The towering arm tree was left slightly scorched as the small creature burst into flame on its surface. It caused the arm to sway a bit, but it continued to rise regardless.

Cracks in the field where the characters stood sprouted yet more arms that grew fast and grasped at the skies. The area where they emerged grew larger and larger, the center point being the creature whose feet boomed as they shot through dirt and into stone with each step. The face of the being writhed and screamed constantly, louder and louder, no breaks. Its whole body was pointed towards Thirteen, with its arms limply hung in front of it.

From the fog underneath, fingers started to rise and weakly attempted to latch onto Thirteen's feet. The trees around him sprouted arms that slowly reached for him, their hands opened and closed constantly as they extended.

Elsewhere, rising trees slowly leaned towards a metal man climbing higher and higher.

As he climbed higher, he found himself watching the shadowy figures of arms and hands sprouting like overly excited trees reaching for the sky. The pseudo android received a thought, a short one and the voice sounded familiar: Venox.

I, Host, you, kill fingers.

He felt the need to doubt Venox despite the urgency of the situation. Indeed, Venox was closer to Thirteen than he was and she lacked the power to deal with the creature but so did he. The beast could just regenerate anything that was removed from him.

I don't know if you can receive this, Venox, Cooper breathed in. If you happen to help Thirteen in anyway to survive this, I'm coming for you I'll handle creature. You go for the numbered host.

Portals behind the android ripped open and ten of his allies emerged from them. Their laser guns fired, sending their barrage of energy at the growing trees.

"Command: Open a path that leads to the head," he ordered. The missile pods on his legs activated and sent several missiles directly at the growing mass. One of their best weapons was light or anything that made it. Keep the place lit and we'll have hope.

The ground seemed to move otherwordly once more but Cooper tried to pay it no heed. He knew the creature did this, its the aura it emanates.

The drones and the rockets cut through the arms, the smoke cloud still impeding any vision if in act it did any damage. If there was, there was hope of getting in.

Venox breathed deep, the intense pain dulling quickly. His wounds were healed, but his head still swam. He watched Thirteen. How could he take the Host down in this state? Did he even want to do it? As far as survival went, the finger beast was far more dangerous.

If Thirteen couldn't do his magic host power-y thingies anymore, then he might just have a chance at surviving combat...if he was in proper condition.

Venox curled his wings close, trying to will himself to rise, and suddenly, the world tilted upside down before his gaze. His vision blurred, and his mind knew what was coming. He had no strength to scream, whimpering instead. And then...he blacked out completely.

As soon as he did, smoke curled from his back, forming into another Darkwing. It coiled around its master protectively, keeping its eyes and ears on as much of the environment as it could. But could the serpent truly defend him from all this?

At this point, a good quarter of the field was infected with the creature's artificial forest. Where there was once blades of grass now rose thousands of fingers that squirmed like black worms come to surface. The moved and grasped of their own accord whilst the original body of the beast boomed his steps through the ground.

This creature no longer needed the mere clicks of its fingers as a constant roaring tone escaped from the void within what was once its face. Tiny projectiles flew towards it, nothing that arose any concern in the beast since its hunger was far too much to focus on its safety. A few of the missiles exploded on several arm trees around the beast, brillaint bursts of light which caused the thing's frozen and pain-ridden body to be cast in shadow upon the ground's mist. To the luck of the scientist, a missile managed to find its way directly to the creature's open head.

Its body froze as its skull was torn apart, fragments of fingers littering the area. The explosion caused the being extreme pain, and for a few seconds, the whole forest was paralyzed with it. And then it erupted into a frenzy.

It pawed at its head, trying to protect it from further harm as it slowly regenerated, one painful appendage at a time. Arms sprouted from all over its body, some to protect its healing skull and others to pound loudly at the ground, as if to warn predators off. The trees around the creature's vicinity started to shake violently and close towards the beast to give it some cover. It stopped caring about every character around it and focused on healing.

"Exclamation: The beast is hurt!" Bl.An.C. increased his volume for all to hear. His optic focused on the mass that began to scrunch up into one spot; the damaged head. The pseudo-android continued his assault - missiles escaped their pods and his plasma gun kept their fire. His drones encircled the creature and didn't let up whilst two took note of Thirteen and Venox.

The two below should hear that; it will be up to them to act. Venox can attempt to strike down Thirteen at this point or assist against the arm creature. Either way is good for him.

Venox woke as if he'd been electrocuted, all senses sharp once more. His eyes locked on to the finger beast's head...its now guaranteed weak spot.

He nodded to his Darkwing, and the pair took off in a whirl of wings. Venox made sure the serpent was watching him, and twitched his head downwards. He repeated the action, and the Darkwing's eyes burned with focus. Flames poured from both their jaws as they zigzagged over their target's head, relentless in their attack.

Nothing is real.

If he so believed it, it would be reality.

Thirteen heard this more than once, but was it true? If he could no longer leave if he so desired, what would it mean for that theory? He didn't bother to think anymore; the best answer was to attempt it for himself. He already believed himself stronger than any one of the people here. What more would it be to simply let that perceived gap in strength wider than he had already assumed?

He pulled a leg back and landed a kick squarely against one of the arm like trees. If his previous blows were the cracks of a rifle, now it became the blast of a cannon, blowing a hole and felling the pseudo tree. He watched in wonder for a mere second, before he held back and laugh. It was all perfect. He understood this world now.

He told himself he could fly, and when he jumped, he was next to Bl.An.C in the air, fist held back for a devastating punch.

This time, he would prevail.

Bl.An.C.'s drone immediately took note of Thirteen's movement and within the time frame of the jump, it had alarmed the pseudo android of it but the host was too fast for his reflexes to react to. Instead of dodging, he crossed his arms to block the attack and trained the missile pods onto Thirteen. The host's punch connected but Bl.An.C.'s own missiles did as well; the rockets screeched out of their pods and crashed onto Thirteen's body.

The armored scientist exhaled as he kept himself aloft in the air, damage was near critical but the weapons were still intact and functioning.

The beast's face was already mostly healed, but it was still heavily distracted by it. The forest around him swayed mindlessly, even the arms and fingers on the floor were halted, though the area close to the beast still tried to protect and cocoon it. This will lull on for a short while longer yet.

Venox hovered in the air, keeping his mouth glowing bright with flame ready to be released. His Darkwing came up beside him, mirroring his actions. The pair released their flame at the same time, focusing the full brunt of the attack on the finger beast's face. They held their positions for a little, and then fell back into the dart and dodge technique.

As Venox circled around for another fire blast, his Darkwing flew in close to his left side, lightly brushing his wingtip with its own.

The metal one and the number fight, it said. They hurt bad.

Focus, Venox replied. We'll hurt the beast more, and then see what they're doing.

The bat swept over the finger beast again, sending a burning gout into the beast's mouth. Given how hungry this thing was, and how bright he and his Darkwing were being, Thirteen and the android had to be careful. With all the arm tree things around, an unexpected swipe would probably be enough to catch either one off guard.

As far as Venox's knowledge went, he couldn't see any version of this incident without someone getting seriously hurt. His Darkwing got caught by a tree and was crushed into a pulp by its fisted branches. Undaunted, Venox spawned another one and realized for the first time that Thirteen appeared to be flying. There was a wild look in the Host's eyes, almost as if he knew he'd be able to do this from the very beginning.

He believes, the bat's mind told him. Anything is possible.

Anything....

The flames merely extinguished against the many arms that covered and surrounded the beast's body and head as it healed, damaging nothing.

## Because no matter how much you write that it is, if you looked to my previous posts, Handyman's head isn't in the open.
##

Quote from WafflesMgee

Arms sprouted from all over its body, some to protect its healing skull

##

Quote from WafflesMgee

though the area close to the beast still tried to protect and cocoon it.

The rockets burst into a display of light and smoke, but Thirteen felt nothing. He was invincible.

"I've mastered this world!" He laughed, almost in a manic definition, "what does it matter if I cannot leave? I am-"

You have not.

He choked, feeling hands grab at his throat, pulling him down from the air and hurtling him down into the earth. Perhaps if Bl.An.C had not observed carefully, if would seem as though Thirteen had simply fallen from the impact of his missiles.

The land struck him, a sharp pain that would have killed anyone. But this was not the usual world, and Thirteen was not the usual person. He struggled against the invisible force, opening his mouth to speak yet lacking air in his lungs.

You cannot stop me! He projected in his mind, block my way out, retrain me as you will! I have no mind to fall to the likes of you!

There was no immediate response, but he felt a cold emptiness, almost forcing him to shiver.

...If you dare order chaos, you are but a fool.

The armored scientist watched as Thirteen fell from the sky.

"Statement: One less thing to worry about for the time being," he muttered. "Command: Keep an eye on him and the rest of you..."

A drone simply chimes an affirmation and hovered just meters above the numbered host while Bl.An.C. himself focused on the gathering arms.

"...focus fire on one spot."

The other spherical robots proceeded with a barrage of lasers that was trained in on area with the hopes of penetrating through to the head. The pseudo android unleashed a volley of missiles that targeted somewhere else, to slow the regeneration process by splitting the beast's concentration. His plasma gun charged and he aimed for the spot the drones were firing on.

A strange, cold feeling crawled along Venox's back. His Darkwing sensed it immediately, and began to fly closer to him, its mind radiating concern.

Venox flicked his wings, bursting into the darkest part of the room he could find. There, he curled up and froze, trying to stay as still as he could. If the beast used echoes like him, he should escape detection for now as he tried to figure out who else...or what else, was in the room with them. Seeing he was safe for now, the Darkwing turned back to fight the finger beast.

The bat closed his eyes, listening hard to the environment. He blocked out the sounds of the fight, trying to find other sounds. As his senses expanded, he caught the presence of something. It was all around them, everywhere and nowhere. Powerful. The other Host...or Hosts...it had to be.

Don't let it in. Let it go. his mind hissed forcefully. Bosses don't get bossed without consequences!

Venox noted Thirteen's position, and the tortured look on the Host's face. These Host creatures were turning out scarier than he thought. They weren't afraid to turn on one of their own. Any beast who did that was to be feared, especially by its own generation.