'Hey, res? Where are you?'
"Something wrong, Hermione?"
'Ron? What are you doing in the Author's Office?'
"This is an office? It looks more like an observatory."
'That's a balcony, Ron. Hey, have you seen res? He's disappeared, and he has to write the next chapter.'
"I don't know, but I have to get into position for the next chapter. The notes say that I'll be involved in a boss fight with Lupin, Harry and Dante."
'Wait, where are these notes?'
"They're on that shelf there, to the left of the desk. Third up, second file."
'Operation Hogwarts Chapter 19 Notes… I think I could write a few pages using res's computer.'
"By the way, what do you think res's real name is? I mean, outside of the series."
'I have a guess, but I don't think he'll be comfortable with me revealing what it is, mainly due to an altercation he had while I was speaking with him over in a local café in his home town. Oh, by the way, if someone mentions "[REDACTED]" as a comment towards him, please hex them, they're bullying res.'
"…his name is [REDACTED]?"
'RON!'
"Sorry. So, who did res speak to last?"
'Well, Azimuth, but not so much "spoke to" as was "had the living crap beaten out of him due to the Catnip jokes while screaming at him in Al Bhed".'
*Hey, guys… what are you doing here? And why is my head spinning…?*
"Apollo? What are you doing here?"
*I'm res's OC Lombax, when we're not filming and I can't go home, he lets me bunk here.*
'Apollo, something is seriously wrong. res has disappeared, and we have no idea where he is. Can you call Azimuth to find out what he did to him due to the catnip gag?'
*Oh, crap, I got high? Okay, I'll get over there and speak to him now.*
"I really have to ask him if he can take me off world somewhere."
'Okay, just let me go ahead with the Author's Notes.'
'Hello, everyone, this is Hermione Granger, official character of the Harry Potter canon by JK Rowling, or as I call her, God-'
"res calls her JK-Sama."
'Here to officially inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, residentidiot, or res20stupid, as he is also known, is unable to work on the story at the minute. However, I will try and arrange for someone to write the next chapter in his place. So, I have to mention other information based on either reviews or Personal Messages… wow, res talks to this "CrossOverFan97" a lot. Anyway…
'Congratulations to CrossOverFan97 for correctly identifying the mystery species using nothing more than blood colour… how the hell does that work? Anyway, they got to choose Ezio's new power-'
^Can someone get me some clothes that don't fall off or get destroyed when I transform? Please!^
'Which will be discovered later in the chapter. Also-'
*Hey, guys, Azimuth left res here, and left after words to get me some medication to deal with some of the worst side effects. He doesn't know where he is.*
"This is bad, isn't it?"
'Yeah. Ron, can you get Mad-Eye and Kingsley in here? We need them to help us find res. Apollo, get Azimuth here now, they'll need to speak with him. Also, who the hell can write the next chapter?'
(I have an offer that you can't refuse…)
*Tonks? Why are you wearing an ugly suit? And… why are you…*
'Why are you stroking Crookshanks like a bond villain? If you wanted extra pay for writing, I can authorise it.'
(Oh.) Tonks lifts Crookshanks and sets him on the floor. (Thank you. So, where are the notes?) Hermione hands Tonks the notes. (Okay, I'll read them and start writing the story. Oh, and by the way, I can get some CSI Aurors in here to investigate and help Kingsley and Mad Eye.)
'Just write, I'll find res.'
Tartarus, 3rd Floor, 6:25 a.m., 25th of July 2011
The hallways of the accursed tower, that was formerly known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was filled to the brim with a variety of demons and monsters, all of whom would gladly end the life of a mortal if it provided them with a form of sick amusement or even a simple soul to add to their collection. They scouted the tower, sometimes killing weaker demons to fill the void of boredom that ran into them, all to find a human that was weak enough to be played with.
Dante was not amused in the slightest.
"So, you sure you want to do this?" The oldest member of the team said, as he drew his sword and held it outward for Harry to step on top of. "If I get this wrong, it could kill you."
"Ginny is in the room behind those large doors," Harry said, as he drew his knives, but held a solid grip on to the skull's eyes of Rebellion. "If we don't get her out and she dies… I'll never forgive myself."
"Hey, she's my sister," Ron said, acting faux-offended to Harry's remarks, before taking a serious stance and looked at Harry while Lupin came over towards them after obtaining some demonic vials. "If you can't live with yourself… imagine what me, and the rest of my family, would go through…"
Harry, listening to his best friend's sombre words, frowned in realisation as to how serious the stakes are. Shaking his head, he then looked at Dante and nodded to him. Dante, with hesitation, began to swing the blade around above him before throwing it towards the demons. Harry, on cue, then ran along the blade and used the momentum to launch himself towards three demons, which he then vertically slashed and sent flying before they fell to the ground and disintegrated into sand.
"Behind you," Remus shouted as he ran forward in his wolf form and grabbed two demons that were only a hair's breadth away from skewering Harry on their scythes. He then threw them into the air as a mist appeared in the room, causing an illusion of a full moon to appear before it shone down on Remus.
"Soul Comet," Remus said, before he crouched down and howled at the moon. The mirage of the moon then glowed behind him as spirits came down towards the demons and collided with the demons, sending them crashing into the wall.
"Agi," Ron said, sending forth Arthur to destroy the two demons. "We don't have time for you, right Arthur?" Ron asked, before his Persona ruffled his hair and disappeared.
"So, what was that move you just did?" Dante asked Remus as he picked up his sword and holstered the blade. "I've heard of Soul Comet, but only in passing."
"It's a scarcely unknown spell," Remus said as the younger members of the squad re-joined them. "It's from a branch of magic known as the Charm of the Warring Wolf, a rare form of magic that, when mastered… is supposedly able to keep a werewolf from going insane during a full moon. I have, unfortunately, been unable to discover more than that spell."
"So, you learnt it before you became a Conduit?" Dante asked.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Harry said, butting in, "but we really should be saving Ginny, right?" As the two of them nodded, the Ron and Harry then ran towards the door and forced it open to show Ginerva Weasley standing inside a large room with three pillars lined against all of the walls and torches spaced in between them were the only objects that illuminated the room. "There she is. Ginny!"
However, that isn't what Ginny saw as she stood around the room. The image that she saw was a picture perfect recreation of the Gryffindor Common Room that, instead of being vibrant of the gold and red that was so influential with the House, was black and white, and covered in grey. The portraits were blank and damaged. The fireplace was out and overflowing with ashes. The furniture was heavily damaged. It was a cruel mockery of the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Ginny, can't you hear me?" Ron asked, as he tried to run forward only to crash into an invisible barrier. "What the hell is going on?"
"I think you have an idea," Harry said, as he took out his knives and tied them to his sub-machineguns. So, are you thinking about asking Ginny out? A voice said, suddenly from the walls. "Crap, she's being terrorised by her Shadow." No way, her brother would kill me.
"Dean?" Ron asked, horrified. "I'll bloody kill him."
"Shadows manipulate someone by using their own memories against them," Dante replied. "That isn't actually Dean, it's just what a mockery created by Ginny's memories." Besides, she has a temper, doesn't she? What do you mean? "Wait, is that Seamus?" Remember when Crabbe went and harassed her? You mean when Crabbe smacked her ass?
"Harry, can I borrow your knives later on?" Ron asked his friend in a sincere voice that betrayed his feelings. "I'm going snake hunting later. Big, fat, stupid snakes." Yeah, she used some spell to attack them with their own snot. That was awesome. But… I'm scared that, if I do date her and do something to break her heart… Oh, please, the only way that she'll do that to you will be if you cheat on her. I know, man, but… "Wait, Ginny has man problems?"
"She's thirteen, Ron," Remus said, putting a hand on his shoulders. "She's going to start dating boys eventually. I bet that she already scribbles the name of crushes inside her notebooks." Oh look, there's Weasley, what, don't you have a 'boyfriend' to date? "Isn't that Pansy Parkinson?"
"Yeah, it is," Harry said, looking onward.
"For some reason, I doubt that her emotional problems come from a girl who she hates, or her issues with boys," Dante said, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "I've seen teenage girls, and they're never THAT emotional about their love life." Yeah, there goes the Weasley Slut.
"Hey, no-one calls my sister a slut, not ever her own Shadow," Ron declared, angrily. "I don't even care if you're quoting that bitch Millicent Bulstrode, got it?" Where are your customers- I mean, 'Boyfriends'? Don't you have a date with Creevey? Or is it that idiot Longbottom? What about Abbot? She's already 'dated' four boys now, right? "Harry, we have to get her out of here before her Shadow attacks her."
"We can't do that because of the barrier," Harry then said, sadly. "Besides… I think we should let the Shadow speak."
"WHAT!" Ron shouted at his friend, angrily.
"That's a good idea," Dante said, smiling. "If we can get her to overcome her emotional problems, then she'll be able to summon a Persona for protection. Also, it may be able to settle some fears for her."
"No, no no no," Ron said, dismayed. "When Harry's Shadow tried to kill him, it held him down with the same chains that they use to rip people apart. I don't want to put her in that kind of danger." She's going to f*** a lot of people and have little Mudblood children, all whores like her.
"No…" Ginny then said, speaking up. "That's not…"
"Of course it's true," a distorted voice said, drawing everyone's attention to the other end of the room. A cloud of dark magic appeared on the other end of the wall before some footsteps echoed through the room. "Ginny Weasley, the Gryffindor Slut. That's what you are, and that's what you'll ever be."
"What the…" Remus began as he saw the Shadow walk out of the mirage. "What is she wearing?" Harry and Ron also wondered this, but for a completely different reason. Unlike Harry's Shadow, which was dressed exactly like Harry, Ginny's Shadow was wearing a more… provocative outfit. Wearing nothing more than a padded bra to enhance her cleavage, a pair of panties, high heels and a mink coat, she was a picture perfect model of Ginny, except for the trademark glowing, yellow eyes and the permeating dark essence.
"What, you don't like my outfit?" Shadow Ginny asked us, trying to flirt with us. "This is me. This is what I really am. Go ahead, let them call me a slut, I don't really care because I'm enjoying every second of it."
"No, I'm not a slut," Ginny protested at her Shadow, obviously angry at the accusation before lashing out and slapping her Shadow. "How dare you insult me in that manner? I'm no skank, no matter what you say."
"Oh, really?" Her Shadow said as it turned back towards her. "How can you denounce a part of yourself? I AM a part of you, no matter what you say."
"Don't do anything, Ginny," Ron said, stepping forward. "She's trying to manipulate you. Just… listen to everything she has to say and don't lash out."
"Oh, what do you know about her, you incompetent asshole," Shadow Ginny shouted at Ron, lashing out. "You 'Men' are nothing more than sex-craved maniacs, who only want a girl so you can f*** the hell out of her." Ron was taken aback by her words, as she then began to laugh at him. "What do you know about girls in general? You don't even realize that Hermione likes you, do you?"
"Hey, if you're Ginny's Shadow," Harry began, stepping forward, "why is your breast size wrong?"
"What?"
"Your boobs are the same size as Ginny's but because you're wearing a padded bra, your boobs are technically smaller," Harry pointed out. "If you're trying to represent Ginny's views on sex and boys, you're doing it all wrong."
"Shut the hell up, dumbass," Shadow Ginny responded before sending out a fire spell at Harry, who was protected by a sudden intervention by Dante. "All you boys care about is sex, right? You can't even tell that I care about you. Why haven't you ever asked me out on a date?"
"Hey, Ron would kill me if I did, remember?" Harry then said, laughing nervously.
"Oh, it's useless trying to talk to you idiots," Shadow Ginny said, before chuckling. "Men should be like Kleenex. Soft, strong, and disposable."
"Oh, come on," Remus said, stepping forward in front of the two boys. "All girls have boy issues, what makes Ginny any different? You can't just take a normal part of puberty and exaggerate it like this."
"That's the whole point of a Shadow," Harry said, carefully drawing his guns. "They exaggerate everything."
"Oh, I'm exaggerating, huh?" Shadow Ginny said, angrily. "Tell that to that Slytherin bitch who put a used condom on my bed!"
"What?" Ron asked, horrified. "Ginny… Why didn't you tell me?"
"Trust you? You're an idiot, I could never trust you. When it comes to sex, boys are like, 'I had like 50 bitches last week', keeping scores about how hot they are and women are expected to be attracted to them, but girls? If a girl says she slept with one guy, all the boys are like, 'Slut', 'bitch', and 'whore'. That's what happens in a society rule by men. However, I'll just play by their rules. It's the only way to get around in the world."
"SHUT THE F*** UP!" Ginny bellowed through the hall. "You think you're identical to me? You're nothing like me."
"Why would I do that? You know the truth. Women like Dolores Umbridge and Narcissa Malfoy, did they ever have to do hard work to get into their current positions in society? No, because they can get down on their knees and work with their tongues. So I'll just latch onto a man and bleed… him… dry."
"No," Ginny hissed, angrily. "You're wrong. I can make it by myself!"
"Oh, don't try and protest. That's what I REALLY think. Isn't that right, 'Me'?"
"No…" Ginny said in a quiet tone. "You're not…"
"Ginny, no," Ron called out to his sister, but it was already too late, as she had already formed the words in her mind and began pushing air through her Adam's apple.
"NO," Ginny shouted at the top of her lungs in rage. "You're not me!"
"Ha. Ha-ha. HAHAHAHAHA! I can feel it growing. I think I'm gonna… Just…" The darkness around Ginny's Shadow enveloped the room as Ginny stumbled back in horror.
"Now's our chance," Remus said, as he ran forward and tried to grab Ginny with the intent of throwing her back behind us while we protected her. It was too late however, as Ginny was pulled upward by two chains that held her upside down as Ginny's Shadow turned into a gigantic monster, twisting the image of the room into a bastardisation of the Gryffindor Common Room but in the form of a strip club.
"I am a Shadow, the 'True' self" the 10 foot tall Shadow, wearing two silicone pouches on her chest, bladed stilettos on her feet, a cracked black mask that had white stains, hair that spouted into whips and blades and a bear trap between her legs, swinging back and forth from the ceiling as she had two, five-foot tall Shadows appear next to her, spinning hoops around their midsection that had blades protruding outward that had branched blades on either side. "Why don't you just relax and enjoy the show, studs."
"Okay, that is horrific," Dante said, dropping his blade. "And I've seen a succubus without her makeup."
"What are those symbols that they're spinning?" Harry asked, confused.
"Those are the Venus Symbols," Remus said, as he crouched down, carefully gripping his wand. "I guess it was worse than I thought."
"If that thing uses love as a status effect, I'll destroy it," Ron said, obviously horrified at the idea.
"Marin Karin," the Shadow called out at Ron, causing a pink haze to overcome him but with no effect. "What? You don't love me?"
"Ginny's my sister, you sick bitch," Ron said, as he took out his axe. "Come on, let's kick her ass."
"Nagato, can you get me a scan?" Harry asked, as a screen appeared before him.
"I will try and identify an elemental weakness for Ginny's Shadow," Nagato said as a hologram appeared around the Shadow. "However, you should try and destroy the Devilish Venuses as they are both nullifying attacks aimed at her. The blue one counters magic, and the red one counters physical attacks."
"Okay, scan those first and then tell us their weaknesses," Harry ordered. "Just stay calm, Ginny, it will be over soon." As the blue Shadow stepped forward, it began spinning its weapon over its head before running over towards Remus, who was quick enough to dodge out of the way and respond with Soul Comet at the Shadow, who was clearly unfazed. "Everyone, aim physical attacks at the blue Devilish Venus, aim magic at the red one." Harry then grabbed his guns and ran forward towards the blue and made two diagonal slashes, first with the right weapon, followed by the left weapon, before kicking the Shadow in the face as he launched himself into a backflip and fired the guns downward at the Shadow, knocking it over with a stomp to the face as he fired again in another back-flip. "Okay, One-More." Harry then twirled his guns around as a Tarot card appeared which was then made the target of Harry's next attack. "Show them what we're made of, Oberon. Persona," Harry called out, as his Persona appeared and sent out a whirlwind towards the red Shadow, knocking it over as the barriers surrounding Ginny's Shadow fell.
"What?" It asked in shock. "How dare you? You attacked my girlfriends!"
"Yeah, mind if I go next?" Ron asked, throwing and then catching his axe while said it. Immediately, he then ran over towards the main Shadow and with two swings of his axe, he left deep gashes inside the large sacks of silicone as the Shadow screamed out in pain. "Okay, let's kick some ass. Arthur!" Ron bellowed before his gigantic guardian spirit sent out a fireball. As the fireball struck, the Shadow screamed in pain before falling to the ground. "Let's add insult to injury!" Harry then gave a quick nod before the squad all rushed the Shadows in an all-out attack, slashing, striking and kicking the Shadows, before we were forced off.
"You bastards! I just paid for those implants!"
"What?" Ron asked, horrified as to what was just said.
"Muggle women get sacks of silicone surgically implanted into their breasts in order to make them fuller and larger," Dante then said. "Of course, some people are repulsed by it. When we get out of here, I'll teach you how to spot fake ones from real ones. Well, looks like it's my turn." Dante then took out his sword and charged at the blue Devilish Venus and made three slashes before launching it up into the air, then shot it several times with his guns to juggle the Shadow in the air, before grabbing his sword again before striking the Shadow with his sword, destroying it with the final attack. "Lupin, go for broke!"
"Soul Comet," Remus said, as he sent his spell at the red Devilish Venus, sending it high into the air as Remus whipped out his wand. "Alarte Ascendare," Remus said as the spell launched the Shadow higher up, before spinning his wand. "Bombarda," was the last spell muttered, as it caused a small explosion to appear around the Shadow, vanquishing it. "Okay, now for the main show. Bomdarda Maxima," was then cast straight towards the last Shadow, causing a large explosion to appear and knock it down. "Okay, this is the part where we trample her, right?"
"Exactly," Harry said. Before the squad began beating the Shadow like there was no tomorrow. "Damn, it's not working."
"You've dealt only 50HP damage to the Shadow, which has 1000HP" Nagato warned us. "The front is weak to fire damage, but you should target the back. It's weak against wind damage."
"Nagato, she has the apparatus for the swing built into the wall," Remus replied, as he was struck by a hair whip. "How do we get back there?"
"You can't," Nagato replied. "Would you like me to get support? Wait… something's not right." Suddenly, the Shadow screamed in pain and then fell downward. "There's someone back there. Thy just dealt 320HP of damage to the Shadow."
"Hey, who's back there?" Ron called out.
"If you're trying to slay the demon as well, then I'm an ally," a deep, gruff voice said from behind. "How can I help?"
"Wait, I don't recognise the voice, who are you?" I asked.
"Let's handle the enemy first," the voice said. "Tell me what to do?"
"The back of the rig is weak against wind spells and physical attacks," Remus called out. "It's part of the Shadow, and its main weak spot."
"Hey, why don't we aim for the ropes?" Dante asked, before I whipped out my rifle and aimed at the top of the rope and he shot at the other. The Shadow screamed as a combination of the rope attacks, Ron using Agi on her chest and the strikes to the rig caused the Shadow an immense amount of pain. "Okay, at the count of three," Dante said, as we got ready to attack the Shadow again. "1, 2, 3!" We then charged the Shadow one last time as it screamed out in pain.
"Something is wrong," Nagato said in a dismayed tone or, rather, the closest equivalent for the stoic young girl. "The Shadow isn't dying, but… It's health points are at 0."
"I have an idea, but you're going to hate me for it, Ron," Harry said before running over below Ginny. "Ginny, you may think this is everything, but it isn't. You're better than this."
"Oh, really? Then why don't you tell everyone what's really on your mind?"
"It's- It's not that easy," Ginny said.
"I know you have a crush on me," Harry shouted. "If the Shadow is terrorising you about that, then-"
"That's not why she created me," Her Shadow butted in. "Go on, tell everyone why you're angry at the world."
"It's terrorising me because…" Ginny started, before hesitating. "Because…"
"Just spit it out."
"I'M BISEXUAL!" Ginny shouted. "There, I said it! I'm bisexual! I'm gay! I've kissed a girl and I LIKED IT!"
"…Wow," Ron said, shocked. "Just… what does that have to do with a used condom?"
"Pansy Parkinson found out," Ginny said, sighing heavily as Harry noticed tears falling downward. "I realised I was bi last autumn, when we were taught about sex ed. Hannah found out, helped me realise myself and… we started dating."
"Wait…" Harry said, looking upward, before jumping back in confusion. "Hannah Abbot? She's a lesbian?"
"No, she's bisexual as well," Ginny said, just hanging there. "We went on a date in Hogsmeade in October, we were trying to keep it a secret, but Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode were there… They got some Slytherin, I don't know who, to 'donate their semen for the two lesbos'. It was only one date, but… they saw us kiss and…"
"So, is it possible to get into a three-way?" Harry asked.
"W-What?" Ginny responded, obviously shocked by her male crush's question.
"Do you know how many guys would like to make out with two girls at the same time?" Dante asked her, rhetorically, before Ron delivered a swift blow to cause him to double over.
"Didn't you pay attention to what the Shadow was saying?" Ron asked him, angrily. "Ginny, I know you're scared of what other people would say about you but…" Ron said, before taking a deep breath. "You're still my sister, and I care about you. If everyone else in this school rejects you, I'll still be there for you."
"Ron's right," Remus said, stepping forward. "Although, the magical community is more accepting of homosexuals than the Muggle community, but there are still a small minority of people who hate homosexuals with a passion because they can't have wholesome, Pureblood children. It's one of the reasons why the Death Eaters hate Professor Dumbledore."
"Besides, when people openly denounce gay people in the Muggle community, they're trying to earn the ire of people to draw attention to themselves, like those idiots of the Westboro Baptist Church," Dante said, as he treated a wound that healed rapidly. "You've got a close knit group of friends, Ginny, and if you come out to them and they're your true friends… they'll accept it without question." Dante then finished by pushing Harry forward.
"What we're trying to say is…" Harry began, trying to choose the best words to say. "I don't think any differently because of that. In fact, I might ask you for dating advice in the future, if it's possible."
"Yeah…" Ginny said, before smiling to herself. "Yeah, thanks. I guess that I was the last one to truly accept it. I can see that now."
"Don't you dare," her Shadow shouted, sending lightning spells around the entire room, knocking Ron over. "DON'T YOU DARE ACCEPT ME!" Ron, however, stood back up, using his axe to support himself as he took out his shotgun and broke Ginny's chains before collapsing again. Ginny fell to the ground and was caught by Harry, who set her down as her Shadow began to lose its composure.
"I can see it now," Ginny said, looking at her Shadow. "You're a demonic representation of my fears. But I'm not afraid of you anymore. So, please, if you think I'll reject you again then strike me down, right here, right now."
"No," Her Shadow said, quietly.
"Okay, one last chance," Harry said, after having Pixie cure Ron's injuries. "Lupin, use that explosion spell again." As they got into position, they all began to glow a faint red. "Okay, Limit Breaker: Light Speed!" Harry cried as he disappeared briefly into thin air and returned after 25 cuts appeared over the Shadow.
"Devil Trigger," Dante responded, before morphing into a demon and performed a 20 strike combo and broke a rope, leaving the Shadow dangling from one end.
"Limit Breaker: Wheel of Fortune!" Ron shouted, as a wheel appeared before him. Ron then spun the wheel and watched it spin as he waited hesitantly. The wheel then stopped, showing the number 83, before the number opened up to show a cannon, which launched 83 grenades at the Shadow, cracking the rig.
Ron then glowed again alongside Harry and Dante, as the three of them prepared another attack as Remus readied his attack. "Soul Comet," Remus said, as his attack was amplified by his own limit break. "Limit Breaker: Strength of the Moon." The damage performed by the move caused the rig to crack, sending Ginny's Shadow down to the ground.
"Limit Breaker Combo," the last three said, getting their blades ready. "Tri-Slash: Rough Divide!" We then rushed forward, trailing our weapons on the ground, channelling magic through them as lights covered the sharp points. We all collided with the Shadow at the same time, before the ground beneath us glowed and cracked, sending powerful light magic up to harm the Shadow.
"The Shadow only has 24HP left, defeat it quickly," Nagato said to us, before we heard a growl from behind the damage rig. The rig was destroyed as a wolf jumped outward from behind and leapt at the Shadow, crashing into it and biting it, before the Shadow began to explode, leaving behind the unconscious, but original, form of Ginny's Shadow.
"Wow, I never thought I'd see a wolf fighting demons," Ron said, leaning on his axe.
"I may only be a wolf, but I am a powerful warrior," the wolf replied, causing Ron to fall over in shock. "Surprised? So am I, I have no idea where I am, let alone why I'm suddenly able to talk."
"I'm surprised too," Harry said. "Why am I surprised? I'm fighting with superheroes, wizards and demons to stop a madman from trying to bring about the end of the world, I just fought my best friend's sister's nightmare, my pet owl has telepathy and I'm able to turn invisible at the drop of a hat. Next thing you'll be telling me, Ezio's coughing green blood and breathing acid. Oh, I'm Harry, by the way. Harry Potter. This is Ron Weasley, his sister Ginny, Remus Lupin and Tony Redgrave."
"My name is Blanca," the wolf said, bowing, "the White Wolf of Domremy." Remus, when he heard that jumped back in shock.
"You mean the wolf that helped in the destruction of Sapientes Gladio?" Remus asked, as he tried to compose himself. "But… you're too young. That was during the second year of the First World War."
"Wait, 'First'?" the wolf asked, obviously confused. "What do you mean by 'First World War'?"
"The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945," Dante responded. "There have been a few wars back during the 20th Century, and there's still one going on in the Middle East since 2003."
"What?" The wolf asked, scared.
"Yeah, today is the 25th of July, 2011," Ron asked, as the wolf dropped its mouth open.
"You mean I've been trapped in the void for 96 years?" The wolf asked, dismayed. "But- What happened to the others? Yuri, Gepetto, Karin, Lucia. Did anyone else appear in this tower?"
"I have no idea," Ron said.
"Anya, Jochaim, Kurando?" The wolf asked as it sat down, dismayed. "They're… they're gone?"
"Hey, we'll help you find them, okay?" Harry said, walking over and putting his head onto Blanca's shoulder. "Even if they're dead, we'll still help you find out what happened to them and let you honour their memories."
"Thank you," the wolf said, before standing back up. "Until then, I will aid you as much as I can." Harry was the only person in the room that noticed time halt inside the room as a Tarot card, which of Justice, appeared in his mind. Thou art I, and I am Thou, the voice uttered into his mind. Thou hast established a new bond... It brings thee closer to discovering the secrets of the universe… Thou art blessed when creating Personae of the Justice Arcana… Time then began to flow again around Harry, as he gave a gentle smile to the wolf.
"Ginny," Remus said, as he drew the attention of the others towards Ginny, who was standing face to face with her Shadow. "Just stay calm. Okay?"
"I know that," Ginny said, as she looked at her Shadow. "Well, you are physically like me, but I'd never wear something like that. But, you're right. You are me. I was scared of my own sexuality because I'm only 13 when I realised the truth. But I shouldn't be scared of it, no matter what other people say about me." Ginny took the Shadows hand before hugging her in a deep embrace. "I'm Ginerva Weasley. It's nice to finally meet you." Then Shadow then gave a sigh of relief and disappeared in light that surrounded Ginny with a smile, before it reappeared around Ginny as her Persona. Carrying a whip that was separated into 27 sections that ended in blades, wearing a piece of armour around her torso that was tight fitting and revealing, decorated with a symbol that was a cross between the Mars and Venus glyphs, reverse so that they appear outward. She wore a scarf that flowed downward towards the ground, with bright red hair flowing down her back and over the top of her chest, which was covered in an armoured bra, with a pair of tight fitting jeans on her legs that ended with a lower half of chainmail, with the feet ended by stilettos that were, like her armour, made of gold materials. The Persona nodded at her new master, before a Lovers Tarot card appeared before her and disappeared in her hand. "Nice to meet you to… Ishtar…"
Ginny then collapsed onto the ground, only for Ron and Harry to run over and check her pulse. "I guess she's suffering from burnout from awakening her Persona… Ishtar, right?" Ron asked, before turning towards the two adults in toe room. "Do any of you two know what Ishtar is?"
"She's a Babylonian Goddess," Blanca said, as he stepped forward. "She was deity of Love and War. Her priestesses practice sacred prostitution."
"Wait, I don't want my sister to go into prostitution," Ron said, worried. "But… we have to get her out of here."
"There's an elevator in the next room," Blanca said, as he led us through. "It should only be a minute to call it. Don't worry, as demons don't spawn on the same floor that a large one was defeated on."
"So, this floor should be safe from boss fights," Dante said, as he covered us, just in case. Remus opened up the elevator and led us inside, as we set Ginny down on the ground. "That's fine by me."
"So, Blanca," I said, trying to start a conversation with the wolf. "You're a time travelling, talking wolf?"
"I wouldn't say that I'm a time traveller," the white wolf said, as the elevator began to activate. "More so, pulled out of the fabric of the universe. So, might I ask what caused two Wizards to obtain such a strange power?"
"We were almost killed by demons based on our fears and regrets," Ron said. "Although, since Harry wields multiple Personae, I'd expect him to summon a Persona without fighting his Shadow, not me."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," Harry said, as he spoke up. "Why didn't it attack you when you were more emotionally distraught at the time?"
"Well, I opened up to you about my own fears, and you helped me come up with a plan on how to deal with it, right?" Ron asked, as he gave a small sigh as the two adults just looked at each other. "So, I guess I should thank you for that."
"I thought that I was the one who was gay," Ginny said as she stood up with Ron's support.
"How are you?" Dante asked, stepping forward. "Do you need any help?"
"I just need to lie down for a bit," Ginny said as Ron put her arm over his shoulder. "So, do your Personae speak to you two?"
"Yeah," Harry said, before wincing. "Although, some of them can be quite annoying, though. The worst is when Pixie starts acting up, but she is helpful with her healing powers. So, why hasn't the elevator activated yet?" Harry then turned towards Remus, who was desperately pressing the button to send the team downward. Suddenly, the floor jerked as the ground to the elevator started glowing before flashing throughout the small room.
"Welcome back," Nagato said as she opened up the elevator for us. "I already called Elizabeth over to have her examine Ginny, but she's currently busy at the moment, so she won't be available for a while. As for the rest of you, you should head upward back into the 3rd floor. The Slytherin dorm is in there, and if you can safely break the curse on it, it should set some of the castle back to normal."
"We'll get that done as soon as we get someone to help us," Harry said to her as Ron helped Ginny out of the elevator. "Nagato, is there anything we can do around here to get some help in the tower?"
"A few people want to talk to you," Nagato said. "Hermione and Luna think they've figured something out about their Sorceress powers, and would like to discuss it with you. Fred and George would also like to talk to Ron about something they found around the grounds. Cho has been speaking to a few students, and said that Colin Creevey wanted to talk to you about something he has for you."
"If it's to show me a shrine, I don't want to-"
"I think it's a new weapon," Nagato interrupted. "Lastly, Haruhi said that she wants some help with something over by the greenhouses."
"Get Neville to go with Haruhi," Harry said. "Tell Ron about his brothers, he'll see them on his own free time. I'll go speak to Hermione and Luna, and speak with Colin along the way. Where are they, and where's Colin?"
"I'm right here," Colin said, running up to me. "Thanks for saving us, Harry."
"It wasn't just me, Colin," Harry said, raising his hands in protest. "I was just one person in this operation, like Lupin and Tony here."
"What- Professor Lupin?" Colin asked, shocked. "You're trapped as a werewolf?"
"Oh, right," Remus said, as he began switching back into a human. "I should have done that while I was waiting to head down. It's good to see you, Colin." As he had finished transforming, he began to walk off. "Harry, if you need me, I'll be over by the bridge."
"Okay," Harry said, as Dante headed over towards a wall and leant against it. "You'll be waiting here then, Tony?"
"Sure," Dante said with a smile. "It will get me a good chance of getting some action." Colin and Harry walked outside of the tower's main foyer, with Harry looking around the immediate area to find Luna and Hermione. "Hermione and Luna are down by Hagrid's shack. He's upset about something, I don't know what."
"So, what have you been up to since getting out of Hogwarts?" Harry asked Colin as the two walked off.
"Well, I've been taking a few photos," Colin said, taking it out. "Of people, animals, demons…"
"You shouldn't get near the demons unless you have someone with you," Harry said, annoyed.
"Yeah, but I have a strange power that I use with my camera," Colin said, before aiming it at Harry and taking a picture of him, which was then ejected quickly before Colin started waving it and then touched the image, and disappeared. "See? I can copy a person's unique powers."
"You're a Conduit?" Harry asked, amazed. "Wait, is that why you were taking photos of demons?"
"Yes, I wanted to see how I could help everyone else, so I've been taking photos to find out some information," Colin said, before stopping. "I want to save Dennis, my brother. He's trapped in the Gryffindor Common Room. I'll do anything that I can." As Harry put his hand on Colin's shoulders, Blanca stepped forward and let out a quick yip. "Oh, where did you get that dog?"
"We found him in the tower," Harry said, scratching his head, "and he's a wolf, actually." The three then walked forward, as Harry noticed the two Sorceresses talking outside of Hagrid's hut. "He's quite intelligent actually, I'm thinking of calling him Blanca."
"He's quite big," Colin said, as we stopped at the bottom. "He has a unique power though. Do you think I should take a photo of it?"
"How does that work anyway?" Harry asked. "You just take a photo and you get the power?"
"Well, actually, it's slightly different than that," Colin said as he gave a small smile. "When I look at someone through my lens, I can tell what powers that person has, how strong they are and what their weaknesses are. Then, when I take a photo of them, I can copy that power, but it draws energy out of me whenever I actually use that skill. By the way, Harry, I would try and avoid electricity and open currents if I were you."
"Thanks for the heads up," Harry said, as the two stopped outside the hut. "So, what's eating Hagrid?"
"Are you aware of a large spider called Aragog?" Luna asked, sadly. "Hagrid went to check on him… but he found him dead, having had its legs removed. A few demons were dancing over the body, and Hagrid went berserk when he killed them."
"We've been trying to talk to him, but he's gotten really drunk," Hermione said. "We're worried about him, but since we can't get Hagrid to open up…"
"Just wait for him to calm down a bit," Harry said, sadly. "You should be able to talk to him after that, but he'll be quite upset. By the way, Colin, Nagato said that you had something for me?"
"You mean Yuki?" Colin asked, smiling. "Yeah, I do. Here," Colin said, holding out two short blades and a larger blade that had bizarre handles at the end. "They're bayonets, for handguns and a sniper rifle, respectively. You attach them to the end of your gun so that you can use them for melee attacks. Also, take this," He said, holding out a small, black cylinder and a holder for it. "It's a laser. You attach it to the bottom of a gun so that you can see where the bullet will land. Well, if you need me, I'll be taking pictures over by the Stone Circle." Colin then ran up the hill, as Blanca walked over beside Harry and sat down.
"Colin's a good kid," Luna said, as she sat on the fence. "He really wants to help, but all he can do is giving Harry a few blades."
"He has a Conduit power that seems really useful," Harry said, as he removed the blades from his guns and replaced them. "Taking powers from others is a good power."
"He can use blue magic?" Luna asked, amazed. "Well, if it is a Conduit power, he could be resistant to certain spells."
"You aren't thinking about getting him to fight, are you?" Hermione asked.
"I'll take him into Tartarus for a short while, before we get into a serious fight," Harry said, smiling. "I'll make sure he's well protected, maybe take Ezio, Akihiko, you, Luna, and, if Ginny's up to it, her. Draco us necessary, as he knows the password."
"Why?" Hermione asked. "What happened to Ginny? She's not hurt, is she?"
"We fought her Shadow," Harry said to them. "I'm actually quite surprised what was eating her. But… I won't say what it is, let her reveal it herself. By the way, where is Ezio anyway?"
"Ezio's in the Forbidden Forest with Liz and Miranda," Luna said. Harry, someone's watching you! A voice said into the back of his head. "He-"
"Hold that thought, Luna," Harry said as he looked around. "Percy, why are you spying on us?" No voice replied, before Harry stepped forward and pulled the invisibility cloak off from the older male.
"So, you could see me?" Percy said, deflated. "Listen, I'm going to say this once: I know you have connections to the assailant that attacked Cornelius Fudge-"
"And we're not letting you know anything," Hermione responded.
"No, that's not what I meant," Percy said, before handing us a piece of paper. "Just say that this came from a guy named Nixon."
"You're Deepthroat?" Luna asked in a low whisper, as Harry looked at the paper. "Okay, I have to admit, you've got quite a bit of balls to betray Umbridge. So, why?"
"…I have telepathy," Percy said. "That file, it shows her connection to an individual called 'Kai Leng', a Cerberus operative. They last spoke 3 months ago. She's using her Cerberus connections to help find any of their 'CHIMERAs' because one of them disappeared after its conception. This note shows that it may have been taken to the Andromeda Galaxy. It's coded, so you can't read it."
"I should have guessed you had a power, since your dad was a Conduit," Hermione said. "So, you're on our side, then. Don't worry, your secret's safe with us."
"Just one thing," Harry said as he stepped forward.
"Umbridge WAS involved in trying to kill you," Percy said. "She doctored the evidence to cover her tracks. I can't prove she did it, but as soon as I get something, I'll leak it to the media."
"Thanks," Harry said, as he stepped back and Percy Apparated away. "So, what did you two want to talk to me about?" As he said that, Hermione and Luna walked forward and grabbed his hands, before a dark blue and red insignia appeared on his palms and travelled up his arms, then appeared on his back, which wasn't visible to the target of the spell that they cast.
"There, all done," Hermione said. "We're going to brand most of the Order, if you're wondering. That should allow you to use blizzard and fire magic, but you have to strengthen your own magic with it."
"Wait…" Harry asked, confused. "Did you make me into a Sorcerer?"
"No, you're more of a Magician," Luna said. "You'll start with a blizzard spell for Hermione's Path, her line of Magic, before moving onto more powerful magic, such as wide-area spells, weapon charms, rapid-fire spells and even elemental protection. Ifrit said something about 'Harmonizers obtaining new fusions with each branch', but I don't know what to say about it."
"You can cast Fire and Blizzard now, without the need of a wand," Hermione said. "Just don't use them to cheat during class or use them irresponsibly, or I'll take your new powers away. Got it?"
"Sure," Harry said, as he and Luna got ready and ran upward to the castle. "Hey, Colin, want to help us?"
Hermione was stuck with the wolf sitting near her, so she walked over towards it and began rubbing behind its ears. "So, where did Harry find you, then?"
"Inside the tower," Blanca spoke up, causing Hermione to jump back in shock. "Perhaps I should have said something while Harry was here," he said, as he began scratching himself.
In another part of the local area, two women and a Lombax were trying to help their friend he was in shock due to his own unstable nature. "Miranda, what the hell's wrong with him?" Liz said, as she tried to heal his airway and stop the bleeding from his mouth. "What did you mean by 'he shouldn't have more than 3 DNA sources'?"
"Project CHIMERA was only able to combine DNA from 3 different sources to keep the test subjects stable," Miranda said, as she took out a syringe. "Using 3 DNA sources, including the human base, was best because if they had 4 or more different sources, their DNA would break down if they didn't get a specific drug to stabilize them. This should be enough to keep him from dying, but if he had more sources then he'll need more of them."
"And what happens if you used 2 sources?" Apollo asked, as he opened up Ezio's passageway.
"The main reason why I was pissed when I found out that Eddie Pryor wasn't stopped from becoming-" Miranda tried to say, before Liz cut her off.
"I know that's important but…" Liz began shocked. "Killbane's a Chimera?"
"Yes," Miranda said, as she pushed the needle against Ezio's chest and administered the drug to his system, directly to his heart. "If three sources are used, the base neurology is carried around the forms, but some Chimeras were known to develop different behavioural ticks based on their forms. If Ezio is lucky then he'll become more disciplined due to his turian powers-"
"And a better problem solver and inventor due to his Lombax form," Apollo blurted in.
"How can you defend this, Apollo?" Liz asked the black Lombax, who then stood back. "Wait, is that how he got the idea to use toothpaste and popcorn to cause a glowing effect in a church?"
"I thought it was him," Miranda said as she sighed deeply. "Anyway, this effect is much more apparent with 2-source Chimeras, such as those with DNA from violent species."
"Wait, who is Killbane again?" Apollo asked, as Ezio stood up.
"He's the main heel of the Ultimate Wrestling Championship, or UWC," Ezio said, as he steadied himself against the tree. "He's gotten into serious trouble due to the fact that he's killed several people in the ring."
"Ezio," Liz said, as she walked over and helped her boyfriend. "Are you alright?"
When he heard that, Ezio just looked at her, obviously mildly annoyed. "Sure," he said in mildly sarcastic tone. "Except for the fact that I almost died and I'm a fucking anorexic frog."
"You're a salarian," Miranda said.
"I'm an amphibian," Ezio said. "F*** me, next thing you'll tell me is that I'm going to turn into a blue-skinned woman."
"I'll kill someone if that happens," Miranda said. "Considering that it is entirely plausible, but asari are natural biotics to it will kill you. Anyway, you should take these," she said as she handed Liz several full syringes to Ezio. "If he starts convulsing again, inject this straight into his heart. Anyway, are you comfortable like that?"
"I'm so thin my jeans keep sliding down," Ezio said, grabbing onto his belt. "Am I going to have to streak every time I use my chimera powers?"
"Hey, I could get you different clothes, if you need me to," Miranda said. Ezio then tapped his throat, before beginning to cough. "Do you need any help?" He then waved her off, before jumping back, screaming after coughing again. "What is it?"
"I just spat acid," Ezio said, looking at a puddle that was eating into a tree at an incredible speed. "Oh, my god. Hold on… I'm drooling like Chuck Norris."
"Enough of the jokes I don't get, Ezio," Apollo said, looking the damaging puddle. "Can you do that again?" Ezio just glared at the grinning Apollo, pushing his eyelids up to narrow them. "For science." With a quick shrug, Ezio then went over towards a stone and spat on it quickly, causing a hole to sink through it. "Come on, you've got to try better than that." Ezio then took in a deep breath then put his hand on the top of the stone, before breathing outward to cause a stream of acid to shoot out and dissolve the stone before him in only a few seconds.
"So, what should these do?" Liz asked Miranda. "Should these stop him from being killed?"
"These should keep him from getting new forms until I can find a way to stabilise his condition," Miranda said as Ezio and Apollo kept playing with the chimera's new power. "He'll still be able to switch back and forth between the four forms he already has, but you should apply this if he starts coughing blood again, especially if it isn't red." Liz paid attention before her phone began to ring.
"Hello?" Liz answered, holding the phone to her ear. "Okay, is it serious? We'll head back now." Liz then put her phone away, as she grabbed Ezio by his collar and pulled him over to leave the forest. "We have to head back, Ginny had to fight her Shadow and Harry wants you to head into the tower with him."
"Okay," Ezio said, turning back into a human. "But that could be useful, like imitating a Mortal Kombat fatality. Oh my god, I'm a horrible person."
The group eventually managed to get back, with Apollo tailing Ezio while invisible, Liz running off towards the healing area and Miranda walking over towards the Stone Circle. "If you need me, I'll stay by the other end of the bridge."
"Okay," Ezio said, before heading into the main tower. "Okay, what do you need me for?"
"We're heading in," Harry said, as Colin looked at him through his camera. "Oh, Ezio, this is Colin. He's a year younger than I am, and he's a Conduit with the power to copy powers through his photos, of both Conduits and demons."
"Blue magic," Ezio said, shaking his hand. "Hope you can fight, it can get quite hectic in there."
"Who's the invisible guy?" Colin asked, causing Ezio and Harry to jump back. "I'm still using Ezio's illusion power. I can see him."
"We'll explain it after we get in," Harry said. "You two, Colin, Luna and Akihiko, and me. We'll be trying to get the Slytherin dorm open, so we'll be heading to the third floor through the elevator."
With a shrug, Ezio took out his beam katana and headed over towards the elevator. "Fine," he said, tailed by Apollo. "Let's head up."
Meanwhile, over by the greenhouses, Haruhi, Mikuru, Kyon, Itsuki and Neville were exploring the greenhouses. "What are you searching for, exactly?" Neville asked the group.
"There's a demon over by the back of the tower," Kyon said as he looked around. "It's possessing a plant, and emitting spores to cause darkness to envelop the local area, so we need to know what it is to kill it."
"Describe the plant," Neville said, as Itsuki looked through a book.
"The local environment was damp, more of a swamp-like environment," Mikuru said, looking at some of the plants. "It looks a lot like that plant, there, but it was a more darker colour."
"It's a plant known as a Devil's Snare," Neville said, taking the book from Itsuki and flicking it over to a different section. "Tentacle-like appendages are used by the plant to strangle its struggling victims. However, if you remain calm, it should let you go, so don't struggle with the plant. They can't stand fire or light, so we should use those kinds of spells against them."
"Would magnesium flares work?" Kyon said, taking out sticks and guns from a backpack. "They glow on contact with air, and they burn at incredible speeds."
"I bet that those soldiers should have more," Haruhi said as she grabbed Mikuru and led her away. "We'll be back in a minute." Haruhi then led her away at top speeds, as the three boys were left in the greenhouse.
"So, Neville, you must know a lot about plants to spot the type of plant using only slight information," Itsuki said as he sat down on a table. "So, what's the plant next to me?"
"That's a mandragora plant," Neville said. "It's already mature, so don't touch it or the cries will kill all of us." Hearing that, Itsuki carefully moved away from the plant and looked at another one. "The plant next to you, Kyon, is Gillyweed, which grows gills and fins on the body of the person who eats it- is that a Bouncing Bulb?"
Kyon, however, suddenly keeled over in pain before Neville helped him up. "I'm okay," Kyon said, as he sat down on a stool. "I can still fight."
"Well, here," Neville said, handing him a leaf. "It's from a thera plant, which is known to have healing properties."
"We're back," Haruhi said, carrying 6 guns and 8 flares, followed by Mikuru who had 7 guns and four flares. "Let's have some fun."
"Sure," Neville said, as Kyon chewed down on the leaf and then jumped up. "Let's go weeding." However, while they were preparing for a fight, a few people were already in a fight.
"Use fire," Colin said as he put the recently taken photo into an album he was carrying, while Ron sent a fireball over from Arthur to kill a Shadow. Okay, there's one more, on the roof."
"I know," Ezio said, as he grabbed his rifle from his back and aimed it upward and then pulled the trigger, killing the Shadow before we all regrouped. "Wow, Colin, you were pretty good with that camera."
"And I got three demon photos," Colin said, showing them off. "Agi, dia and rakunda. I was also able to get a picture of Ezio, but there's something weird about it…" When Ezio heard that, he was frozen in place. "I can take photos of Conduits to get their powers, but from my scan power, I can tell I only got a small amount of your power through this photo."
"…?" Ezio was taken aback by these words, lost for words at what Colin just said. "What powers did you get?"
"Well, I couldn't copy that weird eye skill," Colin said, looking at a photograph. "But I was able to copy telekinesis and fusion spell, the ability to combine two separate spells together."
"That's a unique power?" Ezio asked in shock. "Huh. And here I was thinking that any Conduit could do that with enough skill."
"But I can tell you have way more powers than that," Colin said, holding his camera up. "You can also use manipulate fire and electricity, you have superhuman precision and acid breath."
"When the hell did you get acid breath?" Luna asked, shocked.
"…After I split off from you and talked to Liz and Miranda," Ezio said. "I know why you can't copy most of my powers, Colin, but…"
"Colin, it's best that you shouldn't bring this up again," Apollo said, stepping forward. "It's… due to a serious health condition and it's quite embarrassing." Colin then put away his camera and took out his photo album. "He may trust you to know about it, but you shouldn't press- LOOK OUT!" As he was speaking, Apollo tried to run forward with Akihiko to stop a Shadow from attacking Colin.
Colin, however, reacted quickly and whipped out his album, gripping it hardly before swinging it upward to smack the Shadow in the chin then striking it with the put its head downward, before spinning in place and striking the Shadow sideways to cause a powerful strike to connect with the Shadow, sending it crashing into a wall. "I got this," Colin said, whipping out a photo before causing it to glow. "Take this," Colin said as he threw the photo over towards the Shadow before a spell took effect. "Okay, hope this works." Colin then whipped out his wand and aimed it at the Shadow, before brazing himself. "Expelliarmus," he began, to knock the Shadow backward. "Flipendo," Colin muttered again, before taking out another photo. "Spell fusion: Aqua, Terra, Agi! Tower Inferno!" When he said that, a stream of lava burst out from the ground and shot the Shadow up into the air, where it burst into the ichor that all Shadows are born from. "How was that?"
"Okay, he's our main caster," Luna said, as Draco opened up the door to the Slytherin Dorm and we all ran inside. "Wow, this place seems so… dark."
"Dammit, aren't there any lights in here?" Akihiko said, before banging his knee on a table. "Who the hell dressed this room up?"
"Snape," Draco and Harry said in unison. "Okay, this is weird," Draco said as he looked over a large pile of slime and a clipboard. "Lacerations located on the lower liver… as well as some minor damage due to spikes in the upper left arm… what is this?"
"It's a medical chart," Apollo said as he took it and then looked at a few markings on the table. "Damn. There's only one way to undo the seal and that's to heal someone. I'll need someone's help to perform the operation."
"I'll do it," Ezio said, stepping forward. "I have no medical training, but I'll do anything you say."
"I'll do all of the operation, I just need someone as my support," Apollo said as he teleported the necessary tools forward. "When I say scalpel, you hand me a blade. I say sutures and-"
"I make sure that the needle is threaded and ready to sew up the patient's wounds," Ezio said, as he put on a pair of gloves that were provided by Apollo. "I'll also use the drain where you tell me, hand you an ultrasound for finding fluid pockets and kyriaki. I'll also have the forceps ready and waiting for you to remove the spikes in the upper arm."
"I'm impressed," Apollo said, grinning. "What, did you learn all your medical knowledge from shows like Grey's Anatomy?"
"Sort of," Ezio said, looking the seal over. "I watch the show, but I've seen this on a live surgery program that was used by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness for specific illnesses. From what I can tell, the patient has received a severe blow to the upper triceps area of her left arm, as well as a viral agent that is causing a series to tumours to form on the lower end of the liver. Patients is a female aged from 14 to 15, I think a fourth year, possibly used to fuel the seal."
"You should become a diagnostician," Apollo said, looking amazed. "I can't use my teleportation powers while operating, so I need your assistance." A large crash blared outside, making everyone jump back. "Someone go and find out what that was, I can't operate when something large is tearing the place apart."
"It's a pair of Death Eaters," Nagato said, as a hologram appeared next to us. "They mean business."
"All except Ezio, go," Apollo said as he stepped forward. As he did that, the slime formed into the form of a young girl who was bleeding from her arm.
"P-Pancy?" Draco asked, looking down at the injured girl.
"We can handle this Draco," Ezio said, as he set the surgical tools out. "Your friend is safe with us. Now go and make sure we don't die while saving her life."
"Okay," Draco said as most of the group ran outside, leaving Ezio and Apollo left inside of the Slytherin Common Room.
"Let's begin the operation," Apollo said, as he looked her over. "The wound on the back of her arm is really bad. I'm going to need a pair of forceps."
"Here," Ezio said, handing the forceps to Apollo. "Here's the tray as well. Just be careful, it seems that the spikes have a really bad point that is bladed unlike the rest of the spike."
"Shadow Eyes?" Apollo asked, as Ezio nodded. "Okay, I've extracted the first spike and… what the…"
"Is something the matter?" Ezio asked.
"Yeah, two weeks before the Empire attacked my world another patient came in with the exact same spikes in his lower abdomen," Apollo said, curiously. "Can you collect a few of these as samples? I want to take a look at them."
"Is this related to her tumours?" Ezio asked, as Apollo kept extracting more spikes. "Wait… are these poisonous?"
"They're hollow," Apollo said as he took out the last spike. "These aren't from any creature; she received these wounds when she was attacked by Drophyds. The virus inside usually causes a similar condition to an Earth condition called Kaposi's Syndrome, except that they're concentrated at one area at a time. There should be a tell-tale bruise that looks like-"
"A claw," Ezio butted in. "A viral outbreak occurred in Portland, Maine, with similar symptoms to what you just described. Other symptoms include virus colonies developing around the body, haemorrhaging, vomiting blood, convulsions, cardiac arrest, unexplained soft tumour forming and, if it infects the central nervous system, hallucinations."
"It could be the same virus, but I'd have to check it with a sample that's already been collected here," Apollo said as he looked at the back of the arm. "Hand me the sutures, and have the antibiotic gel ready, along with the bandages."
"Here's the suture," Ezio said as Apollo took it and started sewing the wounds shut. "I've got the jar of gel opened and ready, with the bandages ready to go." Apollo the set down the sutures and tied the string closed, before taking the antibiotic gel and applied it to the wounds. Ezio was already vigilant and handed him the bandage, which Apollo then wrapped around the girls arm.
"The arm's been treated," Apollo said, as he teleported the girl's shirt off. "And look at this. The tell-tale bruises."
"Oh, f***," Ezio said in a panic. "You mean we're treating the Rosalia virus?"
"So, if it isn't the same disease, then it's a similar mutation," Apollo said, as Ezio hesitantly handed him a scalpel. "Making an incision… where is the liver on a human?"
"Oh," Ezio said, not realising that, while Apollo was a doctor in another galaxy and thus trained in xenobiology, didn't know everything about the human form. "It's just below the right lung. Right here," he said, pointing at his own chest. "Perhaps I should monitor the patient's vitals."
"Can you?" Apollo asked, before Ezio switched his second eye to purple and monitored the patient. "Can you also monitor viral spread, if possible?"
"The virus is currently focused to the liver, with it being stored in several soft tumours," Ezio said. "Patient's blood group is AB, so you can receive a transfusion from anyone if necessary."
"What about you?" Apollo asked.
"I'm blood type O, so I can give blood to anyone, but I need to receive it from another O donor," Ezio said. "Breathing is normal, but vitals are dangerously low, she has a heartbeat of 50 per minute."
"There's a small green bottle on my right," Apollo said. "It's a stimulant. Inject some of that into her through a vein on her right hand." Ezio then ran over as fast as he could to grab the bottle, before grabbing a syringe. However, the patient's sudden convulsion caused the two to begin to panic. "The patient just went into cardiac arrest!"
"Grab the defribulator and use it on the patient," Ezio barked. "The heart is located within the ribcage, protected by the lungs.
"I don't have a defribulator," Apollo said, before Ezio transformed into a Lombax.
"Then I'M a defribulator," Ezio said, grabbing some antibiotic gel. "Would this work as a conductive substance? We need to use it to make sure I don't kill the patient."
"No, use this instead," Apollo said, handing a small bottle to Ezio who emptied a small amount onto the patient's chest. Ezio then charged a small amount of raw electricity into his hands then slammed them onto her chest to deliver the current. "It seems that she's back in the land of the living. Continuing her condition, can you hand me the drain?"
"Here," Ezio said, before using the syringe like he was told to and turning back into a human. "Vitals are now at 85. Patient is stabilising, but completely unconscious. I don't like it. How is she completely unconscious without drugs?"
"I don't know," Apollo said, calmly. "I've finished draining the last of the soft tumours, is there anything else that we need to check?"
"No, not that I can find with my Shadow Eyes," Ezio said. "Close her up, then we can get her out of here. Here's the suture."
"Thanks," Apollo said as he grabbed it. "So, how come it's known as the Rosalia Virus?" Apollo asked, while sewing up the patient.
"I don't particularly know, but from what Liz said, it has to do with the first confirmed patient," Ezio said. "They wanted to call it the Cumberland Virus, after the first confirmed outbreak, but it was considered by some in bad taste. Yet, when its name was decided, someone who knew the patient in life went ballistic. I see you've finished the suturing, here's the gel and bandage."
"Thanks," Apollo said before applying the gel and then placing the tape over the wound to close it. "That's all I can do until we get them to Liz. How are her vitals?"
"99, EKG is stabilised and breathing is normal- she just went into cardiac arrest again!" Ezio then applied the gel another time and then sent another current through the patient. "Okay, now she's stabilised."
"Wow, you turned into a Lombax just as you realised there was a problem," Apollo said, grinning. "You should go into First Response, become a paramedic."
"…you think?" Ezio asked, confused, instinctively transforming back into a human before shaking his head. "I'll monitor the patient, you go and fight."
"Okay," Apollo said, before teleporting away. Ezio was then stuck in the middle of a large room, looking over a few statues that were formally students. Thinking about his current patient, he then walked over towards the nearby fireplace and then began poking the ashes away with the nearest poker then placed several sticks of wood onto the fireplace.
"…Hello?" a voice asked from behind. "Who's… who's there?"
"You shouldn't struggle," Ezio said, walking over to the patient. "You've just had to undergo an emergency medical procedure. Don't worry, you're going to be taken to a Healer as soon as it's safe to take you outside the Common Room."
"Who…" She began, scared and cold.
"My name is Ezio," he introduced himself. "I'm a mercenary, hired by Dumbledore to retake Hogwarts from the Death Eaters. Don't worry, you're safe. But if you don't rest, your condition is going to worsen, so just try and get some sleep."
"…you're not a Wizard, are you?" the girl asked.
"…No, I'm not," Ezio said. "I'm more of an anti-wizard. I can neutralise magic if I have to."
"…good," she said, smiling. "It's kind of nice to hear someone with authority that isn't overconfident in their abilities. Most of the Death Eaters went absolutely crazy after taking this red sand." Ezio then scowled. The situation was worse than he thought. "They said it amplified a pure-blood's natural powers, but something in the back of my head said otherwise."
"Red Sand gives a form of power called 'biotics' to anyone who takes it, be they Muggle or wizard, but certain people, like me, would die instantly," Ezio said. "Hell, that's how I got most of these scars. I owe that to Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Is she…"
"Yes," Ezio said, quickly. "She was killed this morning by Neville Longbottom." She just turned her head, looking at me with a look of disbelief. "No, I'm serious. He skewered her on a katana. And even Draco Malfoy's taken a level in badass, he's gone trigger-happy with an assault rifle. In fact, he's the one that let my group inside. He mentioned your first name, it's Pansy, right?"
"Yeah," she said, weakly. "Pansy Parkinson." There was a long wait, lasting over a minute. "How close was I to dying?"
"…" Ezio was reluctant to answer. He didn't want to scare this girl any more than she needed to be. "Very…"
Outside of the Common Room, at the beginning of the operation, the main strike team ran outside to the last room they were in before entering the dorm. "What the…" Colin said, confused. "There's no-one he-"
"Look out," Harry said, jumping straight at Colin and pushing him out of the way of a curse, which he took in the back. "Okay, who did that?"
"Well, you're already getting on the Dark Lord's nerves, Potter," Vincent Crabbe said while standing on top of a gargoyle in the wall. "We've been sent to take you-"
"I don't give a crap what the 'Dark Lord' wants," Harry said, stepping up painfully.
"Oh, come on," Gregory Goyle said as he said from behind us, on top of the doorway to the Slytherin Dorm. "You're just an arrogant idiot who needs the help of a filthy Mud-"
"Finish that sentence," Colin said, holding out his album, "and I'll show you the skills of a Mudblood." Goyle began to chuckle, before Colin grabbed a gun from Luna and fired it at Goyle's hand and breaking it in two.
"Vincent, Gregory, stop this," Draco said, stepping forward. "I've seen the Death Eaters from both sides. They're wrong. No matter how superior Voldemort says they are, Wizards can't survive without Muggles. We need them, or else Wizards will die out."
"We'll rule over them for all of eternity," Vincent said, before Draco sent a curse at them.
"IF WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER, THEN THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING TO RULE THE NEXT TIME THE ALIENS ATTACK!" Draco yelled out. "I want my family to survive. I want you to survive too… but if you attack us, we'll use any means necessary to take you out."
"And by the way," Akihiko said, grabbing his Evoker. "There's 5 of us, and 2 in back. That's enough of us to kick your asses twice."
"So, why don't let you try kicking one ass," they said in unison, before a bloody red miasma formed around them, which drew itself closer to themselves.
"What the hell's going on?" Luna asked, taking a step back. "That light… it feels… evil."
"Well, this is bad," Draco said, stepping closer to the group. "That's Malice. It's really dark magic that Voldemort was studying. And I have no idea what they're doing."
"Well, this is bad," Colin said while instinctively reaching for his camera, as a single, two faced monster appeared. Whipping the camera out, Colin then took a single photo as Akihiko sent out a thunderbolt at the demon to stun it. Luna then ran to the back of the room and behind a pillar, before sending status buffs to most of the group while Colin ran behind another column. "He's weak against fire and water magic. See if that helps."
"Did you say water?" Harry said, looking at a mole-skin pouch he carried, and took out a few water balloons. "Cover me, I need to fill these. Aguamenti."
"Are you freaking serious?" Draco said, before shooting at one of the demon's hands. "How the hell do WATER BALLOONS help us?"
"They were made by the Twins," Harry said, as Draco shrugged and then dodged another attack, before being struck by a fire spell, launching him into a wall. "Colin, you said he was weak against fire!"
"He is," Colin said, taking another look, before gasping. "Well, I have a name. Janus."
"What side used that spell?" Luna said, holding a fire spell out. "Janus in Roman mythology was the two-faced god, seeing in all directions but constantly arguing with himself.
"It was the right, the red side," Colon said, opening up his album. "The blue side is the one that uses water magic. Use water on the right side, fire on the left side. Just don't use the wrong spell, as it will heal the demon." Harry then readied the water balloon as Colin readied a fire spell. Harry then ran over and gave the water balloon to Akihiko, then took out a pair of guns.
"Okay, it's not attacking for some reason…" Harry began before trailing off. "Wait, is this an RPG fight?"
"Yeah," Akihiko said. "At least it's turn-based. Okay, should we use a combo chain? Attack in an order to maximize damage?"
"I'll start one," Harry said, readying his attack. "Akihiko, you go last after me and Draco. Then, Colin attacks the other half after Luna."
"I can use a Summon if Colin sends the spell after me," Luna said, as she readied the summon attack. "Just send that spell at me." As she said that, I ran up and attacked the red half of Janus and performed a few fast slashes at the blue half, before summoning Oberon to launch him into the air with garu and span upside down, firing a volley of bullets downward as he fired downward at the demon, before bringing his attack downward as two blades struck hard, before Draco ran up and grabbed Harry's assault rifle and slashed at Janus with the blade, before shoving it into him and then launching up for some Persona assisted kicks and then ending with a bufu attack, before Akihiko punched the rifle deeper in and then pulled the trigger, before throwing the charmed water balloon (Note from Tonks: I never thought I'd ever write that in a badass manner (-_-')) and then pulled the rifle out and threw it at Harry and ended with a volley of punches.
Luna then finished her charge, as she charmed her attack and Colin readied his follow-up. "Hellfire," Luna said, readying her attack at the other side, as Ifrit appeared to attack then charged his own fire attack. Colin then started sending out fire spells as Harry and Draco sent out spells with his own wand in order to make the attack stronger.
"Wait," Colin said, panicking. "If he attacks with that ranged move, it will heal the other side."
"Good point," Ifrit said, as he pulled the fire into his hands, then ran and sent out a volley of punches which devastated his opponent, before fading again, but not before sending out some fireballs to attack him. "Kick his ass," Ifrit said to us with a grin.
"We intent to," Harry said, before Apollo came down and struck Janus into a nearby wall. "Aren't you treating a patient?"
"I did all I could," Apollo said, as he his shoulders. "Besides, she's in capable hands until we get her to Pomphrey and Liz."
"Yeah, you left her with Ezio," Luna said, as she volleyed fire spells at the blue half of Janus. "You left her with the guy who's suffering from severe mutations."
"…" Apollo said nothing at these words. "Let's finish this, shall we?"
"Wait, something's wrong," Colin said, looking at the blue side of Janus. "It's… shrivelling up." The blue half of Janus went pale, before its hand receded into its body. "Each side has a separate life force. We can focus on the other side, just don't use ice or the red half will revive."
"Thanks for the tip," Liz said, walking over towards is while carrying a spear which she sprayed liquid nitrogen onto her blade. "I had a craving for cigarettes, who's been operating?" As the second half for Janus lunged at her, Liz thrust her spear forward and impaled the demon on her spear. The cold of the weapon caused the demon to scream in pain, as Liz pulled her weapon out and made a flurry of attacks at the demon, ending as she took out a scroll and unrolled it at the demon, touching her wand into the centre of the unwound scroll to send a burst of magic into it and cause it to wrap around the demon. "Okay, let's see how you like a full-blown attack from an Exorcist," Liz shouted, before making some bizarre hand gestures and grabbing the other end. "Holy banishment: Malice Bind!" A solid blue light flashed through the scroll, causing the demon to wince in pain as it morphed back into Crabbe and Goyle, who fell to the ground, unconscious. "And that's why you never mess with me."
"What in the f***!" Ezio said, as he came down the stairs. "How did you DO that! Is that some spell in a spell book? Did you learn it on the fly? That was awesome!"
"It's a long story," Liz said, as she rolled up the scroll and put it away, obviously embarrassed, as the room began to twist and contort around us as the Thieving Duo and Dante walked in, followed by Blanca. "But the malice was banished, right?"
"Yeah, it was," Kasumi said as she came in and looked at Goyle, who was unconscious. "They willingly absorbed some really dark magic into their bodies to try and kill you."
"There's just one problem," Keiji said as he walked over towards Liz. "Why were you carrying an ancient, holy seal that can't be copied?"
"Well…" Liz hesitated, not liking being caught on the spot. "I was given these by my mother," she said, before taking out a few scrolls. "They're mostly just for protection."
"…" Kasumi just crossed her arms and looked at the outer side of one scroll. "You're part of the Takinaba Clan, aren't you?"
"What?" Liz asked, shocked at what was just asked of her. "How did you know that?"
"My clan has performed diplomatic relations with them on behalf of our hometowns," Keiji said, as he hugged Kasumi. "That's how we met."
"Can I ask one question?" Kasumi asked, looking at Liz. "Is your mother Natsuki Takinaba?"
"Yeah," Liz said, hesitantly, before Kasumi grabbed her and started spinning in place.
"Oh my god," Kasumi said with a grin. "We're cousins!" Keiji, however, simply grabbed Ezio and pulled him aside.
"Have you asked her to marry you yet?" Keiji asked Ezio, who just shook his head in denial. "When you do, you'll probably be asked by some of the clan leader's men to meet with him. Go with it, no matter what, it's like a force of nature, it can't be stopped. Even if you say no, you'll just be kidnapped. Just go with it and you won't end up with a broken limb. Second, if you meet him and don't scream instantly, you have balls of steel, but scream just in case and don't mouth off at him and you'll live. Lastly, if you end up in the Forest of Death… he hates you and wants you to rot, but if you survive he might reconsider. Oh, and don't cheat on her or hit her. The guy cares deeply for every member of his clan and will epically destroy you if you hurt her. When he found out that Kasumi's sister was assaulted by her boyfriend… ever heard of 'Devil's Island'?" Ezio nodded his head, looking visibly horrified. "You can guess what happens when he's really pissed."
"Liz is more inclined to hit me, especially if she doesn't have time to grab a cigarette," Ezio said, calmly. "Besides, you should see what she did to her ex who cheated. Do the Takibanas regularly practice acupuncture as a form of torture?"
"Sorry, what's your name, Kasumi?" Draco said, smiling. "Can I borrow Liz so that she can heal my friend?" As Kasumi reluctantly let go, Liz rushed towards the stairs, as Apollo told her of the girl's condition.
"Liz," Ezio called out to her as she entered the doorway and the area was finished morphing into the Hogwarts Dungeon. "She has the Rosalia virus. Be careful." Liz was horrified to hear this, but it only made her rush off even faster. "Okay, let's grab these bozos, then."
"Not so fast," Crabbe said, as he stood up, before he coughed up a darker red liquid. "All I have to do is say one thing, and you're all dead."
"If it's 'Fiendpyre', forget it," Dante said, taking out a pair of gauntlets. "For one thing, it's too hard for a 14 year old to control, and second, we're protected by these Ifrit gauntlets."
"Oh really?" Crabbe said, before he raised his wand. "Fiend-" he began, only for Blanca to grab his arm and force him to drop his wand. "Aagh!" He was now bleeding heavily from his arm. "You stupid mutt!"
"I'm a wolf," Blanca said, scaring the crap out of most of the team that wasn't in the know. "And I sound more intelligent than you when I fart."
"So, you've been training a damn talking mutt?" Crabbe said. "You can't do much else, you blood traitorous-"
"Gale Crest," Blanca said, causing a magical seal to appear in the ground and launch Crabbe high up in the air. When he landed, surprisingly on his feet, he then collapsed, letting more blood flow out of his mouth.
"We should help him," Luna said, walking over to Crabbe.
"Yes, we should," Harry said as he joined her, before the two of them lifted him up and carried him down into the dorm.
"So, how has the Old Man been in the last few years?" Liz asked Kasumi, who was sitting down on a chair. "Has he been terrorising any more suitors for the ladies?"
"Yeah, he takes the 8 Simple Rules to heart," Kasumi answered. Liz was currently healing Pansy, as Draco walked into the room. "When he found out that my sister's boyfriend slapped her, he blew up the island they were living on, after taking her away, of course."
"Pansy," Draco said, running over, only to be stopped by Apollo. "Let me through."
"She's incredibly sick, so let Liz heal her," Apollo said. "When she's done-"
"You can see her now," Liz said, as she helped Pansy up and steadied her. "Just take it easy, before you collapse again."
"Are you okay?" Draco said, as he walked over. "Did they hurt you? What happened?"
"She fell sick after being attacked with a virus called Rosalia," Liz said, as she kept her powers surging over Pansy. "We're lucky that it didn't get any worse, and that Apollo was able to treat the worse effects."
"How?" Pansy asked, only for Apollo to point at a few threads on her stomach.
"Surgery," Apollo said, before sitting down. "So, can you treat the worst effects?"
"I think so, but not through my powers," Liz said, as she turned to Ezio. "Can you see if- Wait, there's something wrong."
"I'm not mutating again, am I?" Ezio asked, scared.
"No," Liz said, looking around. "Is there anything reflective, like a mirror or even a glass?"
"Under the chair," Pansy said, as Draco held her up. "There's a two-way mirror, but it isn't working." Colin ran over and found it, handing it to Ezio.
"What's the probl-" Ezio began, before dropping the mirror which was caught by Dante. "The f***? My eye isn't purple."
"Is that a bad thing?" Dante asked, putting the mirror down.
"It's due to nerve damage," Ezio said, before blinking and turning his eyes purple. "I never thought I'd have to resort to switching back and forth at will. Okay, what should I look for?"
"Can you see if you can see Pansy's chakra?" Liz asked. "It should be a blue fire near her navel."
"Wow, I didn't even think of focusing, this must be stronger now," Ezio said. "Sure, there's a blue fire, as well as some sort of passageway for it through her body. There are also some dots around the passageways, but some are bigger than the rest."
"Poke one," Liz said. As Ezio complied, Pansy let out a small gasp of pain. "Yeah, her tenketsu points are enflamed. Don't worry, Pansy, I know exactly how to treat this."
However, the rifles aimed at Apollo, and the entrance of Umbridge, dampened the mood. "Arrest him, now." Dolores ordered, before they hesitated. "Do it, now." However, the others grabbed their weapons, and just glared to say, 'If you try anything, we'll kick your ass in 15 different ways'. "What are you waiting for?"
"One problem," One of them said, stepping forward. "We have orders to assist them, straight from the Prime Minister." Ezio began to grin slightly. Wow, we help the guy once and he pays us back. That was brilliant. "Also, we can't charge him with anything."
"What do you mean!" Umbridge asked, dismayed. "He attacked Cornelius Fudge!"
"Yes, but we can't actually charge him since we don't have proof," the man said. Ezio went wide eyed when he heard the man speak. "If there is proof, we don't have it because the Aurors aren't co-operating with us." Umbridge just screamed in rage before storming off, as the soldiers lowered the weapons.
"You got some balls to do that, Conrad," Ezio said to the soldier. "Why are you here? You're not even a British soldier."
"Well, I have to admit something," Conrad said, as the others walked out. He signalled Ezio, Keiji and Kasumi over towards a nearby corner as some of the soldiers carried Pansy out on a stretcher. "My name is Conrad Verner, but I'm not a soldier. I work for a group called Section Two, of NERV Department of Security Intelligence."
"What does that mean?" Ezio asked, confused.
"He's a secret agent for the UN," Keiji said. "What is NERV interested in?"
"I was sent to investigate Cerberus, but then the Drophyd attack came and everything went to hell," Conrad said. "Look, the basic gist of it is, Cerberus is interested in recruiting you because of-"
"Project CHIMERA," Ezio said, interrupting Colin.
"Yeah," Conrad said. "But NERV want to recruit you as well, mainly to find out how to create Chimeras, stop them from breaking down." The look on Ezio's face said only one thing. What the hell? "You found a list that said only 8 or 9 names, but if you analyse the file, you'll notice that several hundred names were deleted."
"What?" Ezio asked, horrified. "What do you mean 'several hundred'?"
"Quite a lot of Chimeras slipped through Cerberus's radar, and we're trying to clean up the mess," Conrad said. "Here's my boss's number. If you want to reconsider-"
"I already took an offer to join NEXUS," Ezio said, putting his hands up.
"NEXUS is another branch of NERV," Conrad said to Ezio. "So, if you join, you can help us find the other Chimeras."
"Hold on," Ezio said, hesitating. "I don't want people like me being forced to fight due to what was done to them. I don't care what way you justify it."
"We aren't forcing them to fight," Conrad said. "We want to make sure that they don't kill themselves when they discover their powers. And even if they did choose to join an army, it would be of their own free will like any other soldier."
"If I find out any were forcibly drafted by NERV," Ezio said, reaching for his katana. "…genital castration is the easiest surgery in the world. Got it?" Conrad winced, before nodding quickly, as Ezio left the dorm to see that people were already moving in and making the place secure. "Liz, how's Pansy?"
"We're busy performing acupuncture," she said, shoving a needle carefully into Pansy's arm. Ezio switched on his Shadow Eyes to see that most of the enflamed chakra points were quelled, but there were still a few that were still surrounded in chakra. "Did I miss any?"
"Yeah," Ezio said, looking over Pansy. "It's at the spot just above her second rib up."
"There shouldn't be a chakra point there," Kasumi said, before taking out a small scope from her bag. "Yeah, there's a large build-up of chakra there that must have leaked out when she was sick. Use a needle to release that chakra." As Liz did so, Ezio was taken aback when he saw a blue flame shoot out of Pansy, as Ezio looked over to see that Liz had thicker passageways of chakra, and a tattoo that seemed to be altering the flow.
"What's with the tattoo on your back?" Ezio asked, freaking out both Kasumi and Liz at the same time. "Family business? Well, it's suppressing your own chakra, which means it's also suppressing your magic."
"I know," Liz said, causing Ezio to jump. "Most of the women in the clan have these tattoos to suppress their power to channel lots of chakra at once in death-or-glory attacks."
"What about the guys?" Ezio asked. "Wait, what happens to Jon?"
"Pansy, you're all better now," Liz said to her, removing the last needle. "You should try and rest, but Draco is really worried about you." As Pansy stood up and walked towards Draco, Liz grabbed Ezio and pulled him to the side. "Ezio, this isn't something I can't discuss, no matter what."
"So, it can't leave the clan, and I can't find out until after I marry you?" Ezio asked, obviously confused. "It's not like every guy in your family is a werewolf, right?"
"We really can't discuss it," Kasumi said in a calm voice. "Just… if you're asked to speak to the head of the clan-"
"Keiji said all that," Ezio said, worried. "Anyway, I'm going to head on and see how Raph's doing, maybe chat with Miranda." As Ezio turned around, he looked over to see Draco talking to Pansy, before wrapping his arms around her. "Well, at least love can bloom on this battlefield."
"So, how do we kill these plants again?" Haruhi said, looking at some of the plant. "Just a little light?"
"Haruhi, we've been walking with flares to combat the darkness for the last 30 minutes," Kyon said, before wincing. "I'm okay."
"That's the second time you winced like that," Neville said. "Are you sure you don't want to go back?"
"Wait, that isn't the second time," Mikuru said, speaking up. "That's happened 15 times now." As she said that, Kyon grabbed his chest again as a small red light shot out. "We're getting you back, you need a medic."
"It's dangerous to go back," Kyon said, as he stood up and grabbed his katana. "Besides, we're almost there, right?" As he said that, he grabbed a flare gun and shot it forward, dispelling the darkness and causing the plants to wither, before running ahead of the group.
"Kyon, wait," Itsuki shouted, as the rest followed him into a large clearing, where an enormous plant was spouting from the ground.
"So, you honestly believe you can come into my dom-" the plant demon began before Kyon whipped out a gun and shot it.
"We don't have time for this," Kyon said, before gripping his katana.
"That face…" The demon said, before chuckling. "This isn't the first time I've seen a human with that face, or even the one of that tart in the sailor's outfit."
"What did you just say, bitch?" Haruhi said, gripping her cards. "Don't make me come over there and shove these metal cards up your ass!"
"Let's see who is the strongest," The demon said, as it sprouted two flowers that expelled dark spores. "Let's see what you're made of, when you can't see."
"Oh, this is rich," Itsuki said, dual-wielding flare guns, one aimed straight at the demon and the other aimed at a stalk that he felt moving towards Haruhi. Pulling the triggers sent out two magnesium lumps that oxidised in the air, giving off a bright light as it collided with the two targets. The searing heat of the metal caused the demon to scream, giving an opening to Kyon who drew his katana and made a series of slashes at its body, before shoving the blade inward as the demon let out a scream. Neville then charged forward next with his blade, shoving it inward before taking it out and slashing an even deeper wound into its main body, before sending out a debuff to freeze it in place.
"I hit it with a petrify curse," Neville said, spinning the blade over his head. "Mikuru, now!" As he ordered that, Mikuru grabbed a staff she was carrying and waved it around her, causing illusions of an hourglass to surround her and a clock to appear on the ground below her. As she did so, a clock appeared around the demon infested plant and flowed normally, before the clock appeared to freeze.
"I hit it with Stop, it can't move for a while, let alone the stone effect," Mikuru shouted. "Okay, now what?"
"I finis shuffling," Haruhi shouted, as several cards disappeared from her deck before 5 cards appeared before her and 5 before the demon. "Okay, I'll discard this, this and this," She said, pointing at the 2nd, 3rd and 5th cards in the deck. After a short while, a wound appeared on Haruhi's arm as a green light appeared between her and the demon. "Let's add to the pot," She said, as her wound became deeper, before the cards showe themselves. "You've got a pair," Haruhi said, looking at her opponent's cards. "I've got three of a kind." Haruhi grinned as the light was pulled back into her arm, healing the wound before the green mist disappeared into a pile of notes. "Damn, I expected him to have yen."
"What the-" Neville asked, disgusted. "Are you gambling your life for money!"
"Hey, it's a lot of money, I would have only lost 150HP," Haruhi said. "Besides, I have some potions that would easily heal the damage. And I got £250. That's around 40,000¥, right?"
"Goddammit," Kyon said, before Itsuki ran up and span his chakrams in his hands, causing the outer edge to become a ring of flames.
"Let's fire it up," Itsuki shouted, as he sent the burning fires towards his opponent to sear the plant, kicking and volleying the blades back and forth, before causing a huge pillar of fire to appear from the ground. "No-one messes with the SOS Brigade. Got it memorised?"
"You're not Axel," Kyon said, slapping his head as the clock for the demon appeared again and began flowing. "Now take this seriously or I'll beat you to death with a guitar." Itsuki opened his mouth, but Kyon just raised the blade at him. "If you say 'Sitar', I swear to whatever god may be up there, plus Haruhi, that I'll beat you to death with the blunt edge of this sword."
"Guys, we're fighting here," Mikuru gently reminded her friends. "What do we do?" However, before they could receive an answer, several shots rang out towards the local corrupted plant life, sending blaring flames to appear that dissolved the miasma in the air, causing significant damage to the Devil's Snare as the sunlight came down into the battlefield. "What the… Aren't you Victor?"
"I am Heavy Weapons guy," Victor Krum said, lifting up the heavy minigun that was modified to fire flares. "And this… is my weapon. It fires 50 flares every 12 seconds." However, what drew their attention was the glowing figure that was running through the plants, severing them with a knife and leaving behind glowing figures behind, causing the dark mist to disappear and leave the plant, which was cracking free from its petrified state to scream in pain. It lashed out at the glowing figure, which slipped through one of the tendrils as she cut it off. "Quit playing around, will you?" Krum asked, as he let the minigun stop firing. "Just head in and hit him." As he said that, the lights disappeared around Fleur as she gripped her knife and threw it at the main central body. Fleur then took out a cap as she slipped away, followed by a baseball bat.
"Oh, she isn't going to do that, is she?" Kyon asked, as Neville walked up to him.
"What?" Neville asked, before Fleur tapped the flower on its head, causing it to turn around to face her, as she was wearing a red shirt, tight cargo pants, a baseball cap and some sneakers, chewing gum as she sat on a nearby limb.
"Yo, what's up?" She asked the demon, in a fake, but really good, Boston accent. As she began moving her bat, Haruhi coughed as she watched the fight.
"Okay, listen," she began. "Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines and, brother, we hurt people," she said, looking directly at you. Yes, you. She's addressing you, the reader. *BOINK* "We're like a force of nature." *BONK* "If you were from where we were from, you'd be f***ing dead!" As she said that, Fleur ran up the side of the nearest stalk, then back flipped downward, bringing her bat down and knocking the demon over, breaking the stalk, before the darkness disappeared. "WHOA!"
"Well, how was that?" Fleur asked, before her clothes suddenly changed. "I can bend light, create illusions."
"Sort of like Harry," Itsuki said, before turning to the demon. "Okay, either you piss off or we kick you out of here."
"How…" The destroyed flower said, as a red light began to erupt from it, causing Kyon to keel over in pain. "How could mortals like you defeat me?"
"We've got the favour of god," Kyon said, standing up. "Now piss off, or die. Your choice."
"How about this…" The demon said, before the red mist intensified the field, causing Kyon to vomit blood. "Let's see you fight the full power of a demon!"
"Not so fast," Sparda said, jumping into the clearing and putting himself between himself and Kyon, who the demon immediately lunged for. "Get him back now. He's suffering from Malice poisoning."
"Is that bad?" Haruhi asked, worried.
"You saw what happened to Raphael, right?" Sparda said, giving a quick glance back as Kyon hesitantly stood up. "I never thought you'd have the guts to attack the human world again, Astaroth. Since a human kicked your ass twice."
"That was almost 100 years ago," Astaroth said, as he flew upward. "The Godslayer is dead."
"Wait…" Kyon said as he straightened up. "Godslayer… Do you mean Yuri Hyuga?" Itsuki and Haruhi began to snicker, as Astaroth glared at him.
"You seem to have the same attitude as him, but I'll do you favour of your choice," Astaroth said in a mockingly sweet tone."
"Then I'd wish you'd shove it," Kyon said, firmly, as Malice began to leak from his chest. "You know where."
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Oh shit, he had a kid," Astaroth said, before Kyon rushed forward, dodging his attacks and throwing his katana skyward, as he molded the Malice in his hands. He then ran up Astaroth's body before sending dark red balls downward, before it began to envelope him.
"How the hell is he doing that?" Neville asked, as Fleur swung her bat around, taking out a ball.
"I don't know," she said, looking onward, "but it's kind of awesome. What's the red light?"
"Pure human hate and suffering," Sparda said, as he charged forward. "If he gets scratched, he'll be dead in an instant… if he doesn't suffer, that is." There was a large explosion, before Astaroth fell down to the ground, bleeding Malice heavily. "Okay, what was that?" As Astaroth tried to say something, a large, dark skinned, winged humanoid came down and stomped him into the ground, causing an explosion of Malice to envelop the ground, before the demon standing there transformed back into Kyon, who collapsed onto the ground. "Get back to the castle, I'll handle Kyon."
"Wait, what just happened, to Kyon," Haruhi asked, completely worried, before she began to faint. "I don't… I don't feel so…" She then collapsed next to Kyon, to Sparda's shock.
"Damn…" Sparda said, looking at them. "Get Raphael's brother!" He ordered, as he turned back into a human. "We need someone to get into their heads and wake them up." As the others ran off, Sparda and Itsuki stayed behind and grabbed the others and carried them back.
"So, what did Kyon just do?" Itsuki asked, worried about his friend. "And what does it have to do with that… 'Malice'?"
"Kyon just fused his soul together with a demon," Sparda said, causing Itsuki to jump. "It's a naturally occurring power in certain individuals known as Harmonixers, and the most famous one was Yuri Hyuga, the Godslayer. But…"
"He died as a result of his powers?" Itsuki asked.
"No, that's what worries me," Sparda said. "He died, not as a result of his powers, but because of his powers, and the fact he was the only human to subdue Amon, the demon Kyon fused with." The walk up to the castle was long and quiet as they carried the two up, with one question being asked at the entrance.
"The Godslayer never had any kids, did he?" Itsuki asked, with only a brisk shaking from Sparda giving him an answer. "I can smell another human's aura. It allows me to check their current emotional state. Sweet means they're happy, sour means their upset, damp means they're really upset or crying, which is why I don't go to see sappy love films in the cinema, spicy means they're hostile… I've never smelt such heavy smoke from Kyon. And it isn't a natural emotion."
"No, it's Malice burning in his soul," Sparda said. "Tell me if it changes, or passes onto Haruhi. But let me ask you something…" Sparda then leant forward to prevent anyone else leaning forward. "I have the same power, but not as strongly as you. What do you get off of Oswald?"
"Mischief," Itsuki replied. "He's planning something, but mostly in good humour. I don't know what, but Umbridge seems to be part of it, but not as an accomplice. As for her, she's a revolting woman, as nice as she is beautiful. Harry went against the Ministry and she hates him with a passion. What do you think he's up to? Is it… sore no tame in kareha oni wo sa re desu ka (Is it due to him being a demon)?"
"No," Sparda said, quickly. "He's a trickster, but he's really good at politics and loves reading people. If he's planning something, it's because someone has angered him… or earned his respect." Itsuki took a moment to process these words, before rushing towards the potions labs at top speed, just before a large, green explosion erupted from the stairway. "I have to admit, Oswald, that was pretty impressive. Was it anger or impression?"
"Do you expect less from me oni-san?" The younger demon asked with a small grin. "And the twins managed to prank me. Of course, the real target was Umbridge, so I didn't see it coming. Of course, I went easy on them. No 'special tricks' at all." He then caught his brother's gaze, who was less than happy. "What?"
"You performing pranks is unacceptable as you somehow weaselled your way into a high position of power," Sparda said in a cold and serious voice. "And from the brief impression I got from Fred and George Weasley, you just started the most disastrous prank war in the world. If this gets out of hand, someone will get hurt. Now, I've got two unconscious teenagers here…" Sparda then grabbed the other demon and pulled him closer, "the boy may be a reincarnation of the Godslayer, and you're F***ING AROUND LIKE A SCHOOLBOY!"
"I've never seen my old man scream like that before," Dante said as he came down the stairs with Harry and Neville. "…WHY is there green goop all over the place?" As he said that, three people came out of the tunnel, with two walking over towards Oswald while the third sulked off after being told that it was safe to enter the Slytherin dorms. Dante was leaning against the wall as he began to snicker.
"You have made two powerful enemies today, Mr Blackfellow," Fred said as the two pulled the goop off of their faces.
"Very, very , powerful enemies," George said, as the two walked away, not realising the 'Kick me' signs on their backs. They then stopped, pulled the signs off their backs and then walked back, sticking them onto Oswald before walking away.
"Don't worry," Oswald said, smiling. "I'll go easy on them. If I wanted to hurt them, the explosion would be blue, not green. Why are you stepping away?" A large flash sent him flying backward, before he flew upward and then was consumed in a large fireball in the shape of a dragon, before falling to the ground. "How the hell did they do that?" He asked, both confused and excited.
"You still have that piece of paper we gave you, Harry?" George asked, which Harry answered with a nod. "Use it if you want to do that."
"Hey, where's Ezio?" Sparda asked, quickly. "Wasn't he with you?"
"Yeah, but he had to speak with Miranda about something," Harry said. "I don't know what, but he should also be looking for Raph."
Ezio was over by the Stone Circle, as he came over to see Miranda and Colin. Colin was looking at a few photos and tweaking his camera, while Miranda was pacing frantically. "Answer, dammit, come on," she muttered as Ezio walked over.
"Miranda, are you… okay?" He asked, as he walked over.
"No…" Miranda said weakly before putting her phone away. "I've been trying to get into contact with someone, another former Cerberus agent called Wilson. But…" She then sighed, as she slid down from the stone. "I adopted a kid, four years ago. He was staying with an old friend of mine, who he affectionately called her grandmother. When I called him, I found out he was hospitalised before the Drophyds attacked."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you," Ezio said, walking forward. "Did Cerberus have any idea this was going to happen? There were hints that I figured out back in Ireland."
"I don't know, but they probably tried to stop it if possible," Miranda replied. "When you were in Belfast, did you save any kids?"
"Raph went brain dead after saving a busload of kids," Ezio said, calmly. "He was shot in the face by our dad."
"Why-" Miranda began, before a large thud sounded behind her.
"From what Ezio found out, Bellatrix drove him insane," Raph said as he straightened up. "Hey, what's up?"
"Wow, you're already… close to human," Ezio said, looking at his brother. He was around normal size, but he still had a few jagged edges around him, and his teeth were still sharp, but his horns and wings were more subdued and his bundle of tails was now limited to 2. "Can't you keep all the tails? That was awesome."
"The more tails, the more powerful I am," Raph said, as he pulled a tail inward as he became less demonic, before turning into a human. "If I use too much, then I could go berserk."
"Sort of like Shadow Hearts," Miranda said.
"You played it?" Ezio asked, shocked.
"Worse," Miranda said, as she looked at the younger male. "It's based off of fact, like Devil May Cry."
"Oh, shit," Ezio said, as he rested against the stones. "Well, there's another point to time travel almost destroying the universe. So, you mentioned your son, what was his name?"
"…Halley," Miranda said, weakly as Raph put his head to his hand and Ezio muttered a really long swig of insults. "What? Is he injured? Is he okay?"
"He's in New York, last I knew," Raph said as he walked over. "He's also a Conduit with controls over computers, and a super genius."
"He was already a high school student in the US," Miranda said relieved. "But… why is he in New York?"
"He thought you were there," Ezio said. "He went there with Cole, and is staying with two friends of mine. I can call them as soon as possible."
"Wait, Cole McGrath?" Miranda asked, shocked. "He was with the guy who fought that giant monster that destroyed Washington?"
"He didn't kill the President, did he?" Ezio asked.
"No."
"Good, I can't stand 4 more years with that NRA loving bullshit," Ezio said.
"This fic is politic neutral," Raph said, slapping his brother.
"Raph, how many times have you heard about someone getting shot at night in New York?" Ezio asked. "Anyway, how bad is it?"
"5 cities were levelled, heading downward," Miranda said. "New York was untouched, thank god."
"Hey, Ezio!" Neville shouted, running up. "We've got a serious problem. Sven needs you to see if you can wake them up."
"Is it bad?" Ezio asked as Neville nodded. "How bad is it?"
"Kyon suddenly turned into a demon and destroyed another one, before he collapsed," Neville said. "Haruhi fainted soon after."
"Oh, crap," Ezio said, before he ran off. "Where are they, Neville? Show me."
'Okay, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is… We found res, and he's completely safe. The bad news… he was kidnapped and tortured by Rudolphus Lestrange and was injected with pure alcohol, so he'll be in the hospital for a while.'
'Okay, we'll get him ready for starting another chapter as soon as possible, but it might be until June when that happens. If we can find more notes, we can get Tonks to write more chapters if needed. Also-'
*They let aliens into the church? That's strange…*
'Apollo, I'm busy.'
*Sorry. But I may need your help with something…*
'After, okay?'
*Help me or I… Whispers*
'Please excuse us. Liz? Can you do this?'
"What do you want me to do?"
'Sing. Here's the song.'
"Oh, bollocks."
"Angely i demony krujili nado mnoy
Rassekali ternii I mlechnye puti
Ne znaet schast'ya tol'ko tot
Kto ego zova ponyat' ne smog…
Mana du vortes,
mana du vortes
aeria gloris,
aeria gloris
Mana du vortes,
mana du vortes
aeria gloris,
aeria gloris
I am calling, calling out!
Spirits I am calling!
Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…
Calling, calling, in the depths of longing!
Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…
Mana du vortes,
mana du vortes
aeria gloris,
aeria gloris
Mana du vortes,
mana du vortes
aeria gloris,
aeria gloris
Stand alone…
Where was life when it had a meaning…
Stand alone…
Nothing's real any more and…
…Beskonechnyj beg…
Poka zhiva ya mogu starat'sya na letu ne upast',
Ne razuchit'sya menchat'…
lyubit'…
…Beskonechnyj beg…
Calling, Calling out!
For the Place of Knowing!
There's more than what can be linked!
Calling, Calling,
Never will I look away!
For what life has left for me.
Yearning, Yearning, for what's left of loving!
Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…
Calling, Calling now,
Spirits I am calling!
Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…
Calling, Calling,
In the depths of longing!
Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…
Mana du vortes,
mana du vortes
aeria gloris,
aeria gloris
Mana du vortes,
mana du vortes
aeria gloris,
aeria gloris!"
*By the way, what's the singer's name? I don't know who she is.*
'That's Liz, you idiot.'
*No, the original singer.*
