Disclaimer: I do not own the Super Smasher Bros or any of it's characters otherwise I'd be a very rich person.

Rated for violence, swearing, references to alcohol and drugs

Legend:

Flashbacks

'thoughts'

"speaking"

Prologue

20 years from present date

A long stone stairway lighted by flaming torches and walking through the middle of this stairway was a lone jackal. He looked like what most people would know now as a Lucario, but he did not take the standard appearance of one. Whereas Lucarios would generally have blue fur, black stripes and white chest hair, this one had black fur, grey stripes and red chest hair. It could only mean that this jackel was of some great importance, even more so than most Lucarios. The jackal, or as we would know as Lucario, looked over his shoulder, his heightened hearing making him believe he had heard footsteps behind him. Unease took over the young Lucario, but when he turned around, no figure was there. Shaking his head and shrugging, he continued his journey deep into the crypts.

The Lucario never really liked going into the crypts, and it did not matter that he had been asked by his own master either. The dark hallway would always make a strange humming noise, as if there was a swarm of locusts up ahead. It always made him feel like he needed to look over his shoulder, the fear of someone watching him made the hairs rise on his neck in tension. The one thing that the Lucario was thankful for however, was that the crypts were cooler than the blistering, unbearable heat of the sandy desert, the fur only further giving his body a mix of humidity and uncomfortable sweat.

At long last, the Lucario felt all the hairs that had raised in his tension go down when he reached the more lighted room at the end of the hallway, with a familiar figure walking by. Putting the torch he was holding in the holder next to him, the Lucario was welcomed to a room with walls of gold which had skeletons inducted in them. Normally, the Lucario would've felt nauseated and unsettled at the sight of the skeletons, but he had become so used to it from the many visits he had made over the many years. His attention now grabbed by the figure before him, he knelled down in his respect for him.

"Lord Anubis you summoned me?" he asked. The figure, who had his back towards him, turned around and looked at the Lucario with a slight look of annoyance.

"Asim, I was wondering when you would get here. Just how many times do I have to tell you not to be so formal with me?" Anubis replied in a thick, commanding Egyptian accent, that was only fitting of him.

Anubis, like Asim before him, did not take on the stereotypical look of a Lucario. His royal status and standing was enhanced by the gold fur on his body. The striking blood red eyes that barely showed any emotion, daring any servant of his to challenge him. Oddly however, a thick brown leather collar sits around Anubis's neck, always leaving Asim wondering where exactly he got the collar. Or more confusingly, why he wore it.

At hearing his lord's annoyed words, Asim let out a sigh of frustration in response.

"Numerous times Lord Anubis, but I prefer to keep things formal." he replied in the most formal way possible, emphasizing his voice.

Anubis groaned in disbelief, shooting Asim a look of disappointment. He folded his arms, tapping his foot in further annoyance of Asim's misunderstanding of him. This was not the kind of relationship he wanted with him. For once, Anubis just longed to have a relationship with one person that was of friendship not of fear.

Asim rose to his feet then looked over at Anubis. He never understood why Anubis would scold him every time he was formal with him. This has been going on since the day Ra assigned him to guard the jackal god. Then before he could really contemplate it too long to get a conclusion, he would brush it off and get back to work. Asim looked back to the annoyed god and sighed lightly to himself.

"Anubis you summoned me for something?" Asim said as formally as he could, starting to get annoyed with the jackal god.

Anubis stopped tapping his foot, but kept his arms folded.

"Oh right, the reason I called you here" Anubis said softly to himself but still loud enough for Asim to hear, who gulped thinking it was something serious. Anubis walked over in front of Asim.

"Asim I want you to take the day off" Anubis told Asim in a firm tone of voice. Asim looked at him like he was crazy, and Anubis chuckled lightly to himself. He knew for a fact Asim never liked taking a day off no matter what the reason was. Anubis felt that Asim was well due for a day off, and Asim was going to take one even if he had to order that thick headed Lucario to do so.

"Lord Anubis, I appreciate the offer, but I have to decline" Asim told him, thinking Anubis would accept that. However, Anubis looked at him with an annoyed look then sighed.

"Asim I was not suggesting that you take the day off" Anubis told him in a calm voice. Asim sighed out of relief, thinking Anubis was kidding around, as he knew the jackal god sometimes did.

"I'm ORDERING you to take the day off" Anubis told him very firmly. Anubis smiled inwardly when he saw that Asim might have a panic attack. The jackal god figures that if Asim took the day, off he might lighten up a bit. Asim however was taking deep breathes to try and calm himself down.

"B-but Lord Anubis, who will protect you if I'm not here, Ra told me tha-" Asim told him, before Anubis interrupted him.

"Asim, I will be fine on my own today, I don't care what Ra has told you. I will be alright" Anubis told him. Asim opened his mouth to say more but then closed it knowing that an argument with the jackal god was never a good idea at all.

"Alright Lord Anubis, you win" Asim said, as he walked back towards the way he came. He had no idea what he was going to do, he had never had a day off before. He considered just going to is room and sleeping till tomorrow. Then he considered just going around the God Realm and looking around. His head was buzzing around so much, with the things he could do today, that he was not sure which one to do.

"Oh Asim, before I forget" Anubis said, getting the Lucario's attention. Asim turned around to face Anubis, wondering what he could want. For a moment, the Lucario thought he was out in the sun to long as he thought he saw Anubis giving him a small smile as he handed him some spending money.

"You enjoy yourself today, alright" Anubis said to the Lucario. Asim just nodded as he took the money from Anubis, taking the torch from its holder as he walked back up the stone passageway and back outside, still wondering what he was going to do today. After he left, Anubis sighed out of relief and stretched his back a bit.

"You're not the only one that gets a day off today Asim" Anubis said quietly to himself with a smile.

The sun had just slid behind the mountains when Asim realized that he should be getting back.

"I didn't realize that I had been this long...,' Asim thought to himself. 'I must have needed this break more than I thought.'

With a sigh he started the long trek back to Anubis' ceremonial pyramid.

As Asim walked, the sky darkened considerably however there were plenty of torches lining the path. People and pokemon bustled around him, all trying to make their way home after the day's labors. Needing time for himself, Asim turned onto one of the darker alleyways. A Lucario's night vision was considerably better than many other pokemon's so the lack of torchlight didn't bother him.

Trash littered the dark path as it jerked convolutedly around the back of the various bars and strip clubs in this part of Abdju. Despite the none-too-straight path, Asim still knew how to reach the ceremonial pyramid.

As he progressed deeper towards the heart of the city, the noise of people died away and Asim was alone with his thoughts.

'Much as I've enjoyed this little adventure, Anubis shouldn't have given me a day off. I really don't care for leaving him alone at a time like this, anything could happen..'

Unsettled by these thoughts, Asim kept wandering these dark back-ways. At times, taking turns that would lead him away from the pyramid. Despite these unusual changes in course, Asim still plodded on, seemingly unaware of where his path was taking him.

Every so often he'd hear an odd scratching noise, but when he turned to see what it was, he saw nothing. He huffed out a breath and continued on.

'I must be really losing it,' he thought. With a slight chuckle he laughed to himself, 'what would Anubis say if he knew I was this paranoid on my one day off?'

As the minutes passed though and the night grew deeper and darker with each passing step, Asim began to worry.

'I should have reached the Pyramid by now, or at least gotten close to it.'

He glanced at the sky, eagerly hoping to see the soft glowing shape of the Pyramid against the stars, but the buildings were too tall to see very far.

'Where am I now? These buildings seem oddly unfamiliar and the silence is disturbing.' he thought as a bead of sweat trickled down the intricate maze of his fur.

Alarmed by the change in course, he tried to back track to possibly find one of the main roads that radiated out from the center of the city, where the ceremonial Pyramids of the Gods were. After several frustrating attempts to find one of these roads and get his bearings, Asim began to really worry and panic began slowly entering his mind.

'If I'm so far from one of the main roads that I cant find one, then that can only mean one thing; I'm in the Old District.'

Asim knew all about the Old District. It was the huge swath of abandoned houses, shops and plaza's that ringed The Holy City Abdju's city proper. It was where the radial main roads extended out so far that one could walk many miles before reaching the adjacent one. No one really knew how far this district extended into the starkness of the God Realm's great desert. It could be 20 miles or 200 miles for all that Asim knew.

'But by Anubis! How did I get out here? It would have taken hours to walk out here and it doesn't seem to be nearing dawn at all…. Something is very wrong here.' Asim's hackles raised at the thought of such a situation. 'It seems that no matter how far I walk nor which way I turn, I end up farther away from the pyramids. So I might as well wait to see just who is stalking me and hexing me with whatever arts they've used to lead me astray.'

Asim turned and walked away in search of an alley in this convoluted labyrinth of abandoned buildings, that was a dead end.

'Better to fight with your back to the wall rather than risk someone sneaking behind you.'

But Asim never got that far…

Just as he turned to find a defensible position, a dark shape shot out of the shadow of a nearby doorway and crashed into Asim, knocking him to the ground. Asim had just enough time to roll over to try and get to his feet when a spear slammed down and imbedded itself in the ground where he had lain. Asim jumped to his feet in a fighting stance, a wordless snarl escaping his lips. To his utter amazement, there stood before him another Lucario.

'But this is impossible Anubis! The Lucario where supposed to be the personal guard of Anubis himself, His Greatness's very elite! Why would another of our kind be here trying to kill me?' Asim's suppressed panic flooded in and began to sickly churn his mind as he tried to take in what he saw before him.

The other Lucario's eyes burned deep fiery red with hatred and menace. While most Lucario do not wear clothes, this one was garbed in tight fitting black leather and while most Lucario also have some blue fur mainly around the arms, legs and head. By an oddity, this one was dark, almost black. Asim could not tell whether the fur was dark navy or black by the ever consuming darkness that was ominously lit and masked his opponent's color.

Strapped to the many harnesses were weapons of all kinds, most of which Asim had not even seen before. Mid-length curved swords crossed his back, and various knifes were fitted to his belt. The dark coloring of the leather, as well as the darkness of his fur made it very difficult for Asim to see his foe. Only those blazing red eyes were clearly visible.

Asim didn't have long to contemplate this however, as the Lucario quickly resumed it's assault. At first starting with hand to hand he drove Asim back with punch after punch. Striking one way then feinting to another, Asim's opponent forced him into a wholly defensive stance. Asim barely had time enough between strikes to breathe, let alone strike back.

Finally, realizing that this way he would surely die, Asim trusted his naturally keen sense of space and obstacles around him and leapt backwards. He flipped once in the air, and as soon as his feet touched the wall that was behind him, he drove himself against the wall, throwing himself at his foe in attempt to gain the upper hand, but the other Lucario would have none of this. Using Asim's maneuver to his advantage, the Lucario caught Asim in mid-air and using this momentum, threw Asim through the wall to his left. Asim crashed hard through the wall, feeling the hardened clay shatter as if it were brittle as glass.

'Looks like I underestimated this Lucario, I was really hoping to avoid doing this but it seems I have no choice.' Asim got carefully to his feet.

He closed his eyes and stood there silently, almost invisible in the blackness of the building. He focused his mind and soon words of a language, so old that their meaning eluded even the greatest historians, were flowing through his mind. He did not speak them aloud for fear that they would be tainted by doing so, but rather let the incantation flow through his thoughts, like a river carving its own path.

Suddenly, it was as though a dam broke in his mind and he was flooded with a power of awesome magnitude. He clamped himself down hard, steeling his mind against the force of such energy.

Control: the key to all great powers.

Finally the internal wrestling match subsided and Asim was fully in control, he breathed deeply and exhaled one single word; Avarice.

Asim then opened his eyes and watched carefully as the darkness swirled and seethed and began to gather around his hands. He looked through the doorway and watched all the color shade towards yellow. Soon he felt the coldness of metal in his hands and looked down to see the silhouettes of two wicked looking twin swords in his hands. The grips fit his hands as though they had been forged just for him and the balance was perfect. They elegantly curved upwards similar to how a scimitar would but that was where the similarity ended. These blades were longer and thinner than a scimitar and midway through the edge of the blade was a backwards facing spur of metal, obviously designed for ripping apart flesh when removed from a body.

Now armed, Asim cautiously stepped out of the doorway and into the faint light of the night. He had almost breathed a sigh of relief but instead froze. The Lucario stood about three meters to the left, glaring at him with murderous passion, a smile touching his lips. For a moment neither of them moved.

Asim, thinking that he might be able to reason with his opponent asked, "Lucario! What is your name? Why do you do this? Is not Anubis our patron and God? Are we not both allied in his name? There is no reason for this violence!"

In response, the Lucario merely grinned wider, his sharp fangs glistened eerily in the little light that survived in the darkness and his eyes flashed as he unsheathed his own twin swords.

Asim shook his head, why a lucario would be so hell bent on defying Anubis and even killing his own brethren was beyond him. Something was horribly wrong about this Lucario.

Having no desire to allow his opponent to gain the upper hand again, Asim leapt forward, slashing with one hand to knock the enemy's blade aside while thrusting with the other. The other Lucario however merely leapt back in a swift dodge and renewed his own assault.

Feinting to the right, the Lucario threw a quick thrust at Asim's chest. Asim had just enough time to parry before his opponent slashed with the other blade. Using this to his advantage, Asim slid his sword down the length of the striking sword, and while brushing the enemy's strike aside, slammed the weapon down hard into the enemy Lucario's shoulder. Blood spurted from the wound, and an involuntary grunt escaped his assailant's lips. Asim, heartened by his success, tried to remove the blade for another strike but to his dismay, found that he could not.

The lucario had dropped one of the swords and was now gripping the blade of Asim's with his hand. Blood trickled down the lucario's arm and pooled on the ground. Using the split second of Asim's distraction the assassin threw his weight forward and drove the remaining blade deep into Asim's side.

Pain exploded through Asim but he clamped his teeth down hard and bore it. He let go of both of his swords and gripped the enemy's blade, ripping it from his body. Snarling with further agony as the blade came free, he leapt backwards and dashed up the side of a building to the roof, calling on his power again as he did so.

Asim kept running, knowing the other Lucario would follow, but he needed as much time as he could get. The invocations began to flow through his thoughts once more as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Finally the invocations came to a close with a single word again; Lust. With this the world faded from shades of yellow to deep reds, maroons, and crimson.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his side and the warm wetness of the blood, Asim turned again to face his foe, and sure enough the Lucario was standing about four meters back, staring at him with the intensity of a predator that has cornered its quarry.

Asim waited for a split second to see if the assassin would make a first move but when he didn't, Asim threw himself at his foe. The other Lucario side stepped and reached out to throw Asim again, but Asim would have none of this. Asim abruptly reversed direction and leapt back again at the Lucario in a sweeping tackle, intending to grapple with his assailant. They both went down in a tangled heap.

Asim wrapped his legs around the Lucario's waist and tried to pin his enemy. Despite the heavy panting and the bleeding wound, Asim felt himself growing steadily stronger.

Instinctively, he knew that if he could prolong this wrestling match, he would sap all of his opponents strength and the fight would be over.

If… too many ifs.

The Lucario suddenly realized this danger and the fight truly began. The assassin drove his fist into Asim's face, but Asim clenched his legs and held on tight. The assassin tried to strike again but Asim caught the Lucario's wrist and pinned it above his head. Changing tactics, the assassin kicked off on his feet, intending to flip Asim over his head and regain his footing. In response to this, Asim released the assailant's wrist and threw his weight backwards, forcing the weight of his body down on the Lucario's legs. Meanwhile Asim felt stronger by the minute and it seemed that even the bleeding had stopped. In desperation the assassin used the momentary distraction of the attempted flip maneuver to unsheathe a knife. Abruptly he started driving it deep into Asim's leg repeatedly over and over. The lucario bared his teeth and snarled, his eyes flaring bright red. Asim screamed in agony as the flesh of his leg was shredded by the repeated stabbings.

Reflexively Asim threw himself off of the Lucario and ran across the rooftop leaping a short distance to the flat rooftop of an abandoned palace. He looked down at the damage to his leg and almost cried out.

Flesh hung in ragged tatters dripping blood into the pool in which he stood. White bone was visible beneath the tattered red meat and shredded nerves. The pain was excruciating and if it weren't for the strength he received from lust he wouldn't even be able to consider standing on it. As it was, he couldn't give up now, couldn't abandon Anubis to a threat like this.

He dropped to one knee and panted raggedly, waiting for the last residual flow of energy to dull the pain and slow the bleeding. It didn't help much but gritting his teeth and steeling himself he felt he could keep fighting. He called upon his special power again, this time urging the incantations on, willing them to move faster and again a new word came upon completion; envy.

Asim knew invoking envy was incredibly risky but he had few options at this point as he could not keep this fight up forever. He got carefully to his feet as the world changed from red to green. He breathed deeply and turned to face the opponent he knew would be standing just a few meters back.

This time he met the Lucario's eyes and held them in a deadlock. A final phrase from the invocation of envy came unbidden to his thoughts and he met those burning, seething red eyes; you are the object of my envy.

Asim almost cried out at the sudden tide of emotions and sensations that flooded through him. The first that he felt was burning hatred and contempt that punctuated this assassins every move, every action, right down to his very essence. Then came the flashbacks.

The sun glared white hot in the slums of Abdju. A ragged and filthy young Lucario suddenly burst out of an alley onto one of the main radial streets. He was clutching something wrapped and a dirty piece of cloth and ran down the streets as if his life depended on this very package. The way was thick with people and pokemon alike but the Lucario lithely dodged around them, sprinting farther out away from the central districts. Just as suddenly, another pair of Lucario launched onto the street through the alley that the young one has just come through. These were armed with the ceremonial spears of Anubis's elite guard, who often patrolled the city as a police force. They set off at great speed chasing after the boy. Despite the young Lucario's agility the longer stride of the guards allowed them to catch up to him. One of the guards swiped his spear at the child's legs, cutting into the tight muscle. The child cried out and went down in a tumble, still clutching desperately at the parcel. The guards didn't stop there though. One if them drove the haft of his spear into the Lucario's belly while the other one kicked the child relentlessly. They laughed at the prone form and the beating continued on for several minutes until it was clear that their quarry was unconscious. Then they spit on the child and walked away. Laying trampled into the ground, just out of the child's reach, was a loaf of bread.

Asim dropped to his knees at the vividness of this flashback, cried out at the pain of the injuries that were not his. He clutched his belly where the pain emanated from in the memory.

'Oh Anubis why? How could this be so? How could any of us be so corrupt? The Guard of Anubis doesn't beat children! Oh Anubis! If I survive this I'll find those Lucario and I'll kill them. Even though you hate me I will avenge you, assassin!' he screamed within his shaking mind.

Despite the cruelty of this last vision, he had little time to lament over a fellow Lucario's loss before more visions, emotions and sensations flooded him.

Night fell over the slums as a black Lucario with burning red eyes stood silently on the rooftops, watching for Guards of Anubis.

Another, lighter colored Lucario walked up silently behind him and whispered, "Alhid, are you sure u want to do this? Fighting Anubis's guard is not the safest thing to do, my friend. He is a god, and we are nothing to him… Do you really want a god and his whole enclave after you?" For a long time the black Lucario said nothing.

The two friends stood in silence but eventually Alhid said softly, "My friend…. If we will not fight back against this cruelty, then who will? As you said, we are nothing to them."

The hours passed but then, just as they began to think the guards would not come, a puddle of light came

into view from around a corner. The light revealed two Lucario, and they seemed to be carrying… Alhid stiffened in barely suppressed rage at the sight. They were dragging a limp form between them. Alhid caught the scent of blood and that of the two guards who had beaten him so many years ago and his rage transcended to a whole new level.

Witha snarl, Alhid threw himself off the roof. One of the guards shouted at the sudden assault but even that was cut off as Alhid wrapped his hands around the Lucario's throat and repeatedly smashed his head into the nearest wall. The clay cracked and broke away under the force of the blows and blood spurted across Alhid's hands, but he didn't stop, not even when the guard stopped struggling. It was only when the other guard screamed and ran forward to attack Alhid that he threw the body aside and turned to face his other foe. The guard, with terror in his eyes, slashed the spear at Alhid but his foe danced back, catching the haft of the spear in his hands. Alhid ripped the spear out of the guard's hands and, quickly reversing it, drove the spear through the guards chest. The guard weakly grasped at the haft in a futile effort to pull the spear out, blood spurting from his mouth. Alhid threw his weight to the side, throwing the guard off his feet, and placing his foot on the dying Lucario, ripped the spear out with a wet sucking sound. Just as the guards eyes dimmed, Alhid drove the spear through his throat, and left the spear standing there, pinning the body to the ground.

Suddenly he laughed, at first it was a low and rough sound but it quickly raised pitch in hysteria. Alhid laughed for several minutes, savoring the way the blood pooled around his feet and the way the spear pinned the wretched guard's lifeless body to the ground. He savored every minute detail of their death.

Finally, utterly satisfied, he lithely leapt up the sides of the buildings and returned to the rooftop where his friend still stood, a grim expression on his face.

"Well Alhid," the Lucario said softly, eyes focused on the ground, away from his friend's penetrating gaze, "there really is no going back now."

Asim felt immense satisfaction at that last vision. The beautiful glory of feeling the body that was not his dance the intimate dance of death. Knowing that these feelings were not his own didn't seem to matter any more, as now he was treading the giddy precipice of exhilaration, of seeing your greatest enemy die to your hand. That the enemy wasn't really his did not matter, not even that the people whose murders he had experienced were his own comrades. The satisfaction had just begun fading when he was hit by another vision.

It was night as Alhid walked the streets of the slum districts further out into the Old District. He avoided the main radial roads, taking an indirect and convoluted path through the back alleys. The hooded Lucario had said to meet in the old abandoned palace of Set in the northwest depths of the Old District. Despite the Lucario's emphasis on punctuality, Alhid intended to take his time. It was such a fine night, a full moon hung in the cool air, and Alhid would not allow anyone to decide his schedule, no matter what offer they might be proposing. So Alhid meandered through the dark passages, going vaguely in the direction of Set's palace.

Many hours passed and shortly after midnight, Alhid entered the deserted courtyard that surrounded the palace. He walked calmly through the doors and climbed the many stairs to the third floor. There he wandered to the southeast balcony so that he could look out over the city of Abdju. Many miles in the distance the Shining Pyramids of the Gods, glowed in their own preternatural light. Surrounding that were the shining streets of the First District. They too glowed like the pyramids because they were made of the same mythical shining stone. After that the light died off and was only broken by the glowing torches that lit the pathways and then beyond that, the light died off entirely as the city transitioned into the ever-present gloom of the slums.

Cursing quietly under his breath at the sight, Alhid spat off the balcony. "The Glowing City", it is called by those who admire its night time beauty. The reference disgusts Alhid. It is an observation made by those so blind as to ignore the sprawling mess of the slums that suffer at the hands of such arrogant wealth. They compliment the rich on their beauty while ignoring the pain of those who cannot enjoy that beauty. Pathetic...

Almost as if bidden by that single word, the hooded Lucario silently stepped up and joined Alhid on the balcony. Alhid did not turn to face the Lucario but merely stood, waiting for the other to talk.

Many minutes of silence passed until the Lucario said, "Fine night, isn't it?"

At this remark Alhid laughed softly and spat off the balcony again.

"Cut the shit," he said. "you and I both know we're here for another reason than admiring this 'fine night'. What are you offering?"

The hooded Lucario chuckled softly, "Ahhh, so impatient. Very well, I have come to offer you a deal Alhid. You seem to be fairly opposed to Anubis and his ilk, what are you really after?"

"His death and the death of his empire, that is what I want. I want to personally dance the dance of death and revel in their blood. Even if it kills me."

"Hmmm, you ask quite a lot Alhid. Killing a God is no easy matter but I would like to see Anubis's prospects at least disrupted for a time. I will fund you for the time, if you can prove that you are effective in this."

"What is your name? And do you have a knife?"

"Well Alhid, my name is Setall, but what honest reason could you possibly want for a knife at a time like this?"

"I swear I will not harm you, however I need this for a certain ritual, bear with me Setall."

"Hmmm, so be it." And with this, Setall reached into his belt and drew out a wickedly curved dagger and handed it carefully to Alhid.

Suddenly, wthout warning, Alhid stretched his hand out over the railing, and drove the dagger through his palm. He never blinked an eye as the blood dripped three stories to pool on the ground below. He slowly slid the knife out and handed it back to Setall. He then firmly gripped the other Lucario's hand in his own wounded one, blood trickling down.

"I swear by mine own blood and the blood of those I have killed and will kill, that I will see Anubis dead and his empire burned to ashes. Pain is no obstacle. Death is no obstacle. Anubis will die by my hand." With this he released the Setall's hand and gazed back out over the city as if he was burning the image into his mind.

With grim appreciation, Setall nodded, "That'll do Alhid, we will supply you as we can"

Asim felt the grim satisfaction and the utter conviction that Alhid had made the contract with. Asim understood now why he was being targeting and the single-minded efficiency with which he would be killed. Asim knew that this fight would end only one way; with one of them dead. There could be no holding back, no restraint, no reasoning.

If he wanted to survive he would have to fight Alhid with everything he had. He would have to stain his hands with the essence of a fellow kinsman.

For a long moment, Asim held his ground, because along with the visions and emotions he also gained some of Alhid's abilities. So Asim closed his eyes and called on his power again. He has never called on two sins at the same time before. Normally the previous one is dispelled when he calls on the next one. Asim knew this was an insanely risky, if not suicidal, move, as the sheer magnitude of the power running through his mind would easily be enough to rip his soul apart but he realized a while ago that he cannot win this fight if he sticks to the conventional use of his abilities.

Raw pain screamed through his thoughts as the power mounted, the invocation itself writhing through his mind. A tortured groan escaped his lips as the invocation climaxed with another word; sloth.

Asim's heart rate sped up as he opened his eyes. The green of Asim's vision was suddenly punctuated with swirls of blue. The same undying conviction ran through Asim's veins. He would kill Alhid, there was no other option but death.

Wasting no more time, Asim dashed forward, intending to settle this now, once and for all. Alhid tried to dodge to the right and counter Asim's maneuver but because of the power of sloth, as well as, Asim's new stolen reflexes, Alhid's movements seemed slow and Asim was able to dance to the side, catching Alhid to throw him to the ground. Immediately he pounced on the fallen lucario and gripped his throat with one hand and began bashing Alhid's head into the rooftop. Blood began spurting onto the stone with each blow. Quickly, Alhid unsheathed a knife and tried to stab Asim, but again the movements seemed slow to Asim and he was quickly able to knock Alhid's knife away and pin the Lucario's wrist.

Suddenly Alhid locked the muscles in his body, especially those in his neck and went rigid as steel. Despite Asim's newfound strength and speed, he was no longer able to smash the Lucario's head into the stone beneath him. He struggled furiously to no avail, Alhid was just too strong for the moment. Swiftly, Alhid reached into a pocket on his belt and withdrew a thin syringe. Slightly luminescent amber liquid filled the needle. This caught Asim's eyes and he suddenly released Alhid's neck and lunged at the hand that held the syringe but to his amazement, he was too slow. Asim had no time at all before Alhid drove the needle into his own leg and pushed the plunger. The Lucario's eyes seemed to unfocus for a moment before his eyes swirled and flashed.

Strangely, while Asim, could feel the emotions of rage building in Alhid through the link created by Envy, he could not feel the effects of whatever substance Alhid injected himself with. He was carefully denied whatever strength and relief his opponent was gaining by this.

Suddenly the rage spiked to impossible levels, and Alhid started laughing hysterically beneath him. In a panic Asim ripped the linked supplied by envy apart with his mind as Alhid's hysterical rage and manic glee started ripping through him, paired with a torment that he wasn't sure with whom it had originated from. The green swirls of color faded from his vision and the various shades of blue took over. Agony reverberated long in his mortally wounded consciousness, but again he clamped down hard.

'God... what the hell was that... What is this Lucario? He can't be merely mortal to experience something that... horrible. Nonetheless, I can't give in now, I have to fight'.

With a strength that no mere, sane mortal could possess, Alhid tossed Asim off of him like he was no more than a child.

Getting to his feet Alhid allowed himself a small moment to appreciate the look on Asim's face. He saw fear in Asim's eyes, and pain caused the Guard of Anubis to shake uncontrollably. He watched the Lucario struggle to his feet and smiled at the desperation that Asim was fighting with.

"Such a good quarry..." he chuckled to himself.

Asim barely had time to breath before Alhid pounced on him. The psychotic lucario gripped Asim's arm tightly and with a sharp twist, ripped the arm out of its socket and threw Asim off the roof. Asim crashed hard against the wall opposite the palace and tumbled to the ground many stories below with a sickening crunch.

Pain wiped out all other thoughts in Asim's mind and his breaths came in wet, ragged gasps, but even still, he picked himself up and ran awkwardly away, hoping to buy time. His broken thoughts struggled to call forth his power and the invocations weakly crept through his mind like a mortally wounded snake. Inevitably though, he managed to struggle to it's climax and the word crawled into his mind; gluttony.

Asim held out his hand in anticipation but still struggled, away, the more time he could buy, the better off he would be. The darkness swirled as his vision began to swirl with shades of brown along with the blue. and soon Asim could feel the coolness of a glass vial in his hands and without thinking downed it in one swift motion. Immediately Asim, was hit with all the most sinful of pleasures. At first it was the sheer orgasmic elation of the sweetest of drugs. These quickly wiped out all sensations of pain and despair that had clouded Asim's thoughts. He felt the ecstatic joy of a masochist at the pain of his injuries and the calm sadistic joy at the imagination of what he would want to do to Alhid. Oh the wonderful screams he would hear! Feeling nothing but intense pleasure, he turns again to face Alhid.

Sure enough the Lucario is standing just a few meters back waiting to see what joyful challenge Asim will pose for him. Asim, seeking to end the anxiety of anticipation charges at Alhid. Throwing wild punch after wild punch, he sought to strike his opponent but at every turn he was evaded. Alhid calmly outmaneuvered him at every turn with the careful, practiced precision of a focused predator.

Finally, boring of this routine Alhid stepped easily to the side and drove his fist into Asim's face, knocking the Lucario to the ground. Asim crumpled over in blissful ecstasy at the pain that exploded in his face. Despite this, somewhere deep in the recesses of his consciousness, he realized his danger and called upon his power again. The rational part of his mind quickly abandoned sloth in favor of pride and the incantation ran its course in his thoughts.

He carefully picked himself up as pride flowered in his mind. The blue in his vision faded to be replaced by a bright orange. Along with the ecstasy brought on by the power of gluttony, he felt himself brought to the peak of all his achievements. He relived all his greatest triumphs, and felt the pride of such achievements. He felt himself being brought to the peak of his strength and all his greatest advantages and talents wove themselves together into the fabric of his soul.

Feeling unstoppable he bared his teeth at Alhid, a snarl of challenge rippling from deep in his throat. Asim still felt the joyful ecstasy but now his rational mind was fully in control. He calculated his moves carefully. Finally deciding on a maneuver, he leapt at Alhid.

The red-eyed lucario again danced away, in an attempt to out maneuver Asim, but in return Asim pressed forward. Feinting to the right, he then drove a punch across to the left. In response Alhid brushed the strike aside and threw his own strike and Asim's face. Seeing this, Asim grabbed his assassin's arm and twisted his weight to the side and then throwing his forward, he managed to flip Alhid over his shoulder. The black lucario crashed hard against the ground but quickly rolled to the side as Asim drove his foot into the space Alhid had occupied. Seeing an opportunity, Asim tried to grab Alhid by the ankles but the lucario slammed his foot into Asim's face, snapping his head back. Using this split second opening Alhid leapt to his feet and tackled Asim to the ground, drawing a knife in the same motion. Asim was forced to grip Alhid remaining hand as it dashed toward his throat but he couldn't reach the hand with the knife before Alhid drove the blade between his ribs. Asim gasped at the sudden onslaught of agony and ecstasy that ripped through him. Alhid slid the blade out with a motion so practiced as to be mechanical, only to drive it in again. Asim, convulsed at the ripping sensations and desperately kicked Alhid off. Asim rolled over and desperately scrambled to his feet and ran with whatever might his torn and beaten body could muster.

Pain? Fear? Disgrace? Pride? Duty? It did not matter anymore. They were just mere luxuries.

Asim knew that in short order these injuries would prove fatal. The warm, sticky, red wetness that spurted from his wounds was draining his strength. He felt his very life force leave his body with each spurt of blood. As he ran he reached an ultimatum. In his current condition he knew he had absolutely no chance of out running Alhid. It was also highly unlikely that he would survive, whether it was possible to kill Alhid or not.

'So if I must die then I will die with honor. I will give this fight, every last ounce of strength I can dreg up. I will take this bastard to the grave with me...'

With those thoughts, Asim called on his unique abilities one last time. He threw all his pain, anguish and desperation into his plea for one final burst of power. The incantations heeded his call. They ripped through his mind like a savage beast caught in the bloody depths of bloodlust. With violent intimacy they reached a vital crescendo with one single word, ripped from his mind like a tortured last cry; WRATH!

His vision exploded into fiery luminescence, the earthy colors of brown and orange were eradicated by an all-consuming red, shot through with the black of hatred and yellow sparks of passion. Even the bluish white of searing heat, showed itself in his vision.

The temperature around him shot up immensely and soon even his fur was being singed. The wind began swirling around him, picking up ferocity with each passing second. Soon any loose rubble or objects were thrown into the air to join the raging cyclone. The air itself thrummed and throbbed with the intensity of Asim's rage and the buildings themselves were starting to be torn apart, only to join the whirling hell storm whipping around Asim.

In this wailing torment of energy, Asim lost track of Alhid. He could no longer see or sense the Lucario in any way. Despite this, Asim threw the very last of his energy into the storm. So he never saw Alhid precariously dodging the debris. He never saw the Lucario get crushed by a huge chunk of some building only to crawl out of the rubble and run back into the storm. He was oblivious to the fact that Alhid had survived the maelstrom and sprinted behind him. Asim was so absorbed by his own wrath and the conviction that no mere flesh and blood, living creature could survive this, not even himself, that he never expected the killing blow.

Asim felt nothing but surprise as he felt a strong hand wrap around his face and a blade drive deep into his back. A split second of total awe overwhelmed him as Alhid snapped his neck in one fluid motion and he crumpled limply to the ground.

Asim struggled to breath, desperately fighting the blackness he knew would come. Agony rippled through his body as he shuddered. Asim watched the black Lucario's feet step over him as his vision flickered. Asim watched as Alhid knelt down, to meet the eyes of the one he had just killed, to the see the very last flicker of life leave Asim's eyes. Asim stared helplessly at those burning red eyes, seeing the smile of satisfaction on Alhid's lips. He looked weakly at the blood dripping from Alhid's wounds, knowing it was not enough, not even close to enough.

'Lord Anubis... May... your future be... bathed i-in... light...

Eventually his consciousness began to fade into the blackness but until the very end those red eyes, oh how they burned into his soul.

That was the very last thing Asim ever saw, the color red.

Author's Notes: well this is my first story so don't flame me to badly. Anyway this is only the first chapter of this story so more to come along the way. Also the character Alhid is not mine so this is the only time you will see him in this story. If you want him to have his own story ask nicely and his creator will write a story for him

Till next time and please R&R

Author's Notes (edited)- I'm sry I forgot to mention this. The fight scene was written by the Co-author; Tru3insanity.

Tru3insanity says; I originally wrote this because DL asked me to, but then i kind of fell in love with the idea. Seems she liked it so much she made me Co-author, XDDDDDD. Despite popular belief this is the first time I have written anything publically. I would also be more than happy to write the story of Alhid the assassin, just tell DL and she'll let me know. As soon as i get the confirmation email I will have an account of my own. Looking forward to writing for u all!