Two days have passed since the final battle in Fortuna. Once called the City of Thieves, the former city was abandoned by the rogues and lowlifes who called it home. Many of them were defeated within while others escaped from the ensuing chaos. Either way, they spread the tale of what happened that day as well as a certain charming Vantablack.
The news spread like wildfire across Vacuo. Team VRSZ returned to their old home and annihilated the Ravagers. The greatest mercenary group in Vacuo were crushed by their rivals and this brought the group once known as the Freelancers some fame in this region of Remnant. Their string of battles against dangerous opponents within these past two weeks has gained them the attention of many people in Vacuo, especially those upset with the kingdom for seeming completely inept when it comes to dealing with serious matters.
There was another shard of information that permeated the air was that Grayson of the Ravagers was captured by the kingdom of Vacuo and scheduled for execution. This was incredibly surprising and slightly satisfying to the people. It begged the question did the kingdom hire VRSZ or was this a joint mission, but the imminent death of Grayson was more relieving than the details of his capture. However, the kingdom had no idea how the information about Grayson leaked out before they planned to announce it. Things were going very smoothly for them, but everything was going perfectly for their diplomat.
Setting: Settlement
Ebony had her airship land in a sanctioned settlement to serve as a proper resting place for her Champions. The Charming Vantablack was sitting in a park where there were several food stands and vehicles in the area. People were buying food and having a good time. The blissful look in her eyes and her relaxed, laid-back sitting position on the bench showed she was enraptured by the tranquility.
"Such a nice sight," she said to herself. Ebony looked around to see if any of her friends were around.
She found Zinnia nearby, ordering food wrapped in a tortilla. The most dutiful of Champions was always close by her liege in case she was needed. Ebony thought it was cute and admirable yet she wants to see what the Paragon would look like if her stern face was broken. What would Zinnia's relaxed face look like? Her scared face? Excited, angered, sad, embarrassed, happy, smitten, repulsed. Ebony wanted to see them all.
Brenton was nowhere in sight though Ebony preferred to have high-quality eye candy to hold onto. He informed Zinnia that he was going to go sightseeing while they had the time off. Despite his intimidating appearance and ferocity on the battlefield, Brenton Drake was quite docile and level-headed. This place, while not important, was very different from Corona and he wanted to see every part of it. Ebony figured it would be like this anytime they visit a new town or city and she didn't mind. She was fond of being around individuals with personalities like Zinnia and Brenton.
Although the peaceful outing was nice, Ebony was here on business. She informed the kingdom of her capture and explained her plan to them. The higher-ups of the kingdom agreed and arranged for the former mercenary to be executed so they could save face in front of their people. Their acceptance was expected, so Ebony needed to lay the foundation for the next phase. After leaking the information about Grayson's execution, Ebony contacted the kingdom a second time, telling them that transporting Grayson would be dangerous with people knowing about it, fearing someone might try to rescue him or take him away for a ransom. As a precautionary measure, the kingdom agreed to deploy bodyguards to assist them in their travel to the kingdom and Ebony made a request for a specific team to protect her.
The rendezvous point was this settlement with the park as the meeting place. The Charming Vantablack waited patiently for the team she wanted to arrive and they did. Ebony smiled when she saw them.
"Perfect," she thought wickedly.
Setting: Nexus
The settlement of Nexus was making a slow, but steady recovery after the Ravagers invaded and assaulted the place in search of Team VRSZ. Multiple buildings were being repaired and their reconstruction halted the construction of the outer regions of the other districts. The progress was also slow because workers repairing Nexus was cut in half. The majority of workers were in Virago, helping the settlement that was attacked first by Royal. Both settlements shared resources to help each remained afloat.
The other allied settlements began helping as well. Treasure Trove Wharf, Nova, and Oasis provided support to Nexus and Virago, in any way they could, and they did so publicly. After months of keeping the relationship between Nexus and the other settlements a secret, Chartreuse, Persis, and Solis came to the conclusion that it wasn't necessary anymore. They were proud to be associated with Nexus, the home of Clair de Lune Vantablack and VRSZ, the newest heroes of Vacuo, and did not fear whatever consequences the kingdom could throw at them.
This bravery and the information of Team VRSZ residing in Nexus has garnered support from other settlements as well. Three more nearby settlements sent envoys to express their wishes within two days and the council accepted. The attention they were receiving in Vacuo was benefiting Nexus and Virago as they shipped resources to their sister home. Saffron was more than happy to accept anything to help her people recover and prosper.
All the council members were glad things were moving smoothly after so much tragedy. Persis would complain about the amount of paperwork they had to do and he usually heard Chartreuse scold him then Solis telling him to think about the profit this could bring. Persis immediately recovered after hearing he would make money. It worked every time. Carmine was sole council member in charge of goods being traded between settlements. This started with her moving between Nexus and Virago until more settlements assisted and she gradually became the director of the trading traffic.
Every council member was hard at work, but it begged the question from the citizens and onlookers of Nexus; where are Clair and Team VRSZ?
Setting: VRSZ Duplex
A scroll started vibrating. It was on a shelf next to a large bed with a canopy. The covers and pillows were pure white and so were the curtains which also had gold decorative designs of crescent moons. Sleeping, or was sleeping, in the bed was the Lady of Nexus herself, Clair de Lune Vantablack. Her black her looked slightly disheveled and she groaned in annoyance when the vibrating of her scroll would not cease. After everything that's happened, Clair just wanted a few days to herself. She told the council, Onyx, and C.P. her wish and they complied, but someone was breaking that promise. The groggy young lady rose from her bed and glared at her phone.
"If I stare at it hard enough, it might die," she thought with irritation written all over her face.
The scroll finally stopped vibrating and went to voicemail. Clair sighed and dropped her head back onto her pillow, but her bliss was short-lived when the scroll started vibrating again. Her eyes flicked open quickly and anger seethed within them.
Clair snatched the scroll, pressed the answer button, and yelled, "What?!"
"That's a horrible way to say hello to your girlfriend," the person on the other line replied with a playful air.
Evergreen. Hearing the singer's voice snapped Clair out of her morning funk and she sat up in her bed to properly talk. "Hey, Ever. Sorry about that. I had a rough couple of days and was trying to unwind. What's up?"
"Actually, it's about the little rough patch you've been having. I have a proposition for you."
Setting: Desert
No rest for the righteous or the wicked. Another phrase people like to say and right now, Team VRSZ were uncertain if they fell under the righteous or wicked category. All four of them were in VRSZ Fantasia and riding their hovercar to their next destination and hopefully final mission, the kingdom of Vacuo. The plan was to intercept Ebony before she could deliver Grayson to the kingdom and kill him themselves.
After their battle in Fortuna, Violet was unfulfilled with Ebony taking Grayson away and the kingdom using his death to make them look like heroes. It was infuriating how these third parties were entering their business and taking over and the feeling was mutual between the other members. Silver wanted the bastard gone and Remus believed they needed to finish what they started. Zelts agreed, however, his heart was in turmoil.
All the battles they had to endure this past week and a half had taken its toll on Zelts. Grayson, Royal, Alexandrite, Ebony. The seemingly endless conflicts made the weary knight think about his days in Never-End. Fighting after fighting with no end in sight. Things were different after joining VRSZ. He felt like he had control over what he could do in life, but these past few days have been tough on him. Now, VRSZ was looking for fights. Zelts didn't want this. He didn't want to be constantly fighting.
The adverse thoughts swirled in his head and Zelts was thinking about several different ideas that would affect himself and those around him. He kept it to himself until he could come to a clear decision.
Violet drove the Fantasia to the midpoint of Vacuo, choosing one of the more common routes for them to intercept Ebony's airship. It wouldn't be hard to notice the large vehicle flying through the sky, especially on a clear day like this. It was time for a stakeout.
Several hours passed and everyone had to fight the heat and boredom. The first was dealt with by the team bringing two coolers full of ice and bottled water. To fight boredom, everyone passed time in their own way. Silver did what he kept doing after the battle in Fortuna, showing off that he could levitate and hover in the air. Remus watched, impressed like always, and Silver loved the admiration he received from his younger teammate. Zelts was tired of sitting and got out of the hovercar. Leaning against the vehicle, Zelts looked to his two male teammates have their moment. It was the fun times like this that made him grateful to be a part of this team. His glance shifted toward Violet who remained in the driver's seat. The flower sat there in silence, looking up at the blue sky.
"I wonder what she's thinking about?" Zelts thought to himself.
Scanning the sky, Violet was trying to outmaneuver the Charming Vantablack who has been beating her with every encounter. It was vexing to have a terrible losing streak. This has never happened to Violet and she didn't like it. For some reason, the Vantablacks were always one step ahead of the Underlands. This pattern was occurring so much that it was close to being considered a fact. Violet wanted to be the one to surprise Ebony and she was trying to do that now.
"Her airship is the most logical mode of transportation, but also the most obvious. Ebony's not the boastful or careless type either. Every move is calculated. If not by air, then…" Violet was trying to decipher Ebony's battle strategy as she kept her eyes locked on the sky.
Two more hours passed and the sun passed the peak in the sky where it was highest. The day was passing by, but there was still no sign of the airship. Zelts was sitting in the back with his jacket over his head to protect him from the sun while Remus sat next to him, playing games on his scroll to pass the time. Silver was checking the ammunition he brought for the mission.
"Then again, she's been one step ahead all this time, I bet she even thought about us coming to stop her," Violet couldn't stop thinking about how to get the drop on Ebony.
"Ebony can't get here any sooner," Silver commented as boredom finally took hold. His words caught everyone's attention. "I'd like to get this fight over with so we can go home. Bianca and I haven't had time to ourselves. Kinda hoping this last thing on our To-Do list would be done quickly."
"Fighting Ebony and her team isn't going to be easy. All of them are tough. Very tough," Remus said, reminded of Brenton and Zinnia.
"It should be easier without Blood on their side. We have the numbers," Silver countered.
Zelts shook his head as he heard their debate. "Do we have to look for a fight?"
Remus, Silver, and Violet turned to him and Zelts was slightly surprised they reacted. He just realized he said this out loud and not in his head.
"I really doubt they'll hand Grayson over if we ask nicely," Silver told Zelts with a chuckle.
"Don't worry. We're not going to fight anyone," Violet announced for everyone to understand.
"Huh?" Zelts looked to their leader and so did a confused Silver.
"The goal is to kill Grayson. We go in, kill Grayson, then leave. We keep fighting to a minimum. Is that understood?"
"Yes," Zelts replied, slightly relieved Violet was on the same wavelength as him.
Silver didn't expect this to be their battle plan, but he wasn't against it. The sooner he could get back to Bianca, the better. Remus nodded in agreement with Violet. He didn't have a problem with a battle plan or a search and destroy mission. Actually, he preferred it this way. It meant he could see Blood when he got back and settle an old score.
Another hour passed with no sign of Ebony. It wasn't as hot as before, but given this was a desert, it was still pretty hot. The sky was clear of any airships, but the sound of an engine could be heard in the distance.
"You guys hear that?" Remus alerted the others.
Silver looked out in the distance and could see a sand cloud coming with a vehicle in front of it. He eyed it and so did Remus with the zoom of his bionic eye. Both of them were taken back to see a small truck driving to the kingdom with Ebony as the driver. They thought she would use her airship.
"Um, I don't know why, but Ebony's driving a truck here," Silver told Violet and Zelts.
"Thought so," Violet thought, determined to outplay the Charming Vantablack. "Remus, take them out."
On her order, Remus ran toward the truck, kicking up sand and making a small sand cloud of his own. He reached the vehicle quickly and pulled Delta from his back. With two quick strikes, he passed by the vehicle and the left side tires were slashed in half. The truck spiraled out of control for a moment before tipping over and flipping in the air. The crash was terrible, or it would've been terrible if a force field wasn't erected around the truck, protecting it from further damage.
The way the vehicle was protected was very unexpected from Ebony, but the team could've sworn it was familiar. Remus ran to the truck and tried to cut his way through the force field, but his sword couldn't break through. One swipe of his blade and the force field didn't break or crack. However, after his attack, the area he struck shined and blasted him back a few feet away but he landed on his feet. Remus was prepared to use Checkpoint to teleport within the force field but it vanished before he could put his plan into action and the doors opened.
"You guys really know how to say hi," Ebony said sarcastically as he walked out of the truck while rubbing her backside. She turned to look at Remus and gave him a wink though he didn't respond.
Seeing her emerge from the vehicle made Violet smile to herself. She felt like Ebony wasn't as cunning as she thought she was if her tactics were this easy to read. Violet gave Silver and Zelts hand signals, telling them to surround the truck and every side. They did so quickly and the truck was completely covered. Remus had the back, Zelts had the right, Silver had the left, and Violet covered the front.
"There's nothing she could do that I can't see coming," Violet thought confidently.
"Can I ask why you're doing this?" Ebony asked, but Violet could tell she was just playing dumb.
"You know exactly why we're here. Hand Grayson over," Violet demanded. Her arms were down to her kukris, ready to fight if need be.
"He's going to be put to death. Can't you be satisfied with-"
"He's been our personal problem since the beginning! No one has the right to take this away from us! We're the ones who are going to end him!" she shouted back with anger flaring in her eyes.
Ebony didn't say anything. She only grinned at her response. The Charming Vantablack turned to the truck and said, "What do you guys think of that?"
Violet waited for Zinnia and Brenton to come out, but they weren't the ones driving with Ebony. Every single member of VRSZ was shocked by the retinue that stood with Ebony. Shocked was a strong enough word to define their emotions. Shaken to their very core was the closest description.
Four people walked out of the truck and each one stood against a member of VRSZ.
"Why…are you…" Violet tried to raise her question but her confusion prevented her from speaking coherently.
Standing by Ebony's side was a friend of Team VRSZ and their former junior, Cerise Sanguine. The look she gave Violet was one a fortitude and compassion.
"This is bigger than anyone's personal problem, Vi. Just let us do our job and bring Grayson to justice," the younger girl pleaded with the person she admired the most.
Standing against Silver was Hazel with a sympathetic expression. In front of Remus was Loden with a stern face and the person facing off with Zelts was another Loden with the exact same look. Which one was the real one and which one was Sapphire? Either way, the boys didn't know what to do. How were they going to deal with their protégés being the wall between them and Grayson?
Violet's eyes were on Cerise before glancing over at Ebony. She noticed how the Charming Vantablack had a knowing grin and wasn't hiding it in the slightest. She planned for this. Violet may have been able to guess several of Ebony's steps, but she didn't think the Vantablack was capable of this. Violet was out of her depth. It was becoming a fact; the Vantablacks were smarter than the Underlands.
"Cerise, move aside and let us kill Grayson. He's in the back of that truck, right? Give this to us and we'll walk away," Violet tried to persuade her friend, hoping to avoid any kind of battle.
The response she got was Cerise planting her feet firmly on the ground and refusing to back down. "You know I can't do that."
Ebony watched them both with an amused expression. "So, what happens next?"
The best dancers on Team VRSZ from best to worst are Zelts, Silver, Remus, and Violet. Zelts is surprisingly the best dancer. He's great at slow dances as well. Silver is the second best dancer because he likes to go with the flow and Remus is third because he's learning. Violet can't dance for shit. She is too stiff and gets nervous when she's on the dance floor.
Prior to the final battle in Fortuna, Team VRSZ were known throughout Vacuo with Violet being more well-known than the others thanks to her huge bounty years ago. Now, every member is just as recognizable.
