Setting: Ebony's Airship
"So, how do you like being in our company?" the Charming Vantablack asked with a giddy giggle following afterward.
The question was directed at Remus but he didn't know how to answer. It wasn't that he didn't have an answer, but he felt too compromised to respond to Ebony's question. He sat on the couch with his face scrunched up and his legs entangled with Ebony's. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he could feel her breath on his left ear and neck. The closeness made the young Cobalt extremely uncomfortable and he wasn't the only one. Zinnia, Brenton, and Azura felt the same way. Ebony ignored all of them, including Remus, and pressed her cheek against his.
"This is what it's like on the outside," Brenton commented, pitying his fellow man. "It's still weird watching her."
"I don't think she ever got over the boy craze part of her teenage years, Zinnia added as some kind of answer.
"That or she's an obvious pervert." Brenton's words felt truer than Zinnia's and she knew it. Her liege had an unhealthy interest in the opposite sex.
All they could hear was Ebony's giggling and Remus's grumbling. He was not pleased with his predicament. He found a scroll in front of him and noticed it was Ebony's. "Let's take a picture to remember this," she said and snapped a photo too fast for him to decline. "I'm going to send this to Clair and-"
She suddenly felt an arm on her chest and it tore her apart from the Blue Flicker. She whined like a child and found Azura serving the role of her cousin's guardian. Her face showed no-nonsense as she had her eyes glued to the Vantablack getting too handsy with her cousin. "You seem to be having a lot of fun, so I take it you found the Roaming Grimm already. After all, you're just lounging around, right?"
Ebony only laughed.
"And you," Azura addressed Remus in a scolding tone, "learn to refuse someone once in a while. It's not gonna hurt to fight back." Remus looked to the floor because he knew she was right. This temporary alliance was not an excuse for Ebony to do whatever she wanted.
"Since you asked, I have been able to pinpoint where the Grimm will most likely be headed next. I'm certain we will find it."
"How sure?" Remus asked out of pure curiosity and Ebony loved the look he made.
"Ninety-eight percent sure," she said in a sing-song voice, speaking as if she was explaining things to a child. All Azura could do was roll her eyes. She hated how Ebony's confidence in everything seemed permanent.
"That's high." Remus grinned at Azura who didn't feel the same way, given their current company. Even if Monochrome was temporarily out of the way, the rest of the Champions were still a massive threat. Ebony's word is the only thing preventing a betrayal and she hoped it was enough.
Setting: Nexus
"What is wrong with our children? They just won't listen," Clair whined to Violet. She and Violet were outside the duplex with their respective groups. With their Cobalts missing, they needed to discuss their next course of action.
Silver brought everyone water as they talked in the hot sun and made sure to stay by the door. He didn't want to be outside for too long. It was the same for Ghost who didn't like sweating. Bianca grabbed a cup of ice water from her boyfriend and stood between Clair and Zelts who leaned against the duplex. Clair stood within the group while Violet was listening in from their driveway.
She was working on Fantasia. Onyx was kind enough to teach her the difference between a car and a hovercar and she was a fast learner. Underneath Fantasia, Violet was still giving her friend her attention. "They aren't children, but you're right about them being reckless. I knew Remus was distraught over Blood and the look in Azura's eyes was obvious, but I didn't think…"
"Taking matters into their own hands is stupid," Ghost commented disapprovingly.
"Those two were bonded to Blood more than the rest of us. They all came from the same home and they were the last survivors. Even though he wasn't a Cobalt, they thought of him like family…"
"So did we," Ghost added with more venom than he wanted. He pulled back from his aggressive tone. "It's not like he was their only friend."
Silver nudged Ghost's shoulder. He understood the loss. They were both going through it.
"Azura took my hovercar. They can go quite a distance, but it's not like we can't find them with an airship. We'll find them eventually, then give them a good scolding. Maybe punish them if my car is scratched."
"Some harsh words might be enough," Zelts chimed in. Another chime was the sound of Clair's scroll.
She received a message and judging from her face, it was something unexpected. Her brows furrowed and her nose scrunched. Her usual pretty expression was warped with confusion and perhaps irritation. "Um… I may have to punish them. Severely."
Her words confused everyone around her. The Lady of Nexus turned her scroll so her screen was visible to everyone.
"Idiots," Bianca said, surprising everyone. She wasn't the type to insult others and usually reserved insults for Silver and Ghost exclusively.
It was hard for Zelts to deny she was right. This was too foolish even for them.
Violet pulled herself out from beneath Fantasia and saw everyone's faces. The only word she could come up with to fit the description was stupefied. Her eyes turned to the screen and she focused to see what was on it.
It was a picture of an angry Remus and Ebony with the latter cuddling up to him. Some captions came with this image.
"I caught a wild Remus!"
"I never thought I would say this; I'm going to kill Remus," Violet said with an eerily calm face.
SIlver and Zelts recoiled in fear for their young friend. If this Grimm didn't kill him, she will.
Setting: Ruined Settlement
Bloodstained sand was everywhere, and structures were reduced to piles of rubble. It was the same seen nearly everyone in Vacuo was used to. A group of people tried to establish themselves and they were destroyed. Wiped off the map before they had a place on it. This was nothing new.
Above the site was Ebony's airship and standing on top of it was Ebony herself. She scanned the area below in search of people who luckily survived the catastrophe or the thing that caused it; the Roaming Grimm.
"See anything?" Remus asked as he walked to her side. He knelt to survey the area as well.
Ebony didn't turn her head but her eyes were on him. She grinned mischievously. Quietly approaching her right was Azura. She said nothing as she looked down at the destruction. However, Ebony could tell the Sky-Blue Warrior was watching her like a Nevermore. There hasn't been one time she left her alone, or more precisely, Azura hasn't left her alone with Remus once. She wasn't surprised. It was written all over her face what she intended to do with him.
"Let's focus on the mission," Azura stated to everyone before jumping off the airship.
She activated the fire dust in her ankles to release small, strong bursts of flames to slow her descent. When she reached the ground, she already found Remus there, undoubtedly using his semblance to cover the distance. The two of them stood in the middle of the ruined town looking in all directions for their prey.
"I don't see it," Remus said as he kept looking, using the scope of his bionic eye to increase the range of his vision.
"It's here," Azura told him, "I can feel it."
There was still nothing around them. Nothing to be seen or heard.
Then, dread.
A dark feeling overwhelmed the area. Bloodlust. Carnage. Death.
It was coming.
"Ready, little brother?" Azura asked her cousin.
"Yes," was his reply as a black beast sprang toward them.
Appearing out of nowhere and screaming a disturbing wail. It was the same as the last time Azura encountered it. The Roaming Grimm approached them as it climbed atop the tallest pile of debris. It looked down on them in silence with its three arms twitching.
The Charming Vantablack watched from above as she did before and noticed something new about the Grimm. Its body had more bone plating around its body, arms, and legs. Azura acknowledged it too and wondered what was going on. Then, the bone armor began to recede into its body. Selective armor? The reason didn't matter much to her. If its arm could be blown off, it could be killed.
The Grimm's head shifted in Azura's direction and she could feel its eyes on her. Both of them knew the fight had already started.
She blinked and the Roaming Grimm was gone. The pile of rubble the monster stood on top of fell apart. She wasn't mentally prepared yet and she regretted it. If she were ready, then this wouldn't have happened. It was just like the first time she saw the Grimm and Blood got involved and she knew how that turned out. This time, the Grimm lunged for her at tremendous speed, but the other Cobalt was faster. Without drawing Delta, Remus intercepted the Grimm before it could reach Azura, kicking it in its abdominals with enough force to send it flying back into a pile of wood. He landed several feet in front of her. He was ready for the battle. Why wasn't she?
"I thought you said you were-"
"Shut up," she interrupted harshly, "not all of us are insanely fast."
His expression was unknown to her as she faced his back. Did he feel hurt by her brashness? She figured not as she watched him draw Delta. He split his sword into two and threw the single-edged sword portion to Azura and he kept the smaller short sword. With her staff gone, she had no weapon to fight with. He bettered their chances by doing this.
The rubble beneath their feet began to rumble and a man-sized mound formed where the Grimm was launched. It began to move towards them hastily until it reached Remus. Three black arms protruded from the ground and took a vice-like grip on Remus's arms with the third grabbing his neck. The Roaming Grimm rose and glared at the one who attacked it. Remus had a serious face and he didn't falter from his windpipe slowly being crushed.
This Grimm was fast and strong. How experienced was it in combat?
The Grimm continued to tighten its grip until it felt nothing and saw blue fog. It found nothing in its sight except a flash of steel and lightning. Lightning ran across its body as Azura pierced the Grimm with the sword imbued with lightning dust.
She aimed straight for their chest but felt resistance to her attack. It didn't fully connect as she expected, but she knew this wasn't going to be an easy fight. As the fog cleared, Azura could see the Roaming Grimm's chest had one plating covering it. The armor inside itself came out and protected it from serious damage, but the fact the Roaming Grimm anticipated her attack impressed Azura. This Grimm was cunning and had experience fighting Huntsmen. Experienced Grimm was always the most dangerous.
She could feel the killing intent in her enemy as it raised its arms to strike her from both sides. The left arm was coming first. She blocked the arm with her own and she followed up with Pulse. The impact of the blow created the shockwave she needed to blow the Grimm away. It was blasted away but she could see more armor growing from its body.
It landed on its feet and skidded across the ground, still standing and glaring at Azura then it found Remus running to her side.
"This thing is tough. I don't think any of our attacks hurt it," Remus summarized while keeping his guard up.
"Yeah. We need to hit it harder," Azura said and she grinned. "Cobalt Dynasty."
Remus smiled.
Their movements were sudden, fluid, and hard to anticipate. Using his speed and her semblance, Remus and Azura were out of the Roaming Grimm line of sight. A second later, Remus was on his left and Azura was on his right. Both a breath away and wielding both halves of Delta.
Both blades made contact with the Grimm, but only with the arms. The Roaming Grimm had sharp enough reflexes to raise two of its arms to block the blades. Its armor was able to withstand the blows, but the blades were still able to partially slice through it. An arm on each side was used to defend itself, but the Grimm had two on one side and only one on the other side Azura was on.
She pushed its arm aside and swiftly delivered a kick to the Grimm's face using Pulse to blow it away even further. The shockwave was felt by Remus and the sensation made his battle senses tremble. He moved in to strike, not giving the enemy a second to do anything. He reached the Grimm while it was still flying and slashed at it with the short sword. The speed of the swing gave it enough force to slice through the armor on its arms and send the Grimm flying into a pile of debris. The Roaming Grimm crashed through it and Remus was immediately at its side. He slammed his palm into its chest and sent it crashing into the ground. He jumped away from the Grimm and several orbs of fire fell upon their location, bombarding the Grimm and engulfing the area in flames. They waited.
In the flames, the Roaming Grimm roared and the fires dispersed with a swing of its arms. Its body was beginning to grow plating including its arms which appeared rougher than the first set. It didn't look injured. All they managed to do was anger the Grimm. Whether it was looking at Remus or Azura was unknown. The two Cobalts made sure to stand on its left and right, using their superior numbers to confuse and overwhelm it.
The first to move was Remus as he ran right for the Grimm and connected his knee with its face. It cracked but didn't give. Azura used Pulse at her feet to propel her forward and closed the distance. She raised her sword to run the blade through its neck, but the Roaming Grimm swatted at her, hitting her shoulder and knocking her aside. It did the same to Remus, but the young Cobalt kicked himself off the Grimm to avoid the hit, but it followed after him before he could land. A swipe of its clawed hand and it collided with the short sword as Remus was able to parry the attack from his compromised position but he was left open and struck in the chest by the arms on the other side. Both slammed into him, hitting his chest and stomach, and launched him away as well.
He felt like he was hit by three trucks at once. Its strength was tremendous as well as its speed and reaction time, but as he flew through the air, Remus learned something else about the Grimm, something dangerous.
Azura got to her feet and found the Grim approaching her and she brought her sword up to fight. A swing of its arm and she dodged it. Another came her way and she ducked to avoid it, but she found a third fist coming from below. It struck her as an uppercut, lifting her several feet off the ground.
Her bones rattled from the impact and she felt three more punches hit her body. Her aura was taking the hits, but she still felt the wind escape her lungs. Was it over? Is the Grimm still hitting me? Why haven't I felt my feet touch the ground? Those thoughts raced through her head as she flew above ground, sent soaring by the Grimm before crashing to the ground. She rolled and tumbled before stopping but she felt a hand grip her ankle. The Roaming Grimm lifted the Cobalt by her foot and was ready to pummel her to nothing.
Seeing it was the Grimm, she got flashes of Blood, dying for her, and she felt life return to her eyes. And fury. A massive discharge of lightning dust was released from her captive ankle. She rarely unleashed this much dust at once because it strained her muscles, but the adrenaline coursing through her made that risk moot. Lightning scorched the ground, surrounding objects, and the Roaming Grimm. The lightning electrocuted the Grimm as well as knocked it away. Her feet were imbued with the shocking element and Azura's eyes were filled with rage. Her powerful emotions were drawing the Grimm toward her. It was going into a frenzy and focusing solely on her.
Be it progression, her force of will or anger mixed with stubbornness, something new happened with Azura. As lightning dust was active on her ankles fire dust was igniting on her wrists. Whether she was aware of it or not, Azura was using two different types of dust at the same time, a feat she couldn't do until now. Fire covering her arms and lightning surging from the waist down, Azura looked frightening.
So enthralled by her raw emotions, the Roaming Grimm failed to notice the other combatant that stabbed into its back. A smaller blade pierced the armor on its back then a leg smashed into its face. It was knocked backward as Remus moved passed it in one quick movement. He reunited with his cousin but he saw her appearance and took it in. Even he felt some fear inch up his spine.
"Azura?" he asked, hoping she would respond calmly.
Her eyes fell on him and she looked less horrifying. The snarl and gritted teeth vanished. "Yeah?"
She was still there. "The armor growing from its body grows back stronger whenever we break it."
"Then we just need to keep hitting it until we reach the actual body. We'll pierce through eventually."
"Cobalt Dynasty again?" he asked with a grin.
"Yeah, but let's kick it up a couple of notches." The flames on her right arm reached the sword and it was imbued with the element.
The Roaming Grimm was rising again with the armor on its face cracking even more. A shard of it fell off and its red and orange eye could be seen through it. All three combatants stood there until the Grimm moved first, lifting its arms then Remus and Azura moved in to strike.
With lighting on her feet, Azura was moving faster than before. She wasn't keeping up with Remus, but she was sure this boost would help better coordinate their attacks. Remus ran at the Grimm and had his sword aimed at the chest. A swing with that incredible speed had a large amount of force behind it. He swung his blade and he struck the armor on its chest and it cracked. Azura came from the other side and hit the same spot. The armor broke. They turned around to attack while it was vulnerable, but they found new armor already replacing it which was vexing, but it made them happy. This battle gave them a chance to go all-out.
Ebony continued to watch from above. Sitting on the edge of her airship with a smile. "Cobalts. They really are frightening."
The Roaming Grimm couldn't keep up with their speed at first, but it was starting to adapt. It was learning when to strike and defend. Remus approached from behind then took a quick step to the Grimm's left to hit its leg. Instead of its leg, the blade met the Grimm's arm, blocking the attack with the new, more durable armor. It withstood his attack but it was cracking as well. The Grimm kicked Remus away but the Cobalt didn't go far. He landed on his hands and flipped to his feet before coming back to continue the onslaught. The reason the kick wasn't strong enough was that the Grimm was struck by a burning blade. The back of its knees was wounded from Azura who struck before it could deliver a full force kick. Her attack did gain her enemy's attention and it turned around to kick her, but she lifted her lightning-infused leg and blocked the blow. She also used the impact to activate Pulse and create a shockwave between them. It blasted them away with the Grimm taking the brunt of the damage. As it flew, Remus came from behind struck its backside with his palm, breaking through the armor.
The Grimm tumbled and rolled into the ground before kicking itself back up with new armor forming on its body once more. It raised its head to find the Cobalts dashing to its location and it was getting a better understanding of their abilities. It was gradually adapting. Reaching around itself, the Grimm grabbed a handful of debris and threw it in the Cobalts' direction. Piles of wood, stone, and metal were flying across the battlefield. It was even strong enough to lift huge boulders with one arm and hurl them with ease.
Destruction was easy for Azura. She changed the dust in her wrist from fire to lightning and threw bolts of lightning at any debris coming her way. If she missed any on her path to her target, she cut them down with her sword. Remus had the smaller half of Delta. He couldn't slice through the debris with ease like her, so he ducked and dodged all of them.
Azura kept going with her lightning-enhanced speed until she felt a horrible sensation in her legs. They were dragging. She was slowing down. Why? Then, she felt her muscles tighten and seize up. Looking down, Azura could see the lightning dust couldn't stay active anymore and she pushed her dust tattoos to their limit. One more step and Azura fell forward, falling on her hands and knees.
"No! Not now!"
This falter left her vulnerable to the Roaming Grimm who ran to her and had its clawed hand ready to strike. It was the same attack it used on her when Blood protected and died for her. As the Grimm came her way, she also noticed Remus moving in to defend her.
"No… Not again…"
Remus was the fastest one here, but the Roaming was fast as well and the distance between it and Azura wasn't vast. Reemus wouldn't reach in time to protect her completely. The scene with Blood played in her head.
"AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!" Azura wailed in anger and fear.
She slammed her fist on the ground and she activated Pulse, creating a massive shockwave that repelled everything around her. Remus and the Grimm were blown back from her semblance. The power behind this pulse was great as several bone platings began to break apart around the Grimm, leaving it bare. Its face was revealed and it was simply black except for the eyes and the mouth was hard to find. The Grimm landed on its feet, but Remus used Checkpoint to teleport from the air to Azura's side.
"Are you-"
"Don't worry about me!" she shouted ragefully. "I'm. Not. Done!" she rose to her feet even though they felt so heavy. "My aura will take the burden, so let's go."
"I don't have aura much left," she thought, keeping that part to herself.
Remus watched her then felt the monster approach. He turned to see it already grew new armor. This set had to be incredibly strong after all the beatings he and Azura gave it, but he noticed there was one place the armor was taking its time returning; the face.
Half of the Roaming Grimm's face was covered in new armor and it was slowly growing back. That was their mark. That's where they needed to deliver the-
Azura propelled herself forward with Pulse, charging for her foe. He had no choice but to follow after her. She created small torrents of flames from her palms and used them to boost her speed further since using dust in her legs did nothing but harm herself. With Remus passing her, they jettisoned to the Grimm that raised its arms to put up its guard.
A swing of his blade as he passed by and Remus struck the armor on the arm. There was hardly a nick or dent. Its defenses have gotten too strong. He pivots his foot to strike the head but his blade met the Grimm's hand instead. It had adapted to his speed. A strong grip on the short sword prevented Remus from using it, but he wasn't the only threat. Azura came in with a burning fist but a hand came to catch that as well. Cobalts on both sides again.
"Do it!" Remus shouted.
Azura used her semblance the moment her fist hit the Grimm's palm and a fiery shockwave was created. The unexpected attack Sent the Grimm flying along with Remus who didn't let go of his sword. As they spun through the air, Remus reached out and placed his hand on the Grimm and used Checkpoint. They both vanished. Azura, with her arms still cloaked in flames, turned around and reeled her fist back. Remus and the Grimm reappeared in front of her and threw her punch against the Grimm's face. She struck the armor which shattered as the Grimm was knocked by a couple of dozen feet.
As the Grimm flew a few feet above the ground, Remus used Checkpoint again, but used Round Robin between him and the monster, switching places instantly. It came back to Azura, unable to guard itself as it tumbled in the dirt, then she delivered a burning clothesline that struck its chest and made it skid into the ground before stopping.
She turned to keep striking, but the Grimm was up and up close. It unleashed a quick barrage of punches to her body and had a big one ready for her face, but Remus swooped in using his semblance and took the hit for her. He defended himself by using his arms as a shield but it wasn't enough to protect him from harm. The punch knocked him away and his aura took a big hit, but it gave Azura a chance to strike back and she did with a kick to its chin, making the Grimm reel back and create some distance between them. She wanted to make its head pop with Pulse, but her aura was gone after getting punched back to back.
Remus got up and saw Azura and the Grimm stagger a bit. Its head was its weak point and they needed to abuse that fact. He used Checkpoint to teleport behind the Grimm and sever its head, but he saw nothing but white and felt his head being gripped.
The Roaming Grimm, adapting to Remus's semblance, anticipated where he would go and it was correct. It had the young Cobalt in its clutches then quickly slammed Remus down into the ground and it created a Remus-sized crater. After several uses of Checkpoint and the beating he has taken, his aura shattered. It didn't stop there as it lifted Remus and had its arms bent and fingers straightened. Even in pain and blindness, Remus didn't stop fighting. He still held onto his short sword to fight back. The captive couldn't see what was going on, but Azura could.
It was going to impale him. Remus was going to die. Azura was going to lose another one. She was going to be the only one left. The last remaining Cobalt. It wouldn't have happened if he didn't come to her defense earlier. Once again, this was her fault-
"NO!" she thought.
Indescribable pain and death filled the next scene along with a scream.
The Roaming Grimm's claws were inches away from the Blue Flicker's throat and chest, but what was closer to him was a lance of ice. It was near the side of his head, but it was protruding from the Grimm's, running through it from Azura's hand. She held an icy spear while she was surrounded by fire
Adrenaline returned to her once more, ignited by her desire to protect the person who means the most to her. She didn't want to lose her cousin and be left alone. With no concern for her well-being, Azura activated the dust in her ankles. The swelling and cramping of her muscles was intense but not a priority to her at the moment. She jetted to the Grimm then formed a spear of ice with the dust in her arms and ran it through the Grimm's head before it could react to her or attack him.
Her legs were burning and killing her at the same time, but she didn't care. She did it. Blood was avenged and Remus was kept safe.
The Roaming Grimm stood there, unmoving. Eventually, it let go of Remus who no longer having any strength, then it stood there for a few more seconds until its body began to fade into dust. Azura walked past it as it disintegrated, completely ignoring the demon behind her to check on the person in front of her.
Remus laid in the sand and rubble with a withering look. That changed when he found Azura and he could smile a little. Her legs were beyond torn. The pain made it impossible for her to walk so she fell to her knees beside him.
"Are you okay? Can you move?" she asked.
"Probably more than you. Do you need me to carry you back to the airship?" Reemus asked and it made Azura chuckle. He wasn't joking. He asked her a serious question and it made her laugh. Her laughing must've been contagious because it made Remus laugh. The two Cobalts had a laughing fit at their situation.
The Charming Vantablack still watched from above but she was accompanied by Zinnia who stated, "It's over. Ready?"
"Naturally," Ebony responded.
Their giggles and chuckles finally died down and silence filled space. Azura looked up at the sky and watched its slow transition from blue to orange. The sun was setting. They've been gone for most of the day so the others obviously knew what they were doing. "We're going to get an earful when we get back,"
"Do you think Blood is happy now?" Remus asked, snapping her out of her daydreaming.
His question made her wonder. They risked life and limb to avenge their fallen friend, but Azura thought about the type of person Blood was. If he were here, he'd probably scold them for doing something so stupid even if it was on his behalf. His face would be etched in disappointment. She compared it to how he looked when he died. He smiled, happily and truthfully.
"Blood's always been happy. That's who he was," Azura answered with certainty. Remus's heart warmed at the thought. Blood was happy. At peace. It was a merry time for the two Cobalts but all things must come to an end.
"That was quite a spectacle," they heard a familiar voice call from a distance. Remus lifted himself by his elbows, but it was a little painful to turn his head. Azura could see who it was and her small smile turned to a thin line. Ebony walked to them with Zinnia ever at her side.
"So, you managed to avenge Ash. How do you feel?" Ebony asked.
Azure refused to answer. She could tell something was wrong. The air around them felt tense.
"As promised, I found the Grimm and allowed you to kill it. Our deal is complete," she stated with a loving smile. "So, our collaboration project is over, meaning we're back to our status quo."
Her instincts were right. This was a dangerous situation and Azura doubted there was anything they could do. Even so, she tried to rise to her feet, but it was no use. Her muscles were too strained. Attempting to rise only made her fall as she collapsed to the ground. Her body past its limit long ago.
Ebony and Zinnia walked to them with their weapons still sheathed. They doubted these two could put up any semblance of a fight. Remus tried to turn around but he felt a pair of hands press into his back. "It's okay, sweetie, I got you," Ebony whispered in his ear before taking hold of him. She hoisted him over her shoulders and carried him away. He tried to get wrest out of her hold but he had no strength left. All he did was make the Charming Vantablack think his attempt at escape futile and adorable.
"Dammit. Let him…" Azura couldn't move her body as it betrayed her desires. It remained still while she wanted to move and save her cousin. There was nothing she could do. Zinnia marched up to her and knelt by her side. The Paragon said nothing to her and did nothing to her. All she did was take the other half of Delta from her hand. The two girls left with Remus, leaving Azura by herself in an abandoned settlement. The Sky-Blue Warrior could nothing else but lay there and eventually close her eyes with fatigue forcing her to rest.
Black. Everything was black.
"Y… h…. ...d"
"Hmm…"
".n. … th..g.. ..is thr…"
There were voices around Azura. She could hardly make out who was speaking or what was being said, but they were rousing her from sleep.
"Mmm… Ah…" Azura managed to open her eyes. She tasted sand in her mouth, felt it decorating her face and hair. Feeling grains of sand in her mouth, the first thing she did when she awoke was wretch in disgust then started spitting as much of it off her tongue as possible.
"That's nice. Spitting on the guy who helped carry you in here. Smooth Azura," a familiar voice said to her.
Recognizing someone was with her, Azura opened her eyes to find Ghost sitting across from her. There was some of her spit and sand on his clothing. She didn't feel bad because she was mostly confused. "Where am…"
"You're in a whole lot of trouble, that's where you are!" an authoritative voice barked at her and she flinched. Azura turned to find Clair looking down at her sternly.
"Also you're in her airship," Ghost answered casually as he wiped spit off his shirt and jacket.
"Oh…" Azura responded then she remembered everything that happened until now "Oh," she said with realization.
"You are lucky my hovercar has a built-in tracker and Violet was able to track Remus. If you something that stupid again, I'll bound you to your bed for a month," Clair threatened it sounded like she meant it. Azura's eyes flicked over to Ghost who shook his head. Clair's words were not to be taken likely.
"Uh, I'm… I'm sorry." her head hung low when she apologized. Despite her victory, she was not proud of her actions. Her vendetta came with a lot of sacrifices.
Sacrifice…
She rose from her seat and turned to Clair with shock and worry. "Ebony! Ebony has Remus! What are we-"
"It's being taken care of," another voice said. She turned around to find Bianca in the airship's kitchen. Taking in her surroundings, Azura realized she was in the airship's common area and she was laying on the couch.
Clair scoffed when Bianca answered, crossing her arms in obvious disdain. The white-haired Enforcer walked over to the others with a glass of water in her hands. She gave it to Azura to help clear her throat then said, "The other members of VRSZ are going after their teammate."
"Will they be okay?" Azura asked after gulping down more than half the glass.
"Who knows," Ghost answered. "I can't tell with them sometimes. I can't believe they planned this far ahead."
"What do you mean?"
"Apparently, you were played, Azura," Ghost told her. "Everything you did was planned by Violet and Remus. She knew you would contact Ebony to get revenge and get Remus involved. Not only that, but she anticipated Ebony taking you guys captive at some point and used you as a bargaining chip."
"Are you serious?" the Sky-Blue Warrior couldn't believe they thought of everything. This whole time, her cousin was playing dumb.
"Violet told us her plan then went after Remus with Silver and Zelts. Your little cousin has his own built-in tracker and only Violet can track him. They're going to follow Ebony then strike her team when they least expect it," Ghost concluded.
"She could've told me about her little plan," Clair said in annoyance.
"I guess she wanted it to be authentic," Bianca offered as a reason.
"I can't believe it," Azura said to herself but the others heard. This type of deception and planning was something she usually witnessed in Clair's planning and Ebony's schemes. She figured after being used by the Charming Vantablack so many times made Violet want to come out on top for once. "I hope they beat her."
"Me too," Clair commented, but she still looked upset.
Setting: Desert
Racing through the desert at night was Fantasia with the other members of VRSZ inside. Zelts sat there with intense focus and Silver was fine-tuning Fenrir. Violet drove the vehicle while looking at her scroll. She could see the delta signal moving across the map. Wherever Remus was, Ebony was there too and she couldn't wait to see both of them.
Setting: Ebony's Airship
Remus sat in the common area, tied to a chair. His legs and arms were bound tight and he was blindfolded. Ebony looked at Brenton's work and felt assured Remus wasn't going anywhere. All she had to do now was use him as the perfect bait for the rest of VRSZ.
Satisfied, she left the common area to sleep in her room. On the back of Remus's neck, his back tattoo could be seen. All he had to do now was wait for the others to come and get the drop on the Champions. He felt confident VRSZ's next encounter will be in their favor.
If I never explained this, then I'll make it clear now. When pronouncing Remus's name, the 'Re' is pronounced like 'Ray.' His name sounds like'Ray-mus.'
Cobalt Dynasty is Remus and Azura's team attack. It is simply the two of them overwhelming enemies with the former's superior speed and the other's superior strength. It's very similar to Thick as Thieves and VRSZ Fantasia in regards to it having no real strategy and using more improvised attacks.
Avenging Blood gave Remus and Azura new theme songs. Azura actually adopts a sing from Remus's playlist. XY&Z (English Cover) by JorporXx. The intensity of the song and the lyrics of rising to the challenge by working together define Azura's newfound worldview after this event and Blood's death. She wants to make sure she is strong enough not to lose anyone and fight with them. It also describes Azura and Remus's rivalry.
His World (Cover) by NatewantsToBattle is Remus's new song. The previous song, Rise, dealt with his desire to be the Delta. Now that he reached it, he needed a song that expressed his maturity while keeping his character as a speed-based fighter. Honestly, no other song helps define that better than this song. Also, since he was the finalized product of Project New World and he came into his own person with the progression of the series, I think the transition from New World to His World is perfect for his theme.
