RED HOOD ✔

THE DARK HOOD

"Nooo" said Joshua as his dead brother fell into his arms, he was tapping Michael's face constantly, trying to keep him awake, "you can't do this to me, Michael, you promised me you would take care of me, you're not yet done with that promise" I rest my hand on Joshua's shoulder, he was crying "you're a liar, I hate you, you told me you will always be there, when mum and dad died you said you will take care of me" he was crying aggressively.

The scene was sad, he was a little kid, his brother just died, he had no one else by his side, he was still weeping, "who am I supposed to argue with, who's gonna call me a brat, who? Tell me, who?, you are selfish, you're just selfish" he said before resting his head on his brother's chest, sobbing.

It was a long ride back home, but when we finally got there, me and Apsychos helped carry Michael in, "is that Michael?" Said Anna, I nodded, she was sad and shocked by the news of his death, "he died because of him" said Apsychos in anger, "Marshall Crane" he said, but that's a lie, "you're wrong Apsychos, this was my fault, every bad thing that has happened in this village is my fault".

They all looked shocked "I am the guardian of this village from all evil, I was supposed to protect him, he died on my watch" Anna stopped me their, "you can't save everybody Vincent, you are just a kid"

I shook my head, "no Anna, I am the red hood, I'm more than 'just a kid', I was supposed to be a symbol, what's the point of having these powers if I can't save those important to me" Anna sighed "Vincent this isn't your fault, its Marshall's, he's the one that sent that arrow into Michael, not you"

"But its my fault he's still alive" I yell. Aunt Liza then moved forward "I knew it was too early to bring you here, you are still too young... Your mum would never..." I interrupted in rage "my mother is dead" I said yelling with a tear coming down my cheek, "Michael is dead, Mason is dead... All these good people are dead, even Ruth was cursed with forever damnation, but Marshall is alive, same with the sacred four even the beast is still alive, there is evil everywhere and I can't do anything to stop them because of stupid morals"

Apsychos then has a shocked look like he was surprised by what I said "Vincent, those morales are supposed to be what separated us from them. killing Marshall will only make you like them" I turned to look him in the eye "well sometimes, only a snake can kill a snake", I was about to storm out when a hand grabbed me "Vincent" I turn back to see Joshua looking at his feet, he has been like that since we got here, "you're right... This is all your fault, do you know that my brother looked up to you... He was two years older but he treated you like a god... All he wanted was to be you, to be a hero and you let him die" my heart fell, he's right, I was the worst guardian, I just rid this boy of the only person he had left in this world... I didn't kill him, but I couldn't save him, when you can do the things that I can do and you could save someone and you didn't... Its on you... Its always on you, "I'm sorry Josh" he looks up finally with his eyes flooded with tears "sorry doesn't bring back my brother" he storms out...

There was silence for a while, aunt Liza then came up to me "Vincent, I know you want to get back at Marshall now, but we need to do something first" I turn my attention to her "what's that?" I said, she was holding Mason Magma's journal, what was she doing with that, after we sat down, she said "I read the book myself to see if there was anything that we could see that could help us and I read a particular text that caught my attention"

She opens to the last page of the book and points out a highlighted text that read "it can only be undone when the moon is behind the sun" I look up at her, "yeah I was confused by this, what did it mean" Susanna looks annoyed and disappointed, "are you even trying Vince... Its obviously talking about an eclipse" did I forget to tell you guys that Anna always successfully finds a way to make me look stupid, probably to make herself seem smarter... "Whatever... So we need the next eclipse to stop the beast?" She nods, "so when is the next eclipse?" I ask, She frowns "about three months from now" what the "we don't have three months" Apsychos looked as angry as possible "damn... How are we supposed to beat the beast now?" Aunt Liza then looked at me and sighed "we can only wait" I slam my hand on a desk "damn it, wait? we can't wait, people are dying by the second, we need to act now" I grab my bow and sheathe my sword and head for the door, Anna then calls out to me "you can't take on the beast now, you don't even know where to find it" I sigh "I'm not going after the beast" Apsychos holds my hand, "you are going to take on Marshall aren't you" I do not respond, "I'm coming with you" I completely disagree "no Apsychos, you can't come with, none of you can follow me, I'm going alone and that's it" I storm out.

I look into Nathan's blade from a window and there was no sign of Nathan, I walk in and see him knocked out behind his desk... This guy spends 96% of his life knocked out... I step over him and pull the lever opening the trapdoor, revealing the staircase that leads down to the crooked blade, I saw some guards rushing past me, they didn't notice me so, thank God, it seems they were all rushing in one direction, making my task here very simple, I was going to kill Marshall, I sneak into his room and let loose an arrow into the chair... He's not there.

I leave the room in search for Marshall, he is most likely where all the commotion is... I try to watch from shadows, trying my best not to be spotted, I see Marshall on a throne, being lifted by six kids, he watches a fight from his chair in the middle of the crowd, I climb up a wall and mount a chandelier, from there I have a perfect bird's eye view of the situation, there was a guy dressed in all black, he seemed to be a good fighter, he was fending himself from the crooked blade, but he looked overwhelmed, he can't last for to long, they were going to kill him.

I jumped and landed in the middle of the crowd, right next to the black hooded guy, Marshall's mood immediately changed and had a grin on "Vincent! You came back" he was grinning like a maniac now... which he is. "Seize him" he yelled, "may I know who you are" I said to the mysterious black hooded guy, "I'm the dark hood" dark hood? I try not to come to the conclusion that he is not just some red hood wannabe, because it sure looks like it "so why are you in this situation" I ask as we start fending off the crooked blade... He seems skilled enough, he's actually a good fighter, he wields two swords and uses them with great precision, he is not bad. "I was compromised as I tried to assassinate Marshall Crane, he sent out his men to kill me off" assassinate? "You wanted to kill him" he remained silent to my question... Though it was my intention earlier, I feel killing him is killing Vincent, I won't be me anymore if I kill him. I want him gone, but they're other ways, it makes me angry that Anna was right.

It was about twelve minutes before we had single handedly taken down Marshall's goons, "open the gates", he yells as a circular gate opens up... I could hear hissing from inside the gate... Oh no, it was a "serpent" the dark hood said out loud, it crawled out of the hole and stood high and mighty... It was about a kilometre long, damn.

Dark hood didn't even waste time, he sprinted for the serpent and it attempted to strike and eat him, but he sidestepped and it ate a chunk of ground instead, he mounted the serpent's head and was about to deliver a final strike with his swords into his head, but the serpent got mad and flung him in the air with its head, tossing the dark hood into the air, the serpent unclenched its jaws preparing to catch the dark hood in its mouth, I immediately draw an enchanted arrow across my bow and fire it, the bow begins to gain a purple aura right before hitting the serpent I'm the head, causing it to disorientate and giving the dark hood the chance to finish it off preparing to land on the serpent's head, he sheathes his two swords and summons a spear, the spear begins to generate a fiery aura before he strikes it into the serpents skull, the serpent bursts into flame immediately, now it was just us vs Marshall.

"Finally, I can kill you and gain my revenge" said the dark hood, he launched arrows to the men carrying Marshall, all of them fall to the ground, revenge? Wait... That spear he used, it looked familiar, I know that spear... It belonged to... "Josh" I call at the dark hood "don't kill him" he continues moving, Marshall attempts to flee, but Joshua/dark hood fires an arrow into his leg, causing him to fall to the ground, "my brother died because of you" he yelled before unsheathing his swords, "Josh!!" I yell at him, he stops, "your brother would never want you to do this, he'd never want you to kill in his name, stop this please" he was about to strike "Joshua!!!" I yell even louder than last time, he stops inches away from making the kill, he kneels down and starts to cry. Thank god, Marshall takes the distraction and takes a dagger and rest it on his neck and he gets a maniac grin on his face, "you know I didn't feel anything after killing your brother, I wonder how I'll feel after killing you" I give him an evil glare, "let go of him, don't you dare lay a finger on that boy" he chuckles "you think I'm afraid of you Vincent, I am not afraid of death" now I'm pissed "I don't want you to be just afraid of me Marshall, I want you to acknowledge me as fear itself, I won't kill you, but I'll make sure to bring you to the edge of death everyday, trust me Marshall, you don't want to do this" he wavers for a moment then stops, "no Vincent, you're to good of a good guy to torture me" then from nowhere, Joshua said "that's why I'll do it" he jams his dagger into Marshall's stomach and Marshall falls to the ground, his hands are rested on his wounds, "I may die, but I die today happy, knowing that I left here cursing you, my death will forever be on your conscience" he said before his eyes shut.