"ARGHHHHGHGHGHGHHHHHHH!" Angrily, Ava screeches, snarling seething, baring her feral fangs at the damaged Death slumped against the crushed crater of the wall where Death groans, head down, his mask cracks, a part of it taken, smashed even as debris of said mask fall flat to the ground below. Shards of glass lay lying scattered to the ground below from the broken window where talon scratch marks marred into the wall above all over the place, the room destroyed, the bed with fluff spewing out of the open wound of the duvet.
"Ava please!" Death's deep voice resonates pleading throughout the room as the wailing whimpering bird beast cries out as the anguished Ava wails, feathers sprouting out of her limbs, claws protruding out of her nails now coal crisp nails. She screeches snarling to the high heavens. Death grimaces when hearing the crisp crunch of bone breaking contorting to angels not human like as she almost cracks her head to the side, adjusting the bones nestled in her sockets. Metal feathers burst out from her coated skin now one with the flimsy feathers adorning her body becoming one with her body.
"YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME! YOU TOOK ANOTHER FROM ME! YOU TOOK MY CHILDREN FROM ME!" Mad, she screeches to the high heavens, her voice cracking breaking.
"Ava…I just… please calm down!" Death pleads to his wife not wishing to harm her as he places his hands down trying to calm her down, trying to pin her down until she returns to her normal mortal form, flailing spasming all over the place.
"It's all your…FAULT! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Deranged, Ava angrily seethes, snarling fury flowing through her boiling burning blood.
"Was it not good enough for you? Taking my first born and now my second born!?" Angrily, Ava snarls spewing feathers from her feathered form pushing Death back, pinning him to the ceiling by the metallic blades of firm feathers embedded into him.
"They are my children too!" Angrily, Death snarls seething, his tone dark deranged even as he lunges at the beast before him, grabbing her by her neck as she thrashes in his arms.
"The second may be yours but Asura will never be yours!" Wailing, Ava roars snarling screaming.
"Ava…" Death whispers hurt laced in his tone only then to cry out as she bashes him aside as his body is thrown through the hallway hitting wall after wall.
"You knew…you knew what BREW was capable of you knew it would make him a threat whether that be to Arachne or anyone else! You knew if he was caught he would be…" Seething, the black beast of the feather figure jolts up from the floor, curling in on herself before taking off to who knows where through the window where more shards shatter where the demonic beast bellows to the high heavens of the people of death city crying out, screaming, shocked in horror at the beast that was lady Death taking flight.
"Ava!" Anguished, Death cries out summoning familiar coal skeletal like claws out at the beast but the beast bases them aside. The gales formed from the beasts batting wings throwing them down on the ground below, hitting the roofs of house below. The creature cries out before fleeing from death city leaving Death falling to his knees of sorts.
"You took him from me you took everything!" Enraged, she screams, screeching to the high heavens before her monstrous screech takes over drowning her heart breaking his heart.
"Ava…" Despairingly, Death whispers hurt laced in his tone cracking alongside his heart when watching the woman flee from him, heading into the shining sun above going who knows where…
"I see you're adjusting to your sister's body well for those two not to have noticed you." Impressed, Ingram remarks as the two stand before death city.
"I'm in no condition for a fight I have to give my sister this she's tenacious." Truthfully, Medusa sighs.
"Seems to run in the family." Flirtatiously, Ingram winks jokingly at Medusa.
"What are you doing?" Mad, Medusa rolls her eyes exasperated.
"It would be best for us to split for now." Calmly, Ingram informs her.
"Oh? Scheming behind my back are we?" Wryly, she arches a brow bemused.
"I do have a life outside you Medusa." Smirking, Ingram places her hands on her hip.
"Ah yes and here I thought you held an interest in my sister." Seductively, Medusa leans in her hand flat on Ingram's chest, her gold glistening, gleaming gazing up at Ingram.
"In your whore of a sister pleased that bitch better be rotting in hell…" Heckling, Ingram smiles sadistically sweetly at her swiftly clasping his hands down on either side of her cheeks squeezing them making her gold twitch, arrows sporting out from her back aiming at her.
"Where will you go now?" Medusa furrows her brow at him as he simply smiles unfazed by the arrows ready to slice him into ribbons, almost amused at the sight of them. He purposefully pinches her cheeks acting as if she were some child again making her eye twitch at him.
"That's none of your concern." Coldly, he smiles removing himself from her making her eyes narrow.
"It will be if it intruded upon my plan." Poisonously, she sneers, a small snake escaping her lips.
"It won't. Come on Medusa don't ya trust me?" Mischievously, he winks at her only then to raise a brow at the arrow teasingly touching his throat.
"Just because we worked together does not mean it won't. If your scheming gets in my way I won't hold back." Medusa crosses her arms over her chest cross.
"How charming." Coyly, he brushes off the arrow to the side.
"What?" Medusa scowls.
"You sound almost as if you care about me." Teasingly, ingram jokes chuckling.
"As if…" Medusa huffs turning her back to Ingram snickering smirking.
"Tell Crona I said hi." Happily, he smiles waving her off.
"…I will. But Ingram…" Warningly Medusa stops in her tracks turning her back to him.
"Hm?" He hums quirking his head to the side.
"If you get in my way I'll have Crona go after you." Icily, she snarls seething, baring her own feral fangs peering out of her lips.
"And not you? Snakey I'm hurt!" Huffing, he places his hand on his chest in mock pain.
"Oh trust me I promise you the final blow will be mine if you get in my way." Intensely, Medusa seethes.
"I'll be looking forward to it." Ingram smirks smugly saluting her before leaving as the two head off on their own ways…
"Azusa what is it?" Shaken, Death grunts when noting a mirror by his side shattered barely working as the image of Azusa falters flickering. Death shakily stands, his voice hoarse making Azusa's eyes expand at the voice drop of the normally cheery chipper male not noting the destroyed decaying ruins of what appears to be the hallway of Death Manor.
"My apologies for the sudden call but the body we found that we believed to be Justin's." Azusa explains to Death adjusting her lenses believing it best not to question it.
"What about it?" Death asks wincing.
"We believe it to be a fake." Firmly, Azura tells Death.
"A fake?" Death does a double take at the news.
"We did a blood test it seems it was a passer-by." Azusa shrugs.
"So Justin is alive hmm I see meaning…" Death exclaims.
"Justin has no time nor alibi for BJ's death." Azusa nods her head confirming it.
"We've found you…Justin." Two robed figures furrow their brow at the sight of the frowning male standing before Death City looking out at the city.
"Yeah no. Sorry to disappoint." Unapologetic, Ingram smirks smugly at the sight of the two taking aback.
"You…" The robed figure steps forward as they unveil themselves revealing themselves to be Marie and Stein.
"Although good to see Shibusen's finally catching up, eh I'll give you guys about a six when it comes to dance moves, Marie looks like she's the only one putting effort i-" Unfazed, Ingram looks over at his nails oblivious to the two figures sliding down from the cliff.
"Why did you kill BJ?" Sternly, Marie cuts Ingram off.
"Wow assuming a lot are we?" Ingram chuckles amused almost at the strict serious Marie.
"Justin's body was a fake." Stein steps forward.
"Well done captain obvious about time you caught up." Mockingly, Ingram claps his hands together.
"You murdered an innocent bystander!" Mad, Marie snaps.
"Would you call a man who was forcing himself upon homeless witches innocent?" Curious, Ingram quirks his head to the side stunning them both.
"…What?" Mystifed, Marie whispers brow furrowed.
"Simon Donivan…murdered 17 witches in his youth trying to carry on his father's legacy as a priest or witch burner whatever you call those extremists pigs." Poisonously, Ingram sneers scowling.
"Witch burnings no longer happen!" Marie argues making Ingram snicker.
"Not in death city maybe but you'd be surprised when you go in the right places, the places Shibusen thinks they are too good for." Disgust drips down Ingram as he sneers scowling to the side.
"…You didn't answer my question why kill BJ?" Impatiently, Marie repeats once more.
"Well…there we go with the assumptions you know they say an assumption makes an ass out of you and MPHH!" Ingram begins before salvia spews out of his mouth when Marie deals a heavy hit to his chest throwing him back, causing him to be thrown into the wall behind him, a crater cracked behind him.
"Answer me." Mad, Marie demands from the heaving Ingram, brushing the debris to the side scowling.
"Now, now there was no need for the punch you know?" Huffing, he crosses his arms over his chest.
"Just answer the question." Stein steps forward just as Maire shifts into her weapon form, electricity flowing through Stein.
"I didn't kill BJ." Ingram answers.
"…What?" Marie says shocked from her weapon form.
"Is it that surprising to hear a death scythe did it? Is it that terrifying to think that one of your own can be effected by madness, can betray you, can double cross you? You're working with one of them right now!" Intensely, Ingram asks quirking his head to the side smirking sadistically.
"Stein is no traitor." Marie snaps sharply from her weapon.
"Say that to the snake witch." Ingram teases making Stein's eyes narrow as he lunges at Ingram uppercutting the smirking snickering Ingram or at the least tempting to until his greens widen when he is met by a burst of metallic feathers, ceasing said sparks flowing through Ingram.
"What's wrong Franken a bolt too tight?" Teasingly, Ingram snickers swiftly slapping both Marie and Stein back as Stein's back hits the wall, a crater created from behind him.
"Oh ho do I know about you and Medusa got to admit I'm particular to tattoos myself so I get it if Medusa were a guy I'd get it. You're pretty cute too I hear you have a thing for my sister her eyes right? Maybe you can settle for me for a bit." Amused, Ingram snickers as his arm warps, hearing the crisp crunch of bone before the two as his arm shifts back to normal, a few frail feathers spewing out from his skin like skin tags.
"Go to hell!" Stein screams lunging at Ingram swiftly slamming his hammer against Ingram.
"Now, now, no need to be so cruel, my souls is just as fragile as anyone's." Playfully, Ingram slams his foot down on the ground as he is once again thrown backwards but slams his foot down on the ground, talons sprout out from the top of his foot, his claws digging deep into the ground below as Stein stares feeing his eye twitch at the male human harpy hybrid before his very eyes.
"SHUT UP!" Stein snaps the two glaring at the male before the two gasp when the two wings of the harpy male curl in on himself before releasing a storm of feathers at the two gasping at the tornado of feathers thrown their way. They are once again hurled into the wall behind them.
"Welp I'm done here." Smiling, Ingram stretches his wings out sprouting from his back as the feathers dangling down from his arms absorbed into his arm almost as he spreads his wings out, proudly on display.
"No you're not! Tell me why are you protecting Law?" Stein seethes cradling his torso as he removes himself from the wall.
"Why?" Ingram furrows his brow baffled by the question.
"Yes why!?" Impatiently, Maire demands from her weapon form.
"Because he's young. That boy is a priest he's had all the garbed shoved down his throat since childhood he's never had a choice in his life and what's wrong with choosing the madness? Is it so wrong to explore madness? To see whether it's for you or not. Don't you think it's best to accept what is within all of us rather than fear or at the least give them the chance to explore it?" Ingram questions quirking his head to the side as Stein couldn't help but compare to an owl almost with how inhumanly he managed to move his neck.
"Madness is a disease." Stein sneers, venom dripping down his tense tone.
"Madness is a way of life it's in us, the more we deny it the more lost we are in life. Why deny that part of yourself you're only hurting yourself even more? Or is the great lord Death denying those that are cursed with it to suddenly just change? Because people can just change can't they? Madness can just magically be cured like that with correct programs like the weapon meister program no? Breeding child soldiers to fight for a god who denies those struggling because they aren't following things the way he wanted them to be…" Ingram explains to the two simply staring at him, having no words for him. Next thing the two knew, the harsh monstrous screech echoes throughout the land startling the two while a pair of gold gleam at the monster's anguish aching cry.
"What the…?" Mystified, Marie turns to stare stunned at the pitch-black creature high in the air.
"No that can't be…" Stein stares shocked horrified, his heart drops, knowing that beast anywhere as it cries out fleeing from death city.
"So it's finally starting again…" Pleased, Ingram mutters under his breath as he uses the distraction, bursting into a flutter of feathers fleeing from the two, having no clue what to make of what just happened or what was to come…
"Hold it Blackstar!" Soul snaps scowling at the warrior bandaged up back in the nurses room in death city.
" So what…we're all supposed to lie to Angela?" Angrily, Black snaps scowling at the thought of lying to the kid.
"It's not about deceiving her it's just that something's aren't easy to explain." Soul sighs at his friend.
"The hell is that…I don't get it." Blackstar grumbles glowering down at the duvet draped over him.
"Angela is a witch remember? This is a generous period we don't know when she might be caught up in the sway og magic and you want to go and tell her that you killed Mifune." Soul reminds Blackstar his hues arrowing.
"I…I didn't kill him it was that bird bastard." Bitterly, Blackstar seethes scowling at the thought of the bird, grinning manically smugly, unfazed, unapologetic almost bored by the sheer sight of the swordsman to reduce him to those ashen petals…
"Yeah well what do you plan on doing when you see her!? You need to grow up a little Blackstar." Sternly, Soul tells him how it is his grip firmly around Blackstar's shoulder.
"Soul…that kinda hurt." Blackstar furrows his brow at the sharp sting to his shoulder.
"Ah sorry…" Soul recoils his arm back, brow furrowed looking apologetic at his action as Blackstar sighs sadly plopping himself back down on the bed, brow furrowed, glancing to the side solemnly.
"Soul I have…" Meekly, Blackstar begins brow furrowed trailing off into a still silence earning his friend's attention.
"Have what?" Soul takes note of his pause perplexed to see the normally bombastic Blackstar seem so sullen, so quiet, so…assassin like for once.
"I think I have grown up a little…" Sighing, Blackstar confesses ignoring the shy shudder coursing down his spine.
"It's getting cold I'll close the window." Soul sighs after a brief still silence hangs heavily between both friends as Soul approaches the two to shut it when…
"No wait Soul…leave it open a little longer." Blackstar calls out stopping him embracing, relishing the soft breeze brushing through him as he looks out at the window, seeing the faint figure of Mifune in his mind as he lingers looking out at the window looking out at Death City.
Quietly, the woman wanders through the winter wonderland of sorts, simply staring ahead as she is greeted by the crisp chill of the breeze brushing through her damp dark roots with faint scarlet smear stains upon her greasy locks. But her glum gold simply stare ahead unfazed by the heaviness of her raven roots.
Peacefully, the child giggle as they run through the snowy sheets of the town. A pair of darkened gold watch on as the child coyly play to their hearts content making her grit her teeth together anguished at the sight of the children, giggling grinning, gleefully to their hearts content, innocent to the outside world where witches walk amongst them, talking conversing…
The little girl giggles as she grabs the younger shyer boy's hand tugging him forward as the two run through the market of the peaceful folk, seeing a fair few call out to them, some at cauldrons stirring their concoctions. The girl giddily waves her hand at the people going about their day. She remembered this, this community, people fleeing from the hunts, fleeing from families, fleeing for their own safety. She turns to see the farmers, mainly the male children of witches or husbands at work to help with the crops, you'd be surprised how a little bit of magic could do wonders on some crops especially when it came to the harvest, a small smile crosses the woman's lips at the thought of the harvest where they would all…
"Lady Morrigan!" Ava flinches from the voice turning to see a woman with familiar gold hues calmly smiling at the women by her side, some men, some had brought families here. They looked worried, scared fearful…
"You heard the reports have you not? Death's forces drawing near…" Worriedly, one of the elder witches whispers.
I had but do not fret for we will be ready." Resolute, Morrigan assures her.
"How are we to combat someone like Death?" Frantically, one of the younger witches demands from her.
"We just need to have faith Lucrecia all is way…" Softly, Morrigan places her hands on the other woman's squeezing her hands reassuring her all is well.
She remembered…her mother was the leader of sorts to these people. She led them when no one else would, she would be the voice the witches would fear to speak up, she would…she'd do anything for her people…the woman's gold wander over to the two grinning children watching on as the witch would levitate the bottles of medicine organising them neatly for the townsfolk while seeing the hunters come in, deer tossed over their shoulders. She remembered…Ava furrows her brow at the community created all from the fear of the grim reaper, of the world, of what they were…
"There you two are!" Alarmed, Ava turns towards the cheery voice, her heart dropping, her heart aching, her heart breaking by the sheer sight of the bright beaming male appearing behind the two.
"Papa!" Perkily, both siblings wrap their arms around the jovial fellow, wrapping their arms around the happy man as Ava grimaces pained at the sad sight of the man before her. She turns her back to the sound of cheering, chortling, celebrating with her heart aching with each and every step taken until…
Silently, the woman stops in her tracks, turning to look up at the tall tower of the mountaintop before her, her golds soften sadly at the sight of the temple towering over nestled within the crevasses of the mountain. But she sees it, she sees the ruby red pillars, sees the tags feebly flop through the brisk breeze of the mountains, pain plastered upon her fatigued facial features as she bows her head. Her fingertips curl into her palms, chipped curves dig deep into the plush pillow of her palm piercing it as small slits of ruby red ooze out of her crescent cuts, coated with ruby red as crimson currents gush down her pierced palm. Teeny tiny drops of ruby red descend down from the high heavens of her palm, dance down almost as if the god before the snowy sheet was mourning all those burnt, buried below becoming the pillar of this town, of this isolated village, she once called home…