Silver and Justus regroup at 2-A’s dorm.
Silver:
Did you see anything?
Justus:
No, I didn’t.
Silver:
Damn… me neither, no hide nor hair of Blair.
Justus:
What about the Vanguard?
Silver:
Hm? What about them?
Justus:
Well, I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems like there are fewer of them skulking around campus.
Silver:
Uh, yeah, actually… Now that you mention it, they do seem a little thin in number.
Justus:
And they haven’t been harassing us to fight them…
Silver:
Something’s definitely going on; maybe Aaron found something at their dorm?
Justus:
He should be here soon; we said to be back here in an hour.
Silver:
Should we go looking for him?
Justus:
Let’s give him a few more minutes.
Zach:
*from afar* Justus! Silver! There you guys are!
Silver:
Zach?
Zach comes running up to Silver and Justus.
Zach:
I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys! There’s trouble!
Silver:
What kind of trouble?
Zach explains the situation (as he knows it) to them.
Justus:
We have to get to that stadium!
Silver:
Yeah, we need to help Hayze.
Zach:
The girls are already doing that! We need to find Blair!
Silver:
You do that, Zach. We’re going to help them out.
Zach:
No way! The girls are tough; they don’t need you guys. Blair’s the one in real danger!
Justus:
Yes, but there could be more trouble than you realize at the-
Zach:
And Blair could be in more trouble than we realize. I get that you guys want to go fight the Vanguard. Trust me, so do I, but we know for a fact that Blair’s been kidnapped. We three and Aaron are the ones tasked with finding her, so we can’t stop!
Justus and Silver stare at Zach.
Silver:
*grunts* He’s right… we need to find Blair.
Justus:
Mhm.
Zach:
Okay, should we search as a group or solo?
Justus:
Silver and I already did a preliminary search of the campus, so if they have her hidden somewhere, it’ll be specific.
Silver:
You two go off and start searching, I’ll wait here for Aaron, and if he isn’t here in the next 10 minutes, I’ll go to the Vanguard dorm.
Zach:
Okay, sounds good!
Justus:
Uh… I don’t think you should wait to head to the dorm…
Silver:
Huh, why?
Justus points in the sky. There’s smoke coming from somewhere on campus.
Zach:
Uh… isn’t that where the Vanguard dorm is?
Silver:
Godammit, Aaron!
Justus:
Go, we’ll head to the track field first.
Silver:
Right. I’ll see you guys soon.
Blair slowly wakes up.
Blair:
*groans* Wh- where am I?
Blair’s grogginess fades; she looks around the darkroom she’s locked in and notices she’s bound to a chair.
Blair:
Wh- Oh, come on! Why the hell am I the damsel in distress?!
Talon:
Because you made the perfect bait for our target.
Blair:
Wh- Talon? Oh, right, you’re with the Vanguard now… loser.
Filip:
We all are.
Fabio:
And we look fabulous in these cloaks!
Blair:
*sighs* Oh god, we’re really doing this today… What do you want from me?!
Talon:
Nothing. We’re just going to keep you here until Jace finishes the mission. Then, we’ll happily release you.
Blair:
Mission? What mission?
Filip:
Killing your buddy, Hayze.
Blair:
Huh?! What?!
Fabio:
Yes, we captured and used you as bait to lure him into a trap, and now Jace is battling him to the death as we speak.
Talon:
It won’t be long now before-
Blair bursts out laughing.
Filip:
Uh… what are you laughing about?
Blair:
You guys went through all the trouble of kidnapping me so Jace could get his ass kicked by Hayze? Really?
Fabio:
Hey! Jace isn’t going to lose to him!
Blair:
Jace couldn’t beat a baby duck.
Talon:
Oh, yeah? Well, Hayze can’t use his quirk!
Blair laughs even harder.
Filip:
Is she crazy, or are we?
Fabio:
I hope she is because Jace kicked all of our asses…
Talon:
Quiet, you two! She’s clearly a moron.
Blair:
Right…
I’m
the moron…
Talon:
Whatever, just sit there and be quiet.
Blair:
Uh… I don’t think so.
Talon:
You don’t have a choice.
Blair:
Oh, yeah? Well, unless these ropes are magma-proof, I think you’re out of luck!
Blair tries to use her quirk, but can’t.
Blair:
Huh? Wait what? Why can’t I-
Talon laughs.
Talon:
Our master has restricted your ability to use your quirk, so you’ll be staying put until we say otherwise.
Blair:
*frustrated grunt*
Talon:
You two stay here and watch her; I’ll make sure nobody finds our location.
Filip:
Right.
Talon exits the room.
Blair:
(I’m sure Hayze has Jace handled, but that doesn’t mean I want to sit here and wait for him to get me out of this.)
Blair starts to squirm.
Filip:
What, are you trying to wiggle out of those ropes?
Blair:
I have to pee…
Filip:
Go in your pants.
Blair:
What! You perv!
Filip:
Do you really think we’re stupid enough to fall for that?
Blair:
Fall for what? I actually have to pee.
Filip:
I’m starting to feel insulted here.
Blair:
Fine, but don’t complain to me when it stinks in here.
Fabio:
She’s got a point, Filip; this is a small room.
Filip:
*groans* Here, let me fix the problem.
Filip encases Blair’s entire lower body in black ice.
Blair:
*shivering* Oh, fuck you…
Filip:
Don’t worry, I’ll unthaw you when your friend dies.
Blair:
*teeth chattering* Like Hayze would die to Jace…
Jace swings the Shock Saber frantically at Hayze.
Hayze:
Man, you suck at this.
Jace:
SHUT THE HELL UP!
Jace leaps backward and fires his spring arms at Hayze.
Jace:
Jacking Jackknife!
Hayze dodges with ease.
Hayze:
(30 minutes gone already? Hopefully, my friends in 2-A are already here trying to shut this thing down, but if they aren’t…)
Hayze looks at the screen showing Blair in her captive state.
Hayze:
(I’ve gotta make a choice… soon.)
Jace:
I’ve got you now!
With Hayze distracted, Jace slices the sword across Hayze’s chest.
Hayze:
*pained grunt*
Jace:
Hahaha! Where’s your snappy remark now?!
The wound begins healing.
Hayze:
Probably the same place as that injury.
Jace:
*frustrated grunt* (I have to do something to change the course of this battle. I’m getting nowhere like this.)
Jace gets an idea.
Jace:
You said I’m not going to die here, right?
Hayze:
No, you’re not.
Jace turns the sword around and holds it to his own chest.
Jace:
Are you sure?
Hayze:
(He wouldn’t!)
Jace:
I told you I’m willing to die to bring victory to the Vanguard, so it’s time to see which of us was lying!
Jace begins the motion of plunging the sword into his chest.
Hayze:
Jace, no!
Jace:
Jace, YES!
Hayze lunges towards Jace to stop him; Jace gets a sinister glint in his eye.
Jace:
You fool!
Jace punches Hayze in the face, stunning him for a moment.
Hayze:
*grunts*
Jace:
I’ve got you now!
Jace stabs the sword through Hayze’s chest.
Bruno:
Jesus Christ!
Ivy:
Hayze!
Tobias:
Where did he stab him?
Killian:
The chest.
Tobias:
Ah, that’s bad.
Hayze staggers backward with his sword impaling him.
Hayze:
(That could be a problem…)
Jace:
HAHAHAHA! WHAT WAS THAT YOU WERE SAYING, HAYZE? I CAN’T BEAT YOU, HUH? YOU’RE DONE NOW, FOOL!
Wrath:
(That little rat!)
Impulse:
(One of us needs to take over, now isn’t the time for mercy.)
Wrath:
(I’ll do it-)
Calm:
(No, if we step in, Blair will die.)
Wrath:
(*frustrated grunt*)
Gale:
(If we don’t step in, we’ll die.)
Calm:
(Believe in Hayze, you three. He still has this under control.)
Hayze looks down at the sword.
Hayze:
(My healing quirk won’t work fast enough to prevent me from bleeding out, so I have to keep the sword in place.) Dirty trick, Jace, but don’t think for a second that the tide of this battle has turned.
Jace:
Coming from the guy with the sword in his chest?
Hayze:
Coming from the guy named Slinkster?
Jace:
SHUT UP!
Jace fires his left spring arm at Hayze.
Jace:
I’ll rip that sword from your chest and watch you bleed to death!
Hayze catches Jace’s hand.
Jace:
Huh!
Hayze:
I was trying to avoid hurting you physically, Jace, but you’ve made me angry.
Hayze bends back all of Jace’s fingers, breaking them.
Jace:
AHHHHHHHH!
Wrath:
(HAHAHA!)
Impulse:
(I guess we jumped the gun a little…)
Hayze releases his grip, and Jace falls to a knee, holding his hand in writhing pain.
Hayze:
There’s more where that came from if you want to keep going.
Jace:
Of course!
Hayze:
Then let’s go!
Ewing fires a barrage of chain strikes at Vanguard.
Vanguard:
You can’t defeat me, old man.
Vanguard dodges almost every chain. However, the Gamma Ring's rapid healing entirely negates the ones that connect.
Ewing:
*frustrated grunt*
Vanguard:
I could win this battle by simply standing still and waiting for you to die of old age!
Ewing:
Oh, you can try that, but you will fail.
Vanguard:
And why’s that?
Ewing:
I may be old, but my quirk is superior to yours.
Vanguard:
Hm… what exactly do you think my quirk is?
Ewing:
The virus that you’ve infected my students with. It can’t help you now.
Vanguard:
That’s not my quirk.
Ewing:
Wh- huh?
Vanguard:
My quirk is called Tarot Mimicry; I can bestow a quirk representative of the 24 major arcana tarot cards to a person. Depending on which card they embody. That’s how Lilith can accelerate growth, and Verity can wipe memories.
Ewing:
Right… you mentioned that earlier… but… then how are you controlling them?
Vanguard:
Isn’t it obvious? With the Alpha Ring.
Ewing:
That’s not possible! The Alpha Ring can’t spread its command to other people; you need to directly interact with them! Not to mention that the kids are clearly aware they’re being controlled. So that automatically rules out the Alpha Ring!
Vanguard chuckles.
Vanguard:
Haven’t we been over this already, Ewing? I thought my demonstration with the Gamma Ring was sufficient for ridding that preconceived notion that you know everything about these rings from your mind.
Ewing:
Are you saying that every ring has powers I’m unaware of!
Vanguard:
Clearly, at least these two. You’re familiar with the Alpha Ring’s power of Absolute Command. With that, by directly interacting with someone, I can command them to do whatever I please. They’re completely unaware they’ve been controlled, and the ring will even create false memories to ensure the person affected will complete the command unconditionally. The problem with this power is that the person can be freed if the order is contradicted, which can be simple. However… This is not the most powerful ability the Alpha Ring grants.
Ewing:
What is?
Vanguard:
Partial Command. The ring doesn’t convince the person to follow the command; the ring wielder does. While this requires much more work initially, its rewards are well worth the trouble. Now, the only way to free someone from this command is to convince them that they are being controlled, but “how can they be controlled? They chose to do this.”
Ewing:
You devil…
Vanguard:
The command even acts as a virus of sorts; if anyone affected by the order convinces someone else to follow it, they’ll also become afflicted! That’s how I’ve created my Vanguard army!
Ewing:
So, why hasn’t Verity been freed from your spell after hearing all that?
Vanguard:
Verity, wipe your memory.
Verity:
Yessir.
Verity passes out.
Vanguard:
Good girl.
Ewing:
*sighs* I don’t understand. How could you know all of this about the rings? Their mere existence has been a closely guarded secret for over a century!
Vanguard:
Again, the person who told you that was lying.
Ewing:
Principal Dubois would never lie to me!
Vanguard:
Okay, then what about the person who told him?
Ewing doesn’t have a response.
Vanguard:
That’s what I thought; let me guess, you thought passing the information from one person to another would be the best way to keep the secret? Well, what happens if someone along the communication chain changes some details… or omits them altogether. Then you have yourself a game of telephone, and everyone is losing.
Ewing:
(Why would anyone do that? It doesn’t make sense; the people chosen to become principals of U.A. were specially selected for their trustworthiness. They wouldn’t do anything for their own self-interest at the expense of the world… unless they were lying to protect it.)
Vanguard:
I’d spare yourself the humiliation of defeat, Ewing, and surrender with your pride still intact.
Ewing:
Never!
Ewing launches a group of chains into the ground.
Ewing:
(If I can’t kill him, I’ll restrain him!)
The chains emerge from the ground beneath Vanguard, wrapping around his arms and legs and binding him.
Vanguard:
Oh, so you’ve given up on trying to kill me?
Ewing:
The Alpha and Gamma Rings can’t save you from the insurmountable strength of my chain prison!
Vanguard:
That’s fine. I don’t need them to.
Vanguard frees himself from the chains, breaking them with ease. Shocking Ewing.
Ewing:
What?!
Vanguard:
I guess you’ll need to go back to the drawing board.
Ewing:
H- how?! What quirk gave you the ability to do that?!
Vanguard smiles.
Vanguard:
None, that was my own power that saved me.
Ewing:
That’s not possible! No ordinary human can have that strength!
Vanguard:
I AM NO ORDINARY HUMAN!
Vanguard charges at Ewing and punts him across the basement.
Ewing:
AHHHH!
Vanguard bursts towards Ewing, grabs him by the neck, and holds him against the wall.
Ewing:
*choking*
Vanguard:
This is the strength of a man who watched his brother and sister die for no reason! A man whose people have been subject to the torment of nature time and time again! A man whose prayers to God to bring us salvation were never heard, let alone answered!
Vanguard slugs Ewing in the chest.
Ewing:
*pained grunt*
Vanguard releases Ewing; he flops against the ground and immediately pukes.
Vanguard:
A man who became so tired of waiting for God that he decided to become one himself.
Ewing:
Y- y- you think the rings will make you a god? They possess the power of one, but they’re still just rings… Ivan learned that the hard way.
Vanguard laughs hysterically.
Ewing:
Wh- why are you…
Vanguard:
You don’t even know the purpose of the rings, do you?
Ewing:
What are you talking about?
Vanguard:
The rings don’t make you a god! They’re the key to opening the gate.
Ewing:
The… the gate? To where?
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Vanguard:
That’s for me to know…
Vanguard grabs Ewing’s right arm.
Vanguard:
And for you to never find out!
Vanguard dislocates it.
Ewing:
AHHHHHHHHH!
Wes, Gus (carrying Romeo’s unconscious body), and Demetri are walking to U.A. stadium.
Gus:
Uh… Wes, if there’s a big problem going on… then why are we walking? Shouldn’t we try to get there faster in case the others need our help?
Wes:
If Saige, Alexis, and Hayze don’t have it handled, then what are we going to do?
Gus:
Fair point…
Demetri:
Then why did you force us to come?
Wes:
Cause Saige told me to…
Demetri:
*scoffs* Of course, you’d blindly listen to what that bimbo tells you to do.
Wes:
That “bimbo” is stronger, smarter, and more successful than us. So, I’d stop talking like that if you don’t want to sound like an idiot.
Demetri:
Shut the hell up.
Wes stops walking and gets in Demetri’s face.
Wes:
Hey, listen, asshole. Nobody is forcing you to be here, so if you want to go back to the dorm, then go right ahead. Abandon your friends; you did it before in the forest.
Demetri:
That was a year ago! And that was different!
Wes:
Really? Because you seem like the exact same guy you were a year ago. Hell, I think I like you even less now.
Wes starts walking away.
Wes:
Come on, Gus, fuck this guy.
Gus:
Oh, okay!
Wes and Gus continue to the stadium.
Demetri:
*growls* Annoying piece of shit.
Gus stares at Wes.
Gus:
(Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Wes do that, I wonder what’s gotten into him.)
Wes:
Okay, Gus, let’s-
Vanguard Student:
*from afar* Hey, look! Fresh meat!
Gus and Wes look to their left and see a crowd of Vanguard students charging toward them.
Wes:
OH, SHIT! WE FORGOT ABOUT THE VANGUARD!
Gus:
What should we do! We can’t fight them!
Wes:
Throw Romeo, then run!
Gus:
What? But we can’t-
Wes:
Do it!
Gus tosses Romeo to the Vanguard group.
Wes:
Go! Go! Go!
Wes and Gus run for their lives.
Romeo:
*groans* Wh- what’s going on?
Vanguard Student:
He’s a hero student; get him!
Romeo:
What?! AHHHHHHHHH!
Romeo gets swallowed up in the crowd.
Romeo:
AHHHHHHH! THIS WOULDN’T BE SO BAD IF SOME OF YOU WERE WOMEN! AHHHH!
Karma accelerates towards Saige.
Karma:
Take this!
Karma attempts to punch Saige, but she easily blocks it by grabbing hold of Karma’s hand.
Saige:
So, your moon quirk lets you manipulate dreams, right? Could you give me a wet one?
Karma:
*frustrated grunt* Again, with the sexual shit! What is wrong with you?! Heroes are supposed to be respectable!
Saige:
Heroes are also supposed to have fun, and I’m having a blast right now.
Karma:
Fun? That’s not a part of this job!
Saige:
Neither is being a whiny bitch, but look at you!
Karma:
Quit insulting me!
Karma tries to punch Saige with her other hand, but Saige also blocks that.
Saige:
You’re so cute when you’re mad.
Karma:
Stop treating this fight like a joke! I’ll destroy you!
Saige:
Giggity.
Karma:
*frustrated yell*
Karma kicks Saige in the chest, knocking her back.
Karma:
I’ve always hated this attitude of yours! How can someone like you be as powerful as you are and act like this!
Saige:
Because I’m true to who I am. Are you?
Karma:
Of course!
Saige:
Then why are you in the Vanguard?
Karma:
Because this is who I am.
Saige:
No, it’s who they’re tricking you into being.
Karma:
They aren’t tricking me! I joined of my own free will!
Saige:
Then why did you lose a game to have it happen?
Karma:
The bet simply stated that I needed to join the Vanguard, not stay in it.
Saige:
Okay, that’s great, but the real Karma would have left it a long time ago.
Karma:
Yes, because she was weak!
Saige:
No, because she was Karma.
Karma:
You’re a moron! I know I’m not the same as I was, and I like it that way!
Saige:
Really? Do you?
Karma:
Yes!
Karma charges at Saige and tries to kick her head, but Saige blocks by creating a shield.
Saige:
Not a very creative attack.
Karma:
That’s because I wanted you to block it!
Karma rewinds three seconds and reattempts her kick, but this time she aims for the bottom of the shield, knocking it out of Saige’s hand.
Karma:
I’ve got you now!
Karma leaps on top of the shield and shatters it.
Karma:
This battle is mine!
Karma turns to look at Saige, expecting her to be writhing in pain on the ground. Instead, however, she’s still standing.
Karma:
What?!
Saige:
Is something wrong?
Karma:
How are you still upright! You should be suffering from a migraine!
Saige:
Normally, yes, but I’ve been training hard to fix that problem.
Karma:
Training?
Saige:
Yup, Ms. Fatal has given all the girls private training lessons to strengthen our quirks. You could have been a part of that, but you like being in the Vanguard too much.
Karma:
*grunts* I don’t care.
Saige:
I think you do!
Karma:
No, I don’t!
Saige:
Yes, you do!
Karma:
No, I don’t!
Saige:
No, you don’t!
Karma:
Yes, I do! DAMMIT!
Saige fires a crossbow bolt into Karma’s arm.
Karma:
AHHHH!
Saige:
Sorry, Karma, but you’re pretty outmatched here. Both mentally and physically.
Karma staggers backward in pain.
Karma:
(If Saige has really mitigated her quirk’s greatest weakness… then I don’t stand a chance against her…)
Karma starts to tear up.
Karma:
(Why is she so much better than me? She’s what I was supposed to be…)
Saige:
Karma, are you alright?
Karma:
You were right… I was the strongest girl at one point, but I kept screwing up, so I kept falling further and further behind… Now, you girls are getting stronger without me. Why am I always falling behind everyone else… I lost in the first round of the Sports Festival, stayed behind at first in the forest, and failed the first test in the Licensing Exam… why do I suck so much? I was let into this school on recommendation… I’m such a disappointment!
Saige:
Yeah, pretty much.
Karma:
Bitch!
Saige:
Karma, calm down. I get it. But you need to remember something: development happens at a different pace for everyone. There are ups and downs, and sometimes more of the latter. But calling yourself a disappointment before you even graduate from U.A. is stupid regardless of that. These are the years designated for us to be disappointing when we’re still learning to be heroes and growing our strength. We should be messing up now rather than when lives are on the line.
Karma:
But I’m not getting stronger… I’m-
Saige:
Not with that attitude or getup.
Karma:
Huh?
Saige:
If you leave the Vanguard now, Ms. Fatal will help you train the way she has been with all of us. I’m sure you’ll get better.
Karma thinks for a moment.
Karma:
I… I guess I could-
Saige uppercuts Karma while she’s distracted, knocking her out cold.
Saige:
Sorry, I got bored of doing the whole talking thing since this is just as effective.
Saige looks at the bolt she shot into Karma’s arm.
Saige:
Hm… sorry, Karma, I’ll have to leave you until Wes gets here with the others. They’ll take you to Recovery Girl; I’ve gotta head inside and make sure Eve and Alexis are okay.
Saige runs into the stadium.
Saige:
(And hopefully, nothing’s gone wrong yet.)
Alexis and Eve continue sneaking through the hallway.
Alexis:
We’re close; now we just have to hope we don’t run into anybody.
Lilith:
Yup, sounds good.
Alexis:
Great! Oh… oh crap…
Alexis and Eve turn around to see Lilith standing behind them.
Eve:
Lilith!
Lilith:
How did you two get in here? What are we paying Moon and Lovers by the hour?
Alexis:
They’re a little preoccupied.
Lilith:
You killed them!
Alexis:
Wh- n- no! Why would we- no!
Eve:
They’re fighting!
Lilith:
Ah, that was my third guess.
Eve:
Wh- what was the second?
Alexis:
Glad to know there’s still some innocent Lilith left in there.
Lilith tosses two seeds beneath Alexis and Eve.
Eve:
Oh shit!
Alexis:
Move!
Alexis and Eve attempt to leap away from the seeds, but Lilith grows them, creating a vine prison, ensnaring Alexis and Eve.
Alexis:
(I can’t move!)
Eve:
Lilith! Let us go!
Lilith:
I’m not Lilith anymore! I’m the Empress!
Eve:
Well, unless you’ve got the documentation to prove that, I’m gonna keep calling you Lilith!
Alexis:
Lilith! You have to let us go! Hayze and Blair are in danger!
Lilith:
Yeah, why do you think I’m restraining you? In 20 minutes, Hayze will be dead, and I won’t let you change that.
Eve:
Look, I don’t like Hayze either, but that doesn’t mean I want him dead, so neither should you!
Lilith:
Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t want! The old Lilith was submissive and weak, but not this one! I’m calling the shots now, and you two aren’t going anywhere!
Eve:
If you think we’re just gonna sit here and take this, you’ve got another thing coming!
Lilith:
I’ve got nothing coming!
Saige punches Lilith in the back of the head, knocking her face-first into the ground.
Saige:
Insert cum joke here!
Saige runs up to the vines, creates a pink translucent machete, and cuts Alexis down.
Saige:
Run, Alexis!
Alexis:
Right!
Alexis runs away.
Lilith:
*frustrated grunt* You’re gonna pay for that!
Saige places her machete into the vines beside Eve’s hand and charges at Lilith.
Lilith:
Stop right there!
Lilith grows Saige’s hair long enough to weigh and slow her down; Lilith then punches her to the ground.
Saige:
Well, now I know how Rapunzel feels…
Lilith:
How dare you blindside me like that!
Saige:
How dare you try to kill our friends.
Lilith:
“Our?” I don’t have any friends.
Saige:
Yeah, you do. You’re just too stupid to realize it.
Lilith:
Shut up! I’m tired of hearing you idiots lecture!
Lilith tosses a seed at Saige, growing vines to restrain her to the ground.
Lilith:
Hayze is going to die! And there’s nothing you can do to stop us!
Saige:
(With my hands bound, I can’t free myself with a construct!)
Eve:
(Saige needs my help!)
Eve reaches for Saige’s machete.
Eve:
(Come on… come on…)
Lilith:
Now, you two are going to sit here and be good girls while we wait for Jace to finish Hayze off.
Saige:
No chance. Alexis will stop the simulation, and Aaron, Justus, Zach, and Silver are searching for Blair as we speak! So your plan will never be complete!
Lilith laughs.
Lilith:
Those idiots will never find Blair! And I’m not worried about Alexis!
Saige:
Why not!
Lilith:
We’ve got someone she could never dream of defeating guarding the simulation!
Saige:
What? Who?!
Tyson is sitting at the simulation controls with his legs up on the terminal, whistling. Alexis is peering in at him.
Alexis:
(This could be a problem…)
Lilith kneels down next to Saige.
Lilith:
You just sent Alexis straight into our ranks, so congratulations! You’ve done more harm than good!
Saige:
She’ll beat him!
Lilith:
I’d love to see that, but for now, she’s-
Eve spin kicks Lilith in the face, sending her tumbling down the hall.
Saige:
Eve!
Lilith:
*frustrated grunt* AGAIN! How did you-
Lilith spots Saige’s machete in Eve’s hand.
Lilith:
I see…
Lilith gets to her feet.
Lilith:
Whatever, cut her free, and I’ll defeat you both.
Eve:
No, you and I are going to fight.
Lilith and Saige:
What?
Eve:
We both put up two points. If I win, you leave the Vanguard, and if you win, I’ll join it.
Saige:
Eve! What are you doing!
Eve:
Saving my friend.
Lilith:
You have a deal, on one condition, crush that machete.
Eve:
Fine.
Saige:
Eve, no!
Eve breaks the machete in half. Saige gets a splitting headache.
Saige:
(UGH! We didn’t train for having two constructs broken in succession!)
Lilith:
Ready to join the Vanguard, Eve?
Eve:
No,
Lilith
.
Wes and Gus arrive at the stadium.
Wes:
Looks like we missed the party.
Gus:
Yeah… nobody is here. Didn’t Romeo say they had guards?
Wes:
Yeah, and I think I see one of them.
Gus and Wes rush over to Karma.
Karma:
*groans*
Gus:
Karma? Are you alright?
Karma:
Gus? Wes? Where am I?
Wes:
Is she back?
Karma:
Back? What do you mean?
Gus:
What’s the last thing you remember, Karma?
Karma:
*groans* I think I followed Lilith somewhere… and then everything is fuzzy…
Gus:
Yup, this the real Karma.
Wes:
Good, you take her to Recovery Girl. I’m gonna head inside.
Wes starts running to the entrance.
Gus:
Wait! Wes!
Wes:
What?
Gus:
Lookout!
Wes:
Huh?!
Suddenly, Angel crashes into Wes.
Wes:
AHHHH!
Angel:
*groans* That little bitch!
Ash comes running toward the group.
Ash:
Hope you enjoyed that, Angel- Oh, hey, Wes and Gus.
Wes:
*groans* Hey…
Gus:
Hi, Ash!
Ash:
Woah, is Karma okay?
Gus:
Yeah! She’s back to normal!
Ash:
That’s great!
Gus:
I was about to bring her to the infirmary.
Ash:
Yeah, it looks like she needs it. I’ve been handling Angel here; I just threw him for a loop!
Gus:
Since when were you strong enough to do that…
Ash cracks her neck.
Ash:
I have “motivation.”
Gus:
(Girls are terrifying.)
Ash:
Get going, Gus. I’ve got a fight to win!
Gus:
*gulps* Okay.
Gus hoists Karma over his shoulders.
Angel:
(Moon’s been compromised… I must defeat Ash to keep our numbers! I need a plan!)
Wes:
*groans*
Angel:
(There’s an idea!)
Angel puts Wes in a full nelson and flies into the air with him.
Ash:
Hey! What are you doing?!
Gus:
Wes!
Wes:
Hey! Put me down!
Angel:
Ash! Surrender now, or Wes becomes a red splatter mark!
Ash:
Coward!
Angel:
You’ve got 5 seconds!
Ash:
(Oh crap…)
Wes struggles to break free.
Angel:
I don’t know what you’re trying to do; if you fall from this height, you’ll die regardless of whether I drop you or you break free.
Wes:
(No! I won’t!)
Angel:
Alright! Here’s the countdown! 5…
Ash is in deep thought.
Angel:
4…
Wes:
Ash! D-
Angel pushes his knee into Wes’s spine.
Wes:
*pained grunt*
Angel:
*whispers* Shut up, you’re not talking her out of this! 3…
Wes:
(I have a way of surviving the fall; it’ll hurt like hell, but I know I can!)
Angel:
2…
Wes:
(Ash will give up to save my life, and I can’t let that happen no matter what!)
Angel:
1…
Wes:
(I have to make him drop me! No matter the cost!)
Angel:
0!
Ash:
I surrend-
Angel:
AH! WHAT THE HELL!
Wes pissed his pants.
Angel:
WHAT THE FUCK! THAT’S DISGUSTING!
Angel throws Wes in a random direction.
Wes:
AHHHHHHHHHH!
Wes flies out of sight.
Ash:
Wes!
Gus:
He peed his pants to free himself! He’s a genius!
Ash:
But will he be alright?
Gus:
He must have had a plan to survive if he did that.
Aaron walks out of the smoking Vanguard dorm.
Aaron:
Ah… that was therapeutic.
Silver comes running up to him.
Silver:
Aaron! What did you do?!
Aaron:
I lit a few stress-relief candles. Talk about a paradox.
Silver:
You could get in serious trouble for this! And you were supposed to be searching for Blair!
Aaron:
Trust me, I won’t get in trouble.
Aaron left a note on a table saying: “Hey guys! I bought a bunch of stress-relief candles! Feel free to light them next to the curtains and/or sheets! — Angel”
Aaron:
And I checked the whole building first; Blair isn’t here.
Silver:
*sighs* Whatever. Blair is in a lot of danger. Zach said the Vanguard kidnapped her!
Aaron:
Shit! We should do something to their dorm. Oh, wait.
Silver:
Aaron, this isn’t the time for jokes!
Aaron:
Oh, I was being 100% serious there. But let’s get moving!
Silver:
Right. We’ll start with-
Wes:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Wes smashes through the window and flies into the dorm.
Silver:
Wh- was that… Wes?
Aaron:
I hope so.
Silver and Aaron run inside the dorm, and Wes is screaming in agonizing pain. He coated his entire body in mirror surfaces, all of which shattered on impact.
Aaron:
HAHAHAHA!
Silver:
Huh… he transformed his body using his quirk, so when he collided with the ground, he only broke his skin, not his bones. That was actually kind of clever.
Aaron:
And funny.
Silver:
*sniffs* Why does it smell like pee?
Wes:
AHHHHHHHHHH!
Aaron:
HAHAHAHA!
Hayze leaps down a level on the building.
Hayze:
(10 minutes… I’m running out of time.)
Hayze looks down at the sword. His wound is healing around it.
Hayze:
(That’s gonna hurt like hell to take out now… Whatever, I might be dead soon anyway.)
Jace:
Don’t run from me!
Jace lunges down at Hayze, and Hayze dodges.
Hayze:
Still determined? Want me to break your other hand?
Jace:
Shut the hell up! The time for talk is over!
Jace charges at Hayze, and the two exchange punches.
Jace:
Die!
Hayze:
No.
Jace reaches for the sword and starts pulling on it.
Hayze:
*pained grunt*
Jace:
This isn’t as loose as I’d expect. I guess your healing power has some disadvantages!
Hayze:
*growls* That’s it!
Jace:
Huh?
Hayze uppercuts Jace, stunning him and sending him flying backward.
Jace:
*groans* My jaw…
Hayze materializes one of his tornado daggers. It starts raining.
Hayze:
(Okay, it’s time for me to take things into my own hands. I don’t have time to waste.)
Jace:
I’ll kill… y-
Hayze steps on Jace’s chest, and he pukes up some blood.
Jace:
*pained grunt* AH!
Hayze begins beating the shit out of Jace.
Hayze:
You wanted a fight! Well, here it is!
Jace:
AH!
Hayze finishes repeatedly punching Jace. Jace lies on the ground, a bloody mess, breathing heavily and exhausted.
Hayze:
I win, Jace.
Jace:
N… n- n- no, you don’t-
Hayze holds the dagger up to Jace’s neck.
Hayze:
I. Win. Jace!
Jace:
Y- y- you wouldn’t kill me! You said you wouldn’t!
Hayze:
Well, I’ve changed my mind. If I have to choose between you or me, I’m choosing me!
Jace:
Ha! I know you’re bluffing!
Hayze digs the dagger slightly into Jace’s neck.
Hayze:
Let’s find out.
Ivy, Killian, Bruno, and Alec watch on in shock.
Killian:
Woah, is he actually gonna go through with this!
Alec:
Man, I might actually like this guy!
Bruno:
He doesn’t have a choice. The clock is ticking; they'll both die if Hayze doesn’t kill him.
Ivy:
Hayze…
Jace begins tearing up, but nobody can tell because of the rain.
Hayze:
Well, Jace, you said you would die for the Vanguard. It’s time for you to put your money where your mouth is.
Jace:
I’ve died once before, you moron! Do you think this scares me?
Hayze:
You committed suicide because you thought it was the only choice. Right now, you’ve got plenty of options.
Jace:
*grunts*
Hayze:
You’ve got 10 seconds, Jace. If you don’t release Blair, you die!
Jace:
Do it! Kill me now!
Hayze:
Okay.
Hayze removes the dagger from Jace’s neck.
Jace:
Huh?
Hayze grabs Jace’s right hand.
Jace:
Wh- what are you doing?
Hayze:
I’m gonna cut your fingers off one at a time first.
Jace:
What?! Why?!
Hayze:
You really thought I’d give you a quick death after you kidnapped my girlfriend? No, this is gonna hurt.
Jace:
Okay, now I know you’re bluff-
Hayze slices off Jace’s pinky.
Jace:
AHHHHHHHH!
Alec:
AWESOME!
Killian:
Holy shit!
Ivy:
Hayze! What are you doing?!
Hayze:
(I’m sorry, Jace.) Well, do you still want to die?
Jace looks at Hayze with pure fear in his eyes.
Jace:
Y- y- y- y-
Hayze:
Hm, then you really are the Fool.
Vanguard continues beating the crap out of Ewing, tossing him all around the basement. Ewing is bloody and bruised.
Ewing:
*groans*
Vanguard:
Well, Ewing, I’m starting to get bored. If you’ve got no fight left, then I think it’s time for Verity to take over.
Ewing:
You’ll… never…
Vanguard steps on Ewing’s throat.
Ewing:
*choking*
Vanguard:
I’ll never what?
Ewing:
*choking*
Vanguard:
Okay, Verity, it’s time.
Verity:
Right.
Verity approaches them.
Vanguard:
Get me the location of the Delta Ring first. That one is the most important for me.
Verity:
Yes, Master.
Ewing:
(I can’t let this happen! No matter what!)
Ewing releases two chains from his mouth that wrap around Vanguard’s ankle and breaks it.
Vanguard:
AH!
Vanguard’s force on Ewing breaks. Ewing then has one of his mouth chains stab into Vanguard’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. He then has the other one knock Verity to the ground.
Ewing:
You’ll never get the rings!
Ewing uses the short time he bought to escape Vanguard and Verity, using his chains to move quickly through the basement.
Ewing:
(I can’t escape, and I definitely cannot defeat him. I’m out of options… it’s either give him the locations of the remaining rings or…)
Ewing reaches the school’s boiler room, and he stumbles inside, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Ewing:
(Die…)
Ewing goes quiet.
Ewing:
(It looks like I’ve run out of road… I didn’t think this would be how I would end up dying, but if it’s what I need to do to protect the entire world… then so be it.)
Ewing looks up at a pipe.
Ewing:
(Saige… I’m sorry our relationship couldn’t have been better. You were my only grandchild, and I didn’t give you the love you deserved. I know you’ll become one of the greatest heroes of this generation, or any generation for that matter. I only wish I could have lived to see it. To my many students… I’m so proud of the men and women you’ve become and your impact on this world. It's every teacher’s dream to see their students prosper far beyond their expectations… I lived a long life, a fulfilling one. I made my mistakes, but I think I can go to the grave knowing I helped shape the heroes of today and the ones of tomorrow…)
Ewing creates a chain that wraps around his neck and the pipe, hanging himself.
Ewing:
(Goodbye.)
Ewing begins choking as the chain closes his airway. Vanguard and Verity enter the boiler room.
Vanguard:
The blood leads here… NO!
Vanguard spots Ewing hanging.
Vanguard:
YOU AREN’T DYING ON ME, OLD MAN!
Vanguard runs towards Ewing as he begins to lose consciousness.
Ewing:
(You lose… Vanguard…)
Suddenly, a blinding white light appears between Ewing and Vanguard.
Vanguard:
What the hell?! What is that?!
A purple beam fires from the light at the chain hanging Ewing, melting it instantly and saving Ewing’s life.
Ewing:
*gasps for air* What?
Vanguard, Ewing, and Verity stare in amazement as the light fades. Revealing the silhouette of a teenage boy.
Ewing:
(Who is that?)
The boy is wearing tattered and dirty clothes, with jet-black hair and gray eyes. Strapped to his back is a sword made of pure obsidian, and around his neck is a pendant with a white gemstone fragment.
Vanguard:
I don’t know who you are, but don’t think for even a second you’re going to stop me.
The boy smiles.
Blaze:
Says who?
