"I trained you better than that"
"I really hoped you would stay away from this path"
"I guess it can't be helped, you really do take after your useless mother"
"I...I thought you would be happy to see me"
"Where do you think you're going? A Bloodstone does not flee!"
...
"Do you not love me anymore, little crow?"
A blinding crimson took over momentarily, dethroned only by the absolute darkness that followed suit. The taste of blood overpowered the senses, impossible to ignore until you found yourself eventually drowning in it
It was suffocating, but your body was never allowed to react to it, as another flash of light took place shortly after
With it, came a violent breeze
The roughness of the body colliding and rolling into something, a surface
But more importantly, you could breathe
You inhaled deeply just as your eyes opened, adjusting to this new place, wherever it was
Under your hand, you could feel the grass. Short, cinnabar-colored, unnervingly even, but that was hardly the oddest thing here
The sky itself was a dark shade of red, and the clouds themselves were no different. Hardly any sound was heard, not even the wind dared to become the center of attention
This whole place felt...surreal
Like a dream in which you were still conscious, but were bombarded by the feeling that something was wrong, horribly so
Fortunately for you, you'd soon discover that you were not alone in this place
You found yourself suddenly on your back. You looked up only to find a pistol aimed right at you. When you looked past it, you found the woman holding it
It was Elsa, wearing an odd white shirt and shorts, what happened next you weren't sure if it was the result of near drowning, the concussions or finally fucking losing it
But this angle allowed you to appreciate just how gorgeous the woman actually was, not even her bringing her weapon closer to your face could distract you
Elsa: Give me a good reason not to kill you
The way the scarlet skies bounced off her large hair brought her features to your attention. The brightness of her green eyes, the muscles she had gained over literal decades of fighting evil, the overall authority she gave off while holding you at gunpoint
You were just at a loss for words, really
So naturally, you said the first thing that came to your mind
You: You...are stunning
Her eyes went wide at this comment before she kicked your rib. You could've sworn you saw red in her face, but that could've also been this place in general
Elsa: Alright. It is you
She said while doing her damnest not to look at you in the eye. Good thing you were busy holding yourself
You: Wait, was there any doubt?
Elsa: I've had some...unpleasant encounters with some impostors
You stopped when she said that, and a relieved sigh left your lips shortly after
You: Oh thank god
This comment made her turn to you with a raised brow
You: I thought I had finally lost it. Started seeing dead people out of nowhere
She wouldn't admit it, but it was a relief for her as well. It's never a good sign when you see a dead loved err...family member
Elsa: Speaking of, where in the Devil's arse were you, huh? You left me to do all the bloody work! LITERALLY bloody!
She crossed her arms to give you her signature scowl
You: Oh, don't EVEN. Just look at me!
The woman eyed you from head to toe. Blood stained a good chunk of your outfit and bruises were pretty much all over you
Elsa: You look like shit
You: Exactly. Jack and I were facing what's pretty much evil incarnate and w--
Elsa: Wait, Jack? And where's the lapdog at?
You stopped mid-rant at her question and looked around. There was nothing but grass and a couple of rocks around you. But more than that, the two of you seemed to be the only ones here
You: ...fuck
Needless to say, she was not amused
Elsa: Don't tell me you lost him
You: This asshole broke his arm and I sent him to rest while I dealt with it, but as soon as I killed the fucker, this huge hand dragged me here
Elsa: Huh...so we were summoned here
It didn't take her long to spot her own weapon lying in the grass, and next to it was the bag the counselors used to put her clothes in
A smile crept into her face at the sight of it
Elsa: Finally. I can get rid of this absurd fit of theirs. My thighs are killing me
You turned to see her reach for the bag, what you weren't expecting, however, was that she began to undress right in front of you so casually
You could feel the warmth in your face just as the heart changed its beat drastically
You: WOAH!!! What do you think you're doing?!
Elsa: What does it look like? I'm getting my damn clothes back!
Now normally, someone getting undressed in front of you wouldn't be an issue, especially since you knew damn well that she was hot
But right now? You had some other priorities. Namely, figuring out where the hell were you
Elsa: I'm not staying in that hormone trap they call a uniform any longer
You were gonna open your mouth to argue but then looked at the uniform. Was it even the right size?
You: ... fair
She covered her bust with one hand while aiming her rifle at you with the other
Elsa: Now look away before I fucking shoot your brains out
You: Alright alright! A warning would've been nice...
Elsa: That is your warning
You raised your hands in surrender and promptly turned around, groaning as you did so
You: Fuck's sake
For the sake of not making the angry lady even angrier, you ignored the sounds of the various zippers and focused on other things
Mainly, the sky. There were no signs of the sun anywhere, no way to tell if it was day or night, not even a single star
Elsa: If I catch you staring I will--
You: Don't bother. I'm looking at the sky...I have a reason to believe this is a pocket dimension
Elsa: How do you know?
You: Look at the sky. Do you see anything up there? A guiding star? A moon? Anything?
Elsa: now that you mention it, that would explain why this place feels so...
You: Weird?
Elsa: Yeah. Like a lucid dream of sorts
She placed her jacket on and turned to you, fully clothed
Elsa: Alright pervert. I'm done
She then walked up to you and rested her elbow on your shoulder
Elsa: A pocket dimension, huh? I can see that
Suddenly, the ground below started to shake, almost knocking you off your feet. From the cracks in the ground, the red fog started to come out, the very same you had encountered earlier
Elsa: Not this shit again!
But it didn't surround the scene as you'd expect it to, instead, it disappeared into the distance, as if following something or rather, reacting to something
As far as trails go, this one was pretty obvious, and neither of you hesitated to follow it, weapons at the ready
You: Hey Bloodstone, what do you think we're facing?
Elsa: My best guess is something demonic
You: Blessed ammo it is
From your courier bag, you took out a flask and began crafting the ammunition that would help you
It wasn't long until a dark tree came into view, long dead without as much as a leaf within its branches. It was an abomination so massive it made it look as if it were multiple trees
Various trinkets hung from it. Photos, dolls, crosses, holy medals, bones. A murder of crows sat at the branches, pitch black in appearance and with only white orbs for eyes standing out
You: Yeah, that looks demonic
Elsa: You don't say...
She slowly raised her weapon, making the crows turn to her and open their beaks at the same time
A bloodcurdling scream forced you to cover your ears, but it wasn't the only thing
The tree itself began to split from the trunk, the crunching gave way to a hole, and from it, a hand came out. It started clawing its way out until a chunk of the tree fell off, and when it did, the crows fell silent
A cloud of this red fog came out of the tree until a silhouette could be seen, and with it, a voice
"About time you two showed up"
With your weapons now having a target, this stranger came into view, revealing a young, disheveled woman of black hair and a long tattered dress. Various trinkets hung loosely from her neck and wrists
Elsa: Who the fuck are you?
You: ...Wait, you live in the tree?
A toothy grin appeared on her face the moment she laid eyes on you. She raised her hand, and dark energy concentrated around it. Soon enough, a book appeared before her
But this was no regular book. This one was bound in flesh, with teeth acting as a sort of lock. You could feel the amulet from within your coat vibrating at its mere presence
???: My name is Blair, and I'm just her humble servant
She did a slight bow after that, while Elsa and you looked at each other confused, and then at her
Elsa: "Her"?
Her grin turned into a tender smile, which was somehow more unnerving
Blair: You felt the pulse, didn't you? The first sign of her arrival
Your eyes narrowed at her words. Strange reassured you that nobody else knew the source of this issue, that it would take anyone else months to piece it together
He was wrong
The wind picked up as Blair spoke. Her grin turned into a tender smile, which was somehow more unnerving
Blair: She will take over all of creation, and I intend to welcome her with open arms with the biggest massacre in the country
But that smile didn't take long to transform into a growl the moment she locked eyes with you
Blair: Or at least I would've if YOU hadn't killed my toys!
Elsa and you shared a knowing look, at least now you knew where the psychopaths were coming from
A soft giggle left her wicked lips before she shrugged
Blair: Oh well, at least she'll get a consolation prize
You: Ah, so that's why you brought us here
She pointed at you with a wide smile
Blair: Ding ding ding ding!
Suddenly, lightning struck the grass in front of you, forcing you to jump back to avoid the blast as best you could
Elsa was the first to respond to this aggression with her own
Elsa: Then you shouldn't have given me my rifle, darling
At a moment's notice, the monster hunter drew her rifle out and shot Blair in the head, only for her bullet to melt before it could even touch her
A faint purple glow revealed itself around the witch, who laughed at this act
Blair: If I'm going to SLAUGHTER YOU LIKE THE CATTLE YOU ARE, you can at least make it interesting!
From her pocket, she brought out a dagger, and with a sinister tone, she announced:
Blair: I sure will
She ran the dagger across her hand and smeared the resulting blood all over the book. Not a single drop went to waste
The book screeched before it opened on its own, revealing its macabre contents written in blood eons ago
With glowing red eyes, Briar started to levitate, the book along with her. Its pages violently flipped at the words she chanted
"𝕶𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖚𝖚𝖘 𝕺𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖗"
The clouds began to swirl around the tree, bringing with them a violent wind
Elsa: Don't let that bitch finish!
You: Huh. They usually beg me the opposite
You jumped into action and began to shoot the shield around Blair, but before one of your bullets could connect with it, a crow swooped down and took the hit instead
The animals shrieked and descended upon you, using their razor-sharp claws and beaks to hurt you as much as they could
Elsa: SODDING RATS WITH WINGS!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!
She punched one of them out of the sky and shot another. With your attention shifted to these demonic crows swarming you, Blair grinned
"𝕴𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖚 𝕹𝖔𝖘𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖚𝖘 𝕯𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖔 𝕳𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖊"
You had managed to set up a shield around both of you while Elsa got her gun reloaded, but even if that stopped the crows for a moment, it wouldn't stop what followed
"𝕶𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖗 𝕯𝖊𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖔𝖘..."
And with a grin, all hell broke loose
"𝕶𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖗"
The ground began to shake once again, with much more force this time, strong enough to create a fissure, and with it, came an army of bloodcurdling cries
You tackled Elsa out of the way before the ground opened up below, but that was hard from the worst of it
From these unnatural formations, decrepit hands emerged and began to flail wildly, while others started to pull themselves up
You: THE FUCK?!
An army of the dead pulled itself together before you, creating even more distance between you and Blair
A cackle echoed through the battlefield. It wasn't long before all undead eyes were on you
You looked at your weapon, Sally, and then at them
You: Well...shit
Blair raised her hands as if mocking a divine entity and laughed once again
"Come to Mama"
__________
"I forgot how good this show was"
Jack stated to himself before eating some of the pudding he requested. The television in his room was playing the credits to Miami Vice
His broken arm had mostly recovered from his encounter with Red. He still felt sore as hell though
???: MR. RUSSELL!! MR. RUSSELL!!
A frantic Annabelle made her way into the man's room, nearly making him drop his food
Jack: Annabelle?! Where's Y/N?
Anne: H-H-He's gone! I-I do--
He sat up and placed a hand on her shoulder
Jack: Hey, hey, take a breath, okay?
The blonde nodded and imposed order on her racing heart with a deep breath. While she did, Jack took notice of her battered state
Her clothes were stained with blood, part of her jacket was torn, and there was a cut on her forehead that was yet to be treated
Whatever had taken place, it was urgent enough for her to put aside her own well-being, he guessed...but that didn't make it any better
Anne: We...we dealt with Red, he's gone
Jack nodded along, silently asking her to continue
Anne: B-But as soon as it was over, something came for Y/N. It grabbed him and just...vanished
Jack: What was that "something?"
Anne: It's hard to describe. It was red fog at first, then this... giant hand grabbed him
Jack went to grab the stone you gave him to reach him. Not only was it glowing as you said, but the glow had turned a sinister red, and from the symbol, blood began to drip
He was pretty damn sure it wasn't supposed to do that, and he was scolding himself for not noticing something like this earlier
Anne: I-It was some sort of portal. It closed before I could follow
This got him to look at her with a raised brow
Jack: Follow?
She nodded
Anne: I owe it to him, for everything he did
Jack couldn't help but smile tenderly at this
Jack: He's a monster hunter. That's what he does
He got up and put a shirt on, letting out a heavy breath as he did
Jack: As for me, it's about time I do something too
Anne: And what is that?
He turned to her and grinned
Jack: I'm gonna go save his ass, but first...
"I'm gotta call some friends"
__________
A bullet went through a zombie's head before you kicked him away, just in time for another one to lunge at you and be hit in the knee
You took out your blade and sliced the head with one swift move
Elsa: Hey!
You turned to Elsa who threw one of them your way. You stopped his momentum with a punch and crushed his head with your boot. You and the redhead soon found yourselves back to back, blasting away at the horde Blair summoned
Suddenly, a pair of arms lunged from underneath the ground and latched on to your leg, revealing just a torso
You: Aw, shit!
Elsa stomped on an enemy before looking over her shoulder
Elsa: You alright?
A purified head revealed itself. The corpse roared at you with ghastly yellow eyes
You: I got this
???: ɨ'ʟʟ ֆաǟʟʟօա ʏօʊʀ ֆօʊʟ!!
You lifted that leg and slammed your elbow against the undead, throwing him into the ground
Before it could even get up, the barrel of your gun forced its way into his open jaws
You: Swallow this
With the pull of the trigger, the head exploded into a million bits. Groovy
A high-pitched laugh caught Elsa's attention, but when she turned around she was met with a small plastic being lunging at her with a knife
She screamed as she struggled to get it off. It wasn't long before she grabbed it from behind and tossed it into the air
Without wasting any time, she took aim and blasted it into pieces
Elsa: I fucking hate dolls!
Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed the murder of crows flying your way, so you took out a small stone with a rune carved on it and looked over your shoulder
You: Duck!
Without questioning it, she complied in time to avoid the crows flying straight towards you, meeting a firey end with the blaze that this carved rune unleashed
Elsa: YEAH!! BURN THOSE PESTS TO A CRISP
The swarm immediately retreated as if to avoid losing more of its numbers. At the same time, Blair suddenly fell and she held herself, coughing blood before she glared at you
Blair: AHHH!! YOU BITCH!!
She raised a tense hand and chains suddenly dropped from the sky, interrupting your blaze and holding you in place
Some of these chains had hooks, and they dug their way into your skin, painfully lifting you off the ground as they wrapped around you
Elsa: L/N!
Despite your best efforts, you were forced to let go of your gun when the chains tightened their grip around your extremities. Blood was already becoming visible through them
Not only that, but the undead were starting to close in
Elsa: No you don't!
She jumped into the fray by tackling the nearest one to the ground and spraying the others with bullets
Elsa stomped his skull as she got up and drew her pistol to add more firepower
But this army of darkness was unrelenting. For every one of these creatures taken down, another one took its place
Just when Elsa blew a zombie's head off, another doll latched to her leg and started scratching. Before she could even do something about it, the crows descended onto her and began an assault of their own
Even then, the monster hunter did not grace them with a cry of terror. No, she fought tooth and nail, killing as many things as she could
From behind her, a faint f/c glow could be seen before one of the chains broke down, setting one of the arms free, and revealing the enchanted porcelain underneath
The crows took notice of this and deviated from attacking Elsa. With a ragged breath, you narrowed your eyes and pointed your artificial hand at them, preparing to blast them with magic
...
But they never reached you
A hellfire-imbued chain went through every single crow at unnatural speeds. No matter how much they tried to escape
Soon enough, ashes and feathers rained from the red skies
Blair screamed and she fell on her knees when she felt this connection severed so violently, ripped from her with hellfire. She shook violently at the sensation, as if she could feel the same fire eating her alive
And the voice that followed pierced her very heart
"Sinner"
The chains wrapped around your body were cut down in one swift move, but before you even reached the ground, you were caught
You didn't even need to see her to see who it was
Valkyrie: Are you alright, Y/N?
You couldn't help but smile at the sight of the friendly face
You: I am now. Thanks
She smiled back before setting you down. Elsa let out a sigh of relief, and just when a zombie was about to attack from behind, it was lifted and torn apart with ease by the man who called everyone here
Jack: Everyone alright?
The redhead turned to the half-beast and a scowl formed soon after. At the same time, the Rider burnt the nearest bunch of zombies, giving you all time to breathe
Elsa: Just where were you? Sticking your thumb up your a--
You: What she means is "thank you", Jack
She looked at you, only for you to gesture to her to zip it. The woman just rolled her eyes
Elsa: Yeah. Thank you
Jack nodded and everyone stood side by side before the army. Their cold dead gazes fixed on you
Valkyrie: What are we up against?
You: A crazy witch auditioning for an evil goddess
Jack: Sounds about right
While reloading, Elsa pointed at the book floating in front of the still-recovering witch
Elsa: She's drawing power from that book. We get rid of it, we stop the bitch
The Rider took a step forward and sensed the stench of the book. That unmistakable rot. Then, he slowly pointed at it
Rider: That cursed book reeks of sin. I will enjoy turning it into ashes
You got ahold of your weapon and cracked your neck
You: You heard him, people. The book doesn't make it out of here
Valkyrie let out a warcry as she charged into the enemy, slicing through the undead, with the rest of you following suit
The brutal fight continued, but this time, the odds were vastly different. Possessed dolls or undead beings, they all fell with ease
Blair whimpered as she got rid of the blood in her mouth, weakly looking up in horror at her army being decimated
Blair: N-No...
Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath when she clenched her fists
Blair: You...you will NOT stop me. Not now...
The sinister aura around her grew stronger, transforming her pain into rage. The adrenaline kicked in with this breath of new life
Blair: NOT EVER
She set her sights on the spirit responsible for the death of her crows and raised her arms with seemingly a lot of weight on them
On command, a giant chainsaw guide bar erupted from the ground, tearing through where once stood the Ghost Rider until only a couple of bones were left
A manic laugh was heard from across the battlefield, but it would wear off when she noticed the reaction of her enemies
Elsa blasted a zombie away before pivoting and kicking another through the head while Jack shook off the ones climbing onto him, right in time for Valkyrie to slice them off and you spraying bullets into the horde that lunged from behind
Blair: Uh, hello? I just took out--
The witch was interrupted by the remains of a zombie were hurled at her, sliding off the shield that kept her safe
She was distraught by the way you fought as if nothing had happened, dipping yourselves further into the bloodbath and slowly slashing your way towards her
But in reality, you were just making time because you all knew, there was no such thing as destroying a Ghost Rider
And soon, Blair would find out that too
From the crater left behind by the chainsaw, a powerful flame cut a swathe through the red skies, a sinister beacon for what was to come, and incinerating the poor devils that stood too close to it in the process
As soon as the flame stopped its blinding force, it revealed the Rider back on his feet. Holding on to his chains and his flame burning brighter than before
This time, she saw your group smirking
Blair: No. No no NO NO NO!!
The witch summoned the chains from the tree as fast as she could in a desperate attempt to slow him down like she did with you
When the metal made contact with the leather, however, the spirit just tilted his head as he stared at her. Two burning orbs stared at her very soul
That's when she came to the horrifying conclusion that all of these attempts, they had all been for nothing
The Rider got ahold of the chains that dug into him and whipped them as if they were his own, imbuing them with the very hellfire he worked with. Akin to electricity, the fire traveled through the chains
Blair's eyes went wide when she saw the fire coming her way, but when she tried to protect herself, it was too late. An explosion threw her back into the tree, with the remnants of her shield burning away before her very eyes
You: Shield's down...
You were the first to take note of this. You stuck the rifle to the side of a zombie and destroyed its torso before turning to Valkyrie
You: Valkyrie, if you please!
The Asgardian punched a hole through her enemy's head and gave you a nod. She tossed the reanimated corpse aside before she let out a cry and hurled her trusted Dragonfang toward a new target
No matter how many objectives tried to stand in the way, the weapon spun with deadly force, keeping its course the very same until Blair finally...
AGHHHHHHH!!!
An agonizing cry caught your attention. When you looked at the source, you found Valkyrie's sword stabbing through Blair's heart, nailing her into the tree in the process
The fight came to a sudden halt, with the undead stopping completely as if the connection had been severed
For the first time, you were all able to take a breather and reload
Reacting to the girl's suffering, the book floated closer to her, scouting to see if she was truly dead
Suddenly, a gasp, a feeble attempt to cling on to life, made all the more desperate when she saw the rest of you approaching her
Adrenaline kicked in to motivate what little she could do, despite the blood and life escaping her by the minute
Shaking, the girl smeared one of the book's pages with the blood that was escaping her body and mustered all her strength to usher one single request
"Save....me..."
The book reacted to the blood and pushed itself back. It flipped its pages violently and the undead suddenly broke into formation, making a barrier to keep you from reaching the vulnerable girl
Black tendrils sprouted from the cursed book and wrapped themselves around her wrists before another one went straight to her throat, jumpstarting putrid black veins to spread under her skin. A myriad of whispers overtook the scene shortly after
Growling, the undead were the first to move as they hurled at you with their claws and teeth, their moves akin to those of a rabid animal
The whispers grew in power and volume, or at least they did until the roots of the tree wrapped around Blair and snatched her into the tree itself, leaving only her army behind
You: Alright and what's going on now?
Elsa: Does it look like I fucking know?! Keep shooting!
Suddenly, lightning struck the zone where you stood, blasting you away and prompting Valkyrie to rush to your side, cutting down anyone who dared stand in her way
Valkyrie: Y/N!
The blonde nailed her sword to the ground before she got ahold of you. It was in times like this you were glad your clothes were far more resistant than they looked, didn't prevent your face from being covered in ash though
Valkyrie: Can you hear me? Are you okay?
Soon enough, a hand on her shoulder told her everything she needed to know, and your smile just confirmed it
You: Yeah, I'm fine. Ma--
You flinched mid-sentence at the feeling of something cold falling on your face. Brunnhilde raised a brow at the sight of it as well, blood dripped from your face, yet you had no wounds
That's when she felt something on her shoulder, another drop, and then another, and yet another
Elsa dug her boot deep into a zombie's throat, crushing it with ease until she spotted something red dripping on her rifle
Elsa: What in the...
When she looked up, however, the answer was given
Blood rained from the skies, quickly covering the battlefield in a sinister tint, but it wasn't the only thing
Lightning struck the area again and again, increasing the frequency just enough to become a problem. You quickly got up and began to chant
You: Everyone, to me!
As lightning struck, the rest of your allies grouped up with you in time for you to raise your hands and chant:
You: Shield of the Seraphim
A magic bubble safely encased the group. You focused your energy on keeping the spell long enough to avoid getting killed by those bolts of lightning, such was the case with the various undead that got caught in the crossfire
But this was a distraction, something to keep you busy until the sinister being had fully consumed Blair until eventually, the firing stopped, leaving a massive red cloud of dust in its wake
You finally broke the spell with ragged breath. Jack placed a hand on your shoulder
Jack: Thanks for the shield
You just gave him a thumbs up
It was then that you became aware of the strange silence that had taken over the field...or at least until Elsa broke it
Elsa: Fucking hell...
You followed her distraught gaze and found yourself repeating the same curse the minute you spotted the humongous silhouette hiding behind the dust
It was its screech that finally gave it away. In front of you stood half a titan, made of exposed flesh and chunks of the very same tree buried into its body and in some instances acted as poorly placed armor. A myriad of demonic sigils was carved into its flesh as well
Monstrous roots had replaced the legs of this entity, keeping it on the ground as it moved. Finally, the head was a skull of an animal you could not recognize, some pieces of flesh still held onto it
As blood continued to rain, you came to your senses
Elsa: We need a plan, right now
You stored your gun away and instead took out your chained blade
You: I got a plan, slice and dice
With that, you separated the blade and threw it with all your might, managing to nail it to the creature's arm before pulling you up thanks to the chain
Elsa watched you slice your way on top of the monster in utter disbelief. Not because of the impressiveness of this act, but because of the obvious lack of a strategy here
A loud groan left her lips as a result
Elsa: "Monster specialist" my ass. God fucking damnit, Strange...
A hand latched onto her boot. When Elsa looked down, she found more zombies, but this time, they looked different. Some were even more rotten, while others had animal-like features and spikes
Elsa: Okay, that's it
She stomped on it and took out a weapon resembling a shotgun, but instead of shooting bullets, this one released a batch of soulfire when pumped
Meanwhile, you ran across the creature's arm and began to slice to your heart's content, calling back your sword and tearing the flesh as much as you could with each strike
But in your rushed attempts to figure something out, you failed to notice the hand looming over you. Before you knew it, a crushing weight fell over you and swatted you off the creature
You crashed into what little grass there was, seeing as puddles of blood were forming thanks to the now pouring rain, but there was hardly any time to rest, as giant bladed fingers erupted from the ground and began to tear everything they came across with a wicked laugh
The Rider rounded the fingers together with his chain and turned them to ashes, while Elsa ducked under the razor blades and fired away
Elsa: Oi L/N! How's that brilliant strategy of yours coming along!?
You: Fuck off I'm figuring something out!
You leaped over one of the zombies and broke its arm, beating him with it, but when Elsa looked at the creature, she noticed something
The myriad of slashes and cuts you made were healing, and when they did, the veins underneath began to glow. They all converged in the chest
And with it, a revelation came
Elsa: It's the heart! We need to get rid of it!
Intrigued by this, you took aim and loaded a special bullet into the gun. You fired at the chest of the monster and made it explode, and shortly after, the exposed heart began to glow and cover itself with the repaired flesh
Rider: So now what?
You: We need to see if we can outrun the healing factor, or at the very least overwork it to death
Jack didn't need to be told twice. He howled before lunging at the enemy, tearing apart the zombies until it nailed itself to the flesh and ruthlessly began to slash away
You looked at the creature and then at your courier bag and took out a green flask
You: Bloodstone, you got corrosive rounds?
The woman nodded, switching weapons, or at least until the blood reached her knee, and she was suddenly pulled back by a decrepit hand. She smashed her elbow into the face of her enemy and sliced them off with a knife
Elsa: Fucking hell!
She then turned to you
Elsa: Whatever you're planning, do it now!
You nodded and threw yourself back into the action. With the rain drowning the battlefield with blood, moving was becoming increasingly difficult, and the undead were taking full advantage of it
Even then, the monster hunter refused to give up, but she wouldn't have to fight for long. The monstrous roar of an engine took over just as a trail of fire evaporated the blood with ease. The Spirit of Vengeance stepped out of the bike once he was by her side
They exchanged nods before he took out his chains and began to slowly swing around, bringing forth more fire, making way for a tornado that defied the crimson rain and any reanimated corpses that dared attack, even more so by Elsa's firepower
The beast roared at this act, but just when it was about to bring down a furious fist, a painful sting took over the hand. A strong acid was quickly dissolving the muscle and exposing the muscle
It shrieked in pain, but it would not stop there. You dug your sword into it and ran your way all up the right arm while Valkyrie did the same in the left one and Jack clawed his way up, or at least until he got dragged down by more enemies
Despite its best efforts to shake you off, it failed, and the more it thrashed around, the more the sea of blood was disturbed
The healing factor was working its damnest to keep up with the damage done to the body, but it all came to a brutal stop when both your blade and Valkyrie's met at the monster's chest and slid your way down, just enough to expose a layer of flesh, and behind it, the powerful orange glow of the heart could be seen
Valkyrie: This won't do, we need something else to attack while we keep the wound open
You: Aye
While still hanging on to your blade, you looked around the battlefield and caught Jack ripping a head with his jaws before picking up another undead and ripping her in half, and throwing the body at another foe. You found your answer
You: Jack! Here boy!
You started whistling in a taunting manner that caught the attention of the werewolf, who immediately growled at the tone you were using
You: I got a chewing toy for you!
You directed his attention to the orange glow barely hidden, and before the gap could close, you dug your blade even more, causing the skin around to erode once again
You: Come on boy! G--
The loud roar of the beast stopped you. The werewolf charged at high speeds, closing the distance and using the undead as stepping stones until he lunged with all his might, reaching the exposed chest before the wound closed on its own
This last layer of resistance didn't stand long against the mighty claws of the beast, but he stopped to take in the scene he had barged into
Glowing a sinister orange, the giant heart hung above it all. Blair was in the middle of the room, her arms and legs all but engulfed by the fleshy walls of this chamber
The previous look of defiance was gone from her face, replaced by an empty husk and black tendrils that had spread all over her skin
But the minute he stepped forward, numerous eyes in the walls flashed open, and they all focused on Jack
...
Back in the field, blood had all but taken over the area, reaching up to your neck with no signs of stopping anytime soon
Having been thrown away by the creature, you were forced to continue the fight on the ground and try your hardest not to drown
Ghost Rider's motorcycle ran around in circles at record speeds, creating a hellish barrier that kept the blood at bay and gave you a solid ground to step on as you dispatched the incoming hordes of undead
Elsa: How much longer?
Valkyrie impaled one of them with her sword and sliced it in half with one swing
Valkyrie: We'll hold the line for as long as we need
Elsa: I'm running out of bullets here!
You: That can be solved
You smashed your elbow against a jaw and kicked your foe into the ground before smashing the throat with your boot
Then you turned to Elsa and tossed her your rifle, but before anything else could happen, an agonizing shriek deafened you all
You looked at the monster desperately clawing around at its own chest. The erratic movements were sending the blood ocean into a frenzy of its own
But your eyes went wide when you saw it turn around to fall right on top of you
You: WATCH OUT!!
In a split-second decision, the Spirit of Vengeance called his vehicle and got ahold of you
Rider: Hold on tight
You were tossed into the vehicle. Elsa and Valkyrie followed the example and the hellfire chains whipped the sea open, revealing a path for you to travel away, narrowly escaping the massive waves that resulted from the fall
You looked back to see the monster twisting in pain when suddenly, something bursted out of its chest. It was the werewolf, drenched in the glowing liquid and viciously mauling away at the remaining skin
With the creature's last breath, the rain stopped, but before the blood crashed into the motorcycle, you once again raised your arms and focused
You: Shield of the Seraphim
The bubble appeared just in time to keep you from actually drowning in blood. It was submerged in blood for a moment, and as soon as it washed down, you lowered the spell
Before you knew it, you were back at the red fields, with the sky becoming clearer, and the once overwhelming blood ocean reduced to a myriad of puddles, with a disintegrating army of the dead
And of course, a giant corpse
But much like the army of acolytes, it began to disintegrate slowly, peeling the layers away, revealing Jack in his human form, carrying Blair in his arms. Everyone lowered their weapons at the sight of it
It was over, finally over
Elsa: Is she...
Jack: Dead
Valkyrie: I suppose a burial is in order. Enemy or not, everyone is worthy of this much
While the discussion continued, the Rider approached the carcass of the fallen enemy, still turning into ash. He looked down and just...stared
Knowing well that hiding would not work, the book emerged from the ashes and hissed at the Rider, with chains coming from it to attack the hero, only to be met with lethal flames
A gloved hand got ahold of the book and forced it open no matter how much it struggled and hissed
Rider: No more victims
His eyes began to glow as his jaw lowered and with it came the fire of punishment and vengeance. He unleashed a blaze straight into the book, earning its unnatural shriek when the fire burnt the flesh-bound tome, forever destroying the cursed knowledge within its pages
The red fog bleed from the rotting book until it caved in on itself, and the burnt bits flew off into nothingness
When he turned around, he found the rest of you finishing up the burial, as per Valkyrie's insistence, and it was with a heavy breath that the Rider relinquished control back to its human host
The skies, while still red, presented a lighter shade, simulating the presence of the Sun. The wind was gentle in its breeze, and it was with this newfound calm that you looked up
You: It's over...
This got a nod from Valkyrie and a gentle smile
Valkyrie: It is. The amulets no longer perceive a threat. You did well
Elsa: OH THANK GOD
The redhead pretty much collapsed on the grass, discarding her weapons and even forgetting about the others present
You ended up joining not long after, despite the light of a portal opening up nearby. The exhaustion was now starting to make itself noticeable, having to deal with supernaturally boosted murderers took a bigger toll on your bodies than expected
You might actually need Strange to give you a check-up
Jack: You still have to report what happened to Strange
Both of you let out a loud groan at this news, much to your allies' amusement
Elsa: Fuck me, this never ends
You: Tell me about it...
Now that the immediate threat was over, this place was actually very relaxing. Lying on the grass, watching the clouds. It was only a matter of time before you spoke what was in your mind, but you wouldn't be the only one
Elsa/You: I could go for a drink right now
Bloodstone and you turned to each other with a raised brow
. . .
The breeze of the field had been replaced with the unnatural, yet charming quietness of the Sanctum
After taking a shower, you were going to tell Strange about your mission, but something had come up and you were asked to wait for a moment. That's what you were doing while staring out the window
The light of the other side hit your face ever so slightly, yet you seemed so...distant
So much so that you failed to realize you were not alone anymore
Valkyrie: What's troubling you, Y/N?
You looked away to find the Asgardian leaning against the doorway
You: Is it that obvious?
She just nodded, earning a chuckle from you, but the smile quickly vanished when something crossed your mind. You figured it woudln't hurt
You: Well, I actually wanted to ask you...
She listened carefully as you gathered the strength to look her in the eye and ask
You: Have you...seen Estrid around lately?
By her confused reaction, she had given you an answer. But then again, the question itself seemed so out of place, you ought to provide some context
You: I'm sorry. I know it sounds ridiculous and--
The gentle pressure of her hand on your shoulder snapped you out of it. You didn't even notice when she closed the gap between you. By her eyes you knew what to do, so you took a deep breath and started again
You:...there were some illusions out there, people we knew. It was so odd, but it felt so real I just...
Valkyrie: You just wanted to make sure
You nodded, earning a softer look from the woman
Valkyrie: I assure you, Y/N. If Estrid were around, she would do nothing but sing praise to you
You: Am I though? She sounded quite disappointed I took the one path they didn't want me to
Valkyrie: Right now you are doing it to protect all of creation. You serve the highest of callings
With a gentle touch, she then she cupped your face
Valkyrie: Estrid knew the importance of fighting for what is right. I'm positive that she would've done the same thing in your place. That's just what you are, noble souls
She let go to offer you one last tender smile
Valkyrie: And by no means, a disappointment
You: I...
You just looked at the Asgardian in awe, but it wasn't long before a smile of your own appeared
You: ...I needed that. Thank you, Brunnhilde
Her smile grew brighter as she nodded
Valkyrie: Of course
With that, she turned to leave, but stopped when she reached the doorway, she looked over her shoulder
Valkyrie: For the record, if I do see her, I will let you know. You have my word
You were left alone in the room, your thoughts more serene than before, so by the time Strange opened the door, he found a much more composed monster hunter
Somewhere, a young blonde kid walked through the golden fields of her paradise, grazing over nature with her fingertips
Her charming laughter became part of the ambiance, but she stopped when she felt something, slowly, she reached over to her right wrist. On it rested a small bracelet composed of wooden spheres, with runes carved into them so long ago
She smiled at the feeling of it, and a single name escaped her lips with such tenderness and love
"Y/N"