Strange Ones

Breaking the Beacon

"Hey, ugly! I'm talking to you!" Lloyd shouted as he got the snake's attention.

Lloyd's arm started glowing until a small ball of energy appeared in his palm. The ball of energy started getting larger, then he threw the ball at the snake's head. The snake screeched in pain, then it fell to the ground and dissipated into dust. Clarissa joined him, and they both ran up to Weiss and Pearl to help them get back on their feet.

"What happened?" Clarissa asked.

"When we reached this alleyway, I tried to fight the King Taijitu."Pearl explained. "But it was so humongous and way too strong for me. I couldn't defend us from that giant serpentine beast. I-"

"Pearl, that doesn't matter anymore." Weiss said with a hand on her mentor's shoulders. "All that matters is that we're okay."

"You're right, Weiss. We're okay." Pearl managed to crack a small smile.

Weiss smiled back, then turned to Lloyd and Clarissa to give them the child in her arms. "Take this girl to safety. I found her being ambushed by a changeling. I'll take Pearl to the medics. They'll know what to do."

Lloyd nodded, taking the little girl from Weiss and watching as she carried Pearl on her back and ran off. As he looked at the little girl in his arms, he said to her, "Are you okay?"

The girl nodded as a response, then Lloyd grinned. Suddenly, he heard a loud thud behind him and turned around to see the foot of Alphys' robot. Lloyd and Clarissa watched as the robot slowly walked from them, and the girl's eyes were full of astonishment.

"I know, right?" Clarissa said after she noticed the look on the girl's face.

For Asriel and Kubo, they were on the lookout for any residents in panic. Their search was suddenly disrupted when Flowey came by and attacked them, Kubo being hit by one of Flowey's pellets on the shoulder while Asriel being held by one of his vines by the neck. Asriel's eyes widen as he watched as Flowey summoned more pellets that surrounded him. The young goat beast closed his eyes, bracing for impact. Meanwhile, despite the pain in his shoulder, Kubo stood back up and picked up his sword. Then in a flash, he cut the vine that took hold of Asriel, and Flowey's eyes widen. As Asriel got back on his feet after he was free from the vine, he turned to his adopted brother.

"Thanks for saving me." Asriel said with a smile.

"That's what brothers do, incorrect?" Kubo replied, then groaned with pain because of his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Flowey roared with anger and summoned even more pellets that he threw at the brothers. However, they were able to dodge and slash them once the pellets got closer. Flowey's eye twitched as he watched the brothers dodge and slash his attacks, so two vines came from the ground and grabbed both of them. Both brothers struggled as they were wrapped within his vines. Flowey started laughing his evil laugh.

"Wow! You boys are more determined than I thought." Flowey said, then tightened his grip on his opponents. "But not determined enough as I see it. Once we win this battle, the world will be ours to claim, and you will be nothing but a forgotten memory! After all, it's kill or be killed in this world!"

Meanwhile, Petra was hiding in an alleyway to catch her breath, and she was with Water Gem, Lapis Lazuli. She had recently found Lapis after she fell from the sky when she was fighting changelings while helping Ruby. Soon, Petra found her and brought her along for her own safety, and now, there they were. In hiding and trying to regain some air. Suddenly, they both heard the sounds of struggles mixed with pain. They both peeked over the side of the building to find Asriel and Kubo in Flowey's grasp. Petra's eyes widen, not until she turned to Lapis.