The Unnecessary Balance VII

Ya trust my judgement on all matters involving spiders.

Well, it looks like you're right, Neo. I'll vote for the customized C option.

(Continued)

A sudden flare of inspiration pops into your mind. "Hey Lazzy! How about you do me a favor and roast some marshmallows!"

He stares blankly at you for several moments, before his eyes widen in realization. "Wha-? Are you insane?!"

"Yup!" You shout back, giggling. "I'll herd everyone back into the other room, while you shed some light in here!"

Not waiting to see his reaction, you grab Kara's arm-which is a little odd now that you think about it-and lead her back through the Lazzy shape hole in the wall. Dol hurries after you. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asks.

You merely smile, and turn to look back the way you came. "Don't worry. My Lazzy is completely immune to fire."

"That's not what I meant," Dol replies, his tone urgent. "What would happen if that chamber were to suddenly combust? Arachne's venom is chemically altered, just like her. There's a high chance the combination could cause an explosion, and even if it doesn't, Arachne weighs at least five or six tons and these catacombs aren't exactly structurally sound. If she were to fall from the flames, the entire floor would shatter and Lord Lazareth would go with it."

Your smile vanishes and your eyes widen. "Wait... The odds of that actually happening are slim... Right?"

Before he can reply, a sudden blast of fire lights the area beyond, and within seconds, every inch of Arachne's lair is ablaze. And then everything goes horribly wrong.

What you made the spiders explosive? My plan factored crude oil flammability not gasoline.

Yeah

I can live with that.

The explosion shakes the very foundations of the temple, and the resulting shockwave sends you flying backwards a good ten feet. You land flat on your rear, dazed and shaken but unharmed. Rubble and dirt rain down from above, and more walls collapse, but thankfully the whole ceiling doesn't come crashing down. You stumble to your feet, while Kara and Dol stumble to theirs, just a couple feet from you. Dol seems to be screaming at you to do something, but between your thundering headache and loss of hearing, then entire world seems to have slowed down. You can't hear a word. Suddenly, you realize someone's missing from this picture.

And then you remember. You aren't going to lie; in that single moment, you forget all your training. You completely panic. You sprint back towards the chamber as fast as your feet can carry you, vaulting over debris and stone. Your hearing abruptly returns, and you realize you're frantically screaming Lazzy's name. Just as you reach the chamber, Dol suddenly grabs your arm, saving your life. You stumble over the precipice, eyes wide, but Dol and Kara prevent you from plummeting to your death. The entire floor of the chamber has... Vanished. Dirt and stone crumble into an abyss, a sheer drop with no visible bottom. Any trace of a spider ever having lived here has been wiped of the face of the planet. But... Where's Lazzy?

You fall to your knees, and look over the edge, screaming Lazzy's name over and over. There is no reply, and you burst into tears. It's all my fault... I... I... I killed him! In those horrible moments, you realize something. You realize you just sent the only man you've ever truly loved to his death.

"Hey!Don't go digging my grave yet! Over here!!"

Your eyes snap up at the familiar voice, and through your blurry vision, you make out a figure on the opposite end of the chamber, standing in a small crevice in the wall. A figure with fiery red hair. "Lazzy!!!" You cry out, bolting to your feet so quickly you nearly fall yourself.

"Stand back!!!" He booms, motioning wildly for you to move away. "I'm gonna jump!"

Your eyes widen in shock and fear. There's no way he'll make that jump!! No one could, not even him!

Before you can protest, Dol actually has the nerve to drag you away! "Let me go!!" You command, harshly kicking him in a certain weak spot all men share. Despite his armor, he yelps like a wounded animal and lets go of your arm. You're just about to sprint back to the chamber, when Lazzy suddenly jumps. He shifts into his true form mid air and looses a giant inferno of flame at the wall behind him. You watch in disbelief as the torrent of fire acts as a booster, propelling his massive form through the air and clear over the abyss. He lands on the other side, skidding and knocking debris everywhere, before finally stopping right in front of you. You immediately drop to your knees and bury your face in his fiery mane.

"I thought I lost you," you sob softly.

Lazzy shifts back into human form, and gently pulls your shaking body into his arms. "Sh, it's alright kitten. I'm fine. See? Not a scratch on me."

You sniff and wipe your eyes, inhaling a shaky breath. "I can't do it," you say suddenly. "I just can't. I'm not a strategist, or a tactician. I'm not Gallagher. I'm not... I'm not Trail. I'm a.. Thief. I can't send the people I love to their deaths. I'm not strong enough."

Lazzy tightens his arms around you, silencing you with a gentle kiss. "You don't have to be, love. Where do you think the Emperor gets his strength from? On his own, no matter how powerful he might be, he's still just one man. But with all his friends and family... Suddenly he's not just one man anymore, but a hundred. A thousand. Don't you see Leah? You aren't alone anymore. And you don't need to be strong on your own. We're all here for you now, especially me. You can't let the possibility of making a mistake scare you. Do you honestly think I would have gone through with your plan, if it meant certain death for me?"

You understand what he's trying to say, you really do but... "I... I need some time to think, Lazzy."

He nods, and you relax in his arms. You lay there in silence for a few moments, until Kara decides to ruin the moment with common sense. "Um... Not to be a spoilsport or anything, but that explosion probably alerted every creepy crawlie in a hundred mile radius of our whereabouts... Maybe we should um.. You know, run? I really think it might be a good idea to run now."

You look up at Kara in surprise, noticing the fear in her tone, and her very, very big eyes. You turn so you can see what she's looking at, and immediately wish you hadn't. Back in Arachne's old lair, the walls of the new abyss are moving. Kara lets fly a small magical orb of light, guiding it to the chamber, illuminating a hoard of spiders a million strong, all of them crawling out of the pit.

Yeah... Perhaps it's better you...

"RUN!!!!" Dol screams.

Ok so we unleashed a giant inter-dimensional space demon from its' icy prison. Also why are the little spiders causing so much fear? If they're explosive like their mama then one long rang fire attack will take out the whole brood.

Something just tells me that Mr. Space demon just made this mission a whole lot more complicated and that whatever neo has planned for him we should be cautious. It seems like most if not all of the legacy bosses are based off of a video game boss. The boss shouldn't be impossible to beat but Mr space demon probably going to take a lot of planning and maybe picking an Anna and pray.