Sever All Ties
Chapter Sixteen: Void's Assassins
Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories or any of the characters in the game; they are the property of the brilliant minds at Square Enix.
Author's Note(s): Words in '…' indicate a thought. Words in "…" indicate spoken words. This story will proceed based on the assumption that Jack has joined Ridley on the path of the non-human. This path would inevitably lead him to face his former friends and allies in combat. It is these fights I will illustrate in this story. Some creative liberties will be taken regarding who they face (i.e. Jack will face opponents in this fic that you don't get to face in the game). I hope you enjoy.
"Excellent work, Vice," Iris said, using Lily's assassin name.
"Thank you Crow," Lily said, responding in kind.
"Let's go," said Iris, who began to walk toward the exit. "We'll get a lot of money for the girl and the ore."
"No," Jack said, fixing the master assassin with an icy stare. "The deal was that I would exchange the ore for Ridley."
"You made that deal with Vice," Lily said calmly facing Jack. "It's not my fault if she promised you something she couldn't deliver. But I'm not going to honor her deal."
"Lily," Jack said, turning to face the younger assassin. "You said…"
"That I would tell you where she was when I got the ore," Lily finished the sentence for him. With that, she turned and began walking toward the cavern's exit. "Which I did. Sorry, Jack."
"How much am I worth," Jack asked. Both bandits turned around. "I've got to be worth more than either Ridley or the ore alone. And I'd be willing to bet I'm worth more then the two combined. Am I right?"
"Yes," Lily said with a nod. Her golden eyes met Jack's, and she seemed shocked by what she saw. His cold determination shook her. There was a hardness in his gaze that she had not seen before.
"So," Jack began. "If that's true, then why would the two of you leave without even making an effort to get that bounty? Could it be because you're afraid? You don't think that the two of you can take me?"
"You won't goad us into attacking, Jack," Iris said firmly.
"I'm not trying to," Jack responded. "I'm confirming my suspicions. What makes you think I'm going to let you get out of here without a fight?"
"What makes you think you can stop us from getting out," Iris asked. "You had no idea we were even here before we revealed ourselves."
"You're here now, aren't you," said Jack. His hand slowly moved toward his saber hilt.
"We are," Lily said. "But that doesn't mean we're staying."
"Is it because you can only kill from the shadows," Jack asked. "Or is it just me that you can't beat?"
"Neither," Lily said. With a flourish, she brought forth both of her blades. The knives were so long, they almost looked like sabers. "We'll take you on and beat you right now."
"Vice," Iris snapped. "Remember to control your emotions. We should not engage in combat here."
"My apologies," Lily said.
"Good idea," Jack said. He had found an opening to exploit. "You wouldn't want to challenge me and lose like last time."
"I won't lose," Lily said. Her knuckles whitened as she tightly gripped her blades. "I'll beat you this time."
"Vice, remember your training," Iris said sternly. "We need to leave now."
"What's the matter Crow," Jack asked. "You're afraid too?"
"I've already told you I won't be tricked into facing you Jack," Iris said. "I know my strengths, and I won't give them up to fight on your terms."
"But your pupil will," said Jack. He turned his attention back to Lily. "Won't you Lily? I don't know why you bother trying to face Chief Elwen when you can't even beat me."
"Don't call me Lily," the younger assassin said. Her muscles tensed, and rage was written all over her face. "To you, I'm Vice."
As she said this, Vice lunged at Jack, preparing to attack. The young swordsman drew his blade, and prepared to meet her assault. The sound of steel on steel rang out as the two smaller blades met Jack's larger one. Utilizing her speed, Vice jumped back and charged forward to strike again. Jack deflected this assault, and she fell back again. When she rushed in again, she struck not in unison, but with the left blade followed by the right. Jack swung his sword quickly, parrying both attacks. His counterattack, however, only found air. His opponent had already retreated to a safe distance, and she was looking for another opening.
Jack was already impressed by Vice's improvement. She was considerably stronger and faster then he remembered. He watched her very carefully as she circled him and looked for an opportunity to attack. He also made certain that he kept an eye on Iris. Defeating Vice would be meaningless if her teacher got away with Ridley. The master assassin had yet to move from where she was standing. Satisfied that she would stay to watch the fight, Jack turned his attention back to her pupil. Vice was still watching him, waiting for a chance to take the offensive again. Jack kept his cool, determined not to give her an opportunity. Finally, Vice decided to attack. She rushed toward Jack, preparing to strike. Then, just before she came into the reach of his blade, Vice threw herself into the air. Somersaulting as she flew over him, she landed gracefully behind Jack and attempted to strike at his back.
However, Jack was faster. Spinning clockwise on his heel, he parried her first attack and stepped back to avoid the second. Rushing forward, Jack took the offensive, pushing Vice back with a series of aggressive sword strokes. Then, as the assassin stepped back, she stumbled. Vice recovered quickly, but she was still a step too slow. Though her blades immediately went to a defensive position, Jack had enough of an opening. His powerful saber thrust broke through Vice's defenses, and knocked her to the ground. Her right-hand blade, Vaise, clattered across the ground as she fell. She tried futilely to attack from the ground, but he kicked her other blade, Arabum, out of her hand. Jack raised his saber overhead to deliver the finishing blow, but something held his sword back.
Looking first at his blade, then behind him, he saw that Iris had put Ridley down and brought out her whip. The tip of Symphonia was now wrapped tightly around the blade of his saber, preventing him from finishing off Vice. The younger assassin jumped quickly to her feet, and retrieved both of her blades. Only then did the tension on the whip subside. Iris pulled on her weapon, deftly catching it in her left hand. She waited only a moment before starting toward Jack, who now had an opponent on both sides. The assassins stopped a dozen paces short of him on either side. Jack looked first at Crow, then at Vice. Finally, he looked past them to Ridley. She was still unconscious, and looked no better then she had when Jack had pulled her from the Earth Cell's debris. For Ridley's sake, he had to end this battle as quickly as he could.
"I thought you weren't going to fight on my terms Crow," Jack said.
"I hadn't planned on it," the assassin said. "But I refuse to allow my apprentice to be defeated here."
"So you think you can beat me," asked Jack.
"I don't know," Crow replied. "But I know how to find out. The question is not whether you can beat me, but whether you can beat both of us. And, we will be fighting you on our terms, not yours."
"Fair enough," Jack said, tightening his grip on his saber.
"Then let's get started," said Crow. The master assassin disappeared from sight, and Jack turned to see where she had gone.
As soon as Jack had turned his back, Vice rushed toward him. He immediately turned around to counter her assault. Once again, his single blade clashed with both of her smaller ones. He quickly threw Vice back, and prepared to attack. Just as he got close, Jack felt a stinging pain on his left arm. Turning to the left, he saw Crow, with her whip held tightly in her hand. Jack's arm stung, and a line of crimson ran down it, soaking a rip in his sleeve. Not wasting a moment, he charged at the assassin, intent on finishing her quickly. As he got close, however, his opponent took a single step to the side, and seemed to instantly disappear. Momentarily dumfounded, Jack was brought back to reality when one of Vice's blades ran down the length of his back. As he stumbled forward, Jack felt Crow's whip strike his right leg. As he sank to one knee, Jack scanned the cave for Crow. The master assassin was stayed where she was just long enough for his gaze to fall on her. As soon as Jack saw her, she disappeared.
'This looks bad,' Jack thought to himself. 'I can't keep this up much longer. I have to finish them and rescue Ridley. I just need an opening.'
Sensing Vice behind him again, Jack dove to the right, narrowly avoiding her slashing blades. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, all the while fighting down the pain in his leg. Instinctively, he brought his saber up, and deflected Crow's whip, which had been streaking toward his chest. Pivoting to the left, he was instantly beset by Vice. Jack's saber was a blur as he attempted to keep up with the younger assassin. Her smaller blades probed and slashed, trying to find an opening. However, it was clear that the former knight had the advantage in this situation. His blade met each of Vice's attacks, deftly turning them aside. Just as he was preparing to take the offensive, Jack saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly ducked, and Symphonia cracked where his head had been a moment before. Now off balance, Jack had to dive forward in a desperate attempt to keep Vice from his exposed back. As the young swordsman got to his feet, Crow materialized in front of him, forcing yet another lunge to the side.
Though he had inadvertently been pushed back toward Vice, Jack decided to stand and fight. This time, he attacked first. On the defensive, Vice gave ground as Jack pressed his advantage. As she backed up, Jack tried to force Vice against a wall to limit her movement. When she became aware of this, the young assassin launched herself into the air, somersaulting over Jack. As the swordsman began to turn and follow her movement, he saw Crow appear where her pupil had been. Turning back, he brought his saber up to block Symphonia. He dove to the left, simultaneously avoiding Crow's whip and Vice's blades. While he was rising, Jack saw both assassins start toward him and began to move again.
As Vice and Crow harried him from one edge of the cave to the other, Jack was constantly on the defensive. The more he tried to evade one, the more he exposed himself to the other. Frustrated and winded, Jack knew he had to do something quickly. Turning to defend against Vice's blades, he decided to act. Parrying a stroke from Arabum, he counterattacked and left a slash running down Vice's left arm. His second attack sliced across her chest. Recoiling from the attack, the younger assassin stumbled several paces back. Stepping forward to attack again, Jack felt Crow's whip cut into his left leg. Just as he recovered from the momentary shock, the elder assassin appeared in front of him. This time, when the whip struck him in the chest, Jack was knocked to the ground. When he tried to rise, Jack found he could not. Still clutching his sword, he was forced to use it to pull himself off of the ground. Panting heavily, he stared at Crow, who was watching him intently.
"It's over Jack," Crow said firmly. "You can barely stand, and there's no way you're going to defeat us now."
"You're finished," Vice said from behind him.
"We're still fighting on my terms," Jack said between gasps of breath. "And I haven't quit yet."
"Then we'll have to kill you," Crow replied.
"I guess you will," Jack said, leaning on his saber for support.
"Very well," said Crow. "Vice, you'll do it."
"With pleasure," Vice said, starting forward. "Any last words, Jack?"
"You're far too predictable," Jack said.
"We got you didn't we," Vice asked smugly. Both blades raised above her head.
"That's what you think," Jack replied.
Just as Vice's blades began to fall, Jack pushed forward on the hilt of his saber. The blade came up behind him, striking Vice in the chest. Using the momentum, the young swordsman rolled forward and swung again. This time, he cut into Crow's leg. Gasping, she quickly disappeared. Jack pulled himself to his feet, and began scanning the area for the elder assassin. When she failed to immediately appear, he looked back at Vice. She had not moved from the place she had fallen, and her hands were no longer clutching her blades. Knowing he was now in a one-on-one fight, Jack began to search for Crow once more. He turned to his right, and stared intently at the shadows.
"Come out Crow," he said confidently. "I know you're there."
His opponent appeared for a moment, before disappearing again. Jack waited patiently, and then turned to his left. He brought his saber up and deflected Symphonia. Crow vanished again when her attack was unsuccessful. Jack planted his feet, and stayed where he was. Swinging his sword behind his back, he blocked the whip yet again. As soon as it had hit his blade, Jack rushed forward. Crow appeared directly in front of Jack; and his saber. The sword stroke hit home, cutting through the whip and into its wielder. The assassin was knocked off of her feet, and landed hard on the ground. A look of stunned disbelief was written on her face. Jack waited a moment, poised to attack again. When it became clear that Crow was not going to rise, he stepped forward. He did not, however, drop his guard.
"H…how," she stammered.
"I told you," Jack replied. "You're far too predictable. From the beginning of the fight, it was clear that Vice couldn't fight me face-to-face. She kept trying to get behind me, and always gave ground when I attacked. She didn't even try to take the offensive. I knew if I were to get her to drop her guard, I'd have to let her behind me. You were a little tougher to figure out. I had to keep the fight going longer than I had hoped, but I finally figured out your pattern. You two were both so intent on fighting to your strengths you didn't even consider that I'd learn and adapt. You have to come up with ways to win no matter what the circumstances are."
"Well spoken," Crow gasped. "I knew I'd chosen ri…right when I agr…agreed to help you. You're ex…exceptional."
"Thank you Crow," said Jack.
"Call me Iris," the assassin said.
"Okay," Jack said with a nod. "Thank you Iris."
"I guess you know what comes next," Iris said. She moved her arm, and a knife appeared in her hand. Jack raised his saber. "Failure is not an option for a Void assassin."
With these words, she plunged the knife into her own chest. Jack sheathed his saber and allowed himself to relax as the life drained from her body. Turning around, he started back across the cave, to where Ridley was. As he walked by Vice's lifeless body, Jack stopped for a moment. After taking back the ore dropped by the Earth Cell, he said some parting words.
"Lily, you reminded me so much of myself," Jack began. "You were out to prove you were the best. I'm sorry things couldn't have ended differently. I would much rather have fought beside you then against you."
Turning his eyes toward Ridley, Jack began to run. Ignoring the pain that threatened to consume him, he rushed to her side. She was still unconscious, and looked both wounded and exhausted. Jack cursed himself again for allowing her to be hurt while fighting the Earth Cell, and then cursed himself again for taking so long in dispatching the two assassins. The first thing he did was to touch a moonstone to her face. The cool rock pulsed slightly, as some of the color returned to her face. Using one of the stones on himself, Jack decided it would be best if they moved on. He gently picked the girl up and started down the path that would lead him to the Ocho Region.
Vegeta26: All right, that's one more done. This chapter was quite fun to write. I hope two chapters so close like this will make up for my extended absence. I look forward to hearing from you.
bigbabidi: Thanks for the review. I've always thought attention to detail was important. And as for Jack/Ridley, the moments will be there, but not forced. Glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope to hear from you.
Music's Fallen Angel: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter, though the romance may be prolonged a little bit. They've got to get back to the Fort first, right? In any case, I look forward to hearing from you again.