shiva_dancing_backup | Time to Bust Some Heads

Entry tags:

Time to Bust Some Heads

Who: Vanitas, open
What: Beating up a poor wall...and wrecking people because he's bored
Where: Midgar's Plate
When: 10pm
Rating: Knowing Vani...PG-13 at the least

Unfortunately for Vanitas, he hadn't been allowed to go after Kairi. Why, he didn't know, but the Lavoid inside him tried to convince him to find a better prey than the Princess of Heart. She couldn't be swayed, her heart was too pure to harbor any darkness. Naturally, Vanitas had refused to give up on the idea of tainting her. In retaliation for his refusal, it seemed he could no longer remember he could simply use a Dark Corridor to reach Destiny Islands. It was frustrating...sitting there and knowing he could take her any time he wanted, but unable to recall just how to make the damned door. To say he was angry would be an understatement of the highest degree. No, he was royally pissed off. The building he was taking his aggression out on didn't seem to appreciate his troubles either, if only because it was getting pummeled thanks to them. He would have felt pain of some sort, but thanks to the crystalline armor covering his body he felt nothing other than the impact of his knuckles against brick. Vanitas backed away as the wall suddenly split and crumbled right before him.

"Tch...what do they make these out of? Plastic?" she mumbled. He turned his helmeted head to look around his location. It seemed his destruction of the wall had drawn the attention of a construction crew that had come up to work on the Plate. 'What the fuck are they looking at?' he wondered, snarling.

As he started walking toward the crewmen, who shouted at him, Vanitas' crystal armor began to cover his body more in preparation for the fight to come. The armor covered him much like his previous armor from Xehanort did. In fact, the only sign that his armor was different at all was the many yellow eyes that covered his more "feathered" coverings.

"Guess fucking you guys up will do just fine." he laughed.

Before the men could protest, he ran at one in the blink of an eye. His fist flew out at the front of the man's chest, and there was a sickening crack and squishing noise as his fist punched straight through his spine. Blood coated Vanitas' armored fist, and he smirked behind his mask as he saw the blood coating his formerly pitch black gauntlet. Shocked looks dawned on the faces of the man's comrades, and immediately they ran at Vanitas. Well, a few of them did. Half of them charged to fight him, and the other half just stood there wetting their pants.

It didn't matter. They were all dead at that point anyway.

Vanitas backed away from his first victim and turned toward the others. He summoned his keyblade to his hands before meeting the forward charge of the other men. The three that came at him were downed in seconds. Two were cut down by the twisted keyblade, and the third suffered the same fate as his deceased friend. Vanitas turned toward the remaining three, who immediately began running. Weaklings. Their flight woke the hunger for the chase that rested in his blood, and the black-armored fiend chased after them much like a great dog pursuing a fleeing animal. The keyblade stabbed through the back of one, then another, and the third was thrown headfirst into a brick wall not too far away.

He grumbled as he stared at the corpses piled at his feet. No challenge at all...what a waste of time.

"What I wouldn't give for a decent fight. Boring fuckers..."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Like a thief in the night, and technically she was, Kid had snuck out of the 7th Heaven, leaving Denzel and Serge back there. Her boyfriend had returned at such a crucial time, and while she was grateful, for his aid, not even he could soothe the scythe impaled into her heart. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, melancholy traveling through her soul, she frowned. The cool winds smacking against her skin no longer gave her the thrill she always got from traveling at such speeds, nor did her heart beat rapidly with excitement upon stealing; the item was pouches of Gil taken by a bunch of thugs who failed to hunt her. Going to Midgar might have been a mistake, but after hearing about the scrolls Tifa had kept in the 7th Heaven in Midgar, she had to find them. If they contained anything that could improve her ability to fight, she’d take it in a heartbeat.

The event with Xion had changed her forever. Friends have always come and gone, and nearly all of her other allies had been left in her and Serge’s world, leaving her with her beloved and Glenn. But Xion…she saw a lot of herself within the Nobody, and despite her nature, she refused to believe that Xion had no heart. Regardless of what she thought, she had a heart now, but not the one she desired.

Lavos…the source of all Kid’s suffering, even more so than Lynx himself. Her hands balled into fists, and she seethed through her teeth, unable to hold in her anger. Right now, she had to make finding the blasted beast from hell, and blow it to kingdom come. No one else needed to suffer, and if it meant killing Schala…

Her mind froze, and her eyes widened. Killing Schala, her mother? No, there had to be another way. The old Kid was the one who killed, and Serge definitely would not have approved.

Landing on a nearby building, she knelt down, trying to collect her thoughts. All she needed was a time out. Her anger wouldn’t solve anything; it never did. Taking a deep breath, she calmed her mind…

And her eyes widened once more, the familiar energy returning. “Lavos...” she seethed and drew her dagger from the sheathe on her belt. “Definitely ain’t Xion…”

Screams echoed throughout the building, and she growled. No choice, with the wall barring her path, she spun on her heel, fire seeping from body. The fire collided, and the wall exploded with ease, leaving much debris and smoke. Walking through the smoke, she saw the carnage unfolding, and held a hand to her mouth. Bodies were flying all over, massacred before the armored keyblader. The armor was similar to Xion’s, though this being had far more and was clearly more malicious.

She took out her phone, taking a quick picture; she could always give it to SeeD or someone else. Putting her cell back in her belt with her right hand, and fire formed around her dagger on her left. Glaring at the mysterious man, she slashed forward with a yell, fire streaming from the small rainbow shining blade.

The Lavoid alerted him to the presence of another as soon as Kid herself could sense him. Vanitas' head snapped over in her direction, and he smirked to himself. Well, wasn't this quite the peach? The girl reminded him of that nice lady who gave him all his power. He wondered why that was, but the creature inside his brain ushered him to just attack her. Naturally, he obliged.

He rolled under the fire flying at him, but not without getting a few burn marks on his armor. They were slight, but he could still feel the heat from the flames. He sprinted toward Kid, closing the distance quickly, and raised his keyblade up and back slightly. All too swiftly he brought it back down, intending to drive it clean through her shoulder and, if he was lucky, perhaps sever her arm.

Of course, this opponent would give him a hell of a fight. Just what he wanted.

He was quick on his feet; that much she admitted. But while he was faster than most, the speed failed to impress her, especially compared to Sephiroth and Loz. Confidence rose, but the usual playful smirk did not, replaced with anger and rage. And unlike the farce of a fight with the one winged angel, holding back was nowhere even close to necessary. Burned corpses were not a far possibility; like she cared at all. All she wanted was information, and she would be damned if she’d allow this lummox slipped from her grasp before she broke every bone in his body. Ripping the lavoid off of him might help as well…

Burning with fury, she stomped onto his keybalde the moment it struck the ground, hoping to sink it further into the ground. Her real goal however was forming another sphere of intense flames matching her heart, and glaring at the strange man before her.

“You’re gonna either tell me everythin’ about Schala and the Magus, or I kick your arse so hard, I'll knock you through five fucking suns!” she yelled. “Now which is it!?” Though she already knew the answer.

His blood felt as if it were lit ablaze. The moment the keyblade was lodged in the ground, he let go of it and bounced backward. His blackened blade disappeared, leaving her foot hovering, then reappeared in his hand several feet away. As soon as its familiar presence filled his grasping hand, he ran at her again in eager will to fight.

He paused, however, to consider her demand. She wanted to know about Mother? He wanted to laugh, wondering if she wanted to join their little mockery of a family. Nah, she was far too angry to be considering conversion. His Lavoid mind reasoned she wanted to tear Schala and Magus limb from limb, and it would be damned if it let that happen.

"Tell you what, if you can beat me I'll do whatever ya want. But when I win..." he smirked, "I'll bash that cute face into a pulp. We gold, sweetie?"

The weight under her foot grew light, and she jumped away in fear of another attack, her eyes trained on Vanitas. The weapon materializing in his hands was indeed a keyblade, but why was there a heartless symbol on him? She made a mental note to ask someone from SeeD regarding this creature. Nobodies were usually white, or in Xion’s case, wearing a black cloak, and the little Nobody had a keyblade in her possession. A Heartless on the other hand…She frowned, all of it causing a minor headache.

But the frown turn into a dark and malicious glare aimed at her target. “Sweetie!?”

There was only venom in her voice as opposed to her usual snarl or growl.
Vanitas had pushed the absolute wrong button by calling her that. Rushing forward, letting her fighting prowess become her words, she slashed out with her dagger, aiming for his chest as fire enveloped the blade again. Her free hand held another sphere of fire, and she tossed it into the air. Regardless of where he fled from the steel, the flames would get the job done.

"Sweetie is a bit generous, eh? You're more like a sour skittle." Vanitas laughed and dodged out of the way of her dagger's strike. Getting angry during a fight was typically a great folly. Anger clouded vision and common sense. Vanitas was devoid of that hindrance. Sure, he had been angry before and had murdered the construction workers in his rage, but at least he had managed to channel it well enough to remain productive.

Vanitas was grateful for the mask covering his face, as it kept the flames from licking at his skin. The heat was intense, though, and he found it hard to breathe. The many yellow eyes dotting his armor kept focused on Kid even as he backed away to remove his mask. Once the mask was gone from his face, he noticed the sphere of fire high in the air.

"Well it that ain't a pain in the ass..." he mumbled. A smirk lit upon his face again as he charged back toward Kid. Once within range, he punched out his left fist. The armor on it grew spikes, just to make the damage all the more deadly.

Anger may cost most their lives, but for Kid, when properly channeled made her the most dangerous being on the battlefield. It served to fuel the flames she wielded, and in this area, she had far more of an advantage. But if Vanitas was like Xion, direct contact with the Lavos-skin might do more harm to her again. Those eyes continued to scan her, and clearly they acted as scouts, warning him of which direction she came from. She needed to find a blind spot.

The mask was gone, and that face sent a chill up her spine. "Pedophile and psycho in the makin'...." she muttered, not even meaning it as an insult; too late to use that line now, and that pissed her off.

His incredible speed caught up to her; a foolish move. "Nothing but a bull who only knows how to charge forward," she said, sliding under the fist and holding out her palms, a dark energy forming from her hands. At this range, and with the fireball above Vanitas, this would deal the impossibly large blow she desired. "Gravity Blow!"

Dark gravitational energy formed from her hands, and expanded, shooting from her palms. A premature attack for sure, but enough to do its job properly: make things fly like bowling pins.

'Pedophile? I look like a goddamn 16-year-old goodie two-shoes...' Vanitas thought, his hearing catching her belligerent muttering. He rolled his eyes even as he continued running. 'Psh, who cares?'

Immediately he cursed as he realized the trap she'd pinned him in. Fire above, and gravity below. Just peachy. Vanitas smirked and twisted in the air, managing to fly off to the side before coming back around behind Kid. He fired a Blizzaga at the fireball Kid cast, meaning to cancel the spell out before it could explode. He didn't know how to counter the gravity spell, though, and instead opted to just stay away from it as best he could. At the same time, his keyblade whipped around fast in order to attempt smacking her closest arm with the broad side of the blade.

Another curse escaped Kid’s lips. Their agility equaled, and another problem arose already. Dodging the gravity at this range was impossible, even for Serge. Just her luck not to wait until it was fully charged to engulf the cursed Lavoid. She leaned back and slid across the room, the keyblade narrowly missing her and slicing a single lone hair. The light that was fire engulfing by the ice, and a sea of mist formed between the both of them. This was the exact opening she had hoped for. This reminded her of the battle with the annoying brat of a deva, Marcy, and the gears in her head spun as she recalled what she did before.

The red aura growing by the second, daggers formed by her side by the hundreds, each one lit ablaze with fire magic. Thrusting her palms forward, she unleashed the wrath of her tech skill: Red Pin, and every little sharp weapon flying before her sliced through the mist and into Vanitas, with some blocking even barring his pathways. His eyes may see the daggers coming towards him, but what could the Unverse possibly do against such an onslaught?

'Isn't she the slippery one...' he thought. She didn't seem to be pulling any punches, either, which was his preferred way of fighting. Normally a person would try to avoid damage while inflicting as much on the opponent as possible, but not him. No, Vanitas preferred to be soaked in both his and his opponent's blood. He found it enhanced the mood.

The sight of the flying daggers brought a smirk to his face. His keyblade-wielding hand moved in front of his face to protect it from damage, which left the rest of him exposed to the onslaught. He staggered with every step toward her, as each step brought a dagger through a leg, arm, or other bits of exposed skin. Most of them bounced off the armor covering parts of him, but some managed to stick into the armor.

"Not bad sweetie. You're pretty fun." he said with a laughed. Vanitas shoved his left hand out, and the Lavoid, ever the step ahead, launched "vines" of the armor out at her. The tips of the tendrils were razor sharp, and they split off and multiplied the further they went along.

Eyes widened on Kid’s face. No one had ever taken Red Pin and still rushed at her before. What made another shiver down her spine was the minute she saw a smile on his face. Monster was no longer a term to even describe this being. Since when had Lavos given such power to its children all of a sudden? She didn’t even want to think what would happen had this virus spread throughout the world and infected someone like Cloud or Sephiroth. The idea of that happening snapped her back into the fight, continuing her onslaught of daggers.

Until the vines ejected from Vanitas’ arm, then everything went downhill.

The casting of Red Pin had left her vulnerable, even from the frontal assault. The vines were small enough to bypass her daggers, the only solid defense Kid had made. Growling, she did her best to step to the side…and grunted as the vines pierced her side slightly. Her skin tore, blood pouring from her newfound wound.

The grunt soon transformed into a scream as visions assaulted her mind, all scattered and blurry. She could make nothing, only of her mother’s face. The Lavoid has tried to show her the truth, but in most painful way possible. Realizing this was nothing more than a ruse, she returned to the fight and swung her blazing dagger, a shockwave of fire bursting from the weapon.

Another cackle of utter glee came from the black-souled fiend as he saw blood, bright red and glistening, come pouring from the blonde's side. His own wounds still burned and sent tiny explosions through his nerves, but he was oh so used to it. The armor covering his body quickly covered the exposed and damaged skin, which sealed the dermis-embedded dagger blades where they stood. A good move on the part of the Lavoid, as the wounds would only be aggravated if the blades were moved around or removed.

Seeing the gout of fire coming at him again, Vanitas rolled his eyes and gave out a bored sigh. 'Always fire with this bitch? Get some creativity...'

A smile broke onto his face again, and he accelerated his speed to run at the blonde girl with a more fevered pace. The tendrils sprouting from his body whirled about like angry snakes eager to break free of a predator's hold. The blades at the ends of them cut into whatever rubble lay nearby and left deep gouges in even the metallic wreckage. When he was hit by the blast, the armor instinctively covered his face and head until it resembled his once common armor.

The young man stumbled to one knee, using his keyblade as a crutch as his body began to burn. The exposed skin was already blackening, but the parasite kicked into overdrive since its host was in danger. More armor spread over him like liquid, extinguishing the flames on the damaged skin, then hardened to make almost feathery shapes.

'Alright...fuck this.' he thought, getting annoyed. He'd taken way too many hits without giving enough back.

Vanitas jumped back up to his feet, adrenaline silencing the pain flaying his nerves, and sprinted at the girl again. He had to hurt her...needed to hurt her if he even wanted to feel good about this fight later. Plus, in his own twisted way, giving her grievous damage would give her the honor of being a worthy opponent.

The moment the flames struck Vanitas, Kid immediately pulled out a nostrum and swallowed it hole. Darkness surrounded the wound, and the skin wove itself, fixing the small injury her foe gave to her. Her face flinched, the taste in her mouth terrible beyond words. God how she hated medicine...

And the laughter radiating from Vanitas.

'Enjoying the pain? What kind of bugger is this!?' she asked herself, mentally. She was beginning to wonder if Lavos was even in the driver's seat for this being. All the blows she had dealt should have been fatal, yet they were not in slightest.

The daggers...if somehow she could hit all of them, then maybe he could be slowed down even more so. Getting close was the problem, with the alien being attached to Vanitas being the biggest threat. Simply touching him allowed the Lavoid to stun her immediately. Her only option was long range, and she was running out of room.

Sighing, a smirk graced her face, and he right arm glowed with darkness. It was an all or nothing shot, but she had no more options in this matter. "Gravittone!" she shouted, a dark aura forming onto her and Vanitas, but only the Unversed was truly affected, for the ground under him began to give way. No doubt the daggers would be affected as well, for if gravity brought Vanitas down, than so would those blades. Not much of a damage, but the perfect distraction at this rate.

Holding out her other hand, the air tore asunder, lightning crackling through it. The familiar Hot Shot weapon spawned through, immediately opening up and attaching itself to Kid's arm. Being ambidextrous had its advantages. The spark of flames came alive on the tip, forming a large stake on the front end. Rushing forward, the gravity still trained on Vanitas, she prepared to unleash the final version of the Hot Shot MK.II. Information may have been lost now, but at least she could rest easy knowing one of these bastards dies.

"It doesn't matter what armor you have...I'll pierce right through!"

Vanitas had been mid-leap when the Gravittone sent him flat into the ground under him. His new mask cracked from the weight, and one of his bright yellow eyes could be seen through the hole. His arm had been caught under him as he fell, and the impact sent a hard pain through his stomach. His arm went limp as well, which he scoffed at. Already the Lavoid in his brain was beginning to mend the torn limb, but his body had no time for healing. There was an enemy right in front of him, and it needed to die...horribly.

"Then go right ahead! Pierce away!" he laughed, charging again. He looked quite the sight, broken armor and limp arm dangling by his side, as he ran at her.

[[ooc: arm breaking time?]]

The pain had been just as she desired and planned, but now it all came to the final blow to end this battle. Charging forward like that would prove to be Vanitas' downfall, and she was about to show him why.

Darkness formed into her free hand, the very one that had the Gravittone, and she pressed it against the ground. The impact shot her into the air, spiraling with her incendiary stake. She land behind Vanitas, spun on her heel and charged again. She knew nothing of the defense he had from behind, but knowing them, they couldn't have been too protected. All she knew was that she had him, and that was enough for her.

The Lavoid growled deep in his throat as he continued his charge. He tried to raise up his limp arm, but naturally failed to do so. However, the parasite easily knew what he was aimed toward. A strip of armor shot out from behind his shoulder and moved in front of him as he skidded to a stop. The strip grew larger until it made a shield of the blackest crystal that surrounded its host completely. The stake was caught in it, cracking the shield as it was stuck fast, and splinters flew all around.

Vanitas then ran at Kid again once the fiery spear was dealt with, his eyes flashing bright yellow. Once he was close enough, he spun about in a full circle and threw his keyblade out. It was poised to catch one of her arms, and with the full force he put into the swing, the impact would shatter something if it landed.

Everything about this fight, her advantage, her confidence, and even her own faith, had been shattered as her weapon struck the shield…and was stuck. Eyes widened in shock. Her weapon, the very one her own sister Lucca had invented, even modified by the Al-Bhed, was useless? Impossible! The stake should have pierced through, and yet here it was, stopped so easily. She tried to move back, but the Lavoid allowed her no joy of freedom. Swearing under her breath, she pulled again, earning the same lack of response.

Her fears took a turn for the worse, and the machine on her arm arm collapsed, breaking in half under the slam of the keyblade, circuitry tangling with the edges and electricity flaring about. An angry and pain filled scream came from her, for the machine wasn’t the only thing to have been crushed from the impact. Her eyes shut on instinct from the blow, trying to hold back the screech.

Bowing her, kneeling on one knee while trying to fight back the pain, and using the last of her strength her arm had, she pressed the trigger once again. “I’m sorry…sis…”

The device unhooked from her, and with another pain filled scream, she threw herself back. An explosion forced its way from the machine, unleashing the giant flare pent up within. It was something she never wished to do, for now she had nothing to remind her of her sister anymore. The pain had already begun, and anger took over, her eyes glowing a violent crimson. The summon orb within her shined maliciously, begging to be summoned. Though weak on energy, she was more than willing to oblige, if it meant taking down the scum that cost her a precious memory.

With one arm dangling by her side, unable to even cast a spell now with it unable to channel even a spec of flame, she held her dagger in her free hand, staring Vanitas down while trying to regain her lost breath. A claw may have been cut, but that left her with the fangs.

“Kid!” shouted a familiar voice.

Her eyes reverted back to normal upon hearing that voice. There was only one person who could ever make her heart skip a beat like that, even when hurt in the most dire of circumstances.

And as if the gods had listened to her, the roof opened up, revealing the moonlight, and in its bask stood the one man darkness knew to fear: Serge. Though no keyblade master, his body radiated with light as he glared at Vanitas. Taking the Mastermune from behind his back, the white aura intensified. He took a quick glance at Kid.

The girl had calmed down, and bowed her head again at her boyfriend. “I’m sorry…mate.”

Serge said nothing at that, but his eyes betrayed the glare he continued to have. Of course he was worried about her, but his attention was now on the being before him…

And wiping him out forever!

The success of the attack brought a malicious smirk to Vanitas' mug. He had her now. With an arm broken and her magic reserves hopefully near empty, his prey had nothing left but a fiery will to live. And that, like her arm, could also be shattered if he so much as put effort into the process.

Vanitas advanced like a dark cloud, taking his sweet time to savor the moment. His shield dropped away to hang on his bad arm, and his keyblade hand raised the weapon up over his shoulder.

"Game ov-" He was cut off as Serge bounded down from the rooftop. Vanitas, and the Lavoid within his chest, wanted to vomit from the sheer aura of good that was pouring from every inch of the blue-haired would-be hero. He was the exact opposite of him, and his instincts demanded he destroy this affront to his own existence.

But he would toy with him first, like he had with Kid. These mice were but the finest of playthings for this pitch black cat, and he intended to enjoy them and their squeaks to the end.

"Hah! So you're man's come to save you? Good! I wouldn't want to send Sweetie-kinds there alone into the darkness." he mocked. The shield on his ruined arm came up in front of him again, but now sans the gigantic spear. Again he raised his keyblade in preparation for the surely anger-veiled assault he was due for. "C'mon, make this fun so I can leave satisfied!"

Whoever this guy was, he reeked of blood, and it showed. Bodies had already laid about in the other rooms, no doubt his dirty work. Serge had already been in a foul mood when Kid had run off, but now this!? Taking one last look behind him, Kid was too focused on Vanitas with an angry glare. He had never seen anyone trump her so to this extent, not since Lynx. His gaze falling back on Vanitas, he saw the ruined machine, the very one Lucca had created for Kid. It wasn’t the wound that hurt her the most, but the fact the last reminder of Lucca was now gone from her life.

Closing his eyes, the white aura intensified around him. The debris around him floated in the air from the power radiating within. The monster that dared hurt his princess had crossed the line long ago, and he’d be damned if he would allow him to cross the finish line. Raising his hands, several lights formed on his arms, each the size of a bullet.

“Serge…” Kid looked up, worried about her lover.

Closing his eyes, Serge smirked. “It’s alright. Considering the amount of damage this guy has, he won’t last long against me.” Opening his eyes suddenly, he raised his voice, running towards Vanitas…

And he vanished in a blink. Kid gasped at her boyfriend’s sudden speed. Even Loz could not match him in a foot race now.

Reappearing by Vanitas’ side within a blink, the glowing lights shining brighter than before. This technique might have been new, but with such a foe as Vanitas, he’d be the perfect test dummy. “Shooting Stars!”

One by one the lights shot in rapid succession from his body, aiming straight towards Vanitas from all angles. No matter where Vanitas goes, he’d make sure the energy would follow him to the ends of the earth if need be.

Vanitas hissed as the white aura came around Serge. The light was a threat to the young man since he was an Unversed, a creature of the darkest black. The precursors to the Heartless despised the light and did everything they could to get as far away from it as possible and return to the shadows.

His kill instinct kicked into overdrive, eager to destroy he who was shining so brightly. His dark armor covered all of his exposed flesh, not wanting to let any inside where it could do damage to the dark being's core.

"I'll kill you!!" he growled, keyblade raised as he took off toward Serge. His blind rage threw him right into the midst of Shooting Stars, and he let out a yowl of pain as each light slammed into him. The crystal armor did its best to block the magic, but most got through and ate at his skin like acid. Vanitas fell backward onto his knees and shielded his face from the brightness of the lights as they hit him.

He couldn't win, he realized. He couldn't be victorious while that bastard had use of a light element. While the young monster didn't seem to know what to do in the confusion, the parasite conjoined to his mind did. It screamed at him to run away, and before he knew it, Vanitas was scrambling backward to do just that.

Serge withheld the surprise effectiveness his attack had as it tore Vanitas asunder. Even with the Lavoid, creatures such as Vanitas, the light sought to punish all that opposed it. The Chrono Trigger was certainly thankful for his training. He hadn’t even pushed his power to the limit, and already Vanitas was cowering. But he would be lying if he said Kid had nothing to do with this. She had done her job well weakening him, and it was only a matter of time before this being was gone from his sight.

The onslaught of small lights stopped, but that was not the end for the likes of Vanitas. Eying him trying to run, Serge held back the Mastermune, spinning it by his side with intense light, forming what appeared to be a glowing, bladed halo. All he needed was one shot, and this fight was over. This technique had worked well in the hunt, so hopefully it could serve him well against an injured Lavoid.

“Halo Strike!” he shouted, hurling the large weapon towards his prey. With such intense light heading towards Vanitas, the only option left was to run and leave, immediately!

His legs carried him as fast as possible thanks to the fear that was pumping throughout his body. Before the infection, Vanitas would have just dodged the attack and attacked Serge when he least expected it. But now...like an animal, all he cared about was running as far away as he could. His hunt was unsuccessful, and now he had to evade an even greater predator. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be quite fast enough. Vanitas resisted a hiss as his back began to burn from the massive "halo" that was gaining on him. More fear spread through him. He was going to die there.

He shot his hand out and formed a dark corridor to take him anywhere but there. He hit the ground rolling and fell straight through the pathway, which shut quickly behind him to prevent the accursed light from following. For several long minutes, all he could do was just lay there and try to comprehend what exactly had happened. When the realization kicked in, he growled and thrashed about the ground in a fury.

How could he have let such weaklings attack him!? She was prey! She was weak! He would have stood over here with blood on his face and hands if that accursed blue-haired tool hadn't shown up! His frustration over his missed kill was ignored by the Lavoid within his mind. The parasite was too busy calculating its next move to care what its host did. However, Vanitas and his aggression was beginning to become a problem. The Lavoid hadn't bonded with him fully, so all it had been as of late was someone in the backseat, giving occasional hints and pointers.

Well it had had enough of that. It was time to take control.

All at once, Vanitas stopped moving and just stared at the blue sky above, his eyes unblinking. He had no idea what was going on, and normally would have panicked, but the voice of the parasite was soothing and gentle. As it melded into his mind completely in the moment of peace, it whispered honeyed words to keep the Unversed from resisting.

When Vanitas awoke, he seemed to be the same as before. His instincts were still strong and told him to be wary of this change, but the Lavoid joined with him was nothing to fear. He felt the same as he had before the infection; calculating, cunning, and thinking all on his own. No...he felt even better! He was even better than he had been before death, his mind even sharper and his senses more finely tuned.

But strongest of all was desire. Vanitas felt the incredible need to create more Lavoids like himself since there were so few in existence. His sister, weak as she was, was unfit to do such a thing. So it was up to him to create more.

He sat up and looked around, trying to get a feel for his surroundings. Wherever he was, it was incredibly strange. The buildings had the appearance of seashells, and there was a downright spiritual feel everywhere, from the aforementioned houses to the eerie glowing white trees. This was once a holy land, he thought with disdain. Holy, yet now long forgotten.

'Perhaps I can settle here with the new race,' he thought with a smirk. 'My new brothers and sisters will live here...and slowly we will branch out.'

Vanitas started walking toward the midst of the capital, a smirk on his face.

Loz growled again, louder than before. For the past hour, he had walked back and forth on top of the strange building overseeing the Forgotten City, a scowl ever present on his face. Faded drops of water had splashed onto the ground as well, past tears he had shed because of what had happened. His mother…the one he had looked up to for so long, was just using them!? No, he didn’t want to believe that! All his life he had been looking to her for guidance, and no she was…

And the worst part was Sephiroth had egged him on for so long. They all had. NOW they decided to tell him? Not good enough, no, not even close. He could have ended up as a puppet. No, he WAS the puppet all this time. How could Sephiroth know he did not being used as such? They were the same, despite being different. Loz was Sephiroth’s rage, his confidence. Of course Loz had the same feelings as Sephiroth. Only difference was he acted on them more.

Being here did not help things either. Darkness flared in his nostrils, a familiar scent catching his attention. Damaged they were, the aura of light painfully hissing away the darkness, though brief. Wiping his eyes clean, he slipped on the Dual Hound and readied his gun, just to be safe. For all he knew, the other target might have wandered into his now home.

Staring from on top of a nearby, he saw Vanitas of all people, and damaged as well. Even more surprising, a new change had developed within him, one he had not recognized. “The hell are you doing here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be in a little maid and bowing down in front of the old man?”

Vanitas was limping as he made his way to the lost capital. His body was slowly beginning to mend itself thanks to the armor covering him, but it was still a slow process. It would take at least a full two days, maybe even more, before he would reach 100% again.

Oh, how he would pay those fuckers back when he got the chance. They were just lucky his primary goal now was to repopulate.

His thoughts were jerked to a halt as a voice, definitely male, called out from somewhere nearby. His head turned in Loz's direction, and he raised an eyebrow. This guy looked familiar, he thought, and it took him a moment to figure out why. He bore an uncanny resemblance to that silver-haired guy his old master knew. What was his name? Sephiroth? Yeah, that was it. He didn't know the swordsman even had a brother.

A brother who had the tendency to sniffle, if his reddened eyes were anything to say about it. Had he been crying? The guy looked to be in his twenties; what the hell was he doing crying? He wanted to laugh at him, but it wouldn't have been wise given the current state of his own body. Vanitas would hardly be a good match for the Remnant with so much damage ruining him. Instead, he opted to just answer his questions.

"That crotchety old git? Pfft, don't be stupid." he said with a laugh. The action sent pain searing through his chest thanks to a broken rib or two. Vanitas made a mental note to not laugh too much. A chuckle was fine. A laugh? No. "Who the hell are you?"

Vanitas did not know him? Ah, that was right, the two never met face-to-face; Loz recalled only meeting the old man, and seeing Vanitas by borrowing the vids from Lynx's machine.

While Loz may not have been the smartest of his brothers, or former ones, he knew when something was off. Vanitas was apparently created to obey the orders of the old man, and yet here he was, acting on his own accord. It was far too odd, and even earned his attention. Even a hint of envy was present; not having to listen to others was quite the talent he wanted.

Of course he had known nothing of Lavos, having lost Xion's trail long ago. Without a proper motorcycle, things had become difficult as of late. He may have had Bahamut SIN, sure, but he was more of a man of style. Slobbering dragons in the sky would be a dead giveaway anyway.

"Name's Loz, a remnant of my--I mean Sephiroth..." he explained, still not used to calling his former brothers by just their names. "You at least met Kadaj, haven't you? Anyway, how'd you get off your leash? Had to do a few tricks or something?"

"Kadaj" was a name that sounded familiar. Had he seen him before? He just shrugged, not knowing how to even answer that. As the Remnant sensed something amiss about the Lavoid, so too did Vanitas sense something peculiar going on with this wall of a man. He was tense, insecure, doubting...

He was weak.

Inside, Vanitas was smirking to himself. It seemed he found a new brother-to-be, and not a moment too soon. The man was clearly simple in mind, and even moreso with whatever turmoil was making him so skittish, but he radiated raw power as well. It would be so easy a thing to change him and make him into one of the superior race. But that was all in good time. First, he had to make sure the big lout trusted him at least a little.

"It's Vanitas...and I got free of the git by running into the wounds. It's a long-ass story, you'd be out cold before it ended."

Loz chuckled, though was not amused as usual. His own emotions from before continued to plague him, and he was tired of it. "Heh, good for you. Now get lost! This is my private playground, and I prefer to be alone."

That was not always the case. Sometimes he welcomed others to play with him...violently of course. The lot usually consisted of travelers or WRO members, and for the most part, they were interesting to smack around. But fighting others on the so-called team he was on would only prove to be problematic; Sephiroth and Lynx's lectures bored him, and becoming physical with either was hardly an option.

"Awww, need some more time alone to cry?" he asked, smirking still. His better instincts told him to stop pestering the man and trying what surely must be a short temper, but dammit if he didn't have a plan going. It might work, he told himself. All he had to do was stay on this guy's good side...well, stay relatively close to his good side.

Before Loz could react in a most negative fashion, the Lavoid spoke up again. He stood a little straighter as he did thanks to his body healing itself ever so gradually as time went on. "What if I told you there was a way to always be strong? To never feel weak or used by anyone again? Would you buy it or kick my ass?"

Loz was close to simply summoning Bahamut SIN to finish off this insect. Just one mega flare might have worked, but doing so would alert Sephiroth or Lynx, two people he never even wanted to see again. Thinking about them was enough to drive him insane...or more insane, if that were possible.

But Vanitas had held some interesting words to him, enough to earn him a few more minutes of not having a fist rammed into that skull of his.

"I'm listening...."

Just as he expected. He knew he would listen to him now, so all he had to do was present his sugar-laden proposal and assume the best. And if that failed...well, he was at least strong enough to fight the guy off if need be.

"See, I just got my ass handed to me by this asshole with a weird sword back in Midgar. Bones were broken, I think one of my hands is shattered, and lots of other injuries I can't even imagine. I think one of my ribs is cracked." he explained, sounding like he actually won the battle. "And yet here I am, healing up as if they were just scrapes. Care to guess why that is?"

The Lavoid didn't give him the chance to answer. Instead, he just continued on as normal. "Because 'Mother' gave me this armor and all this power. She's a real doll. I didn't even ask and she just handed it to me!"

Wierd sword? His first guess had been Cloud, though no one had ever called it wierd to his knowledge; giant as hell or compensating for something, yes. but never wierd. Had it been Serge? That tainted smell of light made him think the latter was more correct. That blue-haired man had been nothing but trouble since day one, yet he acquired so much power so quickly, another thing that baffled him to no end.

At the word of Mother, Loz's face twisted in disgust. His mother...had been a fake, a decietful liar. This was something he could believe easily, not now. What being other than Jenova could possess such powers?

"And who exactly is this...Mother?" he asked. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"What she looks like? Tch, of course I do. Very pretty, white hair, red eyes, really gentle though she radiates power," he explained. Vanitas remembered his transformation in vivid detail even now. Schala had been comforting as she tended to both he and his sister, even as she forced them to die in order for the Lavoids to take root. He wasn't used to such gentleness from anyone, hence why he preferred the memory of Magus being cross with him. It was easier to deal with someone who was violent or angry at him. Schala's kindness about the whole thing just made him uneasy. "She's here on this world, rebuilding some lost kingdom of hers."

The description...It wasn't anyone he knew. Yet for reasons unknown, part of the description seemed familiar. The question in his mind was a longshot, but had no negative consequences to himself. Shrugging, he asked anyway.

"Her name...it wouldn't happened to be...Schala, would it?"

He raised an eyebrow at that. This guy knew Schala? How? The answer came to him after a moment when he remembered his old master's investigations. Sephiroth and his ilk had kidnapped Schala, and after she escaped, she must have gone and gotten infected with the original Lavoid.

"Yup, that's it. Congratulations," he clapped a little, a small smirk on his face. "She's way too nice though."

Surprise struck Loz so visibly, nearly falling from the news suddenly brought to him. Kadaj truly had dropped the ball if he allowed this to happen.

But...a new thought brewed in his head, one that made him grin like a mad man. If Schala was able to easily escape from Kadaj's grasp, and was spreading her power to enhance others' abilities...who knew how much his own powers would be enhanced? It was a long shot, but breaking free from Jenova would mean no more Sephiroth or Lynx.

"Heh, Kadaj's screw up is my gain..."

"Guess you're interested then." he stated rather than asked. It was quite the victory for him. Sure, he just got his behind handed to him by Serge and that insufferably bright aura of his, but today was still a good day. The Lavoids had one more person to add to their ranks, and surely more would come as well.

"Exactly. Now then, before I let you in on our 'club secrets,' you have to become one of us. Think you can handle it?"

This wasn't an easy decision, but the options left him little choice. Either be a pet for Lynx and Sephiroth, or become a 'son' to the very person who managed to escape Kadaj's grasp. He may have been just a remnant of Sephiroth, but he knew of a good offer when he heard it.

Smirking, he jumped down, meeting Vanitas on the ground before him. "That power...I want it!" he claimed. "So c'mon and hurry! Big Brother and my former mother need to pay for what they did!"

Perfect. His need for revenge was the best fuel, and with such a seed of hatred brewing in the man's chest, the Lavoid would surely have a great host. There was no better home for a parasite than in the body of a big, dumb powerhouse with a chip on his shoulder.

"Good...very good." he laughed a little. He looked around so a decent place they could go. Turning the man wasn't best done out in the open. "Let's go then. The process itself doesn't take very long, but a safe place to do it won't hurt."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Time to Bust Some Heads

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Here comes Serge to save the day! XD

Vanitas: FFFFFFFUUU-

Serge: Now you're my bitch! >:)

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Damn, it's been almost 5 months!? We are slow. XDDDDD

Pffft-

Re: Pffft-

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