Night Terror scowled as he sat on his throne. Sheer malevolence seemed to leak from his entire being as he glared at images of the Elements of Heroism. "Time and again they have opposed me. I try to destroy the Elements of Harmony, and they rush to their rescue. I wanted to kill the traitor Dark Ice, and they defend him and grant him asylum. My warriors have all been destroyed." Night Terror then shifted his attention to a lone figure in the room. "And you are all that remains is you." A massive figure clad in black armor, and bearing a gigantic sword, stepped out from the shadows.
"What are your orders My Lord?" The massive knight asked.
Night Terror rose from his throne, and clenched his fist. "I want you to EXTERMINATE the Elements of Heroism. Make sure that there is little left of their remains once you finish them. Show them why you earned the name 'Executioner'."
Executioner bowed. "By your command Lord Night Terror." Executioner slashed at the air in front of him, and a portal opened up. Leading to Unityville. "Rest assured. We shall execute them with great zeal." Behind Executioner, a whole legion of dark knights stood. Ready to do battle. "March forth! For today, the foes of Lord Night Terror shall be executed!" And with that, the legion of dark knights stepped through the newly opened portal.
Meanwhile, back at Unityville, Dark Ice was lying with his back on a cloud and looking at the sky. Reflecting on the recent turbulent changes his life had been through. First I run away from my family. Then I join a villain faction that wants eternal night. Said faction tries to kill my brother and I oppose them. Now I'm a traitor to that faction and they want my head on a pike. And even when I ran away, I still dragged my family into this. Heh. They always seem to bail me out of trouble. Especially Ace and Shadow. But that should be my job. I'm the eldest. I'm responsible for them.
"Hey bro." Arctic Ace called out as he noticed Ice as he was flying by. "You look like you're thinking hard. Care to tell me what's on your mind?"
Dark Ice shrugged. "Just thinking about how many times you've bailed me out of a jam." He then chuckled. "You're doing the job I was meant to do."
"Hey. I was the brains of our bunch." Ace said with a chuckle. "I kinda had to think our way out of messes we made while you and Shadow ran around panicking like the sky was falling!" The brothers shared a laugh before looking down on Unityville. "You know, times like these make me remember why I'm fighting."
Ice was about to respond when he felt something stir within him. "Ace. I think we're going to have company." The two then spotted the portal open up. "Scratch that. LOTS of company."
"We've got to get Burst and the others! Come on!" Ace spread his wings and flew off back to town to gather Burst and the others. Ice was hesitant to follow him, but spread his wings and followed his brother back to Unityville. Only a few minutes later, and most of Unityville had locked itself away. The Elements of Heroism readied their Duelist Arms as they approached the nearby field where the legion of dark knights had assembled.
Executioner stepped forth. "So. You are the Elements of Heroism. I am not impressed. You are the ones who have opposed my lord at every turn? The same nuisances that have vanquished my fellow Nightmare Warriors?"
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Burst Stream spat back. "And something tells me you're gonna hit the ground pretty hard when we're done with you and your goons!"
Executioner noticed Dark Ice among the group, and narrowed his eyes. "Insolent to your superiors and you harbor a traitor. You have sealed your fates. ATTACK!" Executioner waved his hand, and the legion of dark knights at his command charged!
"BRING IT BUCKET HEADS!" Burst cried out as he and the other Elements of Heroism charged! Burst blasted a hole in one of the advancing dark knights with one of his blasters! "Even with the armor, these guys aren't that much stronger than regular grunts! I thought the whole point of armored enemies was that they were tougher!" Burst the cut down a dark knight that tried to strike at him from behind!
Inferno was busy slicing and dicing the circle of dark knights engaging him before finishing with an explosive charged shot from his blaster. "If our past battles were anything to go by, I'd say Night Terror doesn't really invest a lot in his minions! He seems more like a quantity over quality kinda guy!"
"That would explain why he sent so many weak grunts to attack before!" Tyrannus called out as he blasted away a squad of dark knight with a thunder shot from his cannon! "Of course, fighting melee type enemies with fire arms is a bit unfair. So..." Tyrannus slung his cannon over his back, and flicked his wrists. The blades of his raptor gauntlets deployed! "I'll get up-close and personal!" Tyrannus charged at the encroaching dark knights! Cutting them down with great speed and ferocity! The dark knights fell to pieces before disintegrating!
Steel was holding his own against the dark knights engaging him, but he then noticed something odd. All the while, Executioner had been hanging back from the battle. Something's not right. He boasted that he'd be the one to end us. So why's he letting his grunts do all the work? Even when they're being torn to shreds? Steel barely had any time to think of an answer when he was set upon by more dark knights! However, he was having trouble fending them off in comparison to the previous batch of dark knights.
Ace noticed Steel starting to tire, and came to a startling realization. He too was starting to get exhausted. "Guys...I think we just played into this guy's hands...he-AGH!" Ace was knocked to the ground as a slash of dark magic was sent flying from Executioner's blade! The other Elements of Heroism noticed Ace go down, and immediately dispatched the dark knights engaging them! All of them mounting a charge on Executioner!
However, Executioner just swatted them all away with his gigantic blade! "Useless." Tyrannus managed to get to his feet, and fired a blast from his cannon! The blast of thunder struck Executioner directly, but did little more than scorch his armor! "I am of a sturdier constitution than the whelps you dispatched. You wonder why I did not bother to enter the fray earlier, don't you? Simple. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than cutting down foes who are cling desperately to whatever life remains for them."
Dark Ice was being swarmed by the remaining dark knights when he heard Executioner's chilling statement. And his eyes went wide with horror as he watched Ace and his friends mount desperate last stands against Executioner. But to no avail. Dark Ice made a break towards his brother in a desperate effort to save him, but the remaining dark knights tightened their hold on him! "GET OFF ME!" Ice screamed as he struggled to break free! "ACE!"
Executioner noticed Dark Ice screaming for his brother, and menacingly loomed over Ace's fallen form. "Pay close attention traitor. I shall personally tear asunder all you hold dear before giving you death's release." Exectuioner slowly raised his blade, and poised it to strike at Ace's heart.
Ice's eyes went wide with fear. Once again, his brother was in danger. And once again, here he was. Powerless. Afraid. Unable to move. But in that moment, Ice heard something. A voice. Is this how you will let it end? After you've come so far? Will you be helpless once again? The voice asked. Will you fail your brother again? WILL YOU LET YOUR FEARS COME TO PASS?!
"NOOOOO!" Ice screamed as he was engulfed in fire, and burst out from the dogpile of dark knights! He sped towards Executioner, and raised his hands to block Executioner's sword! But as the blade came down, Ice didn't feel it cut through him! Instead, Ice saw a claymore in his hands! Intercepting Executioner's own blade! The claymore had a crimson blade, and was modeled after a dragon that looked like it came from the bowels of Tartarus! And as the flames around Ice faded, his skin and wings had returned to normal. His eyes had changed from orange back to their natural blue. Ace was in awe of his brother's return to his true form.
"I-IMPOSSIBLE!" Executioner howled! "You never had that weapon before! What coward's trick is this?!?!"
Ice steeled his gaze. "You can't call me a coward." He then slashed off Executioner's arm! The arm disintegrating as nightmare essence leaked from the wound! "BECAUSE I'M NOT SCARED ANYMORE!"
"You think you shall win because I will be vanquished?! FOOLS!" Executioner spat defiantly! "You still have Lord Night Terror to contend with! He shall show you all true terror!
Dark Ice lowered his claymore. "Go ahead. Keep spouting off on how we should be scared. I won't lie. There's still fear in my heart of facing Night Terror. But true courage isn't going in without fear. It's fighting because you know that fear holds no power over you! LET ME SHOW YOU JUST HOW STRONG TRUE COURAGE IS!" Dark Ice leaped into the air, and sliced Executioner right down the middle! "BRAVE IMPACT!" Executioner erupted in blaze of hellfire! The dark flames completely incinerating the final Nightmare Warrior! Ice sheathed his claymore, and noticed a glow coming from his upper arm. He removed his jacket, and saw a mark of the very dragon that his claymore was based on.
"Good to have you back bro." Ace said with an exhausted smile as he and the other Elements of Heroism. "Welcome to the team."
Ice smiled. "Good to be back."
"Get ready Night Terror." Burst said with a smirk. "Pretty soon, we're gonna take the fight to you!" The Elements of Heroism raised their fists to the sky!
"HEROES TO THE CORE!"