Prompt: Protect
Goosebumps arose on her arms as she walked across the cheap, carpeted floor of the wax museum. The air conditioning system whirred ominously as it kept the wax figures stable -at their required temperatures. No one wants wax bodies melting all over the floor, it would be a tedious task to remove the hardened carbon substance from the floor. Besides, that would be more horrifying than her current situation.
Their mirror images stood solid in their displays, their shadows eerily hanging over the demon. It was an interactive case, sensing when you got close; she had done this multiple times and spooked herself when the monotonous voice began to explain the person's history.
All Mira wanted was to be with her lovely knight-in-shining armour, the Scarlet Gladiator. Or Erza Belserion, as she was known only to her, seeing as they were lovers. Together, they formed the Diabolical Lovers. A treacherous team that could walk over any villain as they pleased. Mira swooned at the name that the public had lovingly dubbed them..
She began to practically drool over the thought of the heroine in her super suit. It was reminiscent of an actual knight's armour, but infinitely more lightweight, with platelets woven into the fabric for protection. The suit gave her girlfriend a fuller appearance, but it also hugged her curves in just the right places. The color of the suit was a deep scarlet red with silver accents, perfectly complementing her long locks.
She shook her head, coming back to the peculiarity of her current situation. Mira was usually the brains of the operation, but this time it was Erza's turn to go behind-the-scenes . They usually pursued heroic tasks, but…
This mission was unusual. Guarding the Emporium of Stars in Crocus was certainly a task she never thought they would have to deal with. The owners begged them to watch over it for a couple of nights as the heads of the bodies were being stolen. Who in their right mind would want a wax figure head?
Mira shived at the thought, eyes following her masked partner as she tread through the halls. One of the owners had assured her that the figures weren't robotic, but she had a sneaking feeling it might not be true. But then again, being in a place like this in the middle of a night is never good for anyone's sanity. An army of fake people would be typical for any villain, but that (hopefully) wasn't the case today.
Her sensitive ears suddenly picked up scuffs on the floor, leading her shuffling toward the sound. The moonlit hallway grew darker with every step.
Red hair was streaked with tints of blue from the multiple screens lining the wall in front of her. Brown eyes concentrated on each individual movement that appeared on the screens. She could swear that the museum's crowned prizes were moving about, but maybe that was just a call for more coffee.
Erza takes another sip of her sweet drink – she hates the bitterness of coffee. She puts five packets of sugar in her cup just to make sure there would not be one drop of the crude taste. Her taste buds tended to shrivel away at the taste of anything so acrid.
She's glad to say that her girlfriend never has that problem. Her eyes flick from the farthest screen on the left to the screen below it. She has quickly established a rhythm when she arrived – if she wasn't watching the Demon in her glorifying Satan Soul persona, she is refilling her mug. Erza couldn't help but be distracted by the cut-outs in her suit, her stomach bubbling at the thought of the public seeing Mira in such a scandalous outfit.
Mira doesn't mind her apparel, but Erza certainly did. Once today was over, she was going to complain to her girlfriend about it again. It always got torn up in battle and was not modest at all. She remembered having to use her power to give the unclad girl clothes in battle once. Not to say that it wasn't a good distraction for the perverted men they were apprehending.
The demon's tail wags as she turns, heading back in the direction she came from. Mira appears on the screen above, her body slowly starting to sag.
Erza drops her drink when Mira hits the floor. Total darkness enveloped her, and her eyes quickly adjust to the new environment. She's glad Levy equipped their masks with a night vision sensor, the pitch-black room confusing Erza.
Steadily, she makes her way out of the security room. The redhead keeps her forearms in front of her, ready for anything. Making her way back around the corner, the lights slowly come back to life, her night vision instantly cutting off.
An all too familiar voice blares through the sound system, she didn't realize there was one. "Nice to see that the red haired knight has finally come out to play." The dark voice rings out around her, sounding oddly familiar to the knight.
Erza realises that the owner of the voice might be at the front desk. That's the only place she had seen a microphone.
As she heads to the front desk carefully, the low voice continues to mock her, "Mira is safe – for now, that is. We require her assistance in the next phase of our plan. Her energy will be put to good use," croons another voice, nefarious laughter booming through what now seemed to be the walls.
Erza absolutely hated this predicament, "You will not get away with this." The heroine whispered softly, it's not like the villainous duo could hear her. She would do anything in her power to get Mira back, she was lucky to know who took her.
Erza chuckled to herself, finally seeing the polished counter of the front desk. Their voices were instantly recognizable, Jellal and his new female companion (her name was Ultear according to Gray); the infamous felonious pair. She knew Jellal from several past experiences, they went way back -meaning they knew each other practically from birth. It was funny how they had taken completely opposite paths, but it wasn't without a small scandalous affair. She kept her ties to the villain under the wraps, not even Mira knew of their previous relationship.
She shook her head at the thought, she was so oblivious and carefree in her youth. Their past had never hindered her when battling the blue-haired villain, Erza just thought it was odd how she was always able to foil his plans; not that didn't sound too different from their adolescence. She always kept Jellal on his toes when they were younger.
It was only very recently that he had that voluptuous woman following at his feet. When he said the word the dark-haired woman would come to him. An obedient dog fulfilling a task to the best of her abilities. Erza only imagined she was the pushing factor in this current plan. Jellal, or Siegrain as he now liked to call himself, was never the best at success proofing an evil scheme of his.
The last and first time they ran into the duo, the woman had powers that could control time and (maybe) space itself. She was like Mira in that she didn't have to use gadgets, unlike herself, to fight. Those marble orbs just kept coming at her, many bruises following the brutality of the villainess' attacks.
She was going to need to find a way around them, but she would figure that out later. Right now her task was to focus on getting her girlfriend back. Erza scourged around the surrounding desktop, nothing but regular desk items and the occasional family photo.
Mechanical whirring was heard from the side of her and she turned her head to see an eerily familiar figure of… the Blizzard?
Slowly, the white haired demon opened her eyes, her vision hazy from the blinding white light. A burning sensation searing through her head. Her blue eyes squint, seeing the blurry outline of what looked to be a body. Very slowly the demon lifted her head up, Mira's vision clearing.
At a small console stood a woman about her size… Wait. She scoffed at the thought of seeing the appearance of Siegrain's newfound partner. The dark-haired woman clicked away at the keyboard, the screens showing the various locations in the wax museum. Mira couldn't make most of what was on the screens, but there was a startling amount of activity in one of the blurry televisions. It was too much for her current state of vision to handle.
In her current placement, she was leaning forward at an odd angle, her hands tied down to her feet. What the hell was the point of putting her in a position like this? She wasn't an exhibitionist or an acrobat; that was Erza.
Mira struggled against the ropes, but it was no use -at least she gave it a try. She's been in situations where her bound-self was horribly knotted but these scratchy and uncomfortable ropes (could they have possibly been more considerate to her comfort), were like pythons around her legs and hands. Woven so intricately it would be impossible to escape, but that was the point of all this.
Internally the Demon cheered, her saliva would get out of this back-breaking arrangement. Mira began to salivate, but the soft click of heels against the linoleum floor gained her attention. "Whatever you're planning won't work, Demon." Sharpened nails wove through her white tendrils, abruptly pulling her face up. Her scalp stung as she looked into the unnerving red eyes of the maniacal woman who had been standing at the keyboard not too long ago. A large kabuki mask covering the woman's face, her startling red eyes and long dark hair were Ultear's signature features. She knew there was a vile grin hidden under the woman's white mask.
When her blue eyes finally made their way around the room, she didn't recognize it as any of the rooms from the wax museum; it was all concrete with a large center computer console. The system was made up of various different screens, every corner of the museum being shown, accompanied by a large board with a million buttons on it. the room and overwhelming technology was bound to do some damage it was practically an antagonist starter set. Mira was either completely removed from the facility, or in a hidden room -it was most likely the latter. She should have payed more attention when guarding the wax people.
Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton, the woman's presence threatening to her Satan Soul. Come on, don't be shy now, Mira thought. The voice was not her own, "Back off bitch, you apparently have no idea who you're talking to."
On the inside Mira was shaking her head at the soul, how crude. At least I said something, her Satan Soul spat at her. The soul already fuming from their current situation, Mira knew that they would erupt if she didn't get out of this soon. All she could do was hope the others would calm the Satan Soul down for the time being.
The time villain scowled at the Demon, the grip on her head becoming nails pressing down into her sensitive scalp. "And I don't think you know the situation you're in. Send this message to you owner, Satan, " she paused, pondering over her next words, "You will die today."
Her red eyes grew dark, insanity creeping into the orbs as laughter bubbled from her. Ultear's grip grew even more painful, her white locks suffering as some of the hairs were pulled from their spots.
"Ultear, leave her be," a voice she assumed to be Siegrain commanded sternly. Ultear let go. Mira's head fell, her forehead clashing with her knees. her head falling back down to her knees. "Do not touch her again, or harm will come to you."
The woman bowed, "Forgive me, I lost control of myself."
"That was obvious, Zalty. Go make sure the Crimson Gladiator is dealt with, and do not come back until she is dead." The word echoed through Mira's mind, affecting all of the souls within her. Erza couldn't die, there was no way in hell that would happen.
"Stay away from her!" Satan Soul threw her head up, growling at the pair. "Touch her and I will dance on your graves," even if it wasn't a hero-like statement, she was in agreement with the soul.
Mira pulled against the ropes but once again she had no luck. Siegrain chuckled darkly, "Silly girl," he walked over to where she was sitting and grabbed her by the chin, "Don't struggle, it will not turn out in your favor. You can either stay awake or be doomed to your fate now." She looked into his eyes and wondered what those dark brown eyes would look like it they weren't filled to the brim with haughtiness and hatred. Those eyes made her understand the situation she was truly in; there was no messing around this time.
He wore his usual aristocratic robe, small iron gauntlets peeking out from under his sleeves. Those were his weapons of mass destruction, she experienced the power herself. Mira didn't know if she was capable of handling him again. Paired with his boots of flight -they were ugly, brown and worn- he was unstoppable. From what Erza had told her, his gauntlets had the ability to control the stars themselves, the demoness didn't know whether or not to take it as an exaggeration or a true statement.
Mira pulled her chin from his hand, her current soul standing down. Erza could handle herself, she needed to worry about her well being right now.
"That's right, Demon," Siegrain's voice was softer, an unusual smile forming on his lips. "Stay put and no harm will come to Erza, I have plans with her as well." A chortle escaped from his throat followed by the most devious cackle, "The only one who will come to harm is you, but that's not before you see the fate that falls upon your lover." He spat out the last word, unable to hold in his violent uproar.
The blue-haired villain's hand moved, pointing a small remote at the console and smashed his thumb against a button. "Now look, as the Crimson Gladiator," he sneered Erza's alias out, his jaw tightening as he gazed upon the holographic screen, "fights against what she thinks is a friend." Her souls roared out as Erza was struggling against Gray?
No, that couldn't be him. Siegrain's laughter never subsided, "Like our new toys, Demon? I like to call that one Blizzard 2.0. Very much like the one you know, but turned up a notch." Now that Mira gazed upon the figure, his movements were robotic; the abrasions in his skin showing the metal that lay beneath. "The Blizzard has done a very good job thus far, but Zalty will take care of the rest."
Crimson and blue were a blur to Mira, she couldn't keep track of how fast they were moving but deep down she knew Erza was injured. Once she got out of here, the villains would be dust to her Satan Soul.
I'm going to rip them to pieces, her Satan Soul said, the other souls rallied up. Mira couldn't change between them right now, but the most devilish of them all was just what she needed.
The tails of Siegrain's jacket flew when he turned his back to her, "I have business to attend to, be the good girl I know you are Satan Soul." He took his leave, those same tails licking the soles of his feet as he disappeared behind a grey steel door. It closed slowly, the room falling into the same eerie silence she was in not too long ago.
As Mira recalled the sequence of events, all the details began to fit together; the puzzle being complete. This mission was all just a set up.
Erza had come to the same conclusion as her blade clanged against the mech-Blizzard's forearms. With every swing her wound wept the same crimson as her suit, the armour rubbing against her skin in the most unpleasant way. She hadn't found a sure way to end the onslaught by this robot. It was her regret to question who she thought was Gray, receiving a severe injury in the process.
The mechanical body bounded off the wall and flew down at Erza, their blades clashing once again. The red head threw her foot out, sending the robot flying back as her limb connected with his torso.
Thus far, Gray's doppelganger had yet to use any of his magical abilities; that was a good sign. She struggled severely when fighting against magic users, due to her own lack of it. All she had was her Trans-Blade, the technology was very advanced for current times and she was glad to have such a weapon. It had the ability to transform into any weapon she wished, she was still getting used to changing between the weapons freely. At the moment, Erza was stuck with using her favorite blade, a katana -the metal able to cut through practically anything she wished.
Which was how she managed to damage her apathetic foe. No reaction came from the robot as she slashed into his arm, the wires mocking her with every jump of electricity. Mecha-Gray nonchalantly picked himself up off the ground, slowly making his way back to Erza; his makeshift blade generating sparks as he dragged it across the wall.
His lack of response appalled the heroine, her provoking methods not as successful as she had hoped. She was beginning to think the robo-Blizzard had no speaking mechanism. "I will end you," Erza snarled, letting her frustration get the best of her.
In a split second, their blades met again. A small grin tugging at the corners of Blizzard's mouth, the warrior supposed that was the only response she was going to get from him. The clinging of metal-on-metal resounded into the hallway, their blades never ceasing to stop contact. Erza pushed her blade down his own, nicking the robot's side.
Her side screamed in pain when she jumped back from the clash. Erza had miscalculated the robot's abilities severely, she thought it would have been easier if he wasn't a magic user. Again she thrust her blade at him and he merely side stepped her advance. Turning, she dodged his own attack on her and stumbled back.
An overwhelming surge of panic and adrenaline filled her veins, her blood pumping faster. All she could think of was ending this soon, her injury was giving her much more fatigue than she originally anticipated. If only she had been less foolish when first seeing this impostor.
Impassive as ever, Blizzard darted toward her lame figure and she barely managed to stop his blade. Her own strength struggled to hold him back. Pushing him off, Erza went in and with one slash the arm carrying his blade was thrown across the hall. Its trajectory hitting a wax figure creating a domino effect that toppled many of the corpse-like figures. Siegrain's elaborate scheme of trapping the Diabolic Duo thus far was a success.
"Tch…" her hair stuck to her forehead, breathing heavily as his figure stood still. Did his missing appendage not affect him? Monotonously, the robot rushed at her yet again. His hardened fist meeting her cheek.
Ouch.
The sock to the face angered Erza, gripping the clothed handle of her blade. She maneuvered the steele and sent it through his chest, pushing her hand against the pommel of the blade. A cringe-worthy grind sounding as her blade punctured his metal chest. "Get down you piece of…" she held her tongue, there was no need for such words.
The impostor did the exact opposite of her strangled statement, his fist still swinging at her as he landed another hit on her. In a brisk motion she pulled her blade out, placing her other hand on the pommel. With raw power, she tore through the robot's neck; his head dropping to the floor like an apple from a tree.
Her assailant's body fell back, the thump shattering the deafening silence of the hallway. The tension peeled back, leaving Erza alone.
Erza exhaled shakily, leaning on her slim blade. Maybe she should have used a different weapon for this fight. The gladiator's stamina felt drained, but she knew there would be no stopping. The Diabolic Duo was once again targeted, and she wasn't going to let their livelihood become ruined by these villains. Jellal was going to get her scarlet-gloved fist in his face once she found him.
Gripping her sleeve, ripped it off. She used this as a tourniquet, grimacing when she knotted the sleeve around her torso. The blood had coagulated, sealing the wound up somewhat, but it didn't hurt any less. She held her side, looking at her current environment.
Most of the wax figures within the vicinity were destroyed due to the battle. The robotic-Blizzard's remains laid a couple feet away, its left arm and leg missing from the body. The appendages, nowhere in sight.
As she staggered into an upright position she heard a haughty voice behind her, "Seems like that robot did well enough. Stand down Crimson Gladiator and you won't face any more injuries," Zalty's voice was laced with arrogance. It was just her lucky day, two annoying opponents to battle in rapid succession. Erza hoped she would last to see Mira.
She turned to see the kabuki masked woman standing on a platform much higher than her. Erza shook her head with as much energy as possible, "You're a fool to think that I would stand down so easily." Her voice cut through the air, her opponent's head tilting to the side.
"The only fool here is you," a small translucent orb began to float around the villainess, beginning to multiply as it revolved around her. "Have it your way, Crimson Gladiator, you're about to be trumped by infinite possibilities." Erza threw her body to the side, easily dodging half of the orbs; this tactic wasn't very successful as the rest pelted her body.
Erza coughed, she really despised the woman's combat style. In her eyes, it was far from honorable; standing back instead of taking the brunt of the duel. She stood back up, her step faltering as she faced the time witch. Vehemently she spoke,"It would be in your best interest if I backed down. You're feeble."
Zalty swished her hand to the side, the main source of her treacherous attacks returning to the criminal's side. Her presence on the platform making her a godly figure, her white robes wrapped pristinely around her body. The ivory sleeves were much longer than the length of her dress, as were the red tails of her bow; it was all completed by the oversized kabuki mask. How did she think her clothing choice was suitable for combat?
"Says the one who was struggling against a robot," flicking her hand forward, she teased the redhead -another platoon of marbles coming right for Erza.
This time she successfully dodged, launching her body forward into a somersault. The spheres pelted the space she had previously occupied. Enraged, Erza snarled out, "Come down here and fight me!"
This amused the masked woman, "I like the view from up here." She replied coolly, the ball coiling around her. "The odds are not in your favor, hero," she scoffed at the last word.
Another flick of her wrist and twice as many of the orbs came at her, she dove out of the way. This trapped Erza, her previous evasion giving her no room to dodge. More of the tough spheres following her as she evaded the villain's original attack. She fell on the floor in defeat, sputtering as the spheres kept pelting her; her previous wound ripping right open.
The woman still stood on her ivory tower, the onslaught never seeming to cease. The heroine hurled another knife at Zalty, the deadly blade completely missing its intended target. Erza failed to get back on her feet, she slumped down onto the floor. She would never go down without a fight, but here she was at time's mercy.
"Seems like the hero tired herself out," Zalty's voice beamed, the criminal proud of her accomplishment; it was a serious feat to take Erza down.
Laying there on the scratchy carpet was not the proudest moment for Erza, she could not move. The red head was paralyzed from the pressure points Zalty hit, no matter how hard she tried her nerves wouldn't fulfill their task.
Effortlessly her assailant jumped from the platform, sauntering over to where she lay. "I think it would have been better if you listened to me in the first place, you're going to get the both of us in trouble. Siegrain won't like the way I dealt with you." Her sleeves brushed against the floor as she knelt in front of her, caressing her face. The girl's voice was wistful, "He will be so proud of me."
Right before the Crimson Gladiator lost consciousness, a silver and red blur emerged.
Silently, Mira padded her way through the hall. The Demon has made her way down through the levels of the museum, being as cautious as possible. If she was caught again, it would be highly unlikely for her to make another escape. Siegrain was a fool for thinking she would be a sitting duck, her duty was to protect Erza and her siblings. That was all that mattered to her. If they were to be ripped away from her, a completely different entity would take over and then no one would be safe.
She poked her head around the corner and saw that it led into a larger room. A taunting voice echoed down the hallway and Mira began to run, it had to be Erza. Once she passed the hallway's threshold, a silhouette she knew all too well had jumped down to the lower floor.
Brown eyes met her own and she couldn't do anything to stop her Satan Soul. Mira flew forward, getting a clean hit on the back of Zalty's head. She caught the villainess' body, carefully laying her on the floor. It was the least she could do, she already felt guilty enough for hitting her so hard.
Tears filled her eyes as she looked upon Erza's figure, dried blood splayed across her torso. She knew that Zalty didn't injure her side, but her wound was open and slowly bleeding. With a great amount of tenderness, she pressed her hand against the sickly warm laceration, cringing as red was painted across her hands. She loved her, but not the blood (her inner souls cheered at the contact with the liquid).
Her breath caressed the warrior's face as she leaned down, "Erza…" Mira hoped that her lover wasn't more injured than she appeared to be.
She received a small groan in response, that was good. Mirajane kissed her bruised cheek, slowly putting more pressure on the opening.
Behind you, her Satan Soul warned. Mira paid no attention to her, wrapping what she assumed was Erza's sleeve back around her waist -making sure the knot was right over her wound. All she cared about at the moment was her knight's safety.
Her Satan Soul took over again and shielded Erza's body with her own, taking a direct hit from her new assailant.
Siegrain's voice blared from the speaker system, "I told you to stay put, Demon." His chiding was followed by a maniac chuckle, "Now I know where you and that gladiator are. Let's see how much you can handle before I come to collect what's mine."
Shit, she forgot about the eyes in the sky but that was a completely different problem. The wax figures were steadily becoming animated and there were dozens of them in this corridor. At an alarmingly fast rate, she picked Erza and Ultear up (deep down she didn't want anyone to get hurt) and flew back up to the platform she came from and placed their limp bodies down. It was odd that they looked so serene in their slumber.
Turning her attention away from them Mira looked down at the wax robots, she had to make a quick decision: run toward Siegrain or deal with these robots. The choice was obvious but?
The supermodel Jenny Realight launched herself right at her. Now there was no decision to be made, she had to deal with these creepy robots. She always had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong right from the start of their mission.
Mira guarded with her forearms, sending the girl's head off with one swift kick. Unlike Erza she had a boosted stamina and a much better grip on her enhanced strength. The Demon looked over the startling amount of robots, all so life-like in appearance but she knew better than to think they were human.
Internally her Satan Soul screamed at her, telling the girl to back down and retreat. There was only so many times the soul could take control of her body. Mira flew up, a dark aura starting to form around her, a sickening cold filling her hands. I got this, Mira reassured the demon as she put her palms face out.
She knew it was a risk to use this magic in such a limited space, but it was necessary. From here on out, all she would do was protect Erza. If one more scratch or scrape was imposed upon her body, Mira would never forgive herself.
The room began to heat up as a large violet-black ball formed in her hands. Electricity wavering off the energy's collected force. The wax melted steadily from the robot's bodies as her ball of magic grew.
Three..
Two…
One…
She let the beam of dark matter go, flying straight toward the gathered collective of mechanical beings. A blinding light shone as it hit its mark, the impact causing pieces of the robots to shoot into the room. A straight out massacre… Mira had to remind herself that they were not real.
It irked her to think that she had this type of power to unleash on anyone she wanted to, but her inner souls constantly thrived on it. Death, destruction, and all out warfare. They were a bloodthirsty bunch of personalities, something that did not align with her views.
A deep burnt and singed indent was left where the robots previously stood, they were completely obliterated. She sure did know how to quickly solve a problem, even if it was dangerous. She dusted her hands off, very fortunate that Erza and Zalty were not caught in the crossfire.
She descended from her position and ripped a small sliver of her boot off. Kneeling down, she grabbed the dark haired woman's wrist, quickly tying them together. She didn't want her to have a walk in the park escape if she were to regain consciousness. After she bound her hands, she did the same to her feet except she took some fabric from her other boot.
A slow clapping echoed down the corridor, churning a newfound darkness within her. Her Satan Soul was malicious, roaring and ready to go as she heard Siegrain coming down the dark corridor.
"This is exactly what I expected of you Mirajane." Her name on his tongue was poisonous, vile to her entire being. Her face formed into a scowl as his presence emerged from the darkness. "Oh, did I take it a little too far there, Demon?" Siegrain was just playing with her now.
"It's not so hard to find your true alias since I knew Erza's. No, not knew, more like know her." Her lover's name spilled from his mouth so casually, it made her nauseated. A wicked grin formed on his mouth, complimenting the demented look his brown eyes were giving her. There was no possible way he could know her Erza. He caught her doubtfulness, "Did she not tell you of our past?"
Apparently not, her inner demons starting to question her relationship with Erza. "Don't you dare say her name again!" The Satan Soul screaming out like a five-year-old child about to throw a tantrum. Stand down, Mirajane told the demon.
I will not have him sully her name, the Satan Soul stated. Mira took the demon's words into consideration, speaking in a much quieter tone, "There is no possible way for you to know Erza, she was raised by the highest members of society." Yes, she was indeed a rich girl but that didn't stop her the white-haired girl from loving her very own red head.
Her blue eyes darted down, looking over the gladiator's form. Erza looked dead as ever but the color hadn't left her face; she still had time, much more than she had originally thought.
"That's all she told you? I'm afraid some details were missing, Demon." His posture was straight, exuding confidence and high levels of cockiness. Why does he always think he had the upper hand, cocky son of a bitch, her Satan Soul snarled, trying to push Mira to take him down.
"You don't know what you're talking about Siegrain…" her voice came out as a whisper, no assurance whatsoever.
He tutted, taking a step toward the girl's on the floor. "You don't sound too sure. Who should you trust now, Erza or me?" All this talk was making her uncertain about everything…
As she began to ponder her thoughts, he continued to speak, "Did she tell you how I named her Scarlet for her hair?" Now he was just spouting out random babbles, hungry eyes lingering on her girlfriend's form a little too long for her liking.
When she thought about it, she was sure Erza had left small details out just to protect her. That had to be it, right? She did the same to Erza when her thoughts delved into it a bit more, Mira didn't want her girlfriend to think any less of her. Maybe it was the exact same situation for Erza.
The man's voice cut through her thought process again, "Don't dwell on it too hard on it Mira. Pretty girls like you shouldn't have silly doubts, just listen to me." Siegrain's voice was alluring, lilting and soft -almost believable. "Face the facts, your precious girlfriend had been lying to you," her Satan Soul fighting with Mira for control, "Surrender and no harm will come to you."
The Satan Soul shook her conscious mind, Don't be such a fool Mirajane. He's lying to you, just like Mard did and your mother. Open your eyes to the light, trust your lover. The internal battle was raging against the tides, waves of doubt pressing against the woman's heart. Only her Satan Soul was able to talk her through it.
Mira shook her head and glared at Siegrain. No, it was the same, if Erza trusted her with her whole heart than she would too. She was here to be her partner, not some doubtful girl, and she would stand up for her no matter what.
With the most threatening tone she could muster, Mirajane barked, "You don't know anything about her. I think it's time to teach you to keep your nose in the right place." No more apprehension, just action as Mira lunged toward him. She threw her claws out, nicking the man's chest.
Siegrain was bewildered, his shameful tactics not working on the demoness; how could he make her doubt Erza? The blue-haired man snarled, his eyes turning into those of a killer. "If I have to murder you right here, I will." He roared, the material of his sleeves burning off as his gauntlets shone.
For a split second Mirajane panicked, she wasn't prepared for what was to come. Reassuringly her Satan Soul took the reigns, I will handle this, Master. Mira let her, the soul's respect leaving a good impression on her; if anyone could handle this it was the mirror of her personality.
The exchange took a second too long and a brilliant blast sent the demon flying, her impact leaving an impression in the wall. Flapping her wings Mira hovered above the ground as her Satan Soul gave the criminal an ultimatum, "Like hell you will. Leave me and my partner alone or I'm going to put you under my foot, Siegrain." She cried out, dive kicking at the man.
Their collision was a quick exchange of kicks and punches. Hit after hit, block after block. Neither one was managing to get through the other's defenses. Her flying ability should have given her the advantage, but Siegrain knew every one of her moves. She was lucky her Satan Soul was much more reactive than herself, she internally cheered for her other half.
"You think you can beat me Mira," this criminal wasn't all talk but he did love to invoke her soul, "or is this the real Demon?"
Her Satan Soul flinched at his comment, leaving a small opening for him. His fist collided with her stomach, causing Mira to sputter. A tumultuous laugh filled the room, "Two hits for me and one for you."
At his remark she reeled her foot back, followed by a streak of blue. Siegrain was sent down to the floor and she jumped down after him. How dare he try to insult her. No more words were said as the atmosphere thickened, this would be a real fight now. No toying around.
Staring her down with spite, Siegrain stood a couple of feet from her position. A light aura fluttered about his being, it frustrated her that he wasn't serious from the start. They circled around one another, the air growing tense as their auras grew; hers dark against his white light. She chuckled at the thought of him being a lighthouse.
Irony was laced into their abilities, a demon against the heavens and Mira was on the good side. Debris from the previous fights begun to float off the ground and with a small protrusion of her hand she sent a stream of dark energy at the man.
Siegrain side stepped the blast easily and sprinted toward her, ablaze with yellow light. Mira was knocked to the side much faster than she expected, helpless as he pummeled her with burning fists of light.
She thrust her hand out, catching his fist. The demoness grunted against it and grabbed his forearm, throwing his body to the ground. Picking up her foot, she slammed it down onto his chest. Blood flew from his mouth and she did it again, her soul's inner sadism fueled.
Mira had to bite her tongue in order to hold the remark her soul was going to make. Don't do this, Mira pleaded with her inner demon. Her good conscious was not able to stop her fueling rage as Siegrain struggled to get out of her hold. One blow after another, he was suffering.
The man managed to grab her foot, crushing it with his grip. Hissing in pain her Satan Soul backed off, shaking her foot out. Snarling, he bit out, "Is this the person the scarlet haired maiden truly loves?"
It pierced through Mira, her demon still not giving her the reigns; it was hopeless. Her begging wasn't getting through to Satan Soul, hatred burning a fire in her heart.
"All I see is a sadistic bitch," red was smeared to the side of his face as he regained his standing. This is enough, her Satan Soul howled.
The white haired demon began to turn into something she never wanted to be again, a murderer. Her clawed gauntlet grabbed Siegrain by the throat, squeezing with as much force as she could muster. This was to protect Erza.
Little did she know about the slow awakening from above.
With much reluctance, her brown eyes opened to the dim light of the room. Loud crashing filled her ears and Erza tried to sit up. Her head spun and her side was pleading with her to say still. Her injury had gotten much worse since her fight with Zalty.
Her ears rung with the commotion; she was sure she had a concussion but Mira was the only thing on her mind. Flipping onto her stomach, she inched her way to the edge of the platform, and saw a red and yellow blur constantly pinging back and forth from each other.
Jellal and Mira. This was not good at all, she was supposed to deal with him. Erza looked around for her blade, she had to stop this. A scream permeated through the room and she recognized it as her blue haired foe.
Mira's Satan Soul had really gone off the radar this time. When she grabbed her Trans-Blade, she nicked her finger and more blood spilled. How much clumsier was she going to get?
Once her attention returned to the fight, she gulped. Jellal was fidgeting in Mira's grip, flailing about as he tried to escape. Erza cringed as tears burned in her eyes, she couldn't let her girlfriend continue.
With much effort the Scarlet Gladiator sat on her knees, drawing her sword back. Could she really do this? It was an option to let Jellal die, but he was a dear friend of hers. The blue-haired man was always so selfish when it came to her but he truly was a good person at heart. Erza had witnessed it in their childhood and during their relationship. She couldn't let him waste away.
And she couldn't let Mira revert back to her old ways. Imagining her in the state her girlfriend was in when the organization first found her in was horrifying. Mirajane Strauss was an absolute monster, unleashing terror and sorrow on those who were happy -jealousy of that singular emotion driving her mad. The woman broken because of the loss of her family, only Erza could save her just as she did before.
Erza shook her head, she only had one choice. A single tear fell from her eye as she sent it flying, hitting her intended target. Mirajane Strauss, her one and only true love.
Hopefully her aim didn't harm her more than she intended to, but it was crucial to both of their survival. Both of the bodies fell to the ground and Erza lost consciousness again.
The aftermath one hell of a bigger mess.
Two weeks later
Since she was permitted to leave her own bed, Erza never left Mira's side. Her team wouldn't pull her away from who she needed the most. Only once she had gone to check on Jellal, he had been placed in solitary confinement with his own injured girlfriend. One small thing they had in common at the moment.
He regained consciousness shortly after she did and swore that he would take revenge on the both of them. So much for a nice visit. It hurt to know that her best friend was tainted by the prowess of evil.
Erza turned her head to look over the unconscious form of Mirajane Strauss. Angelic white hair framed her face so perfectly, complimenting her pale skin. Mira's hospital gown didn't suit her so much, but Erza was always glad to be in the presence of her heavenly girlfriend. She would do almost anything for her.
It was only fate that gave Mira the powers to deal with the souls residing with her. She knew Mira had the patience and consideration to control stubborn personalities, the woman's only fault being her unnerving submissiveness. That's what got her shot down. Every single time.
Rubbing her eyes, Erza looked over her other half. Mira's foot was broken and she had damaged the right half of her ribcage and punctured a lung. She could not believe she had done this to her, but it was necessary.
She had filled out a honest report and Mirajane will not be able to go back into the field for a long time. She needed more training in controlling her alter personas and her powers in general. Mira crushed Jellal's windpipe and had given Zalty a small crack in her skull. Along with her training, Mira was going to be placed under special custody.
Erza felt guilty for not defending her girlfriend's livelihood, but it was a step in the right direction. She wrapped her hand around Mira's warm fingers, silently praying for the best possible ending. Everything would turn out ok.
Blue orbs opened to the light, looking over the scarlet hair woman, "Erza…" Mira's once lifeless hand intertwined their fingers together.
"Erza…" A soft voice whispered, understanding in the depths of her blue eyes.
Hey everyone! I loved working on this story so much! I want to continue it as a small series of one-shots within this superhero universe but updates will be once in a blue moon. If you would like to see more favorite/comment on the story, it shows your support! (: I would also like to thank mdelpin for betaing this ficlet, she was a real help.
~Newg