Soul Crossers | Wattys 2024

Chapter 7: Demonic College Foursome

Sol, breathing tensely, anticipated Vanish Reaper's next move, not expecting them to kick their scythe upright, flick their cape, and drop a beach chair for them to take a seat, yawning.

"Ultimatum time. You deactivate your fusion maker, have wolfie back off,  come with me, and your partner and the person they're possessing will go free. Hell for bonus sake, I'll make sure they forget all of this."

"We refuse?"

The phantom menace brought the seconds of non-violence to a swift end, reveling in laughter. "Granel," snapping their fingers, "sink their building into the depths of hell."

Granel dug down into the ground, escaping Sol while constructing more holes around the perimeter. The hybrid's vines binded and hurled him to the reaper, who caught him.

"Right, weak defense. Beat the fairy up quick then."

Vulcan zipped past the two when the darker fiend pushed him back with a swing of air pressure before gyrating on the beach chair to carve a circle around it.

"You two couldn't get me to move three feet from the chair."

Vulcan sped past Sol's desire for another temporary alliance as Granel aimed at their head with several pickaxe strikes they limboed under. He dug underground, jumping out of every hole too fast for them to reach.

He flung his weapon into their face, staggering them long enough for Granel to slam it into the ground, rupturing a shockwave blasting Sol airborne. They had no idea time to react to him drilling back in the dirt, launching into their chest and pinning them to the dorm's red brick walls.

"Your blood would give this drab construct some actual color," snickering. Inside, Lilac recalled the dangers of their speed even dragons could suffer against. That fear channeled through Sol shooting Granel off them, swinging away for a plan.

Vanish laughed. "You won't escape to Neverland." With a snap of their fingers, two twin skulls flew under their cape, rocketing at the talking plant who leapt away. One skeletal head landed on top of Granel's feet, which he sprung off, slashing their arm off in one strike.

Sol hastily started the regenerative process under the moonlight for the arm to regrow when the second skull dived at them, spitting a concentrated gunk torching part of her torso. They spat out blood before Granel stomped and stood over them, wondering what they were hit with.

They squinted at Vanish Raper lifting up Spectracide. "Spectracide," projecting as a sinister infomercial spokesperson. "Great for killing grass, also effective on bodies who's biology is majority grass and vegetation originated," snickering and dangling it. "Found your kryptonite."

Vulcan's mouth widened. He howled a sonic blast blowing Granel and the dead heads off them. "I'll make you suffer!" The face of death dared him to try, sending the skulls after him. He batted them both, cracking one, sprinting off another, and reflected moonlight at the eyes of the owner.

Vanish covered the light with their cape, minimally avoiding the dao and hooking the back of Vulcan's head to pull him on. They choked him with the cape, twisting them around, and delivering a barrage of staggering punches and kicks. With another strike to the head, they smacked the other blade out his hands and smashed them away with the back of their pole.

Only five seconds passed. They reassembled the cloak, pulled out a magazine to read, and tilted their head at Vulcan. "You know what they say," planting their weapon into the ground. "Bitches get stitches."

Sol's body struggled to regenerate, Vulcan's synchronization was fading, and Lilac pulled out a brace. "Hurry," tossing it to him.

Vulcan rejoiced with the trust in his hand, attaching it to his hand while Sol fired a pollen shot at Reaper from stepping out of their circle. He freed one of Zira's arms to gather her aura and slid his hand through the body. "Soul Cross!"