Turns out there's a 3 page final chapter and then a two page Epilogue. Not sure why this idiot didn't combine them.
In a town filled with ghouls and monsters, there is no more terrifying a location than Preston Penitentiary; a Supermax facility meant to contain the most depraved and unforgivable members of human society. Ironically, its owner, the beloved billionaire Light Preston, is the most deserving of being housed in such a facility; he is better known in the underworld as Loopin Shadows
The King of the Slashers leads Killjoy, Mad, and the others into the main detention centre of the facility "Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Preston Penitentiary Purchased fifty years ago by Yours Truly for just this occasion. You will all be a part of history tonight, as we witness a new beginning for Night Dwellers and the Slasher Clan." He turns to his minions. "Mason, if you would be so kind as to show our guests to their room, so we can begin the expansion of our race."
Mason picks up Killjoy and Mad like ragdolls, carries them down a long hallway and forces them into a small room.
Minerva follows them in. "Ladies, I hope you find your current accommodation to your liking."
"What?" Killjoy barks. "'I specifically asked for two twin beds and a beach-side view. I'm going to give you such a bad Yelp review!"
""Oh child, you're always so amusing."
Torn puts a pair of iron manacles around Killjoy's wrists. The manacles appear to be enchanted as they snap open, and iron tendrils hold Killjoy's arms against her body and then close an iron ring around her neck, leaving her unable to move her arms or turn her head."
"You're not going to get out of this one, you half- breed witch,' Torn informs her.
"You cost me, my sister. So when this is over, I will cut you to pieces, personally."
"Okay, the turn-down service sucks. I'm seriously considering spending the night at a motel."
"Joke all you want,' Minerva interjects. "In eleven minutes, this will all be over."
Torn throws Hime into the cell, bound and gagged. The little creature struggles to get free but can't. Mad comforts him to the best of her abilities.
Satisfied with the state of their captives, Minerva and Torn take their leave, slamming the cell door behind them.
"Huh, she told us exactly how much time before the ritual begins. Interesting," Killjoy muses. "Mad - you okay over there?"
"Yeah, I'm great. My dad was killed by a psychotic Freddy Kruger wannabe, the world's about to end, and I'm in jail."
"It could be worse."
"How? How could it possibly be worse?"
"They could be releasing another Fast and Furious movie."
Mad smiles. "Don't make me laugh, Killjoy. I don't want to laugh right now."
"Mad, that's what we do. We laugh in the face of danger."
"No, you laugh in the face of danger. You're the monster-fighting detective witch; I'm just the dumb ass in distress."
"Is that what you think? Mad, this is not my hero's journey. It's yours."
"What are you talking about?"
Killjoy is legitimately surprised at her lack of awareness. "'I can't believe you haven't figured this out! Remember when we were spying on Shadows at the Court of Darkness, and he said that he would get rid of The Swordsman for them?"
"Yeah, and he did. He killed my dad."
"Yeah, he killed your dad before he made that claim." Mad realises there's logic in Killjoy's words. "Now, do you remember what Minerva said when she talked Shadows into bringing the sword along?" Killjoy asks.
"They shouldn't leave it lying around for someone else to come by and get chosen.
"Exactly, Swordsman doesn't die with your father. Someone else picks up the sword and continues the The legacy."
A sense of clarity takes over Mad's face "Oh my God! That's why he wanted to keep me away from this world. He knew!"
"And the moment you walked into that room and laid eyes on The Heavenly Blade, you knew it, too. Now say it."
"I`m The Swordsman!" Mad looks through the bars of her cell and sees Mason guarding the sword just a few feet away.
"Well, Swordswoman -- but you call yourself whatever you want."
"This has to be some kind of mistake. I'm tiny and weak and-"
"The daughter of two of the greatest warriors of our time: The Swordsman and his Squire. It's in your blood."
"But the sword is still way over there, out of my reach. We're locked in here, you re without your powers, and we have no way of getting out. So even if I 'accepted my sacred duty,' there's no way I could-"
"Mad, check your pocket."
" What are you-?"
"Shut up and check your pocket.
Mad reaches into her jeans pockets and finds Killjoy's Rewinder.
Killjoy looks at her with a confident smirk. "You're fresh out of excuses, Mad. Will you accept the calling, cross the threshold, and conclude your Hero's Journey? Or stay in this cell and continue to be a so-called dumb ass in distress?"
"Ah, what the hell. I did promise Shadows I'd kill him. "
"That's the spirit!"
Mad holds the Rewinder over Killjoy's manacles, presses the button. "Tempo Reversa."
The display on the Rewinder starts to count down to zero, and the manacles reverse themselves to the moment before they were locked around Killjoy's wrists. The heavy bonds fall off her arms and hit the ground.
Magical energy surges all over Killjoy's hands. "That's much better. Okay, before you cross that threshold, you'll need this." Killjoy pulls out The Swordsman's bowler hat from her coat.
""My Dad's stupid old hat?"
"Hey, that hat started as a sign of servitude, and your father turned it into a symbol that struck fear in the hearts of all Night Dwellers. The Heavenly Blade will give you power, but the legend of The Swordsman will make you invincible."
Mad smiles and accepts the hat from Killjoy. She puts it on and stands back. "'How do I look?"
"Like a big damn Hero. Now let's get to work." Killjoy holds her hand out, and her broom magically appears.
The cell door gets blown open with a green plasma bolt. Killjoy and Mad heroically emerge from the smoke. They see Mason at the end of the hallway, guarding the sword.
"You got this?" Killjoy asks.
"Maybe."
Not as reassuring as a 'yes', but not as bad as a 'no* Good luck. Come on, Hime." She snaps her fingers, and Hime's bonds fall off.
"I follows you, lady,"' the talking cat responds as he takes off after Killjoy down a second hallway, leaving Mad on her own.
The new Swordsman starts walking towards Mason, alone. Oh God, Oh God! What am I doing? What am I doing?
You're accepting your destiny, little lotus. The voice of her father responded within her mind.
""Dad? Is that you?"
"Of course."
"The child tears must still be working."
"I'm always with you, dear. Now focus."
"Dad, that seven-foot behemoth is going to kill me."
"That's what they want you to think," Charles reassures.*Night Dwellers always want to fool you into thinking they're bigger, stronger, and more powerful."
"They are." "They're not! You're The Swordsman; you're not afraid of monsters. Monsters are afraid of you."
Mad is overtaken by confidence and addresses Mason directly. "Hey ugly!"
Mason notices her, and he is not pleased. "Hey! How you get out of your cell?"
"I'm going to need that." Mad points at the sword perched on its rock right behind him. "So move or be moved. "
Stupid hat, Girl." Mason goes to crush her with both of his fists.
Mad quickly dodges his attack with a shoulder roll between the giant monster's legs and ends up right in front of the sword.
Before Mason can figure out where she went, Mad grabs the sword. The moment her fingers wrap around the handle, cold air rushes through her lungs, and the world around her decelerates to super-slow motion.
She can see Merlin and the seven Sorcerers crafting the Heavenly Blade. She can see all the Swordsmen that came before her, but more importantly, she can see, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she is The Swordsman now.
She pulls the sword out of the rock, and a blinding light shoots in every direction. Mason shields his eyes. When the light subsides, Mad stands before Mason holding the sword and ready for battle.
" Any advice, Baba?"
"Kick his ass."
The big, dumb monster roars and charges at her like a rhino. Mad stands her ground. Mason gets closer and closer.
Suddenly, Mad throws the Blade straight up into the air and takes one step back.
Mason is confused by her unorthodox move and comes to to a a screeching halt right in front of her. Before he can question why she threw away her weapon, the sword comes back down on top of his head, impaling itself through the top of his skull.
The Slasher drops to his knees. Mad pulls the sword from his head as he falls dead on his face.
"Consider yourself moved," Mad quips.
"Very clever, little lotus," Charles compliments.
"Xie xie, Baba."
Torn rounds the corner and sees Mason's corpse at Mad's feet at that exact moment.
Without hesitation. she draws her sickle blades and runs right at Mad.
"Need help, little lotus?" Charles offers.
"Nah. I got this. "
Mad gets to work. She quickly dodges Torn's attacks and blocks all of her offence. Torn gets more frustrated with every repetition.
"Who do you think you are to challenge me like this? You are nobody, you are-"
Then, in the blink of an eye, Mad shatters both of Torn's sickle blades and runs her through with her sword. Torn is shocked by the sight of her death wound.
"I am Mad Chan, The Swordsman."
Mad pulls the sword out of Torn and watches her crumple to the ground. "Baba, if this the last time I talk to you, I promise to honour your legacy and make you proud."
"You already have."
Mad holds back the tears, puts her game face back on, and takes off at full speed down the hallway.
Killjoy and Hime arrive at Preston Penitentiary's security room at that very moment.
"Watch the door. Hime,' the Witch instructs "If anyone who's not one of your persons comes along, teleport them to the boiler room."
"Okay, lady." The feline responds as he takes a defensive stance in the doorway.
Killjoy walks over to the three dozen security monitors mounted along the entire left side of the room. She can see Mad walking away after defeating Mason and Torn, and Shadows making a speech in the main detention centre.
The Witch smiles as she begins casting a spell on the monitor with Shadows on it. When her work is done, Shadows appears to be in his human form from monitor's point of view.
Oh, this is going to be so much fun later.
With her first task completed, Killjoy now moves over to the window, which is secured with metal bars. Killjoy knocks the bars out of her way with a quick plasma bolt and jumps out of the smoking hole she leaves behind.
Outside the building, Killjoy's broom carries her to the rooftop, where she lands swiftly and approaches a stone gargoyle perched on a corner. "Stand to attention, soldier; I have an errand for thee."
The gargoyle responds aggressively. Know thy place, witch. I shall not take orders from a Night Dweller, nor will I interfere in thy matters unless humans are at risk."
"Hold thy tongue, knave! I am only half a Night Dweller, and it is my human half that requires your aid."
"Very well, then. What is thy command?" he says, begrudgingly.
"First of all, what's with the old English? It's the twenty-first century. Get with the times. And secondly, I need you to deliver a message to Detective Lancaster of the ninety-ninth precinct."
---------
Back inside, Shadows stands in the middle of the detention centre, delivering a seemingly endless speech surrounded by cells containing the worst criminals in the country
"'Glorious day, my soon-to-be kin. You can't have a revolution without evolution, and today is the day you evolve into so much more than mere men. Today is the day you join a superior race and you will stand tall above all others... "
His speech goes on and on as Mad watches from a catwalk above. Killjoy joins her soon after that.
"Did you get it done?" Mad asks.
"Yup. If we fail, we'll at least have a plan B."
"Suggestion: let's not fail."
"'Good suggestion. I'|l take it it into serious consideration. Ah balls, Mr. Chatty-Pants is about done with his epic speech."
"So say goodbye to your lives of mediocrity," Shadows continues, "and say hello to an eternity in the glory of the Slasher Clan!" The Slasher lifits the Nail of Nefario high above his head and plunges it into his chest.
Purple energy begins bursting out in every direction. The inmates within the cells get hit with purple light beams and transform into ghastly and disturbing Slashers Shadows laugh maniacally in his triumph.
He laughs so hard that he fails to notice Mad drop down into a kneeling position on the other side of the room.
Minerva, however, notices her immediately. The Grand Witch confronts the new Swordsman. She draws her broom and fires a plasma bolt right at Mad.
Mad reveals the Heavenly Blade she has been holding behind her. Minerva's eyes widen as she watches Mad take the sword like a baseball bat and swat at the plasma bolt. Mad knocks the bolt in the opposite direction.
Minerva watches in horror as the bolt flies past her and towards Shadows.
"Loopin!" the Witch shouts in vain.
Shadows looks down just in time to see the plasma bolt make contact his explosive gauntlet. His smile fades.
Boom!
A black and white fireball fills the room.
The effects of the Nail of Nefario cease as everyone gets knocked away in different directions.
Minerva is the first to rise from under some collapsed concrete. "Bloody amateurs! That's the last time I work with a bunch of filthy-"
Before she can finish that thought, she gets hit by a green plasma bolt that knocks her right into the wall.
Killjoy stands on the opposite side of the room, holding her broom like a shotgun.
"Hey, Minerva! It's been a minute, hasn't it? You want to catch up over a cup of coffee?"
Minerva gets up and does her best to collect herself. "You meddlesome brat!"
"I learned from the best."
Minerva draws her broom and the two clash using Shadows rises from the wreckage missing an arm, but within seconds a new one grows in its place. "Ah, that's much better." their brooms as quarterstaffs.
At this time, A white plasma bolt hits the wall behind him, completely missing him.
He turns to see Mad holding the Heavenly Blade like a rifle.
"Wow!" she says. "'I didn't know the sword could do that! Anyway. consider that a warning shot, ,Shadows. Now stand down."
"A warning shot?" he laughed. " You stupid child!"
But before he can take action against his new enemy, Hime appears before him in a defensive stance. "'Hey, deh stinky feets. That's my person; she belongs to me."
"First, I will kill your pet, and then--" Hime vanishes before Shadows can get a hold of him. " What the-?"
The teleporting feline reappears on his shoulder. He again tries to grab the cat but catches nothing but air.
Mad watches, completely delighted by Shadow's continuous failure. Finally, Hime appears on a control panel behind him. He once again lunges at the little creature, but it teleports away. Shadows crashes into the wall, accidentally hitting the release button for all the cells.
All the metal doors swing open, and his newly created army begins to emerge.
Hime reappears, hiding behind Mad's legs.
Shadows laughs wickedly "How delightfully appropriate that the first victim in our war against humanity will be The Swordsman."
"Hey, dumbass - how are you going to control your army without this?" Mad holds up the Nail of Nefario.
Shadows quickly checks his chest and discovers that it is not there, Worry takes over his face.
Mad's body relaxes into a very cocky stance. "You just turned two dozen of the evilest bastards on the planet into freaks, and I guarantee you that their first desire will not be to join The Slasher Clan."
Shadows addresses the inmates, "Brothers, don't be hasty, I--"
The newly created slashers quickly jump on Shadows and begin to attack him, brutally.
Mad slips the Nail of Nefario into her pocket and turns to check on Killjoy. She sees the witch detective fighting her arch-nemesis and quickly gaining the upper hand.
"Yo! Killjoy, wrap it up!" Mad instructs.
Killjoy nods and throws her enchanted pocket watch at Minerva. The chain wraps itself around the grand witch, and soon she is pulled across the room and crash-lands right in front of Mad. The new Swordsman takes out the iron cuffs used on Killjoy earlier and puts them on Minerva.
"No!" the grand witch exclaims.
"Turnabout is fair play, Biotch!" Mad replies.
Killjoy walks up and pats her on the shoulder. "'Good job, Swordsman."
"Not so bad yourself, paranormal private-eye."
But their praise is cut short by Minerva. "How dare you gloat, you prattling harpies!"
Killjoy and Mad turn to see Shadows covered in blood and standing over the bodies of all the new slashers. "Today was supposed to be a beautiful day. And look at what you meddlesome shrews made me do! I am wearing the blood of my brothers when I should be wearing yours."
"You want our blood? Then come and get it, douche bag!" Mad invites.
Killjoy is impressed by her bravado. "'Damn, Mad badass!"
"Thank you."
Shadows draws a collapsible axe from the remains of his coat, and without any further warning, attacks them. Killjoy and Mad fight in beautiful tandem, keeping the vile Slasher at bay.
A stray plasma bolt knocks Shadow's silver mask away, revealing that he isn't hiding scars, but half of his face is permanently stuck in human form,
Mad's jaw drops at the horrific sight. So the part of your face you keep hidden is the part that looks like Jon Hamm?"
"Now that's a twist M. Night Shyamalan wouldn't see coming!" Killjoy quips.
Enraged by their disrespect, Shadows becomes more savage with his attacks and eventually kicks Killjoy right through a stone column, knocking her out.
Mad lunges forward with her sword, but Shadows evades the attack, causing the Swordsman to stab the wall. Shadows drives her to the ground with a chokeslam, leaving the sword in the wall.
Mad has the wind knocked out of her, and she is too busy gasping for air to evade Shadows next attack. The Slasher picks her up by the front of her shirt and brings her very close to his face.
"What are you without your witch and your sword? You are nothing! You have nothing!"
"I still have this."' Mad holds up the Nail of Nefario, and before Shadows has a chance to react, she plunges the magical spike into her chest, and immediately purple energy bolts begin to shoot out.
Shadows tries to run, but he is just too close, and a stray bolt catches him in the back.
Killjoy wakes up just in time to see this. She quickly grabs Minerva and tries to drag her away from the purple bolts, but with Minerva's dead weight, they are moving too slowly, and The Nail's effects are getting closer and closer.
Killjoy trips and Minerva's body falls right over her legs, pinning her down. She reaches for her broom, but it doesn't answer her call. She is confused by the malfunction for just a moment, but then remembers that Minerva is wearing iron shackles.
"The Iron! Oh no, I'm too close!"
Horrified, the witch detective accepts her fate and shields her face from the transformative energy bolts heading her way. Suddenly, Hime lands on top of her and Minerva and teleports them away just in time. The energy fully envelops the room.
Killjoy opens her eyes to find that she, Minerva,and Hime are now back on the prison's roof.
"Oy!" the stone gargoyle calls out. "You ain't back for another favour, are you?"
Killjoy ignores the rude sentry and turns to face her teleporting cat. "Oh, you are going to get so many tunas."
"In my mouff."
Meanwhile, back in the main detention centre, all the dead slashers revert to their human form under the effects of the Nail. And then, just as quickly as the energy storm began, it ends with Mad pulling the nail from her chest, leaving a terrible wound.
She drops the Nail of Nefario to the ground, holds the wound with one hand, and reaches for her sword with the other. The moment her fingers wrap around the Heavenly Blade, white light engulfs her entire body, and her wounds are healed.
"Thank God that worked."
Shadows wakes up and sees his reflection in a broken piece of glass on the ground. He's human. "No. No!"
Mad stands by, satisfied with her work. "Try hiding your human side now, Ahole!"
To her surprise, the villain bows before her. "Benevolent Swordsman tried and true, grant this villain a swift death."
"I have to respectfully decline,'' Mad answers.
"But you said you'd kill me!"
"No, I said I would kill Loopin Shadows, and I did. He's gone. I have no beef with Light Preston. He's just a rich douche bag that now has to live with the indignity of being human, Not to mention the humiliation of getting knocked out by a ninety-pound girl."
"What?"
Mad punches him right across the face. Preston hits the ground pathetically.
Mad shakes her hand, feeling the consequences "Ouch! Punching hurts!"
"Yeah, sorry about that," Killjoy says as she walks up, handing her an ice pack from her coat.
Mad puts the pack on her hand.
"If it's any consolation, it looked cool," Killjoy assures.
They walk over to Minerva, and Mad removes the manacles.
'You`re letting me go?" the Grand Witch questions.
"We promise not to breathe a word of your involvement to the Holy Alliance," Killjoy negotiates, *as long as you swear not to align yourself with more extremists."
"We already lost one member of The Court of Darkness to that jerk wad,' Mad adds. "There's no sense in losing two."
"Deal?" Killjoy holds out her hand.
Minerva takes an exasperated breath. "Deal."
Minerva and Killjoy shake hands. With this, the Grand Witch goes to leave.
"Oh, and Minerva..." Mad detains her. The Witch turns to face The Swordsman. "If you step out of line one more time, I'm going to put this sword through your face."
Minerva nods and takes her leave.
"You dumb harpies!" Light Preston shouts.
"Damn, I thought I knocked him out,' Mad says, disappointed.
"You think you've won..."
"Yeah, pretty much,' Killjoy proclaims.
"T'm rich, you ignorant floosies! You think I'm bad? Wait until you meet my lawyers!"
Suddenly the doors burst open, and dozens of police officers flood the room. Preston's confidence lessens. The officers surround Preston and instruct him not to move.
Soon Detective Lankaster enters, followed by a short, bald, pudgy man.
The detective addresses the businessman formally "'Good morning, Mr. Preston. We received a rather disturbing anonymous tip claiming that you broke into this prison in the middle of the night and started slaughtering the inmates with an axe."
Preston is outraged. That's preposterous. What proof do you-"
Lankaster looks down at the corpses at his feet and the bloody axe next to him.
Officers immediately move in and handcuff the former Slasher.
"Proof? The pudgy man chimes in. I have surveillance footage of you murdering these men, you sick-"
"It's okay, Warden,' Lankaster interrupts. "We'll make sure justice is served."
"When you called me to tell me what I might find here today,"' the Warden begins, "I thought it was a demented prank, but thank God I listened; otherwise I would have shown up this morning and found this!" He gestures toward all the corpses, shocked.
"I was the one who called in the tip-off, Warden." Killjoy speaks up as she and Mad stepped forward, dressed in professional business suits.
"And who are you, young lady?"
"Ah, this is private investigator Kassandra Killjoy," Lankaster explains, "and her assistant Madeline Chan. They`re friends of the department."
They shake hands with the warden.
"How`d you get mixed up in this, Killjoy?" Lankaster asks.
"I was helping Mad look into the disappearance of her father. When I found evidence that Mr Preston might be involved, I followed him here and stumbled onto this horror show."
Preston's rage builds. "Oh, you think you're so clever, you stupid little_ "
"Get him out of here!" Lankaster demands.
Officers drag him away
"All right, boys, let's lock the crime scene down and call the meat wagon. We have many bodies to move. Warden, please accompany Lieutenant Cline and give him your full statement."`
Everyone jumps into action as Lankaster turns to Killjoy and Mad, "You will tell me what actually went down, later, over a cup of coffee, right?"
"You got it," Killjoy assures.
Lankaster turns to Mad. "See, kid, I told you we'd take care of you."
"Thanks "
They shake hands.
"And good luck with your new job."
Mad smiles as she, Killjoy, and Hime take their leave