Chapter. 58

The sun was high as Vincent rode up to Rebecca's house. As soon as he reached the door it flew open and Rebecca jumped at him. Vincent stepped back to keep from falling. "Easy girl! Least wait till I get inside."

"Make me!" Rebecca laughed.

Vincent wrapped his arms around Rebecca and picked up her as he walked inside, kicking the door closed behind him. "I got you something." Vincent let go of Rebecca and stepped back. "I wanted to give it to you awhile ago but, things happened and I'm here now and here you go." Vincent reached into his bag took out hairband, handing it to Rebecca.

"A hair band?"

"You have very beautiful eyes but your hair gets in the way sometimes. This will fix up." Vincent brushed Rebecca's hair back from her face then used the hairband to keep it in place. "There you go."

Rebecca went to her living room to see her new style. "I like it, thank you V."

"Anytime. So, what do you say-" A message icon appear in Vincent's view. "Oh for fuck's sake who-" Vincent saw who the massage was from. "Jade?"

"Jade? The opal leader?"

"Yeah but, the hell does she want? In fact she shouldn't know me since she lost the game. The legion falling is proof of that."

"Maybe Jade got rid of the legion herself?"

"But then she'd still be in my friends list because I joined the legion. Unless she unfriended everyone, a bit of work but not out of the realm of possibility. It's like everyone in this fucking game wants to be extra."

"So what does she want?"

Vincent opened the massage. "She wants to meet at the library. Like that's going to happen after what she did to me." Vincent tightened fist as he shoved the massage away.

"Maybe we should go see what she wants. She might tell us what Catherine is up to."

Vincent looked up the roof for a moment then nods. "Alright. Even if she wants to fight, with no legion she'll have to do it without her back up dancers." Rebecca laughed and followed Vincent to his bike.

...

The two arrived at the library, as Vincent pulled up into the parking lot and noticed Lyle's truck along with Levi's car. "Are they here too?" Vincent parked his bike and the two headed for the entrance when they saw their friends. "Hey everyone!" Rebecca waved to her friends.

"Reby!" Corina rushed to Rebecca and hugged her. "Nice new hair style."

"Really? V just gave me a band."

Corina grinned to Vincent. "Aren't you sweet."

Vincent ignored her and walked to Lyle and Levi. "Why are you all here?"

Lyle shrugged. "Jade massaged us to see her. Surprised to see you here though."

"here that she might tell us what Catherine is up to."

"Well we won't know till we go." Levi checked the time. "We all ready?"

The group enter entered the unlimited field which shaped itself into an open canyon. "Well this is inviting." Commented Levi.

"Come out Opal!" Corina shouted but was only met with her own echo.

"And there you all are." The group stopped and turned to look up the cliff face to see Catherine sitting up on the rocks watching them.

"Cleanse!" Vincent held up his right arm and fired a massive laser beam from his mounted blaster.

Catherine dove under the beam and slid down the side of the canyon, stopping in front of the group. "A little over the top."

Vincent drew his sword. "The fuck you want?! Know what, don't answer that. Just get the fuck out of here!"

"Still angry? Good."

"I'm not her to humor you, you fucking cunt!" Vincent fired a few more shots, which Catherine evaded.

Levi grabbed Vincent's arm and lowered it. "You want answers or do you, dumb question, forget I asked. Just... Control yourself for five minutes, five seconds at least." Vincent turned to Rebecca then back to Levi as she left go.

Catherine pointed to Vincent. "Right there, letting someone else tell you to stop. That's why you'll never reach your full power, because you let others control you."

"Don't confuse us with you." Commented Lyle.

Catherine shrugs. "I don't control him, I 'guide' him."

"Into fights stacked against him?" Asked Corina.

"How else do you get stronger but to pick fights you probably won't win? I've been tell you repeatedly Vinny, they're all bad for you" Catherine takes a seat on a small boulder. "See, to be truly strong you have to have nothing to hold you back. Me? I'm simple. Truly unbound. Nothing to gain, nothing to lose." Catherine rests her hands on her legs and leans forward. "But them. I've seen their ilk again and again. They want to save everyone when they can't even save themselves. Pity really, because the more they try to help the more they'll lose. For no one can foresee the consequences of their good deeds. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that." Catherine looked up to the sky and sighed. "I'll never understand what drives you, be it duty or revenge." Catherine leaned back and looked at the group. "So tell me. Why?"

Levi let's out a small laugh. "It wasn't just Vincent that we were helping, it was also him who was helping us. All though if you want to look at it in another way, we were helping each other."

Lyle shacked his head. "We get stronger to protect what really matters, and not just to be strong. Strength without reason is just useless power without a cause."

Corina stepped beside Lyle. "You can't live a life only filled with hate and anger. We grow strong because we have people we can depend on and care for. We're only as good as the people we have in our lives." Corina raised an hand to her chest. "We all have had tragedies happen in our lives! But when we come out of them, there is always a choice of light and darkness. We need those people in our lives to give us the strength, to chose the right path."

Catherine threw her hand up and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah the whole 'if we lean on each other we can move mountains.' it's because humans are weak by nature. I can't be the only one who hates that. We could be gods, if only you'd all take that step."

"And that's what we call a god complex, to make up for your insecurities." Levi rested her hand on her hips.

Lyle glared at Catherine. "Gods do not intervene, smite, or bless. They only watch. We are not gods, we never will be. Maybe your loneliness is only because you carve such power, and something tells me you haven't felt the light of friendship. Cause you know nothing of love and togetherness. That's why you can never get to Vincent. Someone like you who tries to force two hearts apart, only makes their connection stronger. That's why, we never give up, and will always be there for each other."

Corina stomped her foot. "You don't have as much power over us as you think. And you you know that, don't you? That's why your always looking for pawns and never do the dirty work yourself. Your loneliness makes you weak! You'll never have the kind of power we have!"

Vincent's body relaxed. "Thank you everyone."

Catherine stood up and sighed as she shook her head. "I knew talking was pointless, but as a good mother I had to try. I've always known you've been a man of action Vinny, someone who learns better from hands on tactics. So." Catherine drew a dagger and threw it into the air watching it explode. "Let me show you what you can be if you just left go. Embrace power for the sake of power."

A large black object fell from the top of the canyon, everyone but Catherine ran to get away but were threw further from the impact. When everyone stood up and the dust cleared they saw what stood before them. The black object was an avatar.

The avatar was muscular and stood taller then everyone but Lyle, with large shoulders holding four arms. Their legs, torso and arms were reinforced for added protection with gaps in the joints of their arms, showing them to be completely cybernetic. The avatar was armed with four pistols holstered on their waist and four knifes sheathed on their arms. It had a canine face, it's mouth opened to reveal sharp blood red teeth. Mist come out as it breathed, turning to Vincent and the others.

Catherine stood and crossed her arms. "Vinny, everyone, meet Onyx Avenger."

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