Eclipse: Redux

by qwertykid

A rewrite/expansion of my first fic, Eclipse. The brightest light will always cast the darkest shadow. Join Bayonetta, Cereza and Luka through a retelling of the events of Bayonetta as they seek to uncover the prophecy behind the two Eyes of the World and the secrets behind their new ally. Contains OC, new lore and a whole lot of Bayonetta goodness.

8. The Child

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't own anything here, except maybe the plotline.

The Child

Bayonetta shifted around on her seat on the walls of the arena and continued to glare down at the winged man. Unsurprisingly, he looked both confused and angry and leveled her gaze with a look of disdain.

"Clearly-" He started, but she wasn't in the mood to let him go on and on about misjudgement or something.

"No. You don't get to talk." Bayonetta jumped down and landed on the ground with a splash. "You get to shut up and listen."

"What!?" He gestured at her, keeping the sword low. "I just want to know-"

"What did you do wrong? Everything. You wanted to rush in and fight her, emotionally compromised." She scolded. "Now, what did I tell you? What was the one rule I made sure to tell you?"

His face melted into confusion. "But I calmed down. I was going to go into that fight with a level-"

"Exactly!" She clapped her hands sarcastically. "A level head! You struggled to use that katana against these basic Angels. Imagine what that Witch would've said during a hypothetical fight between us two and her. Your calm wouldn't have lasted!"

He didn't answer, opting to look away in shame. He closed his eyes, and his lip trembled. "I was trying."

"Trying isn't good enough." She shook her head. "You needed to do better."

'What in Sheba's name are you trying to pull?'

Stay out of this one, Butterfly.

He was silent and she took that as an invite to continue. "Why do you always try to fuck everything up? I always have to clean up your messes. And you always seem to embarrass me in front of her."

"I can just leave." Sephiroth mumbled. He looked over to her, and she could see tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "I don't have to be with you. Our partnership is a distraction? Then take away the distraction."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Bayonetta rolled her eyes. "I didn't say I was going to get rid of you yet."

She pushed his chest with the butt of her gun and lifted his chin with it. "All you need to do is follow my instructions, and maybe you might become competent enough to not be an embarrassment. You aren't a 'distraction' yet."

He looked at her with surprise. His eyes seemed to search hers for something; she couldn't tell what though.

"I don't get you." He reversed his grip on the katana and let it rest in his hands, pointing the tip towards the sky. "You seem to hate me one second, then my friend the next."

She chose not to answer, instead smiling and walking past him. Glancing over the edge, she found a path leading onwards and towards the Lumen side of the Umbran mountains. Gesturing for him to follow, she leaped into the air and transformed into the Crow to glide herself down.

The cry of shock from behind her gave her a grin once she had landed on the ground.

"Come on!" She waved to him. "You can't stay up there forever!"

…

The path forward was excruciatingly silent for her. Bayonetta had tried, several times, to make conversation with him, but Sephiroth had kept his answers short and brief.

Her comment about the wildcard had come back to haunt her, she supposed. Perhaps he had figured out that she wasn't exactly doing this from the bottom of her heart. Perhaps he had not and was as hopelessly naive as she had expected him to be.

'Are you going to explain yourself?'

Bayonetta rolled her eyes. What do I have to explain? You're the Infernal incarnation of wrath and brutality. Why do my actions of wrath and brutality matter?

'You do know his patron is part of my court, correct? Her powers are bordering on it, but they are usable in this situation.'

You know who his Contracted is?

'I'm not revealing that. Either way, your relationship with Sephiroth is far more important than you think.'

You are no fun.

Glancing back, she found Sephiroth walking behind her, eyes cast to the ground. Sighing to herself, and brushing aside the idle curiosity of what was going on in that head of his, she continued onwards.

With Madama Khepri's fall from power about five hundred years ago, divining was a completely lost art in both the mortal and Infernal domains. So there was no way that Butterfly had foreseen any kind of future that involved her, let alone him, in it. Her actions right now were perfectly fine.

'Stubborn Witch.'

But why did a chill pass through her spine at those words?

...

The pair found themselves outside of another ancient building, this time it was locked behind a massive iron gate. Mortals were milling about in their realm as they stood there, completely oblivious to the two or to the significance of the ruins.

"A simple gate." Bayonetta gave it a look of apathy. "They think they can stop me with a simple gate?"

Sephiroth stayed silent. He figured that if he didn't say anything, she wouldn't punish him. He couldn't possibly fuck anything up if he simply didn't do anything.

"Let's see it try, then." Summoning a fist from a portal behind her, Bayonetta gestured forward. The fist flew, buckling and bending the gate over, snapping it off at the hinges and throwing the debris around. A second weave joined it and the gate went flying, one half dangling on its hinges and the other flying into the door behind it. The mortal's fled at the seemingly supernatural event, screaming and pointing. He stared at them with apathy, trying to imagine what it would be like from their point of view.

She made to walk through the gate, but instead stopped and turned to face him. "Sephiroth."

His eyes and body reacted before he could. Muscles tensing, he stepped back, bringing his hands up defensively. The katana cut through the floor like butter, and he looked at it with surprise.

Bayonetta's head straightened up at his reaction. "What the- Darling, I'm not going to attack you."

"I know that tone." He began to force himself to relax, loosening muscles and taking a few deep breaths. "Everytime he used it, I was punished."

"Why on Earth would I punish you?" She shook her head. "I just want to know what is wrong."

"There's nothing wrong." He answered, hesitantly. She rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"You haven't said a word since we got here, and maybe five words before that. Has Cheshire stolen your tongue or something?" The concern in her eyes was genuine. "I do not believe you."

"I just… don't wanna screw up again." He mumbled. "If I don't do anything, then I can't do anything wrong, right?"

"What gave you that idea?" She seemed perplexed. "I know we have our differences of opinion, but that's the whole point of an opinion. I'm not going to punish you for having an opinion."

"You punished me for not knowing anything about fighting!" Anger began to surge through him, the Demons inside whispering their approval. "Why!?"

Her eyes narrowed. "That was for your own safety, and you know that."

She glanced around, and her features softened. "How about, since there's no one around to become collateral damage, we fix that problem."

The anger faded as the Demons joined in on his confusion. "Huh?"

"You want to be able to fight Jeanne when we meet her again, don't you?" She took another step forward, slowly closing the distance. "And the Father too?"

"Fighting the Father might be a bit of a stretch, but yes." He nodded.

"Well, I can teach you how to use your powers, and also how to wield that sword." She stopped walking, and placed a hand on her hip. "And you might stand a chance next time."

"What's the catch?" Sephiroth asked, gripping the katana a little tighter.

She threw her hands into the air and walked in a small circle, sighing. "Why can't you accept that people can be nice? There is no catch; if you are going to be travelling with me, I'd rather have someone competent than a dead weight."

Sephiroth knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. But his thoughts lay elsewhere, and he nodded at her.

Bayonetta clapped her hands together, then pointed at the katana. "For starters, you're going to learn how to dismiss that sword. You simply can't carry it around all the time. It's a pointless waste of energy."

"I can... dismiss the sword?" He looked at her in confusion. "Dismissing as in...?"

"It's not exactly the technical term for it, but do you see me holding my babies all the time?" She asked.

Eyeing the two attached to her heels, he nodded and gestured for her to keep explaining. Noticing his gaze, she let out a small laugh.

"I suppose you have me there. But since you are bound to a contract with an Infernal, you should be able to use their powers and realm to your advantage. In this case; storage."

"Storage? I can just put my sword in there and leave it?" That definitely sounded suspicious. "I think you're bullshitting me."

"You aren't going to know unless you try. Time to experiment!" She turned away for a couple of seconds, then turned back. "Now, imagine you have a giant invisible box, and then put your sword into it!"

"Just like that?"

Nodding, she gestured at him. "Just like that. Now do it."

A box, huh?

He conjured the image of a black box into his mind, and placed it in front of him. Reaching out, he held the katana out above it. Hesitating, he bit the figaturative bullet and let it drop.

Just as she said, it disappeared into the box. His eyebrows shot up, and a grin broke out onto his face. "It worked!"

"Good job!" She sarcastically said, but it was lost on him. "Now, you'll have to ask to get it back."

"I figured!" The black box appeared in his mind's eye again. "How do I do that?"

Her eyebrow rose. "What did I just say? Just ask your patron if she'll let you have it back."

"Right." He closed his eyes and reached out. Uhh, hey. Can I have my sword back?

Silence greeted him.

Uh oh.

In his excitement, he had forgotten the small, crucial detail that he wasn't even sure if there was a contracted Infernal within him.

But Bayonetta had said there was one, so he should be fine? He guessed that he simply needed to keep trying.

Hello?

Bayonetta had noticed his panic, and snorted. "Just give her a little time. Not all Infernal's are at the beck and call of their contracted. Generally, most of them aren't."

That did very little to alleviate his thoughts. Acknowledging her with a grunt, he tried again.

Hi, can I please have my sword back?

'Hmmmm…'

The voice! Sephiroth nearly did a dance with joy, but stopped himself before he could make himself look like an idiot. A grin, however, did break out on his face.

'Why should I give this sword back? It sings so wonderfully…'

The grin gave way to a frown. What?

'You didn't think I was real. Why should I return this wonderful sword to you?'

Well, she was right. Just because-

'It's name is Sharuba, born from the soulless husk of Asura. It is frenetic in it's search for the soul it lost, devouring each and every living being it touches. Now it sings, having been rejoined with the soul it has lost.' The Demoness spoke solemnly, and he could see a green hand holding the katana in front of him. 'And it shall be kept away no longer.'

The hand opened, and the Sharuba dropped out of nothing and into his hand. Nearly dropping it, he quickly reversed it and held it behind him.

"Good." Bayonetta nodded in satisfaction. "Now, let's figure out what your patron can do."

'That… might not be the wisest.'

Odd. He relayed that information to her, and the Witch frowned.

"Just who is your patron Infernal?" She queried, a hand raising to tap a finger on her chin.

I- What she said.

'I am Madama Khepri, the Mistress of Time!' The Infernal replied, joy spreading in her voice. 'One of the most powerful Demon's to ever exist!'

"Madama Khepri." He returned his attention to Bayonetta. "She supposedly is- what's so funny?"

The giggling stopped as Bayonetta's face returned to a stoney visage. "Hmmm… How exactly do I break this to you, Darling?"

What's she talking about?

Khepri didn't answer, but he could sense shame exuding from her. Inclining his head towards the Witch, he motioned for her to continue.

"Darling, Madama Khepri lost her power about the same time as the Umbra were wiped out." She gently said. "Butterfly doesn't know why, no recorded texts in both ours and the Underworld can tell us why. She's barely stronger than the average Succubus or the higher tiered Incubus."

Now, his high from before had crashed down. What did she mean by that? Lost her power? How does an Infernal lose her power?

'It's because of the damned Father!' Khepri exploded. The Lagunan inside of him shied away, and the Infernals went quiet. 'He killed my last Contracted, and then did something to her to drain my power out! It's all stuck in that body of hers, and that's why you need to solve this problem!'

Now it all made a lot more sense. So can I get stronger from doing this?

'You will have my power at your command, in a sense.' She answered, the rage quietening down. 'You'll have the strength and abilities to match even C- Bayonetta here.'

He frowned at the name change, but decided not to push it. Bayonetta's true identity didn't matter to him anyway, and there were far more pressing matters to deal with.

"I guess you had a conversation with her just now?" Bayonetta's voice pulled him back into reality. Nodding, she continued, "You look like me whenever I do the same. I'm going to say right now it's probably a terrible idea to attempt to summon Wicked Weaves or attempt any form of Time Manipulation."

He nodded in understanding, but frowned at her words. "So what can I do then? That's both of your main powers, and you don't use… elemental?"

She nodded, raising an eyebrow. "You are forgetting one little thing."

"I am?" He began to wrack his mind for what she could've possibly meant, until he noticed her staring at his hands.

"Now, let's spar." Bayonetta pulled her gaze up, tilting her head slightly.

"What?!"

She summoned her other gun and took a stance. Her eyes glinted from behind her glasses as a small smile began to creep onto her face. "What better way to learn your limits than to throw you into the deep end? Come, I want you to try to satisfy me."

"You're not being serious!?" A small amount of panic was beginning to set in. "You know you are just going to beat me, right?"

"You will learn more from a loss than a victory." She brushed off that concern, and he swallowed. "Now, draw your sword."

The katana was flicked around, held to the front now. Holding it tightly with both hands, he raised it to hip level and stared at her from over the tip. Bayonetta frowned, and relaxed her stance.

"Is that how you are going to start a fight?" Her guns disappeared as her hands fell to her sides. "Darling, everything about that is wrong."

"You're holding a dextrous weapon like a power-based one." She stepped forward. "You look like you're about to commit to some sort of swing that puts every ounce of strength behind you, aren't you?"

He nodded, watching her carefully, trying to absorb the knowledge as she expelled it.

"You need to loosen everything up. Being as tense as you are will cause you to fall the second you try to move. Start by taking in a few deep breaths, and widen those feet until you are about… shoulder length apart." She instructed, and he obliged. "Don't also stand flat-footed. You want to be mobile, not stuck tripping over yourself trying to react to what I could do. Tilt yourself forward until you are on the balls of your feet."

"I see." He kept the katana in its position, adjusting his body as instructed. She took another step format and placed a hand on his wrist.

"You have a long, thin blade. What can you do with a long thin blade?" She asked rhetorically. "You can be as nimble as a needle, as precise as a laser and as quick as the wind." Grabbing the hilt, she guided it to his shoulder, where he held it off to the side, perpendicular to his body. Turning his body as well, she made him stand parallel to his blade, but perpendicular to her. "There. How does that feel?"

He swung the katana a few times, testing the position. "Wow… How do you know this?"

"I do know my stuff, darling." She smiled and jumped back. "Now, shall we dance?"

...

The way his muscles immediately tensed told her everything she needed to know. Every word she had just said had gone out one ear, and his panic had made him revert to his norm.

At least he was keeping the stance. And the way he was starting to put pressure on his front foot-

Sephiroth wasted no time and thrusted at her. He launched with his left foot, holding the katana forward in a stiletto-esque attack.

A good choice from his position. She thought as she stepped around the blade. But ultimately, predictable.

Letting his arm pass by, she prodded the blade down with a single finger, knocking him off balance. Her other arm shot out and gripped his wrist and then pulled him hard towards the ground. He slammed down hard, the Sharuba ripping from his fingertips and bouncing off and into a wall. Placing a foot onto his back, she leaned down and pinned him into place.

"Alright!" He squirmed out, rolling over. "You win!"

"Now, how did I beat you?" She asked, stepping back and extending a hand to him.

"How was I supposed to beat you?" He stared at her, ignoring her hand for the moment.

"You weren't. This is supposed to be a learning process for your benefit, not mine." Bayonetta returned his gaze. "Now, what went wrong? Why did you lose?"

"I don't know. I guess you knew what I was doing."

"Yes. You are way too obvious with your movements, your tells, literally everything. The second we started, you panicked and started to telegraph everything. Be calm, and your opponent cannot realise your intentions." She extended her arm out further. "Now, let's try that, shall we?"

Sephiroth swallowed, and finally grasped her hand in return. Pulling him up, she looked him in the eye. "Apply what you've learned. Draw your sword."

Taking a few steps back, she let her stance relax this time. If she didn't start pulling her punches, there was no way Sephiroth was going to learn anything.

'About time you realised it too.'

The sword floated back into his hand, and he began to circle around her in his new stance. A good choice, she mused. Burning off any excess nervous energy was good to focus the brain.

Following suit, she began to think about what his first move could be. A physical attack seemed unlikely, given he had just tried that. His magic didn't seem optimal either, since that was even more visible than preparing a strike. Her eyes narrowed as his eyes started to glow.

What on Earth are you doing?

She didn't expect a rock to slam into the back of her head. Stumbling, she threw a glance behind her and noticed he had worked a stone out of the wall. That impressed her, considering how little sound it had made. Returning her attention to him, she found that he was now right in front of her, the katana swinging around.

The strike was powerful, yes, but Bayonetta dropped to her knees and let it pass over her. Striking out with her elbow, she took out his left knee and followed up with a sweep of the legs. The winged man came tumbling down, and she transitioned into a wicked punch from beneath him.

Which he dodged with a breeze. Literally.

The gust of wind pulled her forward, and she smoothly rolled back onto her feet. Her eyes followed how he pushed off the ground with a flap of his wing, and fire began to gather in his enclosed fist.

…

'You know, you should be using your elemental powers a little more.'

That wasn't helpful advice. Splaying his palm out, he unleashed the fire in a wall, locking Bayonetta behind it.

Well, he expected her to launch through at any point and realize the fire was nothing but a farce. So he had to think about what he could do when she did.

'You can combine two powers here.'

What do you- how?

A green hand in his mind's eye pointed at his free hand, then to the Sharuba. 'Put your fire onto that. Or your storm. Or whatever tickles your fancy.'

I can do that?

USE YOUR FIRE AND SLAY THY FOE!

He winced as the voice shot through him. Bathing his hand in flame again, he drew it across the face of the katana, willing for it to stick.

And it… did? It certainly looked impressive. He gave it a few experimental swings, and noticed that a trail of fire was left in each's wake.

Sephiroth had no time to linger on the significance of this, as Bayonetta had finally figured out his trick and had jumped through the fire, leg outstretched.

…

The fire was a neat trick.

But as was all things, a trick was a trick. Once Bayonetta had figured out there was no heat expelling from the flames, and did a little prodding and poking to feel that the fire was nothing but a farce, she determined her best counter to the delaying tactic was to attack.

So she jumped up, called upon Butterfly's wings to gain some extra height and dove down with an afterburner kick.

Sephiroth glanced up, his face ashen as she burst through the illusion. Swinging his sword in two, wide arcs, he left two trails of fire in its wake. Rolling her eyes, she continued forward on her path.

And that was her first mistake. The fire left behind was quite real, and it burned. She let out a gasp of pain, her kick abandoned. Landing onto the ground, her hands quickly roaming around to put out any stray patches of burning hair. She glanced up to see Sephiroth looking at her with concern.

'What the hell is he doing?!'

What the hell is he doing?!

Baring her teeth, she launched herself at him. Bullets sprayed from her guns, her hair beginning to retract.

A cry of surprise escaped his throat, and the thought that he might turn and run crossed her mind. He didn't, to his credit, and instead waved his hand in front of him. A force tugged on her, then jerked her violently to the left. Her bullets went careening to his left as well, leaving the man unharmed. Crashing into the wall, she picked herself up and stared at him with narrowed eyes.

Well, at least he was figuring out his powers. She needed to think now and figure out a situation where she could counter these powers.

'You need to use your innate resistance, for one. If your plan is to have him fight Jeanne then he needs to know that he can't just rip her apart with telekinesis.'

Jeanne is mine. But you make a good point.

Sephiroth was moving his hand over the katana now, a strange shimmer now replacing the fire on it. His eyes were now blank, and his visage calm.

Something was happening in his head, and she honestly was curious. But her main concern now was forcing him back into a close combat mentality, something far more uncomfortable for him.

Dashing forward, she fell onto her leg and slid at him, the guns on her heels firing. Without looking at her, Sephiroth gestured again. The bullets were deflected again, but this time she threw up a small ward to block the telekinetic swipe. His expression didn't change and he gestured again.

He turned his head to meet her fist. The trance broke as she followed up with a high kick to his chin. Sephiroth flipped out of reach, his wing flaring out. The blade began to glow white as his eyes focussed on her.

Her eyes widened as she recognised the look. And this time it wasn't a long lost memory that was the frame of reference.

The katana swung down, and a shockwave of wind split the air. Jumping in a random direction to avoid the blast, she tore a glance behind her to see the stone floor explode.

Sephiroth landed back onto the ground, the katana still keeping the glow.

Adjusting her pathing, she activated witchwalk and landed on the wall. More shockwaves tore through the air, ripping into and destroying the wall around her. Sprinting, she planned out a way to get back to him.

'At least he is learning his strengths and weaknesses.' Butterfly commented. 'And yours.'

Shut it.

Jumping from the wall, she began to advance towards him, slipping and sliding under the shockwaves. He cursed, and then the katana sparked up with flames. Bayonetta frowned. The change of tactics was a surprise to her, since the shockwaves were working very well. The fire coiled off the sword and onto his fist, gathering into a ball.

Fire was not his strong suit. Yes, it hurt, but it seemed very slow. Too slow.

Her hair flew off as she slammed her heel into the ground, and a wicked stomp crunched into his body.

Well, that was the plan. Instead he caught Butterfly's foot by the toe and shoved her to the side. That, well, nothing…

She had never seen an Angel do that. Some had tried, but Butterfly was simply stronger in a test of pure strength. And he had both caught it and shrugged it off. The caveat was that it did look like it had taken some effort, but that was unheard of for her.

Just how strong can he be?

She decided to end it. Noticing that his strategy was to keep her at a range, she figured that all she had to do to defeat him was to get up close again. Changing course, Bayonetta began to sprint directly at him, her magic surrounding her in a purple hue. He tried to shove her away with another telekinetic swipe, but instead she absorbed it and used it to propel herself into the air with a jump.

Transforming into a crow, she swooped at his head with a screech. His eyes bulged in surprise and he threw his hands up to try and swat her away. Reverting back, she wrapped her legs around his arms, trapping them against his head. Feeling him struggle from her grip, she pulled out and placed a lollipop into her mouth as she pointed a gun next at his temple.

"Bang." She said smugly. "I won."

Some muffled noise vibrated against her thighs, and she promptly untangled herself and jumped down from his shoulders.

"I went all out and you just won?" Sephiroth's tone was exasperated. "How the hell am I supposed to be a threat to anything?"

"Darling, you were doing everything right." She put her hands on her hips. "You figured out your strengths and my weaknesses. That's something that you weren't exactly doing before now, hmm?"

"I still lost! I- His eyes squeezed shut and he looked to the ground. "You beat me twice, once without any effort and the second without any effort! I don't feel that I have learned anything other than I am worse than you."

"You improved from falling over yourself to being able to keep with a much higher trained individual for two minutes." She regarded him with a smile. "Not many people can say that."

"You learnt a stance and style better suited to you. You began to analyse patterns and see the flow of battle, something that takes years for a normal human to master. The only thing you did wrong was the repetitiveness of those shockwaves and reverting to a slower element in a fast-paced duel. That comes with experience and workshopping your abilities to their maximum application. Given a few months of training, you could give me a proper challenge."

Sephiroth stood there for a few seconds, seemingly gathering his thoughts. His shoulders sagged as a sigh escaped him. "I guess… I just don't feel that I learned anything."

"Oh, cheer up Sephy." She smiled at him as he flinched from the nickname. "It's not all doom and gloom."

"It's hard to believe that I'll be able to fight the likes of you in months, when you toyed around with me." He argued. "Don't say you didn't, because you ended the fight in one move."

"Yes, at the end I was, but I needed to correctly judge your abilities." Bayonetta said as they walked into an open courtyard, with a long bridge in front of them and a bridge above them. "You started the fight correctly, then began to use a power that you knew would force me onto the back foot. What even was that?"

At his quizzical glance, she elaborated. "Those shockwaves. Also, you can just power up your sword?"

"Imbuing the katana." He corrected her instantly. "Khepri taught me to just join the powers together, and the Infernal taught me more."

"So, you have a lot of teachers?" She nodded in approval. Something was bugging her, though. "Is that why you went into that trance?"

He stared at her in confusion. "I went into a trance?"

"You did."

"Huh." His eyes unfocused. "I see."

"What are you going on about?" Bayonetta waved a hand in front of his face. "Darling!"

"It's fine." Sephiroth huffed. "Khepri says it's nothing too serious."

But, she hadn't told him what it was. That was a very obvious omission and Bayonetta was tempted to ask if he was. A quick glance at his body language told her that he wasn't lying, at least not deliberately, so she decided not to press the issue.

…

"Well, that is fine by me." Bayonetta reached up and ruffled his hair. "Now, it's probably not too wise to let yourself too open to those two in you, since I don't want to clean up the mess you'll inevitably leave behind."

A growl of annoyance erupted from his throat, but he calmed himself down. "I expected that. I'm guessing there's a potential issue of them claiming my soul or something like that?"

"No, actually." She gestured to the path ahead, and they began to walk. "Khepri already has claimed your soul. That's what the contract entails; your soul in exchange for her powers."

'She's right.' Khepri supplied. 'Your soul is mine, once you pass. The real danger is from letting the Infernal or the Lagunan too close to it. They are both… far more powerful than I am, which means they can over take you.'

Is that what happened with the trance that she mentioned?

'... not quite. That's better explained later.'

More frustration. Sephiroth sighed at it all. Bayonetta took this as a response to her statements and gave him a shrug.

"I don't make the rules, darling." She added. "I just make sure we follow them."

"I see." He focussed on the path ahead. Above them was a bridge, and as they rounded the corner of the enclosed ruin, he noticed the path was climbing and turning straight to it. The ruins themselves were in far more pristine condition than he expected. To their merit, the only point of reference he had were the Umbran ruins and those were barely standing.

At least there was a reason for that. Umbra Witches were assassins and deceptive in their nature, according to the Father's teachings. An all-out assault wouldn't be their play during a war, but obviously the mortals and Angels were a bit more direct with their methods.

That was if what the Father said was true. He didn't trust his words further than how far he could throw them.

The pair continued to walk in silence, until Sephiroth's head shot up.

"Is that…" Sephiroth frowned as he noticed a familiar presence in the mortal realm. Bayonetta looked at him with curiosity, then appeared to recognise it as well.

"How did she get here?" She remarked, then ran in the direction it was pulling her. Sephiroth sprinted after her, his forehead creasing in a frown.

Unless he was mistaken, the presence was on the path in front of them. Something that was far too coincidental for his liking.

'Be wary.' Khepri echoed his thoughts. Nodding, he increased his speed to try to match hers.

Running over a bridge he had seen earlier, Bayonetta sprang forward with a kick and knocked the two stone doors open. He hurried after, pulling to a stop beside her to survey the scene.

The small girl from the Vigrid church was sitting in a large, circular room. She had her back to the pair, but was obviously crying and clutching something in her arms. Surrounding her were Affinities, their weapons pointed at the ground in a non-aggressive stance. An Applaud stood behind them, opposite the entrance, its gaze levelled on the girl.

"Inform the Father the child has been secured." The Applaud ordered the surrounding Angels, gesturing to a pair close to an exit. "And let him know the dissidents are on their way."

Sephiroth looked at the group with confusion, whilst Bayonetta looked at him in confusion. "We're dissident's now? I've been upgraded…"

"You don't have a clue what this is about?" She asked, and he shook his head as he turned to face her.

"Not one." He confirmed. "What could he want with a little girl? And how did she get into Purgatorio?"

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Bayonetta gave him a smirk and stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "Hello boys! What are you all up to?"

The Applaud turned and growled at her. "The Witch! And the experiment too! How convenient you are here early!"

This was a trap. The Affinities began to scream challenges, with a few of the closer ones brandishing their weapons. Sephiroth took a step back, trying to analyse the situation.

…

Bayonetta had no such hesitation. Stepping forward again, she gestured to the girl at the centre of the room.

"Why must you continue to meddle in the affairs of Paradiso?" The Applaud beat her to the chase, pointing its stave at her. "Leave at once!"

"How rude, cutting off a lady like that. Did you not get taught any manners?" She admonished the Angel with a finger. "Now, what do we have here?"

It definitely was the girl from Vigrid. Now, she had absolutely no idea how the child had gotten here, nor how the child had gotten itself into Purgatorio, but she figured that saving it from the Angels would give her her 'good deed for the day' award.

"A little girl? Surely you are far more interested in someone more experienced, more mature?" She returned her gaze to the Applaud, a quizzical look on her face.

The Angel hissed back at her. "You will not meddle this time, Witch. Let the events play out as planned!"

'Interesting…'

"So this is a trap then!" She clapped her hands together. She turned back to Sephiroth and gave him a smirk. "I guess we sprung it a little too early."

"That's a good thing for us." He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the Angels.

"Indeed it is!" She turned back and regarded the closest Affinity. "Now, I'd wager you all want some real competition, hmm? So how about this? We fight for the girl."

"That was already our plan!" Sephiroth hissed from behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Hush." She took another step forward. A couple of Affinities lowered their weapons towards her, making her pause. "Now, that's not very nice. We haven't even introduced the combatants yet!"

The Applaud pointed at the pair, apparently running out of any goodwill it had left.

"Get them!"

The Affinity closest to her surged forward, arm outstretched. Twisting past it, she gave it a tap to send it into the ground and throw the Angel off balance. A swift kick to its head sent it flying, and she turned to focus on the next.

Two Affinities ran towards her, trumpets blaring. Jumping to the left, she felt the explosion of the symphony where she was standing. A gust of wind howled through the entrance, and the pair of trumpeters fell to the ground. Spinning herself upright into a standing position, she watched as Sephiroth slammed his palm onto the ground. Ice sprung up around the pair of Affinities, encasing them and taking them out of the fight.

"Insolent abomination!" The Applaud screeched. A few bullets got its attention, and it leveled its gaze at her.

"You want to touch me?" She placed her hands behind her head and took a suggestive pose. "Then come and get me!"

The Applaud screamed at her, falling for her bait. Slamming the ground in fury with its staff, she felt the ground beneath her heat up. Cartwheeling backwards, she saw a pillar of flame erupt from where she was standing.

An Affinity swiped at her, it's stave whirling in a deadly arc. Jumping over it, she gave it a punch to the head, followed by a wicked palm thrust to send it flying back. Sephiroth ran in and chopped it through the stomach, sending it flying in two Applaud from behind her roared, and the Affinities rallied behind it.

She felt Sephiroth stop behind her. "Come on, Darling. You've got a girl to rescue."

"Don't you mean we?" He asked.

"I'm not one to play saviour. And besides, don't you hate humans?"

"This is an innocent girl." He snarled. "And she's not fully human."

"Hmm?" She peered at the girl. Slowly, she turned around.

Grey eyes behind glasses met her own. Something passed between them, similar to when they were at the church.

A sharp pain shot through her, and her hands grabbed at her head. Memories and thoughts rushed through her mind, her vision swimming.

She didn't hear her guns clatter against the floor.

She didn't hear Sephiroth call out her name in terror and concern.

She definitely didn't hear the girl call out for her.

All she knew was pain.

And finally darkness.

…

"Bayonetta?" Sephiroth cried out as she fell to her knees. "Bayonetta!"

"Hmph. It looks like the Witch is not up to the task." The Applaud unfurled its wings and took to the sky. He ignored it, grabbing her before she could collapse onto the ground. Her eyes were rolled back and she was barely breathing. "Get the girl and regroup."

'Alright. You want to start being a better person?' Khepri called out. 'Better get ready to save that girl.'

Gently, he placed her onto the ground, trying to keep her hands under her head. He didn't think she would appreciate it if she woke up with dirt all over her face.

Besides, she wasn't in any real danger since she was still breathing. Or at least he assumed. He had no idea what had happened.

'She's fine. Now go get the girl!'

"HELP ME!"

The shriek ripped through the air and his head jerked up to see an Affinity grab the girl, dragging her into the air.

Time to get into action. Bayonetta's lessons came to mind; first, analyse the scene.

There were seven Angels, including the Applaud. The Affinity closest to the exit had the girl in its grip, while the other five were behind the leader. They were grouped up, so in theory something with a large enough radius would take them all out, provided it had the punch.

But first things first; the girl.

Standing up, he pointed towards the Affinity in question. "Put her down!"

'...that is so lame.'

The Lagunan screeched back a challenge and pointed the stave at the girl. She whimpered and held onto the doll in her hands a little tighter.

Taking a glance behind the Affinity, he held back a smirk as a large stone began to float up and into the air.

'Be really careful with that-'

He tossed the stone into the Angel's neck as he sprinted forward, dismissing the Sharuba. The Affinity dropped the child, just as planned. Sliding underneath, he caught the child before she could hit the ground. She clutched onto him tightly as he used his wing to push up off the ground, straightening himself back up.

"Get it!" The Applaud ordered. "And secure the girl!"

"Hey, can you hear me?" He whispered down to her. The girl nodded, her eyes wide with tears and fear. "Good. I need you to get behind that door, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"...yes." Her voice was barely a squeak.

The Sharuba flashed back into his hand. Slowly, he bent down to let the girl out of his grip. She nimbly ran off, hiding behind the stone doors. Her head peeked around the corner, her eyes not leaving his.

"Surrender the girl to us," The Angels spoke. "Experiment!"

A smile broke out on his lips. "Oh come on. You know that if you want her…"

He brought the Sharuba up to his shoulder, resting it on a palm in a more relaxed version of the stance Bayonetta had taught him.

"...you'll have to take her."

The Affinity he had launched the stone into charged him. Seeing how it was drawing its stave back, he figured it was going to attempt a powerful spike to start. Rolling the katana around, he parried the strike. Fire wrapped around his arm as he grabbed the Angel by the throat, setting it alight.

"Get the Witch!"

The order brought a panicked realization to him; of course they would go after Bayonetta! Why the hell did he leave her there to begin with? Two Affinity's broke from the pack and went after her, and the other three went after him.

'Alright, it's time for you to shine.'

DO WE HAVE TO

'Well, I wasn't talking to you.'

'Use this…' The Lagunan inside whispered to him, as an incantation appeared in front of him. 'It will keep her safe…'

'The spell works.' Khepri cut in before he could question it. 'Trust me.'

"Ne Olapireta En Zorge." He gestured towards Bayonetta without hesitation and a small barrier made from light appeared around her, stopping the Affinities from dealing the killing blow. Their staves bounced off the shield, and their shrieks of frustration made him grin. Satisfied with her safety for now, he turned his attention to the Angels-

A stave slammed into his abdomen. He staggered and keeled over, and another one smashed him in the face. The fire on his arm spluttered and died out, and a shimmer replaced it on the katana. Jumping back from the next swing, he twirled around and blasted a backhand shockwave at the trio. Two managed to dodge it, but the central one was caught directly and ripped to shreds.

Twirling the sword back to his stance, he began to swing around his body in a fluid motion, sending out a continuous shockwave. The two Angels at the shield turned into the blast, launched into the wall behind them. The other pair dodged through and were ready to swing in.

'I guess it's due time for your powers to get a shocking development…'

Are you making fun of me or trying to help me?

The hint didn't go unnoticed. The shimmer around the Sharuba disappeared, and electricity crackled up and down the blade. Blocking the first swing, he was amazed to watch as the electricity arced off and onto the stave, stunning the Affinity. The second swung in from behind him, and he rolled out of the way. Inspiration struck, and he pretended to sheathe the blade. He let his magic flow through him, concentrating on the area of the two Affinities. Swiping the sword in a fast motion, he blasted the area with lightning. The two Angels cried out in pain, which was abruptly cut off when they disintegrated.

The win was short lived. The first pair of Affinities were back, and they were angry. Returning back to a normal state, he focussed on dodging the two in order to find an opening.

'The best defence is a good offence. How about you just… go?'

Fire wrapped around the blade as he headed her words. Rolling out of an overhead smash, he caught one Affinity with an upper-cut, launching it into the air. Pushing off the ground, he sliced left, right, up and down. The final hit threw the Angel onto the other, and a burst of fire finished them off.

"Useless tools." The Applaud sneered as he landed. "I'll defeat you myself."

The Angel began to fly towards him, its stave held loosely. Narrowing his eyes at the sheer arrogance, a plan began to form.

'Ooh, now that's an interesting idea.'

Dismissing the flames, the Shuraba turned blue as he charged up an ice spell. Releasing it, he smirked as the head of the stave froze and fell from the hands of the Applaud.

"What the-"

He pounced on the opportunity and ran forward with a throw of the Shuraba. It spun wildly, but it was right on target. Slicing through the stomach, the Applaud gurgled and fell to the ground.

Dismissing the Shuraba before it could slice through the wall, Sephiroth let out a sigh of relief.

'Behind you.'

He jumped up and swung wildly with a kick, trying to emulate Bayonetta. It kind of worked and a burnt Affinity went flying into the wall. It shattered the stone and fell to the ground, twitching. Reaching out with his telekinesis, he grabbed the two frozen Angels and slammed them through.

"That takes care of that." Sephiroth lowered his arms. Turning, he ran towards Bayonetta. A click of his fingers dismissed the barrier, and not a second later was the woman in his arms.

"Bayonetta?" He asked, managing to keep his voice level. She had closed her eyes during the battle and now she looked as if she was sleeping peacefully. A quick peek into her mind determined that she was.

Is she okay?

'Time will tell.'

He rolled his eyes at her answer. A hand grasped at his forearm, and he glanced down to see the Witch lean into him.

Sephiroth froze.

She looked so… vulnerable. Hell, she was currently in a very vulnerable position. What had caused this to happen? To tell the truth, he was more concerned with what the actual fuck was happening.

Gently, he let her down again. Perhaps when she woke up she could give a better explanation, considering that Khepri was unwilling to provide him with one.

'I resent that. But, you are right.'

Laying her on her side, he took a few steps back and began to wait. He heard footsteps from behind and glanced to see the girl slowly walking towards her. She shyly glanced at him, to which he answered with a small smile.

"Thank you." She mumbled. "For saving me from the monsters."

He was about to answer when he hesitated. Shaking his head, he made his decision. "It's not a problem. It's what I do."

'You've accepted it.'

I'm just hoping she proves me wrong. He answered, watching as the girl knelt down next to Bayonetta and peered at her face. Whether human's gain their nature from nurture or it's self-inherent.

'Can't you separate it case-by-case?' Khepri asked. 'You can't just box everything and hope for it to work.'

He shook his head. I need to know. She might not be fully human, but she is still that.

'And what makes you believe that?'

He tapped the side of his head. She's a Witch.

…

"It's been a long day, C-Bayonetta, it is far due time for you to go to bed."

"But Mummy, I don't want to go to bed!" Bayonetta pouted. She held Cheshire close, putting the doll between her and Mummy. "I'm still awake!"

Her mother sighed. "Do you want me to sing that song again? The one that always helps you sleep?"

Her eyes brightened as she climbed into her cot. "Yes please!"

Her mother smiled tiredly as she began the process of tucking her in.

"Fly me to the Moon,
Let me play among the stars.
Let me see what spring is like on
A-Jupiter and Mars.
In other words, hold my hand.
In other words, baby, kiss me.

Fill my heart with song, and let me sing for ever more.
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore.
In other words, please be true.
In other words, I love you."

…

Bayonetta woke up.

She kept her eyes closed and listened out. There were no sounds of battle, nor the sounds of Angels. There weren't even the sounds of Infernals closing in on her. Just two people breathing.

And just what was that memory? Her mother sang to her? Since when? Why did everything end up with more questions than answers? She supposed it did make sense that she was sung a lullaby to get to sleep, but-

She frowned slightly. Her mother's voice was strange. It was almost as if-

"Was I singing?" Bayonetta muttered, stretching an arm out.

"No…" Sephiroth's voice sounded amused and relieved. "Someone was singing?"

She began to pull herself up, groaning. Her eyes blinked open and promptly widened as she saw what was in front of her.

"Mummy?" The unknown girl asked, her face way too close for comfort.

Bayonetta froze. She blinked. Blinked again. Finally the word reached her brain and she reacted, jumping to her feet in shock. "WHAT?!"

A large smile grew on the girl, small, pearly white teeth shining through. "Mummy, it's you!"

"Whoa! Hold up!" She held her hands up in defence as the girl looked at her in confusion. "I am not your mother!"

"Yes you are, Mummy!" The girl objected, looking at the ground.

Sephiroth snickered. She gave him a glare, trying to silently tell him to keep his composure. Which caused the man to burst out laughing.

"Daddy said that the monsters would take me, and that Mummy and Bubby would rescue me." She was looking back up at her. "The monsters found me, but you rescued me! So you must be Mummy!"

"Daddy?" She gave the statement more than a second of thought. "Given your age, I can certainly say you aren't mine. No man was lucky enough to get me that year."

"Where have you been, Mummy?" The girl ignored her and looked at her expectantly. "You ran away at the church and left me all alone."

"I am not your mother! Don't call me that again." She repeated herself, adding an edge to her tone. The girl deflated, then looked away briefly.

"But…" Her lip was trembling. "Mummy…"

"Oh, come on…" She looked back over to Sephiroth. "You aren't helping things! What bloody idea did you put in her head while I was entertaining the Sandman?"

"Don't look at me; I did nothing." Sephiroth smirked, trying to quell his laughter. "Mother."

"Oh shut it." She hissed. "There's no… 'Bubby' here and there's certainly no Mother!"

"But-" She started.

"Quiet!"

"Bubby is here." The girl stared at her in confusion. "So are you, Mummy."

She pointed at Sephiroth. "There he is."

"Bubby?" Sephiroth looked at her in confusion, then looked up at Bayonetta. "What is a Bubby?"

She shrugged in response. The girl answered not too long after.. "Bubby is Bubby. Daddy said you would be here with Mummy to pick me up!"

Sephiroth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "That answered nothing."

Bayonetta peered down at the girl, taking her in. She was wearing a patchwork dress of red, black and brown fabric with a white underside, slippers and glasses that were too big for her face. In her hands was a beaten, worn doll of a cat. "What is your name, little one?"

"Cereza." The girl answered with a frown. "Don't you remember, Mummy?"

"No, because, for the last time, I am not your mother!" Bayonetta half yelled at her. Tears began to well up in Cereza's eyes and slowly leaked out.

"Mummy doesn't love me anymore…" She whispered as she cried. "Why doesn't Mummy love me any more?"

Groaning, Bayonetta plucked the child off the ground and held her with one hand at arm's length, looking at her with repulsion.

"Look here, little one." She began, pointing a finger at the child's chin. "There's two things I absolutely despise in this world; cockroaches and crying babies."

She looked to the side and frowned. "Although I suppose a crying baby cockroach would be truly horrifying. But besides, don't you dare cry, or you will be crying alone. Got it?"

"Yes Mummy." Cereza said as she tried to contain her tears.

Bayonetta sighed in frustration and let her go. Sephiroth darted in and caught the child before she hit the floor. Holding Cereza in one arm, he frowned in disappointment at her.

"What's the point in that?" He asked.

"What's the point in what?" Bayonetta rolled her eyes. Of course he didn't understand. She didn't expect him to. "Come now, we need to reach the airport."

"At least Bubby remembers me." Cereza said petulantly. Bayonetta shook her head as she turned and began to walk towards the exit.

"I don't." Sephiroth replied from behind her, his quick steps catching up to hers quickly. "But you could jog my memory, maybe. Which is great!"

What's your problem!? His voice rang out. She's just a lost and confused little girl. You can afford to be civil now, right?

Since when do you care? She answered, her eyes looking towards him with anger. You've never cared about the well-being of humans before. Why start now?

For someone who professes to protect the mortals you barely care about them.

Get. Out. Of. My. Head.

If Sephiroth thought that she could be a fan of children, he could bloody well think again. Just look at them! They were small, disgusting and demanding little pests. Always crying out for attention, and when it was given they would spit it right back in your face.

There was no room on this journey for a stuck-up child who would demand protection and attention.

"At the earliest opportunity, we will be getting rid of the child." No, she didn't deserve a name. Acknowledging a name meant attachment, and she was not going to get attached to the bug. "Whether it be an orphanage or a police station."

'Calm down.'

I will not. We don't need a… thing here.

She increased her pace and stormed ahead.

…

The change in attitude was something else.

Sephiroth watched as she stalked out the exit, heading towards a dead end. He supposed that Bayonetta had her dislikes and likes, but this was hatred.

Something didn't feel right. His small peek into her mind and psyche hadn't told him otherwise and solidified that this was her own opinion. Which didn't make any sense, since children were the best things to protect if you wanted to be a defender of the mortals.

Cereza buried her face into his shoulder, her breathing even. She was calming down, which was a relief. Now all he had to do was keep her calm when he confronted Bayonetta.

He caught up to her when she stopped at the dead end. In the centre was a stone circular construct, which was ominously glowing.

"A portal to Paradiso." She announced as he pulled to a stop. "This must have been where they were planning to take her."

"Is it even safe for mortals?"

"Yes. Which makes it the perfect place for a trap." Bayonetta stared at the portal, placing a hand on her chin. "We may as well spring it."

"You want to put Cereza in danger?" He turned his head to her. "Are you-"

"She was going to be put in danger if we had not arrived when we did." She snapped. "We don't exactly have a choice either way."

Not even bothering to see if he followed, she walked into the light and disappeared.

He grimaced at the portal, both from it and her actions. "I guess we have no choice then. Cereza?"

"Yes, Bubby?" The girl whispered.

"Stay close to me." He started to walk forward, closing his eyes at the brightness. "No matter what happens. Promise?"

"I promise."

As he stepped into the realm of the divine, Sephiroth immediately felt more refreshed, both physically and mentally. The brightness dimmed down, and he opened his eyes to something he could describe as paradise. The sky was golden, the sun shone upon everything. White buildings with lush, green gardens with bright and colourful flowers dominated the area. It was so perfect! Why would he ever want to-

"Hey!" Bayonetta slapped him out of his wonder. "That's the problem with Paradiso; it's one giant fucking spiderweb, ready to entangle you. Don't give into its temptation."

Shaking his head free, he could feel the influence slip away. And now as he gazed upon the realm, he felt sickened about how beautiful everything was. It was too perfect for him. Taking into consideration what Angels actually were?

The flowers seemed to wilt down and the sun dimmed in response to his thoughts. Cereza, however, stared at the realm in wonder.

"Mummy, this place is so cool!" The girl exclaimed, twisting around in his arms for a better view. "Why did we never visit this place before?"

Bayonetta ignored her and started to continue walking along the path, ignoring the branching ones for now. Sephiroth stared at her, shaking his head.

It was time to put his foot down.

"You know, you could at least pretend to be nice to her." He spoke to her back, not expecting a response.

She froze and slowly turned around. Fury was building in her eyes, almost to the point where he regretted saying anything.

"Nice?" She hissed. "You want me to be nice to this… abomination that thinks I'm its mother?"

"She's lost and confused. All you have to do is play nice for maybe a day." He rebutted, trying to keep his courage before it failed. "You… can just do that?"

Bayonetta stared at him. A chuckle erupted from her throat, building and building until she was bent over, laughing.

He was confused, more than anything. "What's so funny?"

"You don't get it, do you?" She stopped laughing, her expression turning serious. "Children are nothing more than insects who deserve to be squashed. They bring nothing but shame and disgrace no matter what they are!"

"Mummy?" Cereza called out.

"I am not your fucking mother! Stop calling me that or I will shoot you, and then hunt down your mother and shoot her too!" Bayonetta screamed. Cereza wailed and began to cry. Sephiroth couldn't blame her, but he did have a bone to pick with her.

"Bayonetta, what is your problem? You've never acted like this."

"Oh, darling, you think you know everything about me? I'm Bayonetta. I am far more than just a pretty face." She smirked, pulling out one of her guns. "You barely know anything about me."

"I know that this isn't you." His eyes widened as she pointed the gun at Cereza. The child froze, her eyes not leaving the barrel. "You wouldn't dare."

She considered the statement and shrugged. "You know, you are right."

She adjusted her aim and shot him in the thigh.

Everything erupted in pain. Dropping Cereza with a scream of agony, he clutched his thigh as he fell to the ground. He tried to focus his magic towards healing, but he couldn't.

It was almost as if everything he could feel was pain.

He closed his eyes, missing the look of surprise on Bayonetta's face. Gritting his teeth, he reached out for the healing magic, only to find more pain.

"If all I had to do was shoot you, any fight between us is never going to go in your favor." She commented, and he barely heard her over the agony. A swift kick to his thigh made him see literal stars, nearly causing him to black out. "What a pathetic toy. I should have dumped you a long time ago."

Cereza was crying nearby, calling his name. Screaming, he managed to reach out with a hand and grab her ankle.

"Oh, what a pathetic display from the abomination. Can't live without his Mummy? Can't live without his support stand?" She spoke condescendingly, each barb hitting the target. "You are literally a waste of time. I should not even have bothered with you, you know? You would be better off dead in that alleyway."

"Please…" He managed to get out. "Bayonetta…"

Her ankle left his grip, then slammed onto his hand. "I'm going to Ithavoll. You can stay here with the girl, since you love her so much. Why not be her mother? She deserves a pathetic parent."

Her foot left his hand, and he could only listen with growing terror as she left them both.

Alone.

…

How dare he.

How fucking dare he.

He had merely been an annoyance and a liability to her the entire time. He didn't need to be with her, anyway. She was a big girl, she could make the journey to Ithavoll without any help.

'But you need his help. And you have needed it.' Butterfly spoke up.

No she didn't. If that God-forsaken girl hadn't showed up, she would've been fine. If she had killed everything in the room, she definitely wouldn't have needed it.

If he was going to be friendly with that abomination, then he could go with her and die for all she cared. He didn't matter. Especially if he was as pathetic to almost die from a bullet.

'You are not yourself.'

On the contrary, she had never felt more like herself! No more deadweights to weigh her down, no more children to get in her way. She could do anything and everything she wanted to.

She stormed down the path, without a care in the world. Her anger faded as she continued, until she couldn't quite remember what she was angry about, or why she was angry. All she knew was that she had to be angry. Being angry made her feel good. There was nothing wrong with not wanting to feel good, right?

If being angry made her good, why shouldn't she be angry?

'Bayonetta! You listen to me!'

She stopped.

'What are you doing?'

"I'm being angry!" Bayonetta held her arms out, looking around. "And being angry makes me feel good!"

'Why are you angry?'

"Because…" She stopped. Blinking, she wracked her mind over the reason. "Because… Sephiroth…"

'Are you even listening to yourself?'

Horror was beginning to set into her mind. Clicking her fingers, she tried to summon her journal. It dropped into her fingers not a second later as her mind began to clear.

Parting it at the spine, she began to skim the pages until she found an entry for a small, human-like Angel. Her eyes widened at the end of the second paragraph, her cheeks went pale and her stomach dropped. Dropping the book back into inferno, she turned and ran.

'Hurry.'

Pushing herself harder, she sprinted. She had never been angry.

She had been told to be.

The realm began to open up ahead of her, showing a new pathway. Not even stopping to think or consider its appearance, she continued to run.

…

He vaguely sensed Cereza crawling up to him.

"Bubby?" She sniffled. "Are you okay?"

He wasn't.

"Yes." He lied, trying to keep his voice even. "I'm fine!"

Khepri! He couldn't hide the desperation in his voice. What's wrong!?

'A bullet wound is causing your chemical make-up to go volatile, since it was never stable to begin with.' She answered. 'It doesn't know how to heal it and it's breaking more things to try to.'

Can I stop it?

'I can only suggest not getting shot. It should sort itself out eventually.'

Great.

"Bubby." Cereza's teary face appeared in his vision as he opened his eyes slowly. "What's wrong with Mummy?"

Something was definitely wrong with Bayonetta. But at the same time, her words echoed throughout his mind.

Maybe, he really didn't know Bayonetta at all.

"I don't know, little one." He answered, voice shaking. "I really don't know."

"But, what we can do is find your Daddy." He began to pull himself up slowly, trying not to aggravate his wound. Biting on his lips, he made it unsteadily to his feet.

"You're not okay…" Cereza observed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why does Mummy hate me?"

He didn't know why Bayonetta was so against the girl. But, he couldn't lie to her and make up some convenient excuse.

"Let's just get going, Cereza." He hobbled along, letting the small girl grab onto his hand. Eyeing the path where Bayonetta had walked, he turned to the left and walked down that path.

'What makes you certain that's the correct path?'

Nothing is. Blinking away a few tears, he stopped and looked back. I just don't want to follow her, that's all.

'Understandable.'

Shaking his head, he continued to walk.

…

"Shall we take them ourselves? Move to the next phase of the plan?"

"Keep to the plan. What is her status?"

"The Witch is too far away to stop us."

"Acceptable. What of the rogue?"

"We haven't found it."

"It can still interfere with our plans. Find it."

"Understood. Can you handle it yourself?"

"We will drain it of any resistance. Then, we will make it ours."

…

Sephiroth immediately regretted that the thought 'it had been too quiet' had crossed his mind.

Mostly because it had come true immediately.

"Give us the child, experiment!"

A Beloved smashed through a building, slamming onto the ground in front of them. In one hand it wielded a giant axe, almost as tall as the Angel. And the other was reaching towards Cereza.

A barrier sprung up around her as Sephiroth jumped backwards. Pain flared through his leg again, causing him to wince.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Childish tricks, sorcerer." The Beloved stood up to its full height, dwarfing the previous one he had fought. He paled, trying to figure out how he could defeat such a thing.

'Trust in yourself.'

He ran forward, stepping off a low branch and launching himself up. Surrounding himself with air, he shot himself like a bullet towards the Angel.

It swatted him out of the sky with a free hand and he crashed through a nearby building. Once he had stopped, he dragged himself to his feet and staggered back out.

'Maybe not like that.'

The Beloved began to swing its axe, ripping through gardens and buildings without a care in the world. With desperation, he held out the Sharuba to defend himself. The blow connected, sending him flying yet again. This time, he soared into the sky and landed heavily on the path he had just walked down on.

This time, he didn't get up. His body had been spent, and he could feel each laceration pulse with pain. It couldn't go any further.

He had tried.

"Take this!"

A familiar voice rang out, followed by a familiar sounding gunshot.

"Impossible! Why are you-"

Another gunshot rang out, and the Beloved gurgled its last. Sephiroth squinted, watching as a woman broke his barrier and picked up Cereza.

"Mummy!" She cried out joivally. "You came back!"

"Yes." Bayonetta smiled, putting her down. "And you are all safe."

"Bubby isn't." She pointed towards him. "He's hurt! He's pretending to be not hurt, and he really is!"

"Is he now?" Bayonetta turned and began to walk towards him. "Let's go and help him together, shall we?"

Something was off. He didn't care. He wanted to be angry, to be mad, but he was just rescued by her. It wasn't like he was in a position to do anything, anyway.

Two hands grabbed his arms, slowly pulling him up until he was face to face with her. Her grey eyes searched through his own for a minute, concern reflecting off them.

Why would concern be reflecting-

She dragged him into an embrace and his mind shut down.

Bayonetta was colder than he was expecting. However, her skin was soft, she smelt of flowers and maybe this wasn't so bad after all. He relaxed into it, leaning his head against her shoulder. He didn't care that he was basically weighing her down with his body. She was practically holding him up with the hug.

"We're sorry." She whispered in his ear. "We shouldn't have left you alone."

Who was we? He stared at her in confusion.

"Through that building is the exit." She nodded her head towards a building to his left. "It takes us right to Vigrid airport."

And how did she-

'It's the truth.'

But how did anyone know any-

Her lips pressed against his.

If his mind was blank before… That was peanuts in comparison to what it was now. He couldn't even form a coherent thought. All he could think about was just how soft her lips were.

"Ahem." A familiar voice from behind them interrupted the blissfulness, the-

Hold up.

His mind snapped back into action.

Bayonetta was holding him, right?

'Right.' Khepri was struggling to hold in laughter.

So how did she say something from behind him?

"Mummy?" Cereza asked, her voice uncertain. "Why are there two of you?"

He broke the kiss to see Bayonetta standing behind him, a sly smirk on her face. His head whipped around.

Yep, she was still there, too.

Khepri was laughing in the background. He tried to tune her out as best as he could.

He was in too much pain for this.

"You are a very intelligent creature." The Bayonetta holding him said. "But duplicates are something the enemy can use."

"Speak for yourself." She said from behind. "But, I do like that bit you did of tampering with my emotions. That was quite a successful tactic."

"Mummy?" Cereza's head turned back and forth between the two. "What's going on?"

"A Joy." The one behind him said.

"An Angel that can disguise itself as another human, and almost fully integrate itself into society." The one holding him continued.

"They are a master manipulator-"

"-including most emotions-"

"-making them perfect as assassins or terrorists-"

"-and are the Angelic counterparts to the Umbran Witch, as their abilities are very similar."

Sephiroth merely grabbed his head in pain.

"Don't listen to her." The Bayonetta to his left slowly transitioned him around until he was supported by just her shoulder. "She's trying to trick you."

"That would be true, if I weren't the real me." The other one popped up, looking at his face with concern.

"Let's go. Ignore her." They slowly began to walk towards the building pointed out earlier.

"So this is how it ends? You're going to trust an Angel over me?" Bayonetta shook her head. "Come on, Sephiroth. You know which is the real one."

"I don't." He fired back. "And frankly, this one cares about me far more than you."

They crossed over the threshold and into the building, Cereza trailing behind. It was a large, empty space with a few benches around the outside. Through the exit was a glowing portal, identical to the one that brought them here.

"Why even bother listening to her?" The Bayonetta supporting him placed him onto a bench, of which he gratefully accepted. "She didn't save you."

The other Bayonetta placed a hand on his shoulder, green energies lighting up from her palm. "Then let me make it up to you."

A smack rang out as it was slapped away. "Hey! Hands off!"

"If you want to prove you are the real one, then you'll have to heal him." Bayonetta summoned her guns with a click of her fingers.

"Or, We could simply kill the fake one." The other summoned her own pair of guns out. "And heal him at any point in time."

Cereza was still looking between the two, eyes intent. "Why did you say 'we?' Mummy doesn't talk like that."

Sephiroth felt the color drain from his face. Scrutinizing the one that had carried him in, he found that it had no mole.

And now, he could see the halo floating above it.

"Accursed child!" The fake screamed, raising its gun up. "Children should not be seen, nor-"

Bayonetta surged forward with a punch, launching the fake high. "Little one! Get out of here!"

Cereza nodded with a 'mhmm!', then turned and ran for the portal. Sephiroth slowly got up from the bench, the Sharuba snapping into his hand. The child disappeared through the portal, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Darling, are you-" Bayonetta was interrupted by bullets spraying at her.

…

That damn Witch.

His mother had laughed at him when he had confessed he had seen his father's murderer. Well, not just seen, but had watched the whole scenario play out.

"A beautiful woman killed him with her mind? And she came out of a lake? Come on, Luka. Get your head out of those books."

His friends had laughed at him when she suddenly passed from an illness.

"Poor Poopa Shitstain." They would taunt. "He killed his Daddy, and when Mummy found out he killed her too!"

He endured all of it, all of the stares, the whispers, everything. Learning to ignore it all, he finished school and began to start the path that would hopefully take him to her. He learned the art of detective work, of investigation work and was promptly laughed at by his colleagues at work.

"Luka, Luka, Luka…" His boss would say. "You can't afford to be chasing ghosts. We can't afford for our best to be doing nothing helpful towards this company, understand? There's no truth to any of those tales. Your father died in an accident. There is nothing else to it. Get back to real mysteries."

He knew better. He had watched his father explode from an invisible force. He had watched one person dive into a lake and two people break out. There was a mystery to that, one that all he needed was one photo of evidence to prove.

Luka Redgrave, journalist extraordinaire, sighed in defeat.

His father's work had been based on the myths and legends surrounding the Umbra Witches and Lumen Sages. They had both been wiped out, but no one could seem to pinpoint why or how.

Until, Antonio had burst onto the scene and was promptly burst into a million pieces. Recovering his notebooks and research had yielded many things; one, the most important being that Witches and Sages had wiped each other out, except for two Witches and a singular lone Sage.

The Sage had gone missing, and the other Witch was presumed dead after posing as 'Jeanne of Arc' for a hot minute. The final person was what his father had found.

He had learned her name when he was fifteen, just after escaping the orphanage. He had snuck into a random warehouse, only to overhear two thugs talking about a new handyperson that had appeared onto the scene. Subsequent investigations on a nearby gang operation, that he had bought down afterwards, revealed her name.

"Bayonetta…" He hissed under his breath, stuffing his hands into his pockets, making sure his bag was secured fast.

And then the teases and chase was on. His first and only glimpse of her was when he looked into a mirror and found a woman searching his bag. By the time he had turned around, she had disappeared along with three of his father's journals- specifically, the ones about Umbran history.

And that was the extent of his knowledge of her. The memory of her face had never faded, and he figured he needed to hit the books if he wanted to stand a chance of ever finding her. His own research of the Umbra had taught him that they hid in what was basically a parallel dimension, something that could only be accessed by those with the gift or by glancing at a mirror that shows all.

Which, conveniently, was every mirror.

Kicking at a stray pebble on the path ahead of him, he walked towards the strange Lumen monument at the end of the small causeway. To his right stood the Vigrid airport, a military complex that rarely flew outside of the small country. The planes were ancient, the helicopters were a little more modern and the rest was a dust bowl. He had come here to try to get easy passage to the capital city of Isla Del Sol, but he had been turned away at the gates.

Something bright lit up in front of him. Averting and shielding his eyes, he waited it out.

Maybe she was here. His left hand reached into his knapsack and got a grip on his digital camera, ready for use. The intensity lowered and he reacted accordingly. Then he reacted to what he was seeing.

A small girl, wearing what could be only described as a dress from a millennium ago and holding a small, beaten toy cat, was staring up at him in confusion. He stared at her with probably the exact same expression.

"What the-" He shook his head and decided to turn into his charming self. Luka greeted the girl with a warm smile, kneeling next to her. "Hello, little one. What are you doing out here all alone?"

"Hi!" The girl smiled at him, and he gushed about how cute she was! Jesus Christ, no one could be that cute! "I'm waiting for Mummy!"

"You are waiting," Luka stared at her. "for your Mummy?"

"Mhmm!" She nodded with vigor. "She told me to wait for her and Bubby, once she beat up the monster!"

…

…

…

What.

Oh wait, she probably meant-

"Where is your mother now?" He asked, a suspicion beginning to form.

"She's in there, with Bubby." She pointed at the sculpture. "Can't you see?"

"No, I cannot." His eyes moved to the sculpture, noting how circular it was, how it was just over his height, how it seemed to fan into his circumference, like one of those folding fans. "What is your name, little one?"

"Cereza, sir." The name even sounded antique. He turned back to her

"Well, Cerezita." Luka snapped his fingers and a lollipop appeared in his hand. "I'm Luka, and I'll wait here with you for Mummy, okay?"

The child accepted the candy hesitantly, but her eyes lit up when she placed it inside her mouth. "Thank you, Mister Luka!"

He didn't know about the girl. But he did know that whatever portal-doorway-thingy she was talking about, Bayonetta and the alien thing was on the other side.

…

Bayonetta cartwheeled back, out of the spray. The Angel landed on the ground, eyes seething.

"Get back here!" The fake ran towards the portal, and a bullet at its feet stopped it.

"No, you get to stay for a playdate." The Witch smirked. Sephiroth took a few steps back, focussing on his magic. His eyes glowed as green energy began to flow through his veins, his muscles, everything. Slowly, but surely, everything began to heal.

"You will pay for that Witch!" The fake Bayonetta hissed. It's mouth began to twist and warp and its voice changed. "The Father needed that!"

"The Father needed his little girl? He's more perverted than I thought." Bayonetta smiled as he leaned back against a wall, his hand resting on his bullet wound. "And one more thing; I don't apologise so easily."

Shedding its disguise, the Joy revealed itself. White marble skin, a slim and curvaceous figure, long braids of hair and a strange hat that obscured its eyes struck a pose and summoned a pair of guns. Its hands were gone, replaced with the weapons. The guns twirled and transformed into a long whip, which it brandished at her.

Bayonetta answered with a flourish of her own. "That's a neat trick. You should teach me sometime."

The Joy lashed out, the whip cracking. Sephiroth threw himself to the side, grunting out in confusion. Why would it attack him? Bayonetta was the one fighting it!

"You've cost us more than you could understand!" It screeched, the whip cracking two more times. The third strike slapped against his thigh, burning and splitting the flesh. "You will die!"

"Hello?" Bayonetta slammed into its face with a kick. "It's our playdate, not a threesome."

The Angel hissed at her, rolling into a crouch. The whip coiled itself up and straightened into a sword. "At least let me kill the abomination first!"

"Not on my watch. I'll not save him once, just to watch him die."

The Joy flipped forward with a kick, of which Bayonetta sidestepped. She sent a swift kick to its stomach area, sending it flying. The sword split into two and bullets flew back at her, causing the Witch to dodge out of the way.

Crawling towards the portal, Sephiroth got back to his feet. He figured someone should be in the way of Purgatorio and Paradiso, lest Bayonetta somehow failed.

There's no way she should or would lose. Could she lose?

Bayonetta sweeped low, and a wicked weave followed after. The Joy was caught and flung into the wall, cracking the concrete. Snarling, it tried to stand up.

Only to be pinned down by a weave from above.

"Accursed Witch!" It screamed, trying to free itself from the Madama's foot. "A curse upon you! A curse upon your name and a curse against-"

A gunshot rang out and the Angel collapsed back to the ground, dead.

"I think I liked you better when you were me." She commented, regarding the corpse with apathy.

'I think she is right.'

"You were much prettier." She tossed a ribbon back over her shoulder. "Much more suave, much more beautiful…"

And of course, the crux of the matter. Sephiroth gave her a sour expression.

'I see. I'll let you do this.'

The Witch turned around and began to walk towards the portal. He hesitated, but swallowed.

Stepping in front of her, he held his hands out.

"Oh darling, come on." Bayonetta rolled her eyes. "Let's go! We've got a little girl to catch! Well, you've got a little girl to catch. I've got-"

"No, we are talking. Now." His expressions hardened. "You said-"

"Look, could we not?" Her expression was awkward. Her eyes looked to the ground, and a finger began to wrap the ribbon around it. "We need to get-"

"Bayonetta-" He tried to keep talking, but a finger to his lips closed them.

"Don't." She held her other hand up. "Don't even start. You don't need any apologies or anything. I got tricked, that was all."

He pushed her hand away. "You shot me. You don't just shoot people and call them-" His eyes shut as the tears began to flow. "You can't just whip emotions out of thin air."

Bayonetta gulped and hesitated. "Look, you know that was the Joy's influence, right?"

"Influence! You said it! Influence!" He pointed at her. "It influenced you to-"

"I'm not going to deal with this. I have far more important things to deal with than a temper tantrum from a child." Bayonetta pushed past him and stalked towards the portal. "You are free to join me if you wish."

He stared at her. Angry voices began to whisper in his mind, telling him to lash out. To make her understand. To make her feel.

And he listened.

"Bayonetta…" He growled, and she whipped around.

"Here's the deal, darling." She gave him a withering stare. "You could go off by yourself, or attempt to attack me, and either way you will die. There's no competition between someone who has a pathetic mockery of a Contracted than one who knows what she is doing with it."

'How fucking dare she-'

"Or you could stick with me, learn a couple more tricks and you might not die. What is the better option for you, mmm?" Bayonetta folded her arms, turning her head slightly.

He was conflicted. But, there was no real competition between those options.

"I will go with you." He said with resignation. "I-"

"Look." Her face softened. "You are frustrating, but we need to stick together. We've both had situations where we would have died without the other."

"Caused by my friction." He whispered under his breath. She noticed.

"It takes two to tango, darling. Let's just concentrate on getting to Isla Del Sol, shall we?" She held a hand out.

He looked at her hand, then grasped it in a handshake. "We just need to co-exist. I can do that."

She beamed at him and gestured to the portal. "Ladies first."

"Of course." He smirked and gave her a shove. Fortunately, she regained her balance and cartwheeled through the portal. She gave him a wink as she disappeared and he sighed.

'Better luck next time.' Khepri snorted. He shook his head and walked through the portal. It snapped shut behind him, causing him to give it a glance.

'That wasn't a trap.'

The problem was that she was right. And that was going to lead to a whole new can of worms.

"Oh, you." He turned back to see Bayonetta regarding a familiar man with interest. "How are you here?"

"That's quite a coinciden-" He froze at the person next to her.

"Somehow I get the feeling this isn't a coincidence." She gave him a look. "I wonder how he got here…"

"I'm wondering how Cereza got out of Purgatorio." He replied, not taking his eyes off the scene. "We can simply lose him again."

"I guess." She turned to him. "I'm going to go and say hello, okay? Don't go and run off on me now!"

He nodded and watched as she opened a portal back into the mortal realm.

…

"Mummy!" Cereza greeted her as she stepped out of seemingly nowhere. Luka started to speak, stopped and stared at the girl in bewilderment.

"Mummy?" He turned back to her. "You're her Mum? You?"

"Now, come on. Look at me Cheshire." Bayonetta smiled at him. "Do you think I have any interest in children?"

He frowned at her as she continued. "Now making them, that's another story."

Luka stepped back and held his hands out as he shook his head, eyes wide at her suggestion. "Woah, you've got the totally wrong idea. I don't think making children is… Well…"

She smiled wider as he tripped over his words. A small plan began to form in her mind, as she noticed that he was still looking at her with eyes not filled fully with hatred, but, replacing itself with lust. A plan to rid herself of both mortals and the various baggage they contained.

"You see, Cheshire, I've been awfully lonely ever since I awoke twenty years ago." She batted her eyelashes at him and he visibly gulped. "Surely you can help me."

"You can help yourself." He snapped, pulling Cereza behind him. "Don't listen to her, Cerezita. She'll poison your mind-"

"Can't you help a pretty damsel in distress?" She pouted, leaning forward slightly. To her surprise, he didn't take the bait and kept his eyes on hers.

"For the love of Pete, stop trying to seduce me." He growled. "Do you actually think I could be attracted to someone like you?"

"And just who is someone like me?" She stood back up to her full height, trying to intimidate him now. "Go on, Cheshire. Explain your words."

"You are a murderer, at the very least." He stood up, and unlike Sephiroth he towered over her. "And just now you showed you are a master manipulator who will stoop to any lows to get what she wants. You're everything history has described you to be."

"Is that so?" She took a step forward, caressing a hand over his cheek. "Come on, Cheshire. You should be more relaxed, more open to new ideas! Not everything in those crusty old books is correct, you know."

"You aren't helping your case!" He backed up, Cereza keeping step. "What do you want with the girl!?"

"To you, it doesn't matter." She was beginning to lose her patience. "Now, come here, little one!"

"No!" Luka held an arm behind him, preventing the child from moving forward. Cereza looked at him with surprise and expectation. "Don't listen to her, Cerezita!"

"Mummy, where is Bubby?" The girl asked, her eyes peeking up at her through the glasses. "I want Bubby!"

"Oh for- Who is Bubby!?" He asked, turning his head back slightly.

"Bubby is Bubby, isn't he?" Bayonetta answered with a smirk. "Bubby is around here, but not here."

"That makes all the sense." Luka replied sarcastically. "Let me guess; Bubby is the monster that's been following you around?"

Her eyes widened as she felt a turmoil from Purgatorio. "I wouldn't call him that."

"Why not?" He continued, completely unaware of what was happening. "No human looks like him. So what could it possibly be?"

Reality split beside them, a jagged white line in the fabric of the world. Luka jumped back, somehow managing to keep Cereza behind him. Bayonetta stared at the opening portal, waiting for him to finally step through.

And he did. Sephiroth stormed through, eyes on Luka.

"Go on, say that to my face!"

The man looked terrified. To his merit, he kept Cereza behind him.

"Bubby!" Cereza ran to the winged man, much to Luka's dismay. "I've missed you and Mummy!"

That seemed to calm him down considerably. Sephiroth stopped, staring at the girl. "Cereza?"

She pointed at the other man, who was still frozen in terror. "Mister Luka took care of me whilst you were fighting the monster."

"Oh." He looked over to him, eyes analysing. Bayonetta felt her breath hitch; would he keep his word? Would he not attack him?

"Did he now?" Sephiroth still seemed on edge. She sighed in relief.

"Yep! He even gave me this lolly, too!" She held out the lollipop, which caused a frown to form on Bayonetta's face.

That was the same flavor she loved the most; cherry. A coincidence, she assumed.

Luka was tentatively moving forward, bringing him back to her attention. "You aren't going to harm her?"

"Harm?" Sephiroth stared at him. "Why would I harm her? She's just a child."

Luka looked down, finding Cereza. "Then, just who are you?"

"My name is Sephiroth, and I am no monster!" A well-placed hand, courtesy of herself, stopped him from lunging forward.

"Alright!" Luka held his hands up. "If you say so…"

"Good!" Bayonetta clapped her hands together. "Now we are all friends, let's go and get a plane!"

"What?" Sephiroth turned to her. "We need to get a plane?"

"If you are trying to reach Ithavoll, you do. But, just asking isn't going to get you anywhere." Luka shook his head. "You may as well manipulate the guards to take you there."

"Oh, sod off." She dismissed his claim with a wave of her hand. "I haven't needed to cast a manipulation spell for quite a while. I think my natural charms should do the trick."

"Bullshit." Luka stepped forward, towards her. "What's stopping you from casting it on these two?"

Uh oh.

"Why would I need to use a manipulation spell on these two?" She laughed. "They're my friends."

"You don't like Cereza…" Sephiroth said to himself, a frown deepening on his features.

"You killed my father." Luka was emboldened and she felt the control of the situation slipping away. "Enslaving people isn't even a second thought for someone like you."

"If I was going to enslave someone, why wouldn't I enslave you?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. "You're very convenient, you know?"

"Because you'd only prove me right." He raised his eyebrows at her. "Nothing else."

'This one is smart. I like him.'

No, you don't.

"You listen here, mortal." Anger was beginning to cloud her judgement, but she found that she didn't particularly care. "How about you just, turn around and leave? You don't need to be here."

"I can't trust that you won't leave the girl unharmed." He gently placed a hand onto Cereza's shoulder, pulling her back slightly. "And since you are interested in her, that makes me attached to you."

"Attached to me? Look at yourself. You are just a mortal!" She ignored the looks Sephiroth was giving her, letting her emotions guide her. "What do you think you could possibly do? Take a photo of me and expose me to the world? No one would care. No one cared that your dear Daddy died, no one would care whether this curious cat goes missing and no one would care that he would turn up dead. My clan was wiped out from the misplaced fear of mortals-"

"Your powers and abilities are much to fear!" Luka stepped forward, so they were nearly nose to nose. "One of you is bad enough, but a town of them? A race of them? The world wouldn't stand a chance if you all decided that you wanted to conquer us!"

"We wouldn't!" Bayonetta snapped. "We protect the mortals-"

"From what?" Luka glanced around, gesturing to the empty space. "Yourself? You couldn't even get that right!"

"My actions are my own! If your father died to resurrect me, then so be it!" She screamed, breathing heavily. "I don't care that he died; if anything, I am grateful!"

The silence was broken only by their breathing. Bayonetta bared her teeth, trying to exhaust her frustration and her rage out via her actions. Oh, how she wanted to kill him! Get rid of this loose end. No one would know.

"In your wickedness, you have broken the ancient commandments-"

"You just proved me right." Luka stepped back, pushing Cereza behind him. A flash of a camera made her blink. "That's all you did."

"I-" Her eyes widened as her actions from the past five minutes were finally processed.

What have I done?