Chapter 74
Calls passed from person to person as the minutes ticked by.
In the mansion of the most wealthy, they prepared for a great upset that would save everyone.
Within the base of the greatest military on Remnant, soldiers worked towards a finale that would save Atlas, no matter the cost.
The city below waited with bated breath, hoping that the winner of the next battle would be on their side.
A hacker and an assassin gathered what they could as they set their plan into motion.
And a fanatic stalked the streets of the flying city, eager for a chance at causing chaos…
Winter's boots clicked against the floor as she marched through the Academy and towards the landing zone. Forty-six minutes had passed since Ironwood released his ultimatum, and things were progressing as planned. She, ultimately, was not given a grand objective. Her role was simple.
Help capture Ironwood.
It wasn't the only goal, several were being launched at once. But it was hers. Her responsibility. She was his second, his chosen Maiden. If he was ever killed, she would become the Acting General. Not that she wanted him dead, despite everything.
This is a coup, however. My feelings don't come into it. She couldn't let them. She had to be objective here. Once this started there would be no going back. Acting General Winter would lead the people of Atlas and Mantle to safety. After that? Well, she wouldn't deserve to remain holding such a title.
But first, she had to win. As she reached the foyer, messages came to her scroll. Vine and Elm had secured the bomb, disabling it for now, and left a squad of soldiers in command. No AK units. Good. But now they too were joining up with Ironwood to secure Penny when she arrived. Not so good.
Harriet also was reporting that she was on Watts trail. Close, too. He was still a danger, but so long as Ironwood had prisoners, he didn't need the bomb ready to go. Of course, they couldn't stay there. Which was why…
The doors opened as Winter exited the building. Ironwood was there, on the docks, waiting. Vine and Elm would be here shortly. "General. I've arrived." Winter announced as she closed on him, saluting.
"Winter. Good. Marrow?" Ironwood asked, turning to glance at her. His eyes were still so cold, and in his hands was not only a pair of cuffs but also some new weapon of some sort. A gun, perhaps.
"I decided to send him to the prisoners, in case we needed someone on hand to… deal with them," Winter replied. She wasn't fully lying. He was there, just not for what she said.
The General nodded. "Good. Good… these kids are crafty, so we can't underestimate them." As he said that, a new alert came through. An object was flying towards the Academy, bearing the IFF of Penny Polendina. He smiled. "Good, she's coming."
Winter nodded, glancing down at the other message she'd received. "Operation: Start."
And so it began…
"Turn the dial, increase power by two per cent and… pull the trigger," Arthur muttered to himself, hefting an incredibly large rifle up. The moment he pulled the trigger, a beam of green energy lanced out, crashing into a soldier who had just turned the corner. They were flung back, slamming into the wall and collapsing. "My, Pietro can make some fun toys… if only he'd been using this to aid my projects instead. Such a pity."
"Can you stop shit-talking and get to fighting!?" The brat of an assassin complained from behind him, accompanied by blasts of the shotguns in his boots, downing several incoming soldiers from the other passage.
"Hmph. Enough with the complaining, we're almost there." Arthur said instead. "It will be up to you after that, so I want focus."
Mercury grumbled but didn't say anything. Together, with shotgun and laser, they pierced their way through the soldiers. Stepping through blood and bone, they broke into a large chamber. Containers lined both sides, with a console nearby. After a quick check, Arthur began typing away with a smile.
"Good, good. We are in business. And just in time too. Looks like the robot is arriving now. Except… oho. What's this? Two signatures?" Arthur grinned like a loon. What fools. Atlas didn't seem to have noticed, but he did!
"What are you muttering about now…"
"They've duplicated its signature and are hiding one of them. Which means that a: they have someone on the inside, and b: they want to hide its location and destination. Judging by their path… hmmm what do you mean there's nothing on the bluepr-aaaaha. I see! They're sneaking around to the Vault." Arthur laughed. "There must be some passage under the island…"
Mercury scoffed. "How the hell am I supposed to get there then?" He complained as a soft ding came from his pocket.
"I've sent a route to your scroll. It should take you near the normal entrance. Good luck. I'll do my part here." Arthur said, already switching over to his next task.
"You… gah, this shit… fine," Mercury grumbled and stomped off to do his job. Really, it was like babysitting sometimes! A child will recruit children, of course. No one Cinder could bring aboard would ever be mature enough. As long as he does his part, I can do mine. Now then…
With the push of a button, the containers began to open. Inside were row upon row of Atlesian Knights. Not the current models, however. The old models.
Arthur chuckled as he tapped away, preparing to cause just a little more chaos…
James grimaced as alerts began to pile into his scroll. Marrow had entered combat with someone in the prison and was requesting help from Vine and Elm. Harriet had located Watts and Black, but they'd split up and Watts was reactivating old AK models, digging in. We were still in the midst of scrapping them, damn it!
"Vine, Elm! Reinforce Marrow. Harriet, stop Watts now! Order of priority is Prisoners, Watts, Black, and then the bomb! Move!" He shouted into his scroll, giving his commands quickly. Winter nodded from beside him.
"Sir, she's here." Her words snapped him to attention. Once he had her, he could open the Vault and move Atlas. The rest could be handled afterwards. He pocketed his scroll and turned to watch Penny fly in. The robot girl circled for a moment then landed down between him and the Academy.
With Winter at his back, he had nothing to worry about.
"Penny. You've done the right thing." James said as she walked up to him. He grabbed for her hands and pressed the cuffs onto them.
Penny smiled. "Yeah, I guess I have," she replied in a voice not her own, "it's pretty weird, huh?" She then flipped, kicked his jaw, and flung herself back as an illusion fell apart.
There was no Penny. There was only a Manta, Emerald, Oscar, and team JNPR, including a now-flying Maiden in Pyrrha. Her eyes alight with flames, she launched gusts of wind at his body, pushing him this way and that. Due Process was ripped from his hands and thrown to the side where Oscar caught it.
With a growl, James used all of his strength to break through the wind, only to be met with a hammer to the face. Ren came in next, cutting at the backs of his legs causing James to stumble. Jaune was there, slashing his sword. James caught it with his left hand and pulled it, and Jaune, to the side.
The knight was thrown into Ren, sending the both of them to the ground. But in all that time, Pyrrha had moved. Landing on the ground she slammed her hands to the floor and caused ice to spring forth like a wave. James made to dodge, but a sword crashed into his back. He turned, only to find Winter.
Her face was determined but sad. Her swords glinted with the after-effects of ice Dust, which she had unleashed onto his back to slow him down. In that moment he began to realise.
This was a coup.
He was being betrayed.
Winter… was a traitor.
She truly didn't care about Atlas anymore…
At that moment, a second before he was consumed by ice, he vowed that he would kill her. It was the only fate that traitors like her deserved. He'd cry, he'd lament, but he'd do it.
And then he was struck. Ice speedily crawled across his entire body. His arms thrashed, breaking what he could. But the power of a Maiden was incredible, and without any nearby allies, he was trapped. His arms slowed, his feet became rooted, and great crystals of ice spread out around him.
His Aura kept the chill from killing him, but the intense cold was sapping his strength. Freezing his machinery. After but a minute, Pyrrha had defeated him. Sealed him in a prison of ice.
"You…" He spluttered, his head left free of the shell now encasing him. "Winter… you betrayed me…"
"I did it for Atlas. The kingdom is nothing without its people, and you were abandoning them. I'm sorry. It had to be done. I will face the consequences once we are all safe," Winter declared. Her voice was resolute, if tinged with melancholy.
It angered him. She betrayed him, yet she was sad? Madness. "You claim… to be serving Atlas now!? You're going to destroy everything!"
Winter nodded. "Atlas will fall. At this point, it's inevitable. But we can, and we will, save its people." With that, she looked to the others. "Marrow will need assistance, and there's no better place to store Ironwood before transport."
Pyrrha nodded and, using wind, tore James' shell from the ground. She then used ice and stone to give it handles. Jaune came over and looked at their available forces. "Ren, Nora, Emerald. Go with Winter. Help move Ironwood here. Then when the portals open, continue the rest of the plan. Oscar, Pyrrha, with me. Let's open up the coms."
James held his tongue, quietly seething as he considered his options. They'll drop their guard at some point, and that's when I'll break free. I should be able to if I play my cards correctly. Yes, he just needed to wait, and watch. And then-
"Let's get moving then." Winter said, interrupting his thoughts as she moved around him. Once behind him, she did something, hummed, then drew her sword once more. With a murmured apology, she slammed the pommel into the back of his head. With his Aura weakened by the attacks and the chill, he saw stars.
A second strike, and his vision went black…
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Taiyang's foot tapped against the ground in a vague rhythm. His chin rested in his hands. Trapped in this cell, he feared. For his daughter. For the world. Mercury taking Watts left him feeling… so powerless.
If only he hadn't been captured.
If only he was at Ruby's side when she needed him.
If only, if only, if only.
His circling thoughts were broken when the door opened, revealing… Marrow? He walked in and threw weapons onto the floor. Their weapons. Immediately after he moved to the closest cell and unlocked it.
Zwei barked happily as he was let free.
"Thanks, wags." Robyn smiled as she grabbed her crossbow.
Qrow gave a simple nod in thanks.
Tai was the last. He looked Marrow up and down. "So… why?"
Marrow thought for a moment. "Some lines just shouldn't be crossed, I guess."
Good enough for now. Tai grabbed Ember Celica. It felt right to have the gauntlets on his wrists once more. In a way, it was as if Yang had come home, though that was of course wishful thinking.
"Where's Ironwood?" Qrow asked, testing Harbinger's weight.
Marrow shook his head. "Being dealt with. We're going to have company so we'd better get ready. Elm and Vine will be here shortly. Let's take them down." He started handing out gravity Dust bolas. "I'll use my Semblance, then you all trap them. I'm sure we can talk them over to our side… Harriet can come after."
Qrow grumbled, but accepted one. The knowledge that Ironwood was going down evidently annoyed him, but at least he wasn't charging off. Tai frowned. "Catch us up. What else needs doing?"
Marrow considered for a moment. "We'll be storing Ironwood here, I think. Harriet too I bet. But Watts and Black need to be dealt with too. So…"
Tai nodded. "Got it. After these two, we'll deal with Harriet, Watts, and Mercury. Qrow? Robyn?"
Qrow sighed. "Fine."
Robyn punched his shoulder playfully. "Cheer up, five o'clock shadow. We've got a chance to sort things out. You can punch Ironwood later, once everything has calmed down."
He grumbled in response as they all began taking their places for an ambush. Marrow was quick to position them exactly as he needed, even "freezing" Robyn for when they entered. Qrow and Tai took either side of the door, and Jacques sat whimpering in his cell.
The door opened and Vine and Elm rushed in with weapons at the ready. "Marrow! The prisoners are free? Where're the others?" Vine asked, glancing at the "frozen" Robyn. That moment of inaction, waiting for Marrow to report, cost them dearly.
"Stay!" Marrow yelled, pointing at the pair, freezing them in place. The look of shock on their faces caused Marrow to grimace. "I'm sorry… but I can't… can't stand by and let the General do this! It's insane! We're supposed to protect people!"
As he spoke, Tai grabbed Elm's arms and pulled them behind her back before wrapping the gravity bolas around her wrists. Restrained by the power of Dust, she was far less of a threat. Qrow did the same for Vine, and so with a single move and a moment of hesitation, two of the Ace Ops were dealt with.
Marrow released them. Elm immediately began to struggle but Vine shook his head. "It's over, Elm. They've outmanoeuvred us. At this point, it would be smarter to aid them."
Elm bristled. "How can you say that!? They're traitors!"
"What matters is our duty to Atlas and its people. I imagine that the General is not going to win; therefore, to ensure the safety of the people of Atlas, we should help them." Vine reasoned.
Tai nodded, not that they could see him. "Exactly. We're winning this, so you should help instead of getting in the way. Speaking of, Watts us out there right?"
"Yeah. Harriet was close to him last we heard…" Marrow said. "We'll have to deal with her. Winter should be coming with Ironwood shortly."
"Got it," Robyn said. "Then we'll put these two in the cells, and you all go off and catch Watts. I'll keep an eye on the prisoners and catch up with Winter."
Tai shared a look with Qrow, then nodded. They locked up Vine and Elm, then Marrow set about guiding them towards their new targets. The halls had grown so quiet compared to before the battle. It was eerie, and filled Tai with a sense of unease, but he had Qrow at his side, as well as Marrow. And Zwei, as it turned out.
The corgi was adamant about joining them, rushing alongside them through the cold white halls.
As they ran, a voice came over the intercom. "People of Atlas and Mantle! I'm Jaune Arc, a licensed Huntsman. Atlas is compromised. Salem is here, and Ironwood has failed his people. But we're not abandoning anyone! In a few minutes, Atlas will begin to fall, but there's no need to worry! We're going to be saving everyone. Portals will open up soon and you'll need to walk through them and then make your way out, following directions. There will also be ships in Mantle carrying some away. We have to save everyone, so please keep it orderly and don't carry too much!"
Only a moment after he stopped talking, the great floating city of Atlas shuddered and began to fall…
Petals twisted and flew through the air as Ruby rushed through the tunnel, arriving into the large chamber holding the Vault. The Manta piloted by Klein pulled away, leaving to join up with the other SDC vessels in Mantle. Racing to the Vault door, Ruby pushed herself hard.
"Hah… hah…" Ruby panted as she pulled out of her Semblance, dropping Ilia, Hazel, and Penny around her. Hazel grunted and pulled up Penny, helping carry her to the door so she could open it. They wasted no time. The moment the door was open, Ruby raced through with Ilia and grabbed the Staff of Creation, mentally calling on the Spirit within.
Time slowed to a stop as billowing blue clouds spilt from the top of the Staff, forming into a buff man bound by chains. "Helllooo! I am Ambrosius, Spirit of the Staff of Creation! How can I be of service today?" He boomed, smiling down at Ruby, who swallowed nervously.
"I need you… to save my friend, Penny."
He frowned and spun himself around so that his back faced the floor and his head rested in his hands. "Well kiddo, I can't bring back the dead. And anything I do will just vanish the next time I'm used. You're better off saying goodbye…"
Ruby shook her head. "No. Not in this case. She's just there…" She pointed out the door.
Ambrosius hummed and vanished, teleporting over to Penny. He examined her with a magnifying glass."Fascinating… I see the issue. But this craftsmanship… incredible. I'd love to meet the man who did this."
"I'll introduce you later. But my wish… I want you to recreate Penny Polendina using her existing parts." Ruby said, taking the time to be clear in her wording.
The Spirit hummed. "Recreate… using her existing parts eh? But if I remove all her parts, what would be left?"
Ilia smiled. "Penny. Her soul… who she is, regardless of her body."
"The soul beneath… but a soul can't exist without a body. And I can't destroy things… I have to… heheh… I must say, I'm impressed with you, too!" Ambrosius laughed. "Few manage to word things just right… and this? A challenge, even for me… how much will be me, how much will be her? Oho, I can't wait to find out!"
With that, he set to work. It consisted of a cocky grin and a snap of his fingers, but work it was all the same. More fog spilt from the Staff and coalesced around Penny, obscuring her form. Then it split, with a chunk of cloud forming into a vaguely Penny shape nearby. They pulsed with energy and light, and then began to fall apart like clumps being pushed away.
On one side was the Penny they knew, exactly as she had been except standing up. On the other was Penny, kneeling down and clutching her head in pain from the virus. This latter Penny no longer had gloves or rocket legs, instead, she had clear unblemished skin. Her outfit also lacked some of the lights and power signs she used to have.
As Ambrosius left and time resumed, Ruby idly wondered about how they'd have to go shopping once this was done. Penny needed shoes, and maybe she'd look good with some stockings… but no, now wasn't the time. She shook her head free of such thoughts and turned her attention to what she had wished for, technically. The 'new Penny'.
At first, it simply stood there. But then its eyes turned red and it turned, intent on opening the door. But on realising it was already open, it blinked. It started to stumble, losing power as it lacked the soul that ran it. Falling to its knees, it reached up…
And wrung its own neck.
They all watched in horror as Penny… self terminated. Despite being safe in the knowledge that the Penny they cared about, the real Penny, was safe, it was terrifying. Ruby felt sick, she felt like she watched the world crumble around her. I can't let that happen to her. She can't… I can't… lose her…
Ruby took a shuddering breath, and then turned to Penny. Carrying the Staff, she hurried over and pulled her friend into a hug. Penny let out an eep and then practically melted into the hug. "W-wow… this… do hugs… always feel this warm?"
"Yes, Penny. They do." Ruby replied, tightening her grip. Penny was warm and soft and Ruby couldn't help but want to stay as they were. But yet… she sighed and pulled out of the hug.
Penny immediately jumped to hug Hazel, and then Ilia. Thanking them, but also trying out more hugs. Ruby smiled and raised the Staff once more, pulling all of them into the time stop.
"Hellloooo! I am Ambrosius, the… wait… you again? So soon?" Ambrosius sighed, clearly disappointed. Perhaps he assumed Pietro would be next? Later. "So, what do you need now?"
"We need to evacuate the people of Atlas and Mantle to safety," Ruby said. "This one's a bit complicated but… we need you to open up portals around the cities that lead to Vale and Vacuo. Can you?"
Ambrosius huffed. "Sure. All I need are coordinates for all of the portals, an explanation of warping space to transition people across the world, and also examples of how to deal with the difference between traffic entering dozens of portals and exiting through two. Can you do that?"
Ilia stepped forward, smiling. "Yes. First, we have coordinates of every portal in Atlas and Mantle, as well as the two exits." She raised her scroll and produced a projection, showing blueprints provided by the SDC of the two cities, as well as the two exit coordinates. One led to the Emerald Forest, while the other led to a flat piece of desert a few minutes walk from Vacuo.
Ambrosius nodded. "Alright, I see what we've got here. So, portals?"
Ruby nodded. "I know someone who can make them. Raven Branwen. She creates a portal directly to someone she has bonded with. Can you use that?"
"Is she here to show it off? Can you explain exactly how it bends space to allow for such travel?"
"... Nope." Ambrosius shrugged in response. "Dang. Alright, we have other ideas anyway." They weren't expecting that to work, but giving it a try wasn't hard. "Then… what about that?" She asked, pointing to the Vault door.
"... Your reasoning?" Ambrosius sounded interested, smiling like he was pleased.
"The Vaults are separate from Remnant, aren't they? How else could we have a grassy field in the middle of a tundra? So, these doors can travel across space instantly. And a space like a Vault would also be able to house thousands of people as they travel from one portal to another. It's a perfect example for both the portals and a central location." Ruby said.
Ambrosius grinned and clapped. "Very nice idea! And with that, that, and this… yes I think this could work. So, in summary: portals open throughout the cities, they walk through a Vault, and exit through one of two portals. Correct?"
Ruby nodded. "A fast pass right to Vale or Vacuo. Oh, uh… could you tag the one to Vale with something green? So we know which is which?"
"Hm, can do." He clapped and rubbed his hands together. "Well, you've been extremely thorough! Disappointingly so… oh well, these have been far more interesting than my last few jobs. Technology has really advanced… can't wait to see what I'll have to do next."
"Heh. I'm sure we'll give you plenty of opportunities, Ambrosius. Thank you." Ruby smiled as a portal appeared behind them, glowing with golden light.
Ambrosius huffed and began to vanish into clouds. "A bit of advice. Don't fall."
Before Ruby could ask, he was gone. She frowned, pondering his words. 'Don't fall'? What was that supposed to mean? There was no way to know until they entered.
Atlas shuddered as it lost the power keeping it aloft. Gravity Dust would slow its descent, but there was no stopping it. Atlas was done for, and they were on the clock. "Penny, I think you should hold onto it," Ruby said, offering her the Staff.
Penny blinked then nodded, resolutely taking the Staff and its responsibility. "Okay. I'll take care of it."
With that, Ruby took Penny's other hand and then, together, they walked through the portal.
Lights consumed their vision as they were taken through space to… a void. A massive empty void. All that sat in it was the space Ambrosius had made, as well as a sun shining down upon them. Dozens of portals littered the space, resting on top of metallic circles in sets of three or four. Attached to the circles were bridges of light and metal, leaking motes of light as they stretched out, connecting the landings to each other, as well as a massive semi-circular panel of metal below the rest. From its flat side stretched one more strip of metal, and connected to it on either side were two massive portals, one orange, one green.
Ruby glanced down, finding a never-ending void below them. Fall off, and you might fall forever. Ambrosius's words made sense now. I suppose we should have been more detailed about what we wanted the space to look like. Damn it. Oh well, too late now.
The four of them made their way down to the primary platform as people began to arrive through the portals. First came JNPR, then the Happy Huntresses, and then some civilians began to slowly pour in. Hazel walked to the green portal and glanced back at Ruby.
"I thank you all for giving me this chance. I shall look out for the Vale group." He said before stepping through. Hopefully, Glynda was already on the other side waiting. Oscar soon rushed by with a greeting before heading to Vacuo, followed closely by Emerald, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. There was apparently a sand storm, so sending a Maiden to deal with it was necessary.
Jaune immediately took position near the portals and used his crossing guard experience to shepherd people through. Most were going to Vacuo, due to its defences being better prepared and having Shade still standing. Around a third would be going to Vale. This of course didn't take into account those in the SDC ships going to Argus.
Ruby took a breath and looked around. It was… amazing. An incredible feat of engineering, allowing thousands to escape to safety. It brought a smile to her face.
Finally, things were going well.
Of course, the moment she thought that was the moment her legs were swept out from underneath her. Ruby let out a yelp of surprise, joined by Penny grunting in pain. There was a loud whipcrack and a gunshot as the pair hit the floor then rolled, jumping up to stand.
Mercury Black twirled the Staff of Creation in one hand, grinning.
"You three need to be more aware of your surroundings." He taunted. "Too bad. I'll be taking this to Queenie."
Ruby sighed and drew her scythe. "Mercury. Don't give it to her. You'll doom the world."
He frowned. "So I've been hearing…"
"Emerald and Hazel already swapped to our side." Ruby declared, catching his attention. "Emerald is through the orange portal. Give us back the Staff and go talk to her. We don't have to fight about this."
"... And what, you'll just forgive and forget?" Mercury asked, narrowing his eyes. "I ain't exactly some pure-hearted goody two shoes."
"Mercury… I've let plenty of people free if they swapped sides. Roman, Neo, Lionheart… Emerald and Hazel. I'll do the same for you. Just stay out of our way, or help us, and make sure she doesn't win. After that… we can fight over what to do then. So just give us back the Staff, and go on your way." Ruby held out her hand, hoping.
He looked at it, then at the Staff. "... Gah… fine." After a moment of growling, he threw the Staff at them. Ruby fumbled for a moment to catch it, then handed it back to Penny. "I'm done. I don't care if she's telling the truth, shits too fucked for her to win this now. I'm not wasting my life fighting for a dead cause. So… don't fuck it up."
"We won't."
With that, the conflict came to a quick end. Mercury swaggered off into the portal, and Ruby let out a sigh of relief. It felt like a simple resolution, but she was fine with that. It's not like she wanted to fight people. "Still… you two should go. I'll keep watch in case Watts comes in. And Tyrian is out there somewhere too."
Penny shook her head. "We should all stay behind then. Just in case."
Ilia agreed. "We're safer together."
Ruby swallowed. "... You know why I'm saying it."
"... The Staff does need to be taken to safety," Penny said. "We can't risk losing it in a fight."
Ilia let out a sigh. "Okay. I'll take it. You two are stronger than me so… keep watch. I'll take the Staff and be ready to close the portals. Just… throw a fireball through if… if you need me to close it." Her voice almost cracked saying it.
Penny nodded. "I'll throw magic through! If you see fire and ice come through then… we can't make it out. And you should close it."
Ruby closed her eyes. The idea frightened her. It frightened them all. But making sure they were prepared was more important. She opened her eyes and turned to face her friends. "We'll be fine. Ilia… good luck."
"... Good luck to you too," Ilia said, taking the Staff. She took a deep breath, and then went through the Vacuo portal. Now, it was just Penny and Ruby on guard. Jaune was around as well, but he had a different job.
Ruby sucked in a breath as a familiar chill ran down her spine. He was here. "Penny. I want you just to play support."
"But I-"
"Your body is new. You're not used to it yet. Just… support me." Ruby checked Crescent Rose to make sure it was ready. It was full of ammo and ready to go. Ember Emortus was also prepared, with plenty of Dust from the Schnee Manor. She was as ready as she ever could be.
"... Okay Ruby. I trust you." Penny took a few steps back, her eyes burning with magic.
"Ehehehehehehe… soooooo, Mercury decided to run? Disappointing~." That crazed voice was like off-key music as the cloaked figure of Tyrian pushed out of the crowd. "Oh well. They all failed, but taking you back to the Goddess will be all I need!"
"You're not taking anything, Tyrian. Today, you go down." Ruby declared, flourishing her scythe. He laughed and removed his cloak, throwing it into the air. People began to run around them as his tail whipped around him and his weapons deployed.
"We'll see about that, Little Rose! Let's see how your thorns have grown!" His eyes went wide with madness as he charged.
Their final battle had begun.
A/N: Here we are, the end of the line. The last agents of Salem make their moves, and we get our final conflicts. Who will claim victory? Who will survive? Find out next time, in our last chapter baring Epilogue. It's been so long since I started this, and here I am at the end... it's a lot. Hopefully, it won't take me long to get the next chapter out.
I hope you all enjoyed and I'll catch you next time.