Animator vs Animation: The Dark Web

Chapter 19: The Crown

Queen of Hearts lowered her head in amusement, flames licking her claws. She lunged forward, but The Second Coming was faster. He tried the same method; he vaulted over her, landing on her back before gripping onto the ridges of her horns, hand reaching towards the crown.

But Queen of Hearts twisted violently, sending him flying off to the ground.

The Color Gang sprang into action, their shouts echoing across everyone's minds as they tried to devise a quick maneuver.

Yellow and Blue grabbed her arms in an attempt to keep her distracted, meanwhile Green rushed in to counter her from behind. But Queen of Hearts sharply glared over her shoulder. Her crown gleamed crimson once more, and Green froze. 

Her tail whipped around and—CRACK!—she struck Green across the face. Blue and Yellow snapped their heads up, caught off guard, before the Queen wrenched her arms free with an effortless shrug, swinging her claws to stumble them back.

Suddenly, Red pounced on her, serving as backup for Green. He scrambled up her back, gripping onto her arched hair as his hand reached for the crown. His hand barely grazed the surface, until Queen of Hearts clamped around his leg.

"Ha... You were close, but not close enough." she sneered, holding Red up as he gasped under his breath. Suddenly, she hurled him up skyward.

"HELP—!" Red screamed, flailing as he fell.

Valhalla rushed forward, catching him moments before hitting the ground. Red let out a breathless wheeze as Valhalla set him back on his feet, chuckling slightly from his shock. Valhalla then turned and surged towards Queen of Hearts. He jumped, aiming for the crown once more.

But Queen of Hearts lashed her tail at him, swatting him away like he was nothing more than an insect.

Valhalla rolled before catching himself, launching again with determination—but Queen of Hearts had another plan. She turned towards him, and with a wave of her wrist, red strings faded into existence.

Valhalla barely had time to react before the strings latched onto his arms, holding him in place. He gasped silently, pulling against them but their grip remained. The strings then slithered around his limbs before constricting against his body, and his breath hitched when he hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Queen of Hearts chuckled malevolently as the others faltered. She approached Valhalla, hoisting him up like a discarded puppet. "You should know by now. Traitors don't get second chances."

With one swift motion, she flung him towards The Chosen One, causing them to crash together. The Color Gang and The Second Coming tensed, their gazes flicking towards Queen of Hearts and their allies. She then turned towards the rest, her gaze burning as flames roared from her palms.

She flexed her claws, and her crown glimmered once more. "Now... who's next?"

Before anyone could react, a figure dashed out of the shadows.

A streak of dark red was held in the figure's hands, and within a flash of motion—whip!—the figure lunged on top of Queen of Hearts and yanked ripped Codeborn coattails over her face. Queen of Hearts hissed in frustration, stumbling back as she clawed at the fabric, but the figure didn't let down.

Suddenly, the figure jumped off of her, causing her to bump into a pillar. As she wrenched at the coattails, the figure stood in the center of the skylight.

It was Driftwood.

Her defensive stance radiated confidence, and she gave them a hasty nod. She still wore the Codeborn's heart clips and cloak, but as for her long coattails, they were torn from her own uniform. She used them against the Queen.