Nightmares were frequent enough for Jinx that not having them could leave her disoriented when she woke. Coming out of a drug-induced unconsciousness to see her underdressed blood-drenched furious sister turn away from her while wrapping chains around her fists made her awakening more surreal than her hazy dreams of Vi and her playing enforcers and organizers.
She's alive! She screamed my name. Names. We're in Singed's lab, right?
An attempt to form words failed and Jinx felt too groggy to push herself up. Apparently oblivious to her now, Vi was already rushing away into the next room.
Are we alone? No. There was a roar that had brought me to. That could only be… the other revenant. Jinx knew of Subject 1088 but only in passing. Silco and of course Singed were tight lipped about it, but her guardian had told her enough to not cause a panicked or breakdown response.
Vi hasn't though. Clenching her fists, she could only say "Vi" in a soft voice. She stumbled forward to the table and looked around for her weapons. Already there were screams, roars, thrashing, and groans from a fight nearby.
Caitlyn sprinted out. She was covered in blood too, but dressed and it didn't seem to be hers. "Jinx, we have to try and help her. There's a chimera and Singed just swallowed the monster shimmer."
For a moment, Jinx was the little girl on the bridge hearing explosions and gunshots. Smelling burning paper, gunpowder, alcohol, and flesh. Catching glimpses of blue metallic monsters gleefully dispensing death on her people. On her parents.
But it passed. I am not her. If I have to be, I will let the monster out.
"Where are my guns?" Jinx moved fast but unsteadily and checked the cabinets.
"I didn't see it, but I heard him put it in a drawer. Perhaps it would be… viola!" Cait exclaimed. She picked up her revolver and Jinx's pistol. Jinx practically leapt to grab it but stumbled. Da Cait hesitated. "Only what is necessary, agreed?"
My mom was killed a long time ago, Cap. I don't need a new one right now. Jinx nodded. "You too for the wolfman, Kiramman."
Cait passed it over and the two entered the loud, dangerous room. It was pandemonium.
Shimmered Vi had wrapped one of her chains around Warwick's large right claws and was trying to tie it to a metal tank. They were both moving so fast they were hard to see clearly, but there wasn't much of Vander left, at least in his face. Yet, he didn't yet resemble a huge wolf vastayan either. They didn't seem to know each other.
Singed was still gaining height, muscles, and power from his potion. He had retrieved an immense spiked shield and was searching in a cabinet for something.
"Everyone stop! There's no need for this," Caitlyn ordered. Jinx almost rolled her eyes and aimed at Singed as best she could. Steady, you useless hands!
You're going to shoot and kill Vi. Maybe she'll be gone for good this time, Mylo jeered.
The drugs are still in your system, Claggor remarked.
Vander broke the chains easily and swiped at Vi with his comparatively small left arm. She blocked and moved in for an uppercut. He evaded and delivered a direct full headbutt on Vi. She stumbled back toward Vi and Jinx. Vander advanced on Singed with a chilling growl.
Singed had pulled a couple of flasks out. Cait well-aimed shots caused one to splatter and start eating into the floor while Jinx missed. Cait hit the other and it evaporated into a cloud they were glad to not be close to though it did not seem to have an impact on him. He swung his shield around just in time to block a slash from the creature's great claws.
"Vi." Jinx risked a negative reaction going for a half-hug of her sister. "The–that is Vander. The doctor and Silco were going to call him Warwick."
"Powder," Vi said and made the hug a full one. Cait made a face that conveyed "now?!" but she stepped aside while keeping her aim on the two battling behemoths. "Of course. That's what they do. Erase memories; give new names."
Jinx grimaced.
"She needs time to process things. She'll want to stay with 'Powder,'" Claggor claimed.
"No, she thinks 'Jinx' is Silco's corruption of Powder and you'll end up fighting her too. She's at least half-right," Mylo mocked.
Warwick was on a ferocious offensive against Singed, but he was weakened from before while Singed had never been stronger. With their speed and Singed's shield, Cait couldn't get a clear shot.
Jinx broke the hug and they tried to return to the fight. Jinx slid to try to get a different angle on Singed while Vi stepped back and then made a running leap.
Warwick must have sensed her incoming as he side-stepped just in time. Vi landed not in a way to assault Singed but to rip his shield down. Singed replied with an amateurish but powerful swing that Vi tried to roll with but failed. She was sent back with blood flying from her mouth.
The doctor followed with a haymaker at Warwick, but the creature evaded and moved for his jugular with his fangs. Singed was fast enough to get his other hand up and used his strength to push him away. Still, with Warwick and Vi not engaging each other and the two blue-haired sharpshooters looking for openings, Singed knew this battle had one eventual conclusion.
"You don't want to kill me," he shouted and squatted to bring his shield back up.
"You sure about that?" Vi challenged and was already back to make a spin kick a fraction of a second too late to knock the shield from him but did push him back. He swung to block Warwick's claws from slashing him and scrapped Warwick's arm with the shield's spike. He took most of a series of jabs from Vi and made a potent kick into knee.
He backed up more and brought his shield up just in time to protect his head for a shot from Jinx. "There would be consequences from my death you can't foresee," he warned and backed to a machine.
Another roar from Warwick was the reply as he leapt at him to swipe down at his head. Singed ducked down but Warwick turned it into a spin and badly slashed the doctor's back before tumbling onto his knees.
Warwick nearly executed a finishing blow when Singed activated the machine. Warwick's claws were instantly pulled against the machine. Jinx and Cait's firearms followed shortly. Singed took a breath before Vi could get close and shoved the nonferrous spiked shield into Warwick's chest with his full might. He screamed and slumped over.
An uppercut from Vi connected well with Singed and she pulled the impalement out of her late father figure. Jinx and Cait moved forward to try to help, but the doctor threw a table at them, knocking them both back. Vi switched off the electromagnetic generator making the fading Warwick stumble forward as the guns fell to the floor. "Warwick," Vi said. "We need to protect–"
Her sentence was stopped by Singed smashing a chair into her neck and upper back. Even with her shimmered body she went down hard. Singed put a foot on her neck and started applying pressure. "None of you understand," he said and resolved to conclude the subject's life.
Snikt! Singed blinked and tried to say something, but couldn't. His head rolled off his body. An exhausted and terrible-looking Warwick used his bloodied claws to break his fall on the ground. Jinx moved to Vi while Cait recovered the guns while keeping an eye on Warwick.
"How bad of shape is she?" Claggor asked.
Jinx saw Vi was already getting up and her injuries were less severe than Jinx thought they'd be. "Bravo, sis. Sorry you and Warwick had to do it all."
Vi embraced her sister again. "Well, you were owed one, Powder."
Jinx stiffened at that. Be patient. Give her time. And give me time, Mylo. No need to say anything.
Mylo just cackled.
"Caitlyn, how is the old man?" Jinx asked and gradually broke the hug.
Caitlyn shook her head. "It looks like the doctor had a powerful poison coating the spikes of his shield. One hit his heart."
Jinx knelt down to look into Warwick's face. Warwick took a pained deep breath and looked into her eyes. "Safe?" he asked in a husky voice that maintained part of Vander. At least to Jinx.
Jinx smiled as her eyes became clear ponds. "Yes, we are. The monster you destroyed will not harm us. I'm sorry for what happened. I never thanked you for all you did for us. We're together again. We'll make you proud."
Warwick nodded and groaned. Jinx took his still human hand and half-turned around. "Vi, do you have–"
A sound as familiar as her own voice rang in Jinx's ears. The sound of her pistol being discharged. She finished turning and saw a little smoke coming from its barrel as Vi lowered it with a resolute expression. Whirling around, she saw Warwick hitting the ground. With a gunshot in his heart. Lifeless.