[center][h1][i][b]To the North: Run for the Hills[/b][/i][/h1] [h3](Part 2)[/h3] [hider=Trigger Warning] [h2][i][b]Tonight, Sombody Dies![/b][/i][/h2] This post also contines examples of the following- Graphic Violence! Disturbing/Horrifying Images! And Connie Crying. A LOT. If you feel that any of the above might shatter your sense of inner calm, I would advise skipping this post completely, and instead imagine Connie snuggling with her stuffed animal friends. If not, then please enjoy! [/hider] [/center] [quote] The coin broker of New York has appeared! Mia has just been mended, but Connie took a pretty solid blow from the Beast. All the pieces are set. The beast and her two agents against Connie, Mia, and what remains of the escapees. Can Connie and Mia save their friends, or will their blood sate the fangs of despair? Challenge Rating: SS Notes: The Beast can use her Killing Blow with near impunity, but is vulnerable for a brief time after using it. Be careful. This hunt can only be undertaken by a party that contains Connie and/or Mia. Faith only has two uses of her super bandaids left, which can be used to instantly heal a magical girl to full health. This can’t be used if the target was slain in a single strike. [/quote] … … … [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/fb/17/cpZcrrpQ_o.jpg]Bionic Bonnie[/url] was on the CAPRICORN. She always was. If someone saw her outside the CAPRICORN, she wouldn’t be Bonnie. Her newspaper remained on the counter of the dinner. She was looking out one of the windows, observing the fight taking place. This was her favorite part of the job, really. Penrose was host to some large-scale magical conflicts, but things like this didn’t happen nearly as often. Connie was far out of her fucking element just to protect some friends she barely knew. How wonderful being a child must be. [hr] With Connie off to get the escapees, [url=https://i.imgur.com/PxDkfhq.jpg]Lexi[/url] had dragged Mia into the kitchen. No dinner was being prepared here. The pizzeria was just a front. All of the customers were illusions and any real person who entered the premises would leave when they saw how packed it was. Unless of course, you were trying to stake out the place. [b]“Lada!”[/b] Lexi shouted. [b]“Get the boss, and I’m running out of mana.”[/b] [url=https://i.imgur.com/Z8xDWLB.jpg]Lada[/url] was eating mozzarella cheese straight out of the bag when they appeared. [b]“You and your mana.”[/b] She wiped her mouth on her arm. [b]“She’s right here, so let’s get you topped up.”[/b] [url=https://i.imgur.com/Bl5EQEE.jpg]Mia’s target[/url] stepped out of a shadow with a jovial wave. [b]“Hello Gaia. We were expecting you two to show up sooner or later.”[/b] She dropped her throne in front of Mia before putting her foot on top of it. The Beast leaned on top of her raised knee, putting her face level with Mia’s. [b]“Lexi’s clones tell me you’re pretty obnoxious. I think you sound like a lot of fun.”[/b] She gave Mia’s head a single pat. [b]“This is going to be your last chance to cooperate with us. I [i]will[/i] hurt Connie if she stands in my way. Are you sure you don’t want to hand the escapees over to me?”[/b] [color=SpringGreen]“What the fuck makes you think I can do [i]that?[/i]”[/color] Mia sneered. [color=SpringGreen]“I control [i]plants[/i], not portals. Besides, didn’t your dumbass pal tell ya? Connie’s bringin’ Nuncio over right now, so don’t get your tits in a twist. Oh, and fyi?”[/color] she added, while glaring daggers at the coin broker. [color=SpringGreen]“Threatening Connie in front of me is a great way to get your head shoved up your ass.”[/color] The mint agents looked at each other. Then Lada pointed her palm at Mia. [b]“Okay, I’m frying her tits off.”[/b] But the Beast tapped Lada on the nose, causing her flame to go out. [b]“We’re professionals, Lada.”[/b] She looked back at Mia. [b]“But you do not seem to understand the situation, or you think I’m ignorant. Connie’s file makes her out to be someone who can be easily influenced by others. If I had to guess, Nuncio would convince her to try to break in here and save you with the others.”[/b] She folded her arms under her chin. [b]“I want to know if you’re willing to help us should that happen.”[/b] [color=SpringGreen]“And how, exactly, am I supposed to help you?”[/color] Mia asked with a wry smirk. [color=SpringGreen]“Even if you [i]didn’t[/i] just threaten my best friend, I’m kinda tied up at the moment.”[/color] [b]“Oh.”[/b] The Beast frowned. [b]”You’re just playing the fool.”[/b] Her eyes half closed. [b]“Such wonderful prey. Though obligations require me to take the situation seriously. The best thing to do with a threat is to execute it, but we need you alive to lure the others in. But something I've learned in my line of work is that keeping someone alive is not hard to do.“[/b] The Beast stood up and walked behind Mia. She nodded to her subordinate, who cut Mia’s hands free. But she wouldn’t have long to enjoy her freedom before the Beast snatched her hands. She placed her chin on Mia’s shoulder. [b]“I was told that fingers are just as hard to bite through as carrots.”[/b] She moved one of Mia’s hands towards her grinning mouth. Her breath felt hot on the back of her fingers. [b]“Let’s see how true that is.”[/b] She opened wide and bit off three of Mia’s fingers in a single bite. … … … Connie was laying on her back, writhing in pain. The mint agents were hiding behind a null barrier in the street. The Beast was approaching Connie. She had walked back into the kitchen while several giant chess pawns followed her. Nuncio held Sammy in his arms and was rushing to Faith’s side, who was finishing the patch job on Mia. When Mia looked at her hands, she could see that her fingers were intact. She might have thought the whole thing was a nightmare, but the last nightmare she had involved drowning in a safe at the bottom of the ocean. [b]“Find a safe place to transform!”[/b] Faith turned towards Nuncio to receive Sammy. She started to patch her up while Nuncio and his tiger ran back towards the Beast. Anything they could do to buy Connie more time was important. But how could she hope to defeat something that couldn’t feel fear? [color=SpringGreen]“O-Okay,”[/color] a still badly shaken up Mia replied as she slowly got to her feet. [color=SpringGreen]“J-Just help Connie until I get back!”[/color] With that, the tomboy stumbled her way to a nearby restroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She felt exhausted, her body ached, but none of that pain compared to the [i]fury[/i] she felt. Nothing the Beast or her companions had done to her equaled what they had tricked [i]Connie[/i] into doing, and Mia knew with agonizing certainty that once her friend realized what she had done, the knowledge would completely shatter the gentle girl’s fragile heart. If it hadn’t already… [color=SpringGreen][i]I’m sorry, Connie…[/i][/color] Gritting her teeth, she squeezed her eyes shut, even as tears worked to escape them. [color=SpringGreen][i]I’m so fucking sorry… [b]I[/b] forced you to do this. I knew how much it would hurt you to see what they did to me, knew how enraged it would make you, but even then… Even then, I never thought they’d go [b]this[/b] far…[/i] [/color] [color=SpringGreen]“You fucking shit bags…”[/color] Mia hissed. [color=SpringGreen]“You’ve hurt my little sister enough! Now you get to deal with [i]me![/i] Nature’s beauty! Nature’s grace! Nature’s power!”[/color] she intoned as a whirlwind of verdant energy swirled around her. [color=SpringGreen]“Behold! I am Gaia, Daughter of Mother Earth!”[/color] [hr] Faith continued to patch up Sammy. She hid behind the kitchen island as fireballs erupted all around her. Meanwhile, the Beast was in the same room as Connie. The front of the Pizzaria was empty, save for the Dryad wasps that were coming through the windows. Nuncio and Rosa were cut off by the giant pawns, which tried to bodyslam them. [b]“All done?”[/b] The Beast lifted her throne over her head. [b]“What a shame...”[/b] [color=SpringGreen]“Not yet,”[/color] a cold voice corrected, even as dozens of thorny vines burst from the floor to wrap tightly around the Beast, while monstrous Venus-flytrap heads clamped their toothy maws upon the coin broker’s hands and bloated bulbs sent torrents of highly toxic spores shooting into her face. [color=SpringGreen]“Not by a long shot.”[/color] But vines and poison weren’t going to hold back a coin broker for more than a moment. The vines snapped and stretched as the massive throne inched closer to Connie’s body, but Rosa managed to break through just in time to grab a hold of her sleeve. She dragged the girl away just as the throne crashed through the floorboards. The chess soldiers spread out behind the Beast. [b]“You’re under the delusion that you can wear me down, that you just need to keep me distracted. Let me show you how wrong that is.”[/b] With her free hand, the Beast took her crown off of her head and started walking towards Nuncio. Meanwhile, her pawns had moved around to form a barrier between herself and Gaia. The knights, however, galloped right over them and charged towards the viridian magical girl. Even as The Beast broke through her entanglement, Gaia watched with relief as Connie was dragged to (relative) safety. The masked girl was visibly injured, and seemed to be having a lot of trouble breathing. Thus, the sooner Faith could tend to her injuries, the better. As for Gaia herself, it appeared she had gained the coin broker’s attention, at least if the oversized chess pieces attempting to run her down were anything to go by… Yet, as she had already demonstrated, even here, in the heart of one of the world’s largest cities, the Daughter of Mother Earth could find allies to answer her call to arms. Bursting from the floor in front of the charging knights, a pair of mighty tree men grabbed hold of the chessmen cavalry with thick branch-arms and firm root tendrils, and, using their own considerable momentum against them, flung them around like a carousel to crash into the line of pawns screening The Beast herself. The pawns scuffed across the floor and formed up in front of the knights. They winnied moments before impact. The pawns toppled over along with the knights, but hadn’t sustained too much damage. One of the pawns had a hairline crack running along its head while most of the others had chipped here and there. They started to “stand up” after just a moment of laying prone. Nuncio held up his cane as the Beast approached, but she was not deterred. [b]“Damn Mint broads.”[/b] He focused his gaze. [b]“I ain't afraid of you.”[/b] She spun the crown on the tip of her finger. [b]“Oh Nuncio, that’s [i]exactly[/i] why you’re going to die first.”[/b] The kitchen behind Nuncio blew up in a ball of fire. He turned just in time to see Faith rush past him. What Nuncio didn’t see was the Beast had lunged for him while he was distracted by the explosion. [b]“Say your prayers, Verminslayer!”[/b] The Beast swung her crown in a wide arc for Nuncio’s torso. But [i]something[/i] slipped in front of her target. Something far shorter than the average magical girl that could see her ruse a mile away. Nuncio stumbled backwards and turned his gaze to the one person who would sacrifice herself to save him. [b]“Sammy?”[/b] Sammy was suspended in the air now. A checkers piece floated over her head and under her feet. Her hands were shaking, the corners of her lips were quivering, but she still managed to smile. [b]“Just as I deduced would happen.”[/b] She chuckled nervously. [b]“I let Tony get hurt, but I’m not going to let Rosa’s best friend die too.”[/b] Nuncio grit his teeth. [b]“The hell you goin’ on about, Sammy? You’re worth more than-”[/b] [b]”There’s a lot I want to say, but there just- There just isn’t time anymore.”[/b] Her voice cracked. [b]“She’s most vulnerable after she uses this attack. So be careful, and don’t, don’t-”[/b] [img]https://images2.imgbox.com/da/53/O5TNwMch_o.png[/img] The checker’s pieces slammed together, crushing the magical girl between them out of existence. There was no blood or gore, just the loud clap of two plastic disks smashing into each other. [b]”Hngh!”[/b] The Beast clutched her chest and fell on one knee. Her throne clattered to the ground with her crown. [color=DarkOrchid][i]S-Sammy?![/i][/color] Even through her excruciating pain, Connie was able to witness the far more agonizing sight of the diminutive detective’s apparent demise, the masked girl’s eyes going wide in horror. [color=DarkOrchid][i]Nonononononono…[/i][/color] She didn’t want to believe what she had just seen, desperately wanted it to simply be yet another illusion, but she knew with dreadful, soul-crushing certainty that it had really happened. Sammy… was [i]dead…[/i] The chess pieces had stopped moving, and Fath was able to run past them with little effort. [b]”Only one more after this.”[/b] She whispered as she went to bandage up Connie. [b]”Just, just try to stay calm.”[/b] Tears welled up in her eyes as she placed the bandaid on her chest. [b]”Don’t think about what we’ve lost.”[/b] Connie’s head spun. Don’t think about what they’d lost? How could she possibly do that? She had just seen Sammy killed in front of her eyes. The little detective had died, and she had been unable to save her. Indeed, Connie realized with mounting rage and despair, it was because of [i]her[/i] that the girl had even been here in the [i]first[/i] place. She had come to [i]save[/i] her friends, and now… Now… [color=DarkOrchid]“You…”[/color] Connie whispered as she slowly sat up, her voice practically dripping with hatred and pain. [color=DarkOrchid]“[i]You…[/i]”[/color] Reaching a trembling hand into the dark folds of her robe, she withdrew The Eye of Fear and, tightly grasping the unnerving sphere, used the mystic artifact to discover [i]exactly[/i] what The Beast feared the most. Even if the coin broker claimed to be devoid of that emotion, there had to be [i]something[/i], some event or trauma buried deep in her past, hidden in some dark corner of her subconscious, that was simply [i]waiting[/i] be unlocked, to be set [i]free[/i], free to devour her from the inside out… And Connie [i]would[/i] find it. Yes, she would make full use of it, amplify it a thousandfold, and then… [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/hJqG2wm.png[/img][/center] She screeched, even as she sent a focused torrent of refined nightmare magic into The Beast’s weakened body. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/BhqlzNt.png[/img][/center] Meanwhile, Gaia had also seen Sammy’s awful fate play out from where she was standing, but, like Connie, she too had been unable to do anything to save the detective. Still, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t [i]avenge[/i] her… [color=SpringGreen]“YOU FUCKING [i]BITCH!!![/i]”[/color] the verdant maiden roared, all semblance of serenity and refinement completely dissolving in the face of her unbridled fury. Even as her augmented tree men used their massive limbs to sweep aside the chessmen, Gaia strode forward, a veritable force of nature, wreathed in swirling tendrils of mystic energy. Twirling Nature’s Blossom in her hands, she allowed the enchanted staff to gather potent power, before pointing it at The Beast’s kneeling form and unleashing an all-out deluge of glowing, emerald annihilation. This was joined a second later by a hail of explosive pea pellets and chair-sized corn-cob missiles, launched from newly-sprouted weapon pods on the hulking tree men’s broad shoulders. All were careful to ensure that none of their allies were caught in the botanical barrage, of course, but it was painfully obvious that if they were to have any chance of slaying The Beast, [i]this[/i] was it… And the Beast did have a fear. It wasn’t so much that Connie had to look hard to find it, but in her more vulnerable state it was easier to see. She didn’t like getting sick. Her parents had been taken by a mysterious illness and it was always at the back of her mind that she would meet a similar fate. The nightmare magic coursed through the beast’s body. Cysts opened up on the surface of her skin, her flesh bulged as cancer grew under her cloak. Her teeth fell out of her head and next to her dislodged fingernails. This was moments before her body was bombarded by Gaia’s viridian might. Her flesh opened up as fractured corn kernels and peas smashed into her tender flesh. But despite all this, she wouldn’t die. She couldn’t get on her feet, but she wouldn’t be laid low. Faith could do nothing but sulk for her fallen friend. Nuncio was still staring at where Sammy use to be before looking at the Beast. She was in a sorry state right now, and yet. [b]”This is too easy.”[/b] Nuncio took a deep breath. [b]”Sammy was tryin’ to say something.”[/b] While his allies bombarded the Beast with magic, Nuncio grabbed a metal napkin dispenser off a table and launched it into the Beast. Only… [i]Clang[/i] The illusion dispersed. Lexi held her led pipe in front of herself while Lada maintained her null wall. The Beast herself hadn’t received a single bit of the retribution that had been aimed at her. [b]”They’re using our emotions against us!”[/b] Nuncio roared. But it was too late. The beast reached for her crown and throne before rising to her feet again. [b]”It’s like I said. Victory over me is just an illusion.”[/b] As soon as she placed her crown on top of her head, her fear of diseases seemed to vanish. Lada kept her null barrier up and charged Connie, with the beast following right behind her. The tile floor broke apart under the weight of her throne, but she didn’t seem to have any difficulty dragging it. Meanwhile, Lexi ran to square off against Nuncio. Lead pipe and cain clashed, and the two gangsters looked at eachother with dead, soulless eyes. Even in her enraged state, Connie knew that it was pointless to attempt another attack on The Beast. With the coin broker shielded by Lada’s null field, even her most potent magic would be rendered utterly useless. Yet, the menacing pair continued to draw ever-nearer, and Connie refused to simply stand by and wait for them to finish her off. Thus, giving voice to a snarl of fury, the masked maiden employed her myriad tentacles to wrap around every utensil, chair, and other liftable item nearby, and hurl them at Lada with all the force she could muster. Meanwhile, from her position behind both The Beast and her shield of nullification, Gaia swiftly moved to take full advantage of the small window of opportunity she had been given. Blasting the coin broker with another deluge of emerald energy beams, she simultaneously instructed one of her tree men to strike out with an extending arm and punch the crown off The Beast’s head, even as the pea pod cannons on its shoulders switched to firing sedative spores. Not wishing to leave Nuncio unaided, the verdant maiden had the other tree man shower him and Lexi with a torrent of additional sedative pellets, which would soon envelope both fighters in a thick cloud. [color=SpringGreen][i]That bitch’s illusion magic is tricky… The last thing I want to do is hurt one of my friends by accident, so I’ll stick with knocking them out for now. But when this is finally over, they’ll [b]wish[/b] they had died quickly…[/i][/color] When friendly fire was unavoidable, best to make sure the attack wasn’t lethal. Both mobster and gang member were caught off guard by the cloud of smoke. It took effect on Nuncio first, dropping him onto his knee almost instantly. He struggled to cling to his weapon, but found it easier just to lower his hands to the ground. He was going to fall over any moment. Lexi was able to remain standing, but her fluttering eyelids made it apparent that she wasn’t fairing much better. She breathed out and stepped away from the cloud. She was barely strong enough to swing her weapon. But the surrounding chess pieces were unaffected. The pawns closed up around Nuncio and the tree man, and the two remaining knights threw their marble bodies into the tree man. Its body cracked and bark splintered off from the impact. The Beast and Lada shifted in position. The displacement spell Lexi had cast on them failed as soon as she became drowsy. They were [i]much[/i] closer to Connie than they appeared. But it wasn’t too late for either of them to adjust their aim. Lada dropped her null barrier just in time to throw her hands up in front of all the incoming projectiles. Flames spilled out of her hands like a river tumbling over a cliff. They washed over the mundane furniture and tree man, leaving naught but cinders. The metal cutlery did make its way through her flames, but by that time it was molted steel. It splashed upon her bare skin, and she winced in pain. Mundane dangers were hardly an issue for a magical girl, and fire girls were resistant to heat. This wasn’t going to take her out of the fight. [b]”I think it’s time I razed the forest.”[/b] Both rooks dashed (or did they teleport?) to either side of Lada before she marched towards Gaia. She raised her hands in front of herself and funneled her flames towards the viridian magical girl. This left Connie and Faith to contend with The Beast. Faith had managed to get a hold of herself and was firing notes at the coin broker, but this was just slowing her down. With a growl, the Beast flung her throne straight at Connie. It glistened like a comet as it flew straight towards her. The eyes of her mask widening in shock, Connie gabbed Faith and dove out of the throne’s path as quickly as she could. Before she had even hit the floor, the masked girl fired another overcharged nightmare pulse at the now unprotected Beast. If she was able to get to her feet fast enough, the Empress of Nightmares would also attempt to wrap her tentacles around The Beast’s throne and fling it back at the coin broker. Meanwhile, Gaia grit her teeth as she watched Lada incinerate one of her tree men with a mighty gout of flame. Yet, this wasn’t an [i]entirely[/i] detrimental development. Now that the pyromancer was focused on [i]her[/i], she wasn’t shielding The Beast with a nullification field. Gracefully dodging Lada’s subsequent fiery torrent, the Daughter of Mother Earth fired back with several mystic blasts from Nature’s Blossom, even as a pair of thorny vines burst up from behind the pyromancer in an attempt to ensnare her legs and flip her face first into the floor. Farther afield, the sole remaining tree man found itself being strengthened by an influx of additional nature magic, its bark growing substantially thicker and its injuries quickly healing themselves. Ignoring the knights to its rear for the time being, the botanical bruiser doused Lexi with another burst of sedative spores, while more vines snaked out to coil tightly around her. An instant later, it gabbed two of the pawns assailing Nuncio by their spherical tops and flung them, one after another, at The Beast’s head with considerable force. [b]”Hurk!”[/b] Lexi was on the verge of unconsciousness. She sunk into the vines… and vanished from sight. Initially Gaia suspected she had cloaked herself, but after everything she had done, was there anything for a coward like that left to do but use her get out of jail card? That left Nuncio and the tree man surrounded by six pawns, two damaged knights, and two bishops. The knights and pawns took turns slamming their bodies into the tree man while the bishops were charging up for something. The queen was also present, but she hadn’t moved since the Beast took off. The rooks were faster than they looked. They moved in front of Lada just as the incoming spell would have struck her. But they could do nothing to stop the vines from creeping up her legs. That was what Lada’s flames were for. With just a touch, the vines were turned to cinders. [b]”You need to play more pokemon. At least then you’d know how unfavorable this matchup is.”[/b] The next time the rooks parted was to let Lada lob an explosive fireball Gaia’s way. [color=SpringGreen][i]It’s not like I have much of a choice…[/i][/color] Gaia thought as she dodged Lada’s latest flaming attack, the fireball missing her by scant centimeters. And because there wasn’t enough happening, The Beast had caught up to Connie and Faith. The nightmare pulse bought Connie an extra second to get some distance with Faith. The pawns slammed into her back, shortly after her chair was flung into her chest. But once she was done stumbling around, it didn’t seem like the attack had hurt her very much. There was a grin plastered on her face, and she picked up her chair as her pawns rocked themselves to their feet. She took her free hand and placed it on top of her crown. [b]”I think it’s time for someone else to die.”[/b] [color=SpringGreen]“I couldn’t agree more…”[/color] Gaia hissed through clenched teeth even as she fired another volley of energy bolts at the blocking rooks. The verdant maiden hoped that her bombardment would soon eliminate at least a few of the annoying chessmen, but as long as they were around, she would continue to make use of them at every opportunity. Utterly unperturbed by the pummeling it was taking, the tree man strode forward and grabbed the two charging bishops. With a mighty sweep of its massive arms, it hurled them at Lada, following that up with a thick stream of sedative spores. Even if this didn’t take the pyromancer out of action, Gaia was already preparing her next attack as she instructed unseen roots behind the walls and under the floor to wrap around every water pipe they could find… Meanwhile, the furious Empress of Nightmares placed herself in front of Faith and, giving voice a hate-filled scream, fired a pair of massive nightmare blasts from each of her hands, one aimed at Lada and the other at The Beast. Despite her rage, Connie still had the presence of mind to note that the coin broker was preparing to strike once more, and so she readied her myriad tendrils to intercept any incoming attack. The Beast took a single labored step forward, even as the nightmare energy washed over her. [b]”I don’t fear anything, remember?”[/b] The rooks once again changed positions. One slid to Lada’s rear to block the incoming bishops.They bounced off the rook’s robust shape, and the spoors were unable to penetrate it. The other rook kept itself in front of Gaia’s torrent of energy bolts. The rook was starting to show some damage as its brickwork fell away. There were cracks running up and down its form. But Gaia’s attention would be stolen away as the fireball detonated. The force was enough to throw Gaia towards the rook, but more pressing was that she and her environment were now set ablaze. It became impossible to see as her body was consumed in fire. [b]”Hah!”[/b] Lada laughed from the safety of her rooks. [b]”You could stand to play some dungeons and dragons while you’re at it!”[/b] Lada only just now turned to face the direction of her leader, and was met with a third attack. The wave of nightmarish energy washed over her, and her porcelain skin turned pale as her nightmares manifested before her eyes. Boys. A classroom's worth of upperclassmen materialized right beside her. She had just enough time to acknowledge what they were before they tackled her to the ground. She hollered and sprayed her flames on them, but when one was incinerated another would take his place. Some held down he limbs, other bit her, a few hard enough to draw blood. But none of them were afraid of getting burned. Even with everything else going on, Lada’s screams cut through everything. The tree man’s vitality was failing, but he was able to survive repeated blows from the chess men due to the magic being pumped into him. But the queen started to shake. After waiting for so long, she was ready to make her move. She careened away from the tree man. No vine or table could stop the queen’s advance as she retreated from combat. Once out of danger she kept sliding until she slammed into the opposing wall. It hadn’t been visible initially, but Nuncio’s body laid at the base of the queen, laying in a pool of his own crimson. [b]”Greet your beloved in hell, Verminslayer.”[/b] The beast lifted her hand off of her crown. [b]”I don’t need to resort to such risky measures to eliminate you weaklings.”[/b] A fact that caused her to scowl. [b]”Show me some real strength and I might consider crowning you.”[/b] She dropped her chair and pounced on Connie. With a scream that rivaled Lada’s Faith continued to pepper the Beast with attacks. But if anyone cared to look out the windows, they could see the pillar druids were drawing closer… Gaia might have been on fire, but her forward thinking at least put her in possession of a solution to the problem. There wasn’t a lot of water to be found in the front of the pizzeria. There was a central water line that ran under the floor, but the back wall fed water into the kitchen and restrooms. But bursting the main waterline would cut off water to the back wall. What would she do with this information? The answer, for the moment, was nothing. Despite being at the center of a raging firestorm, Gaia’s mind was focused on only [i]one[/i] objective: ending Lada’s life. Even as the flames singed her skin and hair, the verdant maiden used the momentum of the explosion to vault over the rook, until she was directly above where the pyromancer writhed in torment. With but a thought, the botanical beauty conjured a massive, wickedly sharp thorn on the bottom tip of her staff, before thrusting it into Lada’s heart with all her strength. Simultaneously, the tree man flung one of the attacking pawns at The Beast, while smashing his other mighty fist through the floor, where it merged with the roots wrapped around the main water line. Breaking open the line, the tree man ensured the ensuing torrent surged through one arm into his body’s internal root system, before being expelled by the pair of large, blue bulbs that had just sprouted atop his shoulders. Thus, as soon as it was clear Lada had breathed her last, Gaia and the surrounding area would be drenched in a powerful spray of water. Meanwhile, with another horrifying, hate-filled scream, Connie lunged for The Beast, her tendrils and each of her fingers tipped with needle-sharp spikes of pure nightmare energy. If the coin broker didn’t have nightmares, then she would simply inject some directly into her brain… Between freaking out of her mind, being held down by an army of boys, and having no allies to block Gaia’s assault, there wasn’t anything Lada could do to resist Gaia’s attack. The spike sunk into her chest with little fanfare. Her cries of panic died down, her eyes rolled into her head, and her body went limp. Even as the boys continued to bite her, she remained quiet and unmoving. Just as Gaia’s flesh was starting to melt, she was blasted with cold water. Lada’s flames would not go out instantly, but they were subsiding. All while the chess pieces continued to pound on the tree man. All but the queen and bishops, who had yet to move again. Connie had cast her last remaining bit of sanity aside to greet the coin broker’s lunge. But their difference in strength would become apparent when the taller, older-looking girl was able to use her longer arms to grab Connie’s wrists. The empress of nightmares fell onto her back just as the Beast sat on her stomach. Her tendrils bored into the Beast’s flesh, but the coin broker only grunted. The nightmares had taken, but they would need time to become strong enough to manifest. Time that Connie might not have had. The Beast grabbed Connie’s head and [i]proceeded to crush it between her hands.[/i] Faith didn’t have the firepower to stop the beast. However, a rogue pawn collided with the beast’s back, which might have given Connie the extra time she needed to escape. As it was, however, Connie no longer [i]cared[/i] about escaping. Her overwhelming fury had focused all her thoughts on achieving one, singular objective: making The Beast of the North [i]pay…[/i] In her efforts to crush Connie’s skull, the coin broker had allowed the masked maiden’s limp arms to fall to the floor, and so, using her tendrils to reinforce her shattered wrists, the Empress of Nightmares raised her hands and, with a savage snarl, drove them into either side of The Beast’s head, even as the tree man flung yet another attacking chessman in an attempt to knock off the coin broker’s crown. Panting from the recent exertion and pain, a weary Gaia slowly began accumulating mystic power in preparation for a last ditch attack on The Beast, while still keeping alert for whatever the queen and bishops might be planning to do next. The initial pawn that had been thrown at the Beast transformed into a queen, which was more than tall enough to block the incoming pawn from striking anyone. With Connie dedicating all of her power to offense, there was little preventing the Beast from crushing her skull. At the end of the day, Connie was a new magical girl, and the Beast had years and years to grow her power. For the second time, Connie slipped into unconsciousness due to hemorrhagic shock. The back of her head started to change color. The chess men were getting quite fed up with being turned into projectiles, and decided to counterattack. Each of the bishops fired a freezing ray at Gaia and the treeman. The effects were not immediate, but Gaia could feel her body freezing over as her movement became more sluggish. There was little she could do before the queen decided to strike again. This time, she surfed right towards her. She struck with such force that the crumbling rook detonated right under her, but the queen kept charging until it crushed Gaia against the far wall. She was no longer being hit by the freezing beam, but the impact had cracked a few of her ribs and shattered her shoulder. She wasn’t feeling well and her magic was dwindling. Her remaining treeman had been able to take quite a beating, but the frigid ray was making him brittle and stiff. The assaulting chess men where breaking him apart and he was slowly becoming a frigid statue. Gaia would have to decide what she wanted to use her stored up magic for while she was still conscious. A shot at the Beast from here wouldn’t be possible, as the second queen was obstructing her view from the main target. Gaia hissed in pain as the queen slammed into her and pinned her against the far wall, the bishop’s freeze ray preventing her from dodging the malevolent monarch in time. The verdant maiden knew Connie was in great danger, but from her current position, she could do nothing to assist her friend. Indeed, simply surviving the next few seconds was her most pressing concern. Thus, channeling her stored up magic into Nature’s Blossom, she thrust the staff into the queen and fired a mighty blast of mystic power, one which she hoped would shatter the oversized chess piece completely. Meanwhile, in what was in all likelihood its final gesture of defiance, the increasingly paralyzed tree man extended its sole unfrozen appendage to grasp the bishop that was freezing him and attempted to hurl it in such a way so that its icy beam would now strike its fellow bishop instead. The queen’s slender torso was split in half by the burst of magical energy. As the queen fell in two, Gaia was able to spot the tree man’s last act as he flung the bishop. It fell in such a way that they were firing their beams at each other, and they froze solid in a second. The remaining pawns and knights overwhelmed him shortly afterwards. As she fell unconscious, she could only hope that the other chess men didn’t discover her. The Beast rose to her feet and looked at Faith. [b]”I am envious of your friends' loyalty to you.”[/b] She motioned a hand towards Connie’s form. [b]”You want to save her, correct?”[/b] Faith clenched her teeth. [b]”You’re just going to kill me!”[/b] [b]”How shrewd!”[/b] The Beast smiled. [b]”You are the only target here that I need to kill. Connie does not need to die.”[/b] She cracked her knuckles. [b]”I’ll let you get close enough to place one of those bandages on her, and then I’ll take your life. Or you can wait for her to die and I’ll chase you afterwards. Consider it my final jest to a challenging opponent.”[/b] Faith didn’t look any more pleased with the Beast, but what kind of friend would let Connie die in front of Mia? [b]”Very well.”[/b] She inched closer to Connie’s body. Time was of the essence, but this was going to be the end for her. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want Sammy and Nuncio’s deaths to be in vain. But if it meant saving Connie’s life, she’d gladly sacrifice the three of them for that. While the thought of having her life snuffed out terrified her, she didn’t want to drag things out and have Connie die. She lunged for the girl’s head and slapped her last super bandaid on it. And the beast reeled backwards as a cannon ball burst through the front window and careened into her chest. [b]”Mmmmm.”[/b] A half woman, half octopus magical girl floated in through the broken window. [b]”You look like a worthy opponent.”[/b] The Beast regained her composure and stood up. [b]”You’re alive?”[/b] With a snort, she pulled her crown off of her head. Connie would notice that even without her crown, she still seemed to be resisting the nightmare magic. But small boils were starting to break out on her chin. [b]”Regardless, you’re not in my contract. I’ll collect your head later.”[/b] The second pawn that had arrived beside the Beast also turned into a queen. Lotus and Faith prepared for a last stand as both queens moved with the Beast. This could be her last chance to save Faith’s life. Once again, Connie found herself awakening from inky black unconsciousness to the sight of her friends in peril. As her shaking body slowly rose to a sitting position, the masked maiden couldn’t see who The Beast was preparing to kill, only that the coin broker had left herself vulnerable. Perhaps she had assumed Connie was no longer a threat, perhaps she was just that arrogant, but no matter the reason, the Empress of Nightmares would show the Mint Monarch just how [i]wrong[/i] she was… Using the last remnants of her strength for a final burst of speed, Connie charged The Beast from behind. Wrapping her legs and tendrils around the coin broker as tightly as possible, she plunged her nightmare needle-tipped fingers into the young woman’s head, pressing against her hated foe’s skull so hard it seemed the bones in her fingers might break. A deluge of fully unleashed nightmare magic was sent surging into The Beast’s brain, enough to make a million people die of sheer terror, enough to forge an eternal nightmare, from which there could be no escape. Indeed, so concentrated was the energy, and so vast was Connie’s hatred, that the Empress of Nightmares was able to conjure physical manifestations through sheer force of will. Chittering tides of demonic spiders and other nightmarish horrors spilled from the coin broker’s mouth, nose, ears, and the gaps around her bulging eyes, even as Connie shrieked in unbridled fury. [color=DarkOrchid]“I won’t let you hurt [i]ANYONE ELSE!!![/i]”[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XnH3MXe.png[/img][/center] The two queens flew past Connie on either side, smashing into Faith and Lotus in the distance. This left the Beast alone with Connie clung to her back. The beast flailed her arms, not quite able to reach the child on her back. Until… [i]*Clink*[/i] The crown touched Connie’s hip. Before long, she was suspended between two checker pieces that threatened to crush her. The Beast stood in front of her with a grin. Even as creepy crawlies poured out of her mouth and ears. She raised her hands up and held them apart, like she was going to press the checkers together. She was talking, but it just spewed forth more insects instead of making words. But by now, the Beast’s flesh was starting to stretch and break out. Cysts broke out all over her body as she collapsed onto her knees. Connie and the checker pieces fell to the ground. It seemed that the nightmare curse was strong enough to take out the Beast before her killing blow had finished. In that brief moment when she was pouring all of her magic into one final attack, the curse was able to intercept her before its conclusion. [b]”Ahhh, two out of three ain’t bad.”[/b] The Beast chuckled. She was staring at the ceiling, and had lost the use of her eyes moments ago. [b]”What a fun little hunt that was. I’m glad you were able to present a challenge in the end. I look forward to our rematch.”[/b] With a smile on her face, the beast toppled backwards and transformed back into a normal girl. Her sickly body resting on a pile of rubble. [color=DarkOrchid][i]Rematch?![/i][/color] Connie’s masked face contorted into an even more horrifying visage than it had been mere moments ago. [color=DarkOrchid][i]REMATCH?!![/i][/color] With a savage snarl, Connie leapt upon the fallen coin broker and blasted her in the face with the strongest nightmare pulse her meager remaining mana could muster. This girl… this [i]monster[/i] who had killed two of her friends, had tortured her [i]best[/i] friend, and then tricked Connie into giving her a hellish nightmare, this piece of human filth thought that after all the indescribable agony she’d inflicted, the Empress of Nightmares would simply allow her to recover, to do the same or worse all over [i]again?![/i] No. Connie had been adamant in her words. [i]Never again…[/i] With wild abandon, Connie drove her fists into The Beast’s face over and over, sending spike after flickering spike of nightmare magic into the unconscious girl with each blow. She continued her frenzied assault even after her fists became bloody and numb, she continued, until… [color=SpringGreen]“Connie…”[/color] Gaia’s soft and sympathetic voice called her name, even as she felt her friend’s loving arms wrap around her. [color=SpringGreen]“You can stop now. It’s over.”[/color] At the touch of her best friend, Connie’s fists fell limply to her side as she collapsed into Gaia’s embrace. [color=DarkOrchid]“M-Mia…?”[/color] she asked weakly, finally snapping out of her berserker rage. [color=SpringGreen]“You did it, little sister,”[/color] Gaia whispered. [color=SpringGreen]“You stopped her.”[/color] [color=DarkOrchid]“M-Miaaaaa…!”[/color] Connie cried, her shuddering body clinging tightly to the verdant maiden as she sobbed her eyes out. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I’m sorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry…! I-I gave you t-those awful n-nightmares, a-and let you get hurt, a-and l-let our f-friends g-get… g-get…!”[/color] [color=SpringGreen]“It’s okay, Connie,”[/color] Gaia reassured her as she held the sobbing girl tight. [color=SpringGreen]“It’s okay…”[/color] At least, the verdant maiden dearly hoped it would be… Even though the upper half of the Beast’s head was gone, her lips were curled into a giant grin (minus several teeth). She wouldn’t be getting back up any time soon. [b]”Mmmmm.”[/b] Lotus was carrying Faith in her harms. Her eyes swept over the devastated area. The pizzeria would need to close for a while to clean up, provided it hadn’t been a front for the mint this entire time. The chess pieces were all crumbling to dust before her eyes. [b]”You fought a powerful opponent. I only wish I could have assisted.”[/b] Faith hadn’t taken the last hit from the queen very well. The whole side of her body was bruised, but she was still conscious. [b]”What happened? How did you get here?”[/b] [b]”Mmmmm, I was hiding out here. I saw the pillar druids and decided to investigate.”[/b] Faith closed her eyes. [b]”I didn’t know you were even alive.”[/b] [b]”Mmmmm, that is a long story.”[/b] Connie gasped at the sound of the new voice. [color=DarkOrchid]“L-L-Lotus…?! B-But, h-how…?!”[/color] Lotus looked at Connie. [b]”Mmmmm. If you must have an explanation…”[/b] But she trailed off when she noticed the corpses towards the back of the Pizzaria. She hovered past Connie and Mia, still holding Faith in her arms. She didn’t stop until she was hovering over what remained of Nuncio. Her fingers curled around Faith like talons. [b]”Mmmmm, we suffered a casualty.”[/b] Faith winced before averting her eyes from Nuncio’s body. [b]”They got Sammy too.”[/b] [b]”Mmmmm, that is a shame.”[/b] The pizzeria shook as a caustic projectile slammed into the side of the building. [b]”Your mother is worried about you. We need to get you out of the city.”[/b] Lotus turned to look at Connie and Mia. [b]”Do you know where we could go for a time?”[/b] [color=DarkOrchid]“U-Umm, I h-have an i-interdimensional h-home…”[/color] Connie offered, after taking a moment to wipe her streaming tears with the sleeve of her robe. [color=SpringGreen]“A friend of ours also has a pocket dimension,”[/color] Gaia added. [color=SpringGreen]“If that might work better, we could try contacting her.”[/color] [b]”Mmmmm.”[/b] Lotus closed her eyes. [b]”I do not have a way of helping Faith recover faster. If your friend can help us, I would be inclined to go to their pocket dimension.”[/b] The pizzeria shook again. [b]”Provided arrangements can be made swiftly.”[/b] While the duo saw about doing that, Bonnie stepped through the front of the pizzaria. She took a look around the battle ground before arriving in front of Connie. [b]”The conditions of your contract have been satisfied. Faith lives, and the Beast has been slain. I had hoped that you would save all of your friends, but this outcome does not surprise me.”[/b] She turned towards the Beast’s corpse. [b]”Maybe [i]one[/i] aspect surprises me.”[/b] She turned back to the duo. [b]”But you are due your payment.”[/b] Bonnie opened her hand, and there were two thin slivers of [i]something[/i] in her hand. It looked like two gemstones, but they were more flexible and had an eerie purple glow. Their centers were perfectly black like an endless void, and just looking at them caused them to feel a distinct sense of dread. At the same time, they understood that they were a form of magical currency. [b]”I’ve always considered a successful mission its own reward, but upper management wanted you two to have one of these grief seeds. Aside from the name, I don’t know that much about them.”[/b] She looked to Gaia. [b]”I can take you back to Penrose when you are ready.”[/b] Lotus squinted her eyes at the newcomer. [b]”Mmmmm, I think Penrose would be even worse than remaining in New York.”[/b] At first, Connie was startled by Bonnie’s sudden appearance, but her shock swiftly turned to anger. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-I don’t [i]want[/i] a reward!”[/color] she snarled, clenching her bloody fists. [color=DarkOrchid]“I want my [i]friends[/i] back! A-And I want that… t-that [i]monster[/i] to suffer forever!”[/color] she added, pointing a trembling finger at where what was left of The Beast lay in a pile of blood-soaked rubble. [color=SpringGreen]“Perhaps [i]I[/i] should hold on to these?”[/color] Gaia suggested in a calm and soothing voice, while placing a comforting hand on Connie’s shoulder. [color=SpringGreen]“Why don’t you give Amanda a call?”[/color] she added softly. [color=DarkOrchid]“F-Fine…”[/color] Connie muttered after a few tense seconds. Giving Bonnie one final, horrific glare, she turned her back on the cyborg and pulled out her phone. [color=DarkOrchid]“A-Amanda…?[/color] she asked tentatively once she’d finished dialing. [color=DarkOrchid]“I-It’s C-Connie. W-We c-could r-really use your h-help….”[/color] With their business concluded, Bonnie dismissed herself with a nod. She walked all the way to the exit before looking over her shoulder at the shaken survivors. Then she looked ahead. The pillar druids were still closing in, with the local magical girl populace struggling to contain the damage. [b]”May your friendship last forever.”[/b] She said before departing.