Chapter Thirty Nine

I always seem to put everything into the last chapter quite quickly, so apologize its long. I did my best to proof it, but honestly my eyes are tired from everything at work. So this'll just have to do! XD Anyways, still writing the epilogue! Also any ideas for the how things might work during Civil War coming out would be appreciated, although obviously with things we already know. Thank you so much for all your input Ooakmi princess, and I promise to use the research you gave me for what I have planned next. XD

The sun was beginning to set on the empty city, it was low in the dreary afternoon. White Blaze roared as he stood atop what used to be a very busy Daily Bugle building. He sniffed the air, smelling the tension and the darkness within its chilly howl. He heard a strange sound within that breeze and turned his attention downwards. He saw a small blonde woman walking through the streets and he decided to jump down from the sky scraper by carefully bouncing across roofs and down fire escapes til he reached the pavement. He saw she was carrying the golden staff as he approached.

Felicia nearly jumped out of her shoes when she turned and saw the beast that had been following her for a block. She gulped, "nice, kitty."

"He won't hurt you," said a male voice from an alley way.

Felicia recognized the dark haired man from Junko's party. Wasn't he the body guard of some sort? She didn't remember, but she knew that he wore one of those terrible armors that the others wore. She backed up and fell on her butt with a squeak. White Blaze purred softly as he walked close to her and licked her cheek. She squeaked again and then noticed the big cat sit next to her like an overgrown mastiff. She asked as the man came over and gave her a hand up, "is he yours?"

"White Blaze? No, he's his own creature," Ryo said reaching out to scratch the cat but the beast only growled, "fine, be that way, you stubborn old cat."

She looked at the beast who purred against her leg, "he seems tame enough."

"Tame is a matter of opinion," Ryo said as the cat growled at him, snapping at his fingers again. "He seems to like you enough to be called that. You're Miss Hardy, right?"

She nodded, "yeah...you were there with Kayura, right?"

He nodded, "what are you doing here?"

"I think this belongs to her," she said holding the staff out and it chimed like a million bells in the air.

He nodded, "it is. She's not far behind, I was just scouting ahead to see if Allistair was waiting at the door."

"He's not," she said meekly and looked up the monumental thing that stood high above the city.

"You've been out here all day," he asked and she nodded, her blonde waves bouncing as she did so. He decided that it wasn't the safest place for the young woman to be and he moved to scoop her up without permission.

She yelped as the man in the red and silver sub armor picked her off of her feet before she could decline. He jumped to the top of the building, and she saw White Blaze following after them in a blur of white and black. She pushed him away as he landed, "I can take care of myself."

"I don't think that's the case," Kayura said with a smile as she stood in front of her.

Felicia found the woman gorgeous beyond words before the incident at the party, but in the armor she looked like a god. She gulped and held out the staff, "for you..."

Kayura smiled as she saw the others catching up, "you hang onto it. Seems it was fated to fall into your hands."

She smirked and then saw Captain America land on the roof behind them first, her cheeks turned scarlet and she heard White Blaze snarl. She stuck out her tongue at the cat and then asked, "is...miss Hoshi okay?"

Kayura looked at Steve who shrugged as if he didn't know how to answer that question. Ryo decided to answer it, "she walks fine now if that's what you mean."

Kayura glared at the man as Sage jumped over with the warlords. Dais said, "looks like Talpa has gotten her claws into Kongo. I'm not surprised."

Kayura shot a look at him, "it doesn't help that you treat him like he was the problem."

"He was," Sage argued.

Cye climbed up the fire escape quietly, "can we not go over this now. We can save his ass later, like we always do."

"Where did Raleigh go," asked Kayura.

He shook his head, "said something was bothering her. Usually means that another armor is about to appear."

"Another," asked Steve.

"Yeah," Cye said and Steve realized the man was concerned for his wife. Unlike, Hoshi or even Kay for that matter, the two didn't seem to keen on making their relationship obvious. Had he not known them for a period of time, he would have said that they were colleagues more than a couple. "She hopes it'll be of some help."

"Can't rely on it," Kale grumbled.

Sekh rattled at the blonde woman with the staff, "you are a lot more clever than you let on."

Felicia squeeked and Kayura shoved the man away, "you try anything Sekh, I'll cut you open."

"That's the Kay I remember," he rattled with delight then nudged Steve. "You get all the tension out..."

Steve just quietly looked at the man but didn't respond. Sekh pouted as he followed after Kay. Sage sighed, "you aren't ever going to get an answer out of him like that."

Felicia saw Hoshi walking down the street with Kento following behind her. They were heading towards the door that stood high above the city. She asked, "you didn't answer my question, is Miss Hoshi okay?"

Kayura placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "you should be there for Junko after all of this. Blaze, get her out of here."

"Wait," she complained as the cat knocked her feet from under so that she would fall on his back. The tiger shifted and she yelped as he took off with her.

"Shouldn't you have kept her around at least for the staff," asked Dais.

"Yeah, you've been looking for it, for like forever," Ryo added.

She glanced at Steve remembering the dream she had days ago and hoping it wasn't really a premonition. Although, there were parts that she hoped were true, there were parts that she hoped would come to pruition. She said, "it doesn't seem to like me anymore...Perhaps, my actions as a merc mark me unworthy."

Steve saw Dais scowl quietly with Kale and Sekh look away. Cye sighed as he looked over at the woman walking slowly with Kento, "I don't think we should let him keep thinking we blame him for something."

Ryo snarled, "he did kind of abandon her..."

"It was kind of low," Sage added.

"Are you two in high school still," the british man continued. "He's still our comrade."

The three ronins bickered as Steve came to Kayura's side and said quietly, "you don't think Kento is really on her side?"

Kayura looked at him quietly, "honestly, I don't know anymore. He hasn't been right since..."

Steve laid a hand on her shoulder, "since?"

She glanced at Dais, "there was a time, when we did some pretty bad things to them. Even with it mostly being Badiman, they never quite get over the face that tortures them..."

Steve pulled her close, and Sage said, "can you stop flirting for a moment, Kanchou-san."

Kayura shot a look at the man and he glanced away angrily. Allistair appeared about a block away from the woman, "well...shall we?"

They made their way down to the ground below, and Kayura joined Kento's side as Allistair and Hoshi stood at opposition with each other. Kay said, "we need to talk, Kongo."

He glanced at her, "not really a good time."

She said, "it's important..."

Talpa looked back at her, "can't you see she blames herself for your actions, Kongo? Afterall, who spent days torturing you in the nether realm."

Steve saw Kayura tense up and he placed hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She had one hell of a temper and he could see that Talpa knew how to poke at it. Allistair yawned, "please, we don't have all day."

Talpa smiled at the beast that was once Allistair. She ran a hand through her hair and her armor appeared. Steve didn't know what to think of the small woman's armor, it was terrifying to the say the least. Sharp edges, and even a snarling face in the middle of the back plate. Six long blades were sheated like twisted wings on either side. Allistair said, "you didn't have to get dressed up for me."

"Oh, but theis a special occasion," she smirked as he raised a hand and Akuma appeared all around them. The warriors tensed up and she continued, "and I always appreciate my fans."

The Akuma howled and Allistair held up a hand to shush them. He then asked, "are you stalling? Or can we get on with this."

"Thought you would never ask," she said snapping her fingers and dynasty soldiers appeared between them and the Akuma. She looked up at the doors, then to Kongo, then to Kayura, "I hope you rested up well..."

Kayura grumbled something as the woman snapped her fingers again and the doors banged open with a large gust of wind. Kayura summoned her chain as the ground began to shake terrilby as if something was stepping toward them. Kayura saw out of the corner of her eye, Akuma and Dynasty soldiers lunging at each other. Out of the door stepped a gigantic armored being weaging ashen gray armor, underneath his feet were caravans of armored akuma pulling what looking like medieval trebuchet. Kayura didn't understand why everything felt like it was moving in slow motion around her as ronins broke off to fight. Steve had her back, shielding her the great beast roared, "I am Raijin, the great and powerful. I seek this world for my own!"

Talpa smiled at her as she unsheathed her sword and Allistair charged as she said, "are you going to just stand there or are you going to be the warlord I taught you to be?"

Kayura narrowed her eyes and charged Alistair, "Ko Rai Sei!"

A thousand chains hit the man at once and she charged. The battlefield errupted and she lost sight of her comrades as her ears filled with the sounds of swords and attacks. Talpa smiled at her as she headed to Raijin. The sky thundered with bolts of lightning and he laughed as he reached out to grab Kayura, "well...well...well..."

She didn't struggle, after all he could pop her like a can of food in jar. His breath smelled of dank and moldy places, "Lord Raijin, we meet again!"

He laughed brightly, which shook her to the bone, "darling little monster with armor of a demon."

"You'd be surprised what kind of demon she could be," Talpa grinned as she threw a chained up Allistair in front of his large toe. "She took him down in phase one, do you really want to see what phase two could be. Look at your Akuma, greatly outmatched by skilled warriors."

Raijin laughed and gently squeezed the armor making her yell, "you really think she'll defeat me?"

"Gan TESSAI," yelled Kento and everything shook heavily.

Raijin fell back, letting go of Kay, and she tumbled into Steve. He smiled as Kento charged at the large creature, "you have to get the swords..."

She nodded and gave a him swift peck on the cheek as he shielded her from a bow and arrow. She said, "I promise I'll be back in a flash this time."

"Good," he said as he turned to throw his his shield knocking away several smaller Akuma. It rebounded and he caught it. Kayura smiled at how heroic he looked to her before turning to charge through the gates of the Nether Realm.

The wind was cold the second she jumped through the doors. It was snowing still, and shivered in her armor. The forest was dark and the snow falling was so heavy that she couldn't see a foot in front of her. She heard a giggle in the forest, and heard Talpa say, "you really think I didn't know what your up to?"

Kayura sprinted forward, she had to get to the castle, "you really think that I would trust you to honor your word?"

She heard the giggles again before she came to the clearing that surrounded the castle and saw Talpa appear in front of her her. Talpa smiled, and Kayura wished Hoshi hadn't been so brash, "what would be more entertaining, breaking your heart or breaking his? I bet you already feel it."

Kayura felt her chest grow tight, "you don't control me anymore."

"And that's where you're wrong, I do," she hissed.

Kayura felt the ground shake and went rolling through the snow as she was hit with an attack that strong enough to split the ground. She wiped the blood from her mouth and starred up at Kento. His eyes glowed with darkness and hate. Talpa pranced over and hugged Kento's arm, "remember how she made you watch as she tried to drown Suiko."

Kayura got to her feet as kento tensed up and pulled free his tetsubo, he replied, "he turned blue, I thought we almost lost him."

"Are you going to let Talpa turn this on me," Kayura roared summoning her sickle and chain as she stood up. "Kento, you know it was Badiman! You helped Anubis free me of that curse and save my life!"

She saw his eyes flicker and Talpa whispered, "she killed your wife though. She knew of the curse and gave her the armor..."

His eyes flickered black and he charged her. She rolled out of the way of the pole weapon. She whirled the sickle and charged him, "KO RAI SEI!"

"GAN TESSAI!"

The ground quaked and split open as she deflected his attacks with her sickle. He bounced her chains away, and the locked their weapons. She hissed, "Kento, wake up!"

He pushed her back, Oni was no match for Kongo's raw strength. She jumped away summoning her chains to catch her landing. She jumped up and threw them at him as he said, "how was this any less cruel?"

She said, "our fate was never meant to be not cruel! You know the past of the armors!"

He roared jumping at her, and she was knocked flat again. She rolled through the snow as she dodged his attacks. He grabbed her hard by the breast plate and smashed her through a tree. She fell against a rock hard and he placed a knee against her chest raising his weapon high, "I'm ending this."

"Ending what? What has Talpa promised you? What makes you think what you're doing is any better than what I have done?"

He puased and shook his head, "the armors..."

"She'll eat your children, just like she ate you."

She saw his eyes become normal and heard Talpa say, "oh, bother... I knew I couldn't enchant you that way."

Kento looked back and saw Talpa summon her swords, "Kay, I'm sorry. I don't know what we're doing here..."

She winced as he helped her up, "I need to get the swords of ferver."

"Go on," he said. "I'll slow her down."

"Are you really going to fight me," the woman who looked like Hoshi asked. "You can't harm your wife."

Kento summoned his weapon and yelle as he charged, "you aren't my wife."

Kayura started heading towards the castle and burst through the doors, which were open. It was oddly quiet as she stepped in. She looked around. And took a deep breath of cold air and shivered as she walked through the castle. She had left the swords in the main court yard, lodging them in a rock before she had left. She yelled, "Rowen!"

There was no response.

She felt her side burn with pain as she entered the courtyard. Snow fell lightly as she felt the ground shake again. She hoped Kento was okay. She hoped everyone was okay. She saw the stone but saw only of the swords lodged in it and ran for it quickly. She didn't feel the blade that pierced her side and she looked back at Alistair. He ripped it free and she fell into the snow hard. She could see the white turning crimson almost instantly as the man leaned over her. He looked over the blade, "such a beautiful weapon."

She held her side feeling a burning sensation flowing through her, "Badiman."

"Raijin has Strata preoccupied in the North, he couldn't stand by and watch the Yurei be tormented by his forces," he laughed. "That is going to be your downfall, little maiden. A man with a noble heart. We'll deal with Talpa later, but you are far more dangerous."

Kay summoned her sickle and he stepped on her arm with his foot and she heard her wrist snap. She yelled out and then heard a roar. A golden blur grabbed Alistair and threw him. She looked up and saw the golden beast, "Bastet."

"Rowen is almost back," she said with a toothy smirk and helped her up. Bastet grabbed the other sword and handed it over to her as Alistair righted himself, she grabbed him and took the sword away with a deep throated growl, "Talpa is going to try and go for Lady Hikaru. Go, I'll take care of this little bastard."

Kay grabbed the other blade and managed to put it under her other arm. She panted as she made her way to the throne room. The woman was sitting quietly by her thrown, flipping through a book, how she got a book to the Nether Realm Kay would never know. She asked, "what are you still doing here?"

Lady Hikaru smiled and said, "Lady Kayura. Please, come join me."

Kayura walked over and knelt down, "we have to go."

She smiled, "you I enjoyed American authors when I lived among my own."

Kayura pursed her lips, hoping the woman understood her ugency. She grumbled, "is this really the time?"

She smiled sadly, "no but the present to enjoy things you love."

"We have to go..."

She shook her head, "I'm going to die."

"Not you too."

"It was our fate all along," she said touching her hand as Talpa burst through the door.

Kayura stood up, "back off."

"Well, isn't she pretty," Talpa grinned as Lady Hikaru stood up and held the book to her chest.

"Hello, Emperor Talpa," she said. "We meet again."

"I have no memory of our first encounter, so I can't say its a pleasure," the woman said summoning a sword. "Now, give me the Heart!"

Kayura looked at Lady Hikaru, "you're not the Heart?"

"No," she said smiling at her. "The heart of the armors, has always been someone who could move those who wore them to be better people. Hoshi was crowned as Empress because of her standing with Owari, but who gave her the armor in the first place."

Kayura looked at them, "wait..."

Talpa yawned, "the heart of the armors has always been an ancient you fool! The ancient one made the ronins, you unmade the warlords. You see what I mean?"

Kayura gulped and stammered as Lady Hikaru held out her necklace with the orb attached. She summoned an armor more gorgeous than anything Kay had ever seen before. It was dark blue with twinkling stars. Kay realized that the armor was made of the night sky itself. Her cape was long silvery feathers, and her helmet looked oddly like that of Strata. She summoned a silvery bow, "in my realm. Rowen died for me and gave me his armor. The long milleniums has only made it became a god. I searched universe after universe, looking for a heart to guide it and it settled here."

Kayura held the blades tight, "then this entire time."

"We were protecting you," said Bastet as she walked in. "Hey, Talpa, let's go again."

"Oh brother," Talpa said summoning her swords.

Lady Hikaru smiled, "you don't need the staff to be the Ancient One, Kayura."

She nodded and dashed out the throne room from the emergency door. She ran through the castle, and felt the cool air grace her skin as she managed to find a way outside through a window. She looked over the snow covered lands and felt her knees go weak feeling only cold. She realized she had been losing blood the entire time.

The snow felt good against her bleeding side. She clutched the swords tight and she breathed deeply as she heard a crunching sound. Her vision was blurry as she saw dark steps approaching her. Talpa knelt down, "oh my pretty girl. Shall I tell you a story?"

Kayura shifted and tried to pull herself along but she couldn't so she cursed and collapsed into the snow.

Talpa sat down, "once upon a time there was a great man who had a great village. He birthed babies, cured illnesses, and brought them much prosperity. He was a great man until he tampered with something. You see he found great metal that fell from the sky and created a beautiful weapon. It would ring like a thousand birds chirping, and the three gods overheard. They had been fighting for ages on Earth, and they were never scarred until they heard the sound of it. So they made me. I was to destroy the heart but he was clever and he broke me into many pieces. The grief in his heart bound him to the armors, and thus binds you."

She smirked, "nice story. Why didn't you just kill me then?"

"I was foolish to believe that I could use the heart to bring the armors back to me, and in some sense you did," he said, "only to motivate them to be their own beings. I like seeing you suffer. Is that wrong of me?"

"Shin Ku Ha!"

Kayura winced a golden light hit Talpa and she looked up to see Junko running to her, "Aunty!"

"Jun, get out of her," she said as the woman helped her up.

"Not bad, kid," said Maria as she walked through the snow. She was wearing a large parka and her cheeks were bright red from the cold. Seito was holding his bow strong and bold, "next time, aim for the legs."

Talpa stood up, the attack had almost missed and struck only her legs. Kayura heard the familiar rockets of the iron man armor, and the sudden loud zap it made knocking Talpa back again. He landed next to them, "you really think that we were going to let you guys have all the fun?"

Kayura smiled as she panted heavily, she could see other shapes appearing in the thick falling snow. She saw Sage appear first, he was running and he slid next to her. This time she didn't complain as he placed his hands on her wounds. The next was Steve and Ryo. Steve helped her up as she handed the blades to Ryo who smiled as he locked them together. Soon Cye, then Raleigh, then the warlords appeared with Kento who was limping.

Steve smiled at her, "can't keep a good ronin down I guess."

Kayura nodded as she felt her wounds closed, "thank you, Sage."

Talpa smiled, "but you forget, this is my dynasty!"

The ground shook as millions of dynasty soldiers appeared. Ryo smirked, "yeah, but we've whooped you before."

Kayura nodded, "with less people too."

"Are you guys going to stop talking and armor up," Tony said holding up his repulsars. "Cuz honestly, I don't think I do much damage."

Kayura smiled at Ryo, "well, let's show these Avengers what really can do."

Steve backed off as the two summoned the inferno armors. He could feel the immense heat and saw the warlords and ronins had disappeared. Raleigh smiled as she knelt down to Junko and handed her an orb, "your mother would want this."

"The owari," the girl asked and the red head nodded.

The second her hand touched the orb, she appeared in the dark armor. Talpa snickered as she yelled for the dynasty to attack. Steve used his shield to block weapons from harming Maria while Tony did the same for Raleigh. Kayura and Ryo charged Talpa who summoned her swords. Their blades clashing in an eloquent dance of sparks and flames. Ryo and Kayura jumped up with their weapons, "flare up now!"

Talpa went rolling and Junko smiled, "you are not my mom. Sorry, I have to do this!"

The young woman touched the armor and it vanished leaving the woman sitting there in the snow. She was bleeding and broken, "fine, kill this body. It's already dead...my spirit still lives on..."

"I'm sorry, Talpa, but no," said a male voice from the snow.

Ryo looked over, "Rowen?"

"Sorry, bro," he laughed as walked past. "Had to deal with some very irritated dead spirits."

"How are you..."

"The Yomi, remember," he grinned. "Guess, I was the bearer afterall."

"Papa," Junko cried as she hugged him.

He laughed as pushed her back gently, "careful, pumpkin, you'll take my armor too. Kay, thank you for guiding us one last time."

She smirked as he knelt down to the bleeding woman who cursed, "what, you can't kill me on your own."

"No, but I can bring back my wife," he smirked as he reached out to touch her forehead. "Don't you know the story of Izanagi coming back from the dead?"

Talpa's eyes turned from black to blue almost instantly and she smiled, "what took you so long."

"Got stuck dealing with dead people," he grinned as he hugged the crying woman.

Kayura smiled as she felt the black inferno break its hold and she collapsed into Steve's arms.