Hawkins almost did a double take, the unfamiliar voice making Cull jump as he glared down at the smaller Tinker Mole. Gidget was fidgeting with his hard hat, his claws nervously brushing the faded Gadgeteers emblem. He must've been trained by them before defecting to the Gearloose gang.

"Oh yeah?" Cull replied, his attention drifting towards the healer's station.

Gidget's salvaged axe and hammer were strapped to his toolbelt but it looked like he was like a toddler playing house. Hawkins tried to focus on helping Mantis but she brushed him aside. The ninja mole was too cute for him to take seriously.

"I'm a Miner Crafter. Which means I can dig faster than any of my kin combined even through this harsh gravel and gritstone." Gidget explained, the Tinker Moles dialect was a mix of Caldorian and Nocturus.

"So?"

Cull folded his arms, as if uninterested in the shy Tinker Moles plan. But Gidget stood up to the big bad brawler anyways and bombarded him with a seemingly foolproof plan.

"So, with a mix of my uncles Craft and mine along with two Firestep wolves, a Sand Wraith and your explosive power we could at least slow them down. If we use some leftover bomber traps before they hit the barrier....it might give us a chance."

Cull's brain began to whir through each cog in the plan as he tried to get on the same page. Hawkins let the Fire Traited handle the young Tinker Mole as he and Hack worked through healing his injuries.

"We talkin' full trenches or just a few pockets, kiddo? This place is alive and I don't think it'll appreciate a lil' mole like you scrambling about and tearing potholes through its foundations."

The Sand Wraith gaped as Hawkins took a few seconds to mask his genuine surprise that Cull knew so much about the inner workings of Axis. Mantis however scoffed and rolled her eyes to hide her exhaustion and forced herself to hold her Trait firm. It gave Gidget a few things to think about, giving him a grateful smile that he was away from his uncle.

"I can communicate with Axis using Hammerlocke to temporarily gain permission and create a pit trap big enough without damaging the supports. It should be able to react to my Craft in time but..."

Gidget gave a hesitant glance towards the Mediator but Cull latched onto Gidget's need for confirmation.

"What? You like studying grimoires, I like studying demolition projects."

Hawkins' Trait began to dim, his flames finishing to heal the Earth Traited as he simply shrugged at the duo.

"Sounds better than anything else I could've come up with."

Blaize snorted, Hazard struggling to get to his feet as she supported him from the side as he limped forward. Mantis had kept her stance wide and kept shuffling from side to side to limit her time standing still and to conserve energy as much as she could.

The Firestep wolf had corralled Thea and Hazard under the stone shelter, her brother yelping all the while. She chuckled despite herself and teased her brother anyways.

"I think you're getting soft, brother. We got far worse burns in the Bitrfyre wars than you did from a measly puppet."

"Shut up. You try to tell that pup not to be so stubborn." Hazard snapped back, wincing at her sister's rising flames.

Blaize laughed at her brother's stubbornness, following his gaze and quipped.

"Which one?"

The two grinned, chuckling under their breath only for a loud yell to interrupt their conversation.

"Sorry to spoil the reunion but can we hurry up! I'm not a Sand Wraith, I can't hold this forever!"

Mantis stumbled onto one knee, her hands struggling to hold the sheer weight of the air shield against the Truants. Hawkins willed his Fire Trait to help mend Hack's exhaustion a little quicker but the flash of Memoriam's reminder of the consequences forced him to focus.

Hack took a painstaking step forward but was stopped in his tracks by a speedy Tinker Mole diving headfirst into the fray. The ground seemed to meld with his fur as he disappeared right under Axis' watch like a world class swimmer.

The Fire Traited kept an eye on the battlefield near the sidelines, Cull's heating ability providing small heat markers to help them navigate the terrain without hurting the clever Crafter.

"Mantis! We need a tailwind now!"

Despite the situation, Hawkins stifled a laugh as Mantis gave Cull a rude gesture in reply. Still gasping for air, the Fire Traited dragged the half elf to her feet as she swatted him away.

"Don't tell me what to do, Cullian!"

Hawkins started getting ready to mediate the situation, gesturing to the Sand Wraith to manage the other side but Cull's expression changed from frustration to something else.

His Smoke Trait was drawn towards the heat emanating from the floor, the small pockets of amber rising and falling like the breath of a giant. Until his eyes latched onto Cull's grimoire. He was trying to use his Trait without getting angry.

Hawkins knew how easy it was for Fire Traited to get overwhelmed. Hells he had almost lost himself to the revelation about Wisp so Cull trying to stay calm was a new development for him. But it meant he was actively trying to get the plan to succeed. That was good enough for any Mediator to get behind.

"Just do it. We need to keep them together and hide where Gidget's scent is."

Mantis groaned, rolling her eyes as Gidget's first trench came into view of the Truants as they were immediately buffeted by a strong wind. The change in weather caused them to take a wary step back right into Gidget's trap.

Barnstormer's weight collapsed in on herself, her prosthetic arm had merged with her skin, shards sticking out like glass at its hammer formed at the base, collecting a series of root systems and deadly mushrooms. None of that aided in her grip.

"Oh, so you'll listen to him, huh?" Cull muttered, sending a blast of heat as a warning to the Tinker Mole waiting below.

Deadeye had been rendered completely blind, his eye sockets still burning as liquid oozed like the wick of a candle dripped precariously close to Gidget's fur, the Tinker Mole scuttling away before Cull triggered another blast of his Trait towards them. It would help Deadeye's ability but also overwhelm his lack of sight.

The intricate foundations began to topple down on them as they became caved in on both sides. Hawkins turned away at the sight of Barnstormer's mournful pleas being muffled by the windstorm as debris and rubble caved in on her. To think that was only a decoy attempt.

There was no time to sympathise with the Gearloose gang as Organa attempted to slither out and grasped for the Trait condensed rain. Mantis continued her barrage as her barriers stopped the Truants from heading towards them. The Tinker Moles worked in a frenzy to build the next few trenches but time was running out.

Rin remained by the duo's side, fed up with being left out of the plan as Hack hung back to keep an eye on Gizmo while Blaize remained with Reina. It took Gizmo a few moments to join the group but with his nephew now involved in the danger he kept a watchful eye. Each air barrier needed to be carefully lifted to allow the trenches to be filled.

"Can't believe I have to babysit the guy who blew us up." Rin grumbled, becoming frustrated by Gidget's rapid appearances and disappearances.

Mantis and Rin began to work in tandem to rapidly blast the ground with hot air. The slightly wet ground was useful for Gidget to maneuver through the ground but to set up bomber traps it would be almost impossible without the teamwork of the duo.

"We did it first, Rin. He's just less original with his ideas."

Gizmo's Craft got to work as his claws moved along like a metal detector to find the small grains of metal hidden within the earth. The uneven gravel continued to drain out pockets of moisture before being ignited with a familiar gear like sigil. The bomb sites.

"I'm right here y'know." He retorted, shuffling along the line of mines.

The two Traited grinned.

"We know."

Gizmo's symbols allowed the others to locate the amber glow of the Tinker Mole's bombs and avoid being blown to bits by a rigged trench trap. Problem was, they didn't know whether the Truants had the same cognitive ability to recognise it too. But they couldn't worry about that for now.

Mantis' gaze was trained on the two groups in front of her, keeping one hand beside Rin and the other out in front of her, blocking the group of Truants from advancing. Both Hack and Gidget had begun shifting the earth like a pendulum to push them away from increasing their speed. But strangely the Overtaken duo had not moved.

"How are Gidget and Mantis' group able to move together so quickly? They can't exactly see down there. Surely they're worried about crashing into each other?"

Hack took a few moments to reply, nudging him towards the ever encompassing Truants hunting them down. The Mediators knew how one track-minded the Truants were but the Overtaken seemed to be far more cautious. The vast array of moving Traits in front of them must've been a lot to keep track of.

"Hammerlocke. They might not use it in communications anymore but it's still part of their history. I taught Mantis a few common codes just in case. She learns quickly, for a half elf."

Hawkins had gotten well used to the bias but still had to hold his tongue to focus on his Trait. Mantis' mouth moved but the sound was being pushed elsewhere like an echo while the distinct sound of claws clicking together was amplified. Whatever Odi had taught her had certainly done wonders for her Traits' versatility.

The smoke seeped upwards from Gizmo's preset traps, obscuring Truant's vision in a sequence of air barriers. It merged with the grey smog to condense it into an immovable wall only they could see through. Hawkins gave the duo a wan smile of thanks for the idea while Hazard remained his sister's bodyguard and Reina's warden. Just in case.

"I'm just surprised Mantis is so willing to work with anyone besides Rin." Cull interrupted, directing his flames away from them.

Hack couldn't help but snort, the earth rumbling along with his laughter.

"I heard you, y'know?" Mantis snapped, snuffing out Cull's awaiting flames with a brief puff of her breath.

"We know."

Their laughter was cut off by a strange rumbling sound, as if they had disturbed the roots of an old tree. Hack's raised hand was the only silent indicator to a harrowing sight they had only presumed to be true.

"Hack-" he began, but the words wouldn't form.

The ground below the Overtaken began to glow, a burning light in the darkness far harsher than any Infernal Triad could create. Hawkins didn't know whether it was a warning or a cry for help but the thinly lit silhouette of a pair of dragons was all he could see.

"Sashio."

Hack's mournful cry cut through the air, his Trait no longer being able to hold the immense power over the earth in front of him. One by one, the Truants glowed in tandem, their hollowed out chests calling out to them to end their suffering. Not just to him. To Hack. To all of them.

Willow.

Sashio.

Bristle.

Polaris.

Rajah.

He didn't know how Memoriam knew their names or why he couldn't say it aloud. It felt wrong to speak of them when he hadn't considered them a thought beforehand. The missing Agars he had wondered about were now in full view, their skeletons hunched into a cramped space as if permanently asleep instead of being used for something far more sinister. Not a scrap of life remained in their bodies. Only ash.

"Hack..there all...there all acting as a power source. Like, they were forced to..."

Hawkins couldn't even find the words to describe it. The thought made him sick.

"I know, boyo. I know. It's not necromancy, it's...wrong. It's all wrong. They should've been given a choice. We used to be given a choice but..."

Hawkins had never seen his mentor look so terrified. He looked visibly in pain, gripping his blackened stump of a leg as if to dull the pain with a different one. His scales had returned to the ominous black he had seen back in Grimmordeals but this time it wasn't out of anger. It was grief.

"What about Mantis...and-"

Hawkins' feet tried to walk towards them but the glowing sigils reminded him of the traps beneath them. Only they noticed the change in the atmosphere, Mantis and the others still working away diligently, barely glancing up at their enemies as if locked in a single moment in time. After all that work, he couldn't help them. He hadn't thought to even try. Not with Deadeye or Barnstormer or Organa. Not one.

"Maybe we can still..."

"No, Hawkins. You mustn't. I know it hurts to see this but we mustn't forget it. Please." Hack pleaded, tearing his gaze away despite the tears clouding his judgement.

Had he tried harder to empathise with the Gearloose gang, maybe with enough time he could've convinced them just like the other Enforcers. But to survive the Overtaken he had to block those memories out and now he was left with what remained.

It was his choice to ignore the black grimoire to save Thea and now he had to live with it. Memoriam would not be ignored again. Flashes of their lives entered his peripheral, dissipating like smoke in the wind just like before. He didn't have the right to mourn them.

"I don't want to look."

Hawkins turned his head away, unable to look at the scene in front of him. He could see the spirits of the trapped Agars: the large hulking frame of Barnstormer dwarfing the orange glow of the Copperback dragon.

Rajah's throat had a large, gruesome indentation as if someone had grabbed her by the throat and held her down. She cowered away from the Earth Truant, horrified by her own partner and her actions.

"We have to. We're the only ones who can." Hack reiterated, attempting to reach him despite the physical gap between them.

The five spirits seemed split in staying tethered to their corrupted Agars, Polaris the two headed Sea Screamer even attempting to attack Organa with no success. Willow and Sashio seemed more occupied with each other, scrapping angrily as if blaming each other for their predicament. It was clear those dragons had history.

The Smoke Trollian nearest Hack had the complete opposite reaction, attempting to reach his struggling Agar only to pass right through him. Deadeye's blank reaction paired with Bristle's distress was too much for Hawkins to bear, it reminded him too much of Wisp and his last moments with him.

"What do you-"

"Now!"

Cull's roar sent Hawkins slamming back into reality, the earth below cracking at the seams. The chain reaction of bombs were set off in tandem within the trenches as Mantis shoved him into the opposite direction. He could barely hear her above the din of the explosions.

"Run, you idiot!"

Hawkins had no choice but to follow her, the ground beneath them caving in by the second. He couldn't help but look behind them, the Truants struggling to avoid the giant pitfall trap. The spirits he had seen were nowhere in sight but at least Hack had broken out of the stupor he was in and helped bring up the rear.

Hawkins couldn't help but pity the Overtaken despite assisting with the trap. He didn't want to hurt them. Strangely the thing that solidified his resolve wasn't Hack or Mantis. It was Cull.

He couldn't name the look in the young Fire Traited eyes but there was a sense of understanding that he knew what Hawkins had just seen. That Cull himself had seen what a world without necromancy could do and what consequences the necromancers had faced in doing so.

Hawkins struggled to keep up with the group, Gidget and Gizmo lagging dangerously behind as he couldn't help but ask Memoriam to tell him what happened but there was no response. The once burning anger towards different situations was now strangely placid but he had no time to worry about Cull.

Hawkins struggled up onto the destroyed prison, the controlled cave in stopping at the makeshift border they had created. But he had failed to notice the Overtaken attempting to crawl out, clinging to Gidget's leg as the ground crumbled beneath him.

"Uncle Gizmo!"

The Truants had been wiped out by the landslide but Hack was struggling with controlling the impact and Gizmo was two minutes away from abandoning his nephew to save himself. Hawkins' heart was in his throat, the sight of the Overtaken clinging to life despite everything he knew about them forced Gidget's trauma to the forefront.

"Mediator! Help him!"

Cull's yell broke him out of his stupor, the sight of his thrown together flame noose triggering something in his memory he didn't know he had. The Fire Traited clung to his fraying rope to save the squealing Tinker Mole but the Overtakens' grip on Gidget was too strong.

Hawkins tried to grasp the cloying smoke around the area but it was too thin. He tried to produce a similar coil of flame as Cull but he could only produce sparks like a weak burst of flint striking together.

Taking a shaky breath, he tried to focus on how Mantis had used her Trait and her words to confirm something he never thought was possible. If there was one thing he could count on it was that the half elf never minced her words. He had to trust her. He had to use his Air Trait to save them.

Gidget was flailing around, his grip loosening on the crumbling cliff that not even his claws could continue digging into. Hawkins felt for his Trait the same way he did with his smoke but tried to picture something similar to Mantis air shield. All Gidget needed was a foothold.

Hawkins closed his eyes and went through the repetition in his mind, his smoke becoming thinner and thinner against his fingertips until it was barely within his grasp. It was incredibly difficult to use something he couldn't see or feel but from Mantis' perspective it was just as natural as his smoke. She had faith it could be the same for him.

A flash of a memory conjured a blurry image of a ginger curly haired girl hanging off a roof. There was a coil of flame around her waist as she darted around on solid platforms of air as easy as breathing. Hawkins opened his eyes just as Cull's rope went slack.

The hazy memory was still clogging his vision but with a gentle gesture the air was coaxed upwards in a flurry of movement. It was a small insignificant puff of wind. Like blowing out a candle before a long night's rest. But for Gidget it was enough.

The Overtaken was pushed downwards as Gidget was boosted momentarily upwards, his claws retracting instinctively as it dug into the fresh ground. Gidget desperately clung to the decaying supports and clambered up the declining cliff face.

The Overtaken fell into open air.

Hawkins looked away, the sunken sound of a deadweight crashing into solid beams was a sound he couldn't forget. He doubted the Overtaken was dead but at least they were all safe from its wrath. Gizmo finally stepped in and half dragged his shaking nephew out of the sheer drop. Cull's dwindling flame dissolved into thin air as the coil of flame loosened itself around his waist.

Gidget clung to his uncle's fur, awkwardly leaning back against the roof of the shelter and attempting to comfort his consolable nephew. Everyone had gathered together on top of the bus stop made in front of a giant dismantled prison, Cull sitting next to him just out of sheer exhaustion. Hawkins didn't have to ask if he was struggling.

"My sister used to do that with her Trait."

Hawkins gestured to the flickering embers burning his fingertips. His Trait still trying to form a coiling rope as if not quite convinced Gidget was entirely saved. Perhaps it was an automatic response from trying to protect Rin for so long.

"Didn't know you had one."

The Fire Traited wrung his hands together to try and stop his flames but Hawkins was too caught up with what he had seen. Cull's flame noose had ignited something in his synapses, his brain pounding with a splitting migraine as he tried to process the red haired girl he saw.

"...Neither did I."

The awkward silence was interrupted by a loud roar, jolting them into an instinctive 'attack mode' after all they had been through. Hack and Mantis were struggling to section off the sheer drop in an attempt to make the surroundings safer.

They were working on sheer willpower alone but it had awoken the rage of the second Overtaken. It had managed to return parts of the destroyed earth like a flimsy jigsaw in an attempt to reforge it with its Fire Trait. It now stood on a teetering bridge several metres between the chasm and the barely standing shelter.

"I know the elf would normally say this but...a little help here!" Hack yelled out, almost keeling over from the sheer effort of holding it back.

Hawkins couldn't help but compare the Overtaken to the Vulcanoirs: magma-like titans who created the Emerald Isles after defending the borders between Caldor, Tarragon and Neridia. But unlike the Vulcanoirs, he had experience with this kind of Traited and he was far stronger than he looked.

Hack and Mantis were using their Traits together to try and knock the Overtaken off balance but it kept recreating new paths and deconstructing old ones. The strength of Hack's tremors and Mantis' wind currents were growing weaker and the Overtaken was trying to force a battle of attrition.

Blaize and Hazard were stuck on the edge, too afraid to make a lunge without the platforms crumbling beneath them. Only Thea was attempting to use her invisibility and small stature to distract the Overtaken into making a wrong move. But it wasn't doing much to deter the behemoth from attempting to reach the other side.

"Hack! It's after Reina!"

The Singfall siren was nowhere to be seen, the Firestep twins too preoccupied with the immediate threat to notice their prisoner was no longer there. But Hawkins still had the rain on his side.

He scanned the area as Cull lit up the darkness with his Infernal Traid, the pages open wide as Thea retreated towards the familiar heat of Hazard's mane. It was enough to lure Reina towards his trap, her control over the storm attempting to douse out his flames.

"You're out of time, Mediator. She is coming."