[Right][code]St. Portwell, December 25th, 05:25[/code][/right] Slow, quiet footsteps brought Furio to the threshold of sleeping Ivetta’s bedroom door. They’d only been in this house for a month or so, but he welled with pride every single time he passed by this room. She was so happy… He’d never seen his daughter so enthusiastic about everything. She’d spent so long cooped up in that little house on the roof of that building. Now, she had her own space entirely, complete with her own bathroom. It was the privilege that a life of service had brought him… Retirement from a life of hurting people. A single tear crept down Furio’s cheek. Ivetta’s face was just visible over the periwinkle comforter, lips pursed together and nostrils slowly flaring as she took a slumbering breath. He didn’t get anxious or nervous anymore…Fifteen years ago, when she was first born, he thought they’d retire from danger. That they’d get to raise their baby girl in peace and prosperity… Max had said they’d be okay. But Furio knew better. Lynette ran the show, and Clarissa knew best when it came to maximizing opportunity… So the two of them fell in line, and the prevailing years saw their purses turn into coffers, and those coffers eventually became vaults. Wealth and security, just like the Richouxs, but only one person to leave it for. [color=e0c4ff]”Nunzio’s on the way. He’ll watch the house, and make sure she gets to Lynette if we don’t make it back in good time.”[/color] Clarissa’s voice was low so as not to disturb their daughter, but she spoke very casually. Almost bemused, it was par for Clarissa’s magical needs that she constantly teetered on the edge of manic anticipation. The blood, the shouting, the feeling of recoil in her hand. Once more down the rabbit hole… It was a large part of why Furio fell in love with her. She was [i]nuts[/i], and he was one of two people on the planet who could possibly center her for her own good. It was worth trying now. [color=de3b1b]”What if we don’t go?”[/color] he asked very casually without turning his head. He didn’t need to see the look. [color=e0c4ff]”Don’t start this again… We already agreed.”[/color] she returned coldly, an extra step forward bringing her arms around him. [color=e0c4ff]”We don’t need to go crazy. Gut her, and we could even leave him there.”[/color] Furio shook his head without turning to face Clarissa. [color=de3b1b]”Are you hearing yourself yet? [I]Who are we protecting!?[/i] Lynette fucking Richoux!? This is beyond stupid, Clarissa! If the woman can resurrect herself, why would we-”[/color] Clarissa’s tender hands became iron as they scrambled upward. One wrapped around half his face, while the other dove for his hair and grabbed a thick chunk. Both limbs squeezed, nails digging into the flesh of Furio’s cheek as Clarissa forced him to turn around and face her. Her expression was one of abject anger and frustration. [color=e0c4ff]”Oh, Foor… we’ve been married over twenty years, but every time I’ve ever tried to steer this ship in the right direction, I’ve let you talk me out of it… No more. No, no… You’re gonna shut up, now. And we’re gonna stop my best friend from committing suicide.”[/color] Furio’s face twisted into rage that was only tempered by the sleeping girl behind him. [color=de3b1b]”Your best friend is [i]not worth saving anymore![/i]”[/color] He didn’t even get a chance to stop her from channeling a portal spell. All at once, Furio’s world was cold. At least he’d already gotten ready… [hr] [right][code]Copper Gate Resort, Colorado, 04:15[/code][/right] Trisha woke up with a start, the feeling that something was wrong hanging heavy in her gut. Even the feeling of Casey's arms around her wasn't enough to calm it, or even make a dent like his warmth often did after a nightmare. Was it a nightmare? She didn't remember anything, but she was tense like something was going to happen all the same. Why? It didn't seem mundane, it didn't even seem to be entirely her own anxiety, had the Queen- [I]Danger! Danger![/I] Before she could fully parse it, a harsh pheromone signal slammed into her from one of the Soldier bees downstairs. They'd sensed whatever the Queen had- shit. She immediately flipped around towards Casey, one hand grasping his shoulder and shaking. [color=d1b300]“Casey! There's something- The bees have sensed something- People? [I]Lux[/I]?"[/color] She managed, quietly and hurriedly as she tried to wake him at the same time as parsing whatever feeling she'd had along with what the soldier had fed her. But there was hardly enough time, because if a soldier bee had managed to sense them, that meant they were practically on the doorstep. She could sense the bees on the door preparing to attack, the other clusters around the house not on active watch duty waking up rapidly. [color=d1b300]“It's probably them."[/color] Casey had actually been asleep for once… Dead asleep. But as soon as he awoke, he could feel his new channeler practically sizzling against his chest. Every single one of his sensors was going off heavily, and yet he didn’t wake up from a single one? It meant a lot of retooling… The glove was his whole hand, he was used to the feeling of being slapped and dragged by it like it had a mind of its own… Not a necklace getting hot. It wasn’t enough. [color=577d06]”Huh!? Wha-?!”[/color] It took him an extra second to think. A second too long, maybe, as he flung the sheets and cover from the bed to book it toward the bag that had his clothing. It would’ve been so easy to get a little more prepared had he thought of keeping it all by the bed… But the only thing he had close was the only thing he thought would be completely necessary should the worst happen… The Blade. In its knife form, it was small enough to keep under his pillow. His hand reached for it immediately, and just as he made it to the bag to start getting dressed, the dresser and the wall behind it splintered into a million wooden fragments. Suddenly, there was a man-sized hole in the shape of a large rectangle that looked as though someone tried to remove a chunk of reality. [color=577d06]”Oh shit!”[/color] Rather than continue trying to get the bag, he did the only thing he knew would keep them both safe. [color=577d06]”Trisha, get under the be-”[/color] A massive cracking noise echoed like a frozen log exploding from internal pressure. All at once, the floor underneath Casey was no longer there. He did his best to dive, if only to prevent the roof above them from crushing the two of them as the floor beneath them collapsed. Trisha screamed as the floor beneath her feet was suddenly torn away, the bed she’d been preparing to get under before Casey even finished falling away too. She tried to tuck up into a ball to at least protect her head, harsh panic immediately calling all of the bees in the house to her. There were sharp zaps in her brain from the ones that didn’t make it, those that did covering her in an attempt to protect her too. It was slow-like, an almost controlled wave of destruction as the foundation rumbled and the floor came out from under itself in all directions. Beams tumbled before evaporating away as their atomic structure became unraveled in a complex spell that Furio called “Entromites”. Decayed wood turned into dust, while most of the structure remained as a temporary prison. While Trisha screamed, Casey had used the last bit of solid leverage he had to gain a position over Trisha. At the same time, he released the Blade, letting it fill out until it was able to cleave the falling roof in half, effectively preventing them from being crushed, but leaving them exposed and disoriented. [color=577d06]”Shit, Trisha! You’re alright!?”[/color] he asked down at her, voice strained from panic as he let a White Lux spell ripple across the area in an attempt to find the source… [color=d1b300]“Y-Yeah.”[/color] Trisha managed to reply. The fall had hurt, but wasn’t far enough to break anything thankfully, but her limbs hurt as she scrambled into a crouching position. Just as much of the pain was in her head from the bees she’d crushed, blood dripping down her nose in a steady stream. Her vision was slightly blurry as she squinted up at him. The duo didn’t need to wait long before the problem made themselves known. [color=e0c4ff]”[i]Ohhhhh, have yourself a merry little Christmaaaaaaaas![/i]”[/color] Clarissa stood in the driveway next to Casey’s new truck, while Furio held his arms out toward the ruins with one palm pointed at Casey and the other at Trisha. [color=e0c4ff]”You got this from the dead gangster, right Case!? Or, did Leon buy this for you!?”[/color] Casey grimaced, feeling a board covered in nails stuck in his right shoulder blade. Standing completely upright, he felt the metal pins release from the flesh and drop away, leaving him with a slow-trickle puncture wound in his left shoulderblade. It hurt to lift the arm now, but he needed both to wield the Blade properly. [color=577d06]”Auntie… Uncle… [i]What the fuck are you guys doing!?[/i]”[/color] [color=e0c4ff]”Y’know, Casey, I was thinking. I was thinking that maybe, just this once? I’d be able to prove your Mother wrong… That I’d be able to [i]stop this.[/i] The easy solution here is sterilization… Probably could’ve kicked you in the balls hard enough. Maybe I should’ve when you were a kid. Some horrifying accident turns you into a eunuch? Where’s Lynette’s plan then?!”[/color] She spoke with a cold, cold inflection that Casey had only heard her use with people who’d legitimately crossed the Temple wrongly. [i]Enemies.[/i] In a single solitary motion, Clarissa let her right hand slip around her front, and one trigger pull opened a portal underneath the truck. Without ceremony, it fell into the Earth, and the portal closed. [color=e0c4ff]”Oh… [i]Oops.[/i] I guess you probably needed that to leave! Maybe you can use one of the snowmobiles around here…”[/color] she chided, knowing full well the extent of neutralization that the two of them had brought to this resort. After all, their courtesy visit the other night had been less of a visit to Casey, and more of a reason to scout the location for Clarissa. Furio was staying quiet, but all of his instincts told him to hold focus on Casey, in case he’d instinctively brought one of his crazy guns to the party. Trisha grimaced, glaring at them both as she tried to get her thoughts straight. The honey bees that could clung to her, vibrating their little bodies in an attempt to keep her and themselves warm. Others had clumped up together to not immediately freeze, with even the Soldiers densely packed on her shoulders and the Bombers clinging to her t-shirt. They were ineffective in this weather. Even getting one over to sting Clarissa would be difficult. [color=d1b300]“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”[/color] Trisha bit out. She didn’t care about what Clarissa was talking about. No matter what other horrible solutions she’d thought about to prove Lynette wrong, they were here to kill them both. Why else would they try to crush them inside the building, or get rid of the truck? [color=d1b300]“Why?! How the fuck is Lynette’s life worth more than yours or ours?!”[/color] As she spoke, she ordered the Bombers to move from her to Casey, crawling up onto his shoulders. Their fuzzy metal fur turned sleek and shiny as they formed it into the dense armour that made them so dangerous. The cold may be affecting them too, but from a slightly higher start they could probably still reach the speeds they needed to act like bee bullets. There was one single thing that the two of them had which Furio and Clarissa couldn’t replicate. Casey reached for Trisha’s hand as he slung the Blade up over his shoulder. He was bare-footed in nothing but his underwear in the middle of the below freezing cold. It would’ve looked ridiculous if anyone was there to see, but it didn’t really matter now… As he took her hand, she’d be able to feel his presence against her Emotional Field, hoping to open a telepathic line. He wasn’t well versed in Abstraction boosting either, but he was trying to give her everything he knew he could do: Reinforced Field, Para-Luxal Amplification, and a coordination spell called Simulread, which unobtrusively maintained surrounding awareness and translated intention between the connected entities. With the Queen’s influence having been unlocked, Trisha would be able to feel these enhancements integrating into her Emotional Field, simply waiting for her to accept the help. [color=de3b1b]”You’re askin’ a great fuckin’ question Trisha… She won’t tell me either.”[/color] Furio replied first, not turning his head to look at his wife as she sauntered up next to him. It was far more clear now that she was [i]utterly coated in viscera.[/i] [color=e0c4ff]”You people lack a whole lot of fucking scope… She had you kill [i]everyone[/i] working on Eden. You and your mutt brother, Casey. And for what? This fucking slag? So she has a womb to crawl into? For what life? How is her life worth [i]less[/i] than any of ours!? She’s done more to bring back the Ancient Days than anyone else on this fucking planet! [i]She is the Way, and the Light![/i] And everyone’s so ready to let her just give up!? Over a batch of brats who never understood what she had to offer!? [b]None of you know her like I do![/b] So, submit, and relinquish your ability to copulate, or forfeit your fucking lives!”[/color] Clarissa raised her gun, pointing it not at Casey, but [i]directly at Trisha.[/i] Trisha didn’t hesitate to let Casey in, letting him bolster and connect to her Emotional Field while continuing to glare at the other two in front of them. There was only a small comfort in his hand holding hers, both so cold it was difficult to fully feel. It was all so fucking ridiculous and unfair. She didn’t want to be at the centre of all of this. She didn’t want Lynette to ‘crawl into her womb’ like Clarissa so horribly put it. But even if she wasn’t here, they’d still want to kill Lynette. Because she was an awful person running a horrible cult! Lynette herself just wasn’t putting up a fight because she thought she’d get to come back. There was so much she could shout back, but what was the point? Clarissa would just shoot her all the same. It was terrifying having a gun pointed directly at her. But she wasn’t just going to roll over and submit- give up part of her [i]dream[/i]. She wasn’t going to just die without a fight either. A harsh banana scent seemed to fill the air- the same one she’d used to help bolster Casey when they were attacked by the assassin. Except this time she wasn’t just letting them out into the air, instead she was hijacking the connection between their Emotional Fields to only bolster them both. He’d feel her intent to attack through the Simulread before she spoke, as the honey bees packed densely on her chest and she let go of his hand. [color=d1b300]“Go to hell.”[/color] The Bombers launched themselves off Casey’s shoulders, hurtling towards Clarissa. They weren’t fast enough in these conditions to be quite like bullets, but still they’d pack a punch. It was waves of them as they crawled onto the prime launch pad before going- the first twenty aiming directly for the gun, the next for Clarissa herself. Clarissa let a shot loose, the spell behind it splashing open a portal that sent the bees who hit it God knows where. Her portals were incredible opaque screens that did a fantastic job of obscuring Clarissa’s movements. By the time it disappeared, she was already gone. Casey’s eyes locked with Furio’s for the briefest moment. [color=577d06][i]”Furio!? Don’t!”[/i][/color] [color=de3b1b][i]”I never meant those awful things. I’m sorry.”[/i][/color] Casey saw the ripple before it happened. The Simulread urged Trisha to step back a single step, which put her in the perfect spot for Casey to slam the Blade in front of her in order to block the incoming force wave. Knowing he couldn’t just de-atomize them, Furio had to resort to a much more physical kind of attack where he manipulated air pressure into cavitation bursts; essentially small bombs of air being rapidly compressed and expanded like a combustion engine. By the time it hit the blade and split, it was like a grenade going off. Casey, Trisha, and the blade were chucked into the snow, with Casey’s arms wrapping tight around Trisha. A great deal of Lux was being channeled to maintain Casey’s enhancement spells for himself and Trisha while he utilized the single most potent spell Lynette had given him: An ancient technique of their tribe, it was usually the domain of the Priestess of the Tribe… Battle Meditation, Foresight; there were a lot of different names for it. It was how Lynette was such a formidable fighter in the first place, and how she could fight totally blind without needing any kind of prompting or assistance… She simply saw what would happen. For her, it was instant and direct, but Casey hadn’t had a great deal of time to practice and his Lux wasn’t entirely suited for the job… Still, it was enough to know what he [i]should[/i] expect, which meant wrapping his arms around Trisha. [color=577d06][i]”We’re alright!”[/i][/color] The sentiment passed from his brain to hers faster than light could move… Because it was entirely predictive. The Simulread was already prompting Trisha to let her body relax before impact, and as they hit the ground, Casey’s body took the brunt of the impact. It would’ve knocked the wind out of him if he hadn’t exhaled completely in anticipation… And the Blade was cold as the flat of it was pressed tightly against her to block what was coming next. [b]BANG-BANG-BANG[/b] Three shots ricochet’d off the outward oriented face, soaring into whatever direction before a forth indicated that Clarissa teleported again. [color=577d06][i]”Bees, here!”[/i][/color] The Simulread gave Trisha a picture of the rubble; a predictive spot that would give Clarissa the best angle to shoot [i]under[/i] the Blade and hit them both in the legs and lower body. It was incredibly weird being fed intentions and pictures at the same time as hearing his voice in her mind. It would’ve been overwhelming for Trisha if she wasn’t so locked into surviving. All of those instincts she’d honed over a summer of fighting for her life came back, pushing out any unnecessary panic in favour of action. She had to concentrate to get to her bees pheromones, quickly locating the closest groups to the rubble and sending them over. Two clouds of buzzing bees darted towards their spot with an intent to attack whatever was there, doing their best to not freeze to death by flying as densely packed as they could. In the centre of each group was a Soldier, who would be able to sting and survive far longer than the surrounding honey bees. She’d already lost at least twenty bombers to the portal, their connection severed with a different kind of pain to the normal death. The others couldn’t stop their momentum immediately, shooting past the empty space they’d aimed to and only just coming to a stop where she could call them back. But they were all sluggish in the cold. Some were already dying to it. She was trying to pump them with as much magic as she could, but it was only so effective. [color=d1b300][i]“Too cold. Don’t have long.”[/i][/color] For the bees, at least. She could guess they only had ten minutes until they were completely useless, having to clump together in vibrating balls just for some to survive. [color=577d06][i]”Done long before.”[/i][/color] came the reply, as every road lead to this being no more than a few minutes tops… It’d all be over in a snap once it came. Clarissa accidentally teleported directly into the line of the bees’ path, tensing up as she saw a swarm shooting toward her like black spheres of death. She dove backwards, collapsing the portal at the same time a cavitation wave evaporated two of the clusters. The next instruction was to prepare for more pain, as Casey braced them both and a portal opened beneath them. Suddenly, they were vertical, and flying backward before hitting a tree with enough force to collapse the snow on its boughs all around them. Unable to process his own foresight for a moment, Casey broke into a fit of frustration and channeled a massive burst of Lux into the Blade, twisting it and bashing the snow drifts into the air to create a massive screen of snow that obscured them both for a moment. [color=577d06][i]”Break off! Two targets!”[/i][/color] There was a tentative pathway that urged Trisha toward the rubble… There, buried under all that rubble, there was a feeling of something calling out to her… [i]A friend.[/i] Plush black and yellow filled Trisha’s mind for a moment. Meanwhile, Furio was frantically swatting half-frozen bees off of Clarissa’s jacket as they desperately tried to sting with nothing happening, as their frozen rear ends couldn’t articulate the point well enough to pierce the layers of cloth she was wearing in the hopes of protecting herself from them. Trisha’s brain felt like it was on fire, the deaths of two groups of bees hitting her like an electric shock. But it almost dampened the physical pain that came from falling onto a tree, and she pushed through the fogginess in her brain. She understood what Casey wanted her to do. She needed more bees, she needed [i]fresh bees[/i]. She just nodded her understanding, wiping blood from her nose as she prepared to run. The bees still on her crowded all across her like a protective shield, focusing on the vulnerable areas. An order went out to all the attacking ones, trying to give them direction to get [i]under[/i] clothes as she felt them getting killed without doing anything. As soon as the snow screen dropped, she pushed away from Casey, bare feet stamping into snow that had already made them go numb. But it could be worse, she’d rather snow than anything sharp. She was running as fast as she could towards the spot in the rubble he’d pointed her to, with residual bee deaths still zapping her brain, while trying to keep an eye out. She really hoped Princess was there, desperately trying to find the magical connection she had with the plush toy. She didn’t even need to reach it. Just get close enough to activate her. As she ran, Casey did his best to begin pressing himself as a threat. Without the range to compete with either of them, it was going to take every bit of skill he could to be useful… Fire, heat: He received a million different ideas and ways to get an inferno raging, but most had to do with the utility lines running under the ground. There was a world where Clarissa hadn’t gotten rid of the car, but he didn’t live in that one… He had a lighter, at least… At least the battle enhancements were really kicking now… He didn’t even feel the cold as his Emotional Field bubbled up and burst open with the fury of a Red Adept… The kind of rage that Furio was only able to muster now [i]because[/i] he was forced into this situation. But he felt Casey’s surge, and knew what was coming next as Casey gripped and twisted the hilt of the blade. There was a snap, like something being struck, before the massive slab of metal burst into flame with the near-nude Casey channeling nothing short of Ares himself. The cinnamon and banana scent of his unique signature could’ve potentially confused the bees, but it wasn’t a command. Utilizing their direct magical connection, Casey pushed every bit of unused White Lux to get his point across to their flying companions: Friend is Warm. It didn’t take care of the fact that they couldn’t move like they needed to in the cold, but he hoped that if he stuck to Clarissa and Furio like glue, the bees would be able to recharge well within proximity of their targets, essentially using him like a lily pad to hop across on their way toward the threat. Clarissa’s eyes widened at the Blade catching fire, and didn’t hesitate to change her target, having only a moment to reload her weapon before Casey did the next most ridiculous thing he was sure he could do… His spells enchanting the sword clamped down, each one building in strength until the entire thing was a nexus of Orange that held reality in a sticky, amber tar that caused it to move in a truly unnatural way. It jerked through the air with half of it’s own mind, pivoting Casey in place as they both began to spin. Clarissa and Furio both leased shots of their own at Casey, but the superior nature of the ancient artifact turned both spells with a single twist… And then, Casey let his body go limp… With reality clinging to it, rather than it clinging to reality, the sword shunted itself forward and dragging Casey through the air like a massive bee stinger. More like a hornet… A [i]Turantula Hawk.[/i] His trajectory split Clarissa off from Furio, and at the point of impact where they had both been standing, the force of the Blade’s landing created a ten foot wide smoldering crater. Trisha kept running towards the rubble of the cabin, almost tripping over debris as she reached the edge. Princess had been right in the middle, left on the couch, but Trisha should be able to- There! She felt the muffled response to her pheromones, immediately turning Princess on and mentally swiping up for her to increase in size. There was a creaking sound as the rubble began to shift, pushed out of the way by sheer force as the plush toy grew and began to push her way out. As soon as Trisha saw just a part of her fluffy, round body free she tapped into the portal on that spot connected to the Greenhouse. A stream of bees came out from her fluff, arching into the air and over Trisha’s head. The instant hit of cold was a shock to their systems, but their momentum carried them forward as she ordered a good group to go for Clarissa. Others were pulled down to her, combining with their freezing sisters to make a more efficient defence. The clumps that had been ineffectively trying to get to anything to attack changed tactics, following Casey’s pheromones and trying to get to that relief from the cold. Now Furio [i]really[/i] had something to think about. Neither of them had any idea [i]how[/i] there were suddenly thousands of bees filling the early morning air, but it wasn’t anything they were ready for in that moment. She’d never had something like this as a kid either, though Clarissa easily locked onto the source from her angle. Suddenly, the dynamic was an overextension of force… There was hesitation in Furio, but Clarissa didn’t care, or simply wasn’t paying enough attention to notice. In truth, her feeling was the same as it always was: Cut the root of the problem off, and the problem would go away. A few hundred bees were one thing, after all, but thousands and thousands? She’d brought one of the experimental Epinephrines, but had been told it could make her magic unstable… She needed every ounce of power she could get. As for Casey, he already knew that Clarissa would be going for Princess the second the idea crossed the Simulread. Directions were already being disseminated, a plan forming in spite of them still being on a shaky back foot. [color=577d06][i]”Keep Princess safe at all costs!”[/i][/color] A haze of bees washed across Casey, every one of them sure as they could be to avoid the massive flame, or to pass through it with enough speed to avoid catching alight themselves, while he began to swing again. He figured that now, the only objective Furio could hope to keep up with was clearing bees off of Clarissa, which was proven correct as a portal opened beneath him and he reappeared alongside his wife further ahead of Casey. [color=577d06][i]”See! Now they’re together! Push!”[/i][/color] Trisha started scrambling across the rubble towards where Princess was shoving her way through. As a little bit more poked out towards the air, she urged even more bees through the added space. The dense cloud of aggressive honey bees descended on Clarissa, stinging at all angles to try and get through her clothes. Plenty went for Furio too- there were thousands now, after all, and it would only take a thousand stings to kill a normal person. No matter how difficult it was for the bees to get to skin, the two of them still had a whole swarm to contend with. For every bee killed, it would be replaced. Trisha had reached where Princess was in the middle of the destroyed cabin, with her own dense cloud of bees surrounding them both. Her head ached with each death, but it was becoming background noise to the thrumming adrenaline pushing her through. She began to do her best to dig Princess out, assuming keeping hold of her would be safest while she was the source of their new reinforcements. The massive ball of bees was deterrent enough for Clarissa to pull back on the initial plan and try something else. What? She didn’t know. She couldn’t think straight. She was being assaulted, and her *husband* was playing lowball. [color=e0c4ff]”You’re a piece of work, Furio Natale! A real piece of work!”[/color] she verbally accosted him as they surged through another portal in an attempt to put time and distance between them… Something Casey was worried about finally happened. The classic strategy he’d [i]seen[/i] them pull off a thousand times. The “False Retreat”. Clarissa’s long-distance portals were far more violent and loud in their activation than the short distance hops, which gave the impression of finality in the fight. In reality, she simply teleported them to a pre-arranged staging area, where things like Key Lime Pie, or other Oblivium-based drugs like Pepper Jelly, were stored and kept on hand for emergency. In this little room beneath the Temple, the two of them could argue for a few moments while anticipation built on the snowy mountainside. [color=de3b1b]”We can still stop!”[/color] Furio pleaded. [color=de3b1b]”Think of Ivetta! Think of-[/color] Clarissa’s hand flicked up, smashing itself across Furio’s face. Both her hands grabbed him by the collar and she pulled herself tight to his face. [color=e0c4ff]”In my head… [i]I still call her Lynette.[/i]”[/color] Furio stared as tears welled up in his eyes. [color=de3b1b]”You… never let it go…”[/color] [color=e0c4ff]”No, I fucking didn’t. How’s that make you feel? How’s it make you feel that I’d choose her [i]over and over again?[/i]”[/color] There was a boiling noise as atoms began to sizzle from the heat around Furio. Before he could channel the searing inferno big enough to engulf them both in that little room, Clarissa let another shot rip. Unintentionally, Furio was now a nuclear hazard ready to go critical at any moment. Fine… He’d kill Trisha. He’d kill her, and Casey, and Leon and [i]anything that had to do with the name Lynette Richoux.[/i] And when that was done? He’d kill the queen bitch herself… Only then would his family be free of her spell. When he felt the cold again, he was a different man. Casey and Trisha had scarce time to regroup and mount a defensive, or even pull anything else from the rubble, before Furio was sending Cavitation Waves at three times the size and ten times the ferocity. One wave scooped into the swarm, blasting a massive hole in it that had to consume thousands of bees at once. The Swarm itself, obviously, couldn’t take many hits like that… And suddenly, Casey’s priorities shifted. He launched himself at Furio, who launched back himself with another wave that Casey had to perfectly time in order to split it with the Blade as he charged ahead, swarmed by his own cloud of bees. [color=577d06][i]”This isn’t good! Can’t fight him like this!”[/i][/color] Trisha had fallen to her knees as thousands of bees died in one magical blast. It took all of her will power and newly found magical strength to stay conscious. It felt like someone had connected a live wire right to her head, electrocuting her brain directly. Black spots swam in her vision and she clutched her head, biting down on her lip to try to fight through it. What bees remained from the swarm were only momentarily confused by the reappearance of their targets before diving in to attack Clarissa again. Though they’d lost a good number, there were still more continuing to come out of Princess. Close to half were through now. Casey’s voice in her head was enough for her to pull through just a little more, directing the bees on Casey off him. Towards Furio, even if they died trying, at least they could maybe distract him for just a moment. Trisha tried to push herself to her feet, clinging to Princess and using the floating plush as an anchor. [color=d1b300][i]“What else can I do to help?!”[/i][/color] [color=577d06][i]”Trust me… I’m sorry.”[/i][/color] A thousand images of her own face flashed in front of her eyes. Every [i]single[/i] instance that he’d seen her face and felt pure love. A remote hug of the highest caliber. [color=577d06][i]”Keep pressing her. It will hurt more before it gets better.”[/i][/color] With that instruction, came a great wave of reasoning. Furio was focused on Casey, because Casey was focused on Clarissa… and Clarissa was focused on Trisha, who was doing her best to spread the swarm across both targets, but not exactly succeeding. But if Trisha put all of her effort solely on Clarissa, she’d have to teleport so much that she’d be ineffective… And that meant that Furio would refocus his efforts on the bees, so that Casey could close the gap with another hammer toss. If he closed in on Furio, Clarissa would [i]have[/i] to fall back at the least, or at worst, she wouldn’t be able to outpace the massive cloud of bees filling the area. She’d run out of energy, or make a mistake… [i]Something[/i] that could take their edge away now that Furio seemed to be putting his effort into this. Trisha understood his reasoning intrinsically thanks to the spell connecting them, and there was no way she could argue with it. Even if it meant trusting that it would really go that way, and leaving Casey to fight Furio by himself if it didn’t. But she had to trust him, and she didn’t have any better ideas. [color=d1b300][i]“I love you.”[/i][/color] She couldn’t do the images, so she could only give him the words. [i]Just in case.[/i] She pulled all of the bees that had been going for Furio off him, pain easing off enough she could take proper control of her hive again. They came at Clarissa from as many angles as they could, trying to box her in. Trisha forced herself to stop paying attention to Casey and Furio’s fight, instead doing all she could to keep up with Clarissa’s teleporting to keep directing the bees after her. It cost Trisha another moment of pain like the last… Furio had [i]just enough time[/i] to loose another Cavitation Wave as the swarm’s long tail evaporated wholesale. But, because of their speed, even in the cold, the damage was mitigated and the bulk of the swarm stayed on target. Some were even getting caught [i]in[/i] Clarissa’s portals, slipping their way through in hot pursuit with a single raging Soldier Bee at the speartip. Until now, they’d been a little too slow to keep up with the head of the swarm, but this one had been refreshed in the flames of the Blade, having perched itself right on Casey’s hand as it sat to bask in the radiant heat before reactivating like a woman on a mission. But, there was no more relief. Clarissa knew exactly what was happening when there was an incredibly explosive noise. Furio couldn’t fight squarely with a sword using his bare hands. Rather, he had to time parrying the blade with the smallest nuclear bombs you’d ever seen. They were so tightly compressed that, upon being sundered by the blade during a parry, they were snapping open and launching themselves into the air toward space before hitting the upper atmosphere and detonating harmlessly miles and miles over their heads. But what would that mean if Casey was hit by one!? Simply, he couldn’t be… Furio wouldn’t risk his chance at revenge by nuking the mountainside intentionally. If he did, they’d all go up in a puff of ash… [i]He needed to see Lynette Richoux die. He wanted to be the one to do it.[/i] But, each time he parried, Casey had to deal with the fact that his sword was trying to escape the atmosphere along with the atoms it struck, their entire atomic structure linking together at the point of impact, with Red and Orange Lux pooling and mixing into some kind of rusty, sludgy “light” as reality tried and failed to ignite a principle yet unfulfilled. But Casey had been here before. Here. In this exact scenario. This situation, pressed tight to Furio as he parried each slice and glaive-like swing that Casey made in the desperately tight position. Clarissa spun, looking for a spot for a portal, only to be met with the swarm now pinching her from six different directions… [i]And leaving her totally undefended from the seventh.[/i] The madwoman soldier bee had broken her squadron, driving them up and over the combat like a flock of dive bombing nightmares. Clarissa screamed, loosing a shot and disappearing into a long distance portal to leave Furio all alone against Casey. Back in their staging room, Clarissa was screaming bloody murder as the soldier’s massive stinger plunged in and out of her neck just beneath the collar of her jacket. The turtleneck beneath wasn’t helping… She pulled the revolver up, and blasted the bee off her neck, leaving a bleeding nick in her neck as she could already feel herself starting to puff up. She struggled to get the jacket open, sat on the floor and writhing in pain as her legs tried to push her against a wall so she could sit up and get the clothes off to administer the shot… Which is when she saw Lynette… She was leaned there, against the frame of the door with a sad look on her face. [color=e0c4ff]”Lynnie!?... Y-you’ve gotta help! P-please!”[/color] But she didn’t respond with any haste. She just sat and watched as Clarissa struggled with finding the pocket she kept the pen in. [color=8882be]”You could’ve been there for me… You could’ve waited. I would’ve learned how to bring you along… Now? It’s all fucked. And it's your fault, Rissabear. I really loved you, too. A lot more than I loved him.”[/color] She didn’t help the woman struggle. She simply turned, and closed the door. Apoplectic with grief, Clarissa damned the instructions she’d gotten, simply jabbing the pen into her neck rather than going for the chest like she’d been told to. It only took a moment before things took effect… [i]She’d make it back yet. She’d prove Lynette’s future wrong.[/i] Clarissa’s hand shot up, grabbing a hold of one of the counters and pulling herself up to her feet. She slurped down half a packet of key lime pie, and shot herself back into the cold winter. As Clarissa disappeared along with Trisha’s craziest Soldier bee, she didn’t even give herself a chance to breathe before turning her attention to Furio. For now it was two versus one. The bees nearest Furio did an arc, before shooting towards him to enter the fray. But as they got close, the heat around the actively fighting two got unbearable. Like Furio had trapped them in a bubble of nuclear heat, the first few bees to hit it were incinerated before Trisha ordered them to come back. She couldn’t just force them into it until it cracked. She’d lost too many, and she needed to be awake. Taking a deep breath, the bees pulled back to her for warmth, and she scrambled to try and find something useful in the ruins. A gun, warmer clothes, shoes, anything- She saw the sleeve of something green poking out, and started pulling at it, hoping it was the sweater she’d stolen from Casey. Anything warmer, though she kept her bees spread around her to alert her the moment something changed. And it did… But, not for her. The crash of another long range portal broke the relative silence of Casey and Furio grunting in effort as one defended himself from the other. Casey had gotten a good upward bunt with the cutting edge of the blade, throwing Furio off balance when he slipped right through the ground and was replaced with Clarissa. Instinctively, he raised the blade and blocked the first shot, feeling the force of the portal spell behind it drive him up into the air for a split second. It was just long enough for him to spin, catching Furio [i]behind him[/i], and raising the sword just in time to block a cavitation wave as it rocked his world and sent him flying out of the bubble. But, inside the warm spot, there was a new panic. The two Adepts were, even comically so, trapped as the portal which Clarissa opened and used to shunt them around at close distances didn’t actually [i]close.[/i] She had to scramble, grabbing the solid edge of the ground in order to prevent herself from swimming in the between. Furio instinctively grabbed her ankle, and the two of them pulled each other up to safety while Casey had the chance to recover and begin winding up another hammer toss. As he let it fly, the snow underneath him blasted away, indicating the kinds of Thor-like speeds he was capable of generating with this artifact. The two defending themselves only had a split second to react. Except, unlike every other time in their marriage where the stakes were this high, they weren’t actually united… Both were thinking about their own safety, their own goals, and only what was best for them… Clarissa, without consulting Furio, dropped another portal at his feet with the intention of him getting away to a better spot so they could reset the fight… But Furio, blind with ambition and hunger for revenge, only saw his own goal. Channeling another Cavitation Wave, he felt the portal underneath him open up, and panicked, releasing the spell at the exact moment that Casey was straightening his legs to dig his heels into the Earth. Clarissa let her pistol rise up toward Casey, and fired a single shot. Both the bullet and the wave hit him at once, the former cleaving his left shoulder practically off of his body. The latter, while much weaker than intended, hit Casey square in the pelvic region… He didn’t feel flesh burst or rupture… But it was an incredible kind of force, like he was hit in the hip by a car… And it had the same effect. Casey’s last few moments of consciousness were spent spinning through the air like a stick, and doing his best to aim the Blade where it needed to go. [color=577d06][i]”It’s over. I believe in y-”[/i][/color] Trisha would be able to feel most of the spells that he’d enchanted her with fade away into nothingness, like a hand pulling itself away from her. She got a fantastic front row seat to see the aftermath too… As Casey faded away, his body seemed to stiffen, and Trisha got the brutal side profile of the massive sword plunging through Furio’s chest, sticking itself cleanly into the snow and frozen earth. The flame died instantly, and both men’s bodies sunk into the snow drift that they’d been teleported into with both of their momentums flinging them clear of the gaping hole in reality. Clarissa stared with her eyes wide… And for a moment, she hesitated… It felt like Trisha’s heart had been torn from her chest, but she didn’t hesitate. The swarms on standby descended on Clarissa as Trisha ran towards Casey’s body. [color=d1b300]“Casey?! [i][b]Casey?![/b][/i]”[/color] She shouted panickedly, tears already streaming down her cheeks even as her anger had her directing her bees to sting constantly. Clarissa could only do her best to avoid the swarm by herself again. She couldn’t leave without taking care of the objective… All she had to do was outlast the bees. All she had to do was outlast the bees, or kill the bee keeper… Desperately, she dove through one portal, into another, then through one more as the train of purple and black swirling screens tracked her motion through the ether until she was mere feet away from Trisha. [color=e0c4ff]”Die with him! Die, die die!”[/color] [color=d1b300]“Why should I die?! I never asked for this! [i]We never asked for this![/i]”[/color] Trisha screamed, starting to back away as her bees tried to keep the teleporter away from their Queen. But all the time in the cold was making them sluggish, and they struggled to keep up with someone who kept appearing and disappearing. She didn’t want to live without Casey, but she didn’t want this woman to live either. What if he wasn’t even dead, he was holding on- She had to kill her first, she had to save them both, she couldn’t lose him- [color=c18e1b][i]Channel your emotions into your magic. Evolve.[/i][/color] The Queen’s whisper as she woke up cut through the panic and sorrow, gently nudging Trisha towards a part of the magic she hadn’t used before. Her eyes started to glow, amber swirling across them. A second, darker layer rapidly grew out from her skin, an exoskeleton with gaps at all of her joints. There was a sharp pain in her back as wings pushed out, and another in the back of her hands as stings formed under her skin. She was still human, but more bee than she’d ever been before. She was stronger, even as grief threatened to overwhelm her mind. The bees were too, shrugging off the effects of the cold and suddenly feeling energised again. She stopped backing away and pushed forward, preparing to defend herself so the bees could finish Clarissa off. Clarissa’s eyes bulged like a rat, her mind utterly boggled at the prospect of what she was seeing… She didn’t hesitate any longer than that, every single fiber of her being turning to panic as she fired a shot directly at Trisha. It struck dead on, spinning against the magically hardened carapace before falling into the snow with a soft puff. Clarissa pulled the trigger again, but got no response… [color=d1b300]“I hope it was worth it.”[/color] Trisha bit out, glowing eyes filled with seething resentment towards Clarissa. It would be the last thing she saw before being covered in a swarm of magical bees. [color=d1b300]“Now you get to die with him.”[/color] She didn’t scream… As her face was covered, and the stingers of the Soldiers punctured her clothes once and for all, she gave the most smug and evil grin she could give back. [color=e0c4ff]”An- y-o-ou can live… W-i-thout hi-i-im…”[/color] More and more bees packed onto her, flooding her face, her mouth, her nose and ears, crawling into her clothes and across her body, each jab and sting felt less than the last as her body quickly succumbed. Her throat swelled shut, lungs ballooning until they haemorrhaged and ruptured. Every bit of Trisha’s ire and resentment channeled into the act of killing… The act of immediate, maybe even satisfying, revenge… But now, it was so cold… So cold, and quiet, save for the swarm of bees which still roiled and billowed… She was [i]alone.[/i] And a small cluster of bees, the same ones that had accompanied the Soldier who got the first real sting on Clarissa, broke now from where they had been, and began to move toward their Friend. Their big, pale, dark haired friend… With nothing left in her way, Trisha stepped over Clarissa’s body and ran through the snow towards Casey. The sight was even worse up close, with his legs all twisted the wrong way and one arm practically torn off. There was nothing else to fight, and no one else to fight for, so all that was keeping her going snapped as she fell to her knees beside him and started sobbing. [color=d1b300]“Casey, I’m so sorry, I love you, please be alright.”[/color] She choked out, hands cupping his face before searching in desperate hope for a pulse. Anything, even a weak sign of life. If he was just alive, maybe she could save him. She didn’t want to live without him. She couldn’t. There was a gentle crunching noise that sounded like someone trying to move through snow. It was enough that anyone in this situation would be edgy enough to look up toward and assess. In that same moment, as the movement from further away got a little more frantic, a puff of steam left Casey’s nostrils. [color=de3b1b]”T-tr-sh… T-d… [i]Drissha!?[/i]”[/color] Furio’s voice echoed from a few feet away, his breath climbing up into the air around the Blade as it pinned him to the ground. [color=de3b1b]”Trisha!?”[/color] he panted again, far more clearly. Trisha twisted her head around as her fingers went to Casey’s neck, tensing up in preparation to fight again. But it was just Furio in his dying throes. Eyes narrowing, her attention went back to Casey, one on his pulse and the other moving underneath his nostrils. It felt like there was something there, a pulse maybe, but she wasn’t sure. Maybe she was just lying to herself. Giving herself false hope. [color=d1b300]“Can’t you just die quietly?”[/color] She intoned, voice cold and sad more than it was angry. The burning resentment had gone with Clarissa, leaving her with hollow grief. [color=d1b300]“What do you want?”[/color] [color=de3b1b]”P-pie! N’my c-c-oat… For… Casey…”[/color] he panted loudly. [color=de3b1b]”T-the sword! I d-don't know how much is left… It’s s-seeping into the chest wound!”[/color] he growled against the pain. [color=de3b1b]”I s-still don’t think I’ll m-m-make it! But… he can! Please! I l-love h-h-him… I d-d-d-id a bad thing… Pl-ease… L-let me h-”[/color] He was trying to unzip his jacket with the arm that was free from the sword, as his right arm had been severed at the elbow when the blade’s width pierced him. But he tried to move too much, and felt the razor sharp edge of the sword [i]growing[/i] in his lungs like it was crystallizing against the key lime pie that was seeping into the wound. As soon as she heard he had key lime, Trisha turned and hurried over to Furio. She shoved his hand away to unzip his jacket herself, careful to avoid the blade as she did. She got it open, not even having to find which pocket the Key Lime was in- it had been torn along with the like pack with the sword, green goop leaking out. She grabbed it in one hand, careful to angle it so more wouldn’t fall out, while scooping up what she could with the other. It was less than half. Barely any, really. But hopefully it would be enough to make sure he survived. If he was stable she could get them more. He just had to be alive. [color=d1b300]“You won’t make it.”[/color] Trisha intoned as she turned away from Furio, rushing back over to Casey. She grimaced as she forced his mouth open, first dropping in what little she’d scooped up before feeding him what was left in the packet. [color=d1b300]“I won’t let you. But he will. I’ll make sure of it. I love him too much to lose him.”[/color] [color=de3b1b]”I d-don’t deserve it… B-but… Trisha!? My Ivy… Please! Take care of Ivetta! Don’t… Don’t let her go to a home! Don’t let her… Don’t… My family… Nunzio… Don’t let anyone… [b]I want you and Casey to take her![/b] And I don’t c-c-gggg!”[/color] Stubborn as ever, Furio managed to wriggle, press, bite down, and [i]rip himself[/i] away from the frozen sword. With it went the rest of the arm, split through the shoulder only for him to spin and begin crawling toward them both with one hand. [color=de3b1b]”I d-don’t care if it’s… Not fair… [b]She deserves the best![/b] And Casey Richoux is the b-b-best… [i]Buddy!?[/i]”[/color] he shouted at the unconscious body as his mouth seemed to instinctively slurp at the key lime. [color=de3b1b]”Buddy!!! Casey!? I know you can hear me!!! Don’t let them take Ivy! [i]Please![/i] She didn’t deserve us! She deserves you! Please! Please, Trisha!”[/color] he begged, the deep red trail expanding wider and wider as he forced himself to move closer. Trisha didn’t even look at Furio, concentrating on watching Casey and gently massaging his throat to help the key lime get down. Like when the Wampus had got him… She’d been so scared she’d lose him then too. She did wince as she listened to him beg, and heard him dragging himself towards them. The resentful part of her wanted to tell him to fuck off, so he’d die thinking his daughter would be left completely alone. But said daughter was the one person Trisha had really had sympathy for in the situation… The only reason she hoped they didn’t have to kill Furio and Clarissa. While her own Father had been awful, losing him at fourteen had still been hard. She cared more about Casey than she did her resentment too. When he woke up, she’d at least be able to tell him that Furio hadn’t hated him in the end… With what little comfort that might bring. [color=d1b300]“Casey loves her. He’ll want to take her in. And I love him, so we will.”[/color] She responded, finally turning to look at Furio. Her eyes were still glowing unnaturally, tears filling them and streaming down her face with no signs of stopping. The carapace around most of her body didn’t even help with the cold, the skin underneath it turning paler the longer she was out here. But she refused to transform back until she had Casey somewhere safe and warm. She needed the extra strength to do that. As she stared at him struggling while desperately hoping her fiance was going to live, more emotion slipped through the cracks. [color=d1b300]“You’re right that she didn’t deserve this. You threw your lives away for [i]Lynette[/i]! But even if you’re terrible people, we’ll never be able to be the best for her! Because we’re not her parents! She had them! Parents that loved her! And [i]you[/i] took that away from her!”[/color] [color=de3b1b]”I gave my life to my [b]WIFE![/b] I only [i]wish[/i] that [b]SHE[/b] hadn’t given us both to Lynette… But that’s trust! That’s love! You’ll know the [i]feeling[/i] some day, even if you and Casey never throw your lot behind a megalomaniac!”[/color] There was a rattle as Casey [i]finally[/i] came to. He didn’t open his eyes, but he caught the tail end of what was being said. One hand reached up to touch Trisha, eyes only weakly registering her new form. And the other stretched further on to connect with Furio, hand gripping his as the latter witnessed the movement. [color=de3b1b]”[b]Casey![/b]”[/color] [color=d1b300]“Casey!”[/color] Trisha echoed, attention turning from Furio down to him. She caught his hand, guiding it to her face and pressing her cheek into it lightly. He was alive, he was going to be alright, she still had something to live for- [color=d1b300]“You’re alive, I thought, I- I-”[/color] She choked on her words, another round of sobbing wracking through her as she was hit by a wave of relief. She thought she’d lost him. But she hadn’t… Thanks to one of the people who’d tried to kill him. She turned her tear filled gaze to Furio. [color=d1b300]“I’m not going to thank you, because it’s partly your fault he’s like this, b- but you helped me save him. So… We really will look after Ivetta. And we’ll be [i]better[/i]. For her, for us and for our future children.”[/color] [color=577d06]”I-v-y…”[/color] Casey weakly panted, his hand on Trisha’s face stroking her cheek with his thumb. [color=de3b1b]”Yeah, buddy! Ivy! Y-you… You… remember when she was born!? How she cried? How you complained, a-about… About Mia! And… And…-”[/color] Furio’s eyes turned upward to Trisha. [color=de3b1b]”-It’s gonna be fine! Trisha! I’m… I’m… When she’s o-old enough… T-tell her how sorry I am… Sh-show her… Please! This Recollection! Ivy!? Baby! I love you! You were fifteen when Mommy and I left, and I’m… I’m so fucking sorry! We were stupid! We were terrible! And I’ll never get to see you, and I’m sorry! And I j-just- [i]Agh![/i]”[/color] he choked, blood beginning to pool up in earnest. The stress of the moment, and the sorrow, was accelerating his heart. Blood surged from the wound and sprayed violently across the snow. [color=de3b1b]”[b]I never stopped loving you! Daddy’s so, so fucking sorry… I only hope that you can understand what’s happened… And [i]why…[/i]”[/b][/color] His voice was fading now. Casey was trying his hardest to move, but without his legs to push with, and his body as weak as it was, he could only clutch Furio’s hand desperately. Trisha would be able to see tears starting to form, and then fall before beginning to stream down fully. [color=de3b1b]”She… likes… turkey… N-no c-c-crust…”[/color] Furio’s eyes faded pale. He wasn’t holding Casey’s hand anymore. It was all quiet again… [color=d1b300]“I’ll show her.”[/color] Trisha whispered, making a promise to a man already gone. She turned back to Casey, leaning forward to hug tightly around him. At the same time she gently pulled him up into a half sitting position with surprising strength. With Furio dead, there was nothing keeping them here. She had to get them somewhere warm before they both froze to death… Meaning that all of this would’ve been for nothing. [color=d1b300]“I’m sorry, Casey.”[/color] She said quietly. She grabbed the hoodie she’d dumped beside her, moving to very awkwardly pull it over his head. One hand stayed on his back to keep him up, the other moving his arms carefully into the arms of the sweater. She was freezing too, but at least she was wearing a t-shirt and shorts rather than just boxers. Just a little bit more protected. [color=d1b300]“We have to go now… This’ll feel a little strange.”[/color] She gently picked him up as if she was going to princess carry him, able to thanks to the magical strength she had right now. But it wasn’t enough to carry him down, especially not with their size difference. But lifting him slightly off the ground allowed the bees to fill the space beneath him, also strengthened to the point where they could hold him up when she put him back down. Like a bee magical carpet… It [i]did[/i] feel a little strange, at least from what Casey could feel. He was acutely aware that the feeling in his legs were coming back, but only because that fact was the opposite of good for him. But he was still half-dazed, and nothing was exactly real right now. His wounded arm had been seared tightly shut by the portal spell surrounding the bullet he’d been hit by, and could only extend so far. It was probably most noticeable when Trisha tried to dress him, and he shrieked in her ear as she got the wounded arm into it. Which had the added benefit of at least waking him up more. Enough that he was now fully conscious of her change. It was a section that he’d gotten to in the Queen’s lessons, but hadn’t considered that Trisha would ever even [i]want[/i] to utilize it… Maybe she didn’t. It didn’t matter. She’d saved him… [i]Again.[/i] But, now, as they crested the hill that the road dipped down into, they’d both get a good view of the billowing black smoke as the big residential apartments where all the long term guests were staying was nothing more than a smoldering crater. Casey assumed that was what set off the initial warning that they got… Casey didn’t speak… But he gripped Trisha’s hand far tighter. In truth, the scene was both uncomfortable from the immediate implication, as well as his lingering issues with the things he’d seen. Burned villages and buildings meant corpses. It meant digging in the smell of burning shit and rotting meat. It meant broken families. It meant sorrow. [color=577d06]”God… I can’t…”[/color] And all these people died… [i]Because Trisha and Casey were simply there.[/i] He didn’t even have the chance to scream. The blood surging as his heart pumped up to a cool hundred-sixty BPM caused every nerve ending in his legs to connect at once… And he passed out. [color=d1b300]“Casey? Casey?!”[/color] Trisha panicked immediately, fearing the worst. The bees carrying him briefly paused as she reached out for him. He drank some of the key lime, it should’ve stabilised him, so he couldn’t be dead, not now. Her panic only reduced when she felt his breathing, even though she could see his chest moving up and down. Him passing out was still enough reason to panic but… Maybe it was a good thing. It meant he wouldn’t need to see this. It was difficult for Trisha too. While she didn’t have the lingering issues, the situation weighed heavily on her. It wasn’t their fault, it couldn’t be, but that didn’t make it any less horrific. So many people dead [i]for what[/i]? Why couldn’t they just be happy with what they had left? Why did they even need to kill all these people to get to them?! Taking a deep breath, Trisha continued on. It was a long trek for both her and the bees, but they made it past the crater where the residential building had been to the main office. That building was still standing at least… But the eerie silence as she pushed the door open didn’t give her much hope there was anyone but them left alive. There was nobody in the main foyer. Just quiet, until she went past the front desk and almost stepped in a pool of blood. Looking to the right the poor woman that had been manning it had been shot right through the head. Trisha covered her mouth, feeling sick. It was horrible… And she didn’t find anything better as she headed further inside. Six more people, all shot or killed by blunt force. All dead. At least there was no one inside the infirmary when she found it, and the electricity still worked. The heating was even on… There’d been no one to turn it off. Just a brutal slaughter. The bees moved Casey next to a bed under her orders, then she did the last bit of lifting him from them onto it. Her muscles protested under the strain, her magical strength ebbing as exhaustion set in. But she got him onto a bed at least, pulling the blanket on it up and over him. It wasn’t all that thick, just a thin blanket meant to help while a patient waited… She’d need to scavenge for warmer clothes and something thicker. At least there were a few beds. She grabbed another blanket for Casey, then one for herself. Shivering, she sat down in the chair next to his bed and pulled her legs up to her chest. Her feet were practically white now, sharp pain at least letting her know they weren’t frost bitten as they reacted to the warmth. Her teeth chattered and she couldn’t stop shaking. She wrapped a blanket around herself, before moving to get her phone. Thank God she slept with it beside her, and had managed to slip it into her shorts’ pockets before all hell broke loose. Otherwise she’d be scrambling to remember anyone’s phone number. It was worse for wear, the whole screen cracked, but it turned on. Just. Enough battery for a call before she had to find a charger. But she had to make sure they’d be sent more key lime before she went looking for that, and other things to keep them comfortable. There was only a momentary consideration before she chose to call Leon. At the end of the day, he was reliable, and most likely to pick up this early in the morning. She just hoped he actually did. The phone rang a disconcerting amount before finally being picked up. [color=C67C12]”Trisha? A little early… How’s the trip?”[/color] The voice on the other end sounded strained, maybe even in pain. Though Trisha could hear the strain, she didn’t have the capacity to care about it right now. Nor the time. She didn’t even bother answering the question. [color=d1b300]“Can you get key lime to us? [i]Today[/i]?”[/color] She asked urgently, through chattering teeth. It would be all too easy for someone with super hearing to pick up. [color=d1b300]“O- Or just as soon as possible! Casey’s badly hurt… He’s stable, but it’s going to really hurt when he wakes back up, and- and it’s [i]really bad[/i]. We need magical healing.”[/color] There was a lot of shuffling, and Trisha could hear a crash on the other end. [color=C67C12]”Uhh-Uhh, Yes! Yes, I can make that happen. I can-”[/color] He clearly turned away from the phone to speak for a moment. [color=C67C12]”-Yeah! We’ve already got a location for you guys, but… What the fuck happened!?”[/color] he asked with shock and concern now filling his voice. [color=C67C12]”What’s wrong with my Brother, Trisha!?”[/color] [color=d1b300]“Clarissa and Furio tried to kill us.”[/color] She responded bluntly, looking over at Casey with a grimace. Her free hand stretched out to slip under his blanket and hold his, closing her eyes for a moment. It was so difficult seeing him lying there unconscious, even though she knew he was alive. The key lime should’ve been enough to make sure he wouldn’t die, but it was so difficult to trust when she couldn’t see any improvements. [color=d1b300]“At the end, Clarissa, she- She practically shot his arm off, and Furio hit his legs with some kind of force blast. They’re- They’re all twisted. He had key lime on him, but Casey’s sword had pierced it, so there was only a little left. Enough to stop him from dying- but it hasn’t actually healed anything.”[/color] [color=C67C12]”Yes it has.”[/color] Leon insisted. [color=C67C12]”It physically [i]can’t[/i] do nothing. If there was nothing to do, he’d be throwing up violently because [i]it[/i] would be rejecting [i]his body.[/i]-”[/color] He turned away from the phone again, but Trisha would clearly be able to hear him directing someone to head to the Natale’s. [color=C67C12]”What about you, Trisha!? You’re alright!? We’re gonna use one of Sylvie’s delivery drones, but it’s gonna be a long flight. We don’t have any active Purple Adepts with that much range right now!”[/color] [color=d1b300]“I’m fine.”[/color] She answered, though it wasn’t quite true. In the quiet aftermath, the effects of losing so many bees was evident in the throbbing headache behind her temple. Occasionally it intensified, like she was getting zapped. But that would be gone by the time they got anything to them, and she wasn’t even sure if it would help. [color=d1b300]“More likely to get hypothermia than anything else… But I’m fine. The bees took the brunt of it, and by the time Clarissa got to me, I had some extra protection.”[/color] She explained, glancing down at the exoskeleton she still had. Though the strength had drained out of her and the bees, with them resting across Casey and her, she still hadn’t transformed back. That required more immediate energy than just staying like this, because it was still a transformation. [color=d1b300]“As long as it gets here by the end of the day, I think he’ll be alright. He- He woke up, that shows it did enough that he won’t die before the drone gets here, right?!”[/color] [color=C67C12]”Like, just now? He woke up just now?”[/color] [color=d1b300]“No, earlier, when I gave him the key lime. Before I carried him to the infirmary."[/color] [color=C67C12]”Oh… Well, yeah, he’s alive and breathing right now, right? Does he have a fever? He should be hot! I mean, like, hot enough that you’d think his brain was cooking. The body should reach an internal temperature of like… A hundred and ten, or something close to that! Like I said, it’s gotta be doing something, or he would’ve thrown it up within the first couple minutes.”[/color] There was a pause, denoted by some scuffling against the microphone before Leon returned again. [color=C67C12]”Y’said Furio hit him with something? There’s a high chance it was Cavitation. Air pressure bombs. There was probably a lot of internal bleeding happening that you never would’ve been able to fix if it weren’t for the juice you managed to get. We’re lucky that Furio always keeps- [i]Kept…[/i] A package on him. For if Clarissa was ever hurt so bad that she couldn’t get them home…”[/color] he continued to explain. [color=C67C12]”They’re both dead then? Confirmed?”[/color] [color=d1b300]“Both dead. Casey got Furio through the chest with his sword right as he got hit… He was still alive enough to have regrets. Bled out in front of us."[/color] Trisha explained evenly, looking at Casey to keep herself calm. Watching him breathing. Their deaths didn't bother her, but it had almost taken him away from her. [color=d1b300]“I killed Clarissa myself. Every bee I had left stung her to death."[/color] [color=C67C12]”Christ… There were a lot of ways I hoped those two would go, but not that way… Revenge? How fucking stupid?”[/color] he asked, not knowing or even considering that their motivation had anything to do with his Mother’s secret plan. [color=d1b300]“It wasn't for revenge."[/color] Trisha said, before falling silent as she curled herself into a tighter ball. She felt sick just remembering it. It made her skin crawl… It was so violating. And it made her so sad in that moment. Because even when they were free, would her and Casey really be? [color=d1b300]“Clarissa wanted to stop Lynette… The whole reincarnation plan. She gave us a choice. Sterilisation or death. How fucked up is that?! Like we ever asked for this. She probably would've cut out my womb there and then if we agreed."[/color] She choked up a bit again, squeezing her eyes shut. It was so unfair. But it was all unfair, always had been. [color=d1b300]“Still so fucking stupid."[/color] Leon’s voice hitched. [color=C67C12]”I… You said [i]reincarnation plan?[/i]”[/color] There was quiet for a moment, but not long enough that Trisha had the chance to reply. [color=C67C12]”Y’know what? Don’t answer that. Whatever that means, I’ll get it from the source… [i]Fuck, what does that even fucking mean?[/i] N-nevermind! You’ve got your engagement ring, right? The drone’s gonna use it to home in on, so if you’re not wearing it, you better get it on in the next few hours. Do you need anything else!? I’m serious: Do you need food, shelter, fucking… Weapons? Do you think they were alone?”[/color] he asked with the concern that only someone who loved his younger siblings could possibly give. [color=d1b300]“Of course I'm wearing it-"[/color] She wouldn't take it off unless she needed to clean it, or was doing something where it might somehow fall off. [color=d1b300]“I think they were alone but… They collapsed the cabin we were staying in. I don't know what we'll be able to get out, and I haven't looked around this building yet- we're in the infirmary in the main building."[/color] She found herself overexplaining, shaking her head and getting to the point. She didn't really know what they needed, because there might be food here. They might be able to pull everything out of the rubble. But there might not be. Better to prepare for the worst. [color=d1b300]“Food, and a set of warm clothes if that's possible. Maybe a gun for Casey… just in case. I think we're safe, but I don't want him having to fight with just a sword again."[/color] She’d be able to hear Leon giving a few more directions about Casey’s locker. Funnily, it sounded like Leon was trying to give them a passcode to get into the locker, but they were complaining about it not working until Lee cleared his throat. [color=C67C12]”Hey, what’s your birthday? Casey’s old locker passcode isn’t working, I’ve got this funny feeling he changed it recently.”[/color] [color=d1b300]“Tomorrow. The 26th."[/color] Trisha said, looking down at Casey with a hint of a smile. If he really had changed it to her birthday, that was very sweet. He wouldn't ever forget it because of that, hopefully. Leon relayed the information, and a moment later he started giggling. [color=C67C12]”Alright Sis, it’s all set. I’ll get the big bird prepped. Expect the drop in… Ten or Twelve hours. They’re not exactly supersonic, y’know?”[/color] He cleared his throat. [color=C67C12]”I’m gonna do a couple other things. I’m gonna call Bianca… She may want to talk to you, but she may just send people over there on her own time, so I’m not sure what’s gonna go on with that. But, I’m also gonna put out a call to someone I never thought I’d get to call. You’re not gonna see them, but trust me when I say that I’ll personally guarantee that place is safe. You won’t be alone.”[/color] he insisted, only a breath away from placing a hand on Trisha’s shoulder had he been there with her. [color=C67C12]”I love you both… Things are crazy here. So, please stay safe.”[/color] [color=d1b300]“We will do. We already survived two of the Temple's best assassins… But thank you. For making those calls for us. You stay safe too."[/color] She responded genuinely. Though it didn't ease the tension she knew she'd feel until Casey was awake and fully healed, at least she'd know she wouldn't be protecting him alone if something happened. She hadn't even thought about what would happen when the police, paranormal or not, caught wind of this. It was such a far away worry beyond just survival… But it didn't look good that they were the only ones left alive. So having [I]someone[/I] who knew the city's situation within the magical police she only had a vague understanding of would help. At least they weren't going to be running away from the crime scene, since they had no way to go anywhere… [color=d1b300]“Oh, Leon? The, uh, truck you got Casey… Clarissa got rid of it with a portal. We don't have any transport now but also- Well, it was a really nice gift. So I'm sorry about that."[/color] It seemed like a ridiculous thing to worry about in the grand scheme of things, but it was Trisha. Every little thing was a worry. Leon didn’t hesitate in his response. [color=C67C12]”You’re alive. You’re both still with us. I’d buy a thousand trucks for the same outcome… But, thank you for saying that… I get the sentiment. And I appreciate it. I’m… I’m… Glad I got to introduce you both. We’re almost home free, Trisha. Almost there.”[/color] He trailed off for a second before someone interrupted him. [color=C67C12]”Uh… And thank you for introducing me to Cass. It’s been great. I’ve uh… Gotta go now. Something's happening at the Sycamore Tree.”[/color] He didn’t hang up immediately, giving Trisha a moment more to speak before he was gone. [color=d1b300]“I’m glad too. That I introduced you both, and we’re all in each other's lives.”[/color] Trisha said quickly. Though the two of them still had their troubles between them, she really did mean it. [color=d1b300]“Stay safe. We’ll be back soon, hopefully.”[/color] [color=C67C12]”You too. [i]See you.[/i]”[/color] The phone hung up, leaving Trisha in relative silence once again. The low thrum of the building’s electricity running in the lights and heaters, along with Casey’s quiet but ever present breathing.