Authors Note: I must preface this particular chapter that it is mostly unchanged from the manga. As I wrote the outline for this entire story, this scene in particular was one that had left a lasting impression on me when I read it in the manga. I did not want to betray the scene written/drawn in the manga (plus I doubt I could do any better) and as such have left it mostly unchanged. It is scenes like this that inspired me to write my own story and it flowed seamlessly into what I wanted to create. As such I incorporated it into my own work, but cannot take credit for nearly any of this chapter aside from my own descriptions of the events taking place. Thanks everyone. -V
Chapter 24
Elizabeth stood across from Charles no longer noticing the cold enveloping her. Elizabeth had challenged Charles directly and the young Tempest Phoenix was more than happy to oblige. The bonds of sisterhood seemingly torn asunder now left with only bitter anger towards one another.
"You aren't above the regulations Elizabeth Mably! So help me if you do not drop this ridiculous charade I will kill you on the spot!" Charles yelled into the wind.
"It's truly a sad day that you, a role model of all Pandora, the people that children look up to, have sunk so low as to sit idly by while murder is committed." Elizabeth answered back.
"They knew what they were getting into when they joined this project Elizabeth. They were given an opportunity to rise from their terrible pasts!" Charles snapped back.
"Given an opportunity? Are you blind Charles? They are nothing more than test rats being used for this facilities twisted research and now are being discarded because they took a stand! How can you stand by and say you are fine with this atrocity?"
"Because, I trust that the decisions being made have the greater good in mind. I refuse to believe that whatever orders have been given are done so without the utmost importance and care." Charles answered as Elizabeth shook her head.
"You truly are lost in your unwavering dedication Charles. I can respect that trust, but this is wrong on an undeniable level. You're deluded and absorbed far too much into your duties as a Pandora that you've lost what made you human. You're nothing more than a pawn now. A mindless automaton for this facility and I pity you Charles Bonaparte."
"I don't need your pity Elizabeth. I'll show you that you are wrong in this. Tempest Typhoon!" Charles shouted charging forward in a dash. Her body split into seven copies twisting and spinning through the air as they raced towards Elizabeth.
"I'll cover you!" Andre yelled thrusting his hand forward. "Freezing!" Elizabeth watched as some of the copies stopped moving locking up in their tracks.
With freezing blocking her copies I can take care of them! Elizabeth thought to herself reaching down to her sides tapping her fingers on the Stigma controls for her satellites above her head. Charles smiled closing the distance.
"Freezing!" Citroen shouted breaking part of Andre's freezing effect.
No, we can't freeze them all! Elizabeth realized.
"Even if you get one of me with those toys…will you be able to find the real one?" Charles smiled as one of the many copies of the Tempest Phoenix appeared inches away from Elizabeth's face.
"Wha…" Elizabeth stammered as a fist slammed into the side of her face from Charles. The impact felt like it would snap her neck. Elizabeth's eyes were wide from shock as the pain lanced through her body.
"Elly!" Andre shouted reaching out once more pushing his freezing out again gritting his teeth concentrating as hard as he could on Charles's Tempest Turn.
"Citroen! Stay focused on neutralization!" Charles yelled back to her Limiter who nodded his understanding. Andre closed his eyes and dug deep into his own conscious before opening them once more pushing his other hand forward. A dual freezing field erupted from his body hitting Charles and Citroen sending the opposing Limiter to the snow breaking his concentration.
"Impossible!" Charles exclaimed as a shadow passed over her body.
"Your skills may be superior Charles Bonaparte…but your Limiter? I think not!" Elizabeth shouted sending her right leg towards Charles face. Charles shifted her clones through Andre's freezing and barely dodged the attack appearing behind Elizabeth.
"You tried to accelerate behind me? You didn't even do it right!" Charles laughed sending a flurry of fists into Elizabeth's abdomen and kidneys. "What's the problem? No more moral lessons?" Throughout the pain Elizabeth took each blow unable to keep up with Charles movements.
She could of already inflicted fatal blows…she's trying to ridicule me. Elizabeth realized.
"Division shower!" Charles called sending her copies into a whirlwind around Elizabeth hitting her across the face over and over. "Come on this is no fun if you don't at least try!"
My Satellites fire converging light rays, she's too fast to make proper calculations. I have to guess. Elizabeth thought trying to focus through the pain of Charles beating.
She can't…this type of opponent if the worst for a long range Pandora like Elizabeth. If even for a fraction of a second, I can stop all the copies Andre believed. Elizabeth's eyes widened as Charles locked in place frozen with equal look of shock.
"Tempest Typhoon stopped but how…" Elizabeth said looking back at Andre. Her mouth opened in horror as she looked at her Limiter reaching out with cracks forming around his hand and face. His eyes quickly glowing a brighter shade of yellow as he gritted his teeth, his body tearing itself apart. Citroen regained his footing looking on running up beside Charles.
"He's changing voluntarily? It's suicide!" Citroen yelled. Elizabeth ran towards Andre.
"Andre stop!" She screamed.
"What are you saying? Now is not the time to worry about me, this is your only chance, attack Elizabeth!" He shouted through the pain stopping her before she could reach him. "I'm not that weak! Even if from now until I die I'm completely exhausted I don't want to see you lose!"
In that instant Elizabeth spun working her fingers quickly triangulating the satellites above her rotating through countless algorithms and calculations to properly fire on her target.
"Are you crazy? You're leaving your partner to die for this meaningless fight!" Charles yelled. A blast of energy exploded inches from her body from one of the satellites and Charles eyes showed a hint of fear.
"It's not up to you to decide the importance of this fight. I decided it was right and Andre trusted me, we can't lose!" Another blast erupted from her satellites exploding on Charles in a plume of debris and smoke. Elizabeth looked back smiling at Andre who shakily raised his thumb up trying to force his stigmata back into proper synchronization.
"You fool, you think you've already won? I'll tell you one last time, you can't beat me!" Charles said as the smoke cleared revealing her uninjured. A translucent sphere or energy spun around her.
"That looks like the energy Varen uses…" Elizabeth voiced. Charles charged forward unhindered by Andre's freezing rapidly closing the distance. Elizabeth frantically worked her hands sending another beam that exploded just in front of Charles who stopped suddenly. In a blink she appeared behind Elizabeth and she cried out as she felt a fire like pain explode in her shoulder. She looked down with her mouth open seeing the punching daggers blade sticking from her back out her upper chest.
"Give up, this is over. If this continues I take no responsibility for what I will have to do." Charles said.
"We haven't lost yet!" Elizabeth screamed angling multiple shots behind her body that crashed into the bubble of protection surrounding Charles.
"Stop now, the difference between us is too much. Only a handful of Pandora can utilize this ability. Your attacks cannot break through. Don't you see? You lost this fight before it even started." Charles said. Elizabeth roared in protest again sending more blasts towards Charles who still held her impaled on the dagger blade. Again they exploded harmlessly on her shield with no effect.
"You are only a rich girl who knows nothing of the world. Loved by everyone, you're just a spoiled brat. You were given everything! You say you have to protect those that are weak, but hide under your father's wing! Your sense of justice is just to maintain appearances!" Charles accused ripping her blade free sending Elizabeth to her knees.
"This is why you can't understand something essential Elizabeth Mably. Everyone wants to protect the weak, but there are those who take advantage of the situation and insist they have the right to be saved. You've lived your life in your cradle, how could you ever know about it? Not all the weak are good people. There are those who will hurt others without a care, they can even abandon their own children…" Charles said as if thinking back to her own past. Elizabeth fell forward onto her stomach unable to stay on her knees any longer, blood flowing around her.
"You think you can help every weak person out there? What kind of fairy tale dream is that? You cannot accept that the sacrifice of a few to save the majority is what is truly right! The Nova could destroy us all at any moment, but you are more concerned with protecting the weak! What logic is that? Your kindness and determination deserve respect, but I'm betting my life on the success of this project and the will of my father. So long as your determination cannot overcome mine, you have no chance Elizabeth Mably."
"Father…your father is Mark Spencer…it all make sense now." Elizabeth said through the tears and pain. Charles stood in silence staring down at the fallen Pandora.
"Do you think you're betting more than Elizabeth?" A voice called out drawing Elizabeth back to her senses. "If by your logic all we have to do is bet more to overcome you then so be it. I'll bet all I have and prove Elizabeth is not wrong!" Andre screamed as cracks raced down his face and neck glowing red. Flames erupted around his eyes and wafted out of the cracks in his skin barely holding together. A freezing effect charged out of his body in all directions stopping Charles in her place once more and she looked on in terror as Andre slowing began lose his body.
"Stand up! You are not wrong! The life you're risking is the only thing that has value and because I believe in you I offer mine in return! Stand up! You are not one who kneels!" Andre shouted as Elizabeth struggled to her feet barely able to keep focus.
"OK, Andre." Elizabeth said quietly.
"Have you lost your mind you're going to kill your Limiter!" Charles yelled as another freezing pulse threatened to drop her to her knees. She had never felt such a powerful freezing effect in her life.
I have to continue freezing although my vision is blurring. I have to keep Charles in place. In the end this is the price I must pay. But...I've loved her since the moment I met her. Just look how she shines Andre smiled to himself as Elizabeth raced forward sending her knee into Charles stomach doubling her over. A blast from her satellite again ricocheted off the shield surrounding Charles.
"I told you, it's impossible!" Charles yelled forcing her will and stigmata to the limits dashing forward through Andre's intense freezing impaling her dagger into Elizabeth's abdomen. Charles smiled looking up at Elizabeth who equally smiled through the pain. That smile shattered Charles bravado.
"Andre…hold freezing for 30 seconds." Elizabeth said and Andre screamed once more letting his stigmata take control of him enhancing his power enough that Charles once more was held firm regardless of her strength. Citroen was thrown against a wall knocking him out from the impact.
"Enough! My shield will stop anything you can do! He's dying!" Charles yelled in fear.
"True, if you had your copies, but if he can hold you for 30 seconds I can amplify the satellites tenfold and pierce your barrier."
"Elizabeth!" Charles shouted.
"You said you were risking your life for your father and this project. Now let me teach you one thing. Even if you don't risk your life…" Elizabeth said as one satellite rotated into position in front of Charles and another behind her. The Tempest Phoenix looked on in terror. "True victory belongs to the righteous. Voltus Longinus!"
An immense beam passed between the two satellites shattering Charles shield and tearing through her midsection. Charles fell to the snow her volt weapons shattering as the snow turned red from her blood. She curled up holding her stomach a large hole torn through her entire body.
"For this reason, one as strong as you can lose against one as weak as me." Elizabeth said walking away kneeling down next to Andre who now lay on the ground. His body had stabilized, but cracks still ran down his cheeks from his eyes which bled heavily seared shut from the flames. His breathing came out in ragged gasps as she cradled his head.
"It was hard I know Andre. don't worry I'll save you." She cried rocking him slowly.
"It's already too late, even if you save him he'll never be normal again." Charles choked looking up from the snow. "You sacrificed him just to beat me and to satisfy your selfish ambitions. Is this what you meant by fighting for what's right?" Elizabeth set Andre down and walked over to Charles grabbing her by the front of her uniform dragging her face to face.
"Of course not you bitch! What is victory if you sacrifice the ones you love! Yet he has not stopped fighting Do you know why? I can't imagine you don't know why! It's because he didn't want to betray the convictions of the ones he loves! It was more important than his own life!" Elizabeth screamed in her face dropping her once more.
"It's true we believe in different things; I can't deny that. But everyone has something they want to protect. We are no exception. You too Charles, you should be fighting to protect what you love." Elizabeth said walking back to Andre slowly picking him up wrapping his arm around her body helping him walk away.
"Nobody wants to lose someone dear. This is true of the strong and the weak." Elizabeth said as she passed around the corner out of Charles sight.