The wolf glanced at Omega. "Now...I'll be taking my leave."
The wolf pattered with his steps across the debris, a tall woman appeared from behind the splintered wood.
Omega shakily moved his legs and crawled over to Uyama. The gleam in his eyes had faded. "Uyama." He shook his lifeless shoulder, moving the loose insides of his chest. Omega's whimper thinned.
"'Yama?" Enjo stumbled behind Omega, "Wha—"
Omega's head shot up, his eyes blurring with tears. His lips curled into a mess.
"Do you have the...painkillers?" The wolf stammered in his speech. The woman held out two pills for the wolf, which he scarfed down immediately.
"What's with your form?" She asked.
"That's not your concern."
Omega wiped his eyes with his bloody hand, smearing it over his face. It's her...from the garage. He bore his teeth as he yelled, "Steele!"
The wolf turned around, his face morphing back into his own, a disinterested look in his eyes.
Meeting his eyes, Omega's throat tightened, his face contorting, trying to get words out.
That look. Stop it. Stop looking at me like that. Omega felt his soul snap under the pressure, the tightness in his throat disappeared and his muscles tensed. Just as he felt a hand brush his shoulder, he screamed incoherently, dashing at Steele.
"He's fast. Move back, will you?" Steele glanced at the woman. She bowed as she disappeared from Omega's sight. Omega's body flailed through the air as he closed the distance.
"So disoriented..." Steele muttered as a spike protruded from his chest, aiming for Omega's eye. He dodged and grabbed Steele by his neck, choking him with all his strength.
Steele gurgled the spit lodged in his throat and formed more spikes that pierced Omega's hand. Omega threw him away on the debris. Raising his hands, he levitated the debris at Steele, hitting him in the snout.
Before a second pile of debris could smash into him, Steele transformed into a bird and flew into the air. Omega screamed again, veins popping out on his face. His fingers wriggled as he pulled another apartment building from the ground. It floated in place until—with a heavy swing—Omega hurtled it at Steele.
Steele chuckled nervously, "Perhaps triggering him wasn't the greatest idea." Focused on the giant building zoning in on him, he moved out of the way. He turned back to Omega when he felt a hand wring his neck. Omega held tightly and flew up to the building he tossed in the air. Brutishly, he began slamming Steele against the side of the floating building before throwing him against a window, crashing through the building.
Omega climbed in through the broken glass as the world rotated around him. With a scowl on his face, he watched as Steele got up. His arms grew out as dark tentacles again, and his body grew ogre-like.
"Ah, there it is again." He coughed as he laughed, "That glow."
———
Enjō knelt in the pool of blood, metal falling around him from the floating building.
"Shit..." Enjō rested his hands on his head as his voice cracked, "Ooh, shit..." He leaned down and felt Uyama's body. His gentle touch scrunched into a shaky fist as his breaths came out as silent screams.
"'Yama..." Machida's arms dropped to his side as he jogged to Enjō. "He was—he was in there?"
Enjō turned to Omari with a painful smile. "Dad, I... I have to—"
"I know, Jojo. Don't worry about me," He forced a smile too, "Be safe. I'll be here."
"Kitt!" Machida yelled as he turned around. "Kitt?"
He was nowhere to be seen. Machida grunted as the soles of his feet turned into rockets. They roared and sputtered beneath him.
"Shit, not this again!"
Sparks flew beside him just before a burst of flames sent Enjō flying up to the building. He grabbed onto the side of it and nearly slipped off. I gotta...keep goin'! He thought as he swung his aching legs through the broken glass window. Sounds of destruction filled the new air, Enjō loosened his limbs while his cold sweat worsened, "Omega?!"
"Where is he at..?"
A muffled laugh echoed through the walls as Omega crashed through beside Enjō. His black hair was covered in blood and the gashes that covered his body grew smaller.
"Omega!"
"Your stamina is impressive, but..." A mildly irritated voice echoed as Omega got up and dodged a long fist that destroyed the wall behind. Cold sweat fell down Enjō's face. He grabbed the arm, fire erupting from his hand. It wriggled and bent as it returned to Steele who was walking through the wall. A flame lit again on Enjō's arm and shot a ball of fire at Steele.
Steele winced and morphed into a snake, dodging the fireball. Omega snatched Steele from the ground and started crushing him in his hand before Steele's body erupted with black spikes again, gashing Omega's cheek.
"This is getting..." Steele morphed into a human-like form with tentacles sprouting in each direction. They punched a hole in the ceiling and swiftly climbed up the floating building with Steele.
"He's runnin'! Omega, you—" Enjō reached his hand over to Omega, then noticed his contorted face with tears falling from his eyes. "You..."
Omega flew through the openings Steele made in the ceiling and arrived at the top, where Steele was preparing something.
"This fight is between you...and me..." His laugh covered his grimace, "So let's take care of him." Steele's tentacle turned into a giant scythe towering over him. Enjō caught up to Omega, his arm popping out of the hole into the ceiling.
As Omega dashed toward him, Steele's scythe arm extended and swung around Omega, "There's the mole."
Enjō climbed up to the roof and turned to see the scythe swing in front of his face. Out of pure instinct, his arm blocked his body, and a cold, sharp pain ran through it. Steele's scythe, impaling Enjō's arm, swung him off the building.
The wind blew in his hair as he squinted at Omega, still fighting Steele, "Hey, man... I'm right...here..." He plummeted down, his vision darkening.
———
"You have lost it, Omega," Steele smirked as he retracted his scythe covered in blood. "Now it's time to show you what I was planning to do in the first place."
He groaned as he bloated out into the sky, covering the sunset like a blanket. Omega gasped for air as he flew towards him.
"There's no stopping this, Omega."
Like a tree, countless black branches shot toward Omega. He dodged them by a hair and rocketed towards Steele. Another branch hit Omega in the leg, dragging him back down as it grew from Steele. When the branch stopped extending, he grabbed it and split it from his leg. He looked up to Steele's dark forest, the warding tree hid him inside. His eyes wide, he stared still at the forest.
Steele's laugh boomed from within, interrupted by coughs.
"That's intriguing. To make a madman hesitate..." Steele yelled as the branches slowly continued growing, "...now that is impressive!"
Omega's hands twitched as the branches approached. He flew back under the building, hiding from them.
"On the other hand—" Steele coughed vigorously, "You're still somewhat cognizant." He then noticed the building shifting, debris falling as it moved. His eyebrows furrowed and he squinted his eyes to find Omega.
A low growl grew as Omega's arms popped their veins. Pressing his entire body into the building, he pushed it with telekinesis even further up toward Steele.
"Again?" Steele chuckled as sweat poured down his face. "It won't work."
The building approached with gaining speed, Omega's growls becoming louder, and his throat ached and sored.
"It won't work..." Steele quietly repeated.
His branches slowly began retracting back as Omega neared him. It got faster.
"It won't work." Steele's head popped with veins as the branches retracted as fast as they could, swiftly followed by Omega.
"It won't work!" Just as the branches disappeared and Steele could move, the building was mere feet from his face. Quickly morphing to metal, he crashed through each floor of concrete, scratching his frame.
I can't—I can't keep this form—
As Steele made it out of the last floor, meeting Omega's eyes. He reached his hand out to attack just as Omega let go of the building and grabbed him by his face. Tightening his grip, he flew further with him in tow. Steele's body flapped while Omega dragged him through the sky with wild eyes.
Finally, after a while of flying, it grew silent. Steele shakily grabbed Omega's hand and forced him to uncover his eyes. He looked down to see an ocean beneath them. "You—What're you doing—"
They plummeted down, the wind deafening his voice before water invaded him. Steele beat at Omega's arm as he choked on the flood. The shore's waters tainted red as Steele reverted to his regular form.
Finally, he was let go, rushing above the water. Steele slammed his hands down in the water, desperately trying to keep afloat as he looked at Omega.
Omega gasped. His eyes—crusted by blood and tears—finally blinked. His mouth was left agape as he watched Steele struggle to steady himself.
They stared at each other as the waves crashed in the distance.
Turning his head toward the ocean, his lips shook as he spoke, "Wh-Wh-What did I d-do?" Omega's nerves struck, and his bleeding body ached as it tried to heal itself.
Steele warily watched him break as he slowly backed away into the ocean.
Omega's head dropped into his hands, his fingers shaking as his mind slowly returned. "En—Enjo. 'Yama..." His voice cracked and he squeezed his fingers on his face as he sobbed.
"I'm so—I'm so sorry..."
A fish flapped through the water and began swimming away from the shore.
All I have to do is survive... Steele thought and hurriedly swam as a fish, ...to get away from him.
I'm feeling it now. If only I lasted...a little longer. His swimming slowed to a float.
Is that..? He thought as he squinted his eyes to see a figure further in the water, in front of the rising moon.
An...angel?
The fish sunk into the water, leaving Omega alone on the shore. Lifting his head off his hands, he turned back to the distant Shacia City as smoke rose through its sky. He shakily put his hands to his chest, trying to control his breathing.
I...I can't. Please...forgive me. Please, please, please...
He started to fly up from the water, looking at the vast ocean, his throat tightening as his heart bumped uncontrollably. He took one last look at the city. With a strangled cry of frustration, he flew off across the ocean.
I'm sorry...I can't—I can't stay here.