Disclaimer: I don't own any of Claymore.

Chapter 4: Fateful Meeting

Both a leg and an arm, Deneve had regenerated both quickly. Another time period passed as this time Lloyd had trained Cynthia, Deneve and Helen. Cynthia sat down next to Lloyd as the two of them watched the best friends fight. As much as Helen could cut, Deneve continued to regenerate. It was day five of Deneve's training. For the past two and a half weeks, the scientist trained each one individually. However, she wanted each one of them to develop their skills to beyond their expectations. This time, it was Helen's job to continue to cut the former #15's body up as much as she could. This would show how long the warrior would be able to regenerate within a certain time. By now, her left arm had been cut three times entirely, both her legs, one time each and a cut down her chest. All within 15 minutes, Deneve was able to do. Helen was ready to deliver another blow until she heard,

"Stop."

Her sword just inches away from impaling the opponent's kidney.

"Deneve I am so, so proud of you! (A/N: This seems like OOC even though it's my own character…) Before you struggled just regenerating your stomach, this is a great improvement," she complimented.

"I'm tired of this, I need to get stronger. Regeneration takes up too much of my power to begin with."

Lloyd's eyes dawned down at her, "I was wondering when you'd say that." She collided her sword with Deneve's as Helen moved out of the way. Deneve barely saw Lloyd's arm move but she had aimed for her shoulder, which again Deneve blocked. It resulted in a loud, piercing 'clang' that made Cynthia and Helen cover their ears. Exactly three more sword exchanges until Lloyd got serious. A slice down Deneve's right shoulder: blocked. Another across her upper right arm: blocked. That's when she closed her eyes and began to fight. Every possible direction she attacked and when Deneve thought that she had the chance to attack, she went for it and fell into Lloyd's trap.

"Lloyd-san stop!" Cynthia yelled out.

Lloyd stopped and looked at Cynthia while Deneve kicked Lloyd in the stomach, causing her to cough out blood then finished it by sticking both of her swords by the scientist's head once she had fallen to the ground.

"Che, I've become so sloppy now," Deneve complained to herself.

"Damnit Cynthia, what'd you do that for?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm not as good as Tabitha… but I can feel a small amount of yoki coming north of here. Even though it's small I feel terrified of it. It's like it's an abyssal one. I'm sure if you looked for it, you could feel the same."

Besides Cynthia, the other three concentrated on finding the yoki. Once they had, they immediately opened their eyes as Helen stuttered out,

"O-oye Deneve…"

"It's her isn't it."

"So I'm not the only one?"

"Priscilla…" they said simultaneously.

…

…'I smell blood… I'm in the mood for some guts right now.'

…

"Priscilla? No, she can't be here! We have to get as far away from here as we can. The instant we meet her, we'll be dead," Deneve told the others.

…'I can feel yoki… warriors, out here? At the least they'll be a blood shower.' Priscilla quickened the speed at which she was going at, knowing the four warriors were trying their best at getting away. Of course, their speed had not matched the beast's and in a matter of minutes, she had caught up. Deneve and Helen stopped as they shuddered in fear. They turned around to find Priscilla behind them. A third encounter was just too much. (A/N: In the anime, Helen, Deneve, Clare, Miria, and Raki had met Priscilla for the first time (of course it was Clare's second) up in the North at Pieta. It was not included in the manga). At least not until they had gotten stronger. In both their minds they thought, 'There's no way we can survive a third time.' None of the warriors had a clue what to do, not even Lloyd. She had never face an abyssal one nor anything near the strength of Priscilla's. She did think of what she would do if something like this was going to happen but right now she could only freeze in fear.

"Now then who's first to die?" Priscilla asked.

At lightening fast speed Priscilla approached in front of Cynthia.

"Cynthia!" Helen cried out.

The beast planned to slice the Claymore in half horizontally but fortunately Deneve had stepped in front of Cynthia and cut Priscilla's hand off in time. Instanteously she regenerated her hand and stroke through Deneve's and Cynthia's stomach at the same time. It made her fall back onto Cynthia. The two fell onto the floor. Deneve struggled to get up at the same time as regenerating while the other warrior remained the floor. Lloyd crushed her glasses as she snuck up from behind and tried to slash off one of Priscilla's wing. She wasn't going to let her get away. If Lloyd could manage to capture, immobilize, anything similar to that, so she could research on the currently, most powerful yoma on this universe, then she could dare to imagine several other experiments that she could conduct. Priscilla, at the last moment, moved out of the way. Because of Lloyd's outfit, yoki couldn't escape and so Priscilla couldn't predict before hand of what was going to happen.

"Helen don't just stand there," Deneve paused to cough a few times. "Attack her. We can't die here… but we can't escape either." That last part the warrior had told herself, wondering what she could do, if anything.

Priscilla flew up in the air to gain some space between the warriors and itself. Lloyd jumped up, following her. Priscilla smacked the sword out of Lloyd's hand. In order to protect her, Helen extended her arm which caused Priscila to pull back from her planned attack. She landed on the floor and took a look around.

One was too afraid to fight. The other attempted to wound her but it didn't seem if she had the killing intent. The other were laying hopelessly on the ground regenerating. Deneve was too weak from training before to attack and out the four, she had seemed to be the strongest. Priscilla decided to end it in one blow. Her wings stretched out as far as they could as the vine-like features came out, attacking the four from every direction. She had only delayed the inevitable.

Miria, Clare, and Tabitha were not aware of what was happening to the other four. Tabitha then sensed the yoki that flowed out of Priscilla quickly. She couldn't determine whether if it was something to worry about or not but either way she told Miria of it.

"There's some yoki around where the others should be Miria, should we worry?"

Before Miria was able to answer, the sakura petal sealed in the glass Lloyd had given her had shattered. It was a sudden thing, not something that Miria had done purposely. Worried, Miria ordered to cancel the hunt for Priscilla and return to the others.

"T-they're dead…" Lloyd whispered.

She bent down to Cynthia who struggled to breathe due to the many wounds Priscilla had left on her. Lloyd checked on Deneve and Helen as well and found them in the same condition. She popped energy suppressors in their mouths while she tried to remember what exactly happened.

They were attacked by Priscilla. Then after Priscilla attacked Deneve and Cynthia, we were all laying on the floor with several wounds soon after. Thinking we were dead, Priscilla had left. I knew if I didn't do something we would all die. It would take at least an hour… damn if only I could get up. My body was full of holes from Priscilla's attack; I would turn into jello if I even attempted to stand. Inside my brown box, I went into the bottom compartment, hidden from the outside and there laid organ replacers. I knew this would come in handy sooner or later. They were small chips that once I placed in the center of my wounds, they should begin growing veins outwards and start connecting to my body. I placed them in all the areas that Priscilla had struck her filthy yoma tentacles all the way through. After a few moments the cells had quickly grown, returning my body into normal state and I was able to get up.

Before popping in an energy suppressor for herself, she sensed Miria was coming. This was really going to look bad. She got rid of the medicine and hid the box. Then she began acting depressed once the remaining three had came back. Taking a look around, taicho saw the dead bodies on the floor her face turned horrified. She dropped her sword that she held in her hand as her knees collapsed to the floor. Taking a look down at Helen, she faintly said,

"Helen… before it was Yuma… now this…" Miria's tone changed, "Explain to me this instant what happened here! You were supposed to be training them Lloyd!"

She lifted her hand about to push her glasses up, but then realized that she no longer had them. Then gave a deep stare into Miria's eyes.

"Priscilla," was all she said.

Clare released her energy, shocking everyone. She released just enough to make the veins pop out of her body. "Tell me where she went," she demanded. Miria remember what had happened before and she wasn't letting her go wild this time. As Clare took her steps closer to Lloyd Miria quickly rose and used her hand to stop her. Just the look of Miria's eyes made Clare lower her energy. Miria used her phantom move to flash to Lloyd side and instantly attack her. Lloyd leaned against a rock. Only her arm had moved her sword to protect her from Miria's attack. "Che," Miria said with discomfort. Again she phantom'ed and attacked. Lloyd had solely moved her arm again. It was as if she was playing a game with Miria.

"St-"

"Stop playing games with you?" Lloyd was messing with Miria. She smirked while Miria glared. She had taken the words right out of taicho's mouth. Captain had attacked again, and again. And again.

"I'm-"

"What, serious? Well so am I. Failed subjects are never good you know?"

Miria's eyes widened at anger from Lloyd. She didn't know that the scientist was purposely doing this. But for what reason? Miria released her energy and clashed swords with Lloyd from up top. She pushed down with pressure making Lloyd stand and be pushed back. Releasing some of her own energy, Lloyd forced Miria back. She ended back where Clare and Tabitha had watched. Tabitha grabbed onto taicho's shoulder where she turned around and sliced off her wrist.

"M-miria?" she asked.

Tabitha quickly got her hand and reattached it before the wound closed up. Miria had not even apologized for the accident. It's as if she knew something like that would happen and would care less. Her eyes were full of killing intent. This was very unlikely of Miria to act like. Clare tried to pull her back, "Miria! You said you would not kill another warrior once you declared revenge on the organization!"

"I don't intend on killing her…" Miria firmly, but softly said. "I'm going to slice her up until she feels the pain in my heart after killing half our group."

She sped forward and slashed across Lloyd's stomach. Not too deep but a long wound.

"Miria!" Clare yelled out.

Lloyd ran for the bodies, running away from Miria. Before Miria would catch up, she placed them behind a boulder. Then she began running even further away. She thought, "With the energy suppressor's not even Tabitha can sense any life in them. For now they'll have to endure the pain. I'll have to immobilize captain…" A few seconds later she stopped, turned around and found Miria not too far behind.

"You can't run from me Lloyd."

"Yeah, yeah, Phantom Miria."

Just then Clare and Tabitha had caught up. Tabitha went to Miria, trying to stop her but then Clare had ran past them, worrying the other two. "We'll settle this later," Miria said as she dashed off with Tabitha not far behind. Now they had been chasing after Clare instead of Miria.

...

Clare's POV

...

I can feel it.

I can definitely feel it.

I began to run at an even faster pace.

Today's the day. I can feel the blood boiling inside of me. The instant I feel her yoki my mind goes beserk. My whole purpose in life and as a Claymore is the death of Priscilla.

Today will be the day!

Inside of me I can feel the elements fusing… it's getting me excited for this very moment. I could feel Miria and Tabitha nearby. The more I ran the more I could feel Priscilla's yoki and the more I felt it, the more I released my energy. Then I saw a glimpse of those wings. The wings that belonged to the horrid monster. I slowed down my speed, then completely stopped as she made a quick turn and looked at me with wide eyes. If it was going to happen like before, then I knew I could distract her in fear of Teresa's yoki inside of me.

"Priscilla," I said as I held my Claymore in my left hand firmly, it made wind whip out blowing the leaves violently. The both of our hairs followed.

"Teresa?" she called out. Seemed her mind still was frozen before her awakening. "You seem different…" The terrifying image of Teresa's head being sliced off made me suddenly shiver in fear. "I could've swore I killed you before…" She came at me with such force with a Claymore of her own, pushing me back and creating a pile of dirt behind my feet. "No matter, I'll kill you once more," Priscilla told me as she pushed me back.

Wasn't that Deneve's symbol on the sword she held? What was she doing with her sword! This was definitely unacceptable. I switched to my right hand and emitted fire into the sword while swinging it outward.

"Ho- that's something new," she said with interest.

I didn't both replying. My mind was focused on one thing: to kill that beast. I morphed the fire into a beast that lead the way. I dashed up to her, released the fire, grabbed onto my sword with my left hand and made a lance with the wind element. She stood there as she blocked it with Deneve's sword. The both of us noticed that a tiny piece of the Claymore in Priscilla's hand had broken off. Priscilla took quick action to it. It surprised her but she had no time to analyze it. She released more energy and flown into the air. She then created a shower of needle-like blades that would've injured me severely if they had hit me. I awakened my arms, combating each and every one of the blades coming towards me. I then awakened my legs to swiftly and at lightening speed disappeared. Once I escaped to the other side she flew at me with the never ending blades.

Then I tried making my life easier for once.

Gripping onto my sword with my left hand I created a wind with such intensity that the blades switched directions and aimed at Priscilla herself. She avoided by running to my side but I had only just shifted the wind to follow her. Her tentacles sprung out of her wings, taking the wounds but wiping away the blades. We then ran to each other clashing our swords at least several hundreds of times. I felt Miria's yoki nearby, coming toward me at rapid speed and never stopped. Then I felt her use her phantom to get between the beast and I. I change to a normal quick sword avoiding Miria for those few split seconds as she made a slash at Priscilla's chest and she received an attack across her face. The moment I felt it, I pulled her back and away from Priscilla. The monster quickly regenerated as Miria did the same.

"Clare don't hold back," she told me. I replied back to her with a nod.

"Don't lose your humanity either," she added as she phantom'ed to Priscilla's back.

Priscilla showed no effort to block by simply kicking backwards and using Miria as a boost to shoot forward to me. I quickly whipped up a fire storm by holding my sword with both hands. Then I launched forward as well.

We sped past each other.

No, that wasn't all. With my awakened legs it was barely enough to stay at the same speed as her. She had sliced off my left arm and I had hardly scratched at her horn. That of course she simply regenerated. Once I stuck my sword into the ground to slow down my speed as well as make a complete U-turn, I ran for my arm only five feet away from me. Quickly I tried reattaching it but flames bursted out of my arm when I tried to.

"What the…" I started to say until my arm incinerated in the heat.

Before I got to wonder what was going on I felt Priscilla's yoki shift, and once I looked up I saw Miria in front of me with Priscilla's arm shoved through her stomach all the way, almost reaching me as well.

"Miria!" I yelled out as Priscilla threw her to the ground. She was heavily bleeding. I could feel myself increasing energy by the second. I was getting angry from such an attack and could feel my humanity drifting away.

I figured this was the only thing I was living for so I drove myself full speed on the road to becoming a monster myself.

Slowly… faintly… I felt myself fall into slumber, one that I had never experienced before.

...

Five Months Later

...

Serene.

That it was not.

I felt my head shake as I woke up. I looked around as I saw Deneve, Cynthia, Helen, Miria, Lloyd and Tabitha surround me. They all faced one direction and down on the ground I was, I rose and look past the legs of my comrades finding the organization's location.

"What… what's going on?" I asked.

"I can't believe what good timing you have Clare," Lloyd said.

"Yeah you've been sleeping forever," Helen added.

"It's time now," Cynthia started.

"It was inevitable either way," Deneve continued.

"Taicho's dream and goal," Tabitha ignited.

"We're taking down the organization today," Miria finished.

"Let's go now"

A/N: Confusing isn't it? Well not to worry all will be explained in the next chapter so wait until then! Please support with reviews, favs, anything! Yes, that little button down there. Click it :D