Marceline was invisible as she flew across the Grasslands. One eye was kept on the compass in hand, while the other gazed forward. Unlike Betty, Marceline was unfazed by the drones as they continued their random strafing runs. She was no stranger to the death and violence being more than a thousand years old. Still though, the vampire did exercise some caution as she made sure the compass would not be damaged during the flight. A random bullet would occasionally hit her in the back and shoulder, but the pain would be negligible. To her it was like flying through hail, and her wounds would heal themselves quickly before sustaining too much to handle.
The fog remained ever present as Marcy traveled. Through her ears she could sense most of the fighting taking place somewhere between the Grasslands and Fire Kingdom border. Hundreds of explosions could be heard going off from the drone fleet and gumball guardian, while the Fire Army retaliated with their mobile artillery units. The sound of a volcano erupting would be heard from time to time, and the skies quickly became obscured with ash. Marcy didn't need to see to determine who was winning, but her mind was filled with greater urgency to locate Phoebe.
"Command," a fire officer radioed with disappointment. "Volcanic strike has no effect on target. I repeat, no effect. Requesting permission to retreat, over."
"That's a negative," the superior replied. "Hold the line as long as possible for the civilians to evacuate, over."
"Sir," another subordinate radioed. "My men are taking too many casualties! We need additional fire support on the double!"
"Negative, the central core's lost most of its heat already. We'll need to wait at least fifteen minutes before we can commence another strike."
"With all due respect sir, I don't think we'll last that long!"
"Do what you can with the resources you have, sergeant. Command out."
After the transmission ended, the two subordinates looked at each other with despair.
"We're on our own, aren't we?" One of them said.
"Seems like it is," the other stated glumly.
The pair stood idly beside each other and watched the chaos ensuing before them. Hundreds of their fellow troops were dying systematically and a steady trail of explosions approached their positions. Neither of them made the effort to take cover at that instance and their bodies disappeared quickly before they knew it. While some groups in the army have also ceased fighting in resignation in the heat of combat, others still fought out flatly in defiance. Even with those men inspiring feats of courage however, all of them knew it was only a matter of time if they were to continue without proper support.
As the battle continued with the Fire Army being decimated, one trooper was suddenly struck with a dreaded epiphany. "We can't hold the lines," he thought to himself. "And if that's the case, then why hasn't Bubblegum strolled through the Fire Kingdom already?"
The candy monarch had a malice expression as she controlled her giant to fire on a column of infantry troops. During the course of the battle, she could hear and see the distress expressed from the elementals but she paid no mind to them. They were all beneath her as far as she was concerned. They were nothing more than an indigenous population. After all those years of contending with her rival civilization, Bonnibel felt dominant for the first time. The roles were finally switched for her to push on the offensive and now the elementals were the ones cowering in fear. A cruel notion clouded her judgement of logic and reason that she purposely prolonged the fight just to savor her sense of victory and satisfaction. In that moment, she felt invincible. The giant would sustain damage from time to time whenever the overshield would break, but the drones that accompanied her would always make a quick repair for her to continue as though nothing had happened. The day was hers, but she was in no rush to claim it completely.
Eventually, this course of action would come back to haunt her later on as a certain vampire met up with a certain fire elemental, miles and miles away.
"It's Hunson's daughter," a flame trooper announced after he heard knocking on the door. "Open it up!"
Marceline briskly stepped inside the dug-in bunker and scanned the room quickly left and right and asked, "Where is she?"
"Follow me," an officer ordered.
After a minute, the pair approached a dozen knights guarding two people laid out on stretchers. Once they saw them, the guards lifted their shields momentarily until a voice ordered them to stand down.
"Let them through," Torcho spoke weakly. "There isn't much time."
Marceline walked closer to his bedside and noticed Phoebe was maroon-colored with her chest barely rising.
"She used all of her strength to get you and your friends out," Torcho said before breaking into a cough. "Her matrix is holding, but it is very weak."
Her gaze went back to the prince and noticed he had bandages wrapped around his midsection and right chest area. "What about you?" Marcy asked in concern. "If Flame King said there's a way to bring her back, the same could be done for you, right?"
Torcho was deeply considering it for a brief moment before he waved off the idea, "As tempting as it sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. You'll need to deliver my cousin without any hindrances if you are to make it to the Fire Kingdom. Unfortunately for me-" he lifted his right hand that rested on his bandaged stomach to discover it was stained with magma blood, "...I'm already dead."
Before Marcy could protest, Torcho argued, "The doctor said I have less than half an hour until I go.. It's already been more than that, but even so I sense I'm not so far away anyway." He began to cough more frequently with blood running down his mouth before resuming with a hardened expression, "You need to save her first and foremost, the fate of world depends on it! Because if Bubblegum succeeds with us, she'll set her ambitions with the other kingdoms too, I know it!"
"I can lift both of you," the vampire boasted. "You can't just give up!"
"You need every chance you could get to bring Phoebe back," the prince shook his head. "And if it means staying behind, I'll be glad to take it." His flames began to dim out each passing second as his voice diminished. "Tell my brother, Furnius I'm sorry I could not return. Even as I leave this.. plane of existence, I want him to know that I'll always watch over him in the next life. C-Can you promise me that you'll tell him?" His lips trembled.
Marcy nodded grimly as she gripped his hand in assurance and said, "I will."
The prince's grip slackened from Marcy's as he drew his final breath. All the guards that were nearby were stricken with grief and they withdrew their helmets and bowed their heads as a sign of respect. Marceline also bowed to mourn for Torcho momentarily and when she lifted her head back up, all eyes were focused on her. Instead of being met with hate, fear, or resentment, the vampire felt for the first time hope.
