Chapter 3- There's something Squiggly going on!
Grace watched as hundreds, possibility thousands of undead came to Marie. Grace soon saw Big Band, and soldiers wearing gas masks combat the undead that seemed to be targeting the Medici Mafia. "Hold the line men! Don't let those creatures hurt the citizens!" A red haired woman dressed in black shouted. Her eyes were red, she was clearly in command of the soldiers.
Marie allowed innocent people to flee. While more coffins rose from the ground, one of the undead dropped out of her coffin. She at first stepped in a squiggly manner, but then a parasite popped out of her head and helped her maintain a graceful balance. "Oh my... Another Skullgirl." The girl said, Grace could only see the girl from behind. She wasn't sure what was going on, so she approached the undead girl who seemed curious and confused.
The parasite that looked like a white snake looked behind his host. "Milady, we have company." The parasite spoke with a gentleman tone.
The girl turned. "Oh hello. Are you from around here?" The girl's mouth was stitched, but she covered her mouth when she spoke so Grace didn't see it. It seemed like she had only one red eye.
"Who are you?" Grace asked in a scared voice.
"My name is Sienna Contiello. But everyone calls me Squigly." The polite girl said as she smiled and made a bow. "This is my friend Leviathan." She said as she gestured at her parasite.
"Charmed to make your acquaintance." Leviathan said, as he made what would pass as a bow for him.
Squigly looked like a Nightmare Before Christmas character, with her clothing and undead nature. "Do you know what's going on?" She asked, her stitched mouth was visible.
"I only have a vague idea, some people are fighting Marie who may be a Skullgirl who somehow raised the dead" Grace replied.
Squigly seemed shocked. "Oh my! Not another Skullgirl!" She said as she looked up and saw Marie use her minions and powers to rip the Medici Tower off, she damaged the building and shouted.
"Larenzo! You shall pay! Your empire will be destroyed from the graves you've built it upon!" She had rage in her eyes, the images of skulls appeared in her irises.
Squigly backed into Grace. Grace touched Squigly and got a flash of memories. First she saw Squigly and her family happy. The Contiello and Medici families were close friends. Then came the birthday of Squigly's mother, her name was Selene, she kept her hair in a bun and had blond hair. Squigly's dad had blond hair and he had a mustache and small beard, he was tall. The family looked happy, but then an elven looking woman gifted the Skull Heart to Selene. Selene took it reluctantly, wondering how it was found. The family looked very happy together.
Then that image went away, the Medici Mafia attacked the Contiello family. Most of them wore party masks, they were led by Black Dahlia. She hid her face under a mask and vale. She looked like a cyborg, she had a gun arm and killed many people. "So you're Squigly." Sure said as she grabbed the girl by her pigtails.
"Please... Let me go!" Squigly cried.
Black Dahlia called out to Selene. "This is what happens when people challenge Larenzo's power by claiming the Skull Heart." She pressed her gun against the teenagers head.
Selene was powerless as she watched her daughter die, a gunshot at pointblank. "Squigly!" She cried out. "I wish that my family could come back to life!" And by saying that the Skull Heart dug into Selene's back and transformed her into a Skullgirl.
She had her eyes turn red with images of skulls in them, her arms turned skeletal as she unleashed the power. She killed many members of the Medici Mafia, and made the dead people into her undead army. Roberto was hit bad, he saw his daughter and quickly said. "Leviathan go! Save Squigly! Please save her life! Keep her safe from anything including me!" Leviathan exited his host via Roberto's shoulder, he worked fast in order to enter Squigly by her gunshot wound. They both went to rest, unable to move.
Grace last saw an image of Squigly next to an older man, he stitched her mouth closed before burying her in an unnamed coffin. Grace felt everything that Squigly went through in the memory flashback. "Oh my... Did I hurt you?" Squigly said with concern. The 14 year old was worried.
"I'm fine. Should we try to stop her?" Grace asked.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. If we attack then she'll drop the building and crush people." Squigly said with concern.
"I concur. Striking now will destroy more lives than we'd save." Leviathan said.
Suddenly a group of soldiers spotted the three. "Freeze!" One of them shouted as they aimed at the trio.
"Oh my!" Squigly said.
Grace quickly created a energy shield to protect all of them.
"We'll attack at a better moment. Fall back!" She cried.
Squigly nodded. She and Leviathan tried to run, but the leader of the soldiers came forth and fired a gun shot near them. "We're taking care of things from here citizen. This Skullgirl minion is unusual from the lot. We're taking it in for questioning!" The woman stated firmly. "Black Egrets! Leave this minion to me!" She said as the soldiers kept Grace guarded, they assumed Squigly was attacking her.
Squigly tripped from freight when the gun shot nearly hit her. "We didn't do anything mean or cruel." She said with a sad tone.
"I fear that this one won't reason with us. I shall defend you with my life Milady!" Leviathan said as he was ready to defend his host.
"Be careful Commander Parasoul!" One of the Black Egrets named Adam Kapowski said.
Squigly and Leviathan were being defensive. Parasoul used a living weapon shaped like an umbrella in their fight. Grace watched as the two powerful forces clashed.
"Stop! Why did you guards try to protect me?" Grace asked.
"She didn't attack me. I'm trying to be peaceful." She added.
Parasoul and her men ignored Grace. She watched Leviathan and Squigly fight fiercely. Leviathan used purple fire in order to blind-side Parasoul which allowed Squigly to push her away, but the push was so powerful it might've been a punch. The fight lasted only a minute, Parasoul was hit hard and Squigly just backed away.
"Commander Parasoul!" Adam said.
"Get back... We can't afford to focus on just one of the minions, even if it acts unusual." She said as her troops got ready to act.
"What am I going to do now?" Grace wondered as she too escaped the battle scene.
Squigly's voice echoed to Parasoul. "Look out! The Skullgirl is making her move!" And then everyone watched as Marie formed her minions into gigantic hands.
The hands had the tower in the skies. "Lorenzo! You will not escape! I will... Destroy you!" Marie yelled as she threw the entire tower at the Medici airship. The tower scrapped the airship and crashed into the nearby river.
"Molly! Status report!" Parasoul said over a radio.
"The tower hit the river. Some of the debris did minor damages to some of the buildings. Looks like we got lucky!" Molly was one of the Black Egrets.
"I'm glad we've got some good news." Parasoul said.
"Commander Parasoul. That unusual minion and that girl escaped. Shall we pursue them?!" Adam asked.
"Negative! We must focus on helping my people first. We can't afford to chase a minion of the Skullgirl, no matter how unusual it's behaviour." That was the last thing Grace heard from Parasoul, before she and her two new allies fled.
A couple hours passed by, and Squigly talked again. "That was odd... That woman I remember from before... But she was smaller. And that Skullgirl was very powerful, I noticed she was losing herself to the Skull Heart's power." The undead girl said.
"Indeed. And I must confess if not for the Skull Heart, we couldn't hear your voice. Its to my shame this happened to you." Leviathan said.
Squigly suddenly touched her mouth, and realized it was stitched. "Oh my! My mouth! Who would do such a cruel thing?!" She didn't know why it happened. Grace found Squigly's other pigtail. It felt like the hair was new and fresh in spite of it's undead origins.
"It must have been a curse from the past or something between two families" Grace guessed.
"Far worse I'm afraid. For I can think of only one man who'd do such a fowl action." Leviathan said.
"And he's the same man, that the Skullgirl is after." Squigly said.
"Aye. Lorenzo Medici! His evil has a firm grip on New Meridian." Leviathan said as Grace handed the pigtail to Squigly.
Squigly smiled as she took it back. She was starting consider Grace a good friend. Grace explained she wasn't from around the Canopy Kingdom, and that she was clueless on how many years had gone by since... Squigly went to rest. Squigly suggested that they head for Little Innsmouth, it was one of the districts filled with people that trusted the Contiello family. So if it was anything like before tonight, it could be alright.
Before they could head there, they encountered Filia and Samson. "Excuse me. Do you live around here?" Squigly asked Filia.
"Um... Sort of..." She said. "Are you alright?" Filia asked, when she saw Grace and was explained what happened she felt relief. "I'm glad you're alright Grace. Samson and I were on the other side of New Meridian when the Skullgirl attacked. We came back for you, fearing the worst." Filia said, as she held her hands near her heart.
"Ha! Speak for yourself kid! I could've been places if you weren't so insistent on helping a strange, stranger." Samson said, as he pretended he didn't care.
"Well I'm just trying to figure what side is the right side since even the bad guys are confusing. I think the Skullgirl want to get revenge on that person for a reason but we need to figure who created the skull heart in order to reverse this mayhem" Grace suggested as she tried to put the pieces together.
"You would really think that will work?" Filla asked.
After introductions were out of the way between the girls. Leviathan noticed Samson. "Samson, is that you?"
"Leviathan, you look pretty pale." Samson said.
"Oh do you two know each other?" Filia asked.
"Are you two friends?" Squigly asked with a smile.
"Ha! Friends with Leviathan?! As if!" Samson said.
"May I inquire as too what you two are up to?" Leviathan asked.
Filia then said. "Well... My memories are gone from long ago..." She then said. "So we're after the Skull Heart, in order to wish my memories back."
Leviathan had a look of concern. "Oh my! Tell me dear girl, can you remember anything before Samson occupied your head?" Leviathan asked with concern.
"Um... Well... Now that you mention it..." Filia tried her hardest but she couldn't remember anything before Samson attached himself.
"So you've driven her to seek the Skull Heart, so you claim it for yourself!" Leviathan said to Samson.
"This is none of your business. Why don't you get lost." Samson said defensively. He then insulted the trio in front of him. "You look more like a worm than a dragon now Leviathan. Especially since you're now with a maggot infested creep. You even associate with no good strangers pretending to be all helpful!" He got kicks out of insulting the girls and parasite.
"I won't allow you to destroy another host for your selfish gains." Leviathan said with disdain towards Samson.
"Ha! You're one to speak. What rock did you have to crawl under for her?! She looks worse than she'd have been without you!" Samson said.
"Oh my! Such rude language." Squigly said with a glare at Samson.
"Milady, I humbly request your assistance in showing this ruffian some manners." Leviathan said as he got ready to fight.
"You caused another fight Samson." Filia said with a heavy sigh.
"Who cares kid?! The undead can't be trusted! We've seen what they can do." Samson said as he got ready to fight.
Filia looked bummed. "And they seemed like such nice people too..." Filia said as she looked at the two opponents.
Squigly bowed, she then said. "For what its worth. We'll only aim for that spore infesting you." Squigly said as she got ready. Leviathan turned his tail into a spear.
Filia got defensive. "That's still my head!"
"Hold up ! What was that about Samson using Fillla?" Grace asked suspiciously.
"And I'm not pretending to be helpful, I really want to be helpful I just don't know how to without violence getting in the way" Grace added.
They ignored Grace, she was powerless as she watched the parasites and their hosts clash. They jumped back and forth off of buildings and across the streets. Samson had all kinds of spike and tentacle and bite based attacks, he also had a roll attack that reminded Grace of someone close. Grace couldn't stand watching the only people who she considered her friends fighting each other.
Leviathan had many spear and dragon like attacks, Grace could tell they were evenly matched but cried out for them to stop. Filia got distracted, and Squigly and Leviathan dealt a powerful blow right on Samson which caused Filia to collapse. "Such power... Even though you're skin and bones..." Samson said.
Squigly was in a defensive stance and glared at Samson. "If that was you holding back... I'd hate to fight you in an all out fight..." Filia said as Grace came to her side.
"Have you had enough?" Leviathan asked Samson.
"Yeah... You win old timer." Samson answered.
"Then heed my warning and abandon chasing the Skull Heart." Leviathan warned.
"Fine you win... For now." Samson said with reluctance.
Squigly helped Grace get Filia up. "I'm sorry we had to fight. But we couldn't allow you to lose yourself to the Skull Heart. That power leads to nothing but sadness, I know first hand when it claimed my mother Selene." Squigly said with a saddened yet concerned tone.
"Oh you want to stop her from going after it" Grace said.
"Uh-oh...We have to destroy it then!" Grace realized.
"Oh do you know who created the skull heart? Maybe we can find a way to reverse its effects on people?" She added.
Leviathan could tell from when he first met Grace that she was unusual. Surely by now the Skull Heart was common knowledge. "It is not of the physical world. It is like Living Weapons and my kind known as Theons, but very dark and corrupt. If it speaks then it is not the heart but something... Worse." Leviathan explained best he could from the basic information aside.
"Wait, her mom's name was Selene?!" Samson asked.
"Oh... I'm not sure if I'm going to be much help here then" Grace sighed as the four opening songs from RWBY played in her mind.
"Doesn't Selene mean moon?" Filla asked.
"I know you want to help but being a fish out of water in this place could be disastrous. If we weren't here, you could have randomly found the skull heart and wished for world peace or for the skull heart to never exist..." Squiggly trailed off.
"I'm not using the skull heart guys" Grace stated, matter-of-factually in a firm voice.
"Wait Selene as in Selene Contiello?" Samson asked.
"Yes. Did you know her?" Squigly asked.
Samson looked unsure, he closed his eyes and said. "Kid... She died the Skullgirl 14 years ago."
"14 years?! Oh my, its been that long since..." Squigly looked sad.
"Your mother was a Skullgirl that long ago... Oh my..." Filia said.
They knew that the Skull Heart had to be destroyed. Then Big Band walked by. "Now that's something ya don't see everyday. A teenage girl with a parasite, an undead girl with a parasite, and a girl with no records anywhere. Quite an unusual group." Big Band said.
"Oh my! Is he a friend of yours?" Squigly asked Grace.
"Did I see you at that restaurant earlier?" Grace asked Big band.
"I'm what some would call a dimension hopper as I try to help anywhere I can" she added.
"I'm the ASG agent who escorted Peacock back to Lab 8. I can't say I've heard of what you are in all my days." He was close to Grace. She noticed Big Band had musical interments in place of regular arms and legs. She remembered him from earlier in the day.
"Is Peacock ok?" Grace asked.
She then turned back to Squigly.
"I somehow met him earlier. I guess what my occupation is won't be in a specific dictionary in the multi-verse" she added.
"Peacock is fine. I'm just out doing some investigation work." He said.
"You work for the universe?" Filia asked.
"Sounds like an excuse for a bigger secret." Samson said.
"This man was with those soldiers. Is he after us too?" Squigly asked with concern.
"Just because I sometimes help the Black Egrets doesn't mean we're part of the same band. I'm a one man show in general and roll with another band if you dig." Big Band said.
"Dig what?" Squigly asked.
"I believe it's his way of saying that he's not part of the Black Egrets." Leviathan said, he and Squigly didn't quite get that kind of talking.
"However. Maybe you can help me track one of our young agents that vanished after the Skullgirl attacked. I could use the help." He said as he offered them radios. Filia and Squigly took one, the radios were given in case someone got separated. After everyone agreed they took off, but Grace slowed when she felt a familiar presence.
"We meet again Grace. I suppose you now know the truth?" Marie asked Grace.
"Sort of, You're the Skullgirl and you want revenge on someone for what they did to you or was that the girl in blue?" Grace wondered as she tried to outsmart her carefully.
"You're right. I want Lorenzo Medici, and his entire criminal empire to die. And not just him, I want the Medici family too suffer as well. For centuries they've done many terrible crimes. I can never forgive them for what they did to Patricia and countless others." Marie was completely up front on her intentions.
"I get that you're upset but not everyone in that family is responsible" Grace stated as she thought of Filla.
Marie seemed for a brief moment like she'd agree, Grace saw that look. But then the Skull Heart beated. "No! They all must die, for the sins of the father and grandfather travel to son/daughter and grandson/granddaughter.!" She was firm in her tone. Grace could see that blue fire seen on most of the undead coming from behind Marie. "Do you hate me because I wish to someday kill Filia Medici? Surely Samson can tell you what really happened?! Do you hate me and wish to destroy the Skull Heart?" Marie asked, with a blank expression.
"I don't hate you but some times family history doesn't mean a person from that family is evil. Your family history doesn't define who you are. Please fight the skull heart's influence!" Grace pleaded.
Marie almost smiled. "Clearly you've never read Lovecraft's books, perhaps that's for the best." She thought aloud to herself. "You truly want to help me? Do you think we could've been friends?" Marie said.
"I believe we can if you let me help you and I don't read horror books but I've heard of that name " Grace replied.
"Well... Why don't you help out some of the people after me. It'll help you understand what's going on better. You may be visited by a nun." And with that Marie turned around, the flames caused bones to appear behind her.
"Wait!" Grace cried but she was gone.
Then she sighed.
"I'll have to face her myself" she stated.
"Don't go, you'll regret it" Filla called out.
Filia stopped Grace. "She's far too dangerous to face alone." Filia said. "Samson spotted you two while we took off." Filia said as she explained why she came back.
"Yeah, your welcome your life got saved. No need to be a suck up." Samson said.
"We have to stay together. No telling what other surprises could happen." Just as Filia said that, a masked figure with red glowing eyes was in the shadows directly behind her.
To be continued...
There will be some connections to what happened with Nick Wizard in the shorts and possibly a few mentions of him during this.
Who's heard of Kingdom Keepers?
Do you think this game's morality conflict will drive Grace insane?
Who do you think the REAL masterminds of this world are?
Will the council ever explain where Green is and if these missions are really tests or just ways to get rid of certain agents?
Stay tuned to find out...