Adrianna sat across from Eliza, watching her anxiously tapping her leg up and down, with her arms folded. The two sat in silence, with nothing but the humming of the air conditioner running in the private jet.
"We'll be there in about an hour. I'm sure they're fine." Eliza shot Adrianna a glare.
"Relatively speaking." "You've seen how they 'travel'." Eliza scoffed. "There's nothing to be worried about. Your precious Zeke is safe and well. There hasn't been any seismic or violent pings on the ra-"
Their phones let out several pings in rapid sucession. The two locked eyes. "That could be someone just texting us." "Oh fuck off, we're old and lucky to get a text that isn't some pre-populated message."
The two read their phones with Adrianna standing up first. "Sharon. Rough landing!" She said summoning out Spine. Eliza knew that fierce expression on Adrianna. A face of unbridled anger and fury.
Adrianna ripped the door handle off with the cabin depressurizing and things rushing out. She leapt out first with Eliza following after summoning Choppy.
"Hika!" As the two plummeted down, Hika emerged through her Rift splitting the water beneath her and leaving a sonic boom. "Hika, harmonize!" Adrianna ordered. She let out a roar beating her wings.
Adrianna's eyes transformed into Hika's eyes, scales grew from her skin , and she grew in size. Hika grew in size and let out a proud roar, breaking the sound barrier with a wing beat.
"What'd they do!?" Eliza yelled clinging to Adrianna. "A emergency call was just made for Alex." "So no warnings?" Eliza asked with a smirk. "Save their limbs for me."
Aurora took a step forward her entire body becoming engulfed in lightning. Small cyclones formed around the finger tips of Gale. "Back off!" Terra snapped. "This little shit cost me my win. I'll kill him myself."
She summoned a maul twice the size of Zeke, with its flat surfaces chipped into. She presented the sides of the Maul to Zeke, showing a smiley face with two devil horns, and a large tally underneath it. "You know what this is huh?"
Zeke said nothing staring her down. "This is Demon's Bane, and-" "STOP!" Han shouted sprinting out with her hands in the air. "He's an idiot. Don't mind him! We're sorry that we got in-" "I'm not sorry."
Han shook Zeke by the arm. "Dude. Do you not know who they are?" She said through her teeth. "The Cataclysm Sisters. Terra, Aurora and Gale Eve." "Then why the fuck are you picking a fight with them!?"
Zeke spun around holding out his arms. "Do you not see what they fucking did!? Fuck them!" "Do you have a death wish or something!?" Han said shoving Zeke.
"They nearly killed Moon and Sunny!" "The old you would have ran inside and carried them to safety. Not run face first into a fucking TSUNAMI!" "The old me, was also a weak piece of shit, who couldn't protect anyone!"
"Are you two lov-" Zeke raised his finger to Terra. "You shut the fuck up! We're not done talking!" "Dude!" Han cringed and bowed to them. "Stop bowing to them." Zeke ordered. "Unlike you I want to live."
"You've got some balls kid. Too bad, we're gonna have to rip them off you." Gale said. "Try it cunt." "Alright you're clearly ignoring me. The one time you shouldn't be. I would just like to say that-"
Zeke's hand shot up in front of her face in an instant catching a stone. She stumbled back in shock as he shattered it into dust. "Get inside." He growled. "God fucking damn it. Don't die Zeke, I don't excel at funerals."
"Zeke?" Aurora whispered. "That was a cunt move." Zeke said approaching Terra. "Aww, you got a problem with that? Maybe you should-"
Zeke crackled with red lightning his hair pulsing white. Aurora quickly yanked Gale and Terra out of the way, as he sped past them, splitting apart the sand. "He's durable and fast?" Aurora said intrigued.
"He's dead is what he is." Terra snarled flourishing Demon's Bane. "If he can move that fast, why hasn't he..." They trailed off seeing Zeke checking on the girls at the bar. "Get to safety. Now." He said walking away.
"Little shit is still trying to mitigate damage huh? WHO DOES HE THINK WE ARE!?" Terra roared slamming her weapon into the ground. It shook the entire ground scaring the girls. Han held tightly onto Moon and Sunny.
"Now would be a really good fucking time for you two idiots to wake up!" She barked slapping their faces.
Zeke activated his Demon's Blood summoning Shadow. "Last warning. Leave." "HUH!? MAKE ME YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Terra roared leaping in. "TERRA WAIT!" Aurora shouted, her voice drowned out by Terra's rage.
She threw two bolts of lightning one onto Demon's Bane and another to a nearby post. Terra's swing was pulled to the post. Shadow missed her spine. Gale blew Terra out of range the Spectre's follow up slash.
"I don't need your help! Stop-" "Enough!" Aurora commanded. "Stand down. I finally recognize our little friend here. This is Jacaranda's newest interest. Pleasure to meet you Zeke Chen." "For fuck's sake, how many people read that stupid thing." He said returning to normal.
Gale leant forward inspecting Zeke. "Huh, explains the bravado." "I don't give a shit! I'm going to kill him!" Aurora fired a bolt of lightning at Terra's feet. "I said stop." "Why!? He's a fucking Demon. We should kill him like the rest."
"This one isn't going to die easy. He took Kenji to 20% of his strength with a lack of confidence. I wonder how much stronger you've gotten since then." "I'm sorry did you say he was only at 20%?" Zeke asked.
"Stay out of this. He's mine. I don't care what that asshole thinks of him!" Aurora let out a sigh. "Make sure he doesn't die. I'm going to get a drink." Gale rolled her eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Hurry it up! I'm thirsty."
Terra smirked releasing two nut brown wings, with mangy and torn feathers. She pulsed with Mana, the ground beneath them gave way, with the remnants of the bungalows shaking. Zeke activated his limit breaker turning around.
Terra appeared in the corner of his eye, wearing a twisted grin, and Demon's Bane connecting into his face. A shockwave released from his face, with his body flying into tree line, and the concussive force destroying the base of the bungalows.
Terra reeled back laughing adding another tally to Demon's Bane. "100! I needed that kill." She let out a satisfied smile. Han quickly tied Moon onto her back, holding Sunny in her arms. She gnashed her teeth lifting them up trying to move through the sinking house.
Zeke sat up clutching his broken nose gushing blood, his head heavy and vision spinning. He coughed and choked tasting his own blood pooling in the back of his throat. "Mother...fucker..."
"How's it feel knowing you had to go 100% to kill him?" Gale teased. "Shut up! I bet you couldn't do anything." "HELP!" Han shouted trying desperately to climb out a window. She flailed her arms signalling to them.
Terra tucked her wings away, and shrugged at her, walking away. Mortified Han slumped back feeling the house sinking further into the ground, being washed away by newly made tide. She set Sunny down, mustering all her strength to climb out.
Han pulled herself and Moon free using all her energy to swim her to shore. The sisters sat back watching the show as Han desperately swam back for Sunny. "You got this!" Terra cheered. "We believe in you!" Gale said. Han ignored their titters, diving head first.
She surfaced inside an air pocket on the first floor spotting the water rising rapidly around Sunny. Han quickly strapped her to her back, taking one deep breath and diving down. Each stroke siphoned double the amount of strength and air, with half the movement.
The salt water in her eyes burned, as her lungs ached for air. She felt Sunny squirm on her back, they just needed to surface. Swimming desperately to the light. Han braced herself for a gasp of air only to swallow water.
Through her desperate and murky vision, she spotted the sisters cackling. A hand made of sand and dirt wrapped around her ankles. She used her waning strength to claw it, with the hand flipping her off, before dragging the two of them further underneath.
Han's vision became dark. Her strength left her body. A hand yanked the two of them out, dropping them off beside Moon's body. Han shot up gasping and coughing, choking on salt water. She spotted the shadow of Zeke standing over her, drenched in water, his Spectre shimmering in the sun.
"I'm sorry..." She whimpered. "Stay there. I'm going to kill them." Zeke snarled summoning his Shadow. "How the fuck are you alive!?" Terra snapped. Zeke activated his Demon's Blood, crackling with violent crimson lightning.
Zeke disappeared in a blink, leaving a sonic boom and explosive concussive trail. Terra and Gale froze in place seeing Shadow inches from their face, with Aurora blocking the swing using a golden lance. Gale quickly palmed Zeke away releasing a gust.
Terra stepped forward blocking, the Spectre's swing it's force knocking her off balance. Phantom blades came rushing through the air. The three quickly leapt away in different directions blocking and destroying them as they came.
The three summoned their wings. Gale a mint green and Aurora a vibrant violet, their wings in pristine condition with a shiny coat. They flew into the air getting distance from Zeke. "Keep your distance, he can't fly." Aurora said.
"HA! What are you going to do now?" Terra jeered. Zeke banished Shadow summoning out his Echo gauntlets. "He bonded to gloves?" Gale scoffed. He leapt high into the air, with the sisters flying higher out of his reach.
Aurora spotted the after images lagging behind Zeke and the Spectre. They collapsed into him releasing a shockwave and knocking him even higher. Aurora dove into Terra keeping her safe. 'He doesn't have any air options. We'll wait for him to-"
Aurora and Terra was blown away by Gale feeling Zeke whiz past. He crashed into the sand kicking up a geyser. "He just stepped off the damn air!" "He's just full of surprises isn't he!?" "Fuck this!"
Terra raised her hand having the ground swallow Zeke whole. "You saw him gasp before! He needs air." The ground went calm. "There! He's dead. Buried 12 feet under."
Zeke bore his way through the sand pit into the water, returning to normal and swimming into Sakura's bungalow half submerged. He slipped inside, taking a breath inside the air pocket, and found Sakura on the ground with the water lapping her face gently.
He set her onto a higher place. "Sorry Sakura, I told you not to invite me. I always ruin parties." Zeke cut a hole through the roof seeing the sisters scan the ground waiting for him.
'They're cautious. Limit Breaker, catches those two off, but not Aurora. Spectre and the Echo gloves can overpower Terra, but can't keep them locked down. Shadow is the best weapon against them, if it wasn't for Gale pushing me out of reach. An RPS (rock, paper, scissor) situation.'
"I'm telling you he's fucking dead!" "That's what you said last time. And he nearly killed us." "Just be patient. If he's alive, he wouldn't leave those three there."
'I need to get them to safety. Or them away from this area, but I need another pair of hands that can hold them-' The four spun around hearing the roar of Hika.
"I TOLD YOU HE WAS ALIVE!" Gale snapped pointing to Zeke. "That roar..." Aurora said. Zeke peered into the distance seeing a black dot, with a blink he appeared beside; Han, Moon and Sunny. In another blink Sakura was in his arms. With a third blink the five of them appeared at the nearby resort.
Zeke spun around looking confused at the scared and terrified hotel occupants. "What the fuck!? Where am I!? How did we- Adrianna! Zeke set Sakura down. "Get them to a hospital now." "We do not even-" Zeke used Monarch's authority, bringing them to their knees and vomiting. "NOW!"
He sprinted towards the beach. "Don't you fucking take this from me. I'm going to kill them myself."
Eliza leapt off landing on the ground with Choppy and her leather armour on. Hika disappeared through her Rift. Adrianna appeared by her side. "Everyone's safe." She turned her glare to the sisters floating above.
"Which one of you cunts hurt my son?" Terra puffed her chest out. "That was me you old-" Aurora spun around see Adrianna beside Terra. Spine pierced through her stomach, with blood starting to stain her shirt.
Before she could process it, Gale let out a scream plummeting to the ground with Eliza on her back. "Don't move now. Wouldn't want to lose these pretty wings now would we?" She said with a sadistic smile.
"How the fuck did you move faster than Aurora?" Gale snarled trying to push Eliza off. "A little tip for you. Super speed doesn't beat displacement."
"Consider us even. Go home to whatever shit hole you crawled out of today, before I lose my temper." She growled her voice brimming with rage. Adrianna ripped Spine out of Terra's stomach, throwing her into Aurora.
"I will-" Terra let out a shriek of terror and agony. "Don't throw threats around bitch. Her life is in my hands, and at any point if I feel like it. I can expand those spokes straight through her heart. You won't reach any healer in time before she dies in your arms."
"Now, go before I Constantine the happiest single orphan in existence." Aurora said nothing flying down to Eliza. "Oh you want your chicken back?" "Get off of me you old bitch!" Gale barked. "Sure, let me just stretch first."
Eliza banished Choppy grabbing the radius of both her wings and snapping them. Gale let out a shriek thrashing violently unable to even form words or sounds. "Oops." Aurora bit her tongue grabbing Gale.
She glared at the two of them taking off into the distance. Zeke came bursting out holding Shadow with his Spectre behind him. "WHERE ARE THEY!?" He shouted, panting afterwards. "Hey Twig. Good to see you're still crazy."
"Where did they go? Where are they!?" Zeke barked his hair flickering black. "Three...two...one.." "What the hell are you..." Zeke's head spun, his eyes glazed over and fell face first into the sand with a solid thud.
"Well that's him. You can faint now." Eliza said looking. Adrianna plummeted into the ground. "You...were...meant...catch...me..." She wheezed before falling unconscious. "Where's the fun in that?"
Zeke awoke to the ranting of Eliza yelling at the nurses to leave. He let out a groan trying to open his heavy eyes. "Lay down Twig, you need to recover." She said taking a seat beside him, peeling an apple.
He forced himself up rubbing his face. Eliza let out a sigh. "I can't tell if you became stupid as you became stronger, or if you were always stupid and were just acting smart to make up for being weak."
"Would you believe me, if I said I was always dumb?" "I wouldn't. When I met you, you had good head on your shoulders and knew to stay in your lane. Now in the short time since then, you've picked fights with several World Rankers."
"I wouldn't say four is several or that I started them." "Kenji, Gregory, Madelyn, Damien, The Cata Cunts, and if you count fighting us for your stress relief, you're up to about ten."
"Do they count? Gregory is a former, so is Damien, and...wait who's Madelyn?" "You killed her in Hell." "She was a World ranker? I thought she was a contender." Eliza slapped Zeke's forehead.
"And that was for?" She frowned at him handing him a slice. He looked at her confused hesitantly taking the slice. "Twig, every rank after S grade and below the top three are made up."
Zeke shook his head dumbfounded at her. "You say what now?" "You heard me. Other than the top three, ranks four and below are in a constant flux. The only reason the list doesn't change publicly, is that anyone in the top ten, isn't stupid enough to take fights."
"But, Weaver-" "Badgered Damien for months, calling him a pussy in almost every language and using every synonym imaginable. Now that he has the status of it, he doesn't intend to take any challenges."
"But...I've been listed as Contender, does that mean I'm as strong as World Ranker?" "Yes, and no. A S grade Hunter with a master over Pyro-kinesis, will still lose to an E grade Hunter with super strength, if they get into a fist fight."
"You're strong Twig, but you still have weaknesses that can be exploited by anyone, and with you being in the public eye and in Jacaranda's interest. All of them are going to be exposed now."
Zeke paused. "Wait. Public eye? What happened now?" "You've been unconscious for almost two days now." "Oh for the love of-HOW!?" "You've got a five minute tank. It's an explosive and powerful tank, but it last five minutes. After that you're just a cock flavoured lollipop for those two."
"OH CRAP! Are they-" "They're fine. The usual bitching and moaning they didn't help you. Guilty this, guilty that." "Where are they?" "Out eating dinner with Addy, and being told what's going to happen with the seven of you."
"The seven of us? I'm not sending Raven or-" "Not them you idiot. Constantine, Alexander, and Sakura will be joining your party." "Can I ask why?"
"You've all insulted the cunts. Which puts you in the crosshair of the Vatican." "Um...why exactly should I be scared of the Vatic-Holy shit are the rumours true!?"
"To an extent, they more just question Demon Hunters violently." "That sounds like the rumours are true!" "Oh don't be dramatic, besides they always send a mediator first. Play nice with them and the Vatican won't through a hissy fit."
"Okay....so the seven of us are going to Verdancia to help Weaver?" "Yes. Keep an eye on them." Adrianna said. Zeke jumped at her presence. "Wait why am I keeping an eye on them?"
"Because out of them you're currently the strongest and most experienced. Now rest up, and when it's time, you'll be notified. Eliza, we've got business to attend to."
"Can I ask what Weaver is doing in Verdancia?" "He's attempting to recruit Typhon to join us in...you know what. It seems he has run into a problem and requires your help. That's all we know." Adrianna said.
"Bring him back with allies I'm assuming?" "There you go Twig. Using your head like you should be. We'll see you when you get back."