Shapeshifter's Underground (Somewhere under London)

(( go right ahead. CC:

heading off to bed for now, though. Ill be back, though, as always. ))

"Ged, you really must inform your subjugates to be more alert. It was pathetically easy getting back here again. I didn't even have to use my eyes." Out from behind them stepped Enzo, clearly his feud with the nightmare king had not abated even a day.

"It seems observing Cynder from afar was worthwhile after all..."

Ged nearly jumped out of his shoes when he heard Enzo's voice, gaze snapping upwards.

He couldn't have said he was glad to see his... old friend. In fact, he was quite wary of the situation.

Anger bubbled quietly inside of him as the man spoke.

"..... Boniface... I wasn't aware you were... visiting..."


With Enzo nearby, it seemed Cynder tossed and muttered in her sleep even more, the nightmares growing harsher just by Pitch's spite for Enzo.

Joachim turned to the newcomer, "Who the hell is this guy?"

Enzo however stepped forward confidently, "I don't have time to explain to rabble. For now, Ged you see as I do he holds no hope of redemption. For now, assist me in destroying him. I'm confident I can free Cynder in exchange."

The older shapeshifter was obviously put off by this statement, though a temptation was beginning to seed within him.

"It is not what Cynder would want. If she believes in the Dark man, than I will, too."

"You trust something so critical to a child? You have grown into a fool..."

Above anything, Joachim wanted only one thing:

To make Pitch pay.

"A child?"
Ged felt his anger fuel into a blazing heat.


"My niece is more of an adult than you are in this situation, Enzo. She sees a redeemable man, and even though she's being harmed, she does nothing to hurt him! This isn't about revenge for her!"

Joachim looked between the two men for a few seconds. Ged had been a father to him, and cynda like another sister. He had come to love the both of them.

 and then fixed his gaze on Pitch and he took astep toward Enzo, "lets take this sunova bitch down!"

The Nightmare King that tormented the young woman within her dreams was most likely laughing.


Ged, however, was not.

His entire posture changed, shoulders limping, eyes widening, anger melting off of his face.
Was Joa.... siding with Enzo?


"Joachim....--"

"It's like I said Ged, I always let folk down..." He looked at him sorrowfully while looking an Enzo, "back me up."

Enzo relished having a new ally, "at last someone with sense. Ill keep a stream of good luck on you..."

He gazed at the young shapeshifter as he turned into a chimera and lunged at pitch

Pitch had not expected such retaliation so quickly.
Unprepared and unexpecting, he was knocked down by the large Chimera, black robes tripping himself, eyes wide with sudden fear.
His own fear.


Cynder twisted in her sleep, his hold on her dreams slacking at least in the slightest.



Ged was torn. His eyes shot accusingly toward Enzo before turning back to glance at Joa.
What could he do?
His scar glowed a light blue, preparing to change him to his true form.

"Joa... Joa, don't do this..."

Joachim raised his claws and started to swipe at pitches face, keeping the face of Cynder burning in his mind as he travelled down a path oddly devoid of selfishness.

Enzo kept his focused on Joachim, "who knew you had such a minion in your arsenal my old friend."

The Nightmare King was as susceptible to Injury as any mortal, despite the fact he could not die.
Nasty wounds created by massive claws raked down his face, spattering blood over his grey skin. He squirmed, widly, trying to get away.


Ged felt the heat of his anger grow even more, and he lashed out to Enzo now.
"Don't you /dare/ look at him, Enzo! If you're using your damnable eyes to change him....! I promise you, I will not hesitate to tear them out!"

A pause, his expression darkened.
"And he is no minion. That is my.... son."

"My eyes can do many things, old friend, but sway allegiance is not one of them. Just. Stay back, his end is near.." He watched pitch's suffering with blood lust in his eyes

Joachim continued his onslaught against the demon.

Ged felt helpless. He didn't want this to happen, especially not in his own home, but he couldn't just attack Joachim, either!

Pitch was fighting as best he could, now. His frail body was shaking, eyes wild with madness and terror.
The Nightmare King was suffering badly. But he could not give up. Fear always existed, and thus its embodiment would live, too.

Yet it was clear that he was growing weaker.
After a particular burst of mad flailing and choked snarls of pain, he limped, taking the blows with a quiet sort of submission.



That was when Cynder stirred, eyes opening in the slightest.

".... J....o..a..?"

The boy beast paused as he heard cinders voice, as Enzo yelled to him, "what are you doing you fool?! Annihilate him!"

Cynder seemed to be waking from her nightmares, at last.
Ged rushed to her side, his eyes looking hurt, angry, scared.....

But the girl only had one person on her mind at the moment.
All that fuss, the yelling, the fear....
What was happening?

"Joachim...?"

He looked between his fallen prey and her and shifted back into human form as he went over to her.

Enzo rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Am I the only competent one left?"

He stepped forward toward Pitch, "And now... DIE..."

Cynder's hands were shaking, tears collecting in her eyes as she watched Joa.

"J-Joachim... I... m-my nightmares... I--"



Pitch, however, wasn't so teary-eyed as he was calmly scared.
His eyes were wide, his lips pulled back in a grimace as he forced his bloodied and shaking body to sit up, to scramble back and away from Enzo.

"Now, Now, Boniface... Easy, Easy! You can't blame me for trying! You don't know what it's like...! To be weak... and... and hated!"

"Hey hey... it's all good, take a breather..." Joachim held Cynder like an older brother after a bad dream.

"You're only right about one of those. I have never known weakness and I won't start now." He pointed his wand at him, ready to lay the killing blow. At last his disciple would be able to rest in peace, and one more threat would be eliminated.

Cynder clutched to Joa, her eyes wide, terrified, trying to catch her breath from the bad dream.
And though she might've stayed like that for longer, it was only until she saw Enzo pointing his wand to the Dark being that she snapped to reality.

With a shrill cry, she struggled out of Joa's grasp, stumbling toward Pitch, to block Boniface's way.

"N-no.... n-no.."

"You idiot girl, stay out of my way."

The tears were flowing freely, though Cynder stared firmly up at Enzo.

Pitch seemed shocked, and for once he wasn't smug. He seemed... relieved, grateful... and almost gentle, affectionate.

The girl's voice was firm as she spoke, her brown eyes glimmering.

"No, Enzo...."

"I don't recall asking." He raised his hand back as though to struck her against the face.

When Joachim saw that, he tackled the deity-wannabe into the ground and started to attack him street style.

The girl winced visibly when Boniface moved to slap her, though the contact never came.

Watching in shock and gratefulness as Joachim began beating upon the old man, Cynder couldn't help but feel thankful.
Joachim.... he really was a good young man.

Turning to treat Pitch, the girl fussed over the Nightmare King, who'd gone limp, trying to catch his strength, staining the floor with his blood.


Ged was not so concerned with wither Enzo nor Pitch, nor even Cynder.

He darted forward to gently take Joachim's shoulders, pull him away from the evil-eye user, try and calm him.
"Joa, my boy, calm... there... there is no need for any more of this fighting."