The wind was howling at this point and some trees had broken in the wind. The bloody rain staining everything it touched. As if the whole world around him was being murdered.

The rain was pouring down rapidly, the "water" starting to rise.

"It appears like it will flood at this rate but also at the risk of a tornado or something..." Stella pointed out.

Jason kept running, unsure of where he was going. "We need to get out of here!" He yelled over the wind, wiping blood off of his visor.

"I will search for a safer place but with floods you need high ground but tornadoes need low ground." Stella stated, sounding a bit distressed.

The rain was quickly approaching his ankles and was getting harder to run though, becoming sticky.

He began to slow down, unable to walk. Tears streamed down his face. This was it. He was gonna die in whatever hellhole he had found his way into.

"Jason, we have to keep moving! It's too dangerous to just stop! We have to try!" She tried to encourage his movement.

He looked down, it was about to his knees now. He turned out and saw that his jet pack was untouched and he set it off.

As he flew through the rain, trying to stay above it, something moved underneath him in the bloody liquid.

"Jason, I saw movement just below us be-!" Stella tried to warn him but something suddenly lunged out of the liquid, and grasped his ankle. It had not been expecting him to be going so fast and so when Jason looked down to see what had grabbed him, he saw a hand and part of arm soaked in blood clinging to him.

Jason screamed, kicking as hard as he could to shake the hand off to no avail. The arm was surprisingly strong and he was now stuck hovering in the air. The rain poured down on him, continuing to cover his suit and weigh him down, despite the jetpack. The liquid was rising up to him and another hand lunged out and grabbed his other ankle but this time it tugged on him.

Jason began to descend. His screams echoing throughout the forest. Tears streamed down his face and he was unable to see through his visor.

Stella was starting to panic, trying to get them out of this by turning up the jet pack but the rain had made its way into it as they were now waist deep and it had stopped working.

More hands seemed to grab at his legs and pull him down more and more until he was about shoulder deep in and Stella called out. "Kalaraja! Please! We surrender! Please, stop this!" Her voice projecting out of the suit, echoing around the forest.

The arms stopped pulling and Jason didn't seem to sink or float any lower or higher, nor did the liquid rise around him yet the rain continued to fall.

Shoulder deep in blood he was unable to move. The fear in his eyes grew. "Stella? What did you do?"

"I... I surrendered us, Captain..." She told him dejectedly.

The blood had felt like it had suddenly become more solid, keeping him in his place as he heard footsteps approaching from in front of him but could see nothing due to the vizor being covered.

"N-no!!!" Jason's breathing quickened. The solidifying blood pushing his suit against him.

"You should be thanking her," A voice spoke up, coming from in front of him. "she saved your life from a rather crude death."

Stella had fallen silent.

"W-WHO ARE YOU?!" Jason yelled. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"

A soft chuckle came from the voice and Jason felt someone grabbed his helmet to remove it.

"J-Jason!" Stella called out, distressed and fearful.

"NO!" Jason screamed as his helmet was torn off his face, hurting his nose in the process. He looked up to face the person who had taken it.

The first thing that caught his attention were the blood red eyes studying his helmet and fanged grin on their face. He saw their blue slightly scaly looking skin and black hair with horns curling out of them. He wore regal looking red and gray armor and held the helmet much like the skull in hamlet as he studied it before turning to Jason a wicked grin on his face before bowing in a graceful way. "I am King Kalaraja. Lord of death." He introduced himself, looking Jason in the eyes, sending a shudder down his spine. He seemed unaffected by the rain but it was starting to coat Jason's hair and face.

"Seems like only she really wanted to surrender. You're still fighting, aren't you?" He purred, his smile and eyes knowing, and teasing.

"LET. ME. GO." Jason looked Kala straight in the eyes in a desperate attempt to hide his fear. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"

"Why are you still struggling against me? I have given you two," he held up to clawed fingers. "perfectly good places that you would enjoy but you keeping figuring it out. Why can't you just be content with what I give you?" He asked back, genuinely curious.

"I want to go home! I have a life! Friends, family, fans, even a few pets." Jason continued to struggle. "That doesn't need to be taken away from me!"

Kala tilted his head. "Oh? Last I checked you all split up. Was I mistaken? I thought you had abandoned them all." He replied, a somewhat smug tone in his voice.

"No... that's not true..." Jason looked down, spitting out some blood from the storm. "It just... didn't work out. That didn't mean we didn't stay friends!" His heart ached with the memories from years ago.

His head was tilted up by one of Kala's clawed fingers. "Oh? When was the last time any of you talked? Did something together? Just be friends for a while? Wait! Let me guess. Not in a long time." He taunted. He had set the helmet aside while he talked to Jason.

Jason opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. He tried to look away from Kala but couldn't, feeling forced to look him in the eyes. He didn't know what to say or how to say it, it all seemed so long ago, like a distant memory.

"Are you done resisting me, space ranger?" He asked tauntingly.

"I..." He couldn't hold it in anymore and tears once again began to roll down his checks. "W-what do you want from me?"

Kala tilted his own head, watching him. "I can give you one last chance to find peace here or you can continue to resist me and be stuck in an eternal nightmare, and maybe, maybe, I'd decide to spare you and kill you." Kala explained. "So, little star, what do you choose?"

Stella had been calling out to Jason but was unable to be heard and trying to figure out how to get him out of the situation.

Jason looked down in defeat. Maybe it was best to just give up now. He's messed everything up. No friends, not family, perhaps he would actually be happier here. He opened his mouth, about to accept defeat and surrender.

Suddenly his suit hummed and an explosion threw Kala back, breaking the solid blood and freeing Jason from it. The beam charges still warm from use. His helmet had fallen closer to him.

Jason fell back, started from the blast. He reached over to his helmet and wiped the blood off before putting it back his head. Unfortunately he still couldn't see, and had to pull his visor up to reveal his face once more.

"Jason! Are you okay?! I am so sorry! I-I... I was scared I'd lose you and I panicked and-" Stella rambled.

Kala groaned and sat up and looked over, frowning. Not in anger but disappointment. "Jason, you're making a mistake...." He offered his hand. "Let me prove this is where you should stay..." He tried to persuade him.

"Thank you... Stella." Jason whispered with a smile. He turned back to Kala, his boots clanking as he walked across the frozen sea of blood. He stared at Kala, taking his hand. He helped him back into his feet without breaking contact.

Without even hesitating Jason suddenly swung his other arm and punched Kala in the side of the cheek. Kala staggered in surprise, taking a couple steps back and staring at Jason before narrowing his eyes, growling. "I see you've made your choice. Call me if you decide you are ready to die." He told him coldly, stepping back and vanishing in an instant.

"I-is it over?" Stella asked, hesitantly.

"Wha..?" Jason fell to his knees, entire body shaking. "I... I hope so..." He looked down, his own reflection staring up at him in the frozen blood. He looked like a wreck in the reflection, covered in blood that wasn't even his and pale as a ghost.

Suddenly the ground rumbled from underneath him. "Jason, we need to move. He's setting everything back into motion." Stella warned him.

Jason bolted up, stumbling across the ground. He broke out into a sprint, the ground cracking under his feet. The wind kicked up once again and the rain became heavier.