Finn awoke with a groan, his whole body feeling as though he had been juggled between two angry trolls. His stiff muscles and limbs did their best to persuade him to stay in bed and the human eagerly agreed. With a loud yawn, he scanned the room and noticed that it was still dark, even though the morning birds were chirping away. He spotted the towel draped on the window and remembered why the bright rays of sunlight didn't wake him earlier. Reaching down to scratch at a bandage, his hand brushed up against something cold. Lifting up the fur skins, he found a very comfortable Vampire Queen sleeping underneath, her arms still wrapped around his stomach. Finn decided to let her continue sleeping, knowing how hard yesterday had been on her. She had lost her house and nearly all of her possessions, and it was all thanks to her jerk of an ex-boyfriend. He laid his head back onto his pillow as he thought about what he had to do today.

Gotta figure out who this Maximus guy is and then put a stop to whatever Ash and Iris are doing. Maybe Bubblegum will know something about him…

Marceline woke from her slumber, eyes still weary from last night's crying session. It had been a long time since she had cried like that, not since the last time Ash had decided to ruin her life. She stretched in place, her arm brushing against something rather stiff. Curious to what it was, she placed her hand on it and let out a surprised gasp as the world seemed to explode around her.

Fur skins flew everywhere as Finn leaped out of bed, an embarrassed look on his face, "M-M-Marcy? W-What are you doing?"

She was still half-asleep and had no idea what was happening until she noticed the pillow he was using to cover his pelvis. Her face grew warm as the realization hit her, "Um, n-nothing…"

Finn hugged the wall as he made his way to the bathroom, "I'm, uh, just going to brush my teeth."

The vampire waited until he disappeared inside before letting out a sigh, "Whoops." She slowly got up and picked up the fur skins before throwing them on his bed.

Well, for an eighteen year old…

Marceline shook her head before that thought could go any further. She could hear the sink running in the bathroom and decided that she still wasn't ready to get up just yet. Flopping back into bed, she snuggled between the still-warm furs and quickly fell asleep once again.

Finn dunked his head in the sink, the cold water nipping his entire face. He came up for air and stared at the figure in the mirror. White bandages covered most of his torso and his right hand and he felt as tired as he looked. The young human began removing the gauze on his hand, not sure of what to expect. Shockingly, the cut seemed to be fully healed, save for a small white scar.

That's weird.

He balled his hand into a fist but felt no pain so he decided to try his torso next. As the layers were peeled away, he was once again surprised to find that the wounds across his chest were healed. Five scars replaced the once bleeding gashes and he gingerly placed a hand on top of them, testing them out.

This is really weird.

He racked his brain for any explanations but couldn't come up with any reasonable ones. Shrugging it off, he brushed his teeth and grabbed a towel as he stepped into the shower. Hot water ran down his body as he let it splash across his head. His aches and pains were slowly washed away as the heat soaked down into his bones and weary muscles. Refreshed, he stepped out and dried himself before wrapping the towel around his waist and walking back into his room. He spotted Marceline's raven hair in between his sheets and he tiptoed past her on his way to the closet. Changing into his outfit in record time, he donned a brand new bear hat and jumped downstairs where his brother was making breakfast.

Jake was quietly whistling to himself as Finn walked up to him, "Sup, brotha."

The dog smiled, "Hey, man. You hungry?"

"Totes hungry."

"Well there won't be anything special for breakfast but it'll be done in a bit."

Finn made his way back upstairs, "As long as there's a lot of it."

He grabbed his sword and was about to go back downstairs until he remembered something. Moving silently, he picked up Marcy's axe and climbed down the ladder and walked into the living room. He set the weapons on the table and collected the necessary materials before setting about to cleaning them. Working with great care, he wiped down the axe blades and used a small tool to clean out the blood that had dried in the tiny crevices of the instrument. Next he sharpened the weapon with his whetstone and finished it off by polishing it until he could see his own reflection. He would let Marceline tune the strings since he wasn't too sure how she liked it and he placed it away before picking up his own mighty sword. Finn hummed to himself as he cleaned and sharpened his blade. He always enjoyed the task since it calmed him and helped to take his mind off of other things.

As much as he tried though, he couldn't stop thinking about yesterday's events. Marceline had lost her house and Ash threatened to come back for her at some later time. Not that he would let that happen, of course. After all, Marcy was his friend and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. He stared into the blue orb in the sword's handle as he tried to process the warm feeling in his chest.

What we were doing last night was a little more than 'friendly' wasn't it?

"Foods ready!"

Finn was startled by the sudden noise and chuckled as he set down his weapon and walked back into the kitchen. There were several plates sitting on the specially crafted kitchen table, each piled high with food. Finn licked his lips and hurried upstairs to store the weapons and wake the slumbering vampire. He walked up to the bed and found her curled up into a cute little ball, sleeping peacefully. It would have been a cosmic crime to wake her up so he made his way back downstairs to eat.

Jake was already serving himself, "Come on, dude. Better eat up before it's all gone."

Finn hurried over and snatched up a plate as he eyed the feast before him. Eggs, waffles, sausage, bacon and baked potatoes were laid out on the table, just begging to be eaten. He grabbed another plate and piled both of them with a little bit of each, setting them down in an empty space. The ravenous teen searched through cupboards until he found the largest cup they had and filled it to the brim with orange juice. With a quick lick of the lips he sat down and began the much-awaited process of clearing his plate. He stuffed his mouth with whatever he could fit as he chewed voraciously, surprising even his brother. Jake watched with fascination as both plates were cleared within a few minutes without him losing his stride.

Finn chugged his orange juice and gave out a satisfied sigh, "Oh man, that hit the spot."

The dog grinned, "Pretty good, huh?"

"Yep. I think I'm going for another round."

Jake raised his eyebrows, "Damn, Finn. I've seen you eat a lot before but never like this. You're gonna explode."

Finn began loading another plate, "I'm just as surprised as you are. I've never been this hungry and it feels like I can just keep on eating for hours."

"Well don't come crying to me when it messes up your figure. Most princesses aren't into chubby adventurers."

"I'll burn it off in no time."

Jake chewed on a bit of sausage as he scanned the room, "Where's Marceline? I haven't seen her at all." He leaned in close to the human, "I can't help feeling that she's trying to scare me like usual."

Finn refilled his cup as he feigned ignorance, "I have no idea."

He must not have noticed her sleeping in bed with me. It'll probably be better if he doesn't-

"Oh, Marceline?" Both brothers turned to look at Beemo as he walked towards them, "I saw her last night. She was sleeping with-"

Finn quickly interrupted him, "H-Hey Beemo, you want me to serve you a plate?"

"Yes, please. Like I was saying, I saw Marceline-"

"What do you want to eat?"

Beemo squinted his eyes as he stared at Finn, "Hmm…"

The human smiled awkwardly, "So, um, what'll it be?"

"Eggs and bacon."

Finn quickly filled the plate and placed it in an open spot before lifting Beemo into the chair, "Alright buddy, dig in."

The little MO smiled as he reached for the fork, having completely forgotten what he was trying to say, "Thanks, I'm pretty hungry."

The human sat back down and let out a discreet breath.

Phew, that was close.

He made quick work of his second helping and got up to wash his dishes after he was finished. Digging through the fridge, he pocketed several tomatoes and a handful of strawberries before making his way upstairs. Jake gave him a curious glance but said nothing as he returned his attention to his plate. Finn stepped into the bedroom and strolled over to the bed, looking for the vampire. The furs were still bunched up tight and he reached down to give Marcy a light shake but he was alerted by a small intake of breath behind him.

"Boo-"

Finn turned and stuffed a strawberry into Marceline's puckered lips, much to her surprise. She let out a disappointed grunt as she drained the red from the berry, "Sorry Mar-Mar, gotta be faster than-"

She popped the grey fruit into his mouth and gave him a smug smile, "Faster than what?"

He chewed the tasty morsel before responding, "Ah, forget it. Breakfast?" Marcy plucked the tomatoes and strawberries from his hand and drained them in rapid succession. Before he knew it, he was holding several grey fruits, "I'll take that as a yes…"

Settling back into bed with a satisfied sigh, she lay on her back and closed her eyes, "Thanks for breakfast. Wake me up when the sun goes down."

"Oh of course, your majesty," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm of the night, Finny. I don't do much during the day."

"You don't do much of anything," he replied, under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought." There were a few moments of awkward silence between them and Marceline sighed, "Alright, spit it out."

"Huh?"

She sat up, "I know there's something you want to say. Out with it already."

Finn took a deep breath, "Well, I just, uh, wanted to know how you were holding up. Especially with everything that happened last night."

Her red eyes traced the small cracks in the ceiling, "I'm fine. My house is gone, Ash is back, and Iris is plotting something, but at least I'm not dead, right? I can always find a new house."

"Well when you put it that way…"

"Really, I'm fine." She glanced at his chest, "How are your wounds?"

Finn lifted his shirt, showing off his new scars, "Healed, though I have no idea how they closed up so fast."

Marceline studied him intently, "Must have been my amazing first aid."

Or was it the white substance I saw in his blood last night? Could that have been it? Come to think of it, how come he hasn't been affected or turned by my bite or the Why-Wolves'?

"Yeah you did a pretty good job. I feel great."

"Don't I always?"

Finn grabbed his backpack and began rummaging inside, "Yep." He pulled out the empty container that once held the Cyclops tears, "I'll need to make a run soon. I have a feeling that things are only going to be getting worse. Plus," his face hardened, "I would have died if I didn't have them with me."

Cold fingers wrapped around Marceline's chest at the thought of losing Finn, "I would have gotten you to the Candy Kingdom in time. Bonnie would have saved you."

Finn shook his head as he recalled the previous battle, "No, she wouldn't have. I was jacked up and bleeding everywhere. It was only a matter of time." He tossed the empty container and slipped his backpack on, "I'm going to go visit Bubblegum and see if she knows anything about Maximus."

"His name sounds familiar but I can't quite place it. Bonnie will most likely know, with her sharp memory and all."

"Do you want to come with me?"

Marcy peeked through the covered window, "It's bright out and I don't have any clothes to go into the daylight with."

Finn searched his closet but came up empty-handed, "Well do you want me to buy you some clothes while I'm at the Candy Kingdom?"

"No offense, but I'd much rather dress myself."

He crossed his arms, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I lack style?"

Marceline snickered, "Finn, you've been wearing the same outfit for the past six years. I'm surprised that dorky little hat hasn't fused to your head yet."

"I wouldn't diss the hat if I were you."

"Dorky. Little. Hat."

Finn ran up to her and caught her in a headlock as they crashed onto his bed. He dodged her hands as they tried to smack his head and he felt the air leave his lungs as she elbowed him in the stomach. His grip slackened and Marceline slipped through his hold, her eyes burning brightly with mischief, "That's the problem with mortals. They just never learn."

The adventurer took off his backpack as he readied for her retaliation and he didn't have to wait long. She snatched a pillow as she flew towards him and just missed his head as he ducked underneath her swing. Finn dove into her and they fell to the floor in a tangled mess with Marceline coming on top.

She pinned him down to the floor and a gave him a victorious grin, "You are no match for the Vampire Queen, human."

Finn shifted his weight and Marcy gasped as the world flipped around. The young hero was now on top of her and he placed himself between her thighs as she tried to push him off. He kept her down as she shuffled restlessly underneath him, "Face it, Marcy. This is one mortal you can't handle."

Marceline growled and began kicking out in an attempt to shake him off but stopped when she felt something rubbing against her sensitive area. Her eyes grew wide when she realized what it was and they doubled in size when she found that she was rather enjoying it. The air around her seemed to grow a few degrees warmer and she finally noticed how close they were, their lips only inches away from each other. Finn swallowed nervously and quickly scrambled off of her, much to her surprise.

Finn hurried over to retrieve his backpack, "S-Sorry about that. I…should probably get going."

Marcy let out a breath as he walked away, his legs a little splayed, "Y-Yeah, okay."

"Later."

He was halfway down and almost out of sight before she called to him, "Hey, Finn." His blue eyes caught her gaze, "Sorry for being a jerk last night. I'm angry at Ash and Iris, not you."

"Yeah, I know Mar-Mar. We'll make them pay for what they did, I promise you."

Marcy watched as the white tips of his bear hat disappeared from view before slipping back into his comfortable bed.

Finn searched for his brother and found him sitting comfortably on the couch, playing a game on Beemo, "Hey bro, I need to go talk to PB. I'll be back later so-"

"Oh no you don't. Every time you say that you come back all beat up." Jake put the controller down and stood up, "I'm coming with you."

Finn retrieved his sword and sheathed it into his backpack, "Okay but I don't want to hear any of your sass because you're bored."

Jake placed his hands on his hips with exaggerated flair, "I'll do all the sassing I want, thank you very much."

"Guess I'll pack the spray bottle then."

"Nope." He wrapped an arm around Finn and lifted him off his feet, "You're not spraying me with that thing."

Finn chuckled, "I'm kidding, homie. I was just going to grab the leash."

Jake rolled his eyes, "Ha, ha. You're so funny." He stretched them both downstairs and outside before growing in size, "Alright man, let's go visit the princess."

The duo made their way to the Candy Kingdom in no time and Finn spotted the sharp spearheads of the guards patrolling the walls. There were a lot more than usual, "Looks like Peebles has beefed up security."

"Well after what happened at the royal ball I don't blame her."

Finn waved at the guards below as Jake stepped over the walls and the human was jolted in his seat as his brother came to an abrupt stop. He peeked around and spotted one of the massive Gumball Guardians just ahead of them, an arm stretched out, "Stop, Jake the Dog and Finn the Human. Princess Bubblegum has ordered scans of anybody entering and leaving the kingdom. You are no exception."

Jake glanced back at him, "Um, Finn?"

"We don't seem to have much of a choice."

The guardian's eyes glowed brightly and a ray of yellow light shot forth, scanning both of their bodies simultaneously. After a long minute, the sentinel stepped to the side to let them pass, "You are indeed Finn and Jake. Entrance is permitted."

Finn fist-bumped with the giant guard, "Awesome."

Jake carefully placed his steps between the busy candy people below before reaching the palace doors. The hero hopped off as the dog shrunk back down to size and they entered the royal building. It was rather empty and their footsteps echoed through the hallways as they headed towards the princess' quarters. They neared the Banana Guard Surveillance room and they could hear various voices coming from within.

"Oh my Glob…"

"Who would do such a thing?"

"This…this is horrible."

Finn glanced at his brother and they both took off running and barged into the room, sword drawn and fists raised. The human quickly scanned the room, "What's going on in here?"

Bubblegum pushed past the small crowd that was bunched up around the security monitors, "Whoa, easy guys. There's nothing wrong here but…" She motioned toward the monitors and the heroes made their way to the front. Bubblegum pushed a button and all the screens flipped to a single angle of a small kingdom on fire.

Finn sheathed his sword, "That's Mellow Kingdom." He watched as a building collapsed and the smoke and debris covered their view. The princess switched to another view and Finn was expecting another angle but this time it was of another village on fire as well. Figures ran through the burning village and some were cut down by brigands wielding swords and spears. "What in Glob's name is going on?"

PB glanced at him, worry and concern etched into her face, "A merchant from outside told one of my guards about towering columns of smoke in the distance. I sent out a few of my surveillance drones and found what you are seeing now."

The screens flipped to another scene and they looked on as purple flames consumed a festival of some sort. Finn slammed his fists against the desk when he spotted a familiar floating witch holding a white staff, "Iris!" He watched helplessly as she rained fire and magic on the poor souls who strayed into her view. Finn made a move toward the door, "Jake, we have to go stop her!"

"You got it!"

Bubblegum stopped them, "Wait! That…that was from a few hours ago."

Finn felt his heart drop, "What? You mean it's too late?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

He closed his eyes and fought down the anger and guilt as it tried to eat him alive. After a few heated breaths, he calmed down and unclenched his fists. "Why? Why did nobody ask for help? Why am I just now hearing about this?" Finn turned away from the monitors and ground his teeth as he stepped outside. Jake gave PB a worried glance and they both followed him out of the room.

Bubblegum caught him by the arm, "Finn, where are you going?"

He whipped around, his eyes filled with cold fury, "Where do you think I'm going? I…I have to do something!"

Bubblegum was taken aback by his sudden outburst and let him go, "I received recent video from my drones but I didn't want to show anybody else because of what I saw. Finn, there was nothing left at any of the locations. Everything was destroyed. The troubling thing is, there were no bodies found at the sites when my drones went by for a second run."

Jake rubbed his chin, "What do you think happened?"

The princess sighed deeply, "I'm not sure. It could have been scavengers or their bodies were looted or maybe the intense fires burned them until nothing remained but their scorched bones. I'd have to send a team in to investigate but with the way things have been lately I'm wary of sending any of my guards outside of the walls."

"Have you ever heard the name Maximus?" Finn asked, his tone hard.

Bubblegum replayed the name in her head a couple times, "I think I have. I…wait…" She paced down the hallway as she concentrated and suddenly flipped around to face Finn, her face tense, "Where did you hear that name?"

"Ash told me last night. He said that Maximus was working with Iris. Just who is he?"

She grabbed his hand and began leading him away from the ears still in the room, "Come with me and I'll tell you." They both followed the princess as she guided them to her quarters. The door closed behind them and Bubblegum walked over to her bed and sat down, running a hand through her gummy hair, "Before you became the great hero of Ooo and even before Billy, there was someone else by the name of Maximus. He was a great warrior and a noble hero who defended our lands from the forces of evil just as you and Billy did. I came to know him quite well and he even saved my kingdom once by helping me repel an orc invasion force. With his protection, the kingdoms of Ooo were able to grow and blossom. However, it seemed even the mightiest of heroes could succumb to the darkness. When the Lich attacked a village after years of hiding, Maximus went off to face him. I don't know exactly what happened but the dark king corrupted him and he turned against the inhabitants of Ooo, slaughtering hundreds. That was when Billy first showed up. He, along with several armies from the surrounding kingdoms, fought them to a standstill but he wasn't strong enough to destroy them so he was forced to seal them away. The Lich was sealed away in my tree but Billy never told me where he sealed Maximus. If this is the Maximus that Ash was talking about, then we are in serious trouble."

Jake's head drooped, "If only Billy were here…"

Finn stared at the ground, "Billy is dead, Jake. We have to fill his shoes, no matter how big they are."

Bubblegum tapped on a small device attached to her wrist and looked at the duo, "I've already sent out my remaining drones and I've contacted the other kingdoms as well. Everyone is on high alert so as soon as another attack is reported I'll make sure you guys are the first ones to know."

The human nodded, "Good. We have to stop them." He headed for the door until PB stopped him, "Finn, can I talk to you?"

"Sure."

Jake noticed the princess staring at him and quickly caught on, "I'll, uh, just wait outside."

He closed the door as he left and she patted the empty spot next to her on the bed, "You want to sit?"

Finn shook his head and crossed his arms, "No, I'm fine. What did you want to talk about?"

"I've been worried about you ever since the incident in the cave." The hero felt the faint fang marks on his neck tingle at the mention of it. "You were, after all, bitten by a vampire. Have you had any adverse effects ever since then? Any changes to your body or personality?"

He opened his right hand and stared at the thin scar that ran across his palm, "If you're wondering if I'll burst into a cloud of ash for stepping out in daylight then no, I don't feel myself becoming a vampire. There is one thing, though." He lifted his shirt, pointing at the scars on his chest, "I got these last night while I was fighting Why-Wolves and I woke up this morning to find them healed. I have no idea why."

Bubblegum walked up to him and ran a finger across his scars, "Did you use your Cyclops tears?"

"Yeah but only on the bites."

Her eyes widened, "You were bitten? We need to test your blood immediately!" She searched through one of her drawers and pulled out a small blood collection kit.

"Why do you have that?"

She ignored him and prepared his left arm, "Can you take off the bracer please?"

"I, uh, kinda can't. It seems to have attached itself to my arm."

"Hmm, I think I can help." Bubblegum rummaged through the drawer again and came out with an electric saw, "Okay, you ready?"

Finn took a step back, "What the plop? What else do you freaking keep in there?"

The princess shrugged, "Just the essentials." She raised the saw and gave it a rev, "Make sure to hold still."

"Ah, that's okay. I actually like it." He opened and closed the shield, making PB flinch, "It's already saved me a couple times."

She lowered the saw, "If you say so." Finn sat down on the bed as she began preparing his arm again for the blood sample. He didn't make a sound as the needle slid into him and he watched with curiosity as the vial began to fill with his warm blood. When it was topped, she pulled it free and bandaged his arm. She gave the vial a small shake and was surprised to see a white substance floating cohesively with his blood, "That's odd…"

"So what is it, Doc?"

"I'll have to run some tests to determine what the foreign element could be but it might possibly be a result of the bites you received from the Why-Wolves. That's just speculation, of course."

"Well let me know if I developed any cool powers." Finn made his way to the door, "And don't forget to alert me to any attacks or sightings."

PB nodded, "You got it." The hero walked out and left the princess to her thoughts as she eyed the vial with growing interest.

Now that I think about it, this is the first I've ever collected blood from Finn before, let alone a human. This will be very interesting.

She grabbed a lab coat from her closet and placed her hand against the hidden scanner on the wall. A blue light traced her hand and a secret door opened, leading straight to her laboratory. Her curiosity was starting to chew at her thoughts as she hurried down the steps.

Let's see what glorious secrets we can unlock about the human genome. We might just learn a thing or two about Finn Mertens.

The hero sneezed as he followed the hallway to the palace entryway. He found his brother waiting for him while reading a newspaper. The dog looked up, "Finally. What did she want?"

"She just wanted to make sure I was okay."

Jake nodded and they both headed outside. He glanced up at his brother, "Hey Finn, I think I'm going to stop by Lady's to see how she is doing."

Finn rubbed him behind the ears, "Those attacks scared you, huh?"

"N-No, I'm just checking up on my girl, that's all."

"Well there are a couple things I need to buy so you can go on ahead if you want. I'll be home in an hour or two. We should do some patrolling when you get back."

"Alright, but don't you dare go and try to find those jerks without me."

They fist-bumped and Finn watched as he stretched his way out of the city, or at least tried to. He was stopped by one of the Gumball Guardians and quickly scanned before it let him continue on his way. The hero checked the sun's position and then headed towards the nearest clothing store. He picked out few long-sleeved shirts and a pair of long gloves before looking for the closest farmer's market. Walking home with a bag full of clothing and a sack full of potatoes, he quickly arrived at his tree house to find a bored vampire floating lazily in the living room, plucking her bass.

"Honey, I'm home."

Marceline flew over to him and held her hand out, "Good. Now where's my check?"

Finn scoffed, "Pshh, yeah right."

He gave her the clothing bag instead and she set her bass down as she checked its contents, "Finn, I thought I told you not to buy me anything."

"Its just a couple things."

Marceline growled, "I still told you."

"You need them so deal with it."

She floated back upstairs, "Just because my house burned down doesn't mean I'm some charity case."

Finn sighed as he climbed the ladder, "It's a gift, not a donation."

"Whatever."

He walked into the kitchen and set the sack down as he began rinsing the potatoes and preparing the pan he would need. Marceline floated into the living room and placed the bag on the table before picking at her axe bass again. She kept eyeballing the bag and eventually gave out a groan as she opened it, laying the clothes inside it on the table. There were three long-sleeve shirts and a pair of long, black gloves.

The vampire glanced over at Finn and then back down at the table, "Finn, you better not look over here."

The human looked over his shoulder, a potato mid-wash, "Huh?"

"You failed."

A smug smile spread across his lips, "So you do want them."

She rolled her eyes, "Shut up. I understand the red one and the black one but why did you buy me a pink shirt?"

He focused his attention back on the vegetable in hand, "Well, you looked cute in the sweat pants and hoodie. Pink looks great on you."

Marcy blushed and grabbed one of the articles of clothing, "Seriously Finn, I'll kill you if you look over here."

"Well if it really bothers you that much then why don't you just change upstairs?"

"Nah, I'm too lazy."

"Figures." He could hear a slight rustling sound behind him and caught himself as he instinctively turned around. He concentrated on peeling the potatoes in front of him and he blew out a strangled breath as a bra landed on top of him. "What the heck?"

A devious giggle rang out from somewhere in the living room and he plucked it off of his head before tossing it back, "Did you get excited, weenie?"

"I'll turn around, Marcy. I will."

"Go ahead."

He turned around but didn't see anything until she materialized right next to him, her face twisted and demonic, "Nice try, Marcy. You can't scare me that easily."

She snapped her fingers, "Dang and I thought my demon face would get you."

"Oh, you mean you changed your face? Couldn't tell the difference."

Finn received a firm slap to the back of the head as he laughed, "Keep laughing and I'll give you another one."

He didn't stop and she drove her knee into his thigh, causing him to nearly buckle as his leg gave way, "Ow! Jeez, calm down Marcy. It was just a joke."

"Hmph, maybe that'll teach you some manners." The vampire began floating away and she gasped as a wet potato hit her in the butt.

Finn began hopping away as her eyes locked on him, "Hey, we're even, okay?"

Marceline picked up the potato and carefully set it on the table before smashing it with her fist, "That'll be your head next time, weenie."

"Yikes." He noticed that she was wearing the pink shirt, "See, I told you it looks nice."

"Yeah, yeah." She floated off in search of Beemo, leaving Finn to do whatever he was doing, "Beemo, where are you?"

Something landed on her head in complete silence, "Beemo chop!"

Marceline grabbed the little MO and gave him a big smile, "Aw man, you got me!"

"Of course I did, I'm a ninja!"

The vampire settled down on the couch and placed him on the table, "You know what I'm in the mood for?"

Beemo rubbed his imaginary chin, "Hmm, a hot pizza supper?"

"No but how about another guess?"

His eyes lit up digitally, "Videogames!"

She gave him a high five, "Bingo."

Marceline played for a while as she tried to tune out the noise filtering from the kitchen until a familiar scent caught her attention. She sniffed the air and was surprised to find her mouth watering as the smell wafted in. As she floated into the kitchen, the hero noticed her and gave her a big smile, "Right on time. Have a seat."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it."

Marcy grumbled as she took a seat in one of the chairs and she couldn't believe how comfortable it was, "Where did you get these chairs?"

"I bought them from some magical elves in a magical forest and they were delivered by a giant eagle."

"Don't need to be sarcastic about it."

Finn quirked an eyebrow as he walked over with two plates, "You don't believe me?"

"Not really. I haven't seen any elves in-"

She was stopped in her tracks as a smell hit her like a punch in the gut. Glancing down at her plate, she found it piled high with hand cut fries. The golden beauties called out to her and she placed one in her mouth, the crisp crunch playing like music in her ears. The rich flavor washed across her tongue and she closed her eyes as she savored the delectable morsel. As the fry went down she opened her eyes and spotted Finn sitting across the table from her, his own plate in front of him.

He grinned, "On a scale of one to ten?"

"Eleven."

"Mathematical."

Finn slid the ketchup bottle across the table and she popped the lid, drizzling a light amount across the fries. She began the process of clearing her plate and Finn joined her. The human might not have known, but this simple gesture had greatly lifted her spirits tenfold. The loss of her house had definitely hit her hard, even if she wasn't showing it. She worked her jaw as she chewed thoughtfully and her fingers scraped the plate as she reached for more. Marceline let out a disappointed groan and glanced over at Finn, trying to get his attention.

He stopped mid-chew, "Damn, Marcy. You finished already?" She simply nodded and looked down at his plate, "I'm guessing you want some more, right?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry babe, that's all I had enough for."

"I. Need. More."

Finn popped another fry into his mouth and chewed slowly, "I can make another batch later if you want."

Marceline leaned back in the chair as she let out a puff of air, "How about you share some of yours?"

"What? No way! You already ate your half."

"Some gentleman you are."

"Gentlemen have to eat too, milady."

She could still taste the savory fries in her mouth and she desperately wanted some more. The vampire rose out of her seat and put on her best puppy dog face, "Please, Finn?"

"No."

Her red eyes opened wider and she seemed to make them shine at will. "Where is your heart?"

Finn concentrated on his plate but he just couldn't ignore her, "But then I'll go hungry."

Marceline pouted her lips and pressed up close to him, "Just a few fries won't hurt."

The seductress was whittling his will away and he succumbed to her pretty face, "Ugh, fine." He grabbed her plate and split his fries with her.

Marcy pumped a fist in the air, "Aw yeah!" She made quick work of the delicious food and let out a satisfied burp.

Finn collected the plates and dumped them in the dishwasher for later, "Oh, what a lady."

"You know you love me."

Marceline could almost feel the atmosphere warm around them. They both glanced at each other but neither said anything for a few moments. Those were the most awkward moments in Marceline's life.

Oh jeez, why did I have to say that? Especially after what happened last night.

Finn opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. He rubbed the back of his neck as he stood in place, not sure of what to do or say. Marceline was tempted to just fly out of there and hide somewhere until things cooled off but she seemed to be tethered in place.

The young human cleared his throat, "Hey Marcy, there's something I've been thinking about and I'm not sure if right now is the best time to talk about it but I don't know if there will be a better time than now."

She shook herself out of her hold and nervously rubbed her arm, "W-What is it?"

Finn's chest began to beat rapidly, "Marceline, I really lik-" He was interrupted by a loud crash downstairs. The hero drew his sword and stalked toward the ladder, "Who goes there?" The steel sword clunked to the floor as he let out a shocked breath, "Susan!" Finn jumped down and dashed over to the large woman who had barged through the door.

She was covered in blood and had several burn marks across her limbs, "F-Finn?"

He kneeled next to her and set her head on his lap, "Y-Yeah its me. Susan, what happened?"

Susan grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, "Big man in red armor attack us. He bring others and together they kill Hyoomans. Susan tried to fight but too many for Susan and too many for Hyoomans. Susan was only one who could escape."

Finn wiped the blood off of her face and spotted Marceline above, "Can you bring me some water?" She nodded and flew off into the kitchen.

Big man in red armor? This has Iris' name written all over it, I just know it!

He pulled out his cell phone and sent his brother an urgent message. The Vampire Queen arrived with a big jug of water and carefully placed it against Susan's lips and she drank greedily. Finn lifted her arm and saw the extent of her burns. He grabbed the jug and splashed the water across her limbs and she shivered from the sudden relief.

Finn glanced at Marcy, "You have to get her to the Candy Kingdom."

"What?"

He looked down into Susan's pale green eyes, "I won't be able to get her there in time and Jake isn't here so that only leaves you."

"I-I don't know…"

"Please, Marcy."

The sun's rays were streaming in through the open doorway and she glanced outside hesitantly. Susan groaned in pain and Marcy sighed, "Okay, I'll do it. Let me get dressed real quick."

The vampire disappeared upstairs and Finn moved a strand of blond hair out of Susan's eyes, "Don't worry, Susan. Bubblegum will take care of you. I'll go to Beautopia and look for any survivors and put a stop to whoever attacked you."

The mighty woman placed a hand on his chest, "Be careful, Finn. Man in red armor is strong and his black sword glows with red flower."

"I will."

Susan went quiet and Finn held her while he waited for Marcy. He was beginning to grow impatient and was about to call out to her when she suddenly landed next to them, "Sorry. I had to find a hat."

Finn noticed the familiar purple hat that his mother used to wear and he wondered how she found it. He got up and heaved Susan into position, allowing Marcy to hook her arms around the woman and lift her up.

Marceline let out a breath, "Oof! No offense sweetheart, but you are one big tamale." She glanced at the worried human, "I'll get her there pronto. I'll text you when Bonnie takes her into the infirmary, okay?"

Finn shooed her out, "Yeah, okay, just get going already."

The queen left with a grunt and he watched them until they became a speck in the sky. He hurried upstairs and packed his backpack full of any medical gear they might need in case they found any survivors and paced around the house while he waited for his brother to arrive. The rhythmic tapping of his foot filled the house as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Whoa, what happened in here?"

Finn ran downstairs and pushed Jake back outside as the dog inspected the damage, "We can fix it later. Beautopia is in trouble and we need to help. Marcy took Susan to get looked after so we don't have to worry about her right now."

"Hey! Okay, okay, I get it!" He grew in size and picked Finn up.

"You remember where the ventilation shaft is?"

Jake double-timed it, "Yeah, man."

Finn rubbed the handle of his sword, "Good, let's hustle then."

The heroic duo stomped across the grasslands as they made their way to the outskirts of the Candy Forest in search of the impromptu entrance. As they neared, thin wisps of smoke curled above the treetops and the ventilation shaft came into view. Finn pulled out two pairs of goggles and some bandanas, handing Jake one of each. Their eyes protected and their lungs shielded as best as they could be at the moment, they leaned over the air duct and peered down. The acrid smoke stung their nostrils but Finn knew it was the fastest way to Beautopia.

"Alright, Jake. You ready?"

"I, uh, I don't know about this, Finn. You know how hard the descent is, now imagine it filled with smoke and robbing you of oxygen."

The anxious hero put a foot up on the shaft, "Dude, they need us down there. People are dying."

"Look, I know that, but that doesn't mean we should just go barging in there. We don't know what's down there. Could be a whole army of anything."

Finn's blue eyes flashed brightly, "I know what's down there. People who need saving."

He leaned over and fell a few feet before an orange arm wrapped around his legs and hauled him back up, "Finn, what is up with you? Are you insane!"

The human was beginning to lose his cool, "Either come with me or let me go! I don't have time for this!"

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

Finn could feel his head get dark and cloudy and it took him a few seconds to shake it off, "I'm going, Jake."

The dog let out an irritated growl and let him go, "You can be a real jerk sometimes, you know that?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't let this keep happening. The House People, the Hyoomans, Mellow Kingdom, they fell because I slacked off on doing my duty. What kind of hero am I if I can't protect those who need protecting?"

Jake's voice softened, "You can't save everyone, Finn."

"Then I have to save those that I can." He stretched his hand out, "So, are you going to help me, or not?"

Jake clasped his arm and groaned, "Well who else is going to pull you out of the trouble you're always getting into?"

Finn gave him a firm nod, "Thanks, brother."

"You can thank me after we get out of this alive."

He stretched into the pipe and grew several hands that he used to brace himself against the shaft walls. They descended carefully and took small breaths, avoiding the harsh smoke that rose up from the chaos below. Down and down they went until at last they reached the rusty catwalk that led to Beautopia below. Finn stared at the destruction before him. The orange flames that once kept the Lub Glubs at bay were now turned against the city itself as the raging fire consumed it. He scanned through the dust and smoke, hoping to find some survivors. A series of screams and cries drew his attention and he spotted several Hyoomans as they ran from something behind them.

"Jake!" Finn pointed down at the scattering figures and jumped down before his brother could even answer.

Arms hooked under his and his descent rapidly slowed as the magical dog deployed himself as a parachute. They glided down and Finn slipped through his brother's hold before they landed and rolled, coming up with a running start. He charged in and swept the area for the survivors he had seen only a minute ago. The clang of metal made him draw his sword and spin around but he lowered it when he realized it was a Hyooman.

He sheathed his sword and jogged over to her, "Are you okay?" The woman didn't respond and Finn finally noticed the jagged piece of metal that was sticking out of her thigh. "Oh, man. Here, take a seat."

Jake found Finn as he was barely setting her down, "Dang dude, don't run off like that. I'll lose you in all this smoke."

Finn tuned him out as he reached into his backpack and pulled out various medical supplies. He laid them out on the floor as he talked to her, trying to settle her down as she shifted nervously, "It'll be okay. We're here to help. Now, I need you to keep still while I do something that's going to hurt a bit." The woman just stared at him with her frightful eyes but she gave him a nod. Finn glanced back at his brother, "Can you hold her down please?"

Jake held her by the shoulders and turned away, "Oh man…"

Finn took a deep breath and steeled himself as he pulled the shrapnel free, gritting his teeth as she let out a terrible scream. He quickly cleaned and bandaged the wound and gave her a painkiller before checking her other leg, "Do you have any other injuries?" She didn't seem to understand because all she did was move her hands and fingers rapidly. "Huh?"

Jake sighed, "It's sign language, dude. I don't know a lot but it seems like she's saying that that was her only wound."

"Oh, well that's good then." Finn coughed out the smoke that filled his lungs and straightened up, "We'll have to find a way to get the survivors out of here in case we find anymore. Maybe you can find something they can hang onto and then we can pull them up the shaft somehow."

"I don't know but I know you'll start yelling at me if I say otherwise so I'm just going to look around."

The human ran a hand down his face, "Yes, okay, I know I was a jerk. I'm sorry already."

"Better be."

Jake took off through the smoke and left him with the woman, "We should get you somewhere safe until we can get you out of here." He wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked himself under her shoulder as he helped her walk into a nearby store that seemed untouched by the fire. He closed the door and set her down on a chair, "Are there any other survivors besides you?" The flurry of hand signals confused him so she merely nodded. Buildings creaked and groaned as he prepared to go back out again, "Stay here. I'll come and get you when we leave."

The intense heat once again hit him as he stepped outside. As he checked a few of the nearby stores and businesses he heard a loud yell that was immediately silenced. Sword drawn and eyes alert, he paced through the charred wastes as he looked for the source of the noise. He nearly tripped over something and he glanced down only to find a dead Hyooman that was sliced cleanly in half. Finn felt his heart triple its beating as he held back the bile that threatened to come spewing out. He gave himself a light punch to the jaw and focused himself as he continued onward. Another shriek was heard up ahead and he ran to its source. When he arrived he found a decapitated Hyooman in the middle of the road and the large pool of blood streaming from its body indicated a fresh kill. His anger rising tenfold, he looked for any signs of enemy activity as he marched along. Finn tore off into an alleyway as a piercing cry echoed nearby. He was silently praying that he would find them alive this time but his hopes were shattered as he neared the scene. A Hyooman lay facedown in a pool of its own blood, a gaping hole in its chest. He clenched the sword's handle until his fingers turned white.

Dammit, not again!

A different yell carried over the sounds of the smoldering city and he instantly recognized it as his brother's, "Finn! Finn! Where are you?"

He cupped his hands as he tried to amplify his voice, "I'm going back to where we were!" He waited for a response but none came so he decided to retrace his steps in hopes that he could run into his brother. The dog was nowhere to be seen as he neared the store and he scanned the area before stepping inside. He took in a lungful of relatively clean air and searched for the woman he had saved and found her in the back. "Hey, looks like we'll be getting out of here soon-" The frightened look in her eyes stopped him dead in his tracks and she let out a gasp as a black sword pierced her chest from behind. "No!" Blood poured from her lips as she coughed up blood and she fell to the floor with a sickly thud. A fire hotter than the one outside burned through his veins as his rage spilled over.

Heavy footsteps resonated in the store as an imposing figure stepped out from the shadows, "So, we finally meet."

"You bastard!" Finn snarled.

The armored assassin pulled an orb and held it over the woman and Finn watched as her soul was sucked into it. It was tucked away and a deep voice called out to him, "Finn the Human, the Champion of Ooo. Are the stories really true? Or are you merely a figment of everyone's exaggerated tales?"

"Why don't you find out?" Finn rushed him and swung his blade. The strike was parried and a savage kick sent him flying out of the store. He crashed outside and he coughed up blood and saliva as he struggled to regain his lost breath. The human rolled over and stared at the now burning doorway as the assailant emerged from the store. His maroon armor glowed vibrantly as it reflected the fire's light and Finn felt a wave of chills flow through his body. It was eerily like the nightmare he had almost a week before. He stumbled back as the figure approached, "W-Who are you?"

"I am the catalyst, human. The bringer of unending chaos and suffering." He wiped the blood off his blade before raising it in the air above the downed hero, "I am Maximus."

A/N

Better late than never, right? Sorry for the slow update guys. Got a little writer's block and combined with exams it slowed progress to a crawl. The funny thing is though, once you get past it, everything just starts flowing again. Well, enough with the excuses. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and made it worth the wait. Let me know what you guys thought about it and as always, thanks for the reviews/favorite/follows! Till the next one!