The forces of Twist and Remnant waited with bated breath, their hearts pounding in their chests as they watched the spot the Heroes and the First Vao had vanished carefully. The soldiers of New Atlas of the First Timeline trained their rifles on the spot, the barrels trembling. The Cultists stood just opposite of them, prepared to go against the three armies to protect the First Vao if they had to.
No one knew what was going on. They had no way of monitoring the Heroes nor the First Vao. General Schnee gritted her teeth, pacing back and forth in the helicopter, the pilot hovering over the spot and the gunmen training their sights. The First Verde sat in one of the seats with a laptop on her lap, the First Sasha sitting by her side with her tree trunk-sized arms folded across her chest, her foot tapping against the metal floor nervously. Her face was as stern as ever, though.
"Forest, is there any update?" The general hissed. "The moment that bastard comes out, we need to gun him down before he starts dodging again."
"There are no updates. IDMS reads as normal," the genius replied.
["The hell is an IDMS?"] The Second Yin's voice spoke from their earpieces.
["Inter-Dimensional Monitoring System,"] the Second Verde replied. ["It's what we've been using to monitor the Third Timeline. You were there when we built it, and also for the classes on how to use it. You were too distracted talking to Vao."]
["I'm sorry I had to yell at your boyfriend for eating mushrooms in class."]
["Drugs? What are your intentions with my daughter?"] Ironwood growled.
["M-maybe... Holding her hand one day... I'd also really like a hug. I wouldn't do anything to disappoint you, Daddy."]
["I told you not to call me that! Just call me Jim!"]
["Excuse me, General James Ironwood! I could not help but notice my stepson referred to you as a fatherly figure! Could you relay the secret to accomplishing such a feat!?"] The Second Oobleck nearly screamed. Vao was quick to answer.
["Yeah! He ain't shagging my mum, you googly four eyed twat!"]
["She is a very nice lady!"]
["I'LL BURY YOU!"]
Winter sighed, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose. "For the love of... Shut up and keep your sights focused. That's an order!"
["Bitch, I didn't sign up for the military,"] the Second Raven growled. ["Vao, apologize to Barty right now."]
[B-but Mummy-"]
["I'll find the shovel, you girly prick."]
["S-sorry, Professor-"]
["EIGHT YEARS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL! I AM A DOCTOR!"]
It was at this point they just tuned out the Branwen family issues. Down on the ground, Poppy watched as the First Raven approached the Second Vao, blindly grabbing at the air until her palm pressed against the back of his head, making the mafia member jump in surprise. "N-nyah!?"
"U-um... Y-you're the S-Second Vao, right?" The blind woman stammered happily.
"Y... You're not going to hit me with a shovel, are you?"
"N-no! I... I just wanted to know if I could have a h-hug... Vao n-never hugged me in the First Timeline..."
That was depressing. The Second Yin nudged his brother's shoulder. "Hug her, dude."
Back in the helicopter, the First Verde stared at her laptop screen, her brow furrowing. "Hey... Something's happening..."
["What is it?"] The First Cinder asked.
The First Verde typed at her keyboard, trying to correct the issue. "These readings...! I am reporting a high increase on power levels! The IDMS is destabilizing! Everyone get ready-"
A massive shockwave suddenly blasted from the target point, nearly throwing the helicopter out of the sky. One of the gunmen was flipped over his machine gun, plummeting to his death with a shrill shriek. Winter dove for the deck immediately to hang on, the pilot struggling to regain control of the vehicle. The First Verde's voice rose in sheer panic.
"W-what the hell is this!? I've never seen readings like this!" She yelled into the earpiece. Before she could continue, another shockwave ripped through the air, Winter pointing at the pilot.
"All air units! Make an emergency landing! NOW!"
The helicopter swerved in the air and flew away for safety, the energy crackling through the air. In the dim light of the eclipse, Light and Dark shimmered in the spot the Heroes had vanished, forcing the waiting soldiers to retreat. And with a resounding boom, the Heroes and the First Vao returned to the real world, thrown away from each other, rolling across the dirty ground.
The Heroes slowly picked themselves up, Jasper and Sapphire dragging the injured Midori to safety. Their eyes rested on the First Vao's balled up form, the murderer clutching his head in pain. Salem stood to her feet, her hand resting on her rapier.
"I... I figured it out," she breathed. "I've figured out... Just what makes you so horrible..."
Her friends looked up at her in confusion. "The hell... Are you talking about?" Sasha panted. But Salem ignored her, taking a step closer to the First Vao.
"You know it, don't you...?" She said quietly. "You know that isn't Summer... You said it yourself... You're so scared of losing her again, that you just gave up, didn't you? You gave up to the Blood! I get it now... I've figured it out! The reason you can't fight back, the reason you gave up! It's because you can't forgive yourself!"
The First Vao flinched, lifting his head up. They could see it in his one eye. He had never been so pissed off in his life. Salem had struck the nail right on the head. The First Vao opened his mouth into the angriest cry they had heard, another shockwave blowing away anything that stood near.
The power was nearly crippling. They could barely stand. They could barely breathe. Light and Dark mixed with blue flame, the First Vao clutching his head.
"It's your fault! It's yours!" He shrieked. "If you hadn't fucked me over, I'd never have killed her! Salem! SALEM!"
The princess had no time to react. Breaking the sound barrier, he blasted forward and barrelled her over, his axe missing her throat by less than a centimeter. The soldiers opened fire on him, the bullets racing for his skull. The First Vao threw his hand out, Light and Dark tearing them from the sky and throwing them back at his attackers, killing them instantly.
The Heroes watched in horror as blue flames floated from their corpses, congregating around the First Vao. His power began to increase, the sounds of billions of voices whispering through the air. He had stolen their Souls, and was using them.
They had finally brought him to the point where he was using the Souls.
The Heroes spun around and ran away as the First Vao chased after them, his axe cleaving through the armies as they tried to protect them, their Souls ensnared in his cold grasp. Darkness burst from under Salem's feet and dragged her across the ground, Yin spinning around and sprinting after her.
Salem's rapier bent dangerously as she blocked the First Vao's axe, his eye wild with insanity.
"I can't lose," he hissed. "You're wrong! Wrong, wrong, WRONG! I can still reach my dream! I can... I... I-I...?" His face fell, the First Vao stumbling back. The Heroes regrouped, launching their own attack the moment he was distracted. But even with his mind in other places, he blocked and dodged everything they threw with perfection. The Enemy looked up at them, the black veins stretching further across his face, the white roots of his hair travelling further up the strands.
"M-my dream...?" He rasped. "I... I forgot my dream...! No, I've... Who... Who am I...!?"
Salem felt her heart throb. "Shit! The Blood's doing a full takeover!" She screamed. "He's beginning to turn! Fight like you're going to kill him!"
"But we agreed-" Mono stopped herself, shaking her head. "... Very well. I suspect there is still a plan..."
Penny loomed over the First Vao, her machine guns spraying the ground. The First Vao flipped out of the way before racing up her arm, his axe cutting it to pieces. Jumping high into the air, eldritch tendrils burst from his back and wrapped around the golem, lifting her off the ground. The Heroes dove for the dirt when he threw Penny at them, her massive steel body crushing the buildings and any soldier who couldn't get away in time. He gave very little time for them to recover, snatching a helicopter from the air and throwing that too.
The Heroes didn't have the chance to fight him. With the earth beneath their feet exploding with fire, Light, and Dark, they retreated into the ruined Royal Capital, the First Vao jumped over the buildings with his magic propelling himself into the sky, the murderer disappearing into one of the rifts as the world tore itself apart.
"What's he doing now!?" Jasper screamed. "Why'd he jump in!?"
"He's getting something!" Sasha shouted. "There's no other reason! Those rifts, they go back to the Graveyard, right!?"
["Correct."]
The Heroes jumped in surprise at the sudden voice, Yin fishing into his pocket and pulling out an earpiece. "What is this thing!?"
["An earpiece,"] the Second Verde replied bluntly. ["We're near your location. The Second Vao, as you refer to him, slipped them into your pockets. Put them on."]
"HOW!?"
"I'm a really good thief!" Vao shouted. "I'm a sneaky little bastard!"
["That's right, mate! We'll be there soon! We're in my car, and the whole mafia's following us!"]
["YOU NEARLY HIT THAT GUY!"] The Second Sasha wailed.
["He jumped out of the way, so it's fine-"]
["HOW DID YOU GET A LICENSE!?"]
["Blackmail and mafia connections."]
The Heroes pressed the earpieces into their ears, drawing their weapons. The rifts flickered, the First Vao leaping back out with the thing he had gone to retrieve.
His magic was wrapped around Beacon Tower, dragging the massive building behind him. With a loud holler, he threw the entire structure at them, Verde jumping in front of everyone and casting a spell.
"M-[Magic Barrier]-"
SMASH!
The barrier nearly shattered under the incredible weight, dragging them with it as the tower dug a deep rut into the ground, threatening to crush them if Verde couldn't hold her spell. If she hadn't been such a skilled witch, they wouldn't have made it. But even with their survival, the ground had torn up their armor, shredding the skin underneath, burning their flesh as the tower exploded. From the flames the First Vao lunged with his axe held high over his head, his eye twisted in rage, his Aura blazing like the inferno around them. The air shimmered with a metallic gleam, Mono jumping in front of them.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Her hammer sparked wildly, the Cult Leader forced back when the First Vao attacked, his axe moving faster than their eyes could keep up with. Only Mono, with her species' naturally excellent eyesight, could have done it. But even she was overpowered when his Darkness wrapped around her waist and tossed her to the side, the tendrils swatting Sapphire and her chainsaw into Vao and Yin.
"You know wot?" The Enemy snarled. "Fuck my dream! I just want you dead!"
Verde blasted another beam at him, Jasper manipulating the burning tower to weave a great storm of fire, Sasha and Salem standing shoulder-to-shoulder, bracing themselves for impact. The First Vao teleported away from the magic and snatched Jasper out of the air, throwing the fairy like a baseball at Verde before kicking them both through a brick wall, beelining for the two warriors.
Sasha and Salem lunged forward together, but it was still no use. The air gleamed again, and in an instant Sasha's greatsword was sent flying from her hands, the First Vao's fist driving square into her jaw, and then grabbing Salem by the collar to drag her down to eye-level. His icy breath burned her lungs as he leaned forward, his eye wild with mania.
"This world was meant to be ruled by the strong. You told me that, back when... Ugh, wot did you do to me!? Forget it! It won't matter! I'm going to make this as painful as possible! And when I reset the Timeline..."
SNAP!
He returned his weapon to his belt and seized Salem's hand, twisting until she felt her wrist pop. He hadn't broken it - she was lucky. It was only a dislocation. She clenched her teeth, trying to headbutt him. But the First Vao moved first, slamming his forehead into her nose and knocking her off her feet.
"I'll... I-I..." He trailed off, spit flying from his lips as he screamed. "Why can't I remember my dream!?"
Salem drove her knee into his thigh, finally gaining the position to push him away. She popped her wrist back into place, reaching for her rapier. The First Vao kicked it from her hands the moment she drew the weapon, the two meeting in hand-to-hand.
Salem wasn't unfamiliar with close-quarters combat, and certainly hadn't used it to kill without her weapon. It showed when the First Vao flipped her over his shoulder, attempting to drop his elbow down on her skull. Salem rolled out of the way and watched as he smashed his elbow into the ground and recoiled in pain, the princess quickly delivering another kick to his chest. It didn't do anything to stop his momentum as he jumped back to his feet, plowing his fist through her jaw in a devastating uppercut, knocking her to the ground. He raised his axe, Salem's life flashing before her eyes.
SCREEEEEECH! VROOOM!
The squealing of tires and a gas pedal to the metal roared through the air, the First Vao turning his head. The car smashed into him, saving Salem from death by only a few seconds. The Second Yin trembled in the back seat, his cigarette nearly falling into his lap.
"F-floor it! Floor it!"
"W-wot do you think I'm doing!?" The Second Vao cried.
Team FRSB held on for dear life as the Second Vao swerved his car left and right, trying to throw the First Vao off the hood. But he clung on with an iron grip, his one eye burning with rage. "You're in my bloody way!"
THUMP!
The Second Vao's eyes widened in horror when their enemy punched the hood and left a dent. "'AVE YOU LOST YOUR BLOODY MIND!? MUM'LL KILL ME IF I CRASH THIS THING AGAIN!"
"Is now really the time to be thinking of that!?" The Second Sasha screamed. "DRIVE!"
"You don't understand just how much I love my mum!" The Second Vao snapped back. "Love, glovebox! Sasha, under the seat! Yin, you'll need to climb out to the trunk! I've popped it open!"
"Got it!"
But the Second Yin was much more hesitant. "Out there!?"
"You did cooler crap! Like fighting giant robots!" The Second Vao shouted. "Your prosthetics are top tier, just like my leg! Do it, you cyborg!"
The Second Verde pulled open the glovebox, pulling out the Glock that the Second Vao had stored inside, Sasha pulling a submachine gun from under the seat. The women immediately began to load their weapons, the Second Yin climbing through the window and onto the roof. He glanced back, the First Vao already making his way towards him. The Hero grabbed the trunk with his prosthetic and tore the door off, exposing what his brother had stowed away inside.
"A machine gun!?" He shouted into his earpiece.
["Rotating barrel, shoots four thousand rounds a minute! There's a belt with eight thousand attached! That gives you two minutes of nearly continuous fire!"] The Second Vao shouted into his earpiece. ["I've never had to use it, but it was always for protecting the Club in case we were ever attacked by rival organizations! Like Spider!"]
The Second Yin didn't respond. He picked up the machine gun and squeezed the trigger, the barrel beginning to spin. The First Vao's eye went wide.
RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!!
The First Vao immediately shrouded himself in a ball of Darkness, the bullets devoured by his magic. The Second Verde and Sasha leaned out their windows and fired their weapons, holding him back as the Second Vao slowly picked up speed.
["HANG ON, YIN!"]
The Second Yin grabbed the edge of the car just as the Second Vao stomped the brakes, launching the First Vao off the car. The vehicle began to swerve dangerously, threatening to roll over. The Second Sasha and Yin leapt off and to the ground, the Giant of Vacuo gritting her teeth.
"Hope these prosthetics are all they're cracked up to be," she muttered. "I'm going to find shit to throw at him! Try not to die!"
"Got it," the Second Yin muttered, drawing his katana. The First Vao was already standing back up, his hair flowing, his Aura blazing. The Second Yin pinched his cigarette, dropping it on the ground and snuffing it under his metal heel. The First Vao raised his eyebrows curiously.
"... Metal?"
The Second Yin slowly nodded his head. "Yeah. In the Second Timeline, my fight with Salem cost me a lot. My friends. My legs. My right arm. If it wasn't for my prosthetics, I'd have died."
The First Vao planted his axe into the ground, leaning forward on it. "If she took so much from you... Then why...? Why do you protect her...? Becoz of Salem, you're more machine than man."
"You weren't there. You didn't see her Reality. She was just another victim of the Gods and the Blood - a pawn," the Second Yin replied. "And given that neither you nor they're dead... You're just like her. Fighting for your life."
"You think you know me? At least you had a happy childhood."
"Yeah, guess I lucked out. So... I'm guessing laying down your weapon is off the table?"
The First Vao nodded, his lips curling into a smirk. "Yeah. It is."
He lifted his axe, giving it a swing. Without any more words exchanged, they charged each other. Their weapons met in a violent clash, the power of the Souls nearly forcing the Second Yin back. His prosthetics flexed, giving him the strength to keep his bearing. His metallic arm clicked, his katana gleaming.
The First Vao's eye widened when he saw the glint in the air, the Enemy moving to block the near-invisible assault. In the blink of an eye the Second Yin circled around him, his katana almost immediately deflected. The First Vao drew Misery from its sheath, Light and Dark swirling around him mixed with the billions of Souls he had stolen. Without a secondary weapon of his own, the Second Yin had a much harder time keeping up.
The First Vao didn't have any prosthetics, but he still kept up with cyborgs. If it wasn't for the Souls and his magic, the Second Yin would have had a lot more openings. The Hero leapt out of the way of the dagger, performing a back handspring to dodge the axe and Darkness, watching the First Vao's movements carefully. The Second Verde's voice spoke through the earpiece.
["Yin! We'll be there in a moment; Vao and I are organizing the mafia! Sasha's still trying to find something big! What does your situation look like!?"]
"He's fast," the Second Yin hissed. "If I didn't have my cybernetic enhancements, he'd have killed me by now."
["I'm watching your situation! It doesn't look like you'll have to worry about him using Light for now; I suspect he still isn't used to using it. He can't use it as well as he can his Darkness. Just watch out for any bursts - when he does use Light, it's going to hit hard!"]
"Got it."
CLANG, CLANG CLANG!
His prosthetics sparked as the First Vao attacked, requiring his full strength to push back the axe. It was heavy; unwieldy for anyone but the First Vao. No doubt he had modified it to be heavier, to cause as much damage as possible. He thought of everything he knew about the First Vao.
The First Vao was capable of seeing from his eye socket thanks to his Aura. Trying to go for a blind side was pointless. On top of that, he wasn't sure if the Blood was watching his back for him. His fighting style was nearly unpredictable; his shoulders barely telegraphed his next move. And if he used his Darkness to blind the Second Yin's surroundings, it would be over in a heartbeat. His Darkness had grown strong, bolstered by the Souls and Blood. His Light alone couldn't force it back. In nearly all aspects, he was outmatched.
To his complete surprise, the First Vao paused. The Enemy stared the Second Yin down, and folded his axe back into a box before clipping it to his belt. He kept his dagger, the serrated blade gleaming in the light of the solar eclipse as he popped his neck and switched it to his dominant hand; his right. The Second Yin's heart rate spiked, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. The First Vao grinned.
"I don't really have time for you," he rasped. "Salem... My main focus is Salem."
"And you're gonna have to get through ME-!?'
His voice went shrill when the First Vao dashed forward, clearing the distance between them in a matter of half a second, his lips curling into a deranged, bloodthirsty grin.
"That was the plan."
The Second Yin barely deflected the dagger, the tip cutting through his combat outfit with ease, lacerating his chest. With two hands on his katana, he couldn't stop the First Vao from punching him square in the jaw with lethal force, his bones cracking under the monstrous force.
He rolled to his feet, his prosthetics clicking and his Light glowing, bolstering his speed. But even that wasn't enough. He quickly realized why the First Vao had resorted to only using his dagger, Misery. Because compared to Grimm Demise, Misery truly weighed nothing. It didn't slow him down in the slightest. Before the Second Yin even comprehended what had happened, his chest and left arm gushed a scarlet fountain, his blue eyes wide. The First Vao had deliberately avoided his prosthetics, aiming for what was organic.
He was going to be killed if he tried to fight him face to face.
The Second Yin backpedaled away, the First Vao following him relentlessly, never giving him the chance to put distance between them. He was too aggressive. The Hero frantically dodged and weaved out of the way of the blade, the First Vao's stomach growling, filling him with raw terror.
Among the many psychopaths the Second Yin had fought - the war mongering Rojo, the psychotic Lisa Lavender, a Blood-ridden Verde, and the megalomaniacal King Iris Lavender and his weapon of mass destruction, the First Vao easily came out on top. The Darkness burst from the ground, the tendrils moving at blinding speeds.
The sound of metal and wiring being shredded reached his ears, the nerve sensors in his prosthetics burning. With the metal stumps of his prosthetic legs and arm being all that was left, his torso collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, the scraps of his cybernetic body clattering to the ground. The Darkness spilled from the First Vao's freezing body, his dagger retreating to its sheath when his free hand lifted the crippled Huntsman by his wrist, holding him in the air.
"Nyahahaha! C'mon mate, don't tell me that's it!?" He shouted hysterically. "You stupid- nyah?"
He spun around and used his Light to rip the horse carriage to pieces, the Second Sasha barrelling towards him with her massive scimitar, Sandstorm, in her hands. Her muscles bulged through her clothes, her eyes burning with rage. She was using her Semblance. The First Vao tossed the Second Yin to the side, a look of annoyance crossing his eye. He didn't want to focus on fighting what he saw as obstacles. Not when Salem was so close.
He held up a finger gun and lowered his thumb, the Darkness ripping forward and piercing through the Second Sasha's stomach like a bullet. But to his utter shock, she didn't even flinch. She didn't lose any momentum, the murderer ducking under her Sandstorm moments before it could cleave through his neck. Her next blow hit a cloud of ash, the First Vao's legs wrapping around her neck. His Darkness stabbed the ground like an anchor, swinging the pair in a big circle before driving her into the ground.
The First Vao launched himself into the air, landing on the ground with a heavy slam that left behind a crater. He stood up, dusting the ash off his shoulders before flipping his Misery in his hand. "Semblance... That's right. You had Semblances," he growled. He pointed the serrated edge at her arms, furrowing his eyebrows. "... I can see your veins through your clothes. Looks like it barely even fits you. It wasn't like that before; you have a strength Semblance. And judging from earlier, you wouldn't feel a thing if I cut you up."
"That's right, you piece of shit," the Second Sasha snarled. "But you can feel it, right? I'll shatter every fucking bone in your damned body. Is Yin still alive?"
The First Vao shrugged. "Probably. I was taking my time with him. And he's got a healing Semblance anyways. Now... You're right; I can feel pain. It won't be caused by you. Besides, your Semblance benefits me."
"How?"
The First Vao's smile widened. "Becoz you won't even realize when you're dying."
He dodged her scimitar even when the wind ripped from the blade, cutting through the ground with the power of air pressure, keeping his distance. Just as she turned around he threw his arm out, a blinding flash escaping his palm and blinding her. The Darkness exploded from his back and engulfed everything, submerging everything in its impenetrable fog. From the Darkness he attacked unpredictably, the Second Sasha struggling to hit him.
She didn't have a range function on her weapon. She had no means of putting distance between them. She was stabbed in the back, and just like the Second Yin, her prosthetic legs were torn off. The Darkness vanished in an instant, the First Vao kicking her weapon from her hands and brutally beating her with the artificial limbs, the steel plate soon sticky with scarlet. She tried to cover her head with her arms, but he only hit harder until her bones snapped, the murderer standing over her.
He gritted his teeth, tossing the ruined legs on top of the Second Sasha's barely conscious form. At this rate, he Salem was going to find a place to hide, and he'd need to waste even more time trying to find her. He broke into a run down the streets, the armies taking cover and trying to gun him down. The arrows from the residents of Twist were much easier to handle; his Darkness snatched them out of the air and threw them back, killing the archers with the swiftness of a hawk, their Souls almost immediately absorbed. The bullets weren't as easy; he dodged them, and blew apart the soldiers with Grimm Demise. In a matter of moments, he shook them off his trail, his lips curling into another smirk. There was only one person left who stood in his way, someone who had been waiting for him.
The Second Vao leaned against his car, his axe resting on his shoulder. The mafia member looked up, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Oi, nutter."
The First Vao slowed to a halt, glaring him down. The Second Vao sighed, pushing away from his vehicle.
"Get out of my way."
"... Nah. I don't really feel like it," the Second Vao replied. "Honestly, I'm not even supposed to be here without my backup. But, ah... Not really my style."
The First Vao scoffed. "Then you're the biggest idiot I've ever come across."
"But aren't we the same right down to the genetic level?" The Second Vao countered. The First Vao looked confused, the mafia member continuing. "B'sides, mate. I feel a bit responsible for all this, since you're me and I'm you. And hey; nobody's around. Neither of us need to hold back."
The Second Vao's earpiece squealed, catching their attention. The Second Vao clicked a button, connecting it to his scroll and putting it on speaker.
["Vao, get out of there!"] Ironwood shouted. ["You'll get yourself killed again!"]
["V-Vao! Y-you were right next to me!"] The Second Verde shrieked.
["Run, you fucking idiot!"] The Second Yin screamed.
But the Second Vao dropped his scroll and his earpiece on the ground, stepping on them as he approached. "... I'm not very good at thinking," he admitted. "But you use Darkness a lot. Aside from the Third me - us? Wotever. We're the only ones who can handle that good and proper."
The First Vao growled under his breath. "I don't have the patience for stupid cunts."
In an instant the world was engulfed in Darkness, the First Vao racing through it, his eye locking onto the Second Vao's back. He leapt forward, Misery in full swing. But to his utter shock, the Second Vao glanced behind him and dodged.
"Get some hearing aids," he snickered. "I just said I can handle your Darkness. We both have it-"
CRACK!
The Second Vao flew off his feet, crashing into the side of his car. Before he had even had the chance to defend himself, the First Vao punched him square in the teeth. The murderer drove his heels deep into the cripple's chest, sending him flying again with his car.
"As if magic is all you need," the First Vao snarled. "You're slow. You aren't worth my time."
He broke into another run. He wasn't grinning anymore. He wanted to get this over with. And yet again, he was interrupted. A glob of paint splashed in front of him, bringing him to a screeching halt. He glared forward, his nostrils flaring with fury. "Wot now?"
The Second Verde stood in front of him, her paintbrushes drawn. Her face expressionless, she stared back. "You just hit my boyfriend. You've critically injured my friends."
"And I'll do a lot worse," the First Vao snarled. "Out of my way, kid. I don't have time to deal with fucking midgets!"
"Nein."
The First Vao lost his temper, charging her with his axe and dagger. The Second Verde raised her prosthetic arm, the metal hand dropping down on a hinge to expose a cannon. The First Vao's eye widened in shock as he jumped out of the way less than a second before it fired, blue paint splattering the spot where he had stood a moment ago. The ridiculousness of it almost made him laugh.
"Paint? You want to fight me with paint!?"
"Ja."
He wasn't appreciative of her short sentences, nor her native tongue - which he didn't know due to having never properly met Verde in the First Timeline. "Stupid cun-"
Verde's prosthetic clicked, but she didn't aim it at the First Vao. She fired a glob of crimson paint at the blue stain, the First Vao immediately realizing what she was doing.
Verde's paint was infused with Dust. The fiery red struck the icy blue with a loud sizzling noise, the heat and cold exploding into a cloud of steam, obscuring his vision. He stepped back, the hairs on his neck standing on end. He held his breath, listening carefully. He couldn't hear her moving. He spun around, swinging his axe to gain momentum in his charge, lifting it high over his head.
"Cool trick," he frothed. "But wot was the point if you were going to stand in the same-"
SLAM!
"Pl... Place...?"
His axe had struck the ground, the Second Verde nowhere in sight. His black Blood froze in his veins the moment he felt a shift in the wind behind him, unable to turn fast enough before the Second Verde dragged her paintbrush across his forehead, leaving a scarlet streak. The First Vao dropped his axe, clutching his forehead with a shrill shriek. He swung his fist for her, scratching away the paint. But the Second Verde leapt back into the mist, quickly disappearing from sight.
The First Vao listened carefully, picking his axe up and tensing his shoulders. Again, he didn't hear anything. His Darkness burst from his back, tearing at where she had disappeared. But he only hit empty space again, her paintbrushes dragging across his back. She dove in and out of the frigid fog, always inaudible. The First Vao wasn't the type to panic under pressure, but for the first time in years he was facing an opponent he couldn't keep track of. In a last ditch effort, he blasted his Darkness over the area, his Aura glowing in the dark. Even still, he couldn't see through the steam.
If he had both of his eyes, he'd be invisible to the Second Verde. But the Aura in his eye socket was like a beacon. When he tried to run, she launched a full assault on his front, the red paint burning his skin and forcing him to drop his weapon again. The Darkness vanished, the Second Verde delivering a series of well-placed kicks square to his hips and stomach, driving him to the ground.
He rolled to his feet and took a swing, the Second Verde using his own strength and momentum against him, redirecting his fist over her shoulder and burying her knuckles into his ribs. He kicked out, but she was already gone, hidden in the mist.
"I understand it now," her voice echoed from all around him. "There's barely anything left. You're nearly the same as an animal now, fighting off instinct."
The First Vao gritted his teeth, the Blood dribbling from his gums. "Where are you!?"
"Come and find me. My Semblance mutes all noise I make. Once I take away your senses of sight and hearing, you're easy to deal with. I suppose that means the Blood is no longer watching your back - it must be preoccupied with your Soul. I can't sense it, so I assume that the Third Timeline Heroes did something to separate it from your Soul."
The First Vao, for the first time in decades, was getting nervous about his position in combat. He had made the one mistake he had always said to never make. He had underestimated just how smart Verde was across the Timelines. She wasn't stupid enough to fight him head on - she was using everything in her toolbox to ambush and put him at a disadvantage.
He could hear footsteps, the Enemy lunging for the source of the noise with his dagger in his hand. But in an instant she activated her Semblance and circled around him, punching the back of his head with her prosthetic arm. He spun around in a daze, swinging his fists wildly. But the Second Verde redirected each and every single one, counter-attacking him perfectly before jumping back into the mist. Not a moment later, he could hear the sizzling of fire Dust against ice Dust, the mist growing back to full strength.
"I will not let you hit me," the Second Verde said. "Blocking would spell the end for me. Since you don't have training in martial arts, that makes this a lot easier."
In an instant she was in front of him, catching him off guard again.
"After my father, General Ironwood adopted me, I underwent several different martial arts. I am a black belt in seven."
The First Vao lost his cool, and in a full-blown panic he attacked. The Second Verde responded by throwing him over her shoulder and wrapping around his arm, dislocating his shoulder with a slight pull. His Darkness tore at her, mixed with Light, but the Second Verde had already disappeared into the mist. The First Vao yelped as he popped his shoulder back into place, his eye scanning wildly for his axe. He felt humiliated; Verde was short, and she wasn't the most athletic between herself and her teammates. Yet she was the one proving the most difficult for him to face - knowledge was her strongest power.
If he could get his hands on Grimm Demise, there was a chance he could turn the tide of battle in his favor. He dove into the frigid mist on all fours, his fingers scraping at the dirt. His Darkness built up, mixing with Light as it exploded outwards, blowing the mist away in an instant and exposing the Second Verde. The artist gasped, loading her paint cannon. But the First Vao had already found what he was looking for, scrambling for Grimm Demise. The moment his fingers had wrapped around the bloodstained weapon, the Second Verde had already fired both shots, the mist rising again.
The First Vao slammed a rocket down the barrel of the rocket launcher, his finger flicking a small switch he had installed. He pointed the weapon straight up in the air and squeezed the trigger, his feet sinking into the ground as the earth quaked from the monstrous recoil.
The Second Verde wasn't far away, her ears ringing from the sudden explosion. She looked up into the sky, her eyebrows furrowing thoughtfully at the explosive. The First Vao wasn't the type to randomly start firing even if he panicked, and she doubted he'd ever think to shoot up. It wasn't until the rocket turned in the air and started roaring towards her that she realized what he was doing.
It was a heat-seeking missile. The Second Verde spun around and sprinted away, sweat rolling down her forehead. This wasn't good. She was more than capable of dodging it. The problem was that the rocket was leaving a trail, guiding the First Vao right to her.
She ducked underneath the blade of Grimm Demise, her hand quickly snatching the entire vial of red paint. She'd be unable to use fire Dust, but it was necessary for survival. She sprinted straight for the First Vao before he had the chance to spot the rocket, throwing the glass at him as hard as she could.
SHATTER!
SSSSSSSSS!
The First Vao thrashed around in surprise, his Darkness struggling to wipe off the paint that had begun to burn through his sleeve, exposing the deathly pale skin underneath. The heat grew intense, the Second Verde ducking as the rocket changed direction, barrelling towards the First Vao. The ground shook again as it exploded, his Blood shielding him from most of the blast. The heatwave that followed melted the icy mist, showing the Second Verde the situation in full visibility. The First Vao was rolling across the ground, struggling to get his flaming overcoat off. He threw it to the side, punching at the ground and charging forward.
She wouldn't last long with his axe in his hands. She was fully aware of that. She didn't have any mist to hide in, either; her Semblance was useless if he could see her. No matter. She was prepared for this situation. Her artificial hand dropped down again, the artist dry-firing into the ground, letting the recoil spin her out of the way. From her pocket she drew a syringe, stabbing the needle into her neck and pressing down the button.
Her heart began to pound, her body feeling lighter. The First Vao stopped when she dropped the needle, taking a more cautious stance. "... Just wot was in that?"
The Second Verde heaved an erratic sigh, her pupils dilated. "Adrenaline. My boyfriend, Vao... He makes them himself. Perks of dating the mafia's best drug dealer."
The First Vao scoffed, transforming his axe and flicking the switch again. No need for heat-seeking missiles anymore - they'd just move to his burning coat and not his target. The Second Verde flipped and somersaulted away from the explosions as the rockets slammed down, watching her opponent with an analytical gaze. He was keeping his distance; he was trying to avoid her paint. It didn't matter. She dipped both of her brushes into the yellow paint, taking a deep breath before lunging forward. The First Vao aimed for her face, his finger beginning to squeeze the trigger. The Second Verde swung her brushes.
CRACK! CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!
The bristles of the brushes extended like whips, the yellow paint sparking with electricity. She snapped the electrified brushes at the First Vao, the Enemy immediately retreating in shock. The Second Verde's earpiece clicked, a voice yelling into her ear.
["That's the ticket! Don't let him near you!"]
"I appreciate it, Boss. When will you arrive?"
["I sent the twins to help you! I'm staying here with the others!"]
The earpiece clicked off, the Second Verde and First Vao turning their head at the squeal of tires, a limousine drifting into the battlefield. From the driver and passenger seat, twin heels drove into the ground, the Malachite sisters standing at the Second Verde's side. The artist sighed in relief.
"I am glad you could make it. Keep your distance; that strength of his far exceeds Sasha."
"Got it," Miltia replied. "Now... Let's show this ice cube what it means to fuck with our Family."
The twins drew their Tommy guns, keeping the First Vao back as the Second Verde cracked her paintbrushes at him, the Enemy scrambling around in the dirt. Without warning he vanished in a cloud of dust, reappearing behind them. Miltia grabbed the Second Verde and forced her to the dirt, the First Vao slamming his axe down. In a last ditch effort to save her friends and sister, Melanie jumped in the way.
SPLLLLRCH!
Blood splattered down on the two women as the axe slowed to a stop in Melanie's stomach, the mafia member split from the top of her skull. The First Vao kicked the corpse off his weapon, the Second Verde and Miltia jumping away for safety. Miltia shoved the artist, pointing her finger. "Go!"
"But you don't stand a chance-"
"That fucker killed my sister! You want both of us to die!?"
She was sacrificing herself just like Melanie did. The Second Verde chewed her lip, sprinting to the car and grabbing a sniper rifle. Miltia drew a collapsible rifle from her belt, taking aim and squeezing down the trigger, unleashing a hellstorm of bullets. The First Vao burst into laughter, charging her with his dagger.
PTANG PTANG PTANG PTANG!
With ease he deflected the bullets with the blade, clearing the distance in a matter of seconds. The Second Verde flinched when she heard Miltia's screaming quickly fall silent, the expressionless woman diving into the alleys. Only seconds later did the First Vao chase after her, the murderer's head on a swivel.
The Second Verde scaled a ladder to the rooftops, sighting in on him and releasing a shot. The moment the gun fired, the First Vao dodged and fired a rocket, blowing the top of the building to pieces, throwing the Second Verde to the next. Her mind desperately turned, trying to come up with a plan.
Every shot she took, she gave away her location. There was no hiding from him anymore. The First Vao gritted his teeth. He really didn't have time for this. Aiming his rocket launcher at the ground, he dry-fire his weapon and propelled himself high into the air, swinging his axe and opening a massive rift before jumping through.
["Careful! He's got something up his sleeve!"] General Schnee shouted. The rift glimmered, the First Vao soon coming back. And when he did, the Second Verde dropped her rifle in sheer horror.
He landed on the rooftops, his axe clipped back to his belt, the murderer spinning Misery in his hand with a big grin on his pale face. From the rift, something huge began to fall. Something that the residents of the First and Second Timelines recognized immediately.
It was Atlas from the Second Timeline, the floating city falling like a meteor. General Ironwood screamed over his earpiece, the Second Verde racing for safety as the city fell on top of the Royal Capital, the First Vao shielding himself with his Darkness.
The resulting earthquake was like nothing else other than the fall of Atlas in the First Timeline, when the city was brought down by the forces of Salem led by the First Vao. In the blink of an eye millions of people were killed, all armies suffering massive casualties, the Second Verde crushed to death under the flaming rubble, her Soul and an uncountable amount of others trapped by his horrifying power, dragged to the depths of his Reality and adding to his strength. The First Vao burst from the fallen city, sprinting through the devastated halls of Atlas that had converged with the Royal Capital, his axe trailing behind him.
Salem had been blown away by the explosion, the Heroes separated from each other. The princess choked on the plumes of black smoke that billowed around her, the inferno making her sweat.
This level of power was unimaginable. To bring things from other Timelines - first Beacon Tower, and then an entire city, and to use them to fight a war. Salem didn't see any hope for victory. The First Vao was using everything to kill her, and without Yin and Vao at her side, they couldn't enter his Reality. Her earpiece was shrieking, the armies trying to recover from the fatal strike.
A burst of cold washed over her, the princess spinning around to see the First Vao soaring through the flame and smoke, his axe held over his head.
"SALEM!"
She rolled out of the way, the First Vao using his Grimm Demise to vault himself into the air and fire his rockets, destroying the exits. She was trapped inside the smoldering arena with him.
Doom with One Eye stood up straight, the white spreading further down his hair, the sclera of his eye beginning to darken from white to grey. Soon it would be black, and his hair would go completely white. In a twisted way, it was like staring at her past self. This was the plan of the Gods, she realized. She was never intended to be saved; the Second Yin had done something the Gods had not planned. And so they resorted to corrupting another, someone who was capable. The First Vao turned to her, folding his axe and clipping it to his belt before sheathing his serrated dagger.
"No more interruptions," he snickered. "It's just us now. We can take as much time as we need."
Salem backed away as he drew closer, the First Vao stalking forward.
"I've got a new dream. After I kill you and reset the Timeline, I'm taking it for myself," he hissed. "This world will bow down to me. I'll be a god. That's how it's meant to be, innit? The weak exist to serve the strong. Now, Salem... Beg for your fucking life. Worship your new god."
Even his personality was twisting. The things he was saying were the same things Salem would say in the First and Second Timelines. He no longer cared for a better future. He only wanted to beat the world into submission, and dominate everything he saw. Salem's fingers curled into the hot ground, her body trembling.
Nothing had quite struck the open wound of her past like this. History was repeating itself, and the Gods were manipulating another puppet for their entertainment. She was going to die, and she knew it. There was no way she could fight the First Vao by herself when no one else could.
But if she was going to die, then it would be after she at least took one of those teeth from his infuriatingly cruel smirk. The princess trembled to her feet, raising her hands. The First Vao sighed in relief.
"Fine by me," he cooed. "I love it when they fight back."
She took a swing, the First Vao blocking her fist with his hand and slapping her across the face, sending her crashing into the ground with a split cheek. The room spun around her, a loud ringing in her ears. The First Vao paced back and forth, waiting for her to get back up. Salem drew her rapier, her eyes going bloodshot before she darted towards him, the First Vao dodging the razor-sharp point with inhuman speed, his hands meeting together and holding the blade inches from his stomach. Salem clenched her teeth, her arms burning and veins stretching up her neck as she pushed, the blade's edge cutting into his pale palms just enough to draw a bit of his black Blood.
"Boss! Boss!"
Mono's eye snapped open as the rubble was pushed away, Sapphire and Jasper staring down at her. The Cult Leader groaned, pushing herself to her knees. The doll tugged on her arm, Jasper yelling something from amidst the rubble.
"They're fighting! Sapphire, wake her ass up already!"
"What is... What hit us?" Mono groaned.
"Lord Vao threw a whole city at us!" Sapphire replied. Mono jumped to her feet, grabbing the doll's shoulders.
"What's everyone's status!?"
"We don't know!" Jasper screamed. "Verde managed to protect herself and Sasha with her spells, but we haven't seen Yin and Vao! Not since the explosion sent them flying over the Royal Capital! Right now, Salem's fighting the First Vao! There's no time to go looking, we need to do something!"
Mono retrieved her hammer from the ground, Sapphire revving her chainsaw as Jasper drew her twin daggers. They couldn't let him kill Salem. If he did, then that meant he won. The trio ran through the mayhem, Mono and Sapphire combining their strength to push red-hot rubble out of the way with Jasper leading them to where she had seen Salem.
THWACK, THWACK!
Salem's feet skidded across the ground, the princess trying to regain her balance. The First Vao burst into laughter, one hand clutching his stomach and the other tugging at his hair. "I don't even need my powers!" He shrieked happily. "Without your magic, you aren't even a threat! You're so weak, I almost feel bad! Nyahahahaha!"
He lunged forward, grabbing the sides of her head and jerking her off her feet.
"Almost. But not quite."
SLAM, SLAM, SLAM!
The princess bounced across the ground, a thin line of scarlet trickling down her lip from her bloodied nose. Her vision was blurry, her right eye nearly swollen shut. Her grip tightened around her rapier, the princess gasping in pain before pushing herself back to her feet. The First Vao slowly walked towards her, clearly enjoying himself. With a desperate cry she thrust forward, the First Vao swatting the weapon away with the back of his hand, kicking her legs out from underneath her. The wind was knocked from her lungs when he dropped down on her chest, Doom with One Eye popping his knuckles.
"You're so weak, you're boring me. Just submit already. Beg, and I might just let you live when I restart the Timeline. After tearing your legs off, that is."
THWACK, THWACK, THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK!
Salem's arms roared in agonizing pain as she blocked each blow. Each strike felt like she was blocking against bricks rather than fists. She could feel herself beginning to slip in and out of consciousness, her hands shooting up and grabbing his wrists, fighting to roll him over and take the advantage.
He had made it clear that he wasn't going to kill her quickly. He wanted her to submit before he did that. But fighting back was pointless. He forced her wrists to the ground and pinned her in place, his stomach growling loudly. His jaws began to salivate, his lips pulling back hungrily.
"I could afford to take a few bites," he rasped. "You'll live. You'll live until I stop allowing it-"
"Salem!"
The First Vao groaned in annoyance, turning his head just as a flaming support beam was lifted, Mono and Sapphire crawling underneath with Jasper just behind them. The moment Mono let go, it crashed back down, sealing off the exit.
"Hell's bells," he muttered. "This is getting annoying. We were just getting to the good part."
Sapphire's chainsaw revved loudly, the First Vao blocking it with his axe before backflipping away, his gaze becoming cold as he analyzed their movements. With a quick snap of his fingers, the Darkness burst from his back, beelining it for the doll, intent on snapping her to pieces and stealing her Soul. Mono, however, was anticipating it.
"[Time Stands Still]!"
In an instant everything froze, the monoeye darting forward and scooping Sapphire out of the way. She drew her hammer, raising it to launch a swing when he couldn't defend himself.
CRACK... CR-CRACK!
Out of her control, time resumed. Her eye went wide as she bent backwards to dodge the deadly strike of Grimm Demise, backpedaling to safety. The First Vao blinked, confusion in his one eye. He didn't know what had happened, Mono realized. But that only meant one thing.
The sheer, ungodly amount of Souls he had broke through her power. It couldn't have been his Darkness, nor the stolen power of Light - before he started using the Souls, his Darkness never once countered her ability, his Blood did. And in no Timeline was Yin capable of resuming time, and given that the First Vao never used his Blood, it could only mean the Souls had done it.
He was focusing on taking Mono out now, deeming her the most dangerous out of the four that attacked. Even when Jasper used her ability to manipulate fire to weave great storms that scorched the earth, he didn't once take her eye off her, Mono scrambling to keep her distance. His axe seared red-hot as it sang through the fire, singing the song of death as it had to billions of people. Sapphire ran towards Salem, her chainsaw slowing to a halt as the doll patted the princess's stomach.
"Are you okay?"
"M-my arm," Salem grimaced. "He dislocated it... I need you to push it back into pla-"
"Okie dokie!"
Without warning, Sapphire seized her bicep and shoved, bringing Salem to a shrill shriek. "O-ow! Warn me first!"
"But then you would have flinched and I might have missed the mark!"
Couldn't argue with that logic. Arguing with Sapphire was like arguing with a rock anyways. Salem grabbed her rapier, using it to help her back to her feet, the princess lifting her gaze. Mono was struggling to deflect the First Vao's blows, his dagger in his left hand swinging at dangerously fast speeds. If it kept up, he'd kill her. She couldn't dodge forever - he could.
Her grip tightening, Salem ran for it, straight for his exposed back. She sheathed her rapier, her hands reaching out. All she needed to do was pull him away; if she used her weapon, there was a chance he could move so she'd hit Mono.
Her hands grabbed the First Vao's flowing, two-toned hair and pulled, the murderer's eye widening in horror. Even after he had forgotten nearly everything, he still remembered Tyrian.
"Keep your hands OFF ME!"
His knuckles cracked Salem's teeth, the princess pushing her head back against his hand, pushing against him. Her heart pounded, her fear of death weakening, fading to nothing.
What she wanted most right now, was to prevent anyone from ever going through the same transformation she did. She wasn't about to let the Gods turn anyone else into an ungodly killing machine, not even the awful people they had fought before. Not Rojo, not Iris, not Leaf, and not even Jack. Something welled up inside her, an intense feeling she could barely describe.
Was this what Yin felt? The desire to protect everything he knew and loved, even if it cost his life? That was the closest Salem could come to a description. Remnant was a bygone era now. But she had fallen in love with Twist. And she would sooner burn herself alive in hellfire before she let the Gods and the Blood destroy it.
A shining, otherworldly glow broke from her skin, the First Vao's eye widening in shock. A new power had entered the battlefield, and he didn't know what it was. Jasper and Sapphire lunged for them together, Mono leaping on her own. The three gripped the First Vao's arms, struggling to hold him back from immediately slaughtering Salem, his teeth parting in a shrill shriek.
"W-wot is this!? This... Th-this isn't magic...! Wot are you doing!? Wot are you DOING!?"
The otherworldly glow grew stronger, engulfing the five. The familiar pull tugged at their clothes, Mono gasping in surprise.
"You... You can enter his Reality!?"
Salem didn't answer. She couldn't. With a blinding flash, the five of them disappeared just as the arena crumbled.