Author's Note: All of Bayonetta belongs to Platinum Games.

Chapter 6: The Three Meet

Zip!

Luka gave a small grin of appreciation to his grappling hook as it stayed in the wall this time. Giving it a few hard tugs, he felt it wasn't going to fall out under his own weight.

"Looks like this cat still has a few tricks up his sleeve." He quipped to himself, adjusting his hat, the grin transforming into a large smile. Jumping from the building he was standing on, he began to swing in towards Noatun. Night was beginning to fall, and he felt that it would probably be the best thing if he caught up with Bayonetta, instead of trying to fend for himself in a foreign city. Glancing to the horizon, he saw perhaps half a dozen hotels in the distance, something he remembered Vigrid being infamous for not having. Grasping onto the heavy satchel on his left arm more tightly, he let momentum pull his path towards the docks.

The slight distraction proved sufficient enough as something flew into his face without warning. Yelling in surprise, he felt the thing clamp onto his face in terror, and then his grappling hook fell out.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh shit!" Luka screamed as he landed hard onto a rooftop, leaving a dent and bouncing once before crashing to a stop. Whatever had collided with him was now gone, and he glanced around in confusion. "What the fuck was- who the fuck are you?"

A small boy barely in the ranks of teenagerhood stared back at him in surprise.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" He asked, puzzled slightly.

"Oh, you're the pervert that stares at Bayonetta's tits all the time." The boy dismissed him and stood up. "But that's not the matter, especially at this moment of time. Where is Fimbulventr? Where is the mountain?"

"Hey, kid, It's right there!" Luka called out as he stood up. "And you don't want to be going to Fimbulventr-"

He abruptly stopped as the boy transformed into a flying squirrel and flew off into the city.

"Oh." He simply said, shaking his head. "Some kids do get all the nuts."

Then he fully processed what the child had said. "Hey! I am no pervert! She's my goddamn girlfriend!"

Snapping his wrist, he followed after the boy, letting his body fly through the air with practised ease.

…

Bayonetta smirked as she landed on the rooftop she had seen Luka and Loki crash onto. Bending her knees to absorb the shock, she looked at the man-shaped dent on the roof ahead of her.

"So much for landing on your feet, Cheshire." She teased. Oh, she was so going to get him later. That was simply beautiful.

Standing up, she began to observe the city at dusk. It certainly was a beautiful sight, beating any others she had seen. Taking it in for a second, she quickly turned her attention back to the task at hand. She had been here one full day and Fimbulventr was no closer than before.

"I really think that no one wants us on the mountain." She said to herself, walking to the edge, watching as the moon appeared out from under the clouds and began to strengthen her powers. "Or they have a warped idea of a-"

Someone was watching her.

…

The Lumen Sage stared down in undisguised hatred.

She was here. In the flesh.

His most hated enemy, withstanding one.

He gripped his two-ended glaive a little tighter, letting his rage fill him.

How could she be so carefree with the blood on her soul? It angered him at how casual she was with her movements, her words, just everything about her.

She killed your family. The Prophetic One's words echoed in his head. She feels no remorse. If anything, she is happy that she was the one to take away their spark!

His Eye started screaming in warning. A falling icicle from the witch's little fight with the Glamor was about to hit him. Slicing backwards with his weapon, he sensed it cleave into two, but the sound and action were enough to reveal him location to the witch. Entering lightspeed, he stalked off, searching for the boy.

Vengeance for her actions would come later. It was time to cut the snake off at the head.

…

Bayonetta twisted around and pulled out Love is Blue, pointing them at a nearby rooftop. She knew someone was watching her. Her Eye had told her someone was there. And aside from Luka, who she had just seen zipping his way back to the main city itself, she didn't know anyone who would willingly stalk her.

No one was there.

However, there was evidence someone was there, and quite recently too. Dust was settling on the roof, and two perfectly cut pieces of ice hit the water, causing distinct splashes to echo in the calm, silent night.

She really didn't like this. This all felt…

Wrong.

Letting the guns drop back into Inferno, she turned and ran and activated witch walk, jumping from building to building.

The sooner she caught up with Loki and Luka, the easier it was all going to become. Something was off about this place, something she didn't want to address yet.

…

Damien breathed out heavily as he landed onto a rooftop of Noatun. The flight from Vigrid had not been particularly difficult, but boy.

He really didn't want to repeat that.

He hoped he wasn't too late. He also hoped he hadn't made a huge mistake coming to help Bayonetta. He knew in his heart that he wasn't the same person as he was a week ago, but they certainly didn't know that. Hell, the last anyone had seen of him was him ripping Jeanne's heart in two.

He felt a wave of nausea pass through him. He did that. He hurt her.

Closing his eyes, he felt the calming presence of Khepri fill his psyche, and the encouraging whispers from Temperentia and resident Lagunan and Infernal.

Opening his eyes, he immediately noticed Luka slinging himself around, seeming focussing on something underneath him. Squinting, he saw flashes of orange as something ran towards the fountain square in the distance.

Luka? He gently prodded into the man's mind. The mortal screamed, then lost his concentration as he plummeted into a wall. At least that particular mental connection was still available.

What the f- you are here too?! What the fuck do you have to say for yourself?! Luka screamed mentally, and Damien winced.

I… He began, his words sounding alien to his own ears. I'm sorry.

That is not going to cut it with any of us, and you know it! He barked back. You…

I told you this was a bad idea! He ignored Luka for the minute and turned his attention to his patrons.

Silence. You do deserve every bit of this, young one. Temperentia answered with a grim tone.

Big Temps here is right. Khepri added. But you have got to be the bigger man and be who they once thought of you.

…and just where are you anyway? Luka finished as he returned his attention to him. If you are about, you might want to know what's going on before you stupidly run into the Gates and get yourself killed.

I'm on the rooftops. I'm wearing white robes now. He added. You might not recognize me.

Oh, I see you. Damien began to frown. I see you all right. Strange clothes, huh.

He was looking in the complete opposite direction to where he was.

Where is your wing anyway?

…

Loki ran through the crowds of people, pushing them to the side.

"Hey! Watch it!" One man yelled as he pushed him to the side. "Little punk!"

"I'm sorry!" The boy answered, not turning his head around. "But there is no time! I have to get to the mountain!"

His running slowed to a crawl as he entered an empty square with a fountain in the centre.

"But… Why do I have to go there? What is on the mountain?" He put a hand onto his head as it began to throb. "What is so bloody important about Fimbulventr!?"

Pain engulfed his head as memories forced themselves to the forefront of his head. Collapsing to his knees, both hands on his head, he tried to make sense of them.

He couldn't. They were just random images of him talking to a boy that looked a lot like him.

Screaming in frustration and agony, he lifted himself to his feet and began to drag himself forward.

"If I get there…" His mouth was moving, but the voice wasn't his. Not truly. "I will know the answer…"

A soft thump from behind him broke him out of his state.

"I'm sorry mate, love, whoever the fuck is behind me; I need to get to the mountain!" He turned around, anger flashing in his concealed eyes. "If I don't, then this- woah!"

Opposite his stood a tall man, clad in white robes. His head was hooded, and his face concealed behind a golden mask. One hand was clenched tightly around something, the other was grasping a golden quarter staff with two wicked blades at either end.

"Who are you?!" Loki asked the man in fear. The man did not answer and opted to tilt his head slightly.

"Nice mask mate? If you are after the witch and her mad little tea party, then I'm probably the right person to speak to." Loki blustered, smiling slightly in sudden bravery. "Not the best costume I've ever seen, but she's probably not the picky type."

"Where is she?" The masked man asked quietly. He could barely pick it up, but all the bravado fell when he heard the amount of rage masked within those words.

"You are going to her party? Quite the popular one, isn't she? Look; she and I have a special relationship." Everything was now pure adrenaline. "I don't know anything about her, and she doesn't know anything about me. To be honest, I think our relationship is more symbiotic than anything. "

The man straightened up. "Answer the question, boy."

"Look, I don't know!" Loki backed away from the man. "If you want to find her, your best bet is to go to Fimbulventr! That's where everyone and their dog is going nowadays!"

"She is not here?" The masked man had the slightest of joy in his words. Loki went pale at that tone.

That wasn't a happy joy.

"Then this will be all the easier!" The man pointed the end of his weapon at the boy.

Loki felt lightheaded. "Oh, shit."

Not someone to let someone threaten him without a fight, the young man summoned four cards and flung them at the man. The man merely summoned a small feather, almost lazily, and tossed it through the cards, rendering them useless and continuing in towards the boy.

"Oh shit!" Loki threw himself to the side as the feather smashed its way through the fountain behind him and ended up sticking out of the wall.

A shadow fell over his body. Turning back to find the man looming over him, Loki screamed in primal fear and scrambled as he ran.

…

Bayonetta heard the scream, and her heart went cold. She knew that scream.

That was Loki's voice crying out in terror.

Transforming into a panther, she ran across the rooftops in a rush, ignoring the damage she was dealing to the various objects sticking up from them. She would not let another friend, no matter how annoying they were, die again.

The sounds of battle filled her ears, and she quickened her pace. The little one was not going to be sticking around for much longer at this rate. Breaking out of Purgatorio, she ran through the crowds swiftly, pushing aside already annoyed and terrified people. She didn't particularly care about them.

Get to Loki. She was laser focused on this goal. She could apologise later to the mortals. But now, she had to get to the boy.

Turning into the square, she found a strange man with a familiar weapon attacking Loki. Whereas Loki was trying his hardest to dodge everything and to try to attack back with his cards, the masked man was simply dispelling everything with a click of his fingers and sending the boy flying with intricate combos or small uses of weak magic.

The fight was horrifically one-sided. It was a relief to her that he wasn't dead, and now she could get to the bottom of this particular thorn in her side.

Transforming from the panther, she jumped in, her heels blazing. Connecting with the glaive and blocking an attack that certainly would've sliced Loki in two, she pushed the weapon away. Loki yelped in surprise, and the man grunted in shock, then jumped back and appraised the situation. Landing lightly, Bayonetta stared down the white figure, studying him.

"What kind of adult picks on little children?" Bayonetta snapped at the man, her head turning slightly to glance at the now hood-less boy. His grey eyes were wide in terror, and his braided white hair was curious to say the least; he looked a lot older than what he was visibly.

"I'm not a child!" Loki indignantly cried out as he stood, the witch stepping in between the two.

"A mask? Let me guess." She adjusted her glasses and rested a hand on her chin. "Is this one of your friends, little one?"

"Nothing comes to mind, love. Sorry." The masked man seemed to be content with waiting as he watched their interactions. "Maybe you have something to tell me, love? I'm not a fan of getting wrapped up in domestic disputes."

"One; stop calling me love. Two; trust me, he is not my type." Bayonetta began to feel the anticipation growing. The masked man was growing restless, and if she was honest, so was she. Tilting her head, she smirked an obvious challenge at the man.

He answered by twisting and tossing his glaive at her like a spear. Leaning to the side to let it pass over her, she was equally surprised by its speed and the fact he was now on the other side, catching the weapon. He didn't give up his advantage, swinging the glaive in long, graceful arcs. Using the Love is Blue to deflect the strikes, she sprayed a few bullets around to try to get him to back off. The man merely leaned out of the way, continuing his assault.

Changing tactics, she grabbed onto his glaive after he overcommitted on a downwards swipe, spinning around and unbalancing him. Activating her right heel, she sent what she felt was enough bullets to kill an elephant directly at his face.

Only for them to drop out of his hand milliseconds later.

Gasping in surprise, she momentarily forgot where she was as the man regained his balance and tossed her away. Readjusting herself for the landing, she landed in a crouch, now staring in complete wariness at the man.

"You…" Her eyes were wide. "You're a Lumen Sage?"

"Stay out of this fight, Umbra Witch." The Sage snarled at her. "His sins are far less forgiving than yours!"

"You will not touch the little one." She growled back, standing up straight. The Sage gripped his weapon tighter. Loki began to back off, momentarily forgotten.

Then all hell broke loose.

He began by flinging himself at her, glaive spinning wildly. Bayonetta slipped underneath, priming a wicked uppercut. The Sage seemed to recognise this, as he clicked his fingers and seven meteors formed around him, and then gestured at her to send them flying. Cursing at his ingenuity, she pulled the weave and focused on dodging past the rocks. Slipping past the final one, she saw him click his fingers again.

"ZIRACAH!" A portal to Paradiso opened, and one of the heads of Fortitudo rocketed out, attempting to slam into her. Jumping to the side, she snarled in annoyance.

"Is that how you want to play, huh?" She let her power flow out as she grew serious. "Come and get it, then!"

A scream from her left distracted her.

"Oh- WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

"Little one?" She turned her head to the left but didn't quite see what Loki was looking at. A swipe into the back of her head knocked her down, and then she felt his glaive slice into her forearm, ripping apart her glove and tearing her skin open. Screaming in pain, she looked back to see the Sage swinging in for the kill. Staring defiantly at the mask as he did, she felt her regrets beginning to seep into the forefront of her mind.

Luka, Jeanne… Damien… She hardened her gaze. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything.

A loud pop and clang interrupted her thoughts, and her death. Staring at the glaive in shock, she saw it had been stopped by a katana. A very familiar katana, attached to a… white body?

It did not matter. The black wing alone was enough proof.

"You dare…!" Damien growled softly.

The Sage jumped back, disengaging and now studying the winged man with what Bayonetta believed to be confusion.

"My Lumen brother…" The Masked Lumen dropped his glaive and held out an arm. "What is the meaning of this? Why do you protect the ones that slaughtered us?"

"You got it all wrong, for starters." Damien stepped between Bayonetta and the Sage. "I am no Lumen, and she is my sister!"

"Then why are you dressed as one of us?" The Sage asked, and Bayonetta was asking the same question in her own head. Their robes were identical, albeit the hole in the back to accommodate for his wing.

"A Lumen Sage?" He sounded puzzled. "I thought you were all-"

"I did too, until now." The Masked Lumen stepped forward. "Brother, remember what they did to us. Remember what they did! You cannot fight to save those who have harmed us the most!"

"My only experience with a Lumen Sage is twenty years of torture." Damien snapped. "I am not truly ever one of them, and I never will be!"

"Very well, traitor!" The glaive reappeared in his hand. "Allow me to beat some sense back into your sanity!"

Damien took his stance, and Bayonetta felt herself tearing up.

"Come on love, we need to get out of here." Loki reached down to her and pulled her to her feet.

"No! I need to know." She pushed him off and cradled her injured arm. "I need to know!"

"Who is he?" The boy asked, obviously confused.

"My idiotic brother." She smiled slightly, then grew serious. "Who has a lot to pay for."

…

Damien concentrated on the man across from him, watching for any sign of movement. It seemed the Sage was content with letting him make the first move, however, as he stood steadfast in the centre of the courtyard.

"Show me your strength, brother." The Sage mocked him, gesturing for him to come forward. "Or are you scared of me?"

Damien shot forward, Shuraba held by his hip. Lunging, he tried to slice through the Sage during a split second. The man had none of that, twirling the glaive around, deflecting each swing, then connecting fully to block the attack. Taking up his challenge, the winged man teleported back, taking the offensive through starting with sweeps of the katana. Using the glaive to push the attacks along, the man then threw his glaive, causing Damien to lean to the side. Catching it behind him, the man then swung it in a deadly arc aimed at his neck.

"Here's a thought." Damien whispered as he teleported behind the man, catching him by surprise. "Don't use my tricks against me."

"Impossible." The Sage diverted his swing to follow behind him, and Damien was forced to go on the defence. "Not even the Lumen Father mastered teleportation!"

"Get used to it." He blocked the glaive and began to push it back. The man then split it in two, much to everyone's surprise, and swung them both like batons, pushing Damien back to regroup.

Rejoining the glaive together, the Sage clicked his fingers.

"SIZICIEL!" Several fireballs appeared in a circle around him and shot at Damien with tremendous speed. Cursing, he threw himself to the side, letting his magic wrap around the Shuraba. Swinging it, he sent several beams of energy towards the Sage, causing the latter to also curse and back off to regroup.

"LAVAVOTH!" The Sage gestured, and a lava vent split open underneath Damien. Rolling his eyes, he teleported behind the Sage again, who seemed to expect that particular trick. Lava shot out of the vent where he was as the Sage thrusted his empty palm out, sending a column of time towards him. Twisting around the attack, Damien prepared, and then began to incantate

"TELOAH ERM MAELPEREJI DOA-" He was interrupted by a slice of the glaive, and he cursed as the Ultima spell faded. "Oh fuck off!"

"Enough of this!" The Sage jumped up, landing onto a rooftop and pulling a feather out and tossing it to the sky. "ZIRACAH!"

A portal to Paradiso opened up, and Fortitudo descended upon the pair, its heads growling.

"PDEE BARMA!" Damien also gestured, and Madama Khepri rose from behind him.

"Khepri?!" The Sage screamed. "You are a witch!?"

"I'm neither!" Damien jumped up to meet him, landing onto the edge of the building as the two beings began to fight. "Stop assuming things!"

"Of all the demons to form a pact with." The Sage sounded disgusted. "Why that one?"

"Wasn't my choice." Damien swung down, letting the glaive deflect his strike. "Now leave!"

"My revenge will come this day!" The Sage ignored him, taking the offensive. Slamming his palm into the ground, he staggered the winged man with the impact. Raising it up again, golden light began to gather into it, and Fortitudo was beginning to charge up his fire breath in the background.

"LAVAVOTH!" Damien copied the Sage's actions from earlier, and lava burst out from underneath him, staggering him and causing the gathered magical energy to dissipate. Grunting in pain, he sent out a kick and slice with the glaive, both stunning and cutting the winged man's thigh. Giving out a yelp of pain, Damien jumped back, giving the two combatants some space. In the background, Khepri had latched onto the Auditio, and was beginning to drag it down to the portal beneath her.

The Sage had realised her intentions, and threw his glaive towards her. Striking her in the forehead, the Madama gasped and let go of the Auditio, who was quick to fly into a portal back to Paradiso. She stared in annoyance at the fading golden light, then turned and winked at the Sage before she too melted into the portal.

"Defiled creature." The Sage snarled, then turned to the skies and opened his arms to implore to the heavens. "HONONOL!"

Another portal opened up, and Temperentia descended down from the heavens, its eyes affixed to the Sage look-a-like.

"Is that what you want to do?" Damien drew his wing in, then flicked it out as he pulled a feather from it. "HONONOL!"

Temperentia rose up from behind him, its eyes affixed on the other one opposite it. The Sage was visibly startled, turning back and forth between the two Auditio.

"How is this possible?" He exclaimed, turning back to the winged man, who was now floating in the sky in front of his Auditio. "You cannot control both light and dark! The union between the two was forbidden!"

"The Umbra and the Lumen do not exist anymore." Damien levelled his gaze at him. "Their tenets do not apply."

"You were conceived of that witch?!" The Sage gestured to Bayonetta and the kid below. "She disgusts me."

"Wrong again." Damien smiled. "Leave, or we will destroy this city. They are innocents. At least think about those, Lumen Sage."

The Sage clenched his fist, but let his glaive disappear in a flash of light, and his summon faded away. "We will meet again, half-breed!"

…

The Sage disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only Temperentia and Damien in the sky, staring at the spot the man was. Bayonetta stared at him, her eyes narrowed and her face neutral.

"So who the hell is that?" Loki stepped forward as the remaining Auditio faded away. "Your brother is a Lumen Sage? And an Umbra Witch? How?"

"You remember what they are?" She asked, curious. "But it seems so."

"My head hurts, but yes." He held a hand up to his head, and she spared a small glance at him.

"Very well." She returned her gaze to her brother as he dropped from the sky. "Time for some fucking answers."

Loki paled at her tone as she stormed forward, her forearm forgotten. Damien turned, his face calm and collected.

"Hello, sister." He smiled with small tears on his cheeks, then his eyes widened as he watched the wicked weave fly towards him.

Ten seconds later, he was almost four blocks away in a crumpled heap, the ruins of four buildings surrounding him.

"What the fuck?" Loki struggled to run with her long strides. "He just saved your life!"

They walked into a church, Bayonetta making a beeline for the man on the floor.

"He ruined Jeanne's!" She grabbed him from the rubble and threw him against the wall. "What do you have to say for yourself!?"

"Bayonetta, I'm-" She slapped him, cutting him off.

"No! You are not sorry!" She screamed. "You told her to kill herself, you ruined her dreams and her wish to have a real life!"

"What am I supposed to say, Cereza!?" He sobbed back at her. "That I can take it all back? And fix it? I can't, and she is gone because of it!"

"Then why…" She grabbed him and shook him. "Then why are you back?! Are you here to taunt me!?"

"Because we can fix it." He was crying now. "We can fix it!"

Bayonetta's face flittered with emotions, and she couldn't stop the tears falling down her eyes.

"You've hurt us all." She whispered as she pulled him out of the rubble. "Far more than you know!"

"I know." He whispered sullenly, looking down. "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

She shook her head, crying softly. "You…"

Breaking out into sobs, she buried her head in his chest. "I missed you so much, you big idiot."

"I'm so sorry." He wrapped his arms around her as Loki finally stepped forward.

"Your hair is nice." He answered, holding her tightly. "Why did you change it?"

"She had different hair?" The boy finally made his presence known. "Love, what is going on?"

"Love?" Damien asked in confusion as he released her and turned to the kid. "Who the fuck is this?"

"I am Loki, and you better remember it, mate." Loki stepped forward, putting his hands behind his head. "And this has been a touching reunion, I'm sure, but I-we need to continue up the mountain!"

"Look, little one." Bayonetta put her hands onto her hips and looked him down. "We aren't going to get anywhere more today."

"Fine!" Loki kicked a rock. "It's yet another delay I-we can't afford!"

"Look kid." Damien folded his arms. "We are all human. We need rest."

"Fine!" He harrumphed and walked out. "Don't need to tell me twice!"

They both stared at him in confusion.

"So." Bayonetta said once he was gone. "Why are you a Lumen Sage now?"