Season 2, Episode 17 (#167 Overall) - Mojo Addresses His Audience, Part 5 of 5

Aaron laughed but it was obvious that there was no humor or joy in it., "I can hear the question forming in the back of your mind... Why did I tell you that story?" Aaron's face flattened into an emotionless wall of unfeeling stone as he spoke., "The reason is simple... I wanted you to know why you are going to die. Our brother swore to see the end of you and all your kind and though he is no longer part of this world he like all my Brothers and Sisters who came before... are always watching. Promises are sacred among The Elder especially those sworn... in Blood and such Obligations follow our Descendants all the days of their lives.... Forever and Ever. Amen."

The Moorwen snorted derisively then without warning the two massive cannons on The Moorwen's back roared to life, glowing brighter and brighter by the second before unleashing a pair of plasma spheres as hot as twin suns... the ground was reduced to molten slag as the snow instantly transformed into scalding steam and the surrounding trees became little more than burning charcoal.

In The Studio, The Audience was completely silent... Even Mojo watched without one of his trademark snarky comments and Spiral bit her nails... All of them.

Meanwhile, Gathering her courage, Stephanie looked up from behind the tree about the time Aaron went flying backward... Enveloped in swirling currents of blazing white hot light.

"NO, AARON!," Screamed Stephanie as Aaron flew backward and out of sight, impacting with several trees and toppling them like unsteady Dominos.

The Moorwen snorted, its whip-like tail cutting deep trenches in the ground as it turned to walk away, its luminescent patterns already declaring its triumph.

Overcome by the apparent loss of the most important person in her life just after finally reuniting with them, Stephanie grabbed the shield that had been forgotten at her feet until now and prepared to attack only to freeze as she heard footsteps approaching. She peered into the darkness only to gasp and fall to her knees in shock. It was Aaron and except for his clothes being dirtier and in even worse shape than before he appeared unharmed. Stephanie was overjoyed and wanted nothing more than to run to Aaron and throw her hands around him but she found herself unable to take a single step forward and when she tried to speak no words came. As it was all she could do was stand frozen, gentle sobs racking her small, delicate, and incredibly powerful frame.

The Moorwen whipped around, its eyes narrowing as its gaze settled on Aaron once more. The Moorwen was shocked, patterns of alarm and apprehension flashing over its black skin in rapid pulses of shifting light.

"Surprised?," Aaron asked in a deep resonant voice that tore at the very air around him as it echoed with the whispers of countless other voices not his own., "I suppose that makes sense...," Aaron nonchalantly dusted off his shirt and pants before holding up his left arm, the once tattered sleeve now completely gone up to the shoulder., "... It appears that Blut Vene was unnecessary...," Aaron's voice rife with cold, contemptuous fury as the veins visible beneath his pale skin glowed a deep unnatural blue, like vibrant cerulean flames dancing hand in hand within his very veins before his skin took on an almost metallic sheen, reflecting the moonlight like a carefully polished mirror., "... After all such a pitiful attack could not even hope to pierce my Hierro."

Aaron's face twisted taking on a sadistic, almost gleeful malice., "Since my awakening I've seldom had a chance to stretch my legs like this so I want to enjoy it."

The Moorwen took several hesitant steps backward, its head and tail held low as the patterns of light pulsing across its skin began to settle into a steady grey... The Color of Fear.

"You can see it can't you... Monster?," Aaron asked coldly, already knowing the answer.

The Moorwen did indeed see 'It' rising up from the ground behind Aaron, obscuring the light from the three moons. The 'It' in question appeared before The Moorwen's five otherworldly eyes as an enormous horned Cephalopod, specifically it resembled a Magnificently Crowned Octopus with thousands of tentacles that encircled the world and even reached out to ensnare the Earth's moons and sun as well as all the planets in The Milky Way. The Cephalopod's rough, slimy skin rippled and changed with every passing second as though it were in a constant state of change, its six eyes the color of blood peered down at The Moorwen imperiously. Its unfaltering gaze carried an actual tangible weight that made The Moorwen's entire body groan, emitting a sound like metal being twisted.

"That is my Schrift or more accurately The Seal of My Family... The Oldest and Most Noble of The Elder... I Am Chosen... I. Am. Kin'rit.," Aaron delivered every word with a note of finality.

The Moorwen's Instincts screamed at it to run but its Pride made it hesitate. Not that it mattered. Even if it had acted swiftly the result would have been the same. The Moorwen's roar tore through the night air like a bellowing blade as it unleashed a wall of charged plasma shot.

The smile that graced Aaron's blue-tinged lips was sharper than any razor and more malevolent than any Demon as he stood his ground against the ferocious onslaught.

Aaron had fought side-by-side with Stephanie on and off the battlefield but she had never seen him like this. He had told her about his powers but she had never actually seen them and in this moment she was more frightened of him than she ever was of The Moorwen.

Both Stephanie and The Moorwen felt a cold chill grip their spines which had nothing to with the cold. It was the freezing chill caused by the intense aura radiating from Aaron as he raised the palm of his hand toward the night sky and over his head before uttering those dreadful words., "Ira Kreuz!"

As soon as Aaron spoke those words two of the six eyes of the enormous Cephalopod glowed an even darker shade of red and above Aaron in the sky a single pin prick of light swelled into a gigantic cross, its mountainous shadow cast over the forest falling on the angry swarm of super-heated projectiles hurtling towards him at the speed of sound and they instantly began to slow, the space around them straining under the unseen forces exuded by the massive cross overhead threatening to grind space itself to dust. Only a few feet from reaching Aaron each of the brightly glowing orbs of condensed plasma stopped, hanging frozen in mid-air. A few scant seconds later, each of the fiery orbs slammed to the ground and evaporated into steam.

The cruelty and malice in Aaron's smile only grew and having realized its attacks couldn't reach him decided to run, turning to flee. The Moorwen swung its head from side to side as it ran, hearing Aaron's voice as though he were whispering directly into the massive fleeing creature's ear., "It's a shame really...," Aaron's voice was cold and calm., "... We're both predators, hunters... We both know what its like to bathe in the blood and guts of our enemies... to devour our prey utterly and completely from the inside out."

No matter how far, how fast, or how hard The Moorwen ran Aaron's voice reached its ears with unnerving clarity., "You and I are a Rare Breed, We actually understand what Real Hate is... Not like the rest of these pitiful ants and that makes the fact that I have to kill you even more sad."

Aaron closed his fist and dropped his arm to his side and the enormous Cephalopod's other four eyes began to glow an even deeper crimson as the huge cross came crashing down with exaggerated languidity at the same time a colossal tidal wave like an ocean of blood rose up to tower above even the immense form of The Cephalopod before crashing down, the ethereal vermilion waves passing harmlessly through everything but its chosen target, washing over The Moorwen who struggled mightily not to be swallowed by the raging torrent.

The Moorwen fought its way to its feet.

"Did you honestly think that was all there was?," Aaron asked icily.

The Moorwen immediately looked up but all it saw was a clear night sky then in shocked realization it's gaze quickly shot downward to find that it was beginning to sink into the ground. It struggled vigorously but the enormous cross-shaped shadow that had marked the ground was impossible to escape from... The ground rippling and sloshing as it pulled the struggling beast under.

"From one monster to another... This is the end.," Aaron's voice came out as a rumbling growl., "This is what it means to offend The Elder. Be swallowed and know despair.," Proclaimed Aaron as the struggling Moorwen fought with all its strength to escape., "Within the void summoned by The Ira Kreuz you will experience the accumulated pain and rage of My Family.," Aaron smiled again only this time it was one of amusement., "Enjoy!"

There was a long mournful cry as The Moorwen vanished from sight, and cross-shaped shadow vanished along with it. Aaron staggered, catching himself with a hand on a nearby tree. Stephanie made her way to her feet, carrying her shield as she ran over to Aaron.

"Aaron are you alright?!," An anxious Stephanie asked, looking Aaron up and down, hurriedly looking for any injuries.

"I'm fine.," He assured her., "Just a little weak."

Aaron leaned against the tree and Stephanie helped support him., "That took a little more out of me than I was expecting."

"Will you be okay?," Stephanie asked worriedly as she nuzzled into Aaron's chest.

"Yes. I'll be fine but we need to get moving.," Aaron reassured her as he gripped her trembling shoulders., "How are you holding up?"

"I-I-I-I-I-I...," Stephanie stuttered, shivering as she pointed past Aaron who turned to see The Moorwen shrugging its way free of his shadow, its form bloody, battered, and exhausted.

"Ah, Back so soon?," Aaron asked in a tired but undeniably sarcastic tone., "Don't worry Stephanie this poor deluded creature is finished."

Stephanie looked at The Moorwen and what she saw actually made her feel sorry for it. The huge cannons that once adorned its back looked like they had been torn off, its seemingly invincible armor cracked and dented, it was gushing thick black blood from all over its body, most of its limbs were mangled beyond recognition, and its head was all but destroyed with its lower mandible and tongue completely missing to say nothing of its eyes which had been brutally mutilated.

The creature hobbled only a couple of steps toward Aaron and Stephanie before collapsing, its broken body racked by wheezing coughs as it spewed blood from what remained of its mouth onto the snowy ground.

"Stay here.," Aaron told Stephanie as he walked over to the huge creature.

"It won't be long now.," Aaron said to no one in particular as he reached his hand out.

Stephanie along with Mojo, Spiral, and The Audience back on Mojoworld all watched with bated breath.

"We all of us have our part to play...," Aaron said solemnly as he placed his hand upon the side of The Dying Behemoth and waves of blue light washed over The Moorwen's failing body. The Moorwen, weak and weary shuddered violently as it breathed its last., "... Even you."

"And as for you.," Aaron said ominously as he stood up and turned, everyone in The Audience froze, unable to blink or even take a breath as they felt Aaron's eyes fall on each and every one of them. Even Mojo shivered nervously.

Everyone gasped as they saw Aaron raising his hand... Then with a nap of his fingers all of the lights and power across the entirety of Mojoworld went dark. Several of the more jittery among the crowd screamed while some even passed out.

It took a few seconds for the power to come back on but as soon as it did Mojo was addressing the crowd in his most official sounding voice., "Ahem! I'm Afraid That's All The Time We Have Today So Be Sure and Join Us Again When The MTN Resumes It Regular Programming Schedule!"

As Mojo's pudgy face faded from the massive screens of The MojoTron, The end credits began to roll as each screen showed Aaron with his arm around the gorgeous Stephanie Rogers limping off into the distance set to the somber instrumental music of 'The Lonely Man.' The Narrator's deep, clear voice could be heard over the ending theme music., "There's always a Bigger Monster... A much Bigger Monster."

Just as The Narrator finished his sinister postscript everything on screen faded away like a mirage leaving only Aaron with his back turned to The Audience and everyone gasped as he turned ever so slightly and looked over his shoulder, a evil-looking smirk twisting his lips as he showed off one of his large upper canines in a predatory display that left many in The Audience pissing themselves like a bunch of frightened rabbits.