Author's notes: I uhhhh...
Yeah.
I beat Bayonetta 3. I will not be writing Blood Moon like that. Everything will be changed.
So enjoy this chapter while I wail in dispair over not owning the Bayonetta franchise.
The End Notes contain spoilers for Bayonetta 3.
Chapter 15: A Tower to Truth
...
Bayonetta stopped in front of the doors, one hand playing with the lollipop stick. Her eyes darted over the intricate gold trimming, each detail causing her frown to deepen at the pointless opulence.
'Jeanne' must have gotten it from somewhere.
'Lumen Sages are known for their indulgences. So much for their 'pious' and 'humble' nature.' Butterfly sarcastically spat. 'At least I am upfront with what you are to expect.'
At least you are rather helpful in your advice. I've never met a Sage with an appetite for helpfulness.
'You've never-' Butterfly stopped abruptly.
What? I've met a Sage before?
Butterfly had gone silent. Sighing internally at her 'helpfulness', she shook her head and returned her attention to the current obstacle. "What a door! It seems fit for a king, let alone a Lumen Sage."
Luka stopped next to her, grunting at the sight. "All the doors I've seen so far are just like that; a massive waste of money. The best part is I don't even know what's the point; no one is here to see them!"
"Hmmm." She spared him a glance. Then did a double take. "What happened to you? You've lost your coat and your scarf. Are you trying a new look?"
"I had to lose them or I wouldn't be here." His eyes lowered, then looked away. "The coat's replaceable, but the scarf was a gift from my Father. That was the last one he ever gave me."
"Cheshire…" An apology died in her throat as she stood there, awkward and unable to act. Fortunately, he took over without hesitation.
"It doesn't matter. I can just go and get another one at any point. Hell, I can make another. I'm not replaceable." He shook his head, still staring at the doors. Patting his satchel, he continued: "What's more important is they didn't get this; none of what is in here is replaceable as well."
"Do you seriously take your life's work with you wherever you go?" She asked.
He hesitated and swallowed, obviously uncomfortable. "I didn't expect to be alive whenever I stepped outside. Every time I left my apartment, I always thought you were going to murder me at the earliest opportunity."
An uncomfortable silence followed that statement. Shaking her head, Bayonetta smirked and nudged him with an elbow. "Now you know differently, right?"
"Frankly, I'm more terrified of the Angel's I can't see coming than I was ever of you," He swallowed, but smiled. "But the truth waits for no one."
"Well, pardon my phrasing, but that is true." She grinned as she turned to the doors again.
He laughed, then grew serious at the sight of the doors. "Speaking of, beyond this is completely unknown. My Father got as far as the lower floors, and we are about a third of the way up. Hell, the public can't get beyond this point. No one knows anything about anything."
"And everyone in the building is going to be trying to find us or be an enemy…" She placed her hands on her hips. "I can use Purgatorio to evade the mortals, but you won't be so lucky."
"I can be stealthy if I want to be." Luka glanced at her. "If you follow my lead, then we can make it to the top with ease."
"The top?"
"The Father is an egomaniac at best. Of course he would have the highest level to himself." He explained with a shrug. Luka looked back towards the door, then stepped towards it.
"An egomaniac is putting it very lightly, Cheshire." Her voice caught itself with a slight hitch before she could stop it. She hoped he didn't notice.
He noticed, giving her a concerned look. "Bayonetta, are you sure that you are okay?"
Damn him and his perceptiveness. Taking in a deep breath, Bayonetta looked to the ground. "I'm going to be okay."
Luka turned to her fully, slow and hesitant. "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"
"When I was a girl, she was my only friend, my only bright light in the darkness, if we get all poetic." She tried to smile. Judging by Luka's grimace, she wasn't successful.
"What was she like?" He asked, smiling gently. "I think you need to talk a little more about her. Try to get it out of your system, so to speak."
"She was sweet, caring, loyal. She was the Umbran Heir, destined to carry this stone one day. Even when I bested her in our duel to determine the Left Eye, she still had it in her to support me no matter what." She closed her eyes as the tears inside began to leak out. "I think she had more feelings for me than I did for her, and it hurts me that we never had the chance to discuss them."
Luka placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm sorry. I know I can't do anything else but apologise-"
"Being here, Cheshire, is better than nothing." She opened her eyes and wiped her cheeks. "That's more than enough for me."
"And to think Sephiroth tried to convince me to leave." He laughed. Releasing her, he placed his hands into his pockets and smiled. "Good thing he didn't."
"Exactly-"
"My dear, sweet child."
Both of them froze. Bayonetta instinctively pulled Luka behind her, her eyes narrowing.
"You heard that, right?" Luka whispered. She held a finger to her lips as she nodded her head.
As if the voice had noticed, it continued: "You've grown strong, and are now worthy of the Left Eye. As was prophesied at the beginning of time. A true child, of both light and dark."
"None of that matters!" Luka burst out. "Where is Cerezita!?"
"The girl?" The voice became intrigued, curious even. "Do not fret, for she is safe."
"If you were serious about her safety, you would release her to us now!" She was honestly surprised at his passion. Even though he was potentially punching well above his paycheck, Luka apparently did not care.
But, Bayonetta held her hand up. It was not worth making the voice angry now. Walking a few steps, she gestured to the air around her. "Just where is the little one now, oh mighty voice?"
"She is where she belongs. Right next to her Father."
That made her pause. Was he being metaphorical or literal? The Father continued before she had time to dwell on it.
"You and the child share several similarities, Bayonetta. If you wish for her safety, you will need to come and find her."
A presence seemed to be watching her from the right. She whipped her head to try and find it, but it receded.
"I will be waiting. But, do not let me become too bored. I might need to find a way to pass the time..."
The voice went silent. Bayonetta's eyes were wide, then they narrowed with fury.
"Cereza!" She screamed, turning to the doors. Her muscles rippled and tensed, ready to kick the door down.
"Bayonetta! Wait!" Luka's hand gripped her shoulder. She whirled around to him, eyes blazing. "Calm down! Running into the building with no plan and with emotions running high is exactly what he wants!"
"Let go of me, Cheshire!" She reached up and tore his hand away. "The girl needs us!"
"The Father wants us too! Well, you. I don't think me being here means anything." Luka looked away, then shook his head. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we think about this! We can't just go running there without a plan."
"I have a plan; kill everything that comes in my way, rescue the girl and then kill the Father as well." Bayonetta snarled.
"That will just tire you out. Look, you were in Paradiso for a whole day, then you instantly challenged an Audito and then an Umbra Witch with only an hour break. At best." His eyes had an intense look as she stared into them. "I don't know how it works for Witches like you, but fighting your way up a tower is not going to help you one bit!"
'He's right.'
"I am trained to fight for literal days on end-"
"But have you ever done that?" Luka pressed. "Fought for more than a day?"
'You have the conditioning to do so, yes, but you have to remember the Father is at the top of this building.' Butterfly was insistent. 'You need all of your strength if you wish to challenge him.'
Ugh. Fine…
"Alright, Cheshire. You lead the way then." She relaxed slightly and gestured to the doors. "Tell me, what plans do you have?"
"Well, we won't be using the front door."
…
Luka pulled himself through the vent with ease. Having done this before, several times, the bends and tight space was not a challenge to him. Sliding himself along, he wondered why he was blessed with a thin body. It was almost as if he was built specifically to explore like this.
Bayonetta, on the other hand…
"How are you going back there?" He whispered behind him. Luka could not look back, but he could imagine a lot with what was happening.
"How the fuck can you do this?" She fired back. A clanging noise rang out, then she cursed. "I'm not built for this kind of travel."
He had offered for her to go first. As soon as Bayonetta refuted and began teasing him about 'wanting the best view in the house' he had given up and climbed on in. He was going to warn her about how treacherous the vents could be, and he wanted to keep behind her to help out if she got stuck.
Well, he was sick of being teased. She could suffer.
"You're going well enough if you are complaining." He shrugged, turning back to the vent. His phone's flashlight lit up the metal, showing a rise in the path.
"Cheshire, I can barely fit." Bayonetta complained. "What's that stupid me-me that's going around? I'm too thick or something?"
"It is 'meme', but I don't think you care." He muttered. Taking a left, he glanced through a wire opening to see they were moving past a corridor. "You know, if you weren't so insistent on making things weird this would have been a lot smoother."
"If you weren't so obsessed with my rear end then-"
"I'm not!" Luka denied with a hiss, still trying to keep quiet. He thought he heard footsteps, which meant they were close to a wall.
And a wall meant an opening soon, and the ability to get out of this new nightmare.
"I caught you peeking, Cheshire. Back when I had it all on display." Now her tone was teasing. "You are just dying for another chance to look."
"Whatever you want to believe, Bayonetta." He was right; another opening was approaching. Not caring whether it led to a corridor or a room, Luka made a beeline for it. More grunts and bangs erupted from behind him and he really wished that the witch was a little better at stealth. And she was part of the clan famed for it too!
He arrived at the opening and peeked through. A room greeted him, filled with computers and desks. Stopping, he felt satisfaction begin to fill him.
Bingo. Any evidence he was missing would be here.
"Hey!" She called out. "What's the-"
"Quiet!" He hissed back. "There's a room here, and I want to check it out."
"What kind of room? We don't have time to indulge in your fantasies."
He began to fiddle with the grate, slowly loosening it. "It's a server room. Considering this is an unofficial official room, who knows what we can find here?"
"Nothing good, I'd wager." Bayonetta sounded like she agreed. "Does this mean we get out of this stupid vent?"
The grate was pried off and he lowered it to the ground softly. "Yes, we do get to get out of the stupid vent."
Crawling out, he immediately moved to a desk and hid under it. His eyes took in every detail, softening when they found no other people in the room. Luka frowned when he realised there were no visible security cameras; hell, a peek above the desk showed nothing.
The end of the room he was crouched in was filled with desks and computers. Each ran parallel to each other, forming four orderly lines that lead to a solid door. To his left was a room shrouded in darkness and lights, formed from several towers of technology rising from the ground. Server after server whirred softly, giving a buzzing ambience to the room.
Shrugging, he pulled himself up into a standing position. "Looks like the coast is clear."
A crashing sound from the vent turned him around. Bayonetta was sprawled on the floor, the opening of the vent stuck around her hips. Ungracefully, she stood up and started to push the opening off her.
"You're really not made for this life." He commented, then moved over to try and help her. Bayonetta held a hand up, then her suit retracted as the opening slipped off. Averting his eyes respectfully, he waited for her to tap his shoulder before he looked back.
"Now, what is this place?" She placed her hands on her hips and looked around the room. "A server room?"
"It's going to be connected to a lot of information. Whether or not it's useful information is a different question." He walked over to a computer and switched it on. The screen lit up, asking for a passcode.
"What information do you want?" He glanced back to see her walking around the server towers themselves, regarding them with a curious eye. "I doubt you could find anything useful that quickly."
"Keep an eye out for something that could resemble a password, could you?" He asked, turning back to the screen. After staring at it for a few seconds, he decided that he should also join in on the search and began to gleam over the multitude of loose papers. Finding nothing of use, he reached and pulled down a file and began to leaf through that, taking a seat at the desk.
…
A password, huh?
Now, Bayonetta could profess herself as strong as the world demanded her, but technology? That could and should be kept far away from her. Rodin and Enzo had both gotten her phones when the mobile craze was starting to sweep the world, and both had broken within the hour of receiving them. Computers?
Don't get her started with computers. She was very happy to leave this all to Luka.
She moved between the towers of digital information, staring at them with fascination. These things held more knowledge than most humans ever would. Possibly more than the Umbran historians. Yet here they were, these tall towers of metal and plastic; a truly wondrous marvel she had no hope of understanding.
'But definitely not me.' Butterfly's words held an edge. 'Mortal technology is marvelous, but it doesn't compare to power.'
She had a point. Mortals did take a lot of steps to be close to what she could achieve with a few deals.
'Good.'
She left the towers and walked back over to the desks, where Luka was now ruffling through papers and files.
"Anything interesting, Cheshire?" She picked up some of the discarded files and leafed through them. Everything looked droll and business-like; boring and definitely not her thing.
"Just business documents," He answered, still looking down. "Nothing illegal. Yet."
"Yet?" Bayonetta raised an eyebrow. "Do you expect to find something illegal?"
"Honestly, no. But you would be surprised at how stupid-" He cursed. Tossing the files to the desk, he flipped over the keyboard. "Yep. Of fucking ."
"That's where the 'pass code' was?" She tilted her head as he flipped the keyboard over several times, inputting sections at a time.
"Bad guys are fucking morons." He glanced at her, rolling his eyes. "Or that's what I'm led to believe."
Hitting the 'enter' key, the screen lit up with colors and icons completely foreign to her. The screen flickered as he began to work his magic on the computer.
"Security isn't a concern, apparently." Luka commented, dragging an icon across the screen. "Everything is-"
Something appeared on the screen with the label 'Project: Solar Flare'. Luka scrolled down, frowning at the information. Bayonetta leaned forward, reading alongside him.
"What is Fimbulventr?" She asked, completely confused about the name. "It's a place in… Where? Is it a location? Or a name?"
"Sovereign one? Prophetic one?" Luka clicked and the screen disappeared. "I think we shouldn't worry about this one just yet. But it does seem the Father is keeping tabs on something we need to keep aware of."
Another file popped up; this one was titled 'Sparda.'
"Dante?" Bayonetta leaned back in surprise. "Why-"
"The Devil Hunter is a menace to anyone he crosses," Luka closed the file. "Journalists in my line of work keep lots of tabs on him. Just like you, wherever he goes, that's where the story is. But I already know his story. This isn't useful."
"And how many journalists are in your line of work?" She smirked. He rolled his eyes and opened another file. She read the title and her eyes widened. "Project Bianco! I've heard of this one."
"This is what Dante was up to recently. According to my Father's research, there were some connections between Fortuna Castle and Ithavoll." He began reading through the reports, eyes narrowing. "Unfortunately, he died before he could prove anything. According to this anyway most of the connections came after subject 10798 began trials in Project: Eclipse."
"Is that-"
"Yes." He closed the file and dragged a new one across the screen. "That's Sephiroth."
A cold feeling began to creep into her stomach. It was easy to digest that Sephiroth was an experiment and feel sympathy for when he told her the tale of what had happened. This was irrefutable proof.
"Bingo." More files opened up on the screen and Luka began to glance over them, his face furrowing into a frown. "This…"
Documents opened up as his voice trailed off. Reports filled the screen as he scrolled through each. Reading a few of the titles made the sick feeling in her stomach grow. She wanted to look away, but this she felt she needed to read.
'Don't.' Butterfly sounded strained.
I thought this was your speciality.
'Science and pain should not mix. There is a line even I do not cross.'
Bayonetta looked away. Why so?
'The natural path of life was disrupted here. Everything about this goes against the fundamental rules of existence.' Butterfly explained. 'Not that a being of light and dark is a disruption of nature; a being of his existence is.'
Are you telling me that-
'Yes. Sephiroth simply shouldn't exist.'
"What's this?" Luka murmured, bringing her attention back to him and the screen. He opened something and a video began to play.
…
"Test One hundred and three; pain thresholds." A cold voice announced over a microphone. A figure was strapped to a table in the centre of the room, two wings drooping out on either side.
"The subject will be exposed to stimuli. The effects and intensity of the stimuli will increase until it reacts. Once reached a satisfactory observation, the stimuli will cease until the subject is healed. Then, another stimulus will be tested."
"And what is our desired outcome?" The Father's voice sounded distant, as if he was standing away from the recording device.
"In a desirable outcome, we would expect the subject to never react to the stimuli." The scientist speaking did not inflect their voice in any form of emotion. Each word was stated as fact, nothing else. "In the event of a reaction, we would rather it be due to a close to death experience."
"Is Jeanne ready?" The Father asked.
"The Mademoiselle is prepared and ready for our signal." The scientist droned. "Are we ready to begin the tests?"
There was no hesitation. "Begin."
A figure dressed in red walked onto frame. She approached the strapped man and pulled out a knife. Leaning over, she began to talk to him.
Then the knife went into the left arm, dragging up from the wrist to the elbow. The man did not react with pain; he merely tensed himself in response.
"No reaction." Jeanne's voice was crackling, but clear to their ears.
"Permission to increase intensity is granted." The scientist's voice held no satisfaction.
The knife went up and then plunged into his stomach-
…
Luka shut the video off, eyes wide and face pale. Breathing heavily, he began to scroll down.
"There's at least thousands…" His voice dropped into a stunned silence. "No. They're not all just him, but there's millions of files on 'test experiments.' Millions. There's more on him than the others, but-"
The screen flickered slightly when he punched the desk in frustration. "Fuck!"
Bayonetta was frozen in horror. It was one thing to hear Sephiroth talk about it; it was another thing to read reports about it.
It was certainly another thing to actually witness it.
'I have no words.' Even Butterfly sounded a little shaken.
She couldn't begin to express how she felt. Everything about this was wrong, to an almost impossible degree. Even though she had just seen a small part of what Sephiroth had gone through, there was a part that doubted it all; that all of this was just a fabrication. But there was no lie. There was no hiding it.
Her eyes wandered away from the screen, almost desperate to relieve themselves of what they had imprinted into her memory. She found Luka gripping the desk tightly, his other almost breaking the small object it rested on.
"Cheshire?" She asked, tentatively.
"I'm so fucking stupid." His voice was hoarse. "I spent nearly twenty years chasing after you over a lost and wrong cause when I should've been following my Father's footsteps instead! How many years did I waste on stopping and exposing this!? How many fucking people died because of me!?"
"You didn't do anything-"
"That's the problem! I'm just a fucking idiot who chased-" A strangled cry erupted from his throat as he grabbed his head with both, as if he was going to slam it onto the desk. Grabbing it, Bayonetta held it with both hands.
"Cheshire, it's in the past now. Let it go." She tried to be soothing. "I know it's a fuck up of colossal proportions, but you have to move on. Dwelling on it will only lead to more pain."
Reaching out with one, she gently turned his face to hers. "You've accepted your mistakes and you are actively working to rectify them. You didn't know any better, so you couldn't have done better. Please, Cheshire. Calm down."
He closed his eyes, visibly trying to relax. A few deep breaths later, he reopened them. "Thank you, Bayonetta."
"Now, turn that thing off." She smirked and stood up. The expression wasn't true to her feelings, but hey, 'fake it until you make it' was the saying. "It's dreadful for our eyesight."
"Sorry." He returned his gaze with a heavy expression. "There's other things I need to check."
Another text file opened up and the title caused her to tilt her head.
"Project: Blood Moon?" Luka frowned. He began reading, eyes widening. "Homunculi? More experiments-"
Something flared at the edge of her senses. "Cheshire, wrap it up."
A few keystrokes later and the screen was darkened. Grabbing his arm, she pulled both of them behind a desk. Leaning against it, they both waited as the door began to open. Voices poured in after it, the bodies they were attached to following after.
"...to think he would dare cut our funding?" An enraged one started. "We have been the backbone for this operation for almost a century, and this is how we will finish!?"
"Quiet, Asmoranus." A calm and collected voice said without emotion. "The Father has his reasons; all will become revealed."
Bayonetta frowned, craning her neck up towards the voices. She recognised the second one.
"Each decision The Father has made has been with utmost care towards the mission and the glory of Jubileus." It continued, stating without emotion. "If our role has been played, then our role has finished."
"It doesn't make any sense! We had a breakthrough with 10978, and twenty thousand more subjects later we are almost at the precipice of another!" Asmoranus argued, walking around the room.
"Calm yourself. There is no reason to fret."
"Sigurd, he has entrusted us with this task for one hundred and twelve years, ever since he managed to find the Mademoiselle." Asmoranus slammed his fist on the desk they were hiding behind. Luka stiffened, then leaned into her with a slight tremble. "It was due to our efforts that his plans became possible! What good becomes of getting rid of us now?"
"Perhaps our aid is not necessary any longer." Sigurd stepped into view, causing her to shrink slightly back. He was a man in a skintight white suit covered with a long, white coat. His thin, skeletal head was bald with cyan eyes that pierced through everything. "More pieces may be in play."
"10978 was reported to be heading in this direction." The scientist left the table and Bayonetta felt air escape her that she wasn't aware of holding. "I wonder if it is coming to finish what it started a year ago."
"The Father's plans involve it. Whether it knows it or not."
The lights disappeared, plunging the room into darkness. Luka instantly clung to her, now trembling violently. Raising one hand, she tapped her glasses and the room lit up with magic. The emotional scientist began to panic with a raise of his voice and tone.
"What the hell was that?" He screamed, gesturing to the ceiling.
"Calm yourself!" Sigurd roared, his eyes glowing an intense teal. They lessened as the room returned to darkness. "Within any moment, the emergency generators will deploy."
After about a minute of waiting, the scientist sighed. "...it may be possible that the emergency generators were destroyed as well. We must go."
"The experiment might be after the laboratories! We must make haste!" Asmoranus ran out of the room. Sigurd followed, stopping at the door. He turned back, eyes squinting slightly. A chill ran through her as she realised that he could see in the pitch black darkness perfectly.
Satisfied with what he saw, the scientist turned away and left the pair alone.
"Cheshire, you can let go." She whispered, turning to him. Luka, instead, pressed into her harder.
"...can't."
Bayonetta tilted her head at his frightened tone. "Are you scared, Cheshire?"
"I'm a-afraid of the dark!" He hissed, then fell into a saddened state. "Now you're just going to laugh at me, aren't you?"
She almost felt offended at that. But, she did suppose in the past she would have laughed.
"Come on, Cheshire," She stood up slowly, making sure he followed along with her. "I can see in the dark, so I can be your guiding light."
"W-wait!" He pointed in the relative direction of the servers. "Can you steal a few of those? Given the chance I should be able to find more than enough evidence to give closure to a few people."
"Steal a few? Cheshire, I can take them all!" Snapping her fingers, she watched as each server disappeared into Inferno as portals opened up beneath them. "Just remind me when to take them out again. There's a high chance that I will forget."
"Thank you." His hand blindly reached out, and she took it with her own. "Every single piece of evidence I can find will be of use, but this is the jackpot."
"Any time, Cheshire." Smirking as he gripped it tightly, her expression became serious as they left the room. The two scientists had disappeared from the corridor, leaving it deserted. Glancing behind, she found an emergency door. Guiding Luka over, she opened up the door and looked up at the stairs above her.
"I hope that you are ready to walk." Bayonetta huffed, then began the climb. "We've got a lot of steps to go."
"Do you think Sephiroth got here?" Luka asked from behind her, his steps slow and purposeful as he made sure he didn't trip on anything. He was stumbling, but not falling yet.
"I suppose he must have." She answered, taking a turn. "But to attack the power? I don't believe that he knows where they are."
"He might."
Her eyebrows creased. "Then why take out the power? We don't necessarily need the light as cover and chances are the laboratories run on a separate grid."
"A very good point," Luka gasped as he walked into a railing. "Goddamn, how long does it take to fix the damn lights!"
"If Sephiroth took out the power, I don't believe he would have made it easy to fix." The lights flickered at her words, but then died out again. A faint glow began to shine above them as the lights turned back on.
"Emergency power online." A distant voice announced. "Please refrain from using any unnecessary power until the main grid is restored."
Taking one more flight of stairs, Bayonetta stopped in front of a door. Opening it slightly, she peered out. A dimly lit walkway awaited her, spiraling up in a circular pattern towards a set of elevators. A strange structure dominated the centre but she filed that away for later.
What was more concerning was the armoured men patrolling. Pursing her lips, she began to plan.
"Cheshire, how good are your sneaking skills?" She whispered. Luka stepped forward, peering into the passageway along with her.
"Good enough." He answered after a moment. His eyebrows crinkled as he took in the scene. "The lighting will help in our movement, but that's about it. Sound will travel too well in this space; gotta be quiet."
Bayonetta nodded, then opened the door wide enough to slip out. Luka followed, closing it behind him. Crouching behind a few boxes, they listened as a pair of guards walked by.
"Apparently the lower levels are in trouble." The first stated, voice garbled and indistinguishable due to the helmet. "Something is attacking both the basement and the ground floors."
"We can't help them. Our job right now is to make sure no one reaches the Father." The other one shook their head. "Beyond that is unknown to us."
"Heh, at least we aren't down there," They began to walk off. "It's a massacre."
She felt the sting of betrayal at those words. Surely Sephiroth didn't cut the lights so he could take vengeance. He had to know that the populace was controlled. Right?
'Do you think he cares?'
And she thought they had returned his up to that point. But then again, rule number three continued to bite her on the ass.
"Cheshire, do you-" She glanced back to see the man gone. "Cheshire?"
Looking forward again revealed that he was matching steps with the guards who had just passed by. His wrist extended out, firing another cable into the cylinder structure in the centre of the room. He rocketed up and landed on it, gripping hard on the surface. Another flick of the wrist sent him towards one of the higher levels and closer to the elevator.
"Such a fast cat," She smirked, standing up. "But, you left the lady behind. And that won't simply do."
A strange reflection on a nearby window caught her attention before she could continue after him. It was porcelain, with trims of-
Angel.
Then, the wall exploded into glass and metal, taking out the pair of guards with ease. Cartwheeling towards the stairs up, she tapped her glasses to see a Temperance ram itself against the building. Its head popped out, looking directly at her.
"Ha! The mouth curled into a grin. "I found you, coronzon!"
A quick glance upwards showed Luka staring down at the destruction with a look of horror. She waved him furiously towards the elevator; "Cheshire! Run!"
Temperance moved back and punched the wall yet again, this time the fist dragging itself through the wall and into the floor. It began to rip apart as it continued, trying to catch her in the destruction. Running, Bayonetta transformed into a panther and began to take the stairs up.
If only the moon was out.
The Angel pulled back again, this time raising its arms up. The fingers locked together and began to fire mercilessly into the corridor, tearing up the ground and exposing more of the building to the outside world. Looking ahead, she noticed a barrier forming on the entrance to the second set of elevator shafts.
"For fucks sake…" She hissed as she ran into a room with a giant glass viewing window, not stopping to appreciate the view. "I don't have time for this, nor the patience!"
"The Father has requested us to test my mettle against you, Bayonetta." Temperance flicked the glass to shatter it, finger unlocking. "If we are successful, we will take on the mantle of Temperantia."
"Prepare yourself for disappointment then." Bayonetta glanced at the two anti-aircraft guns outside of the building as she stepped into Purgatorio. Her first thought was to question why there were anti-aircraft guns on a relatively peaceful island. Her second thought was whether they worked.
"Prepare yourself." It began to float backwards, its fingers locking together again. "We will grant you no mercy!"
She ignored it and cast a time spell, slowing it down to a crawl. Running over to the gun, she hopped on behind it and tapped it once, bolstering it with her power. Aiming it at the head of the Audito-to-be, she pulled the trigger. Dozens of missiles flew out, slowed down by the time spell. They slowly flew towards the angel in a clump, with the angel slowly realising what was happening. Smirking, Bayonetta clicked her fingers to resume time as normal. The missiles all struck true, blasting apart the Angel in seconds.
"I do need to get me one of these." She patted the barrel of the gun, then turned back to the elevators. One was already ascending, so she opened up the second and followed suit.
…
Luka only relaxed once he stepped inside the elevator and it had started moving up. According to this button scheme, it never actually reached the top floor where the Father was located. If the schematics were right, another elevator was necessary to reach there, and that one was biologically locked.
He had no idea how to trick that. He assumed that The Father was one of them. Sigurd, from how he spoke, was assuredly another. But aside from that, he was completely stumped. Removing a biological scanner wasn't on his skillset, and neither was DNA manipulation. Grimacing as the elevator crawled to a halt, he stepped out to see a wondrous sight.
A giant statue of a half-dressed woman proclaiming to the heavens stood upon the cylinder, making that possibly the largest base for a statue he had ever seen. Cherubs extended out from her hands, making it look like a bouquet of roses being tossed above her head.
"An offering?" He asked aloud. "Or remembrance?"
"Very astute, boy."
He tensed and glanced around as the Father made his presence known.
"What is the meaning of life when there is no truth? For that is your self prescribed role. You cannot help yourself when encountering a new puzzle or an old conundrum."
"Is that such a bad thing? Seeking the truth may have gotten my Father killed, but that's the risk we accept in this life." He fired back, beginning to walk around on the platform. Thinking better, he stopped and waited for Bayonetta to catch up.
"Your Father died because his usefulness ran its course. After he unearthed secrets that allowed me greater access to the Mademoiselle's mind, the only gift left to take was his life."
"You bastard!"
"Are you willing to throw away your life so easily? You have no need to be here, and you are not a part of my plans. You are a wildcard who needs to be removed from the deck."
Luka gritted his teeth. "And that is why I have to stay. The truth is always the truth; someone just needs to find it."
"It will not be you."
Metallic gold squares on the walls began to rattle and crackle with energy. Tearing themselves apart from the wall, they collided and began to form a giant ball. Staring at it with his eyes wide, Luka found himself hesitating.
Bayonetta was going to step out of that door at any time, right?
The ball began to roll and he knew he couldn't wait any longer. Biological locks be damned, he had to get out of here.
…
The initial room was quiet, serene-like it is hue. She walked in, feeling really out of place, and looked around. A circular corridor awaited her, wrapping around the tower and surrounding a gigantic statue. Approaching it, she looked it up and down. It was of a female figure reaching to the sky, and dozens of cherubs surrounding it. Just looking at it made her feel small and insignificant.
But, that wasn't the most interesting thing in the room. A golem was chasing down Luka, who was sprinting towards a second elevator on the other side. A glance at the walls told her that it had been stored there, and she briefly wondered how the Father managed to transport one up here. She almost slapped her head with a palm as the answer came to her.
Magic. Right.
Holding her breath in worry, she silently begged for anyone listening to let Luka make it. The golem was closing the distance now, and-
He wasn't going to make it.
"Why not give him a hand?" Butterfly suggested coyly. Eyes widening, she gestured at him and summoned a wicked palm.
"Time to go vroom!" She called out as Butterfly scooped Luka out and tossed him at the elevator. He sent a shocked expression at her as he disappeared into the elevator, the golem crunching into the wall a scant second later. It pivoted, seemingly staring at her now.
"Come on!" She playfully gestured with a finger, relief at his safety very visibly evident. "Don't make a girl wait!"
The golem snarled, then began to roll towards her. She met it with a grin on her face, charging back at it as the Scarborough Fair fell into her hands. The ball launched itself into the air, then transformed into a snake and sent itself hurtling through the ground. A rumble was her tell as she dodged out of the way of it resurfacing, watching it arc back over her and into the floor again.
The tried and true Iustitia method. Bayonetta rolled her eyes; the Angels were that stupid, but she expected the human created constructs to be a little more intelligent. Perhaps she gave mortals too much credit.
The golem burst from the ground again, but this time it transitioned into a bird. Flapping its wings, it gestured as the wind formed a tornado and blew towards her.
Now things were getting interesting. Slipping past, she kicked off the wall and started to make her way towards the second elevator. The golem screeched behind her as she reached the button and pressed it.
And just to her luck, the door did not swing open and the elevator informed her it was moving down.
"Fuck this." Prying the doors open, she felt the moon was over her as she activated witch walk. Pulling herself onto the elevator shaft as the golem slammed a tentacle through the opening, she began to sprint up the shaft. Giving Luka a wave as she passed him, she focussed on reaching the top.
Until the Golem burst through the floor and knocked her off, causing her to fall down towards the ground.
…
"Welcome, Redgrave."
It seemed that the biological lock was either a farce or that he was part of the people allowed in. Luka didn't quite understand how he was, but it seemed too convenient that he was.
Perhaps his Father did manage to reach higher levels. Or that he was expected to reach there at some point. He did have a working relationship with the Father. Luka imagined that he would have expected to be able to converse with him at more secure locations, but it turned out that Antonio was more of a thorn than a blessing.
The Redgrave way. He smirked as the elevator slowly began to rise, and up onto the final ascent of his journey. A rumble shook the life slightly, and a waving Bayonetta ran past him in the reflection of the lift. He rolled his eyes; of course, she could run up a wall.
Then the wall above him exploded, cutting the lift off in its ascent. The emergency brakes locked on, stopping the elevator from falling, but the Witch wasn't so lucky.
Luka watched as Bayonetta plummeted through the reflection on the glass, eyes wide. Without hesitation, he smashed the emergency stop button and kicked the glass of the wall out. Cursing as some of the shards cut through him, he took aim at the wall and fired his grappling hook.
It was only during mid-swing that he questioned whether he could actually catch her. But then he remembered that time in the Umbran Mountains and he figured it should work the same way, right? Keeping an eye on the reflection, he reached out and-
He passed straight through her. His arm reached out, trying to grasp onto anything on her body, but it found nothing but air.
"What?!" Luka cried out, watching as the glass began to approach rapidly. "Oh no, no NO-"
…
Bayonetta twisted and watched as Luka slammed into the glass wall surrounding the shaft, flattening against it like a bug. Twisting over again, she landed on the floor and opened a portal back into the mortal realm. Stepping through, she held her arms out and waited for him to land.
He did, falling into her arms perfectly. Smiling at his dazed expression, she placed him on the ground as the golem began to climb down the shaft, transforming into a giant spider.
"I have just the friend for that." She murmured, then began to dance. Her hair flowed off her body and slammed into the ground as she finished with a gesture to the sky. "CASASAM PIADPH!"
A Demonic spider appeared above the golem, latching onto the building with all eight of its legs. Its jaw distended as it roared, catching the attention of the construct. Jumping forward before it had a chance to turn, Phantasmaranae tore the golem to shreds with bites and fireballs. It roared into the sky, then disappeared into Inferno as the spell unweaved itself back onto her body.
"Not quite the treat you wanted, but it's what you are going to get." She put her hands on her hips as she turned to Luka. "Now, let's get going, shall we?"
He was just staring at her, mouth agape.
"Oh come on! Not even one witty remark?" She held a hand out to him. "Unless you want to become a lot thinner, we need to get moving."
He stared at her.
"Cheshire…" She reached up and caught the elevator before it crashed onto their heads. "You've seen me naked before. I didn't even have the goods on display and now you are quieter than a mouse."
He stared at her. Now, his mouth was slowly closing as he gulped.
Tossing the elevator away, she crouched down and poked his face. "Are you alive in there?"
"I am!" He finally moved, backing away slightly. "You just do things a little differently than Sephiroth, that's all."
"A little?" She placed a hand onto her chin, pretending to ponder. "I wasn't aware he had to strip to summon. Are you interested in men as well? He is quite the looker."
"Wha- No! That's- I'm not gay!" He wasn't as passionate as she thought he would be. If anything, he seemed uncomfortable. "He used a portal to summon Khepri, not a- whatever you just did."
"It still doesn't explain the prudeness, Cheshire." She held a hand out again. "Now, we need to get going."
Accepting it, he let her pull him up. Brushing his shirt down and checking his bag, he shrugged and looked up.
"Well, we can't get up that way." Luka sighed as his gaze turned to the entrance. "And we can't get back in. Great!"
Bayonetta looked up with a smirk on her face, noting the change of subject. "I believe we will have to climb up."
A few clicks and whirs dragged her attention to his wrist as he fiddled with a contraption strapped to it. A panel flipped open, followed by a curse from the man. "Fuck!"
"Is there a problem, Cheshire?" She peered at it, noticing that the wire was fraying at several places along its length.
"It's busted. Well, close enough to be busted. It's not going to last the rest of the length of the building." Luka closed the panel with frustration and cracked his knuckles. "Time to fucking climb the hard way."
"Hmmm…" The decision was hard, and well thought out. Bayonetta had to dwell-
Who was she kidding? She ducked down and pulled him up in a piggyback position, grabbing onto his legs to keep him stable. Luka shrieked as she stood up, placing one leg on the wall.
"W-what are you doing?!" His hands gripped her shoulders as she activated witchwalk. "You can't climb a wall!"
"Oh please," Bayonetta scoffed. "I can run up a wall."
"No, wait, please no WAAAAAI-" He screamed as his arms wrapped around her, his face burying into her back. "You're gonna kill us both!"
She laughed as she sprinted up the side, revelling in the freedom of the wind blowing past her. Butterfly was scoffing at her, she could feel that, but Bayonetta was sure she could see humour in the action.
'Hmph.' She scoffed again, but there was definitely humour in it now. 'Childish.'
I don't care. Let them see.
'If a Bayonetta falls from a building, and no one is there to see it, did she really fall?' Butterfly asked rhetorically. She merely laughed harder and increased her speed.
…
Bayonetta stopped at the highest point of the shaft, sending a wicked stomp into the door to open it. Jumping in, she deactivated witchwalk and twisted into the landing. Standing up, she released Luka and stared at the final door ahead of them. He landed in a heap behind her, but she did not care.
This door expelled power. Iconography of the sun and the heavens above riddled the frame and door itself, granting her a very clear picture of what lay behind this one.
"I'm alive?" Luka exclaimed, his voice not betraying his relief. She didn't answer, opting to stare at the door instead. Footsteps rang out behind her as he walked to her side and joined her vigil in door-staring.
"I guess this is it," His voice was serious now. "Behind this door is him."
"We are both being awfully presumptuous." Bayonetta shrugged. "But who else could it be?"
No more procrastinating; reaching out with one hand, she placed it on the door and went to push.
"My dear, sweet daughter."
She froze again.
"She is here. The one you have all been waiting for."
Luka reached out and placed his hand on the doors as well, covering one of the suns inscribed on the right. "We do this together."
She gave him a nod as they both pushed the door open.
"Welcome home," The voice seemed to clear into one that was directed at her, not inside of her head. "Welcome to your destiny."
Post Notes:
So yeah. I did think I was going to be playing Bayonetta 3 a lot more than I expected. But then the ending happened and I honestly just felt drained. I hated it. I loathed it. I want someone to fucking murder Kamiya and replace his ideas of-
Ahem.
I do not advocate murder, by the way. I just do not like the decisions that were made to move the franchise in a different direction. So what can you expect from Blood Moon?
- An actual focus on the idea of a multiverse.
- An ending that is satisfying for both the reader and the fans of the series.
- Cameos from series across fiction.
- Viola not being a bitch the whole time.
- Romances that aren't forced.
- Everything actually being explained.
What will be included from the game?
- Strider.
- Viola.
That's it. I already had a lot of plans for Blood Moon that involved a lot of points (I think at the moment it is at 120 individual characters) to hit, and Strider and Viola can hit more of those points and expand upon them in a way that ties it together better.
Sigurd is already here, so Singularity won't be appearing. Get wrecked anyone who is a fan of them. (And yes, I do know they are separate people. I just don't care.)
But until next time, thank you for reading and enjoying my work!