Ace and Katie were on their own, utterly, for even the distant scream of his sister launching off a rooftop were inaudible to him, though, this swiftness was not of his own volition. There she was, jumping every few seconds as she was met with another verge, another roof's edge, gifted with speeds he couldn't hope to mimic without Divergence.
Then again, the time he spent learning under the Master, compared to her, was but a fraction of that. It still wandered to his mind, that he hadn't seen her fight all out, not since she'd returned to the Capital back in April. Despite that, there existed no doubt in his mind that she wielded the potential to surpass not only Hana but Alex's Requiem might. Then again, it all counted on what she chose to do with that power- those gifts. For who could stop her if she chose to go down a road others couldn't follow?
A descent to darkness would require a fall to madness, but there was no such phenomenon, for it she so desire, she could end it all with the right will to destroy everything. Even so, if she managed to summon that dormant darkness, no doubt that not only would she be engulfed in it, as well, but everything, would be enveloped by the chilling embrace of hate dwelling within her heart of hearts.
Everyone seemingly knew everything about her, but did she even know? Her soul was not free of chains as she'd wished, for she'd traded the initial prison for another cell, one she was all too familiar with. Surrounded by sniveling creatures that snarled and moaned as they slithered around her body. The goosebumps appearing from the pores of her white skin sent shivers down her spine; she wasn't alone. Forced to bend over backward for the sake of containment, the vessel for a chaotic demon waiting to be released into the wilderness. What greater torture could she ask for?
"Kate!" He yelled out after her, no doubt their destination was one only she desired to end up at.
She didn't stop, her legs kept going, burning through the aching sensation, battling through the pain so she could continue onward, leaping evermore to reach that desired end. However, just as she was about to make another jump, it was intruded by a tendril entangling her ankle, halting her perpetual movements, and turning her head to gaze upon the source of this rope. None other than who she expected the least, her savior cousin, the infamous Scarlet King, had forcibly stopped her before she could reach any further to her desired destination.
Maybe this was a time that called for communication.
"What do you want, Ace? I thought we already discussed this at the pier. You know what I plan on doing when I see Alex, or rather, whoever took Alex from us. Of all people, I didn't think YOU would be the one trying to talk me out of it," Katie coldly remarked, turning away as the rope disconnected with the blade cutting it apart from his influence.
"Oh, don't be silly, Kate! You know I wanna kill Rivers just as badly as you do, that, more than anyone, I want to see Alex's doing healthily, just as badly as you do. But, the path you want to take, the choice I'm sure you made the second you put your foot on the pier, there is no happy ending for us that way! Revenge is a one-way street to disaster, destroying anything and everything in your path to achieve what you want, there's no coming back from that. If you truly want to sacrifice everything you've come to know and love for the sake of your petty vengeance… I can't stop you," Ace's grip on her sleeve regressed as she swiped her arm away from his fingers, Katie turning her back on her family, facing into the distance, examining the new curtain that so abruptly arrived.
"Is that all you had to say?"
Ace was left speechless, reading one hand out, his lips fell silent, but the slightest utter of a word entered the atmosphere as she cut him off mercilessly.
"Thought so. Follow me or don't. Make your choice, but I want to ensure everything's clear. He stole each one of our lives, the potential to lead peaceful lives for all our days, but instead, we've been thrust into chaos, forced to fight until the end of time. I'm not doing this for Alex, for you, or even Dad. I'm doing this for myself, to achieve a better state of mind. That's what you told me to do, way back when… isn't it?"
And just like that, she vanished, leaving no trace of her being there in her wake, but even so, he watched her, motionless. The way her arms glided through the flowing air or the way her hairs slid to the front of her face, prohibited her vision momentarily, but even so, she managed to reach what she so simply desired. All by her lonesome. But what other options did he have? Allow her to run headfirst into a disaster waiting to happen, a tragedy waiting to strike at the perfect time. What type of older cousin would he be if he let her do everything on her own? The grown woman she was, at times like this, acted like an ignorant child sprinting to what seemed like her demise.
Reluctant man he was, he chased on afterward to ensure her safety, bolts of crimson electrocuting the air around her, the world shifting to slow-motion, as his heavenly gifted eyes darted everywhere, analyzing everything down to the slightest microscopic variable, he bared witness to an unexpected event. Unable to move, body warping at unprecedented speeds he couldn't control, he watched as Katie soared right past his face, powerless to do anything to help her. The culprit was shrouded in shadow, with steam emitting from the tips of his fingers, Ace's eyes flared up as if the flame of determination had been struck. For no matter how crazily that fire moved, it was surely destined to engulf everything in its predetermined path.
What more could he do but let second nature take over, the flight or fight instincts embedded within the genetic code of humans now took the place of the pilot in the cockpit. Ace readied his fist, skin burning with chunks of flaming flesh bundling into a bloody puddle, the Scarlet King let the craziness inhabit his actions, no matter how momentary, he went right ahead with a flaming fist, fully intending to split the assailant apart... and not even bothering to think about utilizing another fist in the process.
Unfortunately for him, who the culprit turned out to be was a surprise, for the way those flaming eyes stabbed into the bloody exterior his heart held as a shield sent a sting to the chest. The unavoidable pit of despair that swirled open at his gut's center had been designed to send shivers down his spine, but not only that, for while he stood idle, he was vulnerable. Shocked, as if someone dear to him had perished before his all-seeing eyes, the culprit took this moment to reveal himself, flaming hair illuminating the darkness to blast away the infinite darkness, his fist grew in size. Accumulating size as chunks of magma expanded around his skin, a simple slam of knuckles against that designated area sent a resounding shockwave through Ace's very being.
But the unknown attacker hadn't even let their knuckles sink into his flesh, for just a single thrust of their fist darting forward had incinerated the space between the duo. Effectively sending Ace in the same direction Katie flew without so much as a touch registered to their bodies. But, despite that, that ache in their chests didn't subside, continuing to plague their insides, a target forming below their ribs. A course of red lightning programmed to destroy streamed through his veins, obliterating the fire at the chest to mere ashes of its former glory.
Having cleansed himself of the smoldering virus feeding on his insides, Ace took a stand, now as tall as normal, this time, pieces of electricity colored crimson from the color of his scarlet eyes, ripped off the pieces of his exposed skin. As expected of his partner, despite their differences, in the whimsy of battle, they stood together, side by side as she revealed the Blackened Blade, the eyes of Divergence aimed ahead, destined to be rid of this burning enemy.
And who could it be? For that lost soul, spiraling wildly, burning everything in sight to reduce it to ashes, was none other than the Smoldering Chariot from the past. Forgotten by time, it was almost as though mold had formed over his skin, but it burned away, as he resurged anew, the shell of the old cracking to reveal something stronger. And there remained no doubt, that, with that strength, the way was paved for a battle; one that would shake the very foundation of the world they inhabited. It all began with this little fight against a forgotten flame...
To Be Continued!