After placing several clips of Dust darts into her pouches, Elise loaded her rifle and slid it onto her back. Taking a deep breath, she double checked the tightness of her belt while looking over. Despite the tired look in her eyes, she seemed as determined as ever. "That... is the single most stupidest song I have ever heard in my entire life." She knelt down to tightly pull her shoe laces. Her fingers brushing across the knife Cheyenne had made her that was strapped to her leg.
"What?" Holding out her scroll, Kris stared baffled at her friend. "This is literally a classic!" She collapsed her scroll and slid it away into her pocket. "I don't just listen to heavy metal like all of you think! This song is a timeless classic. Don't be rude to the good old songs." She crossed her arms with a heavy pout. Her weight shifted ever so slightly as she stuck her hip out. "They're just as good as any of the new hits."
"It does sound a little bit... ridiculous." Kagami quietly clarified while velcroing her fingerless gloves on. "I mean, it should work and annoy Rey. And I'll sing it either way, but it does sound like a petty thirteen year old wrote it."
The young redhead stared at her for a moment. With her eyebrow twitching, she reached up and rubbed her face. After a second, she let out a frustrated scream.
Softly sighing, Cheyenne reached over to gently pat her back. "Hey, don't let them get to you. I think it's an okay song. Plus it's going to save the day and help out a bunch of people." She pulled away slightly while reaching up to scratch at her antlers. "Well... hopefully." A hint of doubt and concern filled her voice.
"We're going to make it work if we have to." Their leader added as she pulled the leather strap of her weapon tight. Slowly inhaling, she forced back the urge to yawn as she narrowed her eyes. Hearing her scroll go off, she glanced down at her hip before pulling it out.
"Guess that's Azure giving the four of you your cue to go." Sitting on the floor, Baren calmly leaned back while resting her left arm over her lap. Locking eyes with the jadette, she nodded with a smile. "Good luck." She softly spoke.
"I make my own luck." The young warrior grinned back.
In the early morning hours, just as the sun broke over the horizon and began to illuminate the city of Mantle, the delusional rainbow thief sat in a chair behind a desk. Typing away at a computer, he transferred lien from a clearly fake account to several other accounts. Those accounts are owned by some not so good Huntsmen and Huntresses. Exhaling softly as he finished, he leaned forward to rub his face. "The day of reckoning comes closer..." He slowly stood while a few strands of hair fell loose from his ponytail. Walking out of the room, he overlooked the inside of the warehouse as weapons were being loaded into several trucks by hired mercenaries. Smiling to himself, a sense of accomplishment washed over him for a moment.
"Um, hey boss?" One of the many men came running up from the outside. Panting heavily, he rested one hand on his knee while holding up the other. "There's... there's uh... uh..." Catching his breath, he stood up straight while sharply inhaling. "These kids. They're out front. They're asking for you, sir." He managed to speak clearly for a moment before going back to panting.
"What?" Rey snapped his head in his direction. Pure anger glazing over his eyes. "What do you mean? What kids?" His body flexed underneath his white tuxedo.
"Uh... not Ebony and Ivory?" The man softly shrugged. "They look like they're maybe younger mates of theirs though."
Slowly breathing in and out, his chest rose and fell several times before he finally turned on his heels. Squaring his shoulders, he balled his hand into fist while clutching his cane tight as he stormed off. His footsteps echoing all throughout the warehouse.
"Um should I get your boyfriend or..." The mercenary trailed off as he lost sight of his boss. "Or not." He blinked once before shrugging and going back to what he was originally doing before.
Outside the building, Kris used her weapon to poke the cheek of an unconscious mercenary. "Are we sure Kagami can annoy him enough to the point he stumbles and messes up? I mean, no offence, I don't doubt you, but triggering people is what I do best. I'm the agent of chaos here."
"That's the exact reason it can't be you." Eyeing her, the jadette gently laid down a large female brute. "People expect you to be a pain. Which makes them prepared for it and far less effective than what it would normally be."
"No it doesn't." Elise shook her head while leaning against a cargo truck. She then loaded a new clip into her rifle. "My blood will never not boil when she speaks to me. Kris is the definition of infuriating. That will never change."
Watching as her leader sighed in defeat, Cheyenne softly shook her head with a smile. Blinking once, she then quickly raised her weapon while taking aim. "We have company. Our man of honor has arrived. Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Kagami smiled back as she took a few steps in front of her team and knocked out goons around them.
"I understood that reference." The short redhead chuckled while holding up a finger. Music softly playing from her earmuffs. "I think she's been listening to some of my playlists."
"You damn..." Storming towards them, Rey was heavily hunched forward with his shoulders squared. "...brats." He hissed. Undoing the sleeves of his suit, he pushed them up while narrowing his eyes. "This is the last straw." He went to quickly unbutton his suit while showing off his white dress shirt underneath. "I am sick and tired of all this shit." With his can in his left hand, he held up his right and prepared to snap.
"Wait." The jadette quickly held up a hand to stop him. "We all know what's about to happen. Why don't you give us a one last request kind of thing? Hmm?" She lightly smiled.
"Sorry. I don't think we have the same sense of honor here. I don't do last requests." He twirled his cane with a snarl.
"Even if it's just choosing the song of our demise?" She cocked her head to the side while placing her hands on her hips. She knew that would at least get to him.
Pausing for a moment, he thought to himself before narrowing his eyes. "What's your game here, kid?"
"I just want to choose the song I sing before I die. That's it." She flashed a smile.
Glaring, he seemed hesitant before letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine." He ran his free hand through his hair to push back the loose strands of his ponytail. "You've piqued my interest. What kind of trashy song do you want then, hmm?"
"Anything You Can Do by Ethel Merman." Was her reply.
"Done." He locked eyes with her while holding up his right hand. His thumb and middle finger snapping as music picked up around the outside of the warehouse. "Now little girl, I'm about to give you a lesson in theater." He went to start off, just as he had always done, only to be interrupted by her.
"You couldn't give me a lesson on how to put my long hair up." She scoffed. Unstrapping her weapon, Kagami spun her sheathed sword around before pressing the tip against the ground. Holding it with both hands in a mocking way like it was a cane, she grinned while sticking her hip out. "Anything you can sing, I can sing better... I can sing anything better than you." She began to sing as she raised her weapon and pointed at him.
Glancing around, anger flickered in his eyes as he narrowed them. "No, you can't." He let out bluntly.
"Yes, I can." She spun her weapon and let it rest over her shoulder.
"No, you can't." He took a step towards her.
"Yes, I can." She stepped back while holding out her arms.
"No, you can't." He gritted his teeth while tightly gripping his cane.
"Yes, I can, yes, I can." She winked while sidestepping away.
Rey scoffed, rolling his eyes. Twirling his cane, he tossed it into his right hand and pointed at her with it. "Anytime I perform I will be better... Sooner or later your aura is through."
"No, it's not." She calmly shrugged.
"Yes, it is." His eyes narrowed.
"No, it's not." She playfully smiled while moving away.
"Yes, it is." He took a step towards her.
"No, it's not." She spun her sword before holding out her arms in an open gesture.
"Yes, it is, yes, it is." Breathing heavily, he placed extra emphasis on each of his words. Clutching his cane, he raised it towards his chest before swiping outward. The cane let out a quiet whistle as it sliced through the air. "I can take out your momma with blunt force trauma."
"Well I can clear a horde with just a single sword." Kagami flashed a playful grin before leaning back against a cargo truck. Her sword gently resting over her shoulder.
Raising his foot, he let it fall back down with a heavy thud. "I can end this great divide."
"With violence?" Her head cocked to the side.
"Yes." He replied.
"Well so can he." Her smile grew as she ducked down and stepped away just as his cane impaled the truck where her head was previously.
He grunted, jerking his weapon out as he turned on his heels to glare at her. "Anything you can dream I can dream greater."
"I can dream anything greater than you." She slipped in front of him while lightly tapping her sheathed weapon against his cane.
He let out a sharp growl as he stepped away. "No, you can't."
"Yes, I can." She smiled as the two of them went back and forth, their voices raising higher and higher.
"No, you can't." His eyes narrowed coldly. How dare she mock him.
"Yes, I can." Her smile grew as she saw the anger flickering in his eyes.
"No, you can't!" He tossed his arms to the sides while taking a step forward.
"Yes, I can!" She braced herself against the ground with her sword.
"No, you can't!" He brought his cane around to swipe at her feet.
"Yes, I can!" She took a deep breath, jumping up and flipping over him. Her back gliding across his.
"No, you can't!" He whipped his body around to strike.
"Yes, I can!" She winked while dodging before calmly stepping away.
Rey bared his teeth while taking a few quick breaths. "Any merc I can hire can- will kick your ass."
"I can kick your mercs' asses and you." She locked eyes with him.
"Ten of them?" He cocked his head.
"Twenty men." She shrugged.
"Thirty men?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Fifty men." She smiled.
He scoffed. "No, you can't."
"Yes, I can! Yes, I can!" Kagami gave an appropriate nod.
Slowly breathing out, he ran his fingers through his hair. "You just can't comprehend how it's all not fair."
"Unlike you I can say I truly care." She placed a hand on her hip.
"No, you don't." He inhaled sharply.
"Yes, I do." She smiled.
"No, you don't." Taking his chance, he lunged forward towards her.
"Yes, I do." Raising her weapon, she parried against his cane while playfully stepping around him.
"No, you don't." He spun around, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes, I do, yes, I do." She let out a silent chuckle while stepping away.
"I'll end inequality, blow out all poverty." Rey gestured towards himself with both hands.
"I can see your downfall, it's not that hard to call." She pointed at him with her sheathed sword.
"I can change Mantle." He aggressively pointed at himself.
"Without any death?" She raised an eyebrow with a cocky smile.
He rolled his eyes. "As if."
"That's what I thought, you thief." Kagami shook her head while moving back.
"Listen, you have no place in this fight here." He began to pace back and forth.
"I know when I'm needed anytime, anywhere." She spun her sword around.
Growling, he pointed his cane at her. "Well, you're not."
"Yes, I am." She placed her hand on her hip while setting her weapon on the ground and leaning onto it.
"No, you're not." He bared his teeth while moving towards her.
"Yes, I am." She held her ground while gripping her sword.
"No, you're not!" He raised his cane to backhand it against her.
"Yes, I am-" Tossing her weapon up, she caught it in a reverse grip while blocking.
"No you're not-!" He grunted against her.
"Yes, I am!" She held onto the note while pushing him back.
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" Rey snapped as he brought his fist around. Striking her in the face, he smiled with a silent chuckle as she stumbled back. "I can change the world far greater than you."
Rubbing the side of her head, she took a deep breath while looking up. "But I could lead these fools better than you."
He scoffed while glancing at his warehouse and trucks around. "In my shoes?"
"With your suit." She smiled.
"With your hands?" He was clearly not amused. This was his kingdom he built.
She flashed a chaotic grin. "In your pants."
He flashed his teeth as anger flickered in his eyes again. "How dare you!"
"How dare what? Speak the truth?" Kagami raised her eyebrows while standing up straight.
"I am a dethroned king destined for greatness!" He took a step forward while stomping his foot down.
"You are delusional and anxious." She smiled back.
"No, I'm not." He let out an animalistic snarl.
"Yes, you are." Her eyes met his.
"No, I'm not." He insisted.
"Yes, you are." She mocked.
"No, I'm not." Rey began to move towards her once again. His knuckles turned white from how tight he gripped his cane.
"Yes, you are." She rolled her shoulders before stepping towards him as well.
"No, I'm not." He stopped as he became face to face with her.
"Yes, you are." She grinned. Her face centimeters from his.
"I can help this kingdom!" He declared with a shake of his fist.
"We can fix the harm done." Her head cocked to the side.
"I can bring forth real peace!" He leaned in more.
"Only when you're deceased." She shoved him away while jumping back.
Stumbling, he growled as he caught his balance and looked up. "I can change everything!"
Kagami rolled her eyes before smiling. It was time to end this. "Can you even sing?"
"Yes." He flashed his teeth as strands of his hair fell loose.
"Well, so can I." She swung her weapon onto her back before tightening the strap around her chest.
Pure rage burned in his eyes as his brow softly twitched. "Anything you can sing, I can sing better." He gestures towards himself with his thumb.
Now this was exactly what she wanted. "I can sing anything better than you." She slid her right foot back with a smile. Lowering her center of gravity, she braced herself as the two of them went back and forth one last time. Their voices low and soft.
"No, you can't."
"Yes, I can."
"No, you can't."
"Oh, yes, I can."
"No, you can't!"
"Yes, I can."
"No, you can't!"
"Yes, I can."
"No, you can't, can't, can't!"
"Yes, I can, can, can, can!"
"No, you can't!"
"Yes, I can!" Kagami grinned, holding onto the note as long as she could.
Grinding his teeth together, the rainbow thief had clearly had enough. This wasn't how things were supposed to roll. This isn't how his musical numbers were supposed to go. He was the king in a world of peasants. He was going to take control of Mantle and save it from itself. "Enough!" Rey's voice cracked as he forced a bow and waved both his arms outward. "I'm tired of this bullshit you fu-" He blinked once, his eyes widening as he watched his aura fizzle away. "No... no..." His eyes shot all around as he took a small step away. "No! No-guah!" He grunted. A pair of boots colliding with his face and sending him flying through a window of the warehouse.
Sorry it's been so long. I've been rather busy. I got my Roman Holiday copy and started working out so I don't look like a potato and have just been busy. I also started another writing project that I may end up uploading to AO3 but I don't know yet. I'm a coward when it comes to people reading my stuff. The next couple chapters should come out in a more timely manner since they're fighting scenes. I tend to write those faster. Remember to be nice to everyone!