Chase Part 13
Silvia, Viridian, and Danvers stand at the end of a hallway. Viridian peeks around the corner at the door he knew Bela to be behind. If he was right, both Bela and Azure would be standing there. Azure would help them take down Bela. The only reason he was helping him at all was because of that Silvia like girl. Once Viridian told him she was safe, he would turn on Bela. With the four of them the fight should be easy. Meanwhile, the other Azure would be handling Jade, who was sent by Bela to kill the President. Viridian smiled. He'd beaten Bela. It had been so easy.
"Alright let's hurry." He tells Silvia and Danvers.
Silvia nods. "Lead the way." Viridian moves carefully towards the door, extending his bo staff as he goes. When they're all by the door, he stops, and makes sure they're ready. Silvia pulls out a small dagger, in case of a fight. Danvers opens her hand, revealing a small black orb. They both nod simultaneously. Viridian pushes the door open and quickly enters. However, he stops short when he finds that the only person in the room is Bela. The other two come up short as well.
"Hello children. Surprised that it's just me?" He asks. He smirks at the look on Viridian and Silvia's faces. "You see, I knew you would have Azure stay back. You thought I'd keep my little toy with me, didn't you? So close, Viridian. But soon the president and that Azure you left with her will be dead. After all, he can't stop Jade and my little toy, can he?" Silvia's face drops.
"Azure is with him. Viridian, we need to go back." She turns to him, her eyes pleading. Danvers looks at her.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you're right." Danvers says, agreeing with Silvia.
"Really Viridian. Will you do that? If you leave me now, you won't find me for sometime. The game will reset, and you'll be behind. You'll lose." Bela sneers happily. Viridian clenches his jaw.
"Azure can hold off our Azure and Jade. He'll have the president's guards as backup. We have to beat Bela now." He tells Silvia. Her eyes flicker in contemplation. Nothing felt right about this. But this needed to end.
"You're going to pay, Bela," Silvia growled out. Bela smiles slightly.
"If I must." He spreads his arms slightly, his smile still firmly in place. Viridian throws a set of three playing cards at Bela, and pulls out his bo staff. Danvers casts her magic sphere at Bela, hoping to encase him in a shroud of darkness. Silvia charges, blade at the ready. Bela seems to glow slightly with aura as he deflects the cards and catches Silvia's blade. He kicks her back, causing her to tumble backwards. Viridian runs forward and hits him four times in quick succession with his staff. Bela seems to barely register it before swinging around, back handing Viridian. Silvia stumbles as she recovers, only to see Viridian fly past her and into the wall. She grits her teeth. She loads a fire crystal into her sword and summons a fire circle around Bela, Danvers, and herself.
"Fire, my dear? Interesting." He shouts and slams his foot on the floor and it cracks under the force of it. Her eyes narrow.
"Bring it." She charges at him, slashing upwards. Fury fills her eyes. He rears back full force and punches straight into her strike. She grunts, trying to hold his position. As she does so, Danvers shoots a black orb at Bela, surrounding him and Silvia in darkness. Silvia activates her semblance, making Bela blind to the both of them. Viridian struggles to his feet and takes in the fire and black circle surrounding everyone. Inside it, Bela jumps and then crashes into the floor, finally causing the floor to collapse underneath his weight and forcing everyone to fall through it. Danvers creates a platform to lower herself to the ground, but Silvia has no such luck, crashing straight into the floor below. She struggles to even get up after she lands. Viridian manages to grab the edge of Danvers platform. However, Bela, who'd landed safely, grabs his foot and slams him onto the floor. Danvers launches herself off the platform, summoning a barrage of ghostly swords out of midair and sending them straight for Bela. He's forced back as them slam into him. Viridian rolls over and crawls to Silvia. Bela picks up a slab from the broken floor they'd crashed through and throws it at Danvers. She makes a silver shield to protect herself, however the impact of the blow sends her flying the rest of the distance to the ground. Silvia struggles to her hands and knees, seeing the carnage around her.
"Go invisible. Get behind him. I'll distract him." Viridian croaks.
"Y-You can't," Silvia manages with a rough cough.
"I'm pretty sure I can at least do that." Silvia watches him for a small moment before pushing herself off the ground, small grunts of pain riding her body. She uses her semblance, going invisible to only Bela. Viridian turns and looks at Bela, who was brushing off his suit. He turns and sees Viridian standing up.
"Well then. Are you ready to surrender?"
"Never! Mostly because I don't know what that word means. I'll look it up later, tell you what I find" Viridian says joking, sweat rolling down his neck.
"Distraction, uh?" He turns around and activates his semblance, sending out a pulse. Everyone else is blasted backwards, Silvia just manages to hold on by stabbing her sword into the ground. Viridian and Danvers aren't so fortunate and they both crash into walls behind them, with Viridian hitting the ground, unconscious. Bela looks around not seeing Silvia, so instead charges Danvers full tilt. Danvers struggles to her feet and launches dark orbs at him in hopes of surrounding him in unseeable darkness. He just charges straight ahead without looking, just nicking her shoulder with enough force to throw her backwards. Bela stops running and finding he still can't see perfectly he starts picking up ruble and throwing it randomly around. Danvers rolls on the ground, landing nearly unconscious as well. Only when Bela runs out of rubble does Silvia appear, her blade at his throat. Fire from her sword trickles against his skin, illuminating the fury in her eyes.
"Checkmate." Silvia growls.
"You think so? Look around you. If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." Bela smirks.
"What are you talking about?" She asks through gritted teeth. The grip on her blade tightens.
"You're the only one standing. Elsewhere, people you attempted to save and help are dead or dying. And we both know my aura hasn't been depleted enough that your blade kills me. Not yet." Silvia couldn't believe she was thinking this, but Bela is right. The two Azures were fighting, and something told her one of them wouldn't make it out alive.
"He'll make it out okay," she forces herself to say. "Our Azure is strong."
"But what about the other one? Hm?" She wants to reply, but stops short, her mouth agape. What would happen if Danvers' Azure died? She couldn't stand to lose either. Was one really going to die?
"You're a damn monster!" She screams.
"My dear, people aren't monsters. Only successful people and the tools they use to get where they need to go. Your Azure always has looked at himself as a monster, who can blame him given the carnage and horror he's produced. But he isn't a monster, he was a damaged kid that was turned into a tool by my brother and now me. You see, Azure really never had a choice in the matter. I'm successful and he's my tool for getting there." Smiling, he takes advantage of Silvia's shock and grabs her sword pulling it up, and he kicks her stomach. She stumbles back, her grip on her sword faltering. Silvia lets out a small growl.
"By being successful, you mean demoting humans to beings with no identity!" She screams.
"He stopped being a human when my brother got to him." He presses a button in his watch and he steps through the portal it created. It closes behind him.
"No!" She runs forward, only to skid to the floor when the portal disappears. She lets out a short yell in anger as a sting courses from her leg. She cut it in the fight.
Silence covers the room. Silvia is left the only one standing. For a few moments there isn't any movement. Finally Viridian stirs. Sitting up slightly, he coughs and falls again.
"Vir..." she stands, limping over to him. She falls next to him. "Viridian, stay with me."
"You're alive... we-we won?" he asks. She looks down, ashamed. "He got away in a portal... I-I'm sorry."
"Don't be, its my fault." He struggles to his feet. Viridian looks around at the rubble, then at the hole above them. "What do we do Silvia?" He asks. She follows his gaze to the hole in the ceiling.
"Danvers can-" She stops short. "Where's Danvers?"
"I don't know. When I passed out she was still kicking. Mostly." Silvia scans the floor until she finds an unconscious body.
"Oh no." Silvia hurries over to Danvers, her limp obvious. Viridian follows behind her.
"What happened to your leg?"
"It's probably a brush burn," she says as they walk. "I'll be fine." He gives her a look but doesn't say anything. He kneels next to Danvers and checks her pulse.
"She's alive."
"She's the only one who can do portals well. And she's unconscious." Silvia paces in small steps. "What are we going to do?"
"Can you wake her up?" She stops and kneels next to Viridian.
"I don't know. I doubt she's in a coma."
"We can't have much time." He stands and growls. He takes in Danvers gritting his teeth. "You'll have to do it. It's the only way."
"What if I mess up? I started this whole mess with the spell. I can't risk that."
"You started it and I made it worse. We have to fix our mistakes. If we'd just gone back instead of fighting him, we wouldn't be in this mess. Silvia, I lost the game, but I don't want you to lose our friends as well. You have to try." Silvia met Viridian's eyes, and suddenly her features softened. A small smile appeared on her face.
"That's the Viridian I know."
"There it is! Come on now. Let's hope to." Silvia nods and turns away from him.
"Stand back." She extends her arms and starts to chant the words of the spell, the blue portal opening up in front of her. She grits her teeth as she says the last few words, the portal forcing some energy out of her to open. He kneels down and lifts Danvers up. When the portal is open he gives Silvia a nod and steps through it. Silvia quickly grabs her sword from the floor before stepping through after Viridian, the portal closing off behind her.
They stand at the entrance of the safe house they'd left Azure guarding the President. The door had been knocked off the hinges. Two of the guards lay dead in the doorway. Silvia gasps at the scene. Were they too late?
"Get her somewhere safe," she tells Viridian. "I'm going in."
"You can't go in alone. Wait for me." Viridian says.
"And leave her alone when she's can't defend herself?"
"Silvia, you're hurt and everyone's inside. She'll be fine. I'll hide her. I'll be back. Don't. Move." He firmly tells her. He turns and quickly carries Danvers away. Silvia waits until he is out of view to scout the doorway. "Does he really think I'm not going to move?" She mutters to herself as she checks the pulse of the guards, nothing. Azure and Jade had been here. She looks inside, the darkness tempting her to explore its mysteries.
Viridian sets Danvers down panting heavily. She wasn't heavy, but that fight had drained him excessively. He glances back at where he'd left Silvia. She was most likely headed inside already. Hopefully the death and carnage would slow her down, give him enough time to get to the back entrance. They'd left ten guards not including Azure. They'd all be dead by now. He quickly starts running towards the rear of the house.
Silvia walks inside slowly, summoning a ball of light to guide her way. She winces as she sees the path of death leading the way towards the back rooms. She lets her light fade as another light source comes into view. She sticks to the walls, her hand on her claymore. Farther inside, a crash can be heard and then a scream. An explosion, and then silence. Suddenly the pipes in the house explode sending water everywhere. Silvia yanks the sword out of its hilt and activates her semblance. If there was a fight, she didn't want them to see her right away. One of the Azure's jumps through the hall using the walls to stay above it. He lands not far from it and uses his semblance to create a glowing blue shield that separates the water around him. Another Azure appears from the water and the two of them engage in a fight. It's very clear that the one who'd made the shield was the better fighter. Silvia narrows her eyes. That shield was all too familiar to her. That was her Azure. Relief spread through her at finally finding him. But at what cost? The two of the slash and stab quickly, avoiding each others blades or kicks as the hallway around them gets destroyed.
As the two fight the other Azure gets pushed back down the hall from the direction they'd come. At the end of the hall, some screams can be heard accompanied by laughter. Silvia rushes in past them, needing to know what's going on. Inside the room Bela's voice can be heard speaking.
"I hate to take you away from your food, Jade, but finish it. We need to leave. That goes for you as well, Azure." Her head pops up at Bela's voice. So this was where he had portaled to. She blocks the entrance before revealing herself, her sword ablaze. "You're not escaping me again, Bela." Behind her both Azures stop and in unison say:
"Silvia?"
"Surprise." She gives a small raise of her eyebrows. Bela sighs slightly.
"Jade, Azure, handle her."
"Letting your lackeys do the work for you, Bela?" She smirks. "I thought you were stronger than that. Guess I'm wrong." He chuckles slightly at her taunts.
"There's no need to fight myself." He grabs the whimpering President and goes out the back exit. Silvia's smirk fades as she bursts towards the exit, trying to stop Bela before it was too late. Jade grabs her shirt collar and throws her back laughing. The two Azures were fighting each other in the hall again.
"Hehe. Why would you run from me, my love?" Jade taunts.
"Clearly cause our 'love' is nonexistent," she replies with a disgusted growl.
"Sure it is sweetie."
"Now let go of me, and maybe I'll go easy on you."
"Please go easy!" He cackles tossing her away and drawing a rapier. He stands sideways, his sword held loosely in front of him, smirking. Silvia skids to a stop. She draws her sword in, taking its hilt in both her hands.
"Come at me, Copycat."
"Heh." Jade moves quickly stabbing at her neck. Taken off guard by his speed, she raises the blade up to block it, barely able to get it up in time. She pushes him off and swings at him. He spins back and holds his sword behind him. There's a pause where no one moves, then he dashes forward, stabbing at her sword hand. She dodges in time, slashing with a downward force. He blocks and using quick slashes with his rapier, redirects her sword away from him and cuts her side. She lets out a short yell as she feels the warm blood dripping out of the gash in her side. She bites down on the yell as she spins in the direction Jade redirected her and slashes that way.
Outside Viridian kneels behind a tree looking at Bela. He'd arrived just as Bela had snapped the President's neck. Viridian checked his cards, he definitely couldn't beat Bela by himself. He doubted he three of them could still do it. But maybe Azure could. Checking his cards again he nods. He would weaken Bela as much as he could. Peeking out from behind the tree he starts throwing cards into Bela (specially charged by his semblance). They explode against him and Bela stumbles slightly. Spinning around he looks for the target. Viridian jumps to a new tree and throws a few more. This time Bela catches one and sees what it is before it explodes in his face.
"Viridian!" He shouts. Turning slowly in a circle looking for him, more cards fly from the trees and explode against his skin, the only thing protecting him his massive aura.
Jade nocks aside her sword and kicks into the hallway. Silvia turns, she'd reentered the hallway where the Azures are fighting. Her's had the other one pinned to the wall. Jade walks slowly forward.
"Not looking to positive." Jade laughs.
"Azure!" She calls out over the roar of the explosion. If she couldn't beat Jade, maybe she could make Azure see reason. They both turn their heads to look at Silvia. Bela is heard calling for Jade, who stops and turns running out the back instead. What the hell was going on outside? Her eyes flicker between the door and the two Azures. Who should she go after? Azure throws a knife at her feet and turns his attention back to his target. He grabs another knife and raises it to slash his neck. In that moment Silvia decides what she would do. She stands her ground, knowing too well about Azure's exploding knives.
"Azure don't!" She pleads with him.
"I have to." He mutters.
"Honestly I feel like you don't have to." The other Azure says, a forced smile in place.
"No. I do."
"I know what Bela showed you, Azure," she says, hiding her fear. "He tortured their version of me. But we saved her. She's okay." Azure hesitates as more explosions can be heard from outside.
"She's safe?" Azure asks slowly. Silvia nods.
"We have her somewhere they can't get her. You don't have to fight for him anymore." He slowly backs up letting the other Azure drop to the ground.
"Thank god." Azure says, sighing in relief.
Bela knocks over the tree Viridian was in, he's forced to jump out of it. Rolling away from the tree, Viridian stands uneasily and pulls out his bo staff. Jade walks up behind him. Raising his sword, he stabs it Viridian, whos able to block it by spinning his staff. Backing up, Viridian tries to put distance between Jade and himself. Jade approaches slowly, making small jabs at Viridian. Viridian blocks each of these, but knowing it's only a matter of time, he hits away Jade's blade and kicks at his stomach. Jade jumps backwards, avoiding the foot. Viridian turns tail and runs into the trees, followed closely by Jade. He tosses cards over his shoulder, but Jade avoided each one. Viridian jumps into the trees and starts heading back towards the house. He jumps into the clearing, spraying as many cards as he can into the trees. They all explode, blowing apart countless trees and flinging Viridian towards Bela. Bella smiles and backhands Viridian away. He bounces a few times, his bo staff a few feet away from him. He turns to pick it up but Jade is standing there smiling.
"Alright, let get going." Azure says.
"Good idea." Silvia nods in agreement.
"Where's Viridian? Wasn't he with you?" He asks and she goes to speak but another explosion rattles the windows and the house they are in.
"I think that's him."
"Naturally." He sighs. Turning he looks at the other Azure. "Sorry man." He helps him up.
"No problem. How are we telling the difference? Should I go by my last name like Danvers?"
"Sure. Požar." Azure says with a smile. He leads the three of them out the back door. They are met by Bela standing with his arms behind his back, the president laying on the ground with a broken neck, and Jade stabbing Viridian through the right shoulder.
"Viridian!" Azure shouts.
Silvia stands speechless for a few moments, flashbacks of all the people she's lost fly through her mind. She runs forward in a blind fury, sword lit like an inferno. Požar follows her quickly. Jade deflects her first blow and kicks her cut. Then he stops Požar's knife with a glowing green shield, and stabs at his neck. Požar dodges it and kicks at him, however Jade spins out of the way. Silvia sends pillars of fire at Jade, the glow from the fire sparking something completely unreadable in her eyes.
"Oi!" Jade shouts backing up. Požar charges forward, punching at his face. Jade ducks and dodges backward from each successive punch or kick until he bumps into a tree.
"Oh deary. Cornered?" Požar laughs. Silvia sees the opportunity. She charges forward, the flicker of the flames dying down as the sword reaches for Jade's stomach. Jade smirks as Požar moves out of her way. He locks eyes with her and using his quick strikes, redirects her sword towards Požar, who's eyes widen in surprise. She can't move it enough it goes through his stomach, he gasps in pain. Jade laughs loudly and raises his sword again, but before he can do anything more, a knife flies through the air and sinks into his forehead. Azure is standing next to Viridian, his arm outstretched. Silvia pulls her sword out immediately, throwing it to the ground.
"Požar," she manages, her voice shaking. He blinks a few times, looking down at his stomach.
"Um. Ouch."
"Y-You're gonna be okay. We'll get you help." She says aloud, trying to convince herself this wasn't real.
"My dear. He is not alright at all. None of you are. I see that other girl isn't even here! You've lost at least two more. Care for the rest." Bela taunts. Azure steps forward.
"Silvia get them out of here. Do what you can. Come back when you can." Silvia turns to look at him.
"I just got you back. I'm not going to lose you again."
"This time Silvia, there's no tricks. You three fought him already, right? He's weak." He turns his full attention to Bela. "Don't worry I'll be fine."
For the first time, Silvia actually believes the words that come from his mouth. After all they had been through, and it took her this long to have that feeling. She shifts her gaze from Azure to Bela, knowing that Azure had the strength to beat him.
"I trust you," she says with as much confidence as she could muster. She goes over to help Viridian and Požar up off the ground.
Azure walks slowly until he's in front of Bela. The two stare at each other from across the backyard, a slight fire burning in the trees where Viridian had blown them apart.
"Well then, Azure, looks like it's just us. No more tricks to make. Still think you can beat me? I heard what happened with my brother. Do you want a repeat of that?" Bela taunts.
"That was four years ago. Plus you're weak. Silvia and Viridian fought you already." Azure shoots back.
"Please. Do you think I'd stay here if I thought I would lose?"
"Just because you think you can't die doesn't mean you actually can't."
"Same goes for you kid."
"I know I can die." Azure looks straight into Bela's eyes. "I've met death. It's about time I introduce the two of you!" With that last shout Azure charges, aiming and firing off several rounds. Bela summons his aura and deflects the shots. When Azure reaches him, he swings downward from over head. Azure blocks it with his blade, his feet sink a few inches into the ground. Grunting and pushing up, Azure kicks Bela's chest, barely flinching he grabs his leg and throws him into a tree. Grunting and standing up, Azure looks over and sees Bela's fist coming at his head. Azure spins out of the way and slashes at the back of his leg. Bela grunts slightly and backhands Azure away. Spinning through the air, Azure manages to get his blade in the ground and stop his momentum. He stands straight and pulls his sword out of the ground.
"So Bela, why haven't you finished me yet, uh?" Azure says smirking. Bela doesn't respond and charges instead. Azure holsters his gun and flips away and onto the house's roof. He pulls out a knife and throws it into Bela's shoulder, who shouts and pulls it out. He raises it throw it back at Azure when another knife hits it and they both explode in his face. Bela stumbles back and screams out in pain. Azure jumps down and axe kicks Bela's head. He falls face first into the ground, Azure rolling past him. Azure quickly turns and gets behind him, pulling out one last knife. He pulls Bela into a choke hold, knife pressed against his neck.
"Wait don't!" Bela shouts trying to activate his semblance.
"Ha! Don't even try. You're to weak to pull it off. It's pathetic, you know, struggling like this."
"I don't want to die! Please don't! Have mercy!"
"Good. I'm glad you don't want to die. It makes this sweeter. Weapons don't have mercy remember?" Azure whispers, Bela tries to get up but Azure slurs his throat first. Blood oozes out as he drops the body to floor. Standing, Azure takes in the large man. He bends down and searches his pockets finding a piece of paper. Looking at he smiles and puts it in own pocket. Azure turns away and walks in the direction Silvia and run off in. After a few minutes he comes up on them. She has Viridian and Danvers banged and leaning against trees. Pozar however is laying flat on his back, eyes closed. Silvia has her hands over his wound and is muttering a healing spell, tears running down her cheeks.
"He's gone Silvia." Azure says quietly.
"But-but he can't be!"
"He is, let's go home. We can bury him there."
"You can't die though!" She screams. Azure clenches his jaw tightly and kneels next to her.
"He's not me, Silvia."
"But he is! He's you from a different world and he's dead! If he can die so easily, so can you!"
"I can die that easily, we all can. Silvia, death hurts us all, but we can't let it stop us. In the future we just try harder to save them. We'll save them all, I'll save them all. So let's go home." Silvia looks into Azure's eyes and after a few seconds hesitation, nods in agreement.
Authors note: This is the second to last chapter! Which means we're almost there. If you've read this hole story thank you! It means a lot to everyone involved. There's always more to come in my other story. Please enjoy.