[Scene: Metalia's inferno. Dev Heltry rise from the floor and attempt a spin kick at Neffy, but Neffy catches his foot in his hand.]
[El readies a spell, but Neffy send a blast her way to dispel it without releasing her brother's ankle.]
El: Let him go! We don't want to kill you!
Neffy: [Slurs drunkenly as he approaches her, forcing her brother to hop to keep from losing his balance] I don't think you've realized who is losing this fight.
[El charges Neffy for a gut punch but he swats her like a bug sending her flying.]
Dev: Why won't you just let us go home!
Neffy: I'm afraid I can't do that junior. You see, isn't not just a matter of this unbreakable oath I've taken to obey Metalia. That's I could squirrel around easily enough. [Neffy raises Dev's foot higher, so that Dev falls on the floor.] Its more a matter of rubbing Kunzite's face in this whole sordid affair and spending the rest of eternity carping on how The First Among Kings got bested by a pair of sprouts I managed to dispose of quite easily.
[El takes advantage of the long speech to summon a crystal dagger to stab him in the back. Neffy catches her without effort, kicking down her brother just as he is attempting to rise.]
[The twins make a low animal growling noise deep in their throats as their eyes glow bright red.]
Neffy: Mind control? Really? [a shadow rises from his body which quickly dissipates] That wouldn't work on me even if I were sober. Which begs the question, how the hell did you managed to pull that nonsense on wifeyboy?
El: Who?
Neffy: Zoisite. You know, Kunzite's little blond bit piece? You see, that bugs me, since according to everyone, it's supposed to be impossible.
El: Yeah? Well we're the masters of the fucking impossible!
Neffy: Language, tiny, you kiss your brother with that mouth? [roars with laughter] But seriously, let me know how you did that and I promise to make this swift and painless.
El: I'm not telling you shit!
Neffy: I guess you don't care how I decorate your corpse then.
[El holds out her palm and directs an energy blast at Neffy, that he easily deflects. El charges as Neffy while he is distracted, and he grabs her and throws her into her brother just as he is attempting to rise.]
[They attempt to clasp hands, but Neffy kicks them apart.]
Neffy: Oh no you don't. I know your little tricks. I don't mind dragging this out for my own sick amusement, but you try pooling your power again, and I will squish you like the insects you are.
[The two lie of the ground]
El: Dev, we are getting our asses kicked.
Dev: So I've noticed.
El: And you don't have a plan?
Dev: Why do I always have to come up with the plans?
El: Because you think my plans all suck, remember?
Dev: Oh, yes, they certainly do.
[Neffy towers over them, waiting for them to make a move]
El: Wait. I just remembered something important.
Dev: What?
El: There are two of us and only one of him.
[The two hop to their feet and run toward opposite corners.]
[Neffy looks back and forth before chasing after Dev]
[He closes half the distance before El materializes on Neffy's back, with a dagger in each hand]
El: [laughing as she plunges the daggers into his shoulders] Typical chauvinist. Chasing after the boy and totally discounting the girl. So fucking predictable.
[Leans forward, yanks her from his back and throws her to the floor]
El: [still laughing] Hasn't anyone told you that the female of the species is more deadly than the male.
Neffy: And what species would that be, exactly? [raising his foot to stomp on her]
El: Wouldn't you like to know?
Neffy: Actually, to be honest, I could care less. [Stomps on her with bonecrushing force]
[Dev turns, horrorstruck, Neffy turns to regard him and El leaps to her feet, summoning a katana of energy]
El: Dev, clear the portal! I'll deal with Drunken Uncle Neffy!
Neffy: [regards the sword] Oh. You can't beat me with your bare hands and now you want to escalate this? Fair enough.
[A pair of katanas materialize his his hands]
[Neffy and El clash swords in furious battle]
[Dev goes to the portal and starts to remove the threads of energy, but stops when he checks and sees El is barely holding her own, while Neffy is scoring several shallow cuts and slash.]
Dev: El!
Neffy: Don't worry kid. I'm just toying with your sister. You'll know this is serious when she starts losing limbs.
Dev: El, I can't just-
El: God damn it, Wren! If you want to play hero, clear that portal so we can get out of here! Otherwise we both die!
[A spear of dark energy appears in Dev's hand and he pitches it at Neffy's back. As it nears him, he grabs El and spins, using her as a shield. The spear hits her, and Neffy laughs as she convulses with energy.]
Neffy: Nice shot, boy, you just killed your own sister.
El: [scowls and punching him in the balls] Don't you Shitennou ever listen? We are NOT trying to KILL you. [She does a judo throw and drives him into the ground]
Neffy: Ok. Now I'm mad.
[He charges to his feet and starts slashing at her more furiously. She bleeds as deeper cuts open. They heal, but not as fast as he inflicts them. Meanwhile Dev is working on clearing the threads before the portal]
Dev: El! I've cleared enough for us to get through- [He turns and goes pale as he sees how cut up she is]
El: You go! I'll join you in a minute!
Dev: No. You first.
El: Don't be an idiot! You are right there! Leave now!
Dev: No. It's a trick. Do you think he will just let me escape?
Neffy: Of, course I will just let you escape. I think we all want the same thing here.
El: Oh? And what is that?
Neffy: [to El] For him to live and for you to die.
El: [grins] Very good, Uncle Neffy. You aren't as dumb as you look.
Dev: What? I don't understand.
Neffy: You really are the dumber twin. Let me spell this out for you. Metallia ordered me to neutralize you, but you two are only a threat if you are together. So I don't have kill the both of you. I only have to kill one of you. Meaning your sister, of course.
Dev: No.
Neffy: Oh yes. I know how your powers work. Neither of you can create a timeportal alone, so if that door closes with you on opposite sides...well, Jadeite could kick your ass and that's saying something. So with you gone back through your door to Nowhereland, I can take my sweet time about hacking your sister to bits and making her suffer...You see, I intend to deliver her to Metallia as a sobbing, crying mess, to do whatever the hell she wants with whatever is left of her.
El: [winks] And the whole time I will be laughing. Since I am totally worthless. I am the most universally hated person in the entire cosmos, so as long as my brother gets away, I don't even care what you do to me.
[Dev stands there, wideeyed. Then as soon as Neffy's back is turned, he holds up a tiny glass pyramid.]
[El grins and nods and does her best to hold Neffy's attention]
[Dev throws the pyramid, and it clatters toward Neffy, but at the last moment he backflips out of the way.]
Neffy: Ha, you fool. You think I forgot your little toys? You will have to do a lot better than that!
Dev: I wasn't aiming for you.
[The pyamid scurries past Neffy to El, and enlarges and folds, encasing her in glass.]
El: [in shock] Dev! What the hell did you just do!
Dev: Only one of us has to die? [Dev turns toward Neffy, a flaming sword appearing in his hand] Well its not going to be her.