The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Brawl!

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what are you doing here? I thought you said you were going to be off dealing with the third one of these guys?"

Not looking at the girl at the moment until she was fully dressed because he needed to keep an objective mindset for the time being. "To tell you the truth I was. I was under the impression that the leader of the group would be here while his two staff members would be with you. There was a change of plans at the last minute however. Seems Nin (the molerat guy) has started to completely lose the plot when it comes to self control. He already fucked up a major operation a few weeks back that drew my attention to this little group to begin with. Let's just say that a woman was involved and it didn't end well."

Turning his gaze to Tai, Senshuken managed a small smile. "The benefit of this is that Gen (The leader of the group, you would remember him if you saw him, he dresses completely in white) went with Nin to ensure he didn't do anything stupid again. Of course, it was because of Gen that you were caught, since he used his powers of illusion to ensnare you, but it gave me the chance to meet Tai here. Tai is from Africa, belonging to a tribe there that are somewhat great admirers of my fathers and my work over the years. They even continued to respect my father long after he died. When I offered my friend here the chance to work for me, he was thrilled. Sadly, we have a small situation that needs to be taken care of and you are really not going to like it. "

Deciding to return his eyes to the front, he decided to get this next bit over with and bring the girl up to speed. " Gen and Nin are currently unloading the truck of the stuff they stole from the warehouse. They are currently waiting for a call from Tai to inform them that you are awake so that they could come here and have Nin rape you until you broke under the pain and answered whatever questions they may have had for you. After which, you would have become the newest test subject for their venom substitute and would have almost certainly gone completely insane before dying a really painful death. To make things even harder, they both violent sociopaths and they both know what you look like and would most likely be able to track you down later if they leave this place alive... "

The rest was left unsaid. He was personally waiting for the uproar.

"I hope you're not suggesting to me what I think you are? Well I guess well just have to make sure when we capture these guys that they don't get out of jail anytime soon, and seeing as how they're both criminally insane rapist, slash, murders I don't think that'll be much of an issue."

Senshuken sighed a little, well aware that this was the reaction he was planning on getting. Turning around at last, he was about to make a decent argument when his eyes managed to take in just what Liz looked like in the dress of one of his father's priestesses. It suited her really well, since the idea had been to let them be proud of what they wore while giving male worshipers something to fantasize about.

Shaking his head to force his jaw back up, Senshuken rallied rather quickly. " I'm afraid that their fate is sealed regardless of what you do. If we don't give them a relatively quick and painless death tonight, then they are just going to be tortured to death quite horribly by their former allies in prison once word of what they were doing here reaches Behemoth leadership. Not only were these experiments done without their consent or knowledge, but Gen is planing on using the final product to help him take over the gang before going on a rampage though the city. I don't know what the death toll would be, but it would be limited to the four digits range only if we were insanely lucky. The fact that ending them now benefits you by ensuring that the murderers don't learn who you or your family are is just a bonus. I'm not asking you to kill them. All I am asking is that you let me and Tai do it. Their blood is going to be spilled anyway and the people going to doing it are much crueler then us."

"No, you're not understanding me. I, WILL NOT, be an accomplice to murder. Whether that be legally, morally, or unknowingly. I cannot just let two people die when I know there was something I could've done to save them. Were going to capture these two and instead of taking them to Steel CIty's prison well take them to the Teen Titans or a maximum security prison or heck, if I have to somehow get hold of the JLA I'll do it; but no way am I going to let either of you kill anyone else."

Senshuken looked into Liz's eyes for a few seconds, holding her gaze for a few seconds before turning towards Tai, the subject seemingly dropped for the time being. "Tai, did you manage to get what I asked for?"

The large apeman nodded silently before reaching into a small back pocket and removing a plastic sandwich bag that was almost completely filled up with a single large, somewhat bloody tooth. It looked like one that should belong to a mole like creature, only bigger. Tai gave the bag a small toss, the demon lord that was his clan's salvation catching it with ease. The late teenager turned his attention back to Spider Girl, seemingly not noticing the bag in his hand.

"If you were to attempt to go up against Gen as he is right now, you were be killed or worse due to his powers over illusions. Considering that you were unharmed when you were brought in, you were no doubt a victim of one of them. While it will take me out of the future battle, I do believe I can help you out. Tai here will be more then willing to follow your lead and assist you in taking Gen down, but he will leave the moment the battle's over to ensure that Nin and Gen are not missed in the slightest."

The apeman, who knew exactly what was about to happen, decided to take a few steps towards the human girl and placed a hand on her shoulder in a silent attempt to tell her he had her back in this. While the movement was friendly in nature, the fact that he had the strength and grip that would put most industrial machines to shame was clear.

Senshuken sighed a little at what he was about to do before putting the doubts aside and reaching into his one of his jackets hidden pockets, removing a fairly decent sized blade from it. Taking a moment to admire the blade, Senshuken nodded his head almost as if approving of the detail before holding out his left hand (The one holding the bag) and driving the blade completely through his wrist with barely a wince. The demon's disconnection from the body he was in, coupled with the fact that the body was already dead meant that he didn't feel the pain of a knife being driven into his arm. He could still feel it through.

Letting the blood pool just in front of him, he waited until he had enough before placing his foot in it like a printer dipping a paintbrush into a pot of paint and started the first stroke. It was a line, which broke off into another line, which in turn forced Senshuken to turn around in a circle to add a couple more lines, completing a crude squire made out of his blood. Dipping his foot back in the pool again, Senshuken repeated the earlier process, this time drawing a circle within the squire.

Once he was satisfied with the result, the demon lord poked a hole in the corner of the plastic bag before lifting it above his head and held the corner above his mouth, letting the few droplets of blood that were in the bag slide out and drop into his mouth before swallowing the copper tasting life giving liquor.

The change that came over Senshuken happened quite quickly. His skin changed color from a tanned white to a black as dark as the void itself, bone white markings appearing all over his body like his bones were coming to the surface. Even his hair, which was an ebony black color changed to match the markings on his skin.

Once the transformation was complete, Senshuken removed the knife from his left arm before turning the blade towards himself. Keeping single minded focus, the demon drove the steel into his lower body, damaging his own kidney before withdrawing the blade and ramming it into his liver. Shuddering at the phantom pain running through him, he managed to grip and remove the blade once more before lifting it to his throat and placing it against his jugular, slicing the vein. The sheer false pain that was trying to make itself felt was enough to force Senshuken to his knees.

His hand still on the hilt of his knife, he managed to hold out the dagger briefly before driving it into his heart. For a few seconds, nothing happened as Senshuken was deathly still. Then his body simply fell forwards, turning to ash before hitting the ground, raising a small ash cloud in his wake. In the end, all that remained of Senshuken was his ashes and the knife that seemed to have ended him, sitting in the dust that was once his body.

It was only once it was all over that Tai let go of Liz, nodding his head at her before saying "It's time to go."

"WAIT, what was all that about!? He just killed himself! Why would he do that!?!"

Unlike his temporary female ward, Tai was not distraught about what had just happened. In fact, he was in great awe of being able to witness the Ritual of Revenge. He had heard about it from the shaman of his tribe a few times, but never did he ever believe he would bare witness to it... and to see it performed by the hermit crab god of knowledge and motivation himself....

"We should consider ourselves greatly blessed young one. The last time Senshuken the hermit crab performed the Ritual of Revenge to ensure the freedom of my people was over two hundred years ago. He doesn't discard his shells for just anyone. If he was willing to sacrifice one so that you would have a better chance of keeping to your beliefs, he must truly care about you. Let us not waste this gift when we could be taking down Gen."

Without a further word, Tai carefully and respectfully walked around the ashes that had been the former shell of the Hermit Crab and opened the door, looking back at the girl in an 'Come on' manner.

"Ok, but I need my gadgets if this guy's as bad as you both say he is. Specifically my gauntlets and a pair of pants. Have any idea where they might be keeping my stuff big guy?"

Following after the girl, Tai knew his answer wasn't going to be welcomed. "Taking into account that Nin was the one that stripped you of your gear, it is either buried back at the warehouse they found you in or, if you are really unlucky, Nin tore it to shreds because he is completely insane. There is a chance that he kept some of your gadgets for himself. If that is the case, you can thank Senshuken for making it easy to get back."

Seeming to hear something that the girl couldn't he suddenly darted forwards and pushed her into a dark, empty room that served as a lab before making a shushing motion with his finger on his lips before closing the door. A few seconds after he closed the door, someone else entered the hallway. Through the door, the girl would hear the following.

" Gen, I was just coming to get yo... you look like you've seen a ghost. You alright?"

"No I am not alright! Something just killed Nin!!"

"Something? Dude if you killed that little piece of vermin, the only reason I would have to be upset is that you didn't call me to join in. You don't have to lie to me."

"It's not like that! We were just unloading the last of the crates from the truck when Nin suddenly bent over screaming in pain. By the time I got over there he seemed to have been stabbed a few times in the gut. I watched as something slit that bloody rats throat... only there was nothing there!!! I want answers and I'm willing to bet that red haired bitch has them! Is she awake yet?"

It was quite clear to anyone listening that Gen's voice was showing just how unstable the illusionist was, while Tai's voice remained calm and collected.

"She woke up less then a minute ago. I was just coming to get you when"

"Stop talking and come on damn it! I don't care if that bitch killed Nin or not. She's going to pay for robbing me of the pleasure!!!!"

After this final scream, there was the sound of footsteps leading back the way that Tai had come.

"His throat had been slit..."

Under normal circumstances, Gen would not have heard this. He prided himself on his abilities and skill to the point that he might suffer arrogant disillusions. However, being witness to a supernatural killing had destroyed his arrogance, replacing it with an unstable paranoia. He was on the verge of outright panic, glancing at shadows for foes that weren't there.

However, he had heard the words whispered above. By the time the assailant made their move, Gen had already made his counter attack. When his attacker dropped from the ceiling, the moment they touched 'him' they would fall right through. Exactly what would be waiting on the other side was a matter of debate.

Normally, Gen had complete control of his illusions by always being in control, but due to his instability he wasn't in control. He had intended for his attacker to land on a number of pikes. However, halfway through the picture changed to a series of bear traps. The two illusions battled for supremacy until the bear traps dropped on top of the spikes, setting off the traps and beheading the spikes, making both harmless.

The realization that his powers were out of control filled Gen with even more fear then before. The fact that the attacker was the girl they had captured didn't improve things.

" Tai! Kill that bitc... "

The rest of his sentence was cut off as a fist like a sledgehammer smashed into the back of his head, dropping him like a limp fish with a concussion. He wasn't moving, but he was still breathing. Tai glanced at the woman and nodded his head out of satisfaction for a job well done.

"Are you alright?"

"No I'm not alright. I've been lied to repeatedly, kidnapped, chained, nearly killed and all my stuff is missing. Oh, and I forgot to mention that none of this was even worth it because other than myself, you, and the butterfly here; everyone involved in this little matter is DEAD! I'm very very far from alright."

Despite the seemingly random outbreak of emotion, Tai had been expecting it for a while. In fact, Senshuken had told him to expect it before Gen and Nin had returned to the base with the girl. He had also been told what to say to her in order to, if not calm her down, at least understand the situation. Of course, he would have to change some of the wording because the night hadn't gone the way that Senshuken had planned it too, but Tai felt that the whole truth would be good for the girl.

" Forgive me for asking, but how did he betray you? My people have respected and sort the wisdom of the Lwa's Bhelen and Senshuken for over two thousand years. Not once have either spirit betrayed their word or broken a promise to anyone who didn't break it first. If you are upset that he appeared to have betrayed you by slaying the rodent against your beliefs, don't be. He truly did take you into consideration before he acted. " Reaching into his back pocket, Tai removed something that had been a part of the original plan for that night. It was a small veil filled with blood.

"This veil contains a small sample of Gen's blood. The original plan had been to kill both Nin and Gen at the same time and be done with them, However, when he heard you had been captured, he put off the plan until he could ensure that you were safe. In fact, the plan remained the same right up to the point you expressed the desire not to kill either Nin or Gen for what they had done. At which point the plan changed."

"As to why he killed Nin, it is a well known fact that Senshuken and Bhelen before him knew nothing but contempt for Slavers, Rapists and Child Molesters at the best of times. The fact that Nin has preformed and was going to perform some more horrific acts that contained aspects of all three doomed him from the start, but the fact that he was going to do such things to you was the final nail in the coffin. Even then, he was still considering you and your views when he did it. According to legend, he once took the blood of a rapist off of the finger nails of his dead victim and began the Ritual of Revenge. Once every hour, he would take a long sharp needle and jam it somewhere in his body that wouldn't impair movement or kill him, but cause extreme pain. This lasted for five days, until the man came before the tribal elders and broke down, confessing what he did. Only then did Senshuken end his life."

"I don't care why he killed him, the fact was that I said no one was dieing tonight. It's not his or anyone else's job in this Earth to decide who dies and who lives. Also, he forgot to tell me that he was some kind of all powerful being. Somethign that I probably should've known before going into this. As far as I'm concerned if Senshuken, Mr. Ketsuki or whoever he is isn't dead. Good. I'm glad he's still alive, but I never want to see him or 'it' again. Now can I trust that you wont kill this guy while I go look for my stuff or should I take him with me?"

Giving a small sigh, Tai felt that he should at least defend his Lwa's honor at least one last time before the girl left. "And what would you have done if he told you that he was a Lwa? While his kind are shown respect and allowed to walk freely in my country, things are different for them in other parts of the world. So called 'Heros' hunt his kind down because they are unable to see past their own beliefs. They view the world in black and white, good and evil. Lwa are gray and in their eyes must be evil. He hides behind a mask to prevent those that would hunt him down and kill him from knowing who he is. Before you judge him, understand him. He has been on this planet for far longer then you or me ever will be and been trying to guide mankind into seeking knowledge for who knows how long. He has never tried to force it on us, working with us instead in order to help us achieve it for ourselves. After all he has done and is rumored to have been through, if he honestly believes that humanity is greater now then it was an hour ago because there is only less monster stalking the shadows then I trust his judgment. You can leave him with me. Senshuken said that I was to respect your wishes until you were done here at which point we would part ways."