Wren gently touched the augmentation tank as she observed Junichiro's floating body. He already looked better than when he entered the tank not even an hour ago. Still, he was covered in burn marks and peeling skin. It would take a few more hours before he would be fully healed.
"We'll get him for this," Trik appeared beside her with a seriousness she hadn't seen in him before. "I don't care if he can't be killed...just you wait."
"The next time we see him..." Wren agreed coldly.
Suddenly, the lights inside the lab flickered off. Outside, the sky had darkened as thick clouds blocked out the sun, forming larger shadows that appeared to move within the room.
"What happens then?" Tymon's voice reverberated through the lab, surprising them both. Wren's head snapped left and right as she searched for him.
"Where are you?!" Trevor yelled, gritting his teeth as his hands started to spark. "You here to finish him off?!"
Tymon let out a laugh. It was a menacing, humorless laugh. Almost predatory. Wren had never once seen him smile, let alone laugh before. It sent a chill down her spine, making her feel uneasy.
"To think you all managed to survive. I even went as far as to trap Avarice."
Trik stepped forward.
"We know you're resorting to shadow tactics because you can't beat us in an actual fight," he declared, his eyes darting to every corner of the room. Wren could see droplets of sweat trickle down his temple. He was scared. After seeing what Tymon did to Junichiro, knowing he would've been in a much worse state, why wouldn't he be? But Wren knew he was trying to put up a brave front for her.
"Think so?" Tymon's voice was directed at Trevor. There wasn't a drop of amusement in it. Just indifference and a harsh callousness with a hint of pity. "If I fought the two of you now, wouldn't you be the first to die?"
Wren stepped in front of Trevor, her eyes glowing light green.
"Why don't you come try it?" she hissed. Like hell she'd let him take Trevor from her. She was ready. They both were. They'd have each other's back until the others showed up.
"No. After killing the Holders, I realized just doing the same to you all wouldn't bring me any satisfaction. You'd simply be dead. That's not a mercy I was granted," He stated bitterly. "No....Instead, I intend to make things...personal."
Junichiro's body suddenly jerked in his tank behind them as dark energy began to emit from him.
"No..." Wren breathed as Junichiro's eyes snapped open and became solid black and beady. He released an outburst of dark energy that shattered the tank.
Before them, in the middle of a puddle of solution that spread across the floor, stood Tymon, who'd taken over Junichiro's charred body.
Tymon let out a long breath as he slicked back Junichiro's long hair. He looked down at his body as he evaluated the possession.
"Hm," he grunted in that same distorted voice from before. "Even mostly dead, his will is strong. He's actually fighting me for control right now. He won't win."
Wren surrounded herself in rapid gusts of strong winds as Trevor's body began to smoke.
"GET OUT OF MY BROTHER'S BODY!" They shouted in unison. Suddenly, the doors flew open as Kaila entered.
She took one second to get a sense of things and immediately released some of her blood, ready for a fight.
"What's going on with Junichiro?" she demanded.
"Tymon," Wren spat.
"I guess it'll take longer for someone who can't fly to get here..." Tymon stood, unfazed. He looked up at the ceiling. "...Damn. I hoped to use this body to do some damage before he came back."
Avarice and Verin crashed into the lab through the roof, landing several feet from the others. Avarice glanced around the lab, his expression turning dour as his gaze landed on Junichiro.
"Junichiro, regain control of your body. That's an order." He commanded.
"That's not ha–" Tymon started, but he looked down at Junichiro's hands to see them shaking from Junichiro's efforts. "To think he could resist to this degree...Still, he doesn't have the strength to kick me out."
Wren watched as a silent fury crept within Avarice.
"Get. Out. Of. His. Body." Avarice's eyes glowed fiercely at Tymon.
"What're you going to do? Kill me?" Tymon replied fearlessly, locking his empty gaze with Avarice's.
"You've gone far enough," Kaila said, stepping forward. She wore a defeated, almost begging expression as she lowered her power. There was a weird sincereness and serenity behind her words as she crept forward—the kind you'd use not to startle someone on the edge. All signs of her predatory persona were gone. "We get it. You destroyed our bases and our Holders, cost us billions, and nearly killed Junichiro. But don't you think desecrating his critical body is low? We don't want you harming him, and you most likely don't want those you care about to be hurt, either, right? We can set up a truce."
Kaila had reached Tymon and had lightly grasped one of Junichiro's arms.
"What do you say? Surely you're tired after all of that ceaseless killing."
Tymon stared at her blankly.
"You didn't seriously think I'd fall for that," he said as he swatted her away, sending her flying through the air. The others tensed in response, ready to move at a moment's notice.
Tymon walked up the pedestal in the center of the room and sat on Avarice's throne.
"There's not going to be a truce; it's way too late for that. But on the contrary, I haven't gone far enough." He looked at Avarice, who was seething in barely contained rage as his spirit energy began to seep out of him. Wren wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but it looked like Avarice's skin was starting to take on a greenish hue. He hovered above the floor to be level with Tymon.
"Getting a little green around the gills, Avarice," Tymon smirked. He waved a hand, dismissing the murderous aura emitting from Avarice. "Don't worry. Your boy's will is strong enough to keep me from doing much in his body; I'll give'em that. I came here to demonstrate that I am getting stronger. As it stands, I'd say I'm an equal to Verin now."
Verin sent an abrupt pulse of spirit energy toward Tymon. A wave of darkness was then released from Junichiro's body. The lab shook terribly as the energies clashed against each other. Tymon's energy enveloped Wren, Trevor, and Kaila, forcing them to their knees as it slowly started to snatch the life from them. Wren could feel herself weaken, unable to summon the will to release her power.
This is why Dad told us not to let his energy touch us. She thought as she watched the others struggle. Then, his power suddenly dissipated.
"See," Tymon said with a sly grin.
He looked at Avarice.
"Now you know that I can kill any of your High Gods if I wanted, but I'm not going to because their realities are so much better."
Avarice's expression softened from rage to a solemn understanding. He slowly glanced down at them with a tinge of dread in his eye. Then that dread became anger again. In the next instant, he was floating several feet over his throne with Junichiro's throat in hand.
"Dad!" Wren yelled as she and Trevor rushed up to attempt to break his grip. "That's Junichiro's body!"
The glint of hatred in Avarice's eyes was fixated on the darkness in Junichiro's.
Tymon grinned.
"You know what I'm saying, don't you?" he began. "I don't know how or when, but it will happen. Sometime soon..."
Avarice's grip tightened.
"Who..." he demanded.
Tymon's distorted voice laughed as the lights blinked back on and the shadows receded.
"Enjoy the time you have left your 'children'...while you still have them all." He said mockingly as his voice faded. Junichiro's unconscious body went limp before reflexively clutching at Avarice's arm. This caused Avarice to ease his grip and scoop Junichiro up carefully. He slowly floated to a different operating augmentation tank and placed him inside.
"We need to retaliate," Verin snarled. "I sugges–"
"Not yet," Avarice said sternly. "Let them think they have the upper hand. For now, we stick with the plan. The bases are destroyed, but we still have JANUS stored beneath us, so I don't want fighting here. Until January, we keep this place guarded."
"After that..." Avarice glared at the horizon with intense, glowing eyes.
-----
Fun fact: Born April 11, 5646 BC, Avarice is 8,689 years old (this is also the same date Viraa gave life to the Primordials). Greedy by nature, Avarice has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and things he finds valuable.
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