The Hybrid shifts on her feet, unafraid, yet uncertain. The threats she can sense aren't visible to her rounded angled lioness eyes, nor can she hear them. She may have knowledge that humans don't, but this doesn't change the fact that she has never stepped foot in this world. Only was she raised and taught of the Void, the Parents of Monsters – essentially her grandparents – because this is her fate. Her destiny, purpose. The gods allowed her birth for this specific reason, to deliver the one they chose to the Void and defend them. She was trained in the dark for hundreds of years, with and without threats. After a few test runs, she passed every obstacle put in front of her.

Now, however, it is much different. She had not accounted for enjoying the Hunter's presence. Before arriving, she was under the mindset that she wouldn't care if they died while in the Void. Stood in the unending blackness now, after enjoying the affection the blind one gave – she'd genuinely protect them. She'll protect them as best she can. On her back, the hybrid can feel the two little men shuffle and shift. Their voices are muffled by the thick void between her ears and their position. Instead of focusing on them, she keens her leftover senses into the silent threats surrounding them.

Without the colorless depts layered over the setting, it would be a long – massive – hallway. It'd have dark gray or midnight black walls, seven gigantic stone pillars at each side, and a glossy, glass-like shimmering floor of shadows. Across the watery-solid floor is a herd of monsters, creatures, and yet-named Beings. Mangled limbs, gnawing maws, bloodied claws, and twisted mortals all fasting fresh prey. Awaiting to defend the huge dark double doors from the soulful humans, salivating at the mere thought of sinking their teeth into both human and hybrid flesh after being starved. Each creature becomes more grotesque from the next, evolution providing solutions where there was none needed by breeding the herd multiple times over. This scenery is not visible to the invaders, drowned in the impenetrable void. Left to the mercy of the darkness, the hunters and she-hybrid are at a disadvantage.

"Goddammit!" Kane hisses, startling Valli in front of him to spin around. Blinking, he stares at the dimmed image of ruffled dirty blonde hair, gruff rough facial hair along his jaw, and narrowed dull blue eyes. The void steals color, but Vallis' mind corrects the vision itself. Holy shit, he blinks again to check his eyes. Ooo I got lucky, handsome – not the time.

"What happened? Did something drop?" Leaning in closer, in case sound works differently in here, Valli stares as Kane pauses, sighs, and then winces.

Gripping Valli's hand, the man brings the limb to touch what he found inside the duffle bag. He can't see the slimmer man's expression, yet hears the snort when he processes what he is feeling. Grunting, Kane confirms dryly. "A fucking rope. Imma owe your Aunt a thanks. Great."

"At least she thinks ahead, unlike us. And you can bet it's enchanted to not break, or with protection." Valli retorts, lifting his arms as he sees the dimmed, black and gray filtered Kane reach toward him with the tough rope.

He watches (and feels) Kane breathing along his collarbones while wrapping his waistline with the long rope. It pitches slightly once triple-knotted, but it's better than losing track of Kane. The Hunter repeats the process around his own hips, and while he ties off the second and third knot, Valli speaks again. Still a little bewildered, "I can see you."

With the knots tight and secure, Kane pauses and looks at him with eyebrows furrowed and a twist of his head – confused. "How'd that happen?"

With an unseen shrug, Valli raises his hand to slowly pet the unshaven stubble. Kane jerks momentarily, unexpecting of the touch. He leans into the soft palm once he feels it's just Valli, mindful of all the threats his body is alerting to. "You're all gray. It's like this place sucks all colors from everything. But you're handsome, I can fill in the color of your eyes and hair now."

Kane chuckles, pressing a small kiss to the thin wrist. "Thanks, Val. But we should really get a plan going."

"Right!" Laughing, Valli peeks over the hybrid's oversized shoulder towards the far ground. Yet nothing is revealed, except a deep dark abyss and the laughter dies quickly, "So. Are we climbing down and fighting, or we gonna ask her to step on them? Cause I can hear, like, an overwhelming amount of monsters." An additional thought is spilled at the end of the question, "Also, maybe this sight thing is distance-based. I can see you just fine, maybe not clear, but it's pretty damn good. But when I look down, there's nothing again."

"Shit. Could be a problem." Kane grumbles, head turning this way and that. It's so dark, that even if he closed his eyes, there are no eye bubbles or tricks of shapes, lights, or faces behind his eyelids. He shrugs to himself, and this is where we use what we can then adapt. "Try this beast then. Let's see if she can do anything."

"I don't think we'd see it if she can."

"It was just a damn phrase."

"I know." It's giggled, Valli turning his back to Kane. Tightly he holds onto the fur of the Hybrid, firmly tugging left where he can hear particularly loud growls and snarls.

The creature shortly startles at the small pinch, but she hurriedly relaxes once she realizes the humans are instructing her. Cooperating easily, she sways to the left and yowls when her paw crushes wiggling figures under. Their bodies gush, squirting gore from the sides of her fur. She swats her paws out, feeling the monsters get flung. Vaguely, there are pinches around her ankles and paws, stings that grow increasingly noticeable. When the beings at her feet don't stop attacking, biting, and clawing (or die), she pauses. Inhaling deeply, heating a fire in the chamber off to the side of her stomach, her body stretches like a cat as she exhales. What would have been a brilliant, flaming breath of fire in the outside world, is merely a heat with no source. The flame still charred and melted the raging creatures, yet no flame was seen in the dark.

Valli sees the black and white flame, bright and piercing in a world of black, spreading in a wide path to the monsters. He watches, in awe, as the wiggling mass slowly burns into ash to be trampled by the next wave of beings. This course of action goes on; the hybrid eliminates most of the monsters, then finishes them off with a breath of fire. The sounds of the snarls, growls, and groans have decreased, yet some of the creatures got smart and went into hiding.

Slowly, the beast lowers while using her tail to sweep around her, catching stray beings in the path of the heavy appendage. Kane slides off first, releasing a deep grunt as he lands on his ankles. He catches Valli as best he can without his vision, managing to grab onto the man's leg and torso to end the path of a harsh fall. Once settled back on firm ground, Valli squats to check the weapons. He hands Kane three more knives and a large gun that appears to have a gas tank duck-taped on it. "Why does this have a tank on it? With duck tape."

Excitedly, Kane grins into the void and snatches the gun that had been tapped at his leg. Caressing it like an old lover, he states – ignoring the tape inquiry. "Oh! Just my homemade flamethrower! Forgot I packed this baby!" The pure joy melts into an uncertain mumble. "... Hope I reloaded the fuel."

"A flamethrower?" Disbelievingly, Valli gapes for a moment. Then whines in the back of his throat, continuing to search for universal monster-killing weapons. He already has guns and ammo, along with knives, in the harness and straps Addy provided. However, he'd feel better if he had a blunt object to smack things with– creatures tend to die eventually from blunt-force trauma. "Why haven't I thought of that? Maybe I need to work on being violent."

"Practice time. And this time, you got permission to boss me around." Kane sticks close to the hybrid, herding Valli against her elbow as she shifts to strike out at whatever she senses.

Valli stands, snorting. "I didn't know I needed permission. You always listen when I boss you around." He pats himself down, double-checking the straps are secure and that his guns are ready. Kane is already good, on guard even if he can't use his sight. A thick finger is hovering over the trigger of the flamethrower, just itching to use it. "Guess I'm ready if you are."

Briefly, Valli embraces Kane tightly, a lingering kiss placed on the man's lips. The hunter grips him protectively, being certain his back isn't toward the open area away from the hybrid. Kane deepens the short kiss, cupping the other's nape to hold him close. They pull away a moment later, Kane commanding sternly. "Tug the rope if you're hurt. If either of us are fatally injured, we turn tail back home. Do not push yourself, and stay focused."

"Deal. Same goes for you."

It is still strange to see the real Kane respond to his words silently, being able to see him bob his head in agreement is almost unreal. Then he recalls where they are, and it seems almost normal in comparison. Kane situates them front to back, the man pressed flush to Valli's spine with the flamethrower at the ready in one hand and a large crowbar in the other. In his ear, instructions are whispered. "We're gonna stay close like this. You're gonna tell me what is coming, then if fire doesn't take it out we'll team up on it. No more than one at a time – I refuse to get swarmed. If she can help, try to get the beast to do some more damage."

Valli nods, then remembers he isn't the completely blind man at the moment. Instead, he squeezes Kane's wrist, like the man had done for him multiple times as an 'I heard you and I'm listening' gesture. In response, a small peck of a kiss is delivered to the nape of his neck. Before he can mentally gush over Kane's affection, he's being gently nudged forward. Warily, Valli flicks his eyes around in search of an incoming threat and walks slowly on a long path to the double doors. The size of the hallway promises a long journey. He can't determine how many creatures are left, he can only hear a select few when they bravely wander closer. Kane keeps the flamethrower at the ready tilted at Valli's hip to aim and fire quickly. They walk for what feels like hours; the hybrid keeps her head at Kanes back, scooting along the floor on her belly to keep track of the humans.

Then suddenly, Valli spots a dark shape shifting closer to their position. He pauses, the chain reaction stopping the others and his alert boyfriend tenses, waiting to attack or to defend. Watching, Valli struggles to make out the being. Upon the monster venturing closer, a high-pitched clicking sound pierces his sensitive ears, a wince overtaking his expression. This creature is humanoid but has the head of a dragon, the wings of a bird, and the feet of a goat or hooved animal. It's covered in blood, gangly and thin, sharpened claws with flesh torn on them reach out and a maw full of red teeth snaps at them. Valli waits until it comes closer, only when he can smell the rotted flesh, the overwhelming scent of death and brimstone does he squeeze Kane's wrist again.

Instantly, without a single hesitation, the flamethrower trigger is squeezed down. Valli can feel the heat and see the dimmed aim of fire blast to life from his side, safely away from him, but close enough. The spread of the flame ignites the being upon impact, burning and charring the feathers of its wings, the ripped and torn flesh flakes off. They don't move; Valli observes the being turn into ash floating to the ground with teeth fragments. This process goes on, continuing until the flamethrower loses fuel with a distinct click. Then the men are left to hand weapons. Kane grumbles and mumbles curses to himself as he packs the, now useless, gun away in the duffle bags. The real fighting begins.

The further they walk, the more monsters appear to Valli. He and Kane end up back to back; Kane bashing a creature he can't see over its dome-shaped head with the crowbar, while Valli shoots Blessed Blood bullets into the heart of a two-headed, human-sized snake being. When the rounds fail, he slips a machete from his hip and dodges a lash from the quick tail to swing his arm back. The heads roll simultaneously, the stump at the necks sputtering dull gray blood. Once the body collapses, he turns to Kane. Only to see the creature's face bashed in, unrecognizable in comparison to the oddly shaped head, wide thin mouth with three layers of teeth and thin build Valli witnessed before it attacked them. Kane's hands are coated in dark gray gore, casually flicking a chunk of gunk from his knuckles. With the current threat dealt with, the large hunter pulls Valli back against him by the rope to start again.

To their own shock, Valli announced the doors were closer – possibly a hundred feet in front of them. The hybrid busies herself using her fire breath and paws to take out beings, careful to keep close to the humans to hear them as much as she can. They don't request a ride, and she doesn't offer. That is until the worst happens.

The men had been broken up again, held by the rope back to back. Valli warned Kane of the werewolf approaching from his left, before focusing on the reptilian creature that came for him. The werewolf is easy enough - familiar. Kane shoots three silver-iron bullets into it, finished off with a good-measure bashing of its head. He should've had Valli handle the werewolf. Instead, the man is left with a Frankenstein Reptile Monster. It's a mix of various animals; crocodiles, lizards, snakes, geckos - just an assortment of them. Five heads with eerie eyes, scaled long limbs, and hooked claws, with teeth salivating in saliva and a thicker substance it spits out. The werewolf drops the moment Kane hears the faint hiss and curse from Valli, the man spins back and yanks the rope to pull the retired Hunter away from whatever is in the dark. Valli yelps, colliding with the man's sturdy chest suddenly.

Demanding, "What happened?"

Valli covers the small bite on his forearm as if Kane could see it, wincing at the pitch and pulling of it. The being got in a lucky bite right when he shoved his blade into its heart (what he assumes is the heart), it had fallen the second before he was dragged. The bite itself is tiny, but the sharp cluster of teeth had dug in and torn a chunk of flesh out. He can feel blood leak down his arm and knows Kane can feel the fluid as well. Proven when the man hisses, mumbling under his breath as he rips his shirt at the bottom to wrap the wound tightly in.

"Get on the beast. We're leaving." Kane decides, uncaring how close they are to the goal.

Valli grips the rope to hold Kane back, ignoring the spreading sting of his injury. Protesting, "No! We're so close to ending whatever is happening! Let's just do this and get it over with!"

Strong hands grab hold of his shoulders, the sight of Kane rolling his eyes and jaw clenching clear now. Unyieldingly, Kane is unmoved by the argument. "No. We have no idea what is in here or if that wound can kill you. It might've had venom, Valli."

"I just wanna get this over with. I'll be fine! I promise! It doesn't even hurt!" Still, he is refused. Kane shakes his head and Valli huffs. Threatening hesitantly, "... I'll cut the rope."

"The fuck you will." Is the instant challenge, "I'll toss you over my shoulder like a damn brat if you don't listen. You can't fight injured Valli, especially if we can even see what's happening with the wound." Holding tight to his boyfriend, Kane clarifies. "When I said fatal injury, that meant any injuries, because shit here is unknown and the possible death of them is unknown." Speaking slowly, firmly like one would a child, he adds. "So we are high-tailing it out, and getting this checked."

Sighing heavily, Valli nods. Disappointed they couldn't finish this now, all because of a little bite. He knows Kane is correct, it'd be dangerous to go on with an unknown wound. However, it'd be great to finish this mission and get back to his life, now with the addition of Kane. Maybe next time. After the thought, his lips part to speak, yet all that slips through is a whine as the wound begins to burn and ache. Kane hurries to pick him up, holding Valli to his chest as he spins toward the hybrid. She moved closer once she felt the humans pause, and had laid down. Upon scenting the blood, she curls her tail around them to lift them onto her back. She barely allows time for Kane to settle them safely, before standing. Eager to get back, disliking the scent of poisoned blood.

Through this, Valli breathes in and out deeply, eyeing the festering wound as it throbs and squirts pus or blood. He can't discern which fluid it is, but the longer he stares, the more painful it becomes. It feels like his flesh is burning from the inside out, spreading quickly through his hand and toward his elbow. Grimacing, he puffs, mildly annoyed. "Yeah. Ok. That shit hurts. Like really fucking bad, holy shit!!"

"Told you."

"Soo, not the time!"