The journey out to the oil rig was cramped and uncomfortable. I didn’t like being that close to them; any of them. Magnus was constantly threatening my life, and Chase gave off an aura of great evil. He had become a powerful weapon for the Order; a powerful weapon indeed.

  We had arrived via speed boat under the cover of night. Hector had disabled the security feeds remotely from the Cathedral, and we made our way inside the abandoned rig.

  Anders took point, and scurried up the ladder onto the first set of scaffold-like platforms. I went to climb up behind him and Magnus shoved me back into the boat.

  "Out of my way." He grunted, like some kind of man-boar.

  I glared at him, but I felt a hand on my shoulder which startled me. I looked back to see Serena smiling at me. She just shook her head and motioned for me to go after Magnus.

  She had always been kind to me, which was strange considering the wide berth everyone else gave me, if they weren't tormenting me.

  I got up top, and Serena, Chase and Andrea filtered up behind me.

  We had come to recover an important Artifact, and I was interested to see what would happen. The crew working here had accidently stumbled upon Poseidon's Trident. Naturally, the Order had evacuated the rig so a team could be sent in to investigate and recover it.

  The problem here was that when the workers on the rig had touched the Trident, it had brought forth a horde of fish-like merfolk, who had attacked the crew. They had sealed the Trident away in a compression chamber, and escaped, but the vicious merfolk were still wandering about.

  Anders made us summon our Artifacts outside, and then we crept up into the main part of the platform. We moved quickly and quietly, with Andrea disappearing entirely, moving off to scout ahead.

  A gurgled dialect, that I recognized as Atlantean, was being spoken by some unsuspecting merfolk ahead, so we hid behind a shipping container. Anders motioned for Magnus to move in and he cracked his knuckles, the aura around his Artifact belt flashing.

  He stepped out from behind the shipping container and the merfolk jumped, lowering their hooked spears at his chest. Magnus pulled back and punched the first one in the face. It made a disturbing crunch and I cringed in disgust. So much brutality.

  I didn't watch as I heard him dismantle the two merfolk with his bare hands. I waited for Anders to motion for us to go on ahead and followed behind.

  Serena stopped next to Magnus, who was covered in slime and what I assume was the blue blood of the merfolk. His fists bled and he had been caught a few times with the hooked spears. Serena placed her Caduceus staff against Magnus' flesh and it knitted back together, healing quickly.

  We made our way into the rig, moving stealthily to the compression chamber. Any time a threat presented itself, Anders sent Magnus forward like a guard dog. Truly, it was all he was good for.

  Anders got inside, and we covered his back. When he returned, the Trident was strapped to his back, glowing with a seafoam colored aura.

  However, removing the trident brought forth a swathe of angry merfolk. We felt the rumble of the rig lurching as the gurgled warcries rang out under the rig. We managed to get away, or so we thought. Andrea appeared suddenly, removing the Veil of Isis.

  "They are destroying the bottom of the rig. We're going to sink." She said urgently.

  A stroke of genius hit me in that moment. This was my opportunity.

  We split up, running through the rig, taking sharp ninety degree turns. We tried to stay together, but we ended up seperated from Anders and Andrea.

  The rumbling and tossing of the collapsing oil rig made it hard to walk, but I grasped the railings tightly as I made my way ahead. I could hear Magnus, Serena and Chase calling out behind me.

  “Don’t worry, follow me. I’ll get us out of here.” I told them.

  “You couldn’t find your way out of your own ass.” Magnus piped up. I growled in frustration. I was so done with him. I was sick of the constant condescension. I simmered, reminding myself that it wouldn’t matter much longer.

  I led them running along the slanting iron walkways, back up some stairs to where the compression doors were. We entered the first room, and Magnus slammed the door closed, tightening the wheel and looking out. As water slowly began to fill the collapsing rig, the merfolk got closer and closer to us.

  “Damn fish people.” He muttered. Serena clung to Chase, terrified.

  “We need to think of a plan.” Chase shouted over the rushing water. He was frowning, but otherwise composed. But I could see the anger seething inside of him. I knew all about his little secret.

  Everyone at the Cathedral had underestimated me for years. I knew more than Hector. I was stronger than Magnus. I could be a better leader than Anders, given the chance.

  They all thought I was weak and stupid. But I'd show them.

  I knew that Gideon had sacrificed Rook to do a second Bonding with Chase. I knew all about the legendary Artifact, Tyrfing and the bloodlust that Chase was slowly losing control of.

  “If we can get to the compression lock room back in the lower parts, we might be able to find a working submersible in it. We could maybe escape out that way. I’m sure we’ll be able to meet up with the others back at the Cathedral.” I told them.

  “That’s a stupid plan.” Magnus snorted, almost immediately, like the uneducated pig he was.

  “Actually, that just might work.” Chase agreed. Obviously, he was the more sensible one. I felt bad that I had to use him like a weapon to get my revenge.

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  Chase motioned for me to lead the way, and I bolted off ahead of them. Too far ahead.

  “Where did that little cretin get to?” I could hear Magnus shouting.

  “Griffin, where are you?” Serena called out, concern in her voice.

  “Back here.” I shouted from nowhere in particular.

  “I’m gonna strangle you, if you get us lost!” Magnus shouted.

  I could feel my brow twitch. My mouth curved back in a vicious snarl. I wanted to gut him where he stood. I wanted to puncture every part of his body with my sword. But it wouldn’t do. I'd have to wait, just a little longer.

  I ran ahead to the sub room, and made sure that the side hatch was open. I purposely looked down into the hole, lingering, until I see a merfolk, and I make sure it spots me. The amphibious humanoid bolted towards the open hatch and splashed out of the water. I closed the hatch and lock it in with me.

  I squared off with the thing, summoning my sword. My blade came to me in shimmers of black and silver. I would hate to let the abomination live, but I needed it for my plan to work.

  In the distance, I could hear the others catching up. I could hear Magnus stomping around and I snarled.

  “If you wait here, a blonde man will come. You must kill him.” I told the merfolk, trying to replicate his guttural dialect. He seemed surprised at first, but lowered his spear.

  “You would betray your own people to help us?” It asked, or at least that's what I approximated.

  How na?ve of the creature to just assume I was helping it.

  “No, not my people. Just the blonde man. Kill him and be done and gone. Leave the others." I tell it. "Kill the big blonde man.” I added.

  The merfolk nodded slowly, still unsure if it could trust me. It backed away, never taking its eyes from me before it ran off to hide by the door I had come in through. I ran to the second door, the door out, and checked it.

  Perfect, I thought; it was locked from the outside, just like I had thought. There was only one way in, and the hatch to the submarine out. As soon as I heard them coming, I found the nearest dark corner and hid.

  I stayed hidden and behind the group, so that I could seal the other door from the outside. Once Magnus was dead, and the other two dealt with the merfolk, I’d rush in and save the day, leading them out and leaving Magnus' body to sink to the ocean floor.

  I heard someone enter and the commotion began, as my team was startled. I pulled the door closed and spun the wheel, sealing them inside.

  Then I moved to peer through the porthole window to see my handy work.

  I saw Chase, with Tyrfing drawn and Serena standing over the now open hatch. The merfolk must’ve gotten cold feet and escaped. I realized I didn't see Magnus.

  Chase was standing in place, seething. The rage of the sword was overwhelming him. I watched as he visibly fought it, as he kept telling Serena to leave; to go through the hatch and swim away.

  I watched as he grasped his skull and screamed bloody murder, fighting for control against his sword. I realized I had made a grave mistake.

  “What do you think you’re doing, creep?” I heard Magnus say, approaching me from behind. I felt my blood boil.

  “You! It was supposed to be you!” I screamed at him. I charged Magnus, my sword leveled with his gut. He took a swing at me with his big meaty fist, and I ducked under it and cut his thigh instead.

  “I’ll kill you, you little freak!” He bellowed. His belt began to glow, creating an aura around his knuckles. His fist hit my chest and I flew back into the door. I felt my ribs break, but I also felt the wheel on the door break, locking Chase and Serena inside.

  “No.” I wheezed. “You fucking moron.”

  Magnus stalked towards me, but I could only focus on the words I heard behind me, on the other side of the door.

  “It’s okay Chase. You can beat this. I love you. I’m here.” Serena was comforting him. I turned and looked into the room and grimaced.

  Chase had Tyrfing driven into Serena's shoulder, keeping her pinned on her knees. She kept petting his arm, trying to reassure him. This wasn't what I wanted. Serena had always been kind to me. Chase didn't deserve this.

  I felt Magnus’ fist crack me in the shoulder, but I couldn’t help but watch the other two.

  Chase pulled Tyrfing from her shoulder and heaved the sword above his head.

  “I love you, Chase.” Serena cried, clutching her shoulder. "I will always love you, please remember that. I forgive you."

  Tyrfing came down on her head, driving into her skull. That was when I heard the banging on the other door. I could hear the screaming. I could almost feel Anders' pain as I watched him pound his fists bloody on the sealed door.

  Magnus hit me again, and I felt something in my spine crack.

  Tyrfing came down for a second chop and Serena’s pretty face shattered into an unrecognizable, gory mess. My heart fell into my stomach. She hadn't even tried to heal herself.

  I could feel Magnus looming behind me for another strike, and I turned my sword outward. I felt his weight as his strike brought him down onto my blade. I used the last of my strength to drive it as deep as I could into his stomach and let go, falling back against the door. Magnus grunted and stumbled back.

  “You fucking…” I heard him hit the ground.

  I tried to pull myself back up, not daring to take my eyes from the horrifying scene in the other room.

  The other door across the room slammed inward, breaking open and flying across the room. Excalibur intercepted the next blow from Tyrfing.

  Chase staggered back and the sword’s rage made him strike out again. Anders emitted a blinding light, which faded to reveal, what I can only assume to be, the full potential of the Pendragon blood. He was fully armored, with a menagerie of weapons made of light floating around him. A blazing silver crown of light floated above his head. His eyes are pupil-less and white.

  “No!” He screamed at Chase. But it sounded more like the primordial bellow of a God.

  The rig shook and the iron walkway beneath me started to crumble. Andrea followed into the room behind Anders, rushing to Serena and weeping over the mangled body of her dead friend.

  Anders slammed into Chase, Excalibur screeching as it slid along Tyrfing. Sparks of silver and red burst out between the two. The spectral weapons around Anders spun out, tearing into Chase as the two clashed over and over.

  Tyrfing drew rivlets of blood from Anders, despite all the armor. It had already fed off Serena, but the rage of combat drove it forward. The blood seemed to float between them, drawn into the blade, making it glow red.

  As light poured off Anders, shadowy tendrils began to creep over Chase's shoulders, wrapping around his arms, pushing him forward, giving him the upper hand.

  It was Andrea who snuck up behind Chase, and point blank, put a sun arrow through the back of his head. He collapsed, Tyrfing hitting the ground. One of the three red gems in the hilt stopped glowing, before it poofed away in red mist.

  I turned to see Magnus on his knees, clinging to the walkway railing, close behind me. He had also been watching.

  “You sick bastard, what have you done?” He demanded, his breath ragged.

  “It was supposed to be you!” My voice was equally as strained.

  He punched me again and it was so powerful that it sent me through the steel door, and into the room. I slid across the floor, looking up at the rest of my team, battered and destroyed. And then suddenly, I fell into the open hatch and sank into the water below the sinking rig.

  I saw Magnus stumble into the room. I saw the mess that was the beautiful Serena. I saw Chase recovering, apparently, from death, broken and on his knees, begging for Anders to kill him. Excalibur was at his neck.

  And then I saw the comforts of darkness as the water swallowed me and I succumbed to my injuries.

  ~*~

  I woke up on the shoreline of somewhere I assumed to be tropical. I couldn't see, but the sand was warm and the gulls were loud. Every part of my body ached. It hurt to breathe. If I was going to die, at least it was somewhere nice.

  I heard the scuffle of sand as someone ran up to me.

  “Hey man, are you okay?” I couldn't make out his accent, maybe Hawaiian?

  “I need a hospital.” I croaked.

  “Okay man, I’ll call someone. What’s your name buddy? Stay with me.” He asked.

  “Griffin. Damien Griffin.” I told him, my first name feeling foreign after all these years.