyes. It was just like all of the others they'd seen.

"WE MUST LEAVE NOW. THE BOND HAS BEEN NULLIFIED. THE CONTRACT IS AT AN END."

"Urk....did all of it really mean nothing to you?" Said Rita sadly.

"MEANING IS A CONCEPT WE HAVE NO VALUE OR NEED FOR."

Peter and Hobert climbed into the portal with Rita leading right behind. The tower began to collapse around them as they went. Up above the glowing ball of energy was reaching critical mass.

"MORTAL!"

Boone turned to look at the monstrosity.

"...TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILD...FOR US...."

They felt as if they were floating above the landscape. What looked like the ancient Greek Labyrinth was stood below them. All five of them had made it through, even Tyrese who was very badly injured. The world beneath was turning into chaos. The Labyrinth was collapsing and the red energy in the sky was bursting forth.

"WeeeEee lost...." Muttered Boone.

The Butcher was grinning as he sent a sudden burst of energy into the clouds. They turned red as the energy ball rumbled.

"It's gonna blow up." Said Rita sadly. All they'd fought for ended here.

"MaybeeEee our new world...will be okay...."

"Not with that bastard in charge." Said Peter lowering his head.

The energy ball expanded slowly, but the expansion was growing faster and faster. The Butcher scowled at it as he tried to move away from the edge but it was too much. In a sudden blinding flash, it burst forth and caught him. Mysterious tentacles of light wrapped around his abdomen and dragged him inside. All the while this was going on, he was grinning. He let out a maniacal laugh as it completely swallowed him with little more than an after-thought.

"You need to leave..."

The voice came in from above. Was that...Roth?

"We thought you were dead?!" Said Hobert, now giving up any last hope of understanding.

"I am...kind of. I always was. There's no time to get into that. You have to leave this place at once or you'll be no more. You won't even exist in limbo anymore. If this place consumes you, you won't exist in any time period."

Two portals appeared in front of them.

"Is it over...?" Asked Rita. "Is Pandora going to open."

"It is. But it's not going to be what we all thought. You'll see in a moment. But there isn't much time. This place is collapsing."

"Where are we?" Asked Boone thoughtfully.

"You're on the edge of the time bubble. The one that the Labyrinth was inside. Once Pandora bursts forth the paradox will try and correct itself by removing anything that doesn't belong. You each need to take a portal. The one to the right goes to the past...the one to the left goes to the future."

Rita and Boone turned to Peter.

"I guess this is goodbye then..."

He smiled.

"I guess so. I'll miss you guys."

"I'll miss you too! I'm going back with Peter!" Said Hobert excitedly.

Peter kneeled down.

"Hobert...you can't come back with me. You don't belong where I'm from. Your home is back there."

"But I can fit in!" He protested. "I can have lots more great adventures with you!"

Peter shook his head.

"I'm sorry buddy."

Hobert felt tears well up in his eyes.

"Does that mean...this is goodbye forever?"

He stood up and nodded.

"You'll always have the memories of our adventure to look back on. But part of being a hero is knowing how to let go. You need to let go now and go home with Rita and Boone."

Hobert looked down at his feet and then nodded sternly.

"I will do. I'll be a great hero!"

"Goodbye Peter. It was nice to have met yoooOuu briefly."

Peter shook his paw.

"I think it's happening..." Said Rita, looking off into the distance.

Over in the distance, the red ball in the sky was growing more and more intense. Chunks of stone from the Labyrinth were flying up into it. Rita could just make out a large stone trident as it was sucked into the growing vortex. It blasted forth once again and grew to consume the clouds around it. The lake and the mountains were rumbling away. Red lightning blasted down alongside purple sparks with each iteration.

The five survivors looked up at the chaos in awe. There was nothing else quite like it.

"Don't look directly...." Warned Roth from somewhere up above.

They heeded the warning and looked away as a distant rumble increased in volume and frequency. The red ball grew ever larger and with a tremendous roar, it tore into pieces. The entire sky filled with bright red light. None of them witnessed it. If they had, it would've blinded them instantly.

Then there was silence. It was quickly broken by a shrieking sound. It was a horrible noise. It sounded like a suffering baby, only it was magnified to a tremendous volume and it was followed in harmony by a variety of other shrieks in different tones.

Boone opened his eyes and saw it.

It looked like a child but there was something fundamentally wrong with it. It was floating in a void of darkness and it was completely red. Occasionally a purple spark danced down its body. It looked over at them with deep black eyes that seemed to suck away all of the light. Its skin was completely smooth, without any blemishes and there was something wrong with the face. There were no ears....for one thing.

It looked over at them and let out another of the awful shrieks.

"You need to leave now." Roth warned.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Rita demanded.

"That...." Said Roth and then thought better of it.

"That is not your problem. You've done everything you can. The best thing you can do now is leave. It's over."

"Did weeEeee win?" Asked Boone, confusedly.

"Not exactly." Said Roth "But...that's all relative anyway. You really need to go right now."

Peter didn't hesitate. He headed straight to the portal. Boone scuttled after him.

"Wait! Please take this and read it when you get back! It is important."

Peter grabbed the piece of paper Boone was offering and put it away. He nodded and waved.

"So long guys. See you another time...maybe..."

He stepped into the portal which disappeared in a flash.

"Now it is our turn." Said Boone.

There was a groaning behind them as Tyrese lay on the ground.

"What do we do about him?" Boone asked.

"We can't just leave him..." Said Hobert.

"Please...." Tyrese started. "Please just go. This is where I need to be. There's no place for me in this world...not after what happened. I'm done."

Boone looked over at Rita and the two of them dashed across, dragging his body to the portal.

"That would be the easy way out. You get to die properly like everybody else."

Tyrese nodded. "Deal..." He said weakly.

Boone opened his eyes. They were stood in the wilderness outside Willis' fortress. It was their own time. He looked up at the dark clouds above the red sky and the dusty wasteland around him.

"Home sweet home." Said Rita miserably.

"Are we meant to be out here?!" Asked Hobert frantically. The nuclear strikes had left everywhere quite inhospitable.

"It's okay. You're protected. It'll last just long enough for you to go back down into the caverns."

Roth was stood behind them, in the flesh so to speak.

"Can you tell us more about the light baby now?" Asked Hobert.

Roth looked up into the sky.

"Did you ever hear the ancient legend of Pandora's box? How it contained all the evils of the world?"

Boone nodded.

"And last came Hopee."

"That's right. Well...those legends weren't far wrong. Some information always gets lost in context but...still."

Boone scratched his chin again.

"So...why is the world still here?"

Roth sighed.

"I'm afraid I don't understand that part myself. They told me for certain that it would destroy the world. My only guess is that it was trapped inside the time bubble that you escaped from."

"Can it ever break out?"

"I wish I knew. In any case it isn't your problem. You've done very well. Willis is no more."

Roth looked up at the red sky overhead.

"I'm afraid to say that there never was a quick undo button. All of it mattered. Everything. And all of it will stay mattered. I'm sure that the world will recover in time but it will take hard work. There are no easy ways out."

He looked down at Tyrese's body. The life had drained out of him completely.

"Some people will always try to find one but it can't be helped. The only way forward is through hard work and sacrifice. The journey is over but now comes the rest of your lives. I wish it could be taken back but...."

Boone nodded.

"I understand. I will do whatever I can. My first priority it to tend to my chiiIlld."

"Where will you go Mr. Roth?" Asked Hobert.

He looked back up into the sky.

"Back to Paradiso if they still want me. Otherwise my time might be done. It's very hard to guess what they're going to want from one moment to another. Still...I get the feeling they might need me...."

He thought back to the opening of Pandora with a shudder. He didn't need to understand it for it to chill him to the core.

"I hope we don't need to meet again. I would like for you to enjoy the rest of your lives. Make the most of them. They're very fleeting."

Thunder rumbled and Roth disappeared in a flash of lightning once more.

The three figures looked over at the horizon.

"It's finally over...." Said Rita, lost in thought.

It really was subjective. They had won but...

"We should bury Tyrese..." Hobert suggested. Boone nodded and picked up a nearby slab to start digging.

"Rita....can I come back with you?" Hobert asked. "It's just...I have nowhere really to go."

She smiled.

"Of course! I come from a place called the Bito isles!"

Hobert's face lit up.

"Oooh! What's it like there?"

Rita frowned.

"It's...."

She shrugged. Genes were hard to fight sometimes.

"Schmitolicious."

Talion Varko
A Prisoner
Portrayed By: Dutchiee
Died Phase 4
Modkilled by Request.
























Erebos/Luminious
A Prisoner
Portrayed By: mikeyCP
Died Phase 11
Blown apart by the "Hot Potato."
























Rhea L.
The Tracker
Portrayed By: Vespis
Died Phase 22
Wounded by a water jet in a trapped room.
Killed by the Dusk Vanguard.

























Emperor Fong
The Dark Messenger
Portrayed By: Vernon
Died Phase 30
First life claimed by losing the Stairs Challenge.
Lynched by Stonehard Lee's group for treason.
























Kane Lockwood
The Soldier
Portrayed By: Paco
Died Phase 29
Lynched by Ezra, Parker, and Emperor Fong during their mutiny.
Revived Phase 30
Courtesy of Mark rewinding time.
Died Phase 39
Succumbed to poison while adventuring alone.
























Arimnestos from Platea
The Pegasus
Portrayed By: Teme
Died Phase 43
Killed by Balagor during Red Room gladiator fight.

Balagor Ironfist
The Messenger
Portrayed By: Maxi
Died Phase 44
Froze to death in a trapped room.

Angela Harken
The Empath
Portrayed By: skyferrerorocher (Nofo)
Died Phase 44
Killed by Brittany with the silenced pistol.

General Mikhail Chuikov
The Gaoler/The Kidnapper
Portrayed By: Ari
Died Phase 61
Last to move during the Falling Rock challenge.

Airlea
The Oracle
Portrayed By: Natalie
Died Phase 64
Killed by Brie wielding the Knife.

Brittany
The Treasure Hunter
Portrayed By: izzahbelif (Skylar)
Injured Phase 22
Wounded by Mark's choice in a Red Room
Healed Phase 22
Healed by Sophia, the Medic.
Died Phase 65
Killed by the Dusk Vanguard

Marek
The Lie Detector
Portrayed By: Budd
Injured Phase 66
Wounded by an arrow shot by Brie.
Died Phase 67
Killed by a second arrow shot by Brie.

Urk
The Ward
Portrayed By: Korruptor
Died Phase 'The End'
Incinerated by Magic Fire in a trapped room.

Archangel Andrael
The Psychologist
Portrayed By: Jeff
Died Phase 'The End'
Killed by the Dusk Vanguard.

Walton Cotton
The Faith Healer
Portrayed By: Kim
Injured Phase 63
Wounded by a swinging mace in a trapped room.
Infected Phase 69
Inflicted with poison in a trapped room.
Nearly Died Phase 72
Lost his additional life to the poison.
Died Phase 'The End'
Killed by a wild boar in a trapped room.

Kristoff
The Archaeologist
Portrayed By: Kiwi
Died Phase 64
Killed by Mark in the First to Fire challenge.
Revived Phase 'The End'
By Tyrese speaking his name in the Revival Chamber.
Died Phase 'The End'
Crushed to death by the Atlas ceiling trap.