P.S. Due to posting three chapters simultaneously, please go back to What Then? 1.1 to make this chapter below have sense.

Preparation

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA

She began knocking at a door.

Swift beats of three echoed onto the wood in the color of light crimson. She waited calmly just like the last three or so houses who were kind enough to humor her with her secondary objective. One of pure kindness and heart.

If anything, she was thrilled so far with her journey. America had been nothing but kind to her thus far (aside from a few hiccups from a group of leering boys), and she liked the atmosphere and hospitality that each person threw her way, so she started praying for them individually.

Even if she had forgotten some of their names, their faces would remain.

In her heart.

Now, she was going on a small vigil of sorts, just as she and her father used to do in their village back in France for the local community. She had not inherited her father's innate talent for making sweet and delicious bread, but she had enough experience to make batches that would soothe the soul and heart of anyone who would take them.

The local church, bless them, had even made her little act of charity an official thing by sending fellow sisters and such to commemorate her welcome to the country. She was a bit shy to have such high praise, but since her status in the Vatican was as high as it was, the local branches had done their best to accommodate her as best they could.

It only strengthened her resolve to see her first objective completed soon with due haste.

Or at least until her vigil was finished.

She had to repay the kindness of everyone in the community of course and her little gift of thanks. It was a basket filled with the local church's own baked goods and her own that was now cradled in her hands as she waited for the current occupant of the house she was standing on to open.

Strangely enough, she had been waiting for so long that she started thinking that nobody was home. With a frown, she tried knocking respectfully again until she finally heard the shuffling of feet on the other side.

She straightened herself to greet the person by also making sure her habit looked formal and good on its own, while also fixing her glasses by situating them properly atop her face. Thankfully, she didn't need to comb her hair, which was already short but properly cared for as is, so in a sense, she was confident in her look and pose that it wouldn't strike a rather cliched line of thought from the house owner.

Lord knows that most people nowadays aren't as faithful in God anymore, even back home.

Home. She missed her father but assured herself through the will of the Almighty that she would come home fast enough to celebrate Christmas with him. It all depended on how well she would do her job, which the Vatican strictly tasked her to do in-

"Who the fuck are you?" the door suddenly opened, revealing a rather poorly dressed (if you can consider underwear and an unbuttoned bathrobe as just poorly dressed) woman with red hair staring at her with an annoyed look. She didn't even bother covering herself up, merely crossing her arms below her rather substantial, and thankfully clothed chest, much to her blooming blush.

It was clear that something had happened to make this woman look this way, and she was not that naïve not to know what was going on.

"Uh… I uh…" She then took a deep breath and tried again. "…greetings, Ma'am! A good morning from me, sister Elesia, who offers you a humble gift to commemorate this great day."

"The fuck's with the accent girl? Are you doing cosplay or something? Because if this is a joke then you waking me up from a fucking hangover is grounds for me to call the cops."

Sister Elesia suddenly panicked. "No, no, no… ma'am. This is not a joke nor… a prank, I'm just merely giving away gifts for the neighborhood as a thanks for everyone's hospitality."

The woman stepped forward, eyeing Sister Elesia with a critical, even disturbing eye as her frazzled hair and such, along with the stench of booze, forced the girl to do her best to keep her composure up. "You in the church, girl?" the woman asked.

"Y-yes ma'am. Overseas really, from Eguisheim, in the Alsace region of France."

"You're French, huh? So that's why the accent sounded funny… but I ain't ever heard of a nun as young as you. Which tells me you're lying…"

"N-No ma'am, I am really a representative of-

"…and you're one of those fucking Capes for Christ assholes that Starlight's a part of."

"W-Who?"

"Starlight! That fucking bitch. That stupid hypocritical whore that's ruined my life goddamn it! What more do you fucking want from me?! I don't need any of your bullshit, I'm sick of being a Supe after Olympia took her up and fucking ruined everyone else's chance because of their bullshit strong heroes, and now you're here pissing me off becau-

"Ma'am, please just calm down, and I apologize if-

Sister Elesia tried to back away, but the raving woman suddenly screamed in place, probably due to the lingering effects of alcohol in her veins while her hands started sparking like firecrackers. She continued yelling, saying obscene things, before Sister Elesia herself lost all her patience.

THRWACK!

With speed and power that was blindingly fast to the naked eye, Sister Elesia calmly but surely smacked the woman atop her head with her fist, making her collapse onto the ground. Silence reigned once more as she sighed heavily. The bread in her basket was now scattered on the ground, with the raving woman now knocked out on the ground beside them.

She controlled her strength enough that it was enough to not bruise the woman but incapacitate her quickly, but she had to call the local authorities to get her sorted out. Thankfully no one seemed to have witnessed what happened around the neighborhood so there wouldn't be any difficulty with the authorities handling it.

She pitifully looked at the woman as she knelt in place and took out her phone. Fixing her glasses back into place, Sister Elesia then spoke a silent prayer for the woman, hoping for her recovery with her mental state, as she remembered how hard it was when she manifested her powers too and how weak they were when they first came out.

She was a 'Supe' herself by definition, one blessed by the Vatican of all things, and she hoped that Olympia was as great as the rumors and news made them out to be. So far, Vought had been a disappointment with all of their 'heroes' if it meant people like this woman, but she was sure that with her help and her local church, she could help her back up from her rut.

That was one of her objectives, after all, to help the local 'Supe' scene…

And establish contact with Olympia so that she would become their liaison to the Church.

Sister Elesia just hoped that the Olympia hero who would greet her from the company was not someone as scary as the Black Knight.

When they said that they were going to have the Black Knight, the infamous Black Knight, to be their tutor in the simulation that they all would be taking part in, she was very excited. Mostly due to how much she heard about the woman after her long-year 'crusade' against evil in Europe. In particular illegal Supes in the criminal underworld, some even having Neo-Nazi connections and beliefs as her rather controversial march along the continent had left a lasting impression on the world.

Debate and thoughts on her were rather split across every continent other than Europe due to her rather loud and brash actions toward those connected or affiliated with the criminal gangs she disposed of. Her brutality, which mostly sparked the divide, was equal parts necessary and oftentimes cruel. She and her daughter (whom she calls her son) did not care much about the debate surrounding them, other than that they continued on with multiple nations supporting them, not because of the Olympia connection, but also because of how efficient they were.

Scary as the Black Knight may be, Annie saw her as a figure of respect, one that, like some of the heroes in Olympia, did things that actually had a difference. Even if, admittedly, she understood why there were people on both sides of the divide regarding her.

The other heroes in Olympia similarly had good views of her. Some even described her as kindhearted to people she was close to, especially her daughter, the other infamous Olympia heroine, Red Saber. Overall, the opinion on her was very positive, either due to actual personal experience or due to Olympia having their own biases as well.

Though Europe itself was much more supportive of her too, everywhere else she still had critics. However, much to Annie's understanding, no one seemed to argue how well she curbed the crime rates and eradicated the gangs on the continent within less than a year.

Miss Medea once told them that they and practically anyone who's willing to risk their life for this should both expect the glory and the hate of the masses in whichever form it would take. There was simply no middle ground or in-between. Sometimes tragedy would strike you out of the blue and there would be nothing they could do to mitigate that, which was why the best advice that Miss Medea suggested was that they kept on doing what they were here to do…

Which was to help.

Unlike Vought's heroes back then, the glory and the fame were not the things that they should focus on. The glory and the fame and, conversely, the controversy and the hate, were just byproducts of what they did, given that the powers were still a minority to normal people who had none. That's why any action they took would resonate more, and people would judge them on it regardless of what they felt.

The Black Knight symbolized that, at least to Annie. A stoic figure doing battle for the greater good, regardless of how people looked upon her. A symbol that had lots of supporters and enemies alike. A symbol that both had a negative connotation due to the violence she had wrought in, as well as a positive influence, being that the lands she walked on were now safer.

A duality.

Yet part of her now was nervous and afraid that she was actually here, and everyone was already similarly nervous as her, knowing the possibility that there was going to be humiliation on their part.

"Hey… why the hell are you all so quiet?" the Red Saber, or as the Olympia heroes called her, Mordred (which was by in itself a rather weird name choice for a hero given it was an Arthurian Legend villain), crossed her arms as she inspected them with a critical eye.

Her gaze already told them enough.

"Um… Miss Red Saber?"

"DON'T CALL ME MISS!" Mordred shouted out, almost in a childish way, as she stomped her foot. The difference was, her foot stomping the ground actually made a small ripple of cracks underneath her. Jessie, one of Jason's friends, quickly looked scared and embarrassed from the sudden outburst.

"I'm so sorry!" she squealed as she hid behind Hughie.

"Mordred." They then all suddenly heard from the Black Knight herself as her daughter suddenly stiffened.

"Right! No, you don't need to say sorry, but don't do it again." The young blonde said as she seemingly stood ramrod straight from her mother's words. Jessie seemingly felt grateful, but the comical change from an intimidating figure initially from Mordred changed into almost like a loving child, eager to please their parent.

The exchange garnered a few hushed giggles among them.

"But anyway, why're you all so quiet? Father hasn't even said anything yet and you all look like you're about to shit your pants."

"Mordred." The Black Knight said again, as it was just now that Annie and her friends noticed how oddly striking her beauty was. From the pale blonde hair bordering on white, and pale, almost sickly skin contrasted by bright golden eyes. She looked spooky but also attractively seductive to the point that some might consider her a vampire.

But her aura, just her aura alone, threw everything into the gutter in terms of any sort of attraction people might pull in her presence. Annie could only describe it, definitely as…

"Stand in attention." She said firmly as Annie and the rest of the other trainees immediately remembered their training in terms of discipline as hardwired by Chiron. At the same time, her proclamation, no… her order just from her tone of voice alone demanded to be heard and done without a moment's hesitation.

It was a kingly presence. Something beyond that of even the auras of any hero she knew, sans a few at Olympia's very top hierarchy. But even then, their air was much more approachable than whatever the Black Knight had. It was decisively thick… like it was suffocating to be in her presence as both a mighty force and a tyrant-like ire hovered around her.

It was no wonder that a good half of her naysayers or even her supporters felt the way they did when talking about her. Because even the bravest among them in the room seemed to cower in some form at her, like a bastion of untold power.

And that was why everyone was nervous.

Even beyond her reputation, the word and concept of 'intimidation' was her entire existence.

"Pardon the brash nature of my son. At the moment, Mordred is still in the process of making sure her proper conduct when dealing with allies." She said as everyone kept quiet while she looked over them, like a judge or a painfully scary teacher that Annie had experienced before.

Even Chiron, terrifying as he was when they beat them back and blue, still retained a fatherly attitude that was very supportive, regardless of how much he cracked their bones, unintentionally, when they were being physical.

The Black Knight was just like the typical evil trope manifested as an antihero.

And part of the reason they weren't running now was because of how soft and tender she seemed to treat her 'son', as she patted her head, making the younger girl fuss with an embarrassed, blushing smile. It was… such an odd contrast to her entire thing that everyone felt confused.

"Though yes, I do not know what you have heard of me, or thought of me, but it is quite sad that nobody has the will to even say hello." She said with a slight frown, much to everyone's sudden embarrassment and shame.

But before Annie and perhaps Hughie could man up to say anything, the Black Knight continued on as she then showed a scowl. Not one of hate, but of vigilance.

"Nevertheless, I have been tasked with being your chaperone today, your tutor. One that will hasten you to be ready for dangers that encompass more than what this world is prepared for."

The ominous words made them feel nervous.

"You may call me Artoria Pendragon. The Black Knight is a serviceable name, one that I did not create myself, but for respect and to honor our pact today, you may only call me by my real name."

Annie was sure she wasn't the only one who was thinking about the sheer coincidence of her name, but it seemed like they all agreed. Nobody wanted to anger her, not with that demeanor.

"I will not ask or judge further of your individual character and skill for I am already briefed by your former tutors. What I merely ask is that you do your best. Do not be afraid to disappoint me, but I will expect the best from you all, regardless of what happens."

"Yes, Ma'am!" they all suddenly said without issue. Her charisma boosted their confidence, but also their worry of failing.

"Remember, this is no test; this is for me to judge how prepared you are for something that is beyond your ability to control and fight through," Artoria warned one last time as she looked over them.

"That will be all." She said, dismissing them as Mordred trailed behind her with a grin.

"Best of luck y'all! Try not to disappoint Father!"

"Come, Mordred." Her mother strictly told her as she trailed along.

Annie and everyone else already expected something beyond what they were capable of, just not something that would completely change their worldview completely…

...

It all started in a simulation that was about the size of a city. If Hughie was right, it was an offshoot of Miami, at least in part, with elements from various coastline areas along the East Coast. Still, like every other simulation room from Olympia here in their largest facility in Alaska, they were realistic to an absurd detail. This room, in particular, dwarfed any simulation room Annie had ever been in, and it's highly likely that this was a sentiment shared by everyone who was chosen to be Olympia's trainees.

It felt so colossal like they were in an actual, breathing city, just as they entered the white doors. It was almost something from sci-fi. The portal tech that Olympia had would have already made any scientist or civilian scratch their heads in amazement and horror at the reality of how fast the company had been able to cover distances around the globe, but the other advancements, from the simple tech in her room to the food, to the medicine, and now… this…

It told her of how high the bar was already set, and she had a feeling that there was more behind it. Even trusted as they already were, there was clear evidence to suggest that every single hero and heroine in the company had been holding back.

But holding back for what?

"Everyone, please line up in an orderly fashion!" Big Sis said to the 'civilians', which were part of the simulation. It was oddly one of the more shocking aspects of Olympia's tech, to the point that they can simulate virtual humans. To the extent that they felt very real despite knowing that they were just probably AI-simulated by code and parameters to act human.

"Hey, focus up, Anne… don't want to watch you disappoint your idol." Marie teased as she led an 'elderly couple' into the evacuation zone next to her. The simulation was so detailed that it included law enforcement, paramedics, and even state officials alongside the 'civilians' mimicking a real-world evacuation effort, especially with the crowds being naturally split to being willing…

"Ma'am, I am telling you right now, this is just for your safety and nothing else!" Ava or Morrigan said to an angry family who were complaining about being forced to evacuate.

"But you ain't telling us where we're going, ma'am, and we reserve the right to know damn it."

…and to people being far too arrogant and proud to listen to anything that would help them.

It was bizarre how lifelike it was.

Of course, there were flaws, but they could be picked apart if you really looked deep into them. Like trees looking the same, with barely anything at all in terms of uniqueness from each other. Wildlife, similarly, realistic as they were like the people, looked like copy-pasted elements in an open-world game (yes, she did play video games, mind you), and lastly, there were very few variations in terms of the general look that each person had with each other in the simulation.

Still, it very much sold the realism to them as she watched Hughie helplessly try to console a crying kid in his arms after she dropped her ice cream. Annie was sure that he didn't have a 'spell' that would remake it back in shape.

"Anne. Yo… you there or are you daydreaming again?" Marie said again as she punched her shoulder.

She and Marie were relegated to overwatch duty as they stood at the rooftops of one of the stores overlooking the coast as well as the street below, where most of the people were.

"No, sorry… was just thinking about stuff."

"About what?" Marie asked as she crossed her arms and scooted a bit closer to her friend.

"Do you… wonder why Olympia has us running ragged at some of their training?" Annie suddenly asked as they watched the empty, scenic coastline on the horizon. The bustling sounds of the evacuation behind them came in full as Marie looked at her strangely.

"Where did this come from?" Marie questioned her, given that even Annie herself was questioning why she said it herself, as she was one of Olympia's very first apprentices, the very first, actually. She had every bit of reason to support and love the company for everything that they had done for her and the world.

Despite that, there was something nagging at the back of her head.

Ever since she also took the enhancement treatment to make sure her strand of Compound V was safer, per Caster's strenuous recommendation, they had been non-stop being tutored in many fields.

Fields that were all combat-related, even if a few humanitarian and useful lectures were thrown here and there. What sort of bothered her was the fact that up to even this point, they were being trained…

Like they were going to war… or to fight something that's beyond even the powers that admittedly, already hit the ceiling with the firepower and people within Olympia itself.

The implication deep inside the back of her head, whispering, scared her of that possibility.

"It's just a gut feeling, don't… mind it actually…" she said with a false chuckle before Marie placed a concerned hand on her shoulder.

"Anne… come on, just say it." Marie encouraged.

Annie sighed but eventually relented with a smile. Just as they did that, however, they heard Camo, or Jason in his off-days, signaling them from another building that downtown was almost clear. Marie and Annie signaled back with gestures taught to them by a certain scary Roman-themed hero a bit back.

"I feel like they're preparing us for something. Something big. That's essentially what's bothering me, Marie. The idea that we're about to deal with a threat that makes even Olympia nervous." She told her.

"Nervous? Somehow, I think you're just bullshitting me. Olympia? Nervous? Come on, Anne… that's… that's just absurd." Marie argued.

Annie chuckled in embarrassment at her remark. "Yeah, it's crazy, I know… but…"

"Anne, I think you're making yourself too paranoid."

"Yeah… I guess." Annie admitted. It's not like Olympia had broken their trust yet. If anything, their openness was something that nearly everyone she talked to in the business was happily content with. There was no way right now for her to question them when they were so transparent with them thus far, but at the same time, she knew them well enough to know that they didn't do things without an important enough reason.

"And besides, Anne, if there was such a thing, I'm confident they'd tell us soon about it," Marie said to her with a reassuring look. "I trust them. They've done more to make sure people like me, like Super Duper, and a few others a chance when others didn't. They've given me hope that things can be better, even with all the shitty things that happen in the world, their presence at least tells me that things will be alright."

Annie smiled at that, knowing full well about Marie's story. Especially with the accident on the day, her powers acted up.

"Anyway, I'm sure this whole thing is like every other test and exercise we've done so far. Just 'Olympia-ized' if you get me?" she started with a corny joke as they both giggled.

That made Annie relax a bit more as they stared into the rather beautiful, albeit rendered, scenic view of the sea.

"Regarding this whole bit, why do you reckon we have these bracelets on?" Marie asked her as she too looked at her own device, that was strapped to her wrist. It resembled a white band, with a rather unassuming appearance, but she bet it had tech that would make her just have a headache trying to understand it.

"Maybe as a tracking tool? To monitor our progress?" Annie suggested.

"Yeah, they didn't tell us this other than we'd have to wear it."

"Maybe it's something the Black Knight… or Artoria needs for her evaluation of us," Annie said as she recalled how tight-lipped Miss Medea and Chiron were about this as they handed them each their bracelets. Chiron, in particular, looked proud of her but also slightly worried.

If you can call his eyes twinkling in evaluation like the teacher he was, worried.

"Oh, right! Speaking of the Black Knight, what did you think of-

Marie was cut short of her excited tirade about the Black Knight when the sunny sky of the simulation they were in suddenly and ominously turned dark and cloudy.

KRAKA-THOOUMM!

With the matching thunder and monstrous lightning to boot.

The crack of thunder against what was once a sunny, peaceful sky was so powerful that it rends the entire city of sound from all its inhabitants. Like the judgment of a Chief God from ancient times, a decree and command were cast, and none would disobey it.

It was like an authority, cast down from the heavens to make mortals bow.

"W-What's going on?" They both heard some 'civilians' ask below the building they were standing on top of. The situation grew scarier by the second as more and more storm clouds came into view, darkening the city into a gray, soulless atmosphere that permeated like disease.

The sickening growl of the thunder and its great boom further made that terrifying feeling settle in, like a scavenger hungrily consuming a dying, helpless animal.

"Anne?" Marie said that immediately, every single apprentice of Olympia found vigilance and alertness in their hearts as plans and drilled-in instincts and teachings were starting to come online. While their individual, mostly separate team-based duos, were by all means educational, they also prepared them for unique instances of danger that allowed them to adapt, prepare, and act.

There was an unspoken agreement among all of them.

Their teamwork admittedly needed work, given their initial test before this against their randomized tutors, but they also didn't want to disappoint them by not applying what they were taught.

"We need to double time," Annie said as blood flowed from out of her wrist, turning into a shape to signal the others into a large flare as Annie drew in the electricity and energy around her. Her eyes glowed bright as they heard Big Sis and Klanker calmly encourage the crowd to hasten their march while the storm clouds worsened.

There was growing panic amongst the people as the uneasy nature of the sudden change in atmosphere and weather had silenced even the most stubborn among them.

KRAKA-THOUUUMM!

"We got panic ebbing up near the evac site." Morph or Cassie said through the comms.

"I don't think I can keep everyone calm by the city center, too, guys!" Malchemical or Bobby said in his zone.

A cacophony of activity started to act up in their comms until Annie felt a droplet of rain hit her scalp. Then on her extended palm, where the energies coursing through her from her energy absorption flowed.

The deluge was swift. Each droplet bore down hard as if a hurricane were nigh.

The seas started to similarly become chaotic as waves upon waves started crashing hard onto the simulated coastline, with the winds making the umbrellas, stationary and held onto by people everywhere, start to fly into the air.

Then, just as Big Sis was trying to rein everyone in with the comms (given she was the most senior member out of all of them, sans the new guy in Black), there was a sound.

A loud, unnaturally earth-shattering sound.

At the far distance, where the sea met the sky, the waters parted in a circular fashion around it. The waves themselves rose high into the air for more than twenty meters as dark, malignant red, and midnight black spirals of energy coursed forth towards the city at speeds that would make even the fastest military planes look slow.

Like an ICBM, even with the greater sensory capabilities and reactions that the Apprentices had sported through training and by their abilities, it was just sudden.

A spiral spear from the stormy seas, colossal in size, with its aim full and true.

Before even a thought, a reaction, or the whisk of each droplet from the rain finally hit their destination, the Spiral Spear had struck.

THROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUMMMMMM!

The city was cleaved in two as the monstrous spirals of energy, hewn from the World itself and fired by the monumental scourge that was the spear of the King of Storms, had ravaged everything in its path with none surviving the onslaught.

Earth, buildings, rubble, debris, and biological matter were vaporized in an instant as a nearly thirty or so meter-long trench nearly six or so meters deep had seemingly appeared out of nowhere as the shockwaves from the attack had rippled in every direction imaginable.

Glass in a nearly half-mile radius shattered.

The thick and concussive air from the attack had torn and thrown everything into the air like toys from an angry child while smoke and lingering energy had short-circuited the electronics of every device and machine in the entire city.

The attack was so horrifically powerful that the rain had been parted mid-air like a bubble of clear, rain-free air had manifested before the energy parting the droplets, finally cleared out.

For Annie and the rest of the Apprentices, on the other hand…

She and Marie's position was close enough to the edge of the attack, and the building they were perched on top of was obliterated. Their bodies flew high into the air as Marie was knocked out completely with Annie only having remained conscious thus far due to her energy absorption, which made her more resilient the more she took in for herself.

Everywhere else, it was chaos.

Malchemical was near the middle of the path of earlier, and now he seemingly disappeared out of thin air. Vaporized, if not barely anything left of his corpse, given the magnitude of the blast. Morrigan had managed to hide in her shadows just in time but her nearest comrade, Klanker, had been knocked unconscious, his armor all but obliterated, with just some parts hiding his modesty as he landed just a few meters away from the edge of the blast.

Morph had similarly shared the same fate as Malchemical, with only her cape being what was left of her as the others were thrown into disarray, with Camo, Arklite, and the rest scrambling to get their marbles back as the situation grew beyond what could be considered dire.

Annie willed herself to expend some of the energy in her body to allow her to some form of flight as she felt gravity pull them back down to the ground with an unconscious Marie still falling near her in the air. Her hands and feet glowed brightly alongside her eyes as she pushed forward, grabbing Marie out of the air as glass shards and debris rained around alongside the droplets of rain.

She lifted Marie in her arms as it now dawned on her how shockingly devastating and horrifying the aftermath was, with what happened to the city. The destruction had not stopped yet, as the shockwaves surrounding the sides of the chasm had persisted.

Buildings, cars, anything, and anyone were reduced to toppling, horrible destruction as Annie did her best to steer them away from the chaos while the comms went haywire with all the activity of whoever was still conscious and alive.

"HELLO!? Is anyone still alive? Cassie? Mel? Anyone, please!" Morrigan shouted over the comms as she freed herself from the shadows in the more intact parts of the city.

"I'm alive! Where are you?!" Camo said in another area as he disentangled himself from the puddle of sewage water, he was trapped underneath all of the rubble while reforming his physical form.

"Josh, I mean Klanker! Anyone! I need you to come here, I've got some injured kids!" Arklite said over in another part of the city as she kept the bleeding one of the screaming, in pain, simulated children. Klanker, however, was still knocked out next to a few cars surrounding him while Big Sis, bleeding from her side, watched the horror from a bit away as she punched out the remnants of a glass window while spotting Annie and Marie flying through the air.

Big Sis sucked in her breath, hoping to persevere through the pain as she spoke through the comms. "Everyone! G-Gather by the square. We meet up and regroup… guide any civilian you encounter, and if you find the others, pick them up and have us all meet at the rendezvous."

Annie felt slightly relieved to hear Big Sis' voice from the aftermath as she proceeded to fly to the direction of their assigned meeting. Marie, on the other hand, slowly opened her eyes and nearly screamed in panic, if it weren't for the fact that they were still high in the air amidst a stormy backdrop, with buildings crumbling around them.

"A-ANNE! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" she screamed as she clung to her tightly.

"Just hold on tight for a moment, I'm still trying to get us to-

KRAKA-THOUUUUUUUUUMMMM!

A mighty thunder cracked again as a lightning bolt powerful enough to cause a crater to manifest below surged just a few meters away from them. This caused Annie and Marie to lose their hearing in the shock and surprise as Annie herself lost control of her sustained flight.

They tumbled to the ground at speeds that would definitely heavily injure them if not for quick thinking by Marie as she thrust her hand out to the fast-arriving ground, and the device on her hand opened…

THROUGSHHH!

Three large tendrils of hardened blood burst forward, creating a tripod-like structure to cushion their fall. Marie then clung to a currently stunned Annie and created a sphere of blood to cover them as the tendrils connected with it, creating a barrier that canceled all the momentum of their fall.

The sudden, almost death-defying action they had just partaken in caused Marie to release an immense, unbridled sigh of relief before disengaging the blood around her, reabsorbing it back into her palm while she placed the groaning Annie in a sitting position beside her on the ground.

"That… that didn't even feel like natural energy at all… ugh," Annie complained as she did feel some of the arcs of energy hit her from their distance, her quick thinking allowing her to shield Marie, acting as a barrier to not let her friend get hurt, but some of the energy just harmed her. Like they weren't meant to be absorbed or redirected at all.

If anything, it felt as if her entire nervous system was on fire for a moment there.

"Starlight! Crimson, we saw you got hit back there, are you two alright?!" Big Sis' voice said through the comms.

"W-We're alright. Annie, I mean Starlight got hit pretty bad…"

"I-I'm alright… I just need to shake this off." Annie complained with a groan.

"But we're still fine. Where are you guys?" Marie asked as she placed a palm on Annie's forehead, which was burning hot, while Annie herself looked dizzy.

"I've got Klanker, Morrigan, Arklite, and… uh, Shadow? Shadow right? – With me just a few blocks away, just hang tight."

"Camo's coming to your location too," Jason said.

"Black Hole still up and running, going to rendezvous, just need to get this family out."

"A-Astral is currently leading some of the evacuees out!"

Both Marie and Annie perked up at Hughie's voice, both being happy that he, too, was still alive.

Yet before they could celebrate for the number of comrades still alive, there was another loud, squealing sound, like air being pierced by pure and utter speed as against the cacophony of crumbling buildings and thunder, a dark, eerie beam of light then struck the ground just a few blocks away from the two of them.

THROUSHWMM!

The ground shook as tremors proliferated. Dust was thrown high into the air in all directions yet it wasn't as destructive, nor as horribly grand as the spiral spear that cleaved the city in two earlier, but the dread of something arriving had settled in, nonetheless.

Especially when the smoke cleared, and there their enemy lay.

"Let us begin." Her voice, clear with authority and power, even from the distance of both Annie and Marie had been broadcasted across the city.

Clad in black, intimidating, and sleek armor while riding atop a similarly demonic yet regal-looking horse, came the Black Knight.

The Scourge of Evil in Europe.

The Storm King herself…

Artoria Pendragon.

TO BE CONTINUED...