A/N: Finally, another chapter for everyone to see! Ugh, I swear, I feel like I will pass out from the non-stop work I have to deal with for 15 hours a day. And yet, I managed to find some time to at least work on the chapters for the story as you all know updating this story is my main focus while trying to find time to update the others. I know you guys are wondering when I will update my other stories and my answer is be patient. I have been working day and night in two jobs and rarely get 5 hours of sleep and 1 hour to relax between both jobs. The money I get is to help myself and my family given what has been going on with the ongoing pandemic. Helping my family is far more important so bare with me with patience. Thank you. Now, with that out of the way, let us start the newest chapter to this story.
NOTE: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ REMNANT OF DESIRES, READ IT BEFORE YOU START READING THIS STORY.
NOTE 2: RATING MAY CHANGE TO 'M' IN THE FUTURE
Third Person View
'Thought'
Greeed/Yummies
The Grimm Greeed stared at the ocean waters, his yellow lenses aimed at the horizon. No matter how many days have gone by, it still felt that emptiness in its soul yet it felt like it held no soul either. Days of looking back on the moment it rose from the medals that… gave it life as the humans say. A mere homunculus yet it held urges to kill. Urges he had good control on unlike its petty kin from the Grimm side.
The dark Rider gripped the lance tightly, once again feeling that connection. The whispers that are trying to command it to obey. Of his Grimm instincts, it wanted to obey her, but with instincts as a Greeed, its focus quickly shoved it down. His Core Energy protected him once again.
The voices of the female were no longer heard. He won't obey anyone. He will follow his own path and go after OOO in order to feel complete to become the new god of Remnant.
His fingers drum the lance irritably and impatiently. After the fight with OOO being interrupted by one of his fellow Greeed kind, he had to improvise. No matter how long it took, no matter the bodies it had to leave behind, he will be a god. Just as Gara tried to do.
The only thing in his way is that bastard, OOO.
Taking a moment to calm itself, he flicked his hand to allow a Cell Medal to appear between its fingers. Canceling his armor, he flicked the Cell Medal into his forehead.
The black void appeared in his back before a Grimm-Yummy spawned from him. Glancing at the Yummy, the latter tilted its head. It was waiting for its command.
"Poison all of them." Poseidon commanded darkly.
Remnants of Desires: After the Fall
Chapter 11: The Spider, Testing Bonds, A Cure
Another day, another usual attempt to convince the Menagerie locals to help us. With another attempt foiled by Ilia, again, it was starting to annoy us. With the Brothers and Ilia preventing us from making any progress, we had to keep improvising. The downside was no matter how much hard work we do, it was getting worse to convince everyone to help stop the White Fang.
It frustrated Blake alot and I don't blame her. And after the incident with Ilia's desire leading to a Yummy, it was making it worse for us.
At least now, we haven't had much trouble lately from any Yummy attacks. It had been… somewhat okay. Each time I relaxed alone, I kept my guard up from caution. I am pretty sure the others were the same. Gamel, knowing the childish Greeed, he just strode along and followed Pyrrha.
I took a moment to look at the ocean, seeing the horizon. I do miss the others and I was glad that Ruby, Weiss, and the remaining members of Team JNPR were doing okay. But every time I tried to contact Yang, she never responded. No calls returned or messages.
A gut feeling told me Yang was definitely upset at me.
I sighed tiredly, my eyes meeting the reflection in the water. The minor ripples that brush against the support beams of the wooden floors of the tropical area of Kuo Kuana. In a minute, my reflection abruptly changed to my child self. My child self cried as he stood there.
When I blinked again, the reflection was normal. I rubbed my eyes, and saw nothing but my own reflection, not my younger self. That was odd. Suddenly a hand was placed on my shoulder, forcing me to grab my O-Calibur from my hip on sudden instinct and quickly aimed at the person who took hold of me.
My eyes met the familiar gold orbs.
"Enrique, it's me." Blake consoled.
I froze before placing the legendary relic back into the sheath. "S-Sorry Blake." I grasped my head. "Didn't know what came over me…"
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah just… thinking is all."
"You have been like this for a few days, are you sure?"
"Blake, I'm okay, really." I assured her. I don't know if it was from my own paranoia after Poseidon's attack or the constant fighting getting the best of my fighting instincts.
"Maybe you should just head home and sleep? It can't be healthy to stay up for so long." She suggested with a worried look on her face.
"Probably." I rubbed my arm. "How's everything on your end?"
Blake's cheeks gained a pink hue. "It's been okay… my mom wouldn't stop teasing about us..."
"I could see why." I quipped.
The cat Faunus gently pushed me and said, "Geez, you're just as bad as she is…"
I laughed softly. "Come on, I'm just joking."
"Knowing you? You tend to do that at times."
She knew I often teased her on certain things during our time in Beacon. Her mom however, she took it to another level to us both. It embarrassed Blake and myself every time. Kali was as worse as my dad, bless his soul.
We both knew Kali did this due to her caring nature. She was just too happy to see Blake out of her shell and with someone who can support her, just as much as she can to him or I should say, me.
"So… any ideas about convincing the locals to help?"
Just asking the question made Blake's Faunus ears to fold slightly. The gaze of her amber eyes drifting to the left and the sense of frustration being noticeable once again.
"I take it that it didn't go well again?"
"Yeah… I am getting tired of the fact that everyone doesn't realize how much worse it is becoming. I know they're afraid of going against the White Fang but violence isn't the answer… it has to stop."
I understand how she felt. All her life, she wanted to do things right but when violence was used to gain what the Faunus wanted, it unsettled her. To the point she had to leave. Yeah, she was tired of the constant violence the group has done. Including the fact that the brothers believe Adam's ideals is the answer.
Violence is never an answer. I know violence led to an end to things back home but enough is enough as they say.
"Blake, I know it is frustrating and difficult to convince everyone but it takes time."
"But for how long? We're running out of time. You remember what Adam plans for Haven Academy?"
I bit my lip at the reminder. She was right. We are on a time limit and we needed something to convince everyone here in Menagerie to help us stop the White Fang. "I…" God, why did it have to feel this difficult for me? "We'll think of something okay?" I tried to assure her.
"I know you will." She smiled, pecking my cheek, "Just like how you were able to free me of my doubts and fears back at Beacon." She trailed off, reminiscing about the good memories we had in the school.
"Blake?"
"... What… What do you think everyone is doing right now?"
"Probably doing the same thing we're doing right now. Helping others."
"... and Yang?"
I winced. "Er… she hasn't responded to my calls."
"I… figured…." She responded sadly, "Guess… she still hates me for abandoning her… and you..."
There goes the positive atmosphere. "Blake I-"
"I should see how the others are doing." She decided and walked away.
I groaned and said to myself, "I am such an idiot…"
Blake mulled over the things going on. She was frustrated. Every single time, their chance was stopped. By the Brothers. By Ilia.
Time was running out and no one in Menagerie wanted to get involved with the opposition of the White Fang. She didn't want a repeat of Beacon to happen at Haven Academy. While that concerned her, she was also concerned about her boyfriend.
He has been bothered about something. His eyes held that sense of… guilt. Was it from the incident in Beacon? It couldn't be about his family as he was able to let go of them. He reacted whenever he was taken by surprise. Literally on edge with his weapon in hand.
Could his state involve the attack by the Grimm Greeed? It left her with questions. Something clearly was bothering him.
"Enrique… what is bothering you?" She murmured.
Screaming suddenly startled Blake and she began to notice people fleeing. Was it another attack by some Yummies? Was it Adam himself? Her hand reached for her weapon. Whatever it was, she needed to see it and help her people.
She ran before stopping a fellow Faunus. "What's going on?"
"A-A Grimm! It is attacking everyone in the street market!"
"A Grimm?" She doubted it was a normal Grimm. She dashed to the market and skidded on her feet to see a humanoid spider. Its torso was covered in bone plating while four legs poke out of its back while its two claws and legs serve as the remaining limbs. The shoulders were draped with webbing to serve as a makeshift short cape while two pairs of red eyes were seen on its hideous face.
It was a Spider Grimm-Yummy. She watched a Faunus try to run but it shot a web from its palm and dragged him close. Then it used its four legs on its back to release needles, covering the poor Faunus in a green aura and fell back onto the dirt, poisoned.
When the Yummy noticed her, Blake held her weapon tightly and defensively. She watched its hideous mandibles click against each other much to her disgust.
"Must poison all." It was following its orders from its host. No doubt the Grimm Greeed. Blake quickly slid a Cell Medal into the mechanism of Gambol Shroud and fired at it. However it jumped onto the top of a cart. She hissed and fired against but it evaded by jumping onto the tree, clinging like a spider.
"Hey!" The Yummy looked but a shield knocked it off the tree and onto the dirt.
The Cat Faunus took heed of her fellow teammate already in the Proto-Birth armor. The shield flew back to the redhead's waiting hand. "I got here as soon as I could when Gamel told me of a Yummy!"
"We have to get it away from here!" Blake ordered.
"Right!"
The Yummy scowled in annoyance. It launched webs at the two but their teamwork and experience with fighting allowed them to act quick and evade. When it was about to attack Blake, Proto-Birth used her javelin's rifle-mode to cause Cell Medals to bleed off its body from each shot.
It grunted and launched itself towards the armored redhead. She raised her shield, stopping it in place. While the impact pushed her back, Proto-Birth firmly planted her feet on the dirt, its claws trying to pry through but instead its other legs struck her armor from each jab; on her shoulders and legs. Sparks bleed off her armor, forcing the Invincible Girl to use her Semblance to toss the Grimm-Yummy to the palm tree.
The kaijin groaned before a few fruits landed on its head. It rubbed its scalp in irritation to the girls' interference. Standing back on its feet, it leaped across the area when the two Huntresses began to fire. Thrusting the left arm, a glob of web was launched to Blake but her reflexes enabled her to duck.
"Aah!"
Blake swiveled her head to look behind her, seeing a Faunus caught in the web, trapped on the dirt. The Yummy must have noticed it because it now looked at the now trapped Faunus. Its mandibles clicked and the red eyes shifted into a devious gaze.
"Poison all." It parroted. The tip of the four appendages on its back gained the familiar needles she saw earlier, its target now in its sights. The four spider legs on its back reared back and flicked the needles towards the poor squirrel Faunus.
The villager whimpered but the needles didn't pierce her. Proto-Birth was horrified to who stopped it.
Standing in front of the Faunus was Blake.
"H-Hey now… it'll be… okay…." Blake winced, as she was the one who not only protected the young Faunus, but used her body as a shield. She felt the poison kick in, forcing her body to fall onto the ground.
"Blake!" Proto-Birth shouted in shock. The redhead immediately ran to the cat Faunus and saw she took the attack to protect the fellow Faunus. "Oh no." The Rider's attention was drawn to the Yummy as it stalked towards her and the poisoned Faunus.
Proto-Birth held her javelin and shield tightly. It drew closer but a pair of arms grabbed it angrily. The Spider Grimm-Yummy was thrown into a stand, allowing Proto-Birth to see Gamel pounding his chest as he assumed his Greeed form.
"Gamel?"
"I will fight the meanie!" The Yummy charged but Gamel was stronger, stopping the Yummy in place before he hefted the arachnid up. He spun around before throwing the inferior Yummy across the market, Cell Medals spilling from its body.
The Yummy grimaced to the event that now unfolded. It can't poison more due to the Greeed. It glared and launched a large amount of webs at the charging Gamel, slowing down the Beast Greeed. The last glob of web masked Gamel's face, stopping him as he tries to pry it off.
The kaijin grunted and made haste in retreat before the Beast Greeed would notice.
When Gamel removed the web from his face, he saw the Yummy gone.
"The mean Yummy got away… aw…"
"Gamel!" He looked at Proto-Birth. "Get Ankh and the others!"
"Me and my words…" I grumbled. How was I supposed to assure Blake earlier when things were slowly getting out of hand? I know Blake wants to help everyone see what the White Fang have been doing and I wanted to do my best to help. Was I annoyed by the interference the brothers and Ilia have done? Yes. It was starting to frustrate me as well. Just what can I really do? I was practically the only other human aside from Pyrrha and Gamel's disguise that sent caution to the Fang here.
How can we-
"Hey! There's trouble!" Ankh said, as he walked up to me. "We need you in town, now."
"Wait, what is going on?"
Ankh rolled his eyes. "Just follow."
Not wanting to ask twice, I followed Ankh and rushed to the village market but stopped the moment we arrived. I gasped when people were on the ground in agony, a majority being carried away as others were supporting them.
"What happened here?!" I shouted in shock.
"A Grimm-Yummy attacked the entire market and escaped," Ankh scowled. "Nearly everyone was poisoned."
I felt my blood run cold at his statement. Blake was heading to this direction earlier.
No...
"Where are they being treated?!" I asked, making Ankh jab his thumb behind him. I frantically ran past him and barged into the village hospital, noticing the damage the Grimm-Yummy caused.
There were rows of Faunus being treated, the medical personnel tending to every victim who are suffering from the poison. However, my heart stopped when I saw my girlfriend as Khali and Ghira were extremely worried for her.
I frantically moved myself to my knees, carefully grasping Blake's hand. "Blake!"
A rag was over her forehead, already burning from the intense fever caused by the poison. This sent me into a frightened state to see her condition.
"A Yummy did this to her, from what the redhead said." Ankh informed us all.
"We've tried our best, but not even the anti-venom we have in stock is helping." A nearby Doctor informed, "I…. don't think we can save them without whatever did this to them."
My eyes widened as Blake's parents were horrified to the revelation. My mind raced to learn that everyone in the village would die. Everyone… Blake…
No, no, I can't lose her.
Seeing the mess, my hands slowly curled and trembled. "Where did that Yummy go?" I droned.
"Why do you-" I interrupted Ankh and shouted, "WHERE DID IT GO?!"
The Bird Greeed's eyes widened slightly, no doubt didn't expect my tone to be raised. "To the forest." He answered.
That was all I needed to hear.
Standing up, I marched my way to the exit of the infirmary. Just as I neared the door, Sun quickly stood between me and the exit.
"Woah, Enrique you gotta chill for a moment," Sun said.
"Sun, move aside so I can go after the Yummy." I demanded angrily.
"Look, I know you are worried about Blake but you gotta think for a moment." The blonde explained. "Yeah you're upset but don't you think that the Grimm Greeed wanted you to be like this?"
"The only thing I am gonna do is destroy that Yummy for what it did." I growled. "It deserves payback."
"What about everyone here who is worried about the locals?"
"The Yummy will be gone and I will make sure it stays down." I moved Sun aside. "It attacked everyone here. I am not letting everyone die here. Not a chance." I made sure I had the O-Driver and weapons before marching out the door.
That Yummy was going to pay. Big time.
Back in the village hospital, Sun was about to go after Enrique but Ankh stopped the monkey Faunus. The blonde looked at Ankh. "Hey, we gotta help Enrique!"
"It is better not to get in his way." Ankh informed.
"Get in his way? Enrique is pissed off!"
"Which is why you shouldn't stop him. Either way, if he doesn't go after the Yummy, these people will die. If Enrique didn't go, the Yummy would have come back and poisoned everyone in Kuo Kuana. You tell me monkey boy, what would you prefer?"
Sun bit his lip at Ankh's counter. With the Yummy poisoning everyone in the market earlier, it would have gained a lot of Cell Medals, thus making it stronger. But if its task was to kill everyone? Then they would be the only defense the island has left.
"Damn it… I hate being on the sidelines…" Sun groaned with frustration.
"With Poseidon still out there, there is no doubt the Yummy was following its purpose and it won't stop until it gets the job done. If that Yummy isn't dealt with, we will be looking at a mass grave here."
"Then… all we can do is just wait and see who returns?" Sun questioned.
"It's all we can do."
I traveled across the greenery of Menagerie, hoping to locate the Grimm-Yummy. With the use of the Purple Cores, I tracked the essence of Core Energy the Yummy released. I was on a time-limit to search it. If I don't destroy the Yummy, everyone who was in the market will die by the poison… including Blake.
Was I angry? Damn right, I was. It attacked everyone and it attacked the girl I loved. It deserved payback and I was going to make sure it was dealt with by my own hands.
"Hehehe."
I paused when I heard a childish laugh and saw a small figure running across the forest. I blinked a few times before looking again, seeing no one. I grasped my head, scratching it irritably. I had to focus on finding that monster.
"Hehehehe."
Another childish laughter came out as the figure ran by again. Someone was playing some kind of trick on me. "Who's there?!" I demanded in annoyance. I really wasn't in the mood for fun and games when the Faunus locals were in danger.
I received silence, earning a scowl from my features. I moved again until my eyes gained the violet hue again. The essence of Cell Medals were close which meant I was on the right track.
I pushed myself to run as I could sense the Core Energy. I will have the chance to kill that thing for what it did to Blake. I-
I stopped when my eyesight caught something on the left. Slowly, I looked and noticed not what, who it was. My eyes slowly widened when I saw the child.
It was myself when I was little. I rubbed my eyes, praying I wasn't seeing things and when I finished, my past self was still there.
"Wh-What the…"
'Behind you!' The young voice in my mind yelled.
I quickly looked back to see the Yummy I was searching for in the air with its claws. "Crap!" I rolled across the ground, avoiding its sharp claws. I looked back, seeing my child-self no longer present. Just what was going on with me?
No, I can't think like that. With the Yummy here, I can defeat it for what it did. With a growl, I unsheathed the Upgraded Medajalibur and faced the Grimm-Yummy.
"I finally found you, Yummy." I growled angrily.
"OOO…."
"You're going to regret hurting everyone!" I charged towards the Yummy and aimed for its midsection. However it evaded my attack by jumping onto a tree trunk.
Annoyed, I changed the sword into its Hand Cannon mode and fired Ice Dust rounds at it. It kept jumping around and only irritated me more. When it landed on a tree, I used my Semblance to cause the ice from earlier to create a dome. The air turned cold and the ice from my bullets in the trees allowed it to trap the Yummy and myself to prevent any escape for either of us.
"Can't jump around this time." I grinned and made another attempt to slash it. The attack created a blast of sparks and the spill of Cell Medals. It staggered back, its mandibles clicking to a growl.
"Then you will suffer." The Spider Grimm-Yummy threatened. It soon lunged at me, as I dodged it swipe from its claw.
I moved back a bit, as I soon morphed my weapon into its gun mode as I fired at the Grimm-Yummy. Yet it dodged and weaved past my bullets as it jumped from tree to tree, moving away from my attacks before it lunged at me once more.
I caught the attack with the use of my sword, preventing any further damage to my Aura. Shoving the claw, I use the other blade to strike its midsection, once again causing Cell Medals to spill from its body.
It howled in pain, before hissing at me. The Yummy saw me charging towards it in fury. It narrowly avoided the attack but that chance is what it needed. It quickly splashed venom from its mandibles. The Spider Grimm-Yummy's venom spit made me stumble as I used the sleeve of my jacket to rub my eyes to rid the fluid.
"Damn it!" I hissed in irritation for letting my guard down against the Grimm/Yummy.
My eyes felt like they were on fire, my vision seeing the Spider Grimm-Yummy, watching it chuckled darkly. The background behind the Yummy was slowly becoming distorted, forcing myself to shake my head irritably.
"Unlike the poison to the Faunus… the poison you will be suffering from will only fool your eyes through illusions." The Yummy revealed. "Slowly and painfully."
I placed in the three Core Medals and scanned them, ignoring the pain I was now suffering.
TAKA!
TORA!
BATTA!
TA-TO-BA!, TATOBA, TA-TO-BA!
With the crests aligned and my armor formed, I prepared my battle stance. The Taka Helmet tried to adjust my vision but the poison was slowly starting to take effect.
I breathed through each given moment, my eyes narrowed to slits from the burn. I focused my Aura to try and stop the burn but I knew I had to slay the Yummy in order to remove the poison.
I used the Upgraded Medajalibur in an attempt to cut the kaijin but shockingly, it phased through it like a ghost.
"Scared... Perhaps, worried about losing someone? Like… a lover?" The Grimm-Yummy's voice echoed out through the now dark forest, taunting me. "Was that why you sought me out?"
I saw the Yummy perched on a tree, making me take a shot at it but again, it vanished.
"It is… wonder how long they have left? Hours? Minutes? …. Seconds?" It chuckled out, "Your despair will be delicious once you find their bodies on the ground." It evaded the gunshots I fired at it. I felt my body weakening for a second but I pushed myself to keep moving.
"Try as you might, you will fail. And before you take your last breath, only the thoughts of those you failed to save, will haunt you before you pass. Hehe, its funny to think that you can't even beat a spider." It taunted me much to my growing frustration.
I grunted when I felt a punch across the cheek of my helmet. I staggered to the right and swung the O-Calibur but I saw nothing.
"Keep it up, OOO. All of this is futile, as you keep pumping more of my venom through you as you try to fight. Soon, you'll be too weak to do anything!"
I growled irritably as everything was nothing but illusions due to the poison yet it felt too real. "Shut up!!" I shouted at the Yummy in the shadows.
"Did you truly move on from what you let go of what you once desired?" The Yummy continued.
I swung my sword but it didn't hit anything much to my frustration. I grasped my arm, preventing the limb from losing energy.
"Afraid to spill blood as the 'Kamen Rider' you become?"
I noticed something touching my armored hand. My eyes drifted to the other hand that held the Medajalibur and saw red then the blade itself coated in red.
My breathing labored. No. No. This isn't real!
"You have threatened a Faunus in the past haven't you?"
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UUPP!!!" I yelled, trying to make the blade hit the invisible Yummy.
"Do you believe that being a hero is a good thing? Even the greatest have a dark side in them."
I swiftly noticed someone standing before me. It was the TaToBa armor but the lenses were a shade of purple. I took a step back as it approached me. Each step it made made me move back again and again. The grip on my sword tightening when it aimed an attack on me.
I tried to block but I instead felt pain to my gut and landed onto the ground. I coughed, the armor minimizing the damage to my stomach.
"You ran not just from the people you call family… you ran from who you are."
I froze the moment those words hit me like bricks. Running from who I was…?
"You, OOO, are just a coward, running from your past in this new world. Just give it up, since you'll fail everyone like before!" The Yummy laughed.
My hands trembled to the realization, the words that echoed in my mind. I was running from who I was…
I began to look back at my time here in Remnant. From the day I arrived and to now. Being in Menagerie allowed me to move on from my family… yet I….
My fingers curled in realization, my mind now seeing the truth. All this time, after meeting Ruby and the others, I wanted to be a better person to protect them. But, I never wanted to look back on my time growing up. To ignore it. I never gave a damn about myself after losing my family… I practically ran from myself.
My teeth gritted, slowly grabbing the O-Calibur and Medajalibur. The movement was agonizing but I have to stand up. The Yummy dared speak like that about my friends? The very people who are my family?!
"I get it…" I murmured.
"Oh?"
"I ran because I was scared. Scared of losing my family again. I was afraid of making the same mistakes I did in the past. I ran from who I was… but…" I lifted my head, glaring at the Yummy. "Being here in Remnant, I have people to call a family. People I care about so much. Especially with the woman I love."
I slammed my sword into the ground, forcing myself to stand back up, my eyes inheriting a violet shade as my Cores surge and finally detected the target. "I am not… giving up on everyone!!!" Instead of hitting the Yummy in front of me, I spun on my heel and struck the supposed air. However Cell Medals spilled and the real Yummy rolled across the ground, shocked by the event.
"W-What the-?! You shouldn't have been able to see me!" The Yummy growled in pain.
"Tough luck, you bastard." I reached the Medal Holder and grabbed two Green Core Medals. Removing Taka and Tora, I replaced them with Kuwagata and Kamakiri.
KUWAGATA!
KAMAKIRI!
BATTA!
Holograms of green Core Medals swirled around me as three more lined in front before fusing together to slam against my torso.
"GA~TA GATA GATAKIRI-BA! GATAKIRIBA!" the OOO Driver chanted as my armor formed. The Gatakiriba Combo.
Focusing on the power, four clones of myself appeared around the Yummy, startling it.
"You are going to regret hurting those people," I stated firmly.
The Spider Grimm-Yummy growled. "Then die!!"
It vanished through the venomous illusions that affected me but I closed my eyes as did the clones. We took a deep breath to calm ourselves and our mind.
The Spider Grimm-Yummy, lunged at us, hoping that its speed and illusion would take one of us down, allowing it to escape through our short grasp. However, we figured this, as the kuwagata horns sparked up, sending lightning around us, as it shocked it, causing it to fall back to where it was. It was getting desperate. While my body was weakening, I wasn't going to let it escape. The clones and I leaped and began to strike it from all directions, its body spilling more and more Cell Medals from each attack until it fell to its knees.
"Now… to finish this."
"P-Please…. Mer...cy…." The Grimm-Yummy pleaded.
"After what you tried to do? No."
SCANNING CHARGE!
The clones and I jumped in the air, duplicating and delivered the finishing kick to the Grimm-Yummy. The Yummy exploded into cell medals, allowing myself to land on my feet but fell on one knee. I breathed heavily, the poison finally vanishing due to the Yummy's demise.
Dismissing the armor, I exhaustingly stood back up but toppled a bit. When I lifted my head slightly, I gasped when I saw my younger self staring at me. While the poison within my body was gone, the illusion was still there.
'Don't run anymore. Okay?'
The illusion waved his hand at me with a thin smile and vanished. Seeing it gone before my eyes, I lowered my head again and curled my fingers into fists.
Now… Now I can go back to the others.
I pushed the door open, everyone noticed me trudging tiredly. The victims I saw were already recovering much to my relief but I walked towards the Belladonnas.
"The Yummy… is gone." I grunted before Sun helped me stand when I nearly lost my balance.
"You too?" Sun realized.
"... It was hell." I grumbled. "The poison gave me illusions that are tough to deal with…" Illusions that made me realize so much of what I have been doing. It was painful to look back on it.
"She's starting to wake up!" We noticed the cat faunus slowly opening her eyes. No longer suffering from the poison. I slowly kneeled down to her, gently grasping her hand.
"En… rique…?" Blake noticed me albeit tiredly.
I smiled, my eyes releasing a few tears as I placed my hand on her cheek. "You're okay."
"What...happened…?"
"I beat the Yummy that did this to all of you." I assured. "I'm glad that I made it in time."
Blake tried to move herself up but Khali helped her. "Thank you…"
"What about the others?" Ghira asked.
"They should be recovering." Ankh glanced at the victims. "With the Yummy dealt with, it won't be a problem. However, this poses a problem knowing what that Grimm Greeed did."
"No kidding." Sun agreed.
"As well as how dangerous those things are becoming…" the red Greeed added with a frown. "We better be careful next time that Greeed sends another one of its Yummy that could incite a massacre."
"I will have to inform the guards to keep watch of any Yummy activities if this is going to be a constant incident." Ghira decided, before looking to Sun, "And you're joining me."
"Huh?! Why am I being drafted into this?" The monkey Faunus questioned.
"Because I said so. Now, let's get to work." Ghira said, gripping Sun's collar as he began to drag him off.
Looking at the victims who were recovering, I reminisced about what happened in my fight against the Yummy. "Pyrrha, can you keep an eye on Blake in my place? I… need some air."
"Uh sure." Pyrrha was confused but nonetheless accepted. I stood up before I left the infirmary.
I leaned against the wall within the Belladonna residence, quietly staring at the floor. I was mulling over the incident. The illusions I suffered. I grasped my face, wanting to forget what the Yummy did. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
How did I not see the reality of it until now? To know I ran from who I was in the past. A kid who was pushed around, harassed. Trying to put up my best mask to hide how I felt to the world.
"Enrique?"
I raised my head, seeing Kali who leaned over with the front door opened. "Is everything okay?" Blake's mother asked, a worried look on her face.
"Just… some trouble after the fighting." I murmured.
Kali walked over and sat down on the cushioned seat. She gently brushed her clothes to keep them near upon sitting. She said, "You seemed to be bothered about something. You have been like this when you returned from hunting that Yummy."
"..." I gripped my knees tightly. "Fighting that Yummy… it made me realize what I have been doing."
"And what would that be, dear?" Kali asked.
I bit the inside of my cheek and replied, "I was stupid…" I grasped my head. "Too stupid to realize how much of a coward I was back then… how I couldn't do anything right…"
All those years, I kept avoiding my mistakes. I may have accepted my family is gone and let them go, I never let go of who I was in the past. I wanted to help people in order to not let them make the same mistake I did. In return, I kept myself away from who I was - Not caring about whatever happened to me in the end.
Kali placed her hand on my shoulder. "Yet you did something."
I looked at her and asked, "What do you mean? I…"
"Ran from your mistakes. That I know. The way you have been every so often explained it all. You were scared but never expressed it; you become defensive if a single act of harm towards you was done. All of it showed it." Kali took a moment to breath upon the small statement. "You moved on but couldn't accept what you have done."
"However, you reacted differently when you saw everyone in pain. You chased after the Yummy because you wanted everyone and my own daughter to stay alive." Kali continued. "You were angry and you had every right. But… something must have happened, am I right?"
I opened my mouth slightly but recalled the supposed illusion. The moments I saw myself as a child. Was that… was that reminding me I couldn't run anymore? Why I reacted suddenly the moment the Yummy attacked me. The fight against the Yummy was my mind telling me it was the way to accept myself. To stop running.
"... Yes." I admitted.
"What was it?" Kali inquired.
"Whenever I look back at what I did at my home, I would see myself…" I replied. "Back when I blamed myself for what happened to my family."
"Enrique, you should never blame yourself." She said. "You truly can't blame yourself for that. Didn't you make a promise to your family?"
My eyes drifted to the keychain on my belt.
"Right now, what matters more is to stop running from who you are as a person. To focus on what you do now with us by your side." Kali smiled softly at me. "Plus, you still need to help my daughter and your friends with this problem. Can't have grandchildren in a ruined world now, can we?" She added with a giggle.
Immediately I felt the blood rush to my cheeks but her words about the others made me think about their wellbeing. I wanted to help them but I wanted to stay by Blake. Being here, I was able to let go of my family. The ones who gave me a resolve to fight again. Now… Now I realized I can't run from my past anymore. Looking up at the ceiling, I grasped my locket.
I can't run anymore. It was time to accept my past and kept going for the future. To continue the main priority and help everyone. With the help of my friends who are my family.
That matters to me more than anything.
The Grimm Greeed's eyes opened under his helmet, narrowing in anger. He sensed the Yummy's energy diminished and he knew why. The bastard OOO. Again, he destroyed another Yummy. The hybrid panted before he roared in rage. After a minute, he breathed to calm himself down but then, he felt the attempt to his mind. The voice he hated so much.
'You cannot fight me forever, creature…' The dark, feminine voice rang from the shadows.
His grip on the lance tightened, his Black Cores releasing the Core Energy to shield itself. He may be part Grimm but he was a Greeed with a different purpose. He had to be complete by killing OOO and becoming the new god. His consciousness residing within one of the Black Cores. The voices that try to force him to follow won't ever work no matter how much the urges grow.
The dark rider will accomplish his mission that Gara couldn't.
OOO. Will. DIE!
CURRENT MEDALS:
Blazing: Taka (x2), Kujaku (x1), Condor (x1)
Scorching: Lion (x1), Tora (x2), Cheetah (x1)
Strongest: Kuwagata (x1), Kamakiri (x1), Batta (x1)
Legendary: Kobura (x1), Kame (x1), Wani (x1)
Water: Shachi (x1), Tako (x1), Unagi (x1)
Gravity: Sai (x3), Gorilla (x1), Zou (x2)
Invincible: Ptera (x1), Tricera (x1), Tyranno (x1)
Ultimate King: Super Taka (x1), Super Tora (x1), Super Batta (x1)
(NEXT TIME)
Pyrrha grabbed the Proto-Birth Driver in her hands, feeling the Cell Medals briefly show around her body. The nightmare still haunts her.
"I… I don't care anymore…" Proto-Birth finally said. Her armored fingers gripped the dirt and slowly stood on her feet. "Does it matter what I am now? Who brought me back?"
"You...aren't you…?"
Next Time: Inhuman Fear, Taunt of Status, Acceptance
A/N: And that completes this chapter as more development occurred for our protagonist. If you have read the previous chapters, he was able to let go of his family but that didn't mean he was able to let go of the blame he felt and ignoring his past self thus running away from who he was, not caring about himself. By fighting the Yummy, it served as a way for him to realize his mistakes and redeem himself not from going after the Yummy out of anger but fighting it with a stronger resolve. As you noticed in the preview, the next chapter will mainly involve a certain redhead you all know. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Till then, see you all later!