As soon as the old wizard's eyes fell on her. He froze. Immediately, with his magical senses, he could sense how much Monstrox's malignant curse had affected his niece.

A powerful, dark aura emanated from her, which was as cold as ice and as sharp as a knife. Her eyes which never once changed their color was looking at him with contempt and hostility. Her posture was as upright as a soldier, Merlok could sense her silent thoughts, intent to attack him and ripping his head off, for what she thought he had done to her and Clay.

Well, technically, she couldn't kill him as much as she would have liked to, he is a hologram. If you ask her, (Y/N) wanted to grab the wizard by his long, gray beard, drag the old man on the ground and then take him to the worst torture she had in her mind. In short, she wanted the wizard to die as terrible a death as possible.

Merlok stared at her, and she stared at him. Every now and then her body trembled and a low growl could be heard from her throat, like a wild mountain lion. Merlok quickly glanced at her companions and his gaze fell on Jane and even more shock flooded him. His former knight, his old friend whom he had known in his lifetime, sat in front of him and also looked distrustfully at the wizard, as did her leader.

(Y/N)'s enemy is also the enemy of the entire Squadron of Destruction.

- Oh my.

That was all Merlok could say, not knowing what else to say. This... this view... It was a mess in itself! (Y/N), who promised that she would not leave his side and of her friends, is the best warrior in the Monstrox's forces and is ready to destroy him along with them! 

He was overconfident in thinking that Monstrox wasn't as powerful as he might have thought so far. The powerful force of corruption has turned a good, loyal and talented girl into a real monster. Despite being in the form he is, Monstrox is still as dangerous as he was when he was still alive.

He felt a mass of stares on him. This was from the monsters as well as the knights, Ava and Robin. They had high hopes that Merlok has some solution on how to get their friend back to their side.

- Merlok... Do you know how to fix her? 

A quiet question from Clay snapped the old wizard out of his dazed trance. Merlok looked at him and gulped and glanced once more at the monsters. None of them dropped their look.

- Well... Monstrox's magic in her body is immense. The spell possessed by that lightning bolt with which he struck you two is more extensive in her heart than in yours, Clay. I would have to do some tests on her, so I could find a solution.

- But what about the spell you cast on Clay the first time? Wouldn't it work the same way with (Y/N)? - Macy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Merlok looked at her slightly. 

- Well it's impossible at this point. After that spell that Merlok cast on Clay, it took a lot of memory in Merlok's files and energy powering Fortrex. Casting a second, equally powerful spell now, could overload his systems and well.... We would lost him. - Ava said.

- So there's nothing we can do? - Aaron asked with a slight crack in his voice. The boy had his arms folded over his chest and kept looking at his beloved, who did not even acknowledge his presence in the room. But his double already did.

- For now, unfortunately, no. I'm sorry, but... Magic... (Y/N)'s case is more complicated than Clay's. But nothing is impossible! I'll find a way, I just need to do some tests and observations and I'll definitely find the answer. - Merlok said with determination in his voice.

- I'd like to see you try, old man.

Everyone turned their heads towards (Y/N), who said this to Merlok with a sneer. - Just try to touch me and I'll kill you.

- You do realize that you are our prisoners, right? Here.... I think we can do anything, right? - Lance asked and looked at Aaron then at Clay.

Aaron's stone double rolled his eyes heavily. - You can't do anything to us. And besides... - a sarcastic smirk appeared on his face. - Your method of so-called "capture" sucks.

All the stone monsters sent the Fortrex's team grins.

- It's only a matter of time before we break free. - Mace added.

- Maybe not so long. - Jane added.

- Listen here. - Macy said, slowly approaching the bound monsters. - You are our prisoners, so I advise you to start talking, or else....

- Or what? Destroy us? - Arrow sneered. - Yeah, no. We are too valuable to you for you to destroy us like that. Besides... I doubt if you would have been able to handle us, given the fact of your impending defeat, if it weren't for the traitor who saved you from it. - He added, casting a glance at Clay. 

- He's right, Macy... Unfortunately, but they have the informations about Monstrox and his plan that he has with Jestro. - Clay said. - They didn't tell me anything because... --

- Because you betrayed them like a shameless bitch. - (Y/N) finished, spitting venom in her brother's direction. Clay cast a glance in her direction and sighed, shaking his head.

- Good. We'll do it this way, you tell us what Monstrox is up to, and we'll let you go. - Lance said.

- Over my dead body. - (Y/N) said. - Besides, this maniac himself said that you have no plans to let us go voluntarily. So we have absolutely no reason to trust you in even the smallest mini-percentage, besides, who listens to despicable traitors?

- What do we do now? - Axl asked, looking at Aaron, who only shrugged his shoulders and looked at the floor.

- Puh-please, why the hell did you kidnap us at all, if you didn't even plan what you were going to do with us. This is very unprofessional of you, I can even say that this is a stupid move. - stone Lance said.

- I advise you to let it go, Monstrox and the monsters will find a new Forbidden Power and I am sure they will find us. We have information that can defeat him, so he will probably want to keep the information from being released to you. - (Y/N) said. - Each of you probably remember what the monsters did the last time they invaded you, right? Merlok exploded and almost died. But by some bloody miracle he managed to come back.

- It's the genes of those cursed wizards! They always find a way to come back.... Like some damn plague. Just like Monstrox said. - Arrow said.

- Hey! Don't talk about Merlok like that! - Clay growled.

- Why not? We are telling the truth, he is the worst of all of you here! - Axe said.

Clay growled and started to walk toward them, but Macy stopped him. Merlok looked at it with confused eyes, not knowing what to do. The Nightmare Knight noticed this.

- The truth hurts, doesn't it Merlok? Ruina told me about you, what you did. 

Merlok looked at her with wide-open eyes and felt his jaw drop. Ruina had told her about him? A shadow of fear flashed through his body. If Ruina told (Y/N) about him and what he had done, she meant....

- You... What did she tell you? - he asked this question almost in horror. This couldn't be happening. Not yet! Both she and Clay are not ready for this! Damn, even he himself wasn't ready for it! This was... too... painful memories. The mistake he made still torments him to this day in dreams, nightmares that haunt him.

- What everyone should know. It just proves what a sick, crazy wizard you are. No wonder you don't have a family. Because you probably destroyed it yourself.

Merlok gasped and shook his head slightly. She... she... knows about what happened? Damn Ruina, she always destroy everything.

- What is she talking about? - Macy asked, looking at the wizard. All eyes darted to said Merlok, who looked around as the spotlight fell on him, expecting an explanation. 

- I... Erm... Well, I... - Merlok stammered, darting his eyes then to Clay, who was looking at him confused, and to (Y/N), who was looking at him with the same look as before.

- Go ahead. Tell them.

- Tell us what? - Aaron asked, glaring at her. (Y/N) looked at him fleetingly and immediately rolled her eyes.

- Don't you have the courage? Let me just tell you that all those corny stories he fed us before all this are lies. He is not at all the amazing good wizard he claims to be. He has done more harm to us all than good. Already our ruler himself, Monstrox, is better than him. Because unlike Merlok, he has sincere and clear intentions and not like this vile wizard.

Nexo Knights were even more confused and disturbed by what their corrupted friend said. The monsters knew what she meant, but humans had no idea for the hell of it. Even Ava raised an eyebrow at Merlok.

- What lies does she mean? - Clay asked suspiciously looking at his former mentor, crossing his arms. - Merlok. What the hell is actually going on here?

- Merlok is a coward. If one doesn't force him, he will keep quiet as a grave. He won't say anything, which is why he is the worst of his kind. - (Y/N) finished when Merlok finally fell silent.

- I'm not surprised that being around him has made you so stupid. - Arrow said to the knights.

- What is the meaning of this? - Macy growled at him. Arrow snorted and raised an eyebrow at her.

- Just like that. - He replied only.

- Morons, can't you really see that? - Mace scoffed with a laugh.

- What? - Aaron demanded, placing his hands on his hips.

Their stone doubles as well as the Nightmare Knight looked at them with blank stares. I swear, if it weren't for their hands being tied, they could have made a strong face palm. These knights really are.... -

- Idiots. - (Y/N) said under her breath.

Thank you (Y/N).

- Hey! We are not idiots! Count your words. - Lance said indignantly. His double laughed.

- Oh believe me, you are. You don't see one of the most obvious things that can be.

- Oh yeah? Then you can kindly tell what we don't seem to see? - Lance sneered at the stone monsters, crossing his arms with a grin.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes. - Do you realize that we are monsters? Stone monsters?

- Well... yes?

 - And you know that we are the strongest monsters in the army, right? - Jane added.

They all nodded their heads, throwing each other weird glances.

- Considering the fact that you keep us here.... I don't know? Hours, you don't realize one important thing.

- What is it? - Axl asked.

- The fact that... You have tied us up. - Mace said deadpan.

Everyone looked at them with blank stares. (Y/N) groaned in annoyance at their stupidity.

- REALLY!!?

- To hell.... You just tied us, ONLY with a rope to the WOODEN chairs!! - Arrow growled, having had enough of that.

- And seemingly what do you think is done with the captives? - Aaron asked.

(Y/N) sighed heavily. - WE CAN do this!! - with that, she stood up easily from her chair and forcibly freed herself from her bonds.

The knights gasped in shock when her knights a second after her also easily freed themselves from their tangles.

- Shit. - Aaron whispered and reached for his crossbow. However, as soon as he took it in his hand, it was taken from him by a golden aura. Aaron looked in shock at Merlok, who took the weapon from him.

- You can't attack them, it will only make our situation worse! - Merlok rebuked and his stern voice returned. He looked at the stone knights and sighed. - I have a solution.

- Will you let us out? - Jane asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow. Merlok shook his head and (Y/N) snorted. - We will fight our way out ourselves. Let's go!

Nightmare Knight turned toward the door, but Clay interrupted her as he quickly appeared in her path to stop her. (Y/N) growled and clenched her hands into fists. - Get out of my way, traitor.

- I have a solution that can be mutually beneficial. - Merlok's voice, shook the siblings out of the staring contest. They both reluctantly averted their eyes and looked at the wizard with furrowed brows.

- We can do like this... You, (Y/N), let me do a scan of your body under the eye of Monstrox's malignant spells, in return you and your friends will be able to move freely around Fortrex.

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow at him. - So... you want to do your some weird experiments on me and my team will be able to walk around the enemy base like tourists on a tour?

Merlok nodded his head.

- No.

- In fact, you have no choice. You are still in captivity, just.... under a lower regime. You have to agree to this. - Macy said.

- You must be joking, knight. How do we know that as soon as we turn around this maniac won't cast some weird charm on us and in a second we will become nothing but a pile of dust.

- You have to trust us. You want freedom, you have to listen. - Clay said, putting his hands on his hips. - Do something good for yourself for once and agree to it.

(Y/N) looked at him with a weird look. - Are you... This is pathetic. We are enemies! Besides, I don't follow orders, I give them. - she crossed her arms and looked at him with superiority.

- That's not the point, woman! - Aaron stepped in. - Merlok if he examines you, he will find a way to cure you from Monstrox's control! Monstrox poisons your mind, and you blindly follow him.

- Because he is our ruler! The duty of a monster is first and foremost to obey its ruler who gave it life. I don't know why I even care about you, you're the one who got me into this! 

- WHAT!? 

The stone monster rolled her eyes in response. - Oh stop being so dramatic. You pretend to be my friends, but in fact you are responsible for all this. YOU! You are responsible for this! - she pointed at Merlok, who flinched.

- Wait, wait for a minute Commander. - Jane suddenly interjected. (Y/N) looked at her with a raised eyebrow as the stone monster leaned toward her. - This is not such a bad idea. Traitors are traitors, but naive traitors. We can take advantage of that.

- What are you getting at?

- Let's pretend to agree to their terms. Then we could snoop around this fortress while they are busy with you, you distract them from us, we will look for some secrets, weapons against them. Lord Monstrox could use some additional information about what they are now planning to do with his plans.

(Y/N) looked shocked at her sergeant, who smiled mischievously. After a moment, a slight grin appeared on her face too, and a sinister glint in her eye. - I like the way you think, Jane. We could also find a way to get rid of this wizard once and for all.

(Y/N) sighed and again an exasperated expression appeared on her face. - Okay... I agree to it. Since you won't let us leave here voluntarily anyway. - she rolled her eyes, referring to Clay.

The knights exchanged puzzled glances and slight smiles of hope.

- However, we have yet to fully agree on this whole our.... deal. You must also agree to our terms as well.

- Good, good. - Merlok said, nodding his head.

- I will allow myself to be... scan, provided that my squadron can move freely around this moving castle, without control of your knights. 

- No way! How do we know they won't do anything stupid? - Macy immediately disagreed.

(Y/N) shrugged her shoulders. - You don't agree to the terms. There is no deal. Unless you want us to fight violently with you again to win our way out.

- But... --

- Deal. 

Macy looked at her friend in disbelief. - Are you serious, Clay!? This could be another trick! We can't trust them.

- Wait Macy. I agree to this, but you will let yourself be examined by Merlok, you will be under his supervision, you will submit to all the necessary tests without complaining or resisting. And promise me that you will not give any order to your squadron to attack us. None of us.

(Y/N) crossed her arms over her chest. - Why should I agree to that?

 - Sooner or later we would have given you the tests anyway. By force if it would be necessary, now I propose convenient conditions. You will go there of your own free will and offer no resistance. In return, your team will be allowed to walk around Fortrex.

- Okay... But they will be able to walk wherever they want, understand?

- Yes.

(Y/N) muttered and looked at her team. Jane nodded definitively, the others did so rather reluctantly. She looked at her brother and nodded. - Okay knight. You have this deal.

Clay smiled with satisfaction. - Great.

He extended his hand to her so she could shake it. (Y/N) sighed heavily and reluctantly shook his hand as a sign of the deal made.