Fingers moved at a continuous pace against a keyboard pushed into the digital screen, typing numbers rapidly, she put the device to her ear as her right foot reached the tireless body of the unconscious Myers girl. The way her bust rose and fell with such a repetitive nature, gentle noises spilling out her nose like she was mimicking soft snores. Blossom couldn't help but wonder what dream she was having; in the deep recesses of her infinite mind. Then, there was the sound of a familiar voice: their superior.
"Is this Chrollo?" Inquired the raspy voice on the other side of the phone,
"It's Blossom right now, Master is busy attempting to locate Katie Moon's whereabouts by challenging her older cousin. I'm standing over the unconscious body of Kima Myers. What should I do with her?"
"She's not of interest to me at the moment. I already can tell that husk has been realized into this world and likely already dead, so she's outlived her usefulness. So, do whatever you want with her. Contact me again when Icarus returns. Good work," The connection ruptured and the call ended, with Blossom pocketing the phone into her hoodie's pocket, then looking down onto her body.
'Must be in deep sleep. Going those speeds must take a lot outta someone.'
Bending over so her knees could touch the ground, the young girl touched her finger to the neck, searching for a heartbeat. As expected, she received one, but with one abnormality, just ragged breathing. Maybe some internal bleeding, either way, it wasn't fatal, and Blossom decided to simply touch her finger to Kima's chest. As if she were summoning something akin to magic, the bones magically healed themselves back together and reattached from being shattered by Jotun's demonic kick.
The internal bleeding was sewed shut by flesh sticking together automatically, squirts of liquid stitching to halt the continuous flow. Keeping her index and middle finger against the girl's chest, the phone touched her ear once more, automatically dialing to communicate. Reception bouncing between towers to form a connection between a name all too familiar with a superior just across the world.
"This is Karlo. Things have gotten worse over here. Worse than Alex or I could've considered. When the time is right; bring her back to the city to demolish it from the ground up. Crow out,"
Two people picked up and dropped the phones following the calls 'Blossom' had with the different duo. Beyond the walls of Riverton Island, there was an itch, something that could never fade no matter how much you scratched with nails as sharp as the devil. Nipping the nail right off his finger's edge, it was accompanied by a momentary painful grunt, blood visible where the nail previously stood. Just then, it healed naturally at an exponential speed unlike anything ever seen before; and the cycle repeated yet again.
"I hope you lose your powers and learn how much that hurts so you can stop doing it."
To the right of where he stood, at the head of the table, there was the blonde Kelly with her arms behind her back. This chamber, unlike the other metallic halls of the ANZEN facility located in the Remnant World, for the walls were tattered in the most bright shade of white imaginable to the human eyes. Mechanical doors hid within the frames to reveal the feminine body of his most-trusted, none other than Harbinger donning that assassin armor just peeling in the presence of the Founder. Rizia slid herself right over to their leader, placing their hands to each side of his; wiping away his white strands to peck his forehead with a respectable display of affection.
"Thank you, mother," Callum sarcastically replied, Kelly, rolling her eyes, Kosuke scoffed and went to take their seat at the table.
"I'm not a female, dickhead, what'd you call us for, anyway?" Pulling out a chair, their rear attached to the seat's bottom with an audible thump, letting their knuckles rest against their pale cheek; sinking into the smoothness of her skin.
"I'd rather wait till Heidi and Satoru get here, but since you're here, I guess I'll give you a quick rundown. The replacement's daughter contacted me in the New Capital and informed me about our new target. Amara's brats still run wildly around the City, however, one is missing. Unfortunately for them, the whereabouts of Katie Moon is unknown so Chrollo is challenging the ginger Wilder for her location," Callum recalled the information given, scratching at his ear's rear with the pointer's tip exhaling soundly with a gentle yawn.
"You don't gotta worry 'bout Ryosuke, asshole tried to fight the Kima girl and lost, so he's in stasis getting repaired. Should take a few days- maybe a day," That new voice was none other than Heidi Snow, having appeared abruptly to the table just to the east of Russia's nonchalant body leaning into her hand,
"I expected it when he rejected the artifacts we found. If he's lucky enough, he'll get the Key's remaining fragments when he awakens," Heidi whispered, Kelly, shaking her head at that comment, she patted Cal right on the shoulder; taking a seat at the table across Kosuke.
"About Azazel's replacement- do you think he's a good one? As in, uh, replacement," Riz twiddle their thumbs nervously as if they were a teenage schoolgirl speaking to their crush, so much so that Heidi couldn't help but snigger at their gestures,
"Icarus Chrollo is anything but human, he possesses the capability to wipe us out, however, he still works with us. I can't help but theorize why that is," Callum guessed calmly, eyes closed with fingers interlocked, to which Heidi shrugged at the suggested theory,
"Chrollo seems like the type guy to be interested in strength. I feel like if he'd met cha before you attained that power or whatever," Heidi suggested with the tip of her finger scratching at her cheek, shrugging it off and yawning at the end of her suggestion,
"Agreed. It's simply plausible that he intends to learn the secrets of how you attained their godlike strength and stab you in the back the second you are of no use to him," Professionally added Kelly to the discussion with a respectful tone of voice, making it entirely Rizia's turn to speak, however, all that was remained was: silence.
"Hey!" Heidi elbowed her ally in the arm, Kosuke shaking their head out of their daydream-like daze, rubbing their eyes as Snow inquired further, "You okay, Rizi?"
Shaking their head to answer silently, palms attached to the arms of the chair, tapping a singular finger against a rectangular-shaped button against the seat. Gears automatically yanked the chair back to the closed distance between the table's edge and their bust, Rizia felt the tips of their integers draw to their eyes, digging out the remnants of soot engraved into her peeper's corners; all this, while they stood tall.
"Fine… just, I need some rest. I know it's been so long since he's gone but- I don't know I'm still like this. Do you mind if I use the gym, Callum?"
Cal nodded at their request, simply hiding his head between his arms as Kosuke vanished while the doors shut behind their back. Leaving only three, Kelly was silent with a somber expression painting her face, Heidi fiddling with her fingers as if trying to forget the memories that emerged, while Rivers' pupils, formerly devoid of any light indicating life- stood bright, like the morning sun. However, this rare display was an unfortunate one: a somber atmosphere weighed on the shoulders. The Evolution Frontier had seemed to stay but a minuscule crack away from total obliteration, for even the Founder couldn't help but feel the strings slowly but surely… detach from his fingers' tips.
Needless to say: he was running out of time.
A punch to the face was nothing in the face of absolute power, for while he cried to the skies with anger visible at the threat he'd made, the knuckles connecting to his cheek conducting kinetic energy into his fist led to nothing; just the slightest jerk in his movements. A neck cracking instead of breaking, Icarus' condescending stare at his pitiful enemy was nothing like he'd ever seen before. For some reason, he thought back to a minute prior, when that presence resurged
seemingly out of nowhere. That of his uncle. And with that resurgence, without a shadow of a doubt, there were tendrils of darkness the same as his nephew's. However, for some odd reason, he could feel it. The unbridled carnage locked within his heart's vault, turning the lock with the key would provide with a fruitless effort as there was nothing to capture. For forever and always, Jason's vampiric heart as a puppet would hold that malice toward whoever he deemed worthy. Baring his fangs- at the strongest around.
Not unlike a doppelgänger pathetically attempting to mimic that strength, the Sigil of Baphomet tattooed on his hands' backs, sewed into the blackened fabric of the coat's rear. Icarus needn't even open his mouth or separate his lips from their sewed position, all he did was stare down at the enemy after receiving that punch to the face. Like swatting a bug, a slap to the side of the skull was all it required before Alex- launched. All fingers taped together to form an open palm, Chrollo watched as Ace rolled down the stairs leading to the museum's entrance, then smashing his head right against the concrete ground this monument stood upon. His movements were gradual, taking slow, widened steps down the stairway while Wilder attempted to raise himself from this insolent position.
'Did he just… break my neck? I can't turn my head…'
As those desperate thoughts raced through his head, there was nothing more than the consideration of everything, possibilities contemplated in just a half-second.
Snap his neck back into place-?
'No… it's useless.'
Unleash Divergence's true power again?
'Impossible, too tired…'
Sharpen the tendrils and stab him when he's close.
'He won't fall for that.'
All possibilities… are rejected by The Eternal Sight capable of peering through the Heavens, and just like that, snapping back to reality, Ace gasped, eyes widening in unison with the audible exhalation. Overlooking his weakened frame writhing in clear desperation, Icarus's eyes held nothing but despair for his opponent. But even now, there was nothing he could do, for a brutalization at this time was too much, especially for a simple goal like locating a target.
"Hey, did you know? Any subspecies of Evolutionary that acquires a power is scaled on a level rating. The lowest… is B. Honestly, I believed that to be a bit of a joke at first. 'Isn't that a bit of a high letter to be last?' Then, I realized. A B-level being able to manipulate the forces according to the artifact they wield, depending on the artifact, could wipe out literal cities overnight. If you'd like an example, Hunter was a level B," Icarus kneeled to stay by Ace's face, helplessly collapsing onto his nose without even Chrollo lifting so much as a finger.
"I believe it's unfortunate. Hunter was gifted a powerful ability thanks to the Key, but he was arrogant and didn't train enough to utilize it to its fullest potential unlike Ms. Myers or yourself. I could still see it now. If he wanted to or if he were powerful enough, he could've either banished half the population to the shadow realm and turned the rest into monsters. I'd like to range your merry band of idiots, June Wilder, Kima Myers, you… maybe an A- range. Yet, Katie Moon is a special case for the sole reason that she is unpredictable. Not only does she wield the Crow's Blackened Blade, capable of manipulating the aspects of Death itself, but she holds a dark potential. With the right trigger, it would challenge the fangs of even the Founder on Riverton Island himself. But I doubt that it could even reach him if something unfortunate were to occur along the way. Ace Wilder, I'm sure this has been said a few hundred times in the past of this world before. But- we can do this the easy way, Mr. Wilder, or the hard way. Inform me of Katie Moon's whereabouts peacefully and I shall flee. Don't, and you will know the true meaning of power… what is your choice?"
Katie Moon. His very dear baby cousin, halfway across the world by now, we all knew how the story would go from this point on. Snarling at the thought of his uselessness, Ace shook his head, ensuring it faded out his mind's center. There was no need for thoughts like that, they were all lies the brain told the self to ensure it stood humble, to torture itself inadvertently. That was the truth, the one Ace had learned to accept, and from that, there was something he became certain of. The darkness within her heart, specifically crazily created by the hands of those pathetic excuses of humans, if the right trigger were to accidentally activate it; she'd go mad. And from that point on… could she be trusted in the outside world? While his actions today couldn't be called 'righteous' in the slightest, there was no way for him to plausibly control that power. Unleashing Divergence's true offensive potential, albeit for half a second or a millisecond.
But, if he thought his way about her, that wonderful girl who desired nothing but love in her heart and a chance to accept what happened to herself… to become something anew. He couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head from side to side, glaring into the eyes of the tormentor seconds away from erasing his presence from this dirty world, Ace could do only one thing.
In the face of pure evil, of unfathomable danger that spelled out the end for his relative; the people he held dear to his heart,
"I'm not a good person, I don't care about right or wrong, it doesn't matter to me! I'm not going back to zero- I can't! Those teachings will stay engraved into my heart, I won't waver no matter what! But I know this darkness won't ever fade, I wish for it to, as well. As long as that darkness burns with the hottest capable temperature, I'll remain the same as ever! I won't be the one to save the Island. It's not me, June, or Kima. It's Katie! I have my justice to strive for, and she has her justice to strive for. That being said… agh,"
Ace grunted, spitting out blood from between his clenched teeth so surplus chunks could dirty the concrete below. Chrollo stood idle, raising himself to stand tall with clenched fists, veins sliding out his skin to spread over his fingers, unclenching gradually,
"Go to hell, you piece of shit!"
And just like that, the insignificant rebellion from this young redhead had been to no avail. There was no secret victory or an ex Machina out of nowhere to save him, there was only the fountain. Miniature droplets expanded by the damage previously done, thus forming a river of blood oozing out his lips. For some reason, he could feel every excruciatingly slow movement as the leg connected to his chin, dicing forward through the air in, just so his toes could dig into his skull's bottom and leave but demolition in its wake. The back of Ace's head added only but a fracture, for what mattered most had been added seconds prior, Icarus' eyes, watching as his enemy fell into a heavy unconscious. A slumber from which he wished to never wake, almost like a dream or a fantasy, he enjoyed the pleasantries of a false reality as Chrollo picked the phone out of his pocket.
"Yes, it's me. Amara's children are incapacitated at the moment, I figure the Bureau should eventually come to pick 'em up. Once they get into a secure location, I doubt it'd be difficult to bride them and let us torture the Ginger's sister or woman. What do you think, sir?" Icarus turned his head to stare at the soundly sleeping almost-dead-like body of the Wilder brother, chest rising and falling gradually; thankful for no chest injuries.
'If I can Ace away from his clutches for long enough without having to kill him in the process, this game's victor will be all but clear. Do me a favor and stay down for a bit, boy, the grown-ups- are talking.'
The way shapes confuse the human brain the more colorful or abstract they are, right now, there was nothing but the fight ahead. A simple rotation, masterminds moving back and forth playfully, sabotaging each other at every other moe to accomplish a selfish goal. For when does the heart consider it righteous the most? When there is something important to you or that you want at stake, without hesitation, you would do anything in your life to take it… or ensure its safety.
When the thing we want most is almost at our grasp, when the highest advantage in your entire life stays at the tips of your fingers, there would be nothing stopping you from eradicating everything and achieving that special dream. Everyone has their unique desire, for they are all slaves to the god-named dream, the one who whispers secrets into your ears while you slumber, gifts fantasies to children that their lives can have a purpose.
However, it is not objective. Not all people can be slaves to their dreams, some make sacrifices for their dreams, and some don't have what it takes to sacrifice themselves for their dreams. In the end, humans are selfish creatures, even as his white hair moved with the beautiful flow of the fall's breeze, the sun shining on his new skin. Pale, smooth, and muscular. Needless to say, the more he brushed his fingers over it, the more he felt inclined.
"Permission granted. I might fly out myself and take a look at the sights of the City or maybe send proxies in my place. Either way, we will be seeing one another soon," Touching his thumb against his forehead, pointing the index's tip toward the ceiling, Icarus, on the mainland hidden behind a barrier of pure energy, mimicking the same gesture.
As the red button was easily pushed, the phone slid between his pointer and middle fingers, jerking it back and forth in a fluid motion, he shook his head,
"What a pain,"
Spinning around in the chair facing the window overlooking his great civilization, there stood the huge sphere in the sky; stabbed into the clouds just two months prior when that power was absorbed into him. And with it, there came the puppets dancing on strings; the familiar presence of an Emperor everyone knew, it had awakened something within them. Maybe the slightest recess of a lost memory not from a past life but a different word altogether. That was the start, the emergence of the new abilities previously belonging to that of a human. A man capable of sacrificing it all for the sake of his legacy living on to create a happy time for the ones he cared for. Now, kneeling in the front of his desk, as he rose from the seated position against the chair, there they were. Two. One with black spiky hair donning all-dark attire, while one with white hair, wearing a trench coat with a dark green turtleneck visible below.
"Reaper. Crow. Your mission is to locate and extinguish Katie Moon's life from this world. Expect total resistance and kill any who threaten you. Are these instructions clear?"
A new pawn had entered the board, but unbeknownst to them, as the Reaper and Crow pledged their undying fealty to the cause of the Founder, there Katie stood under a cherry blossom tree at the top of a mountain overlooking a Chinese town. Robes over her body, arms put together, she could only look at the night sky and wonder,
"I hope Dad's doing okay."
To Be Continued.