(He felt like a general going into battle while making the long walk to the French Qaurter where Joseph Storm and a long night of hunting awaited him. Himself and Zedd made sure to take extra steps in beefing up security and arming all of their soldiers, even if they couldn't use a ficking weapon..they would be armed. After arming all of his men, everyone had split up into different groups and gone their seperate ways..making sure every part of New Orleans was covered and cleared. Jory had chosen to have Scotty go with him, as Madison would also be in the French Qaurter and Jory wanted his pal along with him and not Zedd or one of his army buddies. Jory was going to make this phantom pay for putting him through this..for putting Becca through this...for putting everyone through this..he just wanted to grab the phantom and slit its throat, if that were indeed possible. He felt that familiar pang of anger swelling up in his chest, it was the anger that drove him to hurt so many people so long ago..but oddly enough this anger would now be used for the common good in the battle..and not for his own personal demonic needs. Walking beside Scotty, he felt a great swell of sorrow for the man. It wasn't uncommon for many emotions to run through him, but it was rare to have rage and sorrow mixed together in one man..it felt numbing. he felt bad for Scotty for all the things he did to him in the past, and for what hes putting him through now, he wanted to send Scotty & Madison far away from this mess and let them be together while he fixed this situation.)

Jory: You know bro, you dont have to do this if you dont want to.

Scotty: *Looks at Jory* Whatcha mean man?

Jory: I dragged you into all of this, from the beginning all I've done is make your life Hell.

Scotty: Well, I must admit that most of the time I've known you you have caused me quite a bit of grief.

Jory: Thats why you should take Madison and go, go somewhere safe and wait this out. Zedd and I can handle things on the front and with Kerri's help, possibly even win this.

Scotty: Sorry Jor, but I'm not gonna go.

Jory: Why not?

Scotty: Because Jory, I'm already apart of this. Theres a reason I'm here Jory, and thats to protect you, Kerri, Madison, and the rest of this world from that phantom..and I'm stickin by your side til the end.

Jory: *Smiles* Good to know.

(Now that he knew he ahd Scotty's loyalty, he felt like he needed to get Scotty out of this, and was going to protect him til the day he died..whenever that would be. They made their way closer and closet to Mardi Gras, and it seemed everytime they did his power would become more and more sensitive to the spirits around them, making him be more aware of his surroundings. Unlike Scotty, he was able to see the spirits of the dead inside back windows, or walking along the streets. it took everything he had not to be frightened at the pale white complections and bodily disfunctions these beings had, it was almost like Wes Craven had casted him in another "Nightmare On Elm Street" movie and movie doubles were all over the set. Jory did his best to ignored him and hurrying Scotty, finally made it to the French Qaurter where the party was just kicking in. Jory & Scotty slowly moved thru the crowd, making sure to stop and greet fans and sign things for them or watch them do crazy things that were able to lighten their mood a little. It was slow moving, but once they got past the fans they were finally able to head to a small section reserved for V.I.P.s and there waiting for them was Joseph Storm himself, enjoying a drink and watching the women expose themselves.)

Jory: Enjoying the plentiful breasts Storm?

Joseph: *Turns* Hahaha, funny dude, whats up guys?

Scotty: You invited us to come, so here we are.

Joe: Right right, sorry my mind is a bit slow tonight.

Jory: Dont you mean horny? Hahaha

(The three men share a laugh then take a seat at their table. Jory wasn't expecting any other UEF members to be there tonight, Joesph Storm only invites people close with him to shindigs like this, and the only other person invited besides Jory and Scotty was Ryan White, who was having a few drinks at the bar not too far away from them. Jory knew that Joe had also invited Kerri, but had declined, instead wanting to go to a different get together, which made Jory wonder exactly she was there and Ryan was here. It was hard to talk to Scotty & Joe with all of the music and chattering around them, it was annoying but he was in a festive mood..well..as festive as a man like him can get, and decided to ignore the ruckus and continue his conversations with the two men.)

Jory: So Joe, hows things with you?

Joe: The usual man, women wanting me or hating me, wanting to win Soul Survivor..busy busy busy.

Scotty: I doubt you'll win Joe, I'm in the match hahahaha.

Joe: Yea yea you keep talkin Mr. Scorpion hahahaha.

Jory: A little concerned for your sister?

Joe: Of course, but there isn't much I can do for her other then give her moral support and hope she does the best she can.

Jory: *Nods and looks into the crowd*...It should be a night we all wont forget.

Joe: How about you Jor? *Takes a sip of his drink* Prepared for Hiddukel and Sypher?

Jory: *Shrugs* I've got too much on my time to bother with them. Dont get me wrong, I'm not under-estimating them, they are just simply less experienced then I am and I'll use that to my advantage.

Scotty: Definately. I'll give them credit, they are good, but they need a bit more time to "cook in the oven" so to speak.

Joe: *Watches the crowd* You know Jor, in the few years I've known you, I'm quite amazed you've become the man you are now.

Jory: Why do you say that Joe?

Joe: Because, I was there from the beginning when you were just a rookie starting out like we all were. It never really hit me that you'd acually be something in the buisness, I knew you had talent but just didn't know where you would go. But, as always, you found a way to surprise me man, I'm proud of ya.

Jory: To be honest with ya Joesta, I figured I'd always just be another Spite, but somehow, somewhere along that line I drove myself harder then any man should drive themselves and poof...here I am.

Scotty: Ya know, sitting here chatting and drinking, it almost takes my mind off of current events.

Jory: Heh *chugs his beer*...Almost.

Joe: *Looks at them a little confused*...Somethin goin on?

Jory: *Stands up and takes a few steps forward* Nope, just stress on the road..you know how it is.

Joe: *Stands up* Speaking of which, how is Bec doin? She recovering as planned?

Jory: *Watches the crowd in silence*...Shes had better days.

Scotty: *Stands* Hey guys, I'm gonna go find Madison, I'll be back.

Joe: Alright bro.

(Scotty put his glass down and gave Jory a pat of reassurance on his back before heading off to find his lovely lady. Once Scotty exited the area, Joe stood beside Jory and watched with him the amazement of what happens to people when their lids are opened and the party animal in them roams free.)

Joe: I'm sorry about her injuries man, but ya know things like that happen in this buisness.

Jory: *Nods*..You dont have to tell me.

Joe: *Finishes his drink* Dont sweat a thing Jor, she'll recover.

(Jory could only play along with Joe's sympathetic words and give him a small smile. He couldn't tell Joe that acually, infact, Becca was in the hands of the enemy and they have done Lord knows what to her by now. It put him in a disturbed mood to sit there and watch everyone have fun while he was sitting there, gaurding their lives and waiting for death to strike any moment now..he had to get away.)

Jory: I think I'm gonna go for a walk man, wont be long.

Joe: Alright bro, take it easy.

(Joe & Jory slam fists together in a show of friendship and respect and then Jory heads off once again towards to crowded streets. It was a struggle, with girls trying to get with him and men wanting to drink with him, but he was finally able to get through the crowds and into the dark, empty alley ways to be by himself and to get some thinking done. It was a cool night out for New Orleans, about 76 degrees, and the skies were clear revealing a beautiful full moon, it felt as if Earth's spotlight was shining on him and he was on the world's stage preparing to entertain the masses. Even though it was 76 degress, he felt as if it was colder then that, living in Arizona and in Washington he was easily able to tell how hot and cold it was outside and it definately felt like ol Jack Frost was breathing icicles down his neck. Once he was out of the public eye, he once again began seeing the dead walk among the living, people dressed in 18th and 19th century clothing were slowly passing him by, most carrying on with life as if they dont know they are dead, while others stared at him and them knowingly, wanting to chosen by either Heaven or Hell. It seemed to him that the more he walked on, the more they all just started appearing right before him, and it put him in a state of awareness. Jory gripped his sword and continued walking, keeping his eyes on the path before him and trying not to make eye contact with the beings around him. He picked up the pace when the gift inside of him began to tell him that these spirits werent what they appeared to be..and that something was among him..watching...waiting.

Jory hightened his gift and used it to feel out the area, and noticed that the numbers of these spirits were multiplying by the second...something was wrong. Thinking possibly his gift would give himself off, he tuned down the power a little and then hid himself amongst the shadows, looking for anything suspicious..other then the spirits of the dead walking around him. A deadly calm came about Jory, for he knew that he was possibly under attack now, and in this calm he could feel thunder rumbling inside his chest, making his heart beat faster and his blood grow colder..he was slipping into that distant mind frame that excluded him from all emotional feeling, if he was going to win this battle, he couldn't get his feelings involved. With emotional feeling aside, he now had the need to kill coursing thru his body, he wanted blood to drip from his finger tips and he wanted to hear the painful cry of evil ringing in his ears...he wanted death. Jumbled up in his thoughts, he was only able to catch a quick glimpse of something that wasn't of the current scene, a figure shrouded in darkness, with a slender body, more then likely female, was turning a corner towards a darker part of the alley...interesting. Jory decided to follow this figure and followed it past the corner and into the darker part of the alleyway but made sure to stay behind and not make a sound, making sure he doesn't scare this poor girl if she indeed turn out to be that way.

With his new abilties, he was able to see better then normal humans in darkness, and could see that this alley way was littered with all kinds of trash. The smell here was awful and it was more then likely a place homeless people dwelled, but not tonight. Though trash was strwen everywhere, Jory was very graceful in following this woman and soon they came upon a dead end which there was a small light lit up on one of the walls revealing even more trash, and finally this woman Jory was trailing. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that this woman was acually naked and not too shy about showing off what her mama gave her. Staring at this woman, Jory couldn't help himself but feel attracted to her, regaurdless of her being naked or not..it was something about her...something powerful. Her breasts were about 34C and with the light hitting them just right, it made them look like she was fresh out of the shower. Her tummy was tight, as if shes been working out, and her thighs were so muscular and sexy that Jory couldn't help but drop his chin in amazement.

Slowly, she brought her arms high into the air and began to chant in a language that he had never heard before, but it felt like it made sense to him whether or not he hadn't heard the language. The energy around Jory began to make a popping sound like firewood crackling in a fire and the wind around him suddenly picked up, making Jory even colder then he was now..if that was indeed possible. The walls around Jory began to groan, like they were being pushed from the inside, and the wind was howling like dozens of kids were blowing whistles all around him. The chaos forced him to a knee and he placed his trenchcoat over his face to keep dirty piles of trash from crashing into his face. After she chanted some more, the wind slowly died down and everything quickly went back to normal, but taking a closer look around him..he noticed that blood was leaking from cracks in the walls and on the ground..and dripping from the sky above. Jory slowly rose to his feet and walked towards this female but taking caution..who knew what she was capable of. Before he could reach her, she leapt off from the ground with amazing speed and did a somersault off of the wall landing with ease infront of Jory, giving him a cute little smile as if he was supposed to be impressed by that.)

???: Well, if it aint the great necroscope himself, Jory Johnson.

Jory: I'm known for many things, least of all that.

???: Ahh but word travels fast, it is now widely known what you did back in California.

Jory: Let me guess, the spiritual grapevine?

???: *Dramatic laugh* Something like that.

(The woman put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing some more, then slowly circled Jory, checking out his form. Jory gripped his sword tighter and kept an eye on her, both with his mortal eyes and his mind's eye.)

???: I must say Mr. Johnson *Faces him* your more impressive looking then I would have imagined.

Jory: *Slows his breathing and looks her in the eye*...Who are you?

???: Ooo, he gets right to the chase..what? No chit-chat?

Jory: I'm not here to "chit-chat", I have better things to do with my time then stare...*shakes his head*...talk to someone who doesn't have information.

???: *Giggles*...I take it you like my body then?

(As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't help but feel attracted.)

Jory: Looking for approval?

???: Nope, just thinking you have more on your mind then buisness.

(The woman seductively tugs on his trenchcoat and then runs her fingers up and down his chest, letting her breasts gently grace his mid-section. Jory took a deep breath and with everything he has, grabbed her arms and gently pushed her away.)

Jory: Sorry if I'm not much of a willing participant right now.

???: Whats the matter baby? Dick in a blender?

Jory: Heh, nice one. Rather though, I'm not one to give in on the first date you see.

???: Ahh, a goody goody, never expected that from a necroscope, especially one as imposing as you.

Jory: Apperances are deceiving.

???: *Chuckles*....That they are Jory....that they are...

(Using his ability to feel her out, he noticed that she was doing the same with him. The two went into a staredown and were seeking eachothers calm center, looking to see who was the strongest between them.)

Jory: Whats your buisness here?

???: I could ask you the same question stud.

Jory: On a walk...now answer my question.

???: *Smiles*...Same.

Jory: A little odd walking in the nude dont ya think?

???: Depends on your definition of "odd".

Jory: My definition tells me your lying.

???: Me? Lie? Hahahaha.....good one.

(Suddenly, Jory's gift picked up a huge disturbance around him. Turning around he was quickly ambushed by zombies...so thats what she had done. Because of his suspicions, his sword was quick to hand and before she knew it Jory was fending off her forces, lopping off heads, limps, or making fatal stab wounds. She had summonded a good ammount, but because of their stupidity and his skills, Jory was able to finish them off and come to rest in the same spot he started out at. Bending over a bit to catch his breath, he noticed that the woman was no longer naked, but now dressed in brown robes you normally see on a monk.)

???: Impressive Jory Johnson, now comes the real test.

(With her voice trailing off, Jory could feel the power and werewolves and vampires alike all around him swooping in for the kill. This was now a kill or be killed situation for Jory and he sure as hell wasn't going to be killed like this. Jory started running towards the wall and turned his head only a second to see vampires flying at him and werewolves bounding towards him. The wall neared him and using his gift he jumped high into the air and spun around, kicking those lower then him in their jaws and tossing silver and garlic tipped throwing stars at the others. Once he touched ground the battle had began, all aroudn him lay dead zombie bodies and now a few werewolf and vampire bodies, but more were coming and he was using every weapon in his possession to fight these things off. He once again surprised himself with the grace, speed, and strength he now had and after chopping off the head of a vampire was already slamming a knife into the heart of a werewolf. A vampire had jumped on his back but he was able to flip it off and stab his sword thru him, this allowed a couple of werewolves to jump him from the side and wrestle him to the ground. With his sord out of his hand Jory clubbed one of them in the side of the head with the butt end of a knife and then shoved it into his throat, and then took a throwing star out from his jacket and tosses it towards a vampire who was leaping at his neck, killing him instantly.

The numbers were too much for him, his weapons were doing damage but not enough and now he was being overpowered by this attack, he had no choice but to summon all of his power. The other werewolf that had tackled him clawed his shirt, ripping it to shreds and leaving red bloody marks on his chest, this pissed him off greatly and the werewolf watched as his calm brown as turned to a raging fiery red, the anger inside of him was blazing like a wild forest fire and all of these creatures are about to get it. The gift inside of him caused a sonic boom all aroudn him that knocked the werewolf off of him and all the other creatures several feet away from him, giving him time to slowly float to his feet and pick up his sword. The monsters shook off the wave and went again with their attack, but with his power in full control he was but a blur in a flood of blood that was now everywhere. It seemed to him the sky was raining the red fluid as he zipped thru groups of monsters with his sword, taking them out by the dozens without breaking a sweat...but yet it seemed more were coming.

This time though, with the floods of monsters came spirits, and they quickly took advantage of their power over him by catching him in mid-stride and flinging him clear across the alley and into a wall. Jory had no time to recover from such a hit and went back to fighting, killing a group of zombies who were within inches of eating his flesh, and then once again working on the vampires and wolves. The spirits saw this and slammed into him, making him lsoe his breath and drop to the ground. The spirits lifted him just barely above the heads of the monsters and flung him high into the air..looking for him to crash right into a huge group of the extremely hungry monsters. While in the air, Jory found the calm in his center and releases his necroscope abilities into the world of the spirits...hoping to open the gate for his friends before he was to become to main course. To his surprise, he fell rather quickly and did so right into a huge group of werewolves. He landed with a huge thud and pain shot so abdly thru his body that it was almost impossible for him to breath. Looking up he saw the wolves drooling over him...and then they pounced.

BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Lightning raked the sky as the spirits Jory called upon flew in from the gates of the spirit world and attacked the enemy. The werewolves shake their heads and look around them...they are laying up against a think wall of trash and looking at this human who is glowing a bright yellow and floating in mid-air. When the boom hit Jory was hit with a sudden burst of energy and flung the wolves off of him and before they knew it he had his sword back in hand and enjoyed watching their heads roll away from their bodies. The odds were now even and Jory, to his unemoitional pleasure, carved a bloody river through the enemy. The mystery figure watched in awe as Jory and his spirits lay waste to her "test", watching her army of monsters explode into a bloody bomb all over the place, it made her absolutly sick. To her, it felt just as fast as it had begun, it was now over..and Jory was now standing alone among so many dead bodies it puts many cemetaries to shame. She shook her head and let in a deep breath, he was definately a threat..no doubt.)

???: I'm impressed Jory, you've done well.

(Jory couldn't answer it. From the beating he took to the ammount of energy he had let loose, he was now basically completely drained of all energy and just simply fell to his knees.)

???: Hahahaha, too tired to continue on Mr. Johnson? I thought you were untouchable...I guess your just human after all. Guess I'm just gonna have to do the job these fools couldn't.

(It was a trap, a trap that would prove to be his death either way. They knew that if the monsters couldn't beat him, that he would lose much of his energy and be prone for a simple attack. He watched as this once beautiful, charming woman, now started using her power to form a ball of light in the palm of her hand. he wondered if perhaps Zedd would help Kerri if by some chance he didn't make it, if Jory died right here right now Kerri would be his only chance.)

???: And now Mr. Johnson, we part. I hope we do meet again someday, maybe I could possibly summon you from the dead and use you against your own friends? That would be splendid hahaha!....But for now..you must rest.

(Once she had her ball of light powerful enough, she gave him a wink of her eye..and sent the ball towards him...Jory was now face to face with a swirling ball of death..and he had no chance of escaping...this is it....this is it.)