Multifandom Oneshot Book

Scene - Final Fear

This new foe that Vox Machina faced was one more powerful than they'd ever seen. Seemingly a god of a man, he had brought all of them to the edge of death. The god stood tall, glaring down at the party with a wide and chilling grin on his thin features. "Fools. How could you ever hope to defeat me? I am Mercer, the god of gods and ruler of all things. Stand down and maybe, just maybe, I'll let your deaths be quick."

Pike stepped forward, glaring up at the black-cloaked being with a fierce determination and the divine power of Sarenrae. "We shall not fall to the likes of you. You are no god, just a perversion of power." Her form began to glow and the light that radiated from her swept over her party, healing them.

He laughed, "Very well, such a shame that you must serve as an example but so be it." His hand swept through the air as a pulse of necrotic energy rushed at the cleric, knocking her back and snuffing out what remained of her life.

Scanlan and Grog watched her fall and cried out in rage and pain. Both rushing the fucker who killed her.

Thinking quickly, Keyleth cast one of her two remaining high level hold person spells. "No! Idiots, he'll kill you too. We need to actually plan this."

Percy began to back away, climbing to a rocky peak just out of the being's view. "Right then." He said into his earring, "Vax; you're the fastest of us all. I've been observing this man and apparently he only has a single reaction per combat round and three impossible actions per round. I need you to run past him and provoke an attack of opportunity, using up his reaction. While that happens, Scanlan, use your cutting words reaction to make him miss and then with the bonus the Mythcarver grants you use hold person while he's distracted. If that fails, Vex, use that entanglement snare arrow I made you; the one with both the tanglefoot bag and the grapple line, to snare him. If it succeeds, use an explosive arrow at his feet to deal easy damage. Hopefully that'll knock him prone but if it doesn't I've got a leg shot all lined up to take care of that. If he still isn't knocked prone, Grog, you bull-rush him and knock him down. As soon as he hits the ground, Keyleth, I need you to control earth to manacle him to the ground so he can't move. Then Vax, you gag him so he can't utter any incantations."

"Got it." The team said in unison. This bastard had taken Pike out and, though she was now stable, they were gonna make him pay.

Keyleth quickly released Grog and Scanlan and prepared a move earth spell.

Vax, still buzzing from his boots of haste, gave a quick nod to his sister and darted forward with his daggers out.

The god swung for Vax as planned, his hands a crackling mass of dark arcane power.

Scanlan was still utterly fuming from Pike's death and could barely think straight. So, instead of singing or playing an instrument, he let out an ear piercing yell at the very top of his range.

The being looked over, clasping his hands to his ears and missing Vax entirely as he saw the gnome begin to speak in words he could only just make out.

"Don't you fucking move you piece of shit."

Suddenly he felt his body completely lock up as he stared down this tiny man.

"OI!" Vex bellowed from her vantage point. "TALK SHIT GET HIT BITCH!" And she released her explosive arrow directly at the feet of her target.

He just had time to move his eyes up to see the projectile as it came in before his vision went white and he felt himself blasted back from both the shock wave and a bullet in his right leg.

Grog, already in a frenzied rage, surged forward, slashing down with the Blood Axe across the dark leather armour the godlike being wore and leaving a deep slash.

On that cue, as the dust began to settle, Keyleth moulded the earth to hold him in place as she heard Percy walk over, boots crunching on the gravel.

As the gunslinger approached, he saw Grog whaling on the prone being with the axe, the sound of the pained cries bringing to him a satisfaction he hadn't felt in months. "Hold your attacks Grog. I want to talk to this thing."

Vox Machina all turned to Percy as he drew near, the black smoke of Orthax clinging to him, leaking from his eyes and sleeves.

He towered over the battered and bloody form of their enemy. But something was wrong, something was different. The malicious violet glow that once emanated from his eyes was gone, replaced by a dark brown that was full of fear.

"W-what? What's going--" His voice was small and shaky, almost like a child lost in the woods. Seeing Percy he stopped immediately, shrinking away as best he could. "What are you? Where am I? Where's... where's Marisha?"

Percy's impassive yet fury-filled glare didn't soften for an instant. "Don't play this game with me sorcerer. Vax, gag him."

The rogue hesitated, "Percy? What's going on man I thought we took care of this shadow business back in Whitestone."

"I SAID GAG HIM!"

"No. No Percy, I won't." He approached where the man lay and crouched down by his head. "Okay so, if you could explain what the fuck just happened, we'd appreciate it. And who knows, Percy might even let you go."

The man just stammered, wide eyes flitting from one person to another as the rest of the group gathered around.

"Okay let's start easy." Vax soothed, "what's your name?"

He looked back to Vax, trying to keep his gaze away from the swirling mass of shadow that made up the gunslinger.

"What does it matter what his name is? He killed Pike." Grog rumbled, barely able to stop himself tearing the man apart.

Percy just stood silently, Bad News out and trained directly at the man's head.

"M-matthew. My name is Matthew Mercer. I... I can't--" Suddenly, his fearful words were cut off by a deafening gunshot as his head disappeared in a cloud of blood and earth.

Everyone looked to Percy as the smoke finally began to subside.

The human slung the gun over his shoulder and began to walk to Pike, picking her up and turning to the rest of the party. "We need to get her to a temple. Now. It's already pushing the limit for revivify so get moving."