Chase was out in the charred remains of the forest by the lake, repeatedly swinging Apocalypse vertically until his muscles began to singe from the bone underneath the smoldering sun and the constant pressure on his limbs.
He was wearing a look of frustration as sweat dripped down from his golden hair that had deepened its color in the time spent in Olympia's shadows, making it now a deep goldish-brown which is why Chase had cut it, as it resembled his hair from Phoenix Academy far too much for his liking.
Luna had already left after getting into an argument with Chase for his recent "Blunder". Not only had Luna been upset at this mistake, but also Luke and Kaylynn were furious.
Chase could understand why they had been so upset with their choice, but when Equan had pleaded with Chase to accept the challenge: He had no choice but to accept. After all, both of them had something to prove still, as Chase did not want to rely on a goddess in order to beat every single opponent they faced, or else what was the point of him being the leader of Unity.
Equan on the other, was fated to a god nowhere near as giving as Luna, still being forced to complete a trial of approval even after having been the main reason that Chase was able to deal with Hextra quick enough for backup to arrive.
And that was not even including that fact that Equan had a name that he had to uphold, being known as a prodigy within a noble family was something that required constant proof of status, and that was something that Equan, quite frankly was not very good at.
"Wassup!" Justin of all people called out, leaning against a blackened tree-stump.
Chase turned, tilting his head in disapproval with a sigh as he let the head of Apocalypse crash into the dirt below him.
"What?" Chase asked, making Justin frown and furrow his eyebrows.
"Was just wondering if you wanted to get dinner at the tavern." Justin shrugged.
Chase exhaled with some thought, eventually dispersing Apocalypse.
"Fine, give me a couple of minutes." Chase said, already heading back towards the Tudor.
Chase stepped through the back door of their cozy abode and was immediately greeted by what looked like an intervention. Every present member of Unity as well as some eerily-handsome gardener was standing around the kitchen.
At second glance, Chase spotted Equan being held captive by Luke's chains.
Before Poppy could grab Chase by the collar, Justin stepped in front of him, casting what looked like a web of luminescent crimson liquid, stopping Poppy from getting any closer to Chase.
Justin grinned, "The lads want to fight the Paladins of Seh Jenah in a duel, why try and stop them?" He outstretched his arms with a welcoming chuckle as small vial grenades were strung along his leather vest, glowing and humming in synchronicity.
Kaylynn sighed as the ruins along her arms began to glow a vibrant green.
Then the windows began to slam open one by one as currents of wind began to disturb the web of blood separating Chase and Justin from the rest of the group.
"I don't think this is a good idea if you plant to maintain a low cover..." The gardener frantically said, backing into the furthest corner of the kitchen.
Chase frowned deeply...
'These idiots can't seriously be about to start a fight over this...' Chase let out an exhausted exhale, summoning Apocalypse into his right hand, and letting its heavy crimson crown slowly scrape to a halt against the tile flooring.
Everyone ceased to calm for a moment or two, before Equan suddenly sent out a shockwave of electricity that staggered everyone on that half of the kitchen.
Somehow, Equan had disrupted Luke's anti-magic chains, landing on the ground and immediately dashing with a twitch of golden electricity in his wake, landing on top of a barrel beside Chase and knocking his bow.
Gemini grunted, shifting the fork in his hand to a small missile, that fired with such recoil that Gemini's shoulder visibly dislocated upon firing the contraption.
Justin grimaced, watching in fractions of a second as the small stone enforced staff barreled towards him frightening speeds.
Jacob had already unchained his shackles, the sound of metal slamming against the floor ringing throughout the house.
Then, his lightning figure shot forward like an after-image, the missile vanishing from site and Jacob came to a sliding stop only inches away from the cabinet. Looking down, he grinned as the clanking contraption shook and vibrated in his hands.
Then Gemini let out a haughty laugh as the machine exploded with a flash in Jacob's right palm.
Chase moved, his foot slamming against the back door like a comet before his body shot forward just as such.
Poppy side-stepped, her spear appearing in a flash of light right in Chase's pathway.
Luna stepped forward, outstretching a hand as hundreds of small lunar sigils lit up the kitchen like stars.
However, Chase had been wearing a satisfied expression, clicking his tongue as his hand spun right and a gateway formed right in front of her spear. Chase felt the instant gaze of the underworld but felt the sweet release of earth in only a short second, appearing right above the kitchen island that Poppy now stood upon, as Apocalypse hummed in approval at such vertical range of attack in such a small battlefield.
Poppy looked up in horror, knowing that she had to dodge and therefor submit to Chase's fired up willpower.
At that very second, the living room window shattered and a familiar bulky figure darted through the two first floor rooms of Tudor, allowing the next large ringing of stones and metals colliding to completely confiscate any other sense.
Hans grit his teeth, holding back Chase and Apocalypse with one of his newly gauntlet covered his hands, and Poppy with her ghostly reinforced spear and powerful braced figure with the other.
"I leave for a couple of weeks..." Hans grimaced, his eyes glimmering green and purple underneath his newly made gladiator-styled Panda helmet.
Gideon stepped through the door nervously as his decently healed face came into the light of the living room lanterns.
Chase let his strength go, allowing his body to spun and land with grace as Apocalypse slowly vanished into thin air.
Poppy spun her spear aside, knocking away Panda's grip and dashing back beside Luke.
Equan sighed and set slung his bow back over his shoulders.
Kaylynn quickly went over to Gemini to begin healing his wounds, and Jacob began to pluck paper towels from their rolls, using them to wipe the blood from his hand.
Justin leaning against the kitchen counter, cocking his eyebrows in annoyance.
Chase meanwhile, could only wonder why everyone was so apposed to him and Equan fighting a duel against Natalia and Izzy...
"So, how about that dinner?" Justin suggested, pointing his elbow towards the door.