"Vanessa, why are you STILL here? You've made a mockery of this entire event!"

The leader of the Defias shrugged, letting out a yawn and smirking at Tirion, who was growing ever so bored of her presence.

"Because, I am the best, Highlord. There's apparently nothing you can throw at me to stop me. At this rate you'll have to fight me yourself, and I just don't think you-"

There was an ominous beating of drums as the stadium doors opened and the intimidating form of Hex Lord Malacrass strode in, looking very confident and waving to a crowd of trolls who was dancing and cheering in the stands. Vanessa raised an eyebrow at a chuckling Tirion, before hopping down from the stands and giving the Hex Lord the eye.

"Dere be much darkness in ya, missy. Malacrass gonna enjoy dis!"

"I hate trolls."

The giant troll lumbered towards Vanessa, cackling and raising his weapon. There was a puff of smoke at two points in the arena behind him, as the hissing form of Slither and the demonic form of Gazakroth appeared. Vanessa drew to a halt, waving her arms.

"Wait a minute! I've done intel on you! Why couldn't you bring the elf or that Raadan guy?"

"Raadan complain too much. Not summon often." Malacrass explained, raising an arm in the end before firing several spirit bolts at Vanessa, who began cursing, before leaping at Malacrass and stabbing him furiously. Gazakroth the imp began firing fireballs at her, while Slither copied the action with venom bolts.

"Minions! ATTACK!" Vanessa yelled, as three of her Defias cronies appeared from the shadows (which are always conviniently located), the two sword-weilding guards charging for Slither and attacking him, engaging the giant snake. The caster began attacking the imp, drawing his attention from Vanessa.

"It good to have friends!" Malacrass said, facing Vanessa and grunting as her blade thrusts began to perform their toll.

"I have no need for friends! I am more powerful than anyone, including my father!"

The caster assistant conjured a Blood Zone on the ground, which appeared at the other end of the arena. Vanessa facepalmed before shadowstepping, hitting Malacrass once in the back and then running for the Blood Zone, turning and beckoning. There was a furious hiss and a slight burning smell as Slither and Gazakroth killed one of her assistants each, turning to finish the third.

"Ya got baggage, missy. Your heart be dark, and Malacrass wishes for a taste..."

Malacrass roared and a beam of white light connected itself to Vanessa as he began siphoning her soul. She shrugged.

"I have nothing to hide..."

He charged as the Blood Zone faded, raising his weapon once more. Behind him, his friend Slither dropped dead as the imp finished off the third attacker.

"You be a rogue, mon! You have EVERYTHING to hide! Malacrass sees it now. Your father, murdered. Your friends, gone. Forced to hire a puny murloc as a kingpin because everyone else be lackin' the brainpower?"

"Stop it!" Vanessa demanded, attacking him more and more furiously, but his Drain Power spell lowering the damage as it rose.

"Hidin' behind poisons and weaklings, throwin' em to the beasts as they become useless. Ye be washed up, VanCleef and y'know it missy!"

Malacrass began striking her harder and harder as her rogue knowledge echoed through his mind. The siphon ended.

"I am powerful! I am greater than my fath-ARGH!" she screamed as the imp's fireball hit her directly in the back.

"Den your father must have been weak. Puny adventurers be able to kill him!"

Spirit bolts began firing at Vanessa again. Three more of her assistants appeared, all three charging at the imp but it was useless. She knew that this was going to end badly for her. Thinking quickly, she cast Deflection, but the spirit bolts were not reflected, as they killed her assistants, who had just finished off the imp and were preparing to tear him apart.

"I've-I've armed the arena with explosives! Did you really-"

"No you ain't. Shut up, girlie."

As Vanessa was about to drop to the floor, she screamed especially loudly. Malacrass stopped in surprise, but began siphoning her soul.

"Enough! I will not give you the pleasure. My fate is m-"

Malacrass used Blind. Vanessa wandered around on the spot. Somewhere in the distance, Tirion was laughing hard.

"I be disappointed, mon. All that talk of a fun Nightmare Gauntlet, all da exciting exposition, all o' dat! But no, all you managed to do is make this entire thing a farce with your stupid piece o' cardboard! NO MORE!"

He lunged for her, raising his weapon and bringing it crashing down upon her skull. Vanessa's screams echoed throughout the colosseum.

"Dis a nightmare ya don' wake up from!"

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