Underground

Story
John is running through the caves, going down several tunnels, sometimes going back through the same room as before. He stops for a second, trying to track Rook’s location. He fails, then runs down another path.

John: ''Promethium. This thing must be the strongest thing in the galaxy. But to think, Phantom caused all of this. But everything that Paradox said, it all makes sense. I wouldn’t have understood half of that without that trip to Greece. Now, why can’t I find Rook?!''

John transforms into Wildmutt, and starts sniffing the ground, looking for his scent. He is confused when he doesn’t find his scent, but then smells a familiar scent, and runs down a tunnel. End Scene

Rook punches a dracaena, it breaking into golden dust. Rook is surrounded, and Leo is surrounded as well, separate from Rook. The dracaena charge Rook, thrusting their blades at Rook. Rook dodges with ease, going onto his hands and spinning, kicking the group away. One slashes at Rook and he raises his arm, the sword bouncing off his armor. He stabs it with his fingers in the eyes, and it recoils back. He kicks it, destroying it. Leo swipes his paws, tearing through the dracaena. Leo then bites into one, destroying it with ease. Ssserpent is watching, more dracaena appearing and attacking them.

Ssserpent: Now, to kill the ssservant. (Ssserpent slithers his way into the circle of dracaena. Rook is busy fighting the dracaena, and doesn’t notice Sserpent appear. He thrusts his blade at Rook, which hits something invisible, bouncing off it.) What? (Then, Espionage appears, wielding Rustic, and hits Ssserpent with a mana blast. Rook turns, seeing him.)

Rook: You took your time.

Espionage: Paradox sure had a lot to say. I’ll hold off Ssserpent. Get rid of these things already.

Espionage charges his blade with mana, swinging it and releasing several mana shuriken. Ssserpent raises his sword and blocks the attacks, as Espionage turns invisible. Ssserpent curls up, and parries a sword strike at him. Ssserpent spits acid, Espionage being hit, his body becoming visible. Espionage screams, but raises his hand, and a gust of green wind blows the acid off of him. Ssserpent thrusts his blade at him, and Espionage parries it.

Rook blocks several more attacks, destroying dracaenas in the process. Then, a sword strikes him in the hip, and oil starts to pour out of it. Espionage notices this.

Espionage: Oil? That’s it! Rook, get on Leo! (Espionage raises his hand, and creates a mana vortex, catching Ssserpent and blowing him away.)

Rook makes his way over to Leo, getting on it. Espionage makes his way over, putting Rustic away. He then transforms into Upgrade, and merges with Rook and Leo. Upgrade grows plasma spikes on Rook and Leo, and Leo charges through, his body easily destroying the dracaena. Rook’s arms then turn into gatling guns, firing plasma lasers at the dracaena. Upgrade extends the spikes, stabbing through several dracaena. They make it to a cave entrance, when Leo turns around, and opens its mouth, firing a large, powerful plasma laser, destroying the remainder of the dracaena. Leo then runs off. End Scene

They arrive at a large opening, seeing sunlight shining down from above. Upgrade gets off of Rook and Leo, and reverts. Leo roars at the sky, panting happily.

Rook: Ah! It’s been a while since I’ve seen sunlight.

John: What happened to you? You’re, you’re an automaton.

Rook: Yes. I, (They hear a hissing, when Ssserpent and more dracaenas appear, having them cornered.) I am getting tired of this guy.

Ssserpent: John Sssmith. I am here to kill you. I challenge you, one-on-one.

John: You really think you can beat me, Ssserpent? I’ll take you down.

Rook: Wait. (Rook steps forward.) I will fight you.

Ssserpent: The ssservant? I am not here for you. (Rook pulls out his old collapsable lance, rusted with age.)

Rook: Make time. You aren’t getting to John without getting through me. Leo, stay. (Leo whimpers like a dog, but stands down. John goes over to it, petting it.)

Rook charges forward, thrusting his lance at Ssserpent. Ssserpent blocks it with his sword, and spits acid at Rook. Rook jumps back, but his leg is hit, the armor slightly melting. Ssserpent then slithers in quickly, slashing at Rook. Rook raises his lance, the shaft countering the blow. Rook spins the lance, the butt end hitting Ssserpent in the head. Ssserpent is knocked back, slightly dazed. Rook thrusts at him, and Ssserpent sheds his skin, the loose skin getting caught on the lance. Ssserpent charges in to stab Rook, when Rook spins the lance, the skin wrapping around Ssserpent’s sword, knocking it out of his hand. Rook then spin kicks Ssserpent, sending him flying into a wall. Ssserpent was out cold.

Rook: Fire! (Leo stands up, and opens its mouth, firing its laser at the dracaenas, destroying them. Rook goes over and pets Leo.) Good boy.

John: You’ve gotten stronger. (John fires mana, trapping Ssserpent in a mana sphere.) Now, what happened to you after I left?

Rook: I wandered Greece, once again as an outcast. I soon got tired of everything, and sought out Daedalus and the labyrinth. He took me as his apprentice, and we found a way to turn our bodies into automatons. We got caught by Roman soldiers and Daedalus was killed, and I was alone again. Then, Paradox found me, saying that he needed help. We’ve been keeping Gaia down ever since.

John: Well, I need to get back to the surface. (He creates a mana platform, getting on it with Ssserpent.) You coming?

Rook: I cannot. I am still needed down here. When you succeed in stopping the threat on Olympus, I will still be needed down here to stop Gaia.

John: You don’t want to return to the light?

Rook: You belong in the light. I have always been in the shadows, and shall remain here.

John: Alright. Take care, man. (The mana platform raises into the air, going up the fissure. Leo releases an upset moan, as Rook pets him.)

Rook: There, there. If nothing else, I’ll make sure that you’ll see him again. (Leo roars happily.)

Characters

 * John Spacewalker
 * Rook
 * Leo the Automaton

Villains

 * Ssserpent
 * Dracaenaes

Aliens

 * Wildmutt
 * Espionage
 * Upgrade

Trivia

 * It's revealed that Rook is now has an Automaton body.
 * Due to his automaton body, Rook has no mana signature and his scent has changed. That is why John was unable to track him, with mana or as Wildmutt.
 * Rook chooses to stay below the surface.