Mark whirled around, snatching up Becky from the living room. Kenny and Zero rushed to get their weapons. Mark didn't wait for them as he yanked the front door open and rushed out into the crisp morning air. It was pretty light out even without the sun, allowing him to look around at the land as he yelled out. "NATE!" Nate didn't reply and he saw nothing. The field and animal enclosure looked empty. Mark's heart raced. Kenny and Zero stumbled out onto the porch behind him, causing him to turn and call out. "Stay together. Go check around the house!" Kenny nodded, patting Zero's chest as they jumped over the porch banister. Mark started to make his way toward the truck to see if Nate had messed with it or left any clues. Testing the truck door, he realized that it was still locked. Mari rushed out onto the porch; her katana drawn as she asked a little shaken up. "What's going on?!" Mark raised a hand to her, warning her sternly. "Stay inside! Nate's missing." Mari started to move out more, retorting sternly. "I can help!" Mark pointed at her now, snapping out. "Just stay there!"

Just then the barn doors began to rattle as the horses let out wild distressed whines. Mark dropped his hand and dashed toward the barn. Swinging himself over the metal gate, Mark landed heavily inside the fence. Kenny and Zero were racing toward the barn, slipping through the barbed wire farther down. Mark cursed as Mari ran toward the barbed wire, dropping to slide completely under the wires before getting up to run toward the barn. She was small, but fast enough to outrun him. He yelled at her to stop, but she ignored him. Reaching the barn, she made a sharp turn and jumped to grab the barn's drainpipe. With just socks on, she was able to grip the pipe and climb up quickly without a sound toward a second-floor window. Mark skidded to stop, cursing as he watched her slip into the window. Zero reached him, telling him quickly. "Don't worry about her. Come on." Zero notched his bow, getting ready to draw the string as they crossed in front of the barn. The barn door burst open and Mark barely yanked Zero back in time before one of the heavy doors swung into him.

The doors slammed loudly against the sides as the horses came bolting out with the sheep at their feet. Finbar tripped, stumbling to the ground where the sheep trampled him or leapt over him. Agro bolted out only a few feet, before whirling around to Finbar's screams. As the sheep scattered out across the field, a large Komodo dragon raced out after them. The Komodo Dragon slid into a sharp turn as it saw Finbar struggling to get up. Opening its mouth to reveal a long dripping tongue as it hissed. Agro ran up, stomping her hooves menacingly as she tried to scare the Licker away with aggressive whines. Zero lifted his bow, drawing the string to aim at the hissing Licker. As he released the arrow, Mark watched perplexed as the Licker dived into a roll to avoid the arrow without even knowing that Zero was there! Rolling back up to its feet, it looked at them and hissed louder. Zero gawked at it, saying a bit terrified. "Ok... That's new." Zero notched another arrow, but the Licker began to dash around to keep Zero from getting a good shot. The Licker kept his movement unpredictable and then leapt straight for Zero!

Mark raised Becky to try blocking the Licker's tongue from reaching Zero and to hopefully impale it. The Licker's tongue wrapped around Becky's handle, but before its body got close enough... a loud 'BANG' rang out. Mark flinched, then saw the body of the Licker hit the ground with a bullet through its temple. Panting just off to the side, Kenny lowered his smoking gun as he told them breathlessly. "I did that WITHOUT coffee..." Zero chuckled softly to himself. Mark moved around Zero, peeking into the barn. The barn was lit up with oil lamps, giving the place a warm glow and lighting up the scene of horror. In the center of the barn was a horse in a red hazmat suit and on its back was Nate. Nate looked beaten bloody and was tied up with a gag in his mouth. He barely looked conscious. From the rafters above, a noose had been strung up and wrapped around Nate's neck. While crouching on the rafter was a figure in blood red armor with a rifle draped over his lap. Mark's heart sank to the pit of his stomach as he whispered to the others. "Oh fuck... It's War."

Kenny and Zero's faces paled. Zero glanced up at the second floor, mumbling out under his breath. "Mari..." Kenny tensed, hearing Zero and snapping out. "WHAT?!" From inside the barn, War's voice rang out coolly. "Come on out, boys. Let's have ourselves a little chat." Mark gestured for the others to stay and slowly stepped out into view. War lifted his chin slowly, his eyes cold and unfeeling. Mark stepped just into the barn, telling War cautiously. "I think I know why you're here. Your fight is with me. Let Nate go." War's face was stony and his voice merciless as he told him bluntly. "No. Let me tell you how this is going to go down. You're going to give me Sean. And if you do. I'll kill all of you quickly. You refuse and I'll kill you all slowly and have Death MAKE your rotting corpses drag him to me." Mark glanced around the barn. Death was here? He looked around but didn't seen him anywhere. He hoped the Kenny and Zero heard that and were looking for him. However, a scary thought entered his mind. Why would War tell him that Death was here if he wanted to keep him a secret? Something didn't feel right. War was aggressive but he wasn't stupid.

Mark took another step inside, stopping as War let out a soft dragged out eerie whistle. In front of him, War's horse took a single step forward drawing the noose tight and causing Nate to whine behind the gag. Mark raised his hands, yelling out. "Stop! I'm not moving!" War drummed his fingers on his rifle, bellowing out darkly. "Don't come any closer. Or he bolts and tears your friends head off." Mark's eyes widened, leaning a bit to look around the side of the horse. Nate's ankles were shackled under the belly of the horse. Mark locked his jaw, growling up at War. "You sick, Fuck." War didn't give him a reaction as he told him coldly. "Oh, just wait until you see what I'm going to do to you for killing Conquest." Mark stared up at War, uttering out sourly. "How did you find us?" War smirked, answering simply. "I've been tracking you. It's what I do. Now are you going to give me Sean or not?" Mark inhaled deeply, reluctantly telling him. "You'll have to kill me first." War grinned devilishly as he told him. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Behind Mark, Zero stepped out and took aim at the rope. War's horse reared, causing the arrow to graze the rope but it wasn't enough to sever it. War took aim with his rifle, firing a shot that clipped Zero in the shoulder as he tried to dive to the left after firing his arrow. The shot made Zero stumble down to his knees, but he got up quickly and ran toward the horse with Mark. Before War could fire another shot, Kenny stepped out and shot War's helm. The bullet ricocheted off his helmet but seemed to stun him just enough. From behind a stack of hay, Mari sprang out with her sword raised. Before she reached War though, she slipped on the excess hay across the floor. Her slip saved her from War's wild shot in her direction and when she hit the floor on her stomach, her sword jerked forward as her elbow hit, piercing an opening in War's gauntlet boot. War screamed in pain, falling back off the rafter as he lost his balance. War's body vanished into a stall filled to the brim with swept up hay.

Nate let out a muffled scream as War's horse finished rearing and tried to run forward. Zero turned his back to the horse, pushing his back against the horse's front and yelling out to Mark. "PUSH HIM BACK!" Mark quickly mimicked Zero, putting his weight back against the horse. The horse thrashed its masked face and stomped its hooves, but this action seemed to work. Zero grabbed the horse's head, pulling its head down to keep it from thrashing around so much as he yelled out. "KENNY! GET HIM!" The horse began to kick out with its back legs, but Kenny ran over to the horse's side to try and reach the rope. The horse was too tall, and Nate sat too high though. Mark strained to keep the horse in place, pointing quickly to the shacks on Nate's ankles and yelling out. "Get those!" Kenny tugged on the lock on the shackles, yelling out in a panic. "How?!" The horse stomped on Zero's foot and tried to bite him through the thick mask. Yelping, Zero strained out in a pained voice. "Bolt cutters! Storage! HURRY, I CAN'T HOLD HIM!"

Kenny ran toward the storage room, briefly looking before rushing back out with them. Running straight up to the horse, Kenny jammed the bolt cutters down on the chain away from the horse and snapped one of the links. The chain between the shackles fell open just as the horse yanked its head from Zero's weakening grip. With its head free, the horse reared again, knocking Mark and Zero to the ground as it flailed its hooves wildly. Landing, it bolted straight for the open doors. Mark screamed, jumping to his feet as Nate slid off the back of the horse's ass. Nate fell, but before he could even hang from the rope... the rope snapped, and he fell hard to the floor on his back. Everyone stood in breathless silence. From above them, Mari sat straddling the rafter, giving the flat of her katana blade a kiss. Sheathing it, she giggled down to them. "And THAT boys is why you bring me along." Panting, Kenny called up in a snarky voice. "Ya? What took you so long?" Mari gestured to her bandaged leg from her bullet wound, answering defensively. "I did this with a hole in my leg! I'd like to see you do better, Kenny."

Kenny flashed her a warm smile, bending over to take a few deep breaths. Zero moved to Nate, removing his gag and helping him sit up on the floor. Groaning from the pain, Nate managed to call up in a grateful voice. "Thank you, Mari." Mari saluted him with a smile. Mark wasn't so relaxed yet. He was heading toward the last place he had seen War. He wouldn't feel safe, until he saw his dead body. Creeping up to the hay stall, Mark listened as Kenny called up to Mari. "Alright. You made your point. Now get down from there before you fall." Mark reached out for the stall door, when Mari let out a sharp scream. Mark jerked around, expecting to see her fall. Instead, Mari lifted a hand and whined out. "Ow! I got a fucking splinter..." Kenny rushed to the ladder, starting to climb up as he told her firmly. "Mari, just stay there. I'll come and get you." Mark shook his head, turning back to the stall. From the hay, War lunged at him with his fist going for his throat. Mark dropped Becky and grabbed War's gauntlet wrist, trying to push it away from his neck. He managed to push it away a little, before a blade shot out from the gauntlet and War shoved the blade into his shoulder.

Mark let out a yell as blinding pain ran through him. He couldn't let his guard down though. Gripping War's wrist tighter, Mark tuned into it and used his strength to flip War over the stall door and out onto the cement floor. The blade of the gauntlet broke off, staying imbedded in Mark's shoulder. War's armor clanged loudly across the cement floor and he let out a pained groan on his own. He was favoring the leg Mari had managed to stab. Not wasting time, Mark tried to reach down to try picking up Becky, only to get punched by War's fist. The gauntlet cutting his cheek and stunning him into the stall. Mark staggered down beside the stall door, seeing stars but got a loose grip on Becky's handle. War rolled over, taking a defensive stance as he yelled out bitterly. "You wanna know how I knew it was you?!" Kenny leapt off the ladder to tackle War. War had been ready for it, couching enough that Kenny landed across his shoulders. Using Kenny's own momentum against him, War flipped Kenny into one of the empty stalls.

Mark seized the moment to climb to his feet, swinging Becky's sharp edge out at War's throat. War's hand caught the blade, blood beginning to run down his hand as he growled out. "I could taste the similarity in the blood you left at the scene." War yanked Becky from Mark's hand, kicking him in the chest with his armored foot. The kick knocked the air from Mark's chest, sending him back into the stall door. War twirled Becky in his hands, pointing the sharp edge at Mark as he said aloud. "I'm going to break every fucking bone in your body!" Zero fired an arrow, but his shot whizzed by War's throat by inches. War's eyes widened in both surprise and frustration, seconds before he turned to look at Zero. Zero winced, dropping his bow as his wounded arm gave out on him. War began moving toward Zero, saying in a light sneer. "You let him down... So, let me do the honors of removing your fucking head." Zero yanked his machete off his hip, facing War on shaky legs. Mark forced himself up onto his feet, yelling out. "WAR! Leave him alone!" War ignored him, his focus on Zero.

Kenny staggered up onto his feet, climbing over the stall door. While Nate rushed from a storage room with a pitchfork. War acted fast. Spinning to avoid Nate's strike, then using the blunt side of the handle to hit Nate in the balls with before knocking him out with the blunt side of the shovel. Kenny removed his gun, taking aim as Mari called out Nate's name from above. Her voice drew War's attention, causing him to heft Becky and throw it at her like a javelin. Mari screamed, ducking quickly but Becky struck her across the back. Mark saw Becky tear through the back of Mari's shirt. The pain and force of the hit, shifting her body off the rafter! Hanging by her arms, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Kenny's attention turned to Mari, allowing War to get the drop on him. Rushing up on him, War wrapped an arm around his neck to choke him by lifting his feet off the ground. Kenny tried to aim the gun behind him, but War twisted Kenny's hand to aim up toward Mari. Refusing to pull the trigger, Kenny chose to release the gun and focus on War's arm to stop himself from choking.

Zero ran up behind War, stabbing him in the back in a spot War's armor wasn't protecting. Mark watched in horror as War let out a groan, but it didn't slow him down. Shoving Kenny to the ground, War used Kenny's gun to shoot Kenny in the leg, before whirling around to aim the gun at Zero's face. War pulled the trigger, but the gun simply clicked an empty chamber. Zero was slightly relieved, until War stuck him with the pistol to backhand him clear off his feet. Mark tried to think of a way to save Mari, watching her whine and squirm as she worked to pull her feet up. War glanced up at her, getting ready to throw the gun at her. Trying to buy her more time, Mark ran into War in the hopes of tackling him down. He collided with War's torso, but War didn't go down. Pushing him away toward the door of the barn, Mark yelped loudly as War brought his elbow down on his back to stop him. War shoved Mark to the floor, kicking his ribs over and over until Mark was coughing up blood. When War stopped, he tapped his heel and another blade popped out of the toe of his armored boot.

Mark lost feeling in his left arm as the blade still in him went deeper. He had wanted to pull it out but wasn't able too. It just kept going in deeper with every movement he made. War was in no rush, walking closer to him as Mark tried to weakly crawl away. While following him, War chuckled out in a sadistic tone of voice. "You really think that you can defeat me in close combat? I've taken on trained fighters with more skill than you fuckers." Mark stopped crawling, sitting up straight as he told him in a defiant voice. "I killed him... and I will find a way to kill you." War chuckled. Mark didn't know how to get himself out of this, until he saw a figure approaching the doors of the barn. Mark couldn't believe what he was looking at. Curious, War briefly looked over his shoulder and then whirled around completely in his double take. Standing in the doors of the barn now was a figure covered in fresh blood and behind him were two horses. One was War's and the other was the skeletal remains of a horse with a black saddle. In the man's hand was a decapitated human head.

Mark's blood turned to ice. He couldn't think or speak as Sean tossed the head into the barn at War's feet, telling him with a dark smirk. "Guess who just conquered Death." To Be Continued...