Illidan watched the girl pull the dagger from her ally. Was she really so arrogant to think she could beat him?

"So you are Illidan Stormrage."

"Save the pleasantries."

"Ok."

Illidan saw the build up of Fel energy and launched himself into an arc over the roaring ball of Fel fire. Alighting on one of the crags surrounding the Frozen Throne, he looked down at the girl.

Did Arthas really think she could beat him? He had been the greatest warrior of the War of the Ancients, only Broxigar came close to him. Now he was even stronger.

Unless there was something he didn't know about her. Shifting his vision fully into the spectral he looked down.

Black chains of energy wound around the girl, the energy from them leaking into her.

Just a girl, a undead girl, but nothing that would put her anywhere near him in strength.

"I'll give you one chance. Move, and I'll spare your life."

"I can't."

"Then you will die."

"Good."

She slid down, obviously preparing to fight.

"This is my last fight Illidan Stormrage, make it the best I've ever had, then end me."

-X LINE BREAK X-

First were the bindings, her breasts would get in the way of the rest of the armor. Then the chest plate, she used magic to tighten the straps until it was properly worn. The cruise went on next, followed by the greaves.

There was something calming about going through these motions, they foretold her going into battle.

Gauntlets, vambraces, and pauldrons all went on. A belt was cinched around her waist.

Blake was out there, trying to save people. She would fail at some point. It was inevitable, it was impossible to save everyone.

What was with people like this that made her care? Ysera, Jaina, Anduin, Blake.

A ear piece went in, and she slid on the skull shaped helm. Cresent Rose and the Glaive went on her back.

Darion would land soon. Pushing herself to her feet she started to walk.

Looking up, she saw the Winged Steeds come in for the descent. Was there someone else on Darion's?

Her eyes widened under her helmet as they landed.

"Anduin, what are you doing here?"

How? She'd left him on Azeroth! Had he found some way to follow her? Why? Didn't he understand it wasn't safe to around her?

As he opened his mouth she raised her hand, "No, it isn't important right now."

There were other things to deal with, grabbing him by the arms, she spoke.

"We're in the middle of an emergency Anduin. Get to the medical wing, help out wherever you can. Remember-"

"-If I can't save them, it isn't my fault. Don't waste time trying to save them if it is clear there's no hope, I'm only endangering people who I could save."

Ruby nodded, "That's my boy."

She let him go, watching him limp off and a weight seemed to settle on her back.

"Velann, I need you to stay here, you'll be coordinating the ground teams with each other and the Huntsmen forces."

The High Elf nodded, her face serious. Any remaining bad blood would wait until after this was over.

"Darion, you're with me."

"Right."

"Wait!"

They turned to see Summer running towards them.

"I'm coming with you."

"Mom-"

"No! I'm fine with you telling Yang she can't go, but you aren't allowed to say that to me!"

"Fine," reaching into one of the bags she pulled out a pair of earpieces, "take these."

Ruby climbed on the back of Velann's winged steed, before pointing at the other one.

"You'll be riding with Darion."

"Ok then, how does this-"

Ruby cracked a smile at her shriek.

They rode in silence the way there, the calm before the storm.

Finally swooping low, Ruby scanned the area.

"The airship docking bay is getting hit hard, can you buy them some time?"

"What about you?"

"I'm going after Blake."

The two of them broke off, flying to one of the largest concentrations of people.

Ruby glanced down at her scroll, Blake's aura was hovering above the red, and still dropping.

Looking up, at the cry of a raven the Highlord had just enough time to grit her teeth before the flurry of feathers smashed into her. The last thing she felt was the weight leave her.

-X LINE BREAK X-

Summer rolled off the damn thing with a sigh, "Never again."

How did they do it? They could have fallen and gotten killed, but both Darion and Ruby didn't finch.

"As touching as your reunion with the ground is, we are here for a reason."

Leaping up, Summer looked at the horde of Grimm gathered below them.

"So what are you going to use some sort of- and he jumped."

Darion had stepped of the building, plummeting the three stories to land on an Ursa.

Cursing slightly, Summer jumped down, using her Semblance to slow her fall.

Winds buffeted the area, carrying rose petals as she landed next to Darion.

Looking around, she watched as a Creep walked right past her.

"Why aren't they attacking?"

"They haven't realized we're here yet. No sudden movements."

Moving with a grace unnatural to a man of his frame Darion slipped behind an Alpha Beowolf.

Darion reached up, wrapping his hands around his swords, he kept three fingers stuck out on one hand.

Three…

Two…

One…

Mark.

Darion tore the swords out, smashing them into the Beowolf with a roar.

Everything around the point of impact seemed to disintegrate. Leaving behind nothing but a pair of legs.

How much had they been holding back, had she been holding back?

Summer pulled out Wither and Bloom, slashing at one of the gathered Grimm.

As Wither dug into the side of a Ursa with unnatural ease, the Runes on it blazed up, and ice crawled up the side from the wound.

Looking at all the assembled Grimm Summer raised her hand to the earpiece.

"Velann, how long till we get help?"

"They're on their way, twenty minutes."

"What about Huntsmen?"

"One sec… Goodwitch and Ironwood are in the dock."

"Tell them we're coming to help."

"I thought you were clearing out the Grimm?"

"There's too many, we won't be able-"

"Ignore that, Glynda and James are coming to you," Ozpin's voice cut across the channel.

"What?"

"The Grimm are getting in through a hole, if we don't close it up they aren't going to stop, Glynda, James, Peter, and second year team CFVY are coming to you, you need to fight your way through the Grimm and close the hole, no matter what it takes. Do you understand?"

"Loud and clear, Ozpin."

-X LINE BREAK X-

"I can't believe you actually brought it along."

"Hey, if there was ever a time to use it, it would be now!"

"Ruby's going to kill you."

"And I'll die happy! Zaala, get over here and help me raise this thing!"

"What is that, and why have you brought it to my school?"

"This, is close air support, Ebon Blade style!"

"We aren't trying to destroy the city."

"It'll be fine! A bit chilly, but fine!"

-X LINE BREAK X-

Ren sighed, Nora was once again proving to be a boundless fount of energy, even after spending the last few hours fighting Grimm. If anything, being able to take her frustrations at, certain parts of Beacon made her more hyper.

As they walking into the village, though, something seemed off. Professor Peach was waiting for them with a serious look on her face.

"Students, we must cut this short."

"But, why?" whined Nora.

"Vale has come under attack by a large horde of Grimm. All Huntsmen teams are being called back to purge the city of the infestation."

"But, it's hours away!"

"Then they'll need to hold on until we get there."

Ren noticed Jaune shift uncomfortably, "Are- are you sure we're ready? We're only first-"

Jaune trailed off as Professor Peach's eyes, normally an inviting blue, drilled into him.

"You've had four years of training for what to do in this scenario, Mr. Arc, I'm sure you can dreg up what they taught you at Oasis."

Jaune went to Oasis? Why? Vacuo was on the other side of the continent. Everything that Jaune said pointed to his family living near Vale.

"Uh- Yeah! Of course!" Jaune gave the nervous laugh, the one that said that no he didn't know what she was talking about. Ren saw Pyrrha bury her face in her hands.

Professor Peach's eyes had turned to shards of ice, making it clear that she didn't buy it for a second.

"We'll be going over this, and calling Oasis so they can explain why you don't know this, when this is over with. Ms. Nikos, you'll be taking charge of team JNPR until this crisis is over."

"Professor Peach, I really think Jaune should-"

"Ms. Nikos, we are currently in an emergency. While your faith in your leader is commendable. We can not risk the lives of the people in our care by putting someone who does not know the procedures for something like this. According to the treaty of Vytal, as a Huntress, I am completely in my right to remove Mr. Arc from his role in times of emergency. If you are unwilling to take the charge, I will have to give it to Mr. Lie."

"I believe in Jaune-"

"It doesn't matter what you believe in. There are people in Vale right now that believe that the Huntsmen will save them. What they believe matters, and we can't guarantee that belief with Mr. Arc in position."

"..."

"Very well, Mr. Lie, take charge."

"Ok."

Ren had seen his home be destroyed by Grimm. He wouldn't let Vale go the same way.

-X LINE BREAK X-

A pile of rubble sat on the ground, the broken body of a skeletal gryphon next to it. Giant raven feathers jutted from it.

A transparent green tinted version of Ruby Rose floated out of it, before dropping to the ground, color flooding her form.

"That never stops being weird."

Wraith Walking was a skill Ruby preferred to avoid. The Shadowlands held no comfort for her. Bringing forth memories of her time at Kel'thuzad's tender mercies.

The best she could say about the time was that it was a haze, the Endless Hunger tore at her mind, leaving her incapable of remembering long stretches of it.

The scars from when he used her as his test subject had all faded when she became a Lich, only the scar from Arthas remained. The wound from Frostmourne had scarred her very soul.

Pulling out her scroll, she looked at the tracker. Blake was half a mile north from her. A ten minute walk through the city. Less if she used her Semblance.

Bending down, Ruby launched herself forward in a storm of rose petals. She wouldn't be too late. Not again. Never again.

-X LINE BREAK X-

Yang watched the man bustle around the room. Or, at least, as well as a man with a cane could.

He had come in with Darion, and Yang could tell that Ruby was equal parts happy to see him, and terrified that he was there.

They had been waiting when the first group of civilians reached Beacon. That had been the point where Yang started to think Ruby might have had a point.

Most of the injuries had been minor, a gouge here, a cut there, but there was one man…

It made her queasy just thinking about it. They had been shown injuries from Grimm attacks at Signal, but it didn't, couldn't, capture the real thing. The smell, the way the gaping hole in his side, through which Yang could see his ribs, seemed to grow.

But the foreign man, and even that seemed wrong, he couldn't have been more than four years older than Yang, hadn't even flinched, moving forward, he had gently batted the the gathered family members away with his unoccupied hand.

Laying it on the injured man, he had seemed to focus for a second, before Light started to shine beneath his hand.

It was different from the other time Yang had seen it in action. Then the Light had seemed harsh, though that might have been because of Ruby and Summer's reaction to it. This was a calm gold that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.

When he lifted his hand, the wound had healed. There were scars, but the man would survive.

They had sent the worst injuries to him from then on.

Yang watched as he hovered over another man, before he closed his eyes, and shook his head. Reaching down, he pulled the sheet at the end of the bed over the body, and moved on to the next one.

How was he taking it so calmly? People were dying!

"How?"

He didn't respond, moving on to the next person.

Was this what Azeroth was like? So bloody that you didn't even flinch when people died around you?

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Sure, there was danger in being a Huntress, but it was to you! Not bystanders like this!

Yang was duly aware of someone guiding her away by the shoulders.

"Come on, it will be alright."

Dad.

"Where's Mom?"

It slipped out. Summer wasn't her mother, but something about having her back made the search for Raven seem less important.

"We don't know where Rae is."

"Summer."

But… Summer was there when Raven hadn't.

"She went out with Ruby."

That's right. How had sheforgotten?

"Are they ok? What about Blake?"

"They're fine, just rest, we're going to be busy tomorrow."

When had they gotten to the room?

"Don't go."

"I have too. Don't worry, Weiss is here."

The white haired girl was going through her supply of Dust. The way she did it, going around in order of where they would rest of Myrtenaster ad nauseum, and her unfocused eyes made it clear that she was in shock too.

Tomorrow would be easier...

-X LINE BREAK X-

He waded through the Grimm, but the didn't notice him.

The same couldn't be said for his prey. They stared right at him, weapons tense.

"Darion… Mograine…"

He knew the name, he knew the face. But he didn't recognize the weapons. It wasn't the executioner's blade. Nor was it the Ax, a craven attempt at capturing a fragment of the king's strength.

Raising the chainsword up, he started it.

"Arthas… Menethil… sends… his… regards…"

The king hated the man, he took his queen's attention from him. Had he never come into their existence he would have never lost her.

"Arthas Menethil is gone!"

"Is… That… What… You… Think…?"

It hurt to speak, every word had to be forced out.

He looked over at the Faunus. She was looking at him.

"Why… Don't... You… Join… Us…?"

"She'll never work with you!"

"I... Didn't... Ask... You… Human..."

He raised the blade in one hand.

"Adam... and... Arthas... Will… Reward… Me… Well… For… Your… Head… Mograine…"

"Go on ahead, I'll be right there."

He let them go, he could hunt them down after.

"Buying… Them… Time… With… Your… Life…?"

Mograine lowered his head, his body shaking. This was one of the men who stopped his master?

Charging forward, he swung at the coward's head.

Only for his sword to explode into fragments of metal.

"Yesssss."

Mograine looked up. A grin visible under his helmet. His voice was a rasp.

"Did you really think that you would beat me this easily?"

The grin widened.

"I've been waiting for this."

The blades moved, cleaving through his arms and legs. Chains of ice wrapped around him.

"Stay there, I'll be back later."

-X LINE BREAK X-

Ruby groaned. The Ursa had come out of nowhere, smashing into her as she slowed down.

Today was not her day. First Darion showed up, without the Four but with Anduin, then she got smashed into a wall and buried, then she had to use Wraith Walking, then a fuckin' Green Dragon showed out of nowhere and she couldn't find Blake, and then she got body checked.

Why was it that every time she tried to do the right thing it ended badly? Maybe she really should go back to the evil sociopath routine, at least she regularly won back then.

Not Funny.

Oh, hush you.

Ruby glared up at the Ursa. The minute she got out of this wall it was in for a world of… and it froze. Like literally, in ice.

A squeaky voice called out from behind the newly made statue.

"Stay away from Mama!"

Oh come on! Was every "stray" she picked up on Azeroth going to show up today!?

"Thanks for that Emmigosa."

The little blue drake that had decided to follow her around on Azsuna, and was completely convinced that Ruby was her mother, biology be damned (something about her smelling like a dragon, and that being good enough for her), floated out from behind the icy bear.

"Mama!"

"I'm not your- you know what, I don't even care anymore, hello Emmigosa."

Tearing herself out of the wall she looked at where the Green Dragon was fighting. Dragging half forgotten lessons from Krasus up, Ruby spoke in broken Draconic, asking who it was.

The dragon looked at her in confusion. Turning to Emmigosa, Ruby spoke, "I didn't just imply its mother was a hamster or something right? My Draconic isn't that rusty."

"No, you said it fine."

"What are you talking about Ruby?"

"...Blake?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you a dragon?"

"I transformed into one."

"You transformed…"

Ruby trailed off, before launching into a tirade in Scourgish.

A Grimm tried to sneak up behind her, before she hacked it in two.

"Uh, Ruby, are you alright?"

"No!"

"What's wrong Mama?"

"FAUNUS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO TURN INTO DRAGONS!"

"She smells like a dragon. Kinda like you."

"Smells like a- nope."

"What?"

"I'm done. I don't even care anymore. Blake can turn into a dragon. Anything else anyone wants to reveal? There's an army of subterranean Trolls waiting to burst from the ground and feast on our flesh?"

"Mama, you're doing that thing again. When you stop with the emotions and start with the weird scenarios that are sometimes right."

"Emmi, I am beyond the point of emotions. I want to get this done with, so I can go back to Beacon, and pretend this is all just a bad dream."

"Ruby, calm down."

"Blake, I am calm, I couldn't be more calm if I was a Pandaren. Come on, there's a hole we need to cover."

Fuck. This. Day.

-X LINE BREAK X -

"How is he?"

Glynda looked out the window, hoping reinforcements would get here soon.

Mr Alistair had taken a hit from an Ursa, and was now unconscious.

They were so close. The hole was on the other side of the Grimm.

The sun had set an hour ago, and the only light was that of the moon and the Grimm.

"He'll survive."

"Is there anything that your soldiers can do, James?"

James shook his head, exhaustion clear.

"No, they're too busy keeping the Grimm from pushing any farther out from the hole."

"What about the walls?"

"They're fine, the Grimm seem to be following the path of least resistance."

After the mad scramble of the first few hours, they had managed to contain the Grimm as more teams reached Beacon.

Now if they could only get to the hole and close it they could work on wiping them out.

"What about the Ebon Blade?"

Glynda hadn't thought there would be a day she hoped to hear from the order of bloodthirsty knights.

"Some of them are working on something. but the rest are manning the barricades."

"Ms. Belladonna and Ms. Rose?"

"Both back at Beacon. Last report says Ms. Rose is helping with whatever it is they're working on."

A chirp from James's scroll went off. Checking it, he sighed.

"They say it should be done within two hours. They needed to go find something."

Leaning against him, Glynda closed her eyes.

"Whatever it is has to be really good."

"I know."

"How are we doing ammunition wise?"

"Ms. Adel is out, and I have enough for a single volley. Ms. Scarlatina is ready, but it's not likely that we could get all the way to the hole, so I ordered her to save it until the Grimm attack us."

"This really isn't looking good, James."

"Chin up, we'll make it out of this alive."

-X LINE BREAK X-

"-Freeze all of Beacon, or do this."

"Stop your whining."

"I'm about to channel a stupidly large amount of arcane energy through me in the hopes that this might work. I have every reason to complain."

"What's the worse that could happen?"

"I fry myself, disintegrate the skeleton and everything in the area blows up?"

"...Point. Try not to do that, Highlord, please and thank you."

"Right, this is going to suck either way so shut up and let me focus."

Ruby closed her eyes, searching for the Ley Line. Setting her jaw, she began to siphon the pure energy through her body. She could feel it breaking down her muscles, so she needed to finish this quickly.

"QUEEN OF FROST! THE DEATHLORD CALLS UPON YOU AGAIN!"

The icy wind started to gather, picking up the bones and biting into her skin.

"LET THIS NEW WORLD FEEL THE ICY FLAMES OF YOUR RAGE!"

The winds were rapidly picking up speed, sending the other members staggering.

"TAKE TO THE SKIES, AND CRUSH ALL WHO STAND AGAINST THE MIGHT OF THE EBON BLADE!"

The bones snapped into place, swiftly building the skeleton of the Ebon Blade's trump card, given to them by Bolvar.

"SINDRAGOSA, RISE!"

The former consort of Malygos let out an ear piercing shriek. Resting Ruby on her back, she started to beat her wings, and took to the sky. Flying towards Vale.

Raising one hand to the earpiece, she spoke.

"Send up a flair where you are, and then get ready to rush for the hole."

-X LINE BREAK X-

Velvet whipped out a flare gun at the order, firing it into the air.

"Alright we see you. My advice? Hunker down."

"What?"

The beast cleared the space in minutes, launching across the sky.

Swooping low, it opened its jaw, releasing a wave of hoarfrost.

The Grimm froze in their tracks, before shattering.

"Move!"

The team cleared the space between them and the hole in record time, and Professor Goodwitch sealed shut the hole.

Collapsing, Velvet started to giggle. Coco looked at her strangely.

"What's up, Vel?"

"I… I just can't believe we did it!"

"Yeah, it did seem touch and go for a while there didn't it?"

The giant beast landed, looking at them, before Ruby rolled off it.

"Well, that was fun. Why don't we all head up to Beacon and rest for a couple of hours before we get to clearing them out?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"All right, all aboard the dragon express."

"Can't I just stay here?"

The weak question from Mrs. Rose sent Velvet off into another fit of giggles.

-X LINE BREAK X-

Jorin Deadeye glared up at the woman pacing around, spinning a knife in between her fingers.

Of all the times for Dranosh and Garrosh to disappear with the corrupted orcs, it had to be now.

Across the other side sat the Broken of Telaar. Shivering, scared, living up to their name.

"Hello! It's nice to meet you all! Are you comfortable? Need a drink? Maybe have to relieve your bladder? Just say the word! We're only going to take a moment of your time and then you can go back to your pitiful existence."

She stopped, a mad grin splitting her face.

"So here's how it is now. Whatever you thought was in charge of the Outland, Warchief, Prophet, Farseer, Lord, you're wrong. There's a Queen in charge the Outland now. Me, and through me, there's a King, the only king that matters to you. I don't want to hear anything about any other Kings. No Varian Wrynn, no Genn Greymane, No Magni Bronzebeard. Your King is Arthas Menethil, rightful ruler of Lordaeron and the Lich King, heir of Ner'zhul."

Jorin felt his one eye widen, Ner'zhul? The Warchief?

She pointed to him, the savage grin on her face growing wider, "He gets it!"

The girl went back to walking, spinning the dagger in her hand even faster.

"There's two ways we can do what follows, the easy way or the hard way… Ok, let me rephrase that, either way will be easy for me, but you guys get the choice."

She swooped down out of Jordan's sight, where his missing eye blocked him.

"You haven't stopped glaring at me since this whole thing began. What's your name?"

Silence stretched, and when the so called 'queen' spoke, Jorin could hear the smile.

"Oh, that's how you want to play it? Ok, I can respect that. This actually works in my favor, let's me explain the rules of this game."

Finally walking back into Jorin's line of sight, the dagger was now nothing but a green blur.

"Today, we're playing with the Orcs, you spineless bastards can stop crying."

The last part was directed over her shoulder, at the Broken.

"One of you has information I need. Somewhere in," she spun on her heel, before stopping and pointing at a random point in the distance, "That direction, I think, there's a settlement. 'Thrallmar'."

One of the other members gathered around coughed into his hand.

"Thrallmar is in the opposite direction, Deathlord."

"Really? Huh. Normally it was Weiss who screwed up directions. Anyway, Thrallmar. Someone here knows how to get in there. You'll be giving us that information."

"Like hell we will!"

Aggra.

"And she speaks! Sorry to tell you this honey, but you will. Here's how this works. We're going to drag one of your members over here, and I'm going to ask questions. For every minute you don't answer, I cut off an inch of skin. It will be painful, they will scream, and if they are the one who knows, they will answer. Sounds like fun right?"

She looked at them, the grin still on her face. The hand holding the dagger bounced off the open hand, clapping.

"No? Too bad! We'll start with the old woman!"

The dagger pointed to someone on Jorin's left.

"NO!"

Greatmother Geyah was dragged forward.

"We'll establish another couple of rules. You can try run. You can talk amongst yourselves. But if any of you try to attack. I'll kill her and we'll move on to the next one. Now, it's been a couple of minutes since I asked your name. That means a couple of inches of skin. But, I understand, you didn't know what you were gambling at the time, so I'll be nice, if you answer me right now, I'll forget about it."

"...Aggralan."

"See was that so hard? Alright, first question, and," She laughed, "No need to raise your hand, just shout it out if you know the answer. Who is in charge of Thrallmar?"

It was going to be a long night.

-X LINE BREAK X-

Ruby looked over her handy work. They had only gone through two of them, and the second one would survived. The old woman had held on for a surprisingly long time.

"Now really, was that so hard?"

The remaining Orcs cowered, they were scared of her now. Good. Except for the one eyed orc and Aggralan. Looks like she would have to drive home the message.

Licking the blood off the dagger, Ruby hummed at the taste. The San'layn improvements were extremely helpful.

"Aggralan. Congratulations."

"On what."

Why did everyone try to act so defiant? Didn't they get there was no point?

"On joining the Scourge."

"I'll never-"

The orc hunched over, before collapsing. Not dead, but she would probably wish she was.

"Bring her to Avernus. We'll be making some modifications."

"Yes, Deathlord."

"This was a productive night. You can all go back to… whatever it is you do. Worshiping rocks."

Strolling away she hummed to herself. Man, was Arthas going to be so thrilled to see this. No way in hell was Kel'thuzad pulling out something better than an entire planet joining the Scourge!

-X LINE BREAK X-

"Ruby Rose."

"Save the pleasantries."

Illidan felt his lips pull up slightly. So that's how they were doing this?

"Ok."

The twinblades snapped together with practiced ease, before it was sent flying across the field at his foe.

The opening attack was deflected, though Illidan hadn't any intention for it to actually hit, it was merely a test of her reflexes.

Illidan span, dodging the tendral of fire as the blade came back to him.

She had been the only person in millennia to make Illidan work for his victory, a good practice for the invasion of Argus to come.

It still wouldn't be enough.

Illidan was fully aware that he hadn't left that damn cell sane, ten thousand years of isolation, not even being able to put himself out of his misery, and he had tried, tended to wreak havoc on the mind... But even he wasn't insane enough to think he could take on Kil'jaeden in his seat of power alone and survive.

But there was no choice. If the Legion was to be stopped, saving Azeroth and freeing him from Kil'jaeden's vengeance, Argus needed to fall, and it needed to happen now while Archimonde was reforming from his defeat. There was no force in existence that could beat both Eredar lords at the same time.

Splitting the glaives in two, Illidan surged forward, swinging for her throat.

She leaned back, and the blade hissed past her throat.

The scythe went for his spine, and he flipped over it, kicking her in the face.

Landing, he prepared to capitalize on the blow, only to grunt as he was sent skidding back by a greave clad boot to the sternum.

"Nice try, but I'm undead, my ability to feel pain is shot to hell and back."

Illidan searched for an opening, the balls of felfire that made up his eyes shifting across her.

She stood there, the knife she held in her right hand twirling slowly. The scythe rested gently on her shoulder.

"This is thrilling Illidan, it really is, but I have other things to do, so could you please hurry up and tell me why you're here?"

"I am the Lord of Outland, your King has no claim over here, leave."

"Oh, that's cute, you think that you still have power. I thought you would have gotten that notion out of your head after you went whimpering back to Outland while I dealt with the scary Warden."

The last bit was said like she was talking to a baby.

"I didn't have time to kill you and leave."

"Awww, that's cute, you actually thought you could kill me."

"You seemed convinced I could kill you."

"I was convinced of a lot of stupid stuff back then. Like that there was actually a chance people could stop Arthas. Or that the Scourge was a bad thing."

Keep her talking, she would open up a weakness eventually.

"Is that all you've become? A pet? Something Arthas keeps around because it's loyal?"

A strange look flashed across her face, before it settled into a look of smug superiority, it was a strange look on her face.

"What's that make you? Hiding out on a dead planet, scared that Kil'jaeden will find you? Why don't you come work for us? We'll protect you from all the scary monsters, we actually freed ourselves from the Legion."

"You didn't free yourself from anything, you just replaced the one holding the chain."

"...Shut up."

"Does the truth hurt? You're not free, you're just a slave to a different master."

He could hear her teeth grind from across the gap.

"You don't know anything."

"I know a puppet when I see one-"

THERE! She closed her eyes for a second too long, focusing on something, and Illidan capitalized on it.

Lunging across the marsh, he swung the Glaive in his left hand.

He felt a pain in his side even as he shorn open hers.

Glancing down, he saw the dagger dug into his flesh.

"Lord Illidan!"

Kayn.

"It is fine just a-"

Pain thrummed through his body.

"-poisoned dagger."

She seemed to pause, before staggering her way to her horse, attempting to hold her organs in

"Lord Illidan! We must return to the Black Temple."

Had- had he just lost?

No, she cheated, He would recover from this, and then they would finish this fight fairly.

"We will have a rematch Ruby! And I will win!"

"I look forward to it dear!"

Then Illidan collapsed.

-X LINE BREAK X-

Ruby looked over the balcony of Avernus at their current prey.

"Are they ready?"

"Yes, Deathlord."

"Very well, FIRE THE CANNONS!"

The howl of cannon fire lit up the night before and they could see the people collapse like flies down below.

"The Siege of Thrallmar begins now!"