The Mask Shatters
Chapter 23
"How well will he adapt to this new situation, I wonder?"
Standing there, bathed in the hue of an azure blaze, stood a figure. Taller than Arthur, taller than Wallace. The Nekomatas stood there in awe, eyes bedazzled by the sudden spectrum of colors and invasive laughing.
The laughing was deep and, almost, accented in a way.
It bellowed and it echoed, with the figure unfolding his arms as the flames burned him from head to toe, all the while Wallace stood there, having fallen to his knees as blood trickled from his lips and chin. Arthur stood by, watching in just the same amount of awe as his enemies did.
"Wow…." One of the Nekomatas hummed in absolute bafflement.
"What is the meaning of this…?" Another spoke up, inching away as her legs trembled with fear.
The flames gave way to a visage.
The blue sparks of rebellion died away, revealing the form of a man with bright red bearded locks standing tall and proud over his allies and enemies. Arthur looked this figure up and down, and when the blue flames vanished completely, he realized he was staring at a humongous, shirtless, barrel-chested man. Hoisted proudly over his shoulders was the familiar flag of Scotland, though it was seemingly attached to a sharp and jagged polearm of medieval making - an image that served to be all the more striking with the traditional Scottish kilt that the figure unabashedly adorned.
Arthur scoffed, realizing exactly what a Persona was now.
"William Wallace, huh…?" Arthur looked up to the Persona up and said, "So this is his 'rebellious spirit'?" Arthur asked "No fucking way…"
Wallace staggered up to his feet, throwing his hand to the side as flecks of blood leaped forward from the sudden motion. Arthur caught a view of Wallace, and noted that it looked like the very flesh was torn from his face, and it startled Arthur to no end. He backed away, and Wallace opened his mouth to speak, surprising Arthur that the pain he seemed to be congested with did not affect his words one bit.
"I will never become the lamb again." He murmured, stamping a foot downwards onto the hilt of his blade. It jumped upwards, and he caught it with a single hand in one fluid motion. "I will fight my enemies in the thick of the night, or in the bright of the day." He grasped the hilt, slowly pointing the blade towards his enemies as a sadistic glare overtook his usual gloomy, neutral self. "Wherever it may be found, wherever the truth resides! I will find it!"
"The truth…?" Arthur echoed quietly, squinting at Wallace in confusion before simply nodding, reminding himself of Wallace's true intentions, and realizing now that they do not align with his own.
"I am the champion of Scotland's Independence!" The figure loudly shouted with unrestrained pride loud and proud, a deep Scottish accent shadowing every word. "William Wallace!" He twirled his polearm between his fingers, slamming it down onto the floor below in one, swift motion. And from the tip of the polearm erupted a bloody red explosion that knocked the Nekomatas back several feet.
They screamed, skidding and sliding against the glass panes. It was a testament to those that constructed the room that the panes did not shatter at the sheer force the creatures met them with.
William knelt before Wallace, who turned to face his Persona. Flipping his hood back, Arthur, for the first time, witnessed a young man in his true habitat. His platinum blonde hair swayed and danced with the force that this Persona emitted, as if there was a draft from some unknown place. William reached out to him, stamping his Scottish flag into the floor below with a mighty crack. "With my aid, and my strength, we shall curse our enemies for their transgressions upon us and our own, my other self!" William called out.
"Yes." Wallace said calmly, taking William's large hand into his own. "Let us fight for our freedom."
William chuckled, standing upright as he stared into Wallace's soul. "Your wish is my command, my brave freedom fighter!" William clenched onto Wallace's free hand, and within one motion, he spun him around. "Well, then. Onwards!" William called out as Wallace spun and twisted, turned and danced, with his sword in hand and a sadist's glare burned into his eyes. "Unto the breach once more!"
"Oh, totally not fair…" One of the Nekomatas grimaced as she stood up, shaking her head and gathering her senses. "I totally wasn't ready for that…"
"You think a measly little Persona is going to stop us?" Another called out as she jumped to her feet, stepping forward before the trio, evidently taking charge. "We'll tear you to shreds, and present your heads to President Kaneshiro!"
"And I'll play with your bodies afterwards!" The third called out, giggling a demented chortle as she pronounced herself into a stance. "Ohhh, we're gonna have so much fun!"
"What the fuck?!" Arthur cried out as he listened to every word. "Is this shit normal?!" He turned to Wallace, disgusted.
"Remember: These are the emotions of mankind made fruition!" Wallace growled. "As such, they will do everything and anything to set you off balance. Lust, anger, fear, all is fair game to these Shadows."
"Right…" Arthur said as he placed a hand on his sword hilt, ready to go at a moment's notice. He could feel the fencer's instinct kicking in, and as he prepared himself into his own personal stance, Wallace stopped him with a wave of his hand.
"Stay out of this, Yankee Doodle Samurai!" Wallace called out, challenging the closest Nekomata with the end of his blade. "They're mine!"
"Ooh, feisty…" The lead Nekomata said, approaching Wallace with bloodlust in her eyes. "I think I'll rip you apart first, and save your friend for dessert."
"Trust me, lassy. Where yer goin'..." Wallace placed both hands on the hilt of sword, eyeing the Nekomatas up and down, watching and waiting for a moment to strike. "...Yer'll wanna save yer appetite… Satan has an all ya can eat buffet!"
And with that, Nekomata lunged at him, screeching in demented fury as she extended her claws, but Wallace stepped idly to the side, slamming the pommel of his sword into her skull on her passing. A sickening, wet snap sounded off as she crumpled to the floor, yowling as she grasped at her evidently fractured cranium. Wallace, without hesitating, stamped on her neck with a single stomp, and all Arthur could hear was a wet, feline-esque gurgle emanating from the trapped Nekomata.
She struggled underneath the weight of his foot, but as the seconds dragged on, he eventually forced it down, snapping the Nekomata's neck and ending her pitiful existence.
She vanished in a puff of red and black smoke, and he then turned to face the next threat.
The two remaining Nekomatas growled and rushed at Wallace at the same time, one jumping at him and the other lunging low, attempting to grab him from both angles. This he could not dodge, and they pinned him to the floor, scratching and screeching. Arthur did nothing, and only watched in terror and confusion as Wallace tried his seemingly best to fight them off.
Wallace grabbed the closest Nekomata by her throat and began to pummel her, shaking her as he did so. Strike after strike, a bloody and broken nose and jaw following it all. She tried to fight back, but was more concerned with her closed airway, and began to claw at the tight grip around her neck, but it was to no avail. Wallace then, with seemingly no effort at all, threw her to the side to focus on his second attacker, who was busy trying to climb up his body.
"Back ya mangy filth!" He shouted, raising a foot as he cried out his taunts. He began to kick her. Once, twice, thrice. Again and again until, finally, her grip loosened and he, in turnfinally, was able to kick her off. She flew backwards, landing on her back and overturning a nearby table in the chaos.
Wallace was quick to jump to his feet, recovering his blade as he moved before turning his attention on the Nekomata whose jaw he had broken. She was just lying there, holding in place the fractured remains of her jaw, and her eyes grew wide as Wallace began to approach her. She struggled and fumbled, falling onto her back as she threw whatever she managed to find at her attacker. But he simply shrugged these annoyances off, all while Arthur watched in surprise and slight horror as Wallace hooked the blade around her neck.
"Please…" She begged as Wallace applied pressure to the blade.
Wallace didn't respond, and simply cut her throat in one fluid dance, he spun on his feet - his back to the Nekomata as she burst into a puff of crimson smoke - as he stared down the third Nekomata, who was struggling to their feet.
"You're strong…" She noted as she placed a hand on a nearby counter, slipping and falling face first into the floor. All the while Wallace just watched as she stood back up, dazed and confused.
Wallace rose a finger towards her, and shouted a single name.
"Willy Wallace!"
And just like that, William Wallace rose his polearm above his head, growling in triumphant bloodlust before swiftly slamming it downwards in the floor below, smashing it into tiny pieces around him.
The Nekomata then exploded in a puff of red and black smoke, and Arthur could've sworn he saw a skull appear within the haze. The sheer force of the explosion smattered the windows behind her, shattering with a loud crash that nearly deafened Arthur and Wallace. The two looked at each other before, suddenly, the unmistakable sound of an alarm system set off.
A loud, blaring klaxon that alerted not only Arthur, not only Wallace, but the whole bank.
"Security Team to Guard Station Alpha-Omega. Intruders detected!" The intercom buzzed, a familiar and disdainful voice playing itself over the sounds of the alarm. "Eliminate them, whatever the cost!"
Arthur recognized the voice. And he could only sneer in silent disgust as he realized who it was.
"Graham…" He murmured, an angry grip tightening over the hilt of his blade.
But the realization of his situation played right into his head, and suddenly the anger vanished, replaced simply by the fear of the unknown.
"What do we do?!" Arthur called out to Wallace, making himself heard over the intercom.
"Over here!" An unseen voice called out. Arthur knew it was the security team, closing in on their position like vultures on a carcass. It was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed, as even now, Arthur could hear the sounds of boots clattering upon the floor outside.
Movement… Running… Sprinting…
And it sounded as if there were tons of them…
Wallace growled, as if annoyed by the turn of events, and looked up at his Persona, who simply nodded a response to his unheard question. Wallace nodded back, and looked back at Arthur, a scowl burning onto his expression. He twirled his blade between his fingers before, and he spoke calmly.
"On the count of three, ya run."
"Huh?!" Arthur asked Wallace, but he didn't respond. He simply turned his back to Arthur, and counted aloud.
"One…"
The sounds of the guards grew closer. And now it seemed as if they were coming from all directions.
"Two…"
Arthur gulped, unsure of what to do. He simply took a step back, looking for an avenue of escape. Of which there seemed to be none.
The only way was forward.
The sounds were right on top of them, and as a guard rounded the corner, Wallace screamed aloud a battle cry that could shake even the seven seas themselves.
"Three!"
He jumped forward, tackling the guard to the floor, while hooking his blade into the guard's shoulder. The guard screamed in agony, and Wallace turned, facing his oncoming attackers with William Wallace standing over him.
"For freedom, Willy Wallace!" He cried out, pointing at the sudden horde of security officers before him. A humongous scarlet explosion sounded off, with skulls flying in every direction and sending each of the officers tumbling and stumbling. Shouting in confusion and terror at the horrors they witnessed from within the skulls.
Wallace looked at Arthur, while delivering a swift kick to the guard below. He kicked up his weapon, a small SMG, and chucked it to Arthur.
Arthur clambered to catch it, fumbling around with it to the point of nearly dropping it as he shook in place, staring at it with wide eyes.
"A gun?!" Arthur screamed internally, frightened of the idea of actually using one against something that wasn't a straw bullseye.
He looked up at Wallace, who was glaring at him with a pair of yellow, narrowed eyes.
"Run ye idiot!" Wallace cried out. "Run! Back the way we came! Don't stop until yer outside!"
And with that, Arthur ran.
Persona Description
William Wallace - William Wallace, known as Willy Wallace in some circles, was a Scottish freedom fighter in the Dark Ages of Europe. He was known for uniting the Scottish against English occupation and fighting for not only his independence, but for Scotland's as well. A mighty warrior, and an even mightier tactician, however his fight ultimately ended at the Battle of Falkirk, where he was defeated, captured, and later executed by King Edward the First of England.
Post-Chapter Author's Note
Edited by Frozen Foe and Kabuto S. Inferno.