[Day: Wednesday]
[Time: Evening]
[Location: Sanctuary Central]
"Attention citizens of the Central Division. Our city has been invaded by Karma and a wanted man by the name of Shiro Moji is within our vicinity. Do not engage as SCPD and The Syndicates will deal with them. I repeat do not engage. Return to your homes and remain safe," An announcement played throughout the city.
I listened to the announcement and leaned against a wall in an alley way, looking at my watch. I smirked and lowered my hand, taking a deep breath then exhaled. "Heh, looks like we've got more trouble on our hands."
"Great, first I betray The Syndicates and now we're getting ran across the Division. Where's your dumb group at? I'm running out of bullets here," Phoenix said, checking the amount of bullets inside her handgun and shotgun.
"They're dealing with the same crooked police we're dealing with. You should know these guys. You have a Captain and a Lieutenant right? As well as a Supervisor? If we get rid of them, we should have an opening to get to the warehouse downtown right?" I said, looking over at Phoenix.
Phoenix sighed softly, leaning head head against the wall and closed her eyes. "Captain Marshall, Lieutenant Lowell and Supervisor X. Those three are the leaders of the forces, so yeah if we take them down, we'll get rid of the forces.."
Eliza chuckled and sighed softly, now fully awake. She walked toward the entrance of the alleyway. "What are we waiting for..? Let's kill some Syndicate Scum..~"
Ani watched Eliza and tilted her head, her sudden awakening throwing her off. "She's... really active now. I wonder what she can do now..."
I looked at Eliza, chuckling softly then got off the wall. I walked forward then my gauntlets appeared on my hands. "Alright, let's get to it. It's time we deal with these fools and recruit Alice."
I walked forward and adjusted my gauntlets, looking around for our targets. Before I could take another step forward, I heard the sounds of helicopters above us. I looked up, my eyes shining into the night as my gaze found the helicopters.
"We have you surrounded! There is no where for you to run! Surrender now and we will take you in peacefu—" One of the officers said before getting interrupted.
A woman snatched the intercom from the officer and began to speak with a voice tinged with disdain and malice. "Fuck all of that! Phoenix Bridges, you are a traitor and have made your decision! We are taking no prisoners! Karma and Shiro, consider yourselves dead!"
Phoenix looked up, her eyes flashing in recognition to the voice she heard. She turned her gaze to me, stepping forward. "That's Captain Marshall...she's our first target. We won't be able to reach her while she's airborne."
I looked back at Phoenix before turning my attention back to the helicopters, a confident smirk playing on my face. "Says who..? We will reach her, she can't stay airborne forever."
"Wha—" Phoenix started then grunted as I propelled myself into the air. She looked up quickly, her eyes widening as she noticed how high I flew upward. "What the hell?!"
"Shoot him down!" Captain Marshall commanded.
The pilot immediately locked onto me and began to fire a barrage of rounds at me, but it was futile as I began to deflect them with a shield of water energy. I boosted myself forward and launched a blast of wind at the cockpit of the helicopter, sending the helicopter crashing to the ground.
Marshall jumped out of the helicopter and deployed her parachute with a gun case in her hand. She glid down to the ground and dropped her case, kicking it open and pulling out a rifle. She took aim at me, but noticed I was nowhere to be found. She looked around quickly, steadying her breathing as she searched for me. She looked over where Ani, Eliza, and Phoenix were previously and noticed they were missing as well.
'Where the fuck are those bastards..?' She thought to herself, cautiously walking around.
Marshall heard a gun being fired then aimed her weapon at the sound of the gunshot, noticing Phoenix standing in front of her. She lowered her weapon and shooting a glare at her. "You dare stand face to face against me...traitor..?"
"Like I wanted to leave The Syndicates. I lost a bet and you know I've never been one to go back on my word. Criminal or not. If you see me as a traitor then so be it but I now play a different role, Marshall," Phoenix said, aiming her gun at Marshall.
Marshall grit her teeth then let out a yell, her voice filled with a mix of rage and betrayal. "I'll kill you, Phoenix!"
Phoenix grunted as Marshall shot the first round of bullets, diving out of her line of fire. She quickly got up and ran off, firing bullets behind her. Marshall dove behind a car then rose from her cover, firing bullets at Phoenix.
The bullets from both sides went flying, hitting the buildings and cars along the way. Marshall gave Phoenix the chase, her desire to kill her palpable in her expression. The two ran inside a mall and the gun fight started once more, both sides firing bullets at each other.
"I trusted you! You told me it was me and you until the end! Have you forgotten our Sisterhood?!" Marshall yelled as she rapidly fired bullets at Phoenix.
Phoenix grunted as she hid behind cover, hearing the bullets hit the pillar she was behind. She began to blindly fire her gun, hoping a bullet out land. "I didn't forget shit! It can still be me and you until the end if you join with me!"
Once the bullets stopped firing, she rose up from her cover and fired her gun. Instead of bullets, she heard constant clicks then groaned out of frustration then ran toward Phoenix with her handgun. Phoenix peeked behind her cover, noticing Marshall rushing toward her and aimed her pistol at her.
~Click~
'Shit..!' Phoenix thought to herself, evading Marshall's roundhouse kick.
"Now you'll die, Traitor!" Marshall yelled, aiming her pistol at Phoenix then fired a bullet.
Phoenix tried to dodge, but she knew she wasn't going to make it. As she was losing hope, a barrier of divine energy deflected the bullet and her eyes flashed with hope and awe.
Marshall looked surprised then noticed a figure appeared to the side of her. She swiftly ducked under Ani's right hook, but Ani landed a side kick to her ribs. Marshall stumbled to the side, clutching her side but still aimed her gun at Ani, firing a bullet at her from point blank range.
Ani watched the bullet, evading it with a swift movement. She looked at Marshall, her mind completely calm and collected. She tossed off her cloak, revealing her Shrine Maiden attire and her tribal markings slowly formed on her arms.
"So you're just like that freak huh..? Another stupid islander from America?! Who do you think you are?!" Marshall yelled, her cheeks flushing red in anger.
"I am not just some Islander! I am a Mojisola Tribe Member! And my boyfriend isn't a freak, he's the hero this city needs and I am his right hand woman! Now prepared for my wrath!" Ani bellowed, letting out her Tribal Howl.
Marshall grunted loudly as she was pushed back by Ani's Divine Energy. Ani's roar and intense pressure began to shatter the glass windows inside the mall, her voice echoing down the massive corridor.
Ani rushed forward, striking Marshall with a palm strike with a force that knocked her away. Marshall rolled on the ground the swiftly recovered, firing multiple bullets at Ani. Ani evaded each bullet then ran forward, pulling multiple talismans out of her bag then leaped into the air. She threw each one at Marshall, the talismans beginning to shine as they flew toward her.
Marshall quickly reacted, running off then groaned as she was blown away by multiple explosions. She grunted as she rolled backwards on the floor, recovering upon one knee. She stood up slowly, her legs trembling from the aftermath of nearly being blown up.
"Just what the hell are you freaks?! You aren't normal human beings!" Marshall yelled, aiming her gun and stepped backwards as she noticed Ani waking her down. She let out a fearful yell and began to unload the remaining bullets in her magazine.
Ani rushed forward flipping off one hand and launched herself in the air, evading the bullets then came down with a powerful axe kick. She blow landed, disorienting Marshall and knocking her off balance. Marshall tried to recover, but was too slow to evade Ani's blow to her midsection, groaning in pain.
Ani began to land multiple blows on Marshall before launching her away with a powerful blow to her chest. Ani bellowed as she formed a sphere of divine energy in her hand. "Heavenly—"
"Wait!"
Ani paused her attack, looking back at Phoenix. She watched as Phoenix ran toward her. "What? We need to take her down now or else she'll come back with reinforcements!"
"Please...don't kill her. I want to get through to her. Please.." Phoenix begged, looking at Ani with a pleading expression.
Ani stared at Phoenix for a moment then lowered her hand. The sphere of energy disappeared and she closed her eyes. "Alright.."
Phoenix walked toward Marshall then crouched down in front of her. "Marshall..."
Marshall shot a leer at Phoenix, clutching her side. "I have... nothing to say to you.."
Phoenix looked at Marshall with saddened eyes. "I'm sorry that I betrayed you...but please join us. I don't want to see you die. You're still my sister in arms.."
"You had no viable reason to betray us other than losing a fucking bet. I don't want to hear shit from you.." Marshall said then grabbed her radio. "Captain Marshall to dispatch...I'm down. Requesting assistance.."
Phoenix stared at Marshall then stood up, sighing softly. She picked up the pistol that Marshall dropped then put it in her holster, walking off. Ani watched Phoenix then followed her, hurrying toward her and placed a comforting hand on her back.
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Eliza laughed as she cut through multiple officers with her blood sword, taking high enjoyment from killing them and absorbing their blood. She noticed me rushing past her, giggling with excitement as she felt a strong gust of wind blow past her.
I ran down the street, glancing over at my opponent who was keeping up with me then began to dodge bolts of lightning that were fired toward me. I combined my Wind and Water Elements, forming Ice Energy around me and launched shards of ice toward them. I noticed half of my opponent's hair glow red and a fiery pillar of energy melting the ice.
"Well well, I see we meet again, Ruby," I said, coming to a halting stop.
Ruby adjusted her mask, staring right at me. "I can't let you reach that warehouse. You aren't taking another of Lotus's creations.."
"And I'm guessing you're gonna be the one to stop me? You lost in our last bout...what makes you think you can beat me after three days?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Well...I'm not alone this time," Ruby said cryptically.
Before I could react, Lane burst from the shadows, launching a fierce attack. I narrowly dodged, my reflexes honed from countless battles. Lane's fist crashed into the ground where I had stood moments before, leaving a small crater in its wake.
My eyes flickered with recognition and readiness. "Lane. Should've known you'd be here too."
Lane grinned viciously, "You can't escape this time, Shiro."
However, I was not alone either. Eliza crashed down beside me, a wicked smirk playing on her face and her vampiric aura radiating power as she stood beside me. "I've got your back, darling."
Ruby's eyes narrowed at the sight of Eliza. "Two against two, then. Let's see how this plays out."
Ruby and Eliza sized each other up before lunging toward each other, their fists clashing. The two began to rush around the streets, their movements a blur of speed and precision. Ruby launched fiery attacks at Eliza, but each attack was outmatched by Eliza's vampiric agility and counters, sparks flying with every collision.
Meanwhile, I faced Lane, our battle a furious exchange of blows and counterattacks. My gauntlets gleamed with Angelic power, while Lane's brute strength threatened to overwhelm. We began to rapidly clash with one another before I parried his next strike and blew him away with a Destiny Flash. Lane eyes widened as he felt the impact then groaned as he crashed into a car, setting off its alarm.
Eliza laughed as she launched a wave of bats at Ruby. "Your partner can not even match Shiro! You should've chosen better, Alchemist!"
Ruby bellowed as she rapidly sliced each bat in half with her lightning sword then propelled herself toward Eliza. "Shut your mouth, Vampire!"
The two began to clash swords in the sky, each clash echoing through the night. Eliza countered Ruby's next slash with a powerful downward slash, sending Ruby crashing to the ground. Ruby groaned and coughed a bit of blood, quickly catching her breath before rolling out of the way of Eliza's stomp that released crimson energy.
Ruby and Eliza once again began to clash, this time on the ground. Each clash formed a passionate dance of lightning and crimson energy around a vast area. Ruby parried Eliza's next slash then bellowed as the white half of her hair shined, landing a powerful slash of light upon Eliza's stomach. Eliza screeched in pain as she light began to burn her, but Ruby began to push Eliza backwards surrounding her body in light and sending Eliza crashing through multiple walls.
{Warning: Do not let Eliza die!}
I surrounded my legs with lightning then activated my Unleashed State, bolting town the street after Ruby and Eliza. Once I noticed them crashing through another wall, I launched myself toward Ruby with a spinning kick but Lane emerged from the shadows, catching my leg and flinging me away. I recovered quickly then my Gauntlets shifted to Draconic Gauntlets and I slammed my hand on the ground.
Ruby noticed a large shadow form underneath herself then groaned as Shadow Energy erupted from underneath her, swallowing her light energy and launched her away. The Shadow Energy also healed Eliza, mending her wounds that Ruby caused.
The battlefield crackled with energy as the we fought, each attack more intense than the last. My Draconic Gauntlets clashed against Lane's powerful strikes, while Eliza's vampiric skills kept Ruby at bay. The fight reached a fever pitch, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
Then, in a synchronized moment of realization, Eliza and I locked eyes. We knew what needed to be done. "Eliza, let's finish this!" I called out.
Eliza nodded, her eyes glowing crimson. "Okay!"
I raised a hand to the sky, snapping my fingers. "Heavenly Rain!"
Lust-E activated my cross then a torrent of divine energy surged upward, coalescing into a storm of radiant light. "Do it!"
Simultaneously, Eliza unleashed her Blood Storm, a swirling vortex of crimson energy. The two forces combined in the sky, merging into a powerful, elemental fury. Blood Rain cascaded down upon the battlefield, a mixture of heavenly and vampiric energy that shimmered with a deadly beauty.
Ruby and Lane, caught in the onslaught, struggled to defend themselves but were overwhelmed by the sheer force of the combined attack. The Blood Rain didn't kill them, but it drained their strength and left them incapacitated, unable to continue the fight.
Eliza and I took the moment of respite to make our escape. "Let's go," I urged, and we moved swiftly towards the warehouse.
As we disappeared into the night, Ruby and Lane lay in the aftermath of the Blood Rain, defeated but alive. Our teamwork had not only secured their escape but also paved the way for their next objective – recruiting Alice.
"Phoenix, come in! Where are you and Ani?" I asked as I ran, contacting Phoenix via our radio.
"Phoenix responding, we are headed toward the wearhouse as planned. We will meet with you shortly," Phoenix responded.
"Alright, you two stay safe," I said then continued down the road with Eliza's hand in mine.
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Charlotte struck an Alchemist with an enzuigiri, knocking him down then landed on her feet. Chloe dodged a swing from a bat then struck the last alchemist with two strikes to the midsection then a knockout punch, sending the alchemist crumbing to the ground.
Chloe let out a sigh then stretched. She exhaled and adjusted her glove. "Finally...we have a clear road to the warehouse. I'm beat though..."
Charlotte smiled at Chloe then adjusted the wide brim hat that rested on her head. "If you want, you can take my car back home. I don't want your fatigue be the reason you get hurt."
"No no..~ I'm a-okay!~" Chloe giggled, giving Charlotte a thumbs up.
Soon, Naomi, Mariana, and Dante rendezvoused with Charlotte and Chloe. They got off their bikes and walked toward them.
"Glad everyone's safe. Where's Shiro and his group?" Naomi asked, looking around.
"No idea, but I did see a lot of flashing going on downtown. Maybe they're on a different route than we are?" Chloe answered, holding her arms over her chest.
"Maybe..." Naomi said, a hint of worry in her voice.
"Hey!" I called out, hurrying toward them. "We're here."
Naomi whipped her head around, a bright smile on her face then she noticed Phoenix and her smile immediately faded. "I thought you said you'd handle her."
"I did handle her. I kicked her ass in the race and now she's on our side. We have our own informant now," I chuckled softly, walking toward Naomi and kissed her cheek. "It works out for us because now we'll be able to know what The Syndicates are doing from the inside."
"Hey! I will not be referred to as an Informant!" Phoenix protested, stomping her foot down then her hair began to faintly glow a bright orange.
Ani placed a hand on her should, calming her down. "Hey now, he's only teasing..~"
Naomi sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Ugh...this is a pain in my ass but whatever. She can join. Let's just all get to the warehouse. I want to get this mission over with as soon as possible."
"Roger that," I softly chuckled.
~{To Be Continued!}~