SKREEE

The sound of metal scraping against ice rang through the hollow chamber. The robot's arm was knocked down as the hairless wolf battered it away with the massive sword he held in his mouth.

As the wolf swung the blade in a forward arc, the robot leaned back. The blade passed just over its chest. But, the wolf jersey its head forward, and mud swing, the sword suddenly thrust forward and pierced into the robot.

The machine stumbled backwards and the wolf pressed his advantage and continued to shove the robot back more and more.

The wolf glanced to the side, and with clear regret, ripped the sword out of the machine as he leaped back.

BANG!

A bullet sped past the retreating wolf.

"How did...how did he get back here?" Narissa stammered.

"Don't know, but he's here now. That's enough," Sentenza replied coldly as he emptied both of his guns towards the wolf.

"What are you babbling about?" Narissa scoffed. "Of course it matters! It matters a great deal!"

"Wwwwhhaaattt wwwwooouullddd kkknnnooowwwiiinnnggg ccchhhaaannngggeeee?" Bakade pointed out.

"Are you serious?" Narissa sputtered out in disbelief. "Well, for one it might give us a way to avoid the same thing happening to us, or to get Oggy and Death back."

Narissa's face grew serious as a layer of ice crept up over her foot. She shoved her hand into her pouch and grit her teeth. The wolf was suddenly beside her and swinging his sword towards her throat.

Without a word, Narissa pulled her hand out of her bag. She was holding a small bunch of blue flowers that were growing along a central green stem. Sort of like bells on a reindeer's leash.

Her gloved hand full of flowers intercepted the frozen blade, and as the sword hit the flowers, a bright light flared up. Narissa and the wolf were engulfed inside it, and a moment later the wolf was blasted away covered in smoke and steam.

As the light faded, Narissa stood firm just where she had been. The flowers in her hand had been burnt up and were nothing but withered husks now. But she kept them in her closed fist.

"Dumb beast. Of course you'd be no match for an expert like me." She scoffed.

For the first time in a while, the wolf's mouth was free of ice. In fact, the chill that had surrounded it seemed to be gone completely, at least for the moment. And with his newfound freedom, the wolf opened his maw to cough out a splatter of blood.

He raised his eyes up and glared at Narissa as a snarl rose up in his throat.

Narissa sighed and shook her head as she readjusted her glove full of dead flowers with her other hand. "I was wondering, did he get that clown with those portals as well?"

Bakade jerked her head up towards the ceiling. Then she asked, "Hhhhooowww dddiiiddd yyyooouuu dddooo ttthhhaaattt?"

"Huh?" Narissa questioned as she looked down at the dead plants in her hand. "I thought it'd be obvious. I just countered his viciousness. Like dousing a fire with some water."

"Nnnnoooo." Bakade shook her head again. "Hhhhooowww dddiiiddd yyyooouuu fffiiinnddd ttthhheee aaaacccoooonnniiittttuuuummm?" She raised a bony finger up to point at the flowers in Narissa's hand.

Narissa looked down at her hand again, and then shrugged. "Uh, I'll tell you later."

Bakade took a step towards Narissa as the fire in her eyes narrowed in.

Sentenza held his hand up, and Bakade stopped in place.

"It's what you're thinking kiddo. All the more reason this guy's magic portals have us curious and not just worried." he explained.

Narissa scowled at him, but Bakade looked down at the assassin and nodded in understanding. Then, She and Sentenza's eyes grew wide, and at the same time, both of them shoved each other.

As they flew backwards, the robot passed over them with a clenched fist.

Sentenza and Bakade rolled to their feet and turned to face the machine.

"She's up there by the way," Sentenza remarked as he unloaded his pointed his guns at the robot, but the next moment he had shifted and was firing both barrels at the wolf off in the other direction.

"Whose what now?" Narissa asked.

Sentenza just motioned up with his chin. Narissa followed his pantomime, and to her chagrin she saw Pockets slowly rocking back and forth on a suspiciously well-placed chandelier embedded in the top of the ceiling of stone.

The clown waved down at Narissa with a smile that made the witch groan and slump her head into her hand in frustration.

Squelch

The wolf let out a yelp of pain as a regular bullet pierced into his side. But, as the next one approached just behind it, the wolf grit his teeth and let out a furious howl.

"AWOOOOO!"

The hair on the back of everyone's neck immediately stood up on end. A furious wind blew around the wolf, and not only knocked the onslaught of bullets still heading for him out of the way, but also ripped them into nothing more than dust.

Just as soon as the wind appeared, it was gone. Behind was only the wolf, alone and without any frigid sword in his mouth.

No, this time it seemed like the ice clung to him in microscopic, blue icicles that covered him so completely that he looked like he was covered in soft, blue fur.

"You know," Sentenza remarked as he lifted off his hat to wipe his forehead. "Sometimes a fire is so hot, water can't even douse its heat."

Narissa narrowed her eyes at him. "Ineffective water is better than no water," she scoffed.

"Sure," he agreed. "If you want to make yourself a target."

"Tttthhhiiisss rrreeaalllyyy iiiisssnnnn't ttthhheee tttiiimmmeee fffooorrrr ttthhhiiiisss." Bakade interrupted.