Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

"Caille! Babe! You don't gotta worry! You know Char and I are good for this! We love coming here! This was just a gig, y'know how it goes! We'll fix the place up as good as new!!"

"Look I'm trying to salvage this--ok, ok. Caille, baby, if you untie me, I'll slap some lien down and get right to work!"

"Bro, her name's CAH-LEE. And you're coming on pretty strong."

"Hello???"​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Bro, her name's CAH-LEE. And you're coming on pretty strong."

"Knew you were fucking it up."

"Ah, just shut up..."
​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Shortly before...​

View attachment 743767

"You can't just... do that..."

Came a weak, raspy gurgle as the fingers clutching it refused to come away so easily when she tried, whether it was sad or terrifying that the man was not only still alive but still awake up to them to decide. Either way, he was in no shape to continue fighting or keep her from pulling the staff free if she wanted it, but something about the act just seemed cruel even for him. That was HIS weapon.​

Admittedly, a pang of pity did shoot through her as she looked down at him, but she still went to try and take the weapon. Fuck this guy. He’d been rude as hell to her, had come charging out after her all intense and murderous-y just because she’d talked to him some and even when he’s lying there defeated he still tried to kill her out of spite or something!!

She walked away some after that, but she didn’t get too far before stopping. The scenario twisted around in her head and she imagined what the guy might have done with her weapon if he’d won. “...Crud.” She halfway turned back around and threw the saberstaff back at him. Taking it might have been what the guy deserved but...she ultimately was better than that. Better than this dude.

And, she reasoned, if this guy managed to survive? The last thing she wanted was to give him another reason to come after her, to take back what was his.

She sighed but resumed walking off. That weapon was just so cool...maybe when she got back home she could ask Pietro or somebody to design something like it. Maybe a gift for Ren.

​

"Y...yes? I'm so sorry, I thought you knew, it was... your Qrow that did it..."

“...Oh. I...” She started to speak but had no idea what else to say after that. It was a difficult thing to wrap her head around, that news...coming from anybody it would have been hard to deal with but from someone that looked like a ghost from the past...from an old friend...that just made it tougher. To make it a bit worse she had no clue if that bit of information had ever been said in her presence before this and she had just blanked out or hadn’t been focused.

Yet...if Qrow had done it...then it must have been for a good reason.

That was the justification she seemed to slowly come to terms with, anyway. “I guess that checks out for this world. Yeah, you were my friend back home, emphasis on were. You...or she...she died at Beacon.”​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Nora and Pyrrha found their conversing periodically interrupted by the throngs of androids still roaming the halls, but between Pyrrha's semblance and Nora's strength they posed about as much of a threat as bowling pins. Rounding the bend and emerging into the alcove where the elevators were situated on the arena level, however, they came face to face with a more perturbing figure.



"Have either of you seen the Dragon anywhere?"

Nora had only caught glimpses of the man, but Pyrrha certainly knew him by his accolades and reputation alone, shrouded in a veil of mystery as his origins were. His current state was about as far removed from the unsettling, untouchable jester whose prowess and unpredictability struck fear into many who knew him, however; his makeup was smeared and mostly absent, as were portions of his lips and nose, and there was an almost dazed, listless air to him as he stood blocking the elevators, apparently having been waiting for someone. Gone were Prisma's playful lilts and teasing affectations, and he stood eerily still as he stared at the two of them with half-glazed, unblinking eyes.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Hey!"

He called out to Roy right as the lightning shot out. Flames coming from the soles of his feet boiled the water around him as he blasted forward. Let armor boy try to fry them, Satin was gonna close the distance between em. Sounded like a crazy idea given when the guy ate a full shot of flames to the face and walked through it. But he'd seen the damage that 'Azure Nightmare' and Icy's semblance had done to him. He wasn't invincible, far from it. No, there was only one person that Satin would bestow with that moniker and it was the same man he pledged his loyalty to. Getting in close with Roy while he wielded the lightning towards the water, Satin reached out to try and grab his bare neck.

"Here's your warm-up."

*FWOOOSH*

Caught in the middle of doing something else, their neck burned under the heat of the flames...but only briefly. Their sword dropped into the water at their feet, unconcerned about it for the moment. Both their hands, now free, moved to peel Satin's own off their neck, and though they burned from the intense as hell heat, both their armored hands remained clutching Satin's own. If anything the grip tightened with each passing moment. Despite that, it was obvious Roy was feeling the pain in spades considering how strained their smile looked.

"Big mistake."

The fire thrower got a nice, up close look at that smile as Roy reared their head back before bringing it forward in a powerful headbutt to smash into Satin's face. If they were disoriented by that blow ringing their head, it didn't show on their face. Their expression vanished after that, though, thanks to their helmet reforming around their head in an instant.

They reared back yet again, launching for a second headbutt, swiftly followed by another after that if they hit.​

"That was a very clever strategy. If I had been a split second slower, you'd likely have walked on with our keycards...'

He closed his right hand into a fist.

"But I wasn't....and I'll take yours...."

The ice around the gravity woman's arm rattled and shook as spikes formed in the interior of the ice to puncture and stab all across her arm.

As strange as it was, the woman was as quiet as the grave. Even with the ice making stab wounds all over her arm, she didn't scream or cry out with pain or grunt or anything. The only responses were her teeth gritting together to bite down on the agony and her letting go of her sword(though it didn't fall, remaining suspended in the air thanks to her semblance) in favor of delivering open palm strikes to the ice covering her arm, hurriedly attempting to chip away that element and free herself from the cursed punishment her other arm was suffering. She never got the chance. While she was distracted, the thankful for not being electrocuted Robyn had loosed a trio of bolts.

She didn't even have time to try to grab her sword again before the trio exploded in a burst of fire dust, filling the area of the roof up with heavy smoke. A second later the warrior emerged through the smoke. But she was slack, her purple aura visibly flickering before it shattered and she plummeted towards the water below unconscious, her blade quickly following suit now that it was no longer held up in the air by her will.

"NO!"

Roy ceased with the headbutts, instead now angrily going for an attempt to try and break Satin's hands. If it was now three against one...they had to do what they could to even the odds.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Shortly before...

Admittedly, a pang of pity did shoot through her as she looked down at him, but she still went to try and take the weapon. Fuck this guy. He’d been rude as hell to her, had come charging out after her all intense and murderous-y just because she’d talked to him some and even when he’s lying there defeated he still tried to kill her out of spite or something!!

She walked away some after that, but she didn’t get too far before stopping. The scenario twisted around in her head and she imagined what the guy might have done with her weapon if he’d won. “...Crud.” She halfway turned back around and threw the saberstaff back at him. Taking it might have been what the guy deserved but...she ultimately was better than that. Better than this dude.

And, she reasoned, if this guy managed to survive? The last thing she wanted was to give him another reason to come after her, to take back what was his.

She sighed but resumed walking off. That weapon was just so cool...maybe when she got back home she could ask Pietro or somebody to design something like it. Maybe a gift for Ren.



“...Oh. I...” She started to speak but had no idea what else to say after that. It was a difficult thing to wrap her head around, that news...coming from anybody it would have been hard to deal with but from someone that looked like a ghost from the past...from an old friend...that just made it tougher. To make it a bit worse she had no clue if that bit of information had ever been said in her presence before this and she had just blanked out or hadn’t been focused.

Yet...if Qrow had done it...then it must have been for a good reason.

That was the justification she seemed to slowly come to terms with, anyway. “I guess that checks out for this world. Yeah, you were my friend back home, emphasis on were. You...or she...she died at Beacon.”​

Pyrrha observed the violence and mercy that Nora dispensed in rapid succession with a veiled amusement, and made no comment outside of a raised eyebrow as Nora fell into step alongside her. As the conversation continued, her eyes turned thoughtful

"...I see. What was she like?"

Her questions were innocuous and innocent enough for someone who reportedly served the lord of darkness himself. She asked after the Pyrrha of Nora's home, along with the pasts of the rest of team JNPR and what they were like. She didn't pry if Nora wasn't willing to talk, nor was she afraid to make it a two way street. She told Nora of the other Valkyrie and Ren if she asked, of the pair of misbegotten orphans who fell in with the wrong crowd and then clawed their way to the top of it, not sugarcoating her counterpart's viciousness but neither denying the bravery she displayed (a far cry from the Torchwick back home) nor her dogged loyalty towards Ren and the others who earned it.

She spoke of herself as well, if asked. Of how instead of any desire to become a huntress, the thrill of the arena swayed Pyrrha to staying, how she became more than just the 'Junior' champion, and of how, the longer she stayed atop, the more empty each win felt. Devoid of stakes or reasons outside of monetary prizes she felt no particular need for or fame she'd long already acquired. Of how, as the emptiness reached its peak, a man who was more shadow than person approached her with an offer...

Nora and Pyrrha found their conversing periodically interrupted by the throngs of androids still roaming the halls, but between Pyrrha's semblance and Nora's strength they posed about as much of a threat as bowling pins. Rounding the bend and emerging into the alcove where the elevators were situated on the arena level, however, they came face to face with a more perturbing figure.

"Have either of you seen the Dragon anywhere?"

Nora had only caught glimpses of the man, but Pyrrha certainly knew him by his accolades and reputation alone, shrouded in a veil of mystery as his origins were. His current state was about as far removed from the unsettling, untouchable jester whose prowess and unpredictability struck fear into many who knew him, however; his makeup was smeared and mostly absent, as were portions of his lips and nose, and there was an almost dazed, listless air to him as he stood blocking the elevators, apparently having been waiting for someone. Gone were Prisma's playful lilts and teasing affectations, and he stood eerily still as he stared at the two of them with half-glazed, unblinking eyes.

...which was right where the story ended, as they rounded the corner to find the jester turned blank eyed clown. There was a cautious curiosity to Pyrrha's steps as they slowed but didn't stop, her tone overly calm and soothing as she replied.

"Sorry Prisma. Can't say that we have. Are you alright? Its rare to see you so... colorless.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Neo's head popped out from the outside window with the same set snarl, and then a second head popped up alongside her, then a third, then seven all at once, all along the perimeter with little regard to the physics of Neo being able to appear from there. Then they all vanished at once.

There was no followup. Whether Neo stormed off to sulk or simply decided that she was coming and not going to give them the courtesy of doing it in plain sight was a question currently unanswered.

Callie did a great job not thinking about it and instead gave the hitman pair a level stare as they somehow butchered one of the easiest names in Remnant. "You two are gonna pay? Really? Well, let'see here..." She flicked out her scroll, licked the tip of her finger, and opened the calculator app.

"Startin with Miss Malachite's standard rate for a target a' this magnitude, includin the aforementioned knowledge of puttin us directly in the crosshairs of some powerful ne'er do well of indeterminate origination, plus an out of service up-charge for askin us to help directly instead of just providin information, plus additional hazard pay for each involved spider due to this bein' a target that proddin' has already produced a few deaths in the family, plus the cost of repairs, and finally the bounty for the man downstairs that we are apparently shanghai'ing into this, and..."

She turned her eyes back to them for a few seconds before she shot them a graceful smile as she pressed a few buttons without looking.

"... Minus the friends' n' family discount, since you're such a dear pair of customers, and that brings our total to... Six hundred and fifty thousand Lien."

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Mercury?"

"Emerald?"

"Leeeeeeeeet's just..."

"Yeah."

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

...which was right where the story ended, as they rounded the corner to find the jester turned blank eyed clown. There was a cautious curiosity to Pyrrha's steps as they slowed but didn't stop, her tone overly calm and soothing as she replied.

"Sorry Prisma. Can't say that we have. Are you alright? Its rare to see you so... colorless.

Like much of his current demeanor, the earnestness in the disappointment written across the clown's face seemed inappropriate when weighed next to his usual air of persiflage. It was like he was in another world. Prisma absently traced some of the blood smeared over his jaw up into the vague shape of a smile, as if in response to the colorless comment.

"Oh, too bad... I have so many questions. The real one came and stopped us from killing some imposter...? Only it wasn't, they were definitely the same person... The fake even had less sloppy footwork. But something is definitely strange about the one I fought before... Mrgh, it's hard to give her a score now..."

He pouted, or would have had his face not been too mangled to retain proper lip functionality. He snapped his gaze back up to Pyrrha suddenly, having allowed it to fall before.

"Maybe you can help? After all, I heard Vale's underworld boss was dead.~"

His eyes flicked pointedly over to Nora.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Pyrrha observed the violence and mercy that Nora dispensed in rapid succession with a veiled amusement, and made no comment outside of a raised eyebrow as Nora fell into step alongside her. As the conversation continued, her eyes turned thoughtful

"...I see. What was she like?"

Her questions were innocuous and innocent enough for someone who reportedly served the lord of darkness himself. She asked after the Pyrrha of Nora's home, along with the pasts of the rest of team JNPR and what they were like. She didn't pry if Nora wasn't willing to talk, nor was she afraid to make it a two way street. She told Nora of the other Valkyrie and Ren if she asked, of the pair of misbegotten orphans who fell in with the wrong crowd and then clawed their way to the top of it, not sugarcoating her counterpart's viciousness but neither denying the bravery she displayed (a far cry from the Torchwick back home) nor her dogged loyalty towards Ren and the others who earned it.

She spoke of herself as well, if asked. Of how instead of any desire to become a huntress, the thrill of the arena swayed Pyrrha to staying, how she became more than just the 'Junior' champion, and of how, the longer she stayed atop, the more empty each win felt. Devoid of stakes or reasons outside of monetary prizes she felt no particular need for or fame she'd long already acquired. Of how, as the emptiness reached its peak, a man who was more shadow than person approached her with an offer...

"She was..." She faltered in a moment of hesitation, really considering if she should share that information at all...but she decided on at least sharing that much. More cold or merciless or dark or whatever, this Pyrrha did save her back there after all. That was enough justification to let Nora run her mouth. "...She was probably the best of us. I don't just mean with combat skill, either. We only had the better part of a school year to get to know each other...but that doesn't change the fact that she was the most selfless, kind-hearted person I've ever met. Pyrrha, the one I knew, she thought if there was just the tiniest or slimmest chance of helping someone, that it was always a chance worth taking. She never had a second thought about defending the innocent. To be among the first to act whenever she saw injustice and rise to fight against it. And...because of that...she died fighting Cinder in a battle she knew she couldn't win. It ended with an arrow in her chest and...a-nd..." She struggled to continue and ultimately failed to do so. She couldn't talk about how Pyrrha had burned away from the inside out because of that arrow. How she ended up as little more than ashes on the wind, with...not enough of her to be buried.

There had still been a memorial, but.....

By some miracle she managed to not actually tear up, but it was still beyond evident that her recounting the memory of her lost friend made her quite sad. One hand briefly rose to wipe away at her eyes and slightly shook her head before moving on to sharing better times. Perhaps sharing too much but Nora was eager to move away from the somber mood. She described growing up with Ren, the pair that had no one but themselves to keep each other safe.

Spoiler

She went on at length about meeting Jaune, Pyrrha, team RWBY, CFVY and others. So many friends were made, but that was not to say they didn't have enemies or rivals too. Cinder, Mercury and Emerald, though they didn't discover that until later. Cardin and his band of douches and tools, how she wished she could have broken his legs. The food fight to end all food fights, Pyrrha embarrassing CRDL in a 4v1, team JNPR's impromptu group dance at the...dance, herself taking out 4 people at once with a single hammer swing during the Vytal tourney, her and Pyrrha facing off against Sun and Neptune in the doubles round on the gravity biome man that had been a great fight. All those misadventures and more were described.

That was not to say she didn't listen to this Pyrrha's own sharing. It was...troubling to hear that her other self and this Remnant's Ren had a sort of similar beginning, but somewhere along the way they had strayed off to become...other people who just happened to share the same names and faces. Yet just as troubling if not more so was how this Pyrrha ended up working with this crazy Ozpin.

She didn't know what to say to that, but as luck would have it she was saved from saying anything on that topic.​

"Have either of you seen the Dragon anywhere?"

Nora had only caught glimpses of the man, but Pyrrha certainly knew him by his accolades and reputation alone, shrouded in a veil of mystery as his origins were. His current state was about as far removed from the unsettling, untouchable jester whose prowess and unpredictability struck fear into many who knew him, however; his makeup was smeared and mostly absent, as were portions of his lips and nose, and there was an almost dazed, listless air to him as he stood blocking the elevators, apparently having been waiting for someone. Gone were Prisma's playful lilts and teasing affectations, and he stood eerily still as he stared at the two of them with half-glazed, unblinking eyes.

...which was right where the story ended, as they rounded the corner to find the jester turned blank eyed clown. There was a cautious curiosity to Pyrrha's steps as they slowed but didn't stop, her tone overly calm and soothing as she replied.

"Sorry Prisma. Can't say that we have. Are you alright? Its rare to see you so... colorless.

He pouted, or would have had his face not been too mangled to retain proper lip functionality. He snapped his gaze back up to Pyrrha suddenly, having allowed it to fall before.

"Maybe you can help? After all, I heard Vale's underworld boss was dead.~"

His eyes flicked pointedly over to Nora.

Oh crap. Uh okay Nora, think! Think hard!! THINK LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER THOUGHT BEFORE IN YOUR LIFE!!!

"Um...long lost twin." There was a brief pause before she hurriedly stammered in addition: "WHO HAS BEEN FROZEN IN CRYOSTASIS THIS WHOLE TIME!" There, that should account for the age difference. And though it might not have been the most believable story on paper, not just anybody could argue with the smile that emerged afterwards. That white, earnest and wide grin that positively promised every word she had just said was ABSOLUTELY true and that even attempting to challenge what she had just said would be a waste of time. SUPER BELIEVABLE IT WAS!

Nailed it, me.

"Oh, and to answer your question...no I haven't seen her."​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Oh crap. Uh okay Nora, think! Think hard!! THINK LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER THOUGHT BEFORE IN YOUR LIFE!!!

"Um...long lost twin." There was a brief pause before she hurriedly stammered in addition: "WHO HAS BEEN FROZEN IN CRYOSTASIS THIS WHOLE TIME!" There, that should account for the age difference. And though it might not have been the most believable story on paper, not just anybody could argue with the smile that emerged afterwards. That white, earnest and wide grin that positively promised every word she had just said was ABSOLUTELY true and that even attempting to challenge what she had just said would be a waste of time. SUPER BELIEVABLE IT WAS!

Nailed it, me.

"Oh, and to answer your question...no I haven't seen her."

"...And you expect me to believe this happened to you and the Dragon???" He deadpanned incredulously, baffled at how that was meant to dispel any of his confusion whatsoever. He also couldn't help but pick up on the feeling that he had interrupted some sort of very personal and storied reunion, which in his current state of both body and mind made him feel awkward more than anything. He still didn't budge from the path to the elevators though.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

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"...And you expect me to believe this happened to you and the Dragon???" He deadpanned incredulously, baffled at how that was meant to dispel any of his confusion whatsoever. He also couldn't help but pick up on the feeling that he had interrupted some sort of very personal and storied reunion, which in his current state of both body and mind made him feel awkward more than anything. He still didn't budge from the path to the elevators though.​

"Yeah."

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Yeah."

"Okay. Unlikely."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Caught in the middle of doing something else, their neck burned under the heat of the flames...but only briefly. Their sword dropped into the water at their feet, unconcerned about it for the moment. Both their hands, now free, moved to peel Satin's own off their neck, and though they burned from the intense as hell heat, both their armored hands remained clutching Satin's own. If anything the grip tightened with each passing moment. Despite that, it was obvious Roy was feeling the pain in spades considering how strained their smile looked.

Irregardless of the pain coursing through his hand, Satin couldn't help himself from laughing.

"All these years and you're the first to ever smile while on fire. Take that little piece of recognition with you...."

The heat intensified.

"All the way to the grave."
​

"Big mistake."

The fire thrower got a nice, up close look at that smile as Roy reared their head back before bringing it forward in a powerful headbutt to smash into Satin's face. If they were disoriented by that blow ringing their head, it didn't show on their face. Their expression vanished after that, though, thanks to their helmet reforming around their head in an instant.

If Satin had expected anything, a headbutt wasn't it.

He was thrown back by the initial headbutt, his aura glowing.

"Son of a-"

*THUNK*

The next headbutt sent him down to take a knee, blood dripping from his forehead.

"Hehe....Not...bad"


​

As strange as it was, the woman was as quiet as the grave. Even with the ice making stab wounds all over her arm, she didn't scream or cry out with pain or grunt or anything. The only responses were her teeth gritting together to bite down on the agony and her letting go of her sword(though it didn't fall, remaining suspended in the air thanks to her semblance) in favor of delivering open palm strikes to the ice covering her arm, hurriedly attempting to chip away that element and free herself from the cursed punishment her other arm was suffering. She never got the chance. While she was distracted, the thankful for not being electrocuted Robyn had loosed a trio of bolts.

She didn't even have time to try to grab her sword again before the trio exploded in a burst of fire dust, filling the area of the roof up with heavy smoke. A second later the warrior emerged through the smoke. But she was slack, her purple aura visibly flickering before it shattered and she plummeted towards the water below unconscious, her blade quickly following suit now that it was no longer held up in the air by her will.

"Looks like she's done....What a tough opponent..."

Water turned into ice with each step Radiant took towards the downed opponent.

"So~rry....Feel I should thank you for your help....She was most dangerous." He added towards Robyn as he pushed up his mask and looked at the swordswoman. Her arm had been ravaged by the spikes he'd impaled it with and the explosive bolts to the face hadn't helped either.Given proper medical care and the healing properties of aura, she'd be okay in a couple of days if not hours. Still, he certainly had his doubts he'd have been able to take on her, let alone the two of them alone. He'd have lost and that would have been so disappointing. Kneeling down by her side, Radiant smiled. He knew she probably couldn't hear him and that was okay. He didn't have much to say anyway.

"You fought quite honorably....That much should very well be commended...."

He reached inside his jacket as if to grab something and his mask slid back down.

"It's just too bad..."

He pulled out his weapon.

"That isn't what this tournament is about."

*BANG*

A shot rang out through the area this battle had taken place. One shot straight to the head.

"Had to be the head.....She might have lived otherwise and made herself a problem again....Couldn't have that."

Pocketing his gun, he patted down her body to search for the keycard. If he managed to find it, he quietly tucked it away.

Cold blooded just like the water now streaked red.


​

As strange as it was, the woman was as quiet as the grave. Even with the ice making stab wounds all over her arm, she didn't scream or cry out with pain or grunt or anything. The only responses were her teeth gritting together to bite down on the agony and her letting go of her sword(though it didn't fall, remaining suspended in the air thanks to her semblance) in favor of delivering open palm strikes to the ice covering her arm, hurriedly attempting to chip away that element and free herself from the cursed punishment her other arm was suffering. She never got the chance. While she was distracted, the thankful for not being electrocuted Robyn had loosed a trio of bolts.

She didn't even have time to try to grab her sword again before the trio exploded in a burst of fire dust, filling the area of the roof up with heavy smoke. A second later the warrior emerged through the smoke. But she was slack, her purple aura visibly flickering before it shattered and she plummeted towards the water below unconscious, her blade quickly following suit now that it was no longer held up in the air by her will.

Satin was still conscious of course.

He was sure he'd have a concussion once this was all said and done but still.

He was too busy to have actually seen the gravity chick fall but he'd heard what Icy said and the resulting gunshot.

He didn't know what kind of relationship-if any-these two had before the tournament or even before this encounter. Maybe they were best buddies, maybe they were lovers, maybe it didn't really matter. He didn't give much of a rat's ass himself. But the reality of it was that was Roy's partner that just got knocked off and Satin was still way too close to him for that to be a good idea.

"Ah, shit."
​

"NO!"

Roy ceased with the headbutts, instead now angrily going for an attempt to try and break Satin's hands. If it was now three against one...they had to do what they could to even the odds.

*crunch*

"Agh!"

Satin winced as he was easily pushed back as Roy moved in on him.

His aura was flaring like crazy and it didn't matter how much flame he conjured, it wasn't gonna have the oomph to push this guy away from such a close distance.

Turning his head in the direction of Satin and Roy, Radiant quirked his head and closed up his umbrella.

"Consider this....a sign of my appreciation...."

A wall of ice erupted from the water to seperate the two and Satin was sent sliding back on a slippery ice trail back to where Robyn and Radiant were standing.

Satin's screams hadn't been for anything, the thumb on his left hand was twerked the wrong way, the index finger on that same hand was bent sideways and the hand itself just felt like it'd been through a vice. His right hand fared a little better but not by much. His pointer finger on that hand had been busted outright and it ached to even consider trying to close the hand into a fist. All things he'd need to do something about in the future, right now? He was lucky to be alive after the stunt Icy just pulled. Pushing himself up to his feet, Satin briefly glanced over at the masked fellow elemental wielder.

"You offed that chick as casually as swatting a fly. What? She and you have beef or somethin?"

Whatever Radiant's expression was, neither it nor his body language indicated shame in his actions.

"No. She was a threat and I made sure she'd never be one again..."

Satin huffed. Well, at least the guy didn't try to bullshit around with some excuse. Some-if not most-of the people here were willing to cross that line.

"Well, one down, another one to go. Let's wrap this up."

The edges of Satin's eyes flared with little embers.

"Then we're coming after you, Icy."



"I know."​

 

[MidwayLives]

Callie did a great job not thinking about it and instead gave the hitman pair a level stare as they somehow butchered one of the easiest names in Remnant. "You two are gonna pay? Really? Well, let'see here..." She flicked out her scroll, licked the tip of her finger, and opened the calculator app.

"You bet."

"I guess it's either that or dying so..."

​

"Startin with Miss Malachite's standard rate for a target a' this magnitude, includin the aforementioned knowledge of puttin us directly in the crosshairs of some powerful ne'er do well of indeterminate origination, plus an out of service up-charge for askin us to help directly instead of just providin information, plus additional hazard pay for each involved spider due to this bein' a target that proddin' has already produced a few deaths in the family, plus the cost of repairs, and finally the bounty for the man downstairs that we are apparently shanghai'ing into this, and..."

"Alright, whatever, just tell us the price!"

"WHAT guy downstairs?!" Blanche exclaimed in genunne confusion.
​

She turned her eyes back to them for a few seconds before she shot them a graceful smile as she pressed a few buttons without looking.

"... Minus the friends' n' family discount, since you're such a dear pair of customers, and that brings our total to... Six hundred and fifty thousand Lien."

"...Do we got that much, Blanche?"

Blanche coughed.

"Blanche?"

"we do..."

"So...?"

"I was...I was saving that.."



"To get the hell out of here and vacation...."

Char rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we're good for it."

Blanche certainly wasn't.

"The little drinks with umbrellas in them...now lost to me..."​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Maybe it was about the cards. It might have been Robyn not seeing a need for this to continue any longer. It could have been that she was just trying to go for something unexpected, given how he had just been all like "I know." Perhaps it was that the guy just FUCKING shot an unarmed, unconscious aura-less person in the skull right in front of her. She knew this was a deathmatch and it was filled with the kind of people who wouldn't give a damn or blink an eye at that action. But it was not in her to go that far. Murder was very much not on the cards or in any plan as far as she was concerned. Whatever her reasoning, as the two elementals stood there with their backs to her, she struck. Robyn swung her winged crossbow like a bludgeon to the back of Radiant's head but didn't leave him any time to respond before she grabbed hold of that small amount of hair sticking out his mask/hood and PULLED, attempting to flip him over so he landed face first on the ground. If that worked as intended, her boot planted on his back and four shots with her crossbow swiftly followed, a dust projectile for each limb meant to burst on impact and pin both arms and legs to the ground with stone shackles of sorts, plus as many kicks to the head as she could manage to try and knock him out.

And if it went down as smoothly as she planned, she was gonna take those cards.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Whatever her reasoning, as the two elementals stood there with their backs to her, she struck. Robyn swung her winged crossbow like a bludgeon to the back of Radiant's head but didn't leave him any time to respond before she grabbed hold of that small amount of hair sticking out his mask/hood and PULLED, attempting to flip him over so he landed face first on the ground. If that worked as intended, her boot planted on his back and four shots with her crossbow swiftly followed, a dust projectile for each limb meant to burst on impact and pin both arms and legs to the ground with stone shackles of sorts, plus as many kicks to the head as she could manage to try and knock him out.

Whatever the outcome of that whole debacle was, Satin wasn't surprised.

Somehow he'd just gotten the vibe that cold-blooded murder just wasn't on this chick's agenda.

For him personally, murder had it's uses. Getting rid of garbage that'd never amount to anything.

He was just lucky enough to have a sponsor that'd let him get away with it.

Icy didn't seem to be as lucky.

Still, someone needed to watch their six while this went on.

He stared down at Roy, the ice wall that Radiant had erected standing between the two of them.

"Couldn't wait til after we took care of the other guy..." He grumbled.

Fire engulfed his right hand as the broken fingers on that hand twitched.

After seeing something like that? Satin doubted Roy was just gonna let them on their merry way.

Be it by death or knockout, this had to end.

Placing his hand along the wall beside him, he focused his semblance and the metal that made up the wall could be heard contorting as 'Azure Nightmare' began to melt it. The fire didn't just stop there though, it spread along the length of the wall. If they were going to fight Icy they had to try and take his homefield advantage away. Which meant burning this whole hallway and beyond down if they had to. The ice spikes that'd been left around began to drip and melt as did the ice covering the floor. Smoke was flowing just as much as the stray embers from Satin's fire.

~~~

Radiant was knocked down rather easily.

Almost too easily given the fight he'd been putting up beforehand.

With his face against the water and kicks directed at his head it seemed as if Robyn had things under control.

But then the water started to ice over and the shackles restraining him were frozen.

Cracks started to appear across them before they shattered entirely and whips made of water moved to grab Robyn and fling her from atop Radiant's back.

Rising to his feet, his aura shimmering as he did so, he turned to face Robyn, the scene a grim one.

Her partner stood before a likely furious half-burned berserker in armor with only a wall of ice between them, a fresh body with blood still running down from the bullet wound in her skull, and Radiant standing before her, a crack running right down the middle of his mask.

"I can't fathom your abrupt anger...."

Water droplets surged from the cracks in the ice and gave Radiant the appearance of standing in mid-air. His umbrella having formerly looked as pristine as they came, now full of holes and tears from the battle he'd gotten himself entwined. "My partner will be here soon....You two won't make it til then..." The ice directly infront of Robyn cracked as a blade of water ripped through and barreled forward looking more like a fin of an angry shark than anything else. In truth that was something of a white lie, he'd put some distance between his partner and himself to better try and keep the two of them safe if they were confronted. They'd obviously be disqualified if they stayed too far apart but Radiant believed himself capable of handling whatever came their way. Given the growing reach of Satin's flames, it seemed he was trying to keep to his earlier claim of turning this place into a crematorium if he had to.

Radiant was bluffing and Robyn probably knew it as well as him.

Soon the ice would be gone and the water would turn into steam, unusable for him, and the sprinklers had already stopped. Once this water was gone his semblance would be forced to deactivate.

He just had to last a little bit longer....​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Though the facility lacked windows, night had well and truly descended at this point. Jabberwock's breakdown of the complete and utter deathmatch that was the preliminary event had specified its conclusion at dawn, and while hours had passed and some competitors had already secured their full set of keycards many more remained until the top floor was unsealed and they could actually access the exit to use them. Whether it was Nora and Pyrrha swapping tales following the vanquishing of a fierce foe, Yang's masquerade hitting a terrible brick wall in the form of the very deviant alter she was posing as revealing herself to force a sudden and involuntary partnership on her, Tock holing up with the mysterious band of mercenaries, or the Branwen twins' brush with a cultist and subsequent time spent planning, strategizing, and chiefly arguing with the eldest and most inflexible of the current Schnee generation, there were few who could claim their opening few hours had been uneventful.

Except Grey. He got lost in the library.

Perhaps lost was a misleading term; it had gone largely overlooked by other combatants, and someone with his toolset had little trouble concealing himself from androids and opponents alike among the winding maze of books. But its labyrinthian nature had made it a double-edged sword; he was unable to find Gretchen to follow up on any plans of partnering up on commencement, and in the time since he really hadn't had much luck running into... anyone.

That all changed when a large fist exploded through a bookshelf to his right, snatched him off his feet around the collar, and ripped him right through to the next aisle in a shower of books and wood chips as he found himself staring directly into the eyes of his first opponent.





He had no idea whether it was man, faunus, or something else behind those burning red orbs and the fearsome snarl of a wolf helm that looked just a little bit too realistic, but whatever it was had him in a grip of iron as glowing purple patterns lit up along the gauntlets that extended the entire way up to his shoulders. The greaves he wore did likewise, and the gravity dust canisters housed in both did their work as the man tensed and pounced up, up, and over the highest bookshelf with the reporter still cinched firmly in his grasp, spun once in the air, and proceeded to absolutely piledrive Grey back down to earth, fully intent on sending him to HELL.

Behind this Tiger watched on, having happened across and ended up partnering with the wolf guy during his meditations in the dojo after Hazel told her to fuck right off.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Pyrrha watched this exchanged with a beatific smile before she shrugged and turned back to Prisma. "It seems thats the answer we're going with then. Now, Prisma..." She looked over his form with a bemused frown. "...You don't have your card anymore, do you? You said the dragon was here, did she take it?"

She'd seen that monstrosity Ozpin had 'gifted' his till then least favored subordinate. Powerful it might have been, it was the sort of power Pyrrha had no desire to dabble in; she didn't have any particular quibbles over fighting fair, but she'd be hard pressed to claim any victories as her own if a beast was so... closely working with her.

That said, seeing what she could only guess was its handiwork brought to bare against Prisma, one of the few people in the semblance pits Pyrrha would ever consider an equal, was both impressive and concerning

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"You bet."

"I guess it's either that or dying so..."



"Alright, whatever, just tell us the price!"

"WHAT guy downstairs?!" Blanche exclaimed in genunne confusion.

"...Do we got that much, Blanche?"

Blanche coughed.

"Blanche?"

"we do..."

"So...?"

"I was...I was saving that.."

View attachment 744325

"To get the hell out of here and vacation...."

Char rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we're good for it."

Blanche certainly wasn't.

"The little drinks with umbrellas in them...now lost to me..."​

Callie looked slightly taken aback, and she let out a long, wistful sigh as she stared up at the ceiling. "...Right then. Guess we're doing this. Boss, we-"

She turned around to see Merc and Em just... gone.

"uh."

 

[Gus Gungus]

Pyrrha watched this exchanged with a beatific smile before she shrugged and turned back to Prisma. "It seems thats the answer we're going with then. Now, Prisma..." She looked over his form with a bemused frown. "...You don't have your card anymore, do you? You said the dragon was here, did she take it?"

She'd seen that monstrosity Ozpin had 'gifted' his till then least favored subordinate. Powerful it might have been, it was the sort of power Pyrrha had no desire to dabble in; she didn't have any particular quibbles over fighting fair, but she'd be hard pressed to claim any victories as her own if a beast was so... closely working with her.

That said, seeing what she could only guess was its handiwork brought to bare against Prisma, one of the few people in the semblance pits Pyrrha would ever consider an equal, was both impressive and concerning

"I see.~♡"

He conceded to their unwillingness to spill secrets for the time being with an appreciative little titter as one hand was raised to cover his (lack of) lips, some of his winsome mirth restored by the sheer boldfacedness of Nora's lie.

"That's right. If it wasn't for my semblance that's not the only thing she would've taken, either.~ I was able to send my aura into my most vital organs to keep them working while she drained me, then concentrate it bit by bit to repair the rest of the damage. Who knows if my skin will ever be smooth again..."

Prisma's semblance was a level of control over his own aura that went far above and beyond the capabilities of even those with the highest level of natural mastery, a subtle enough ability on paper that the twisted clown had learned to wield with great effect as he channeled it into specific parts of the body and even shaped it into a tangible, invisible substance only perceivable if someone particularly skilled in the use of their own aura focused their senses. There were precious few who could've survived the state he'd been left in. A small, calculated glower reemerged on his face at the recollection, but he stepped to one side and leaned up against the wall with arms crossed.

"Oh well. I'm far from at my best, so this fight isn't worth either one of us having right now. It looked like she already gathered more than enough keycards by the time she got to mine. I guess she's trying to prove a point, hehe.~ I ran into her six floors up, if you're interested. In the quarters block.~"​

 

[Gus Gungus]

Callie looked slightly taken aback, and she let out a long, wistful sigh as she stared up at the ceiling. "...Right then. Guess we're doing this. Boss, we-"

She turned around to see Merc and Em just... gone.

"uh."

And there they were, standing in front of the holding cell of one Lupin the whatever.



"Hey man, didn't you say before you had a cool semblance or something? Show us."

"Yeah, and it better be good. 'Or else what?' You die. That's what."

They waited expectantly.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Okay. Unlikely."​

"Says the walking corpse guy." By all rights someone who looked like that should have been dead and yet...​

Pyrrha watched this exchanged with a beatific smile before she shrugged and turned back to Prisma. "It seems thats the answer we're going with then. Now, Prisma..." She looked over his form with a bemused frown. "...You don't have your card anymore, do you? You said the dragon was here, did she take it?"

She'd seen that monstrosity Ozpin had 'gifted' his till then least favored subordinate. Powerful it might have been, it was the sort of power Pyrrha had no desire to dabble in; she didn't have any particular quibbles over fighting fair, but she'd be hard pressed to claim any victories as her own if a beast was so... closely working with her.

That said, seeing what she could only guess was its handiwork brought to bare against Prisma, one of the few people in the semblance pits Pyrrha would ever consider an equal, was both impressive and concerning

"I see.~♡"

He conceded to their unwillingness to spill secrets for the time being with an appreciative little titter as one hand was raised to cover his (lack of) lips, some of his winsome mirth restored by the sheer boldfacedness of Nora's lie.

"That's right. If it wasn't for my semblance that's not the only thing she would've taken, either.~ I was able to send my aura into my most vital organs to keep them working while she drained me, then concentrate it bit by bit to repair the rest of the damage. Who knows if my skin will ever be smooth again..."

Prisma's semblance was a level of control over his own aura that went far above and beyond the capabilities of even those with the highest level of natural mastery, a subtle enough ability on paper that the twisted clown had learned to wield with great effect as he channeled it into specific parts of the body and even shaped it into a tangible, invisible substance only perceivable if someone particularly skilled in the use of their own aura focused their senses. There were precious few who could've survived the state he'd been left in. A small, calculated glower reemerged on his face at the recollection, but he stepped to one side and leaned up against the wall with arms crossed.

"Oh well. I'm far from at my best, so this fight isn't worth either one of us having right now. It looked like she already gathered more than enough keycards by the time she got to mine. I guess she's trying to prove a point, hehe.~ I ran into her six floors up, if you're interested. In the quarters block.~"​

"......" That was an insane amount of finesse and command over one's aura, but as weird as the guy was, she felt inclined to take him at his word...even after her own lie to his face. She couldn't figure out a reason why he'd lie about that, though honestly the particulars of how he'd managed to survive what the Dragon had done to him wasn't really important. As soon as he stepped to the side, Nora pushed forward into the elevator but waited until Nikos got in before pushing a specific button. Six floors up, huh? The Dragon having the good and cool Yang in her clutches was more than enough reason to go after her, however, it was far from the only one. Oh sure, coming to the rescue was her top priority but admittedly there was a more selfish one. The last time she'd matched her strength against Yang's, the arm wrestling match ended without any clear winner, though she had to say that feature of Yang's prosthetic arm was real awesome.

She may have not been at peak condition after the fight with that faunus guy, but that didn't stop her from practically glowing with eager excitement at the chance of getting to fight a Yang who she didn't need to hold back against. From what she'd heard about the woman, that messed up Yang was definitely somebody she could cut loose on. Provided that the small bruiser found those two, anyhow.

Nora side-eyed Pyrrha. "I want to fight your...friend? Ally? Whichever. That won't be a problem, will it?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"I can't fathom your abrupt anger...."

Water droplets surged from the cracks in the ice and gave Radiant the appearance of standing in mid-air. His umbrella having formerly looked as pristine as they came, now full of holes and tears from the battle he'd gotten himself entwined. "My partner will be here soon....You two won't make it til then..." The ice directly infront of Robyn cracked as a blade of water ripped through and barreled forward looking more like a fin of an angry shark than anything else. In truth that was something of a white lie, he'd put some distance between his partner and himself to better try and keep the two of them safe if they were confronted. They'd obviously be disqualified if they stayed too far apart but Radiant believed himself capable of handling whatever came their way. Given the growing reach of Satin's flames, it seemed he was trying to keep to his earlier claim of turning this place into a crematorium if he had to.

Radiant was bluffing and Robyn probably knew it as well as him.

Soon the ice would be gone and the water would turn into steam, unusable for him, and the sprinklers had already stopped. Once this water was gone his semblance would be forced to deactivate.

He just had to last a little bit longer....

God, why couldn't you have just stayed down--



Robyn didn't even have the time to finish her train of thought before the sound of a thunderous boom echoed throughout this level. Before the leader of the Happy Huntresses managed to turn, that noise had been followed up by several lesser other ones. The distinct sound of ice shattering apart and scattering across the floor. A beyond angry yell of "Get the HELL OUTTA my way!" and the sound of somebody being smacked aside. By the time she'd turned, a near impossible-to-follow blur of silver and red shot by her so fast that it was almost like Roy was made of lightning in this very moment. A quick glance at the armored warrior confirmed that was not the case, but a lot of lightning did spark around the guy.

Robyn turned her head, glancing back at the ice wall that had been obliterated in their charge, as well as the fire wielding Satin that Roy had just barreled right past without a single care given. Her mouth opened slightly in alarm as she swung her gaze back over to Roy, but the swordsman didn't show even the slightest amount of interest in her. They had their back to her, staring down dangerously at Radiant. Yet despite the lack of attention on her, it was blatantly obvious Roy's words were directed at her. "Go." Their voice spat in a harsh demand from behind that helmet.

"Only warning. Get out now, unless you want to fight me for the right to ANNIHILATE him."

She briefly considered how to respond to that demand but a sudden flare of lightning that struck the wall near her had her jump back. After that she nodded, reluctantly acquiescing to the barked demand and dashing over for Satin to help him up. Like it or not, this broken thug was her partner. "Come on. Let's go. We'll...have to find other cards." She didn't sound pleased about that but given the alternative...yeah. She dragged Satin along regardless of any resistance he put up, and once the pair were gone, Roy's eyes narrowed even more threateningly at Radiant.

"Listen to me, bastard, while you still have ears. I don't care who your partner is. I don't give a damn about how much you'll fight back, or how hard you'll beg, or how far you try to flee or any other crap you might try to pull. This is only going to end one way. Got it?" They hissed, an overwhelming amount raw venom contained in that voice. "Just in case you don't, because of water in your ears or whatever...for what you just did to her?" Their helmet jerked over to the corpse. And then all hell broke loose as the swordsman basically exploded with red lightning and fury.

Spoiler: Like so but in much smaller scale

"YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING PAY!"

They lunged at him, sword swinging down aiming to cleave into the guy's right shoulder.​

 

[MidwayLives]

She briefly considered how to respond to that demand but a sudden flare of lightning that struck the wall near her had her jump back. After that she nodded, reluctantly acquiescing to the barked demand and dashing over for Satin to help him up. Like it or not, this broken thug was her partner. "Come on. Let's go. We'll...have to find other cards." She didn't sound pleased about that but given the alternative...yeah. She dragged Satin along regardless of any resistance he put up, and once the pair were gone, Roy's eyes narrowed even more threateningly at Radiant.

'She called my bluff. Guess that's it for me.'

He needed time to recover and to patch up his mangled flesh.

But as chunks of ice were thrown across the burning hallway, most of them sailing past Satin and landing in the increasingly hot water, he stood his ground.

If he was gonna die, he'd die on his feet.

It wasn't until he was bowled over and Robyn came to help him up that it became clear to them.

Icy was going to be the target, not them.

"Heh....Looks like you brought this on yourself, Icy..."



"..."

Radiant said nothing and didn't stop Robyn and Satin from running past him.

Once they turned the corner, Satin couldn't help but chuckle weakly.

"I think...That's the last time we'll see that guy again in this lifetime..."

Radiant knew it was the end too.
​

"Listen to me, bastard, while you still have ears. I don't care who your partner is. I don't give a damn about how much you'll fight back, or how hard you'll beg, or how far you try to flee or any other crap you might try to pull. This is only going to end one way. Got it?" They hissed, an overwhelming amount raw venom contained in that voice. "Just in case you don't, because of water in your ears or whatever...for what you just did to her?" Their helmet jerked over to the corpse. And then all hell broke loose as the swordsman basically exploded with red lightning and fury.

The water was almost gone thanks to Satin's actions.

The smoke floated above Roy and Radiant like a menacing miasma.

He didn't make any moves but he did glance over at the one he'd killed then back at Roy.

"I killed her because she was strong. Strong enough to be a threat if she awoke. I carry no guilt."

Ice began to form over the body.

Readjusting his mask and running his fingers over the crack, he spoke with a determination similar to Roy's own.

"I do what I must and I'd do it all again."

If that meant he'd die here....

...Then so be it.
​

"YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING PAY!"

Spoiler: the hallway

As the fire set by Satin raged on, Radiant finally made a move.

He reached into his jacket and with a flick of his wrist, threw two objects into the water.

Two spheres of ice encased each object respectively and they moved along the path of the water down to the end of the hallway. One going to the left of where Robyn and Satin had run and one to the right following the two. He made no offensive moves towards Roy however, there was simply no need.

He knew he didn't have the resources to keep his semblance going for much longer.

Once the last of his water turned to steam he'd be done.

'When the water stops...I die.'
​

They lunged at him, sword swinging down aiming to cleave into the guy's right shoulder.

As the spheres continued along their path, Satin groaned in pain as he tried to lean on Robyn.

He HATED this, being treated like some kinda invalid. That guy in the armor had really done a number on him the son of a bitch.

"Back there...With Icy....You know what kinda event this is, right? The lowest of the low, the scummiest dregs society's got are gonna show themselves here. No reason to hide anymore or hold back. Icy was just another face in the crowd: a cold-blooded killer who'd murder to get what he wants." Satin chuckled again. "When you had him pinned down....You should have put one between his eyes. If he wasn't already screwed, he'd know that you wouldn't kill him and he'd keep coming after us....Til he killed us."

Then he went silent for a bit.

"....I don't know you, guess it doesn't really matter who either of us are when we're not here. But someone like you....I get the feeling you won't kill less you don't have a choice. Some of the folks here-hell, most of em, they won't give you that choice. It's do or die...All I'm saying." He concluded with blood starting to seep from the singed stitches on his left arm.

*skitch skitch*

"...Hold on." If Robyn stopped like he'd implored, he'd gesture his head backwards. "You hear that...?"

*skitch skitch*

Rolling into view was a icy sphere though given how quickly it seemed to be losing stability, Radiant was in trouble.

"....Guess Icy couldn't avoid one last shot at us."

Satin raised his right hand to strike.

~~~

The sword coming down seemed as though it all happened in slow motion to Radiant's eyes.

The remainder of the water was used to create an icy shield to try and slow the descent of the blade as much as possible.

It didn't really work out that way.

The sword sheared through the ice as though it were a chainsaw.

As the severed chunks fell to the wayside, Radiant didn't move. He'd fought valiantly but it was all over.

'My motives are pure, my heart is unclouded. I did what I felt was right.'

The sword smashed through his aura and cleaved deep into his shoulder. Blood splattered the burning walls and Radiant's mask.

Stepping back little by little, Roy could see deep enough to see bone cut through and the blood attempting to freeze over in a last ditch effort to hold his shoulder back together.

But due to his aura being broken, his semblance was forcibly deactivated.

The spheres exploded into puddles of water at the feet of their respective recipients.

Radiant's umbrella fell to the ground and he clutched at his gaping wound, his eyes hidden away by the pitch black eyesockets of his mask.

He fell back onto the ground as blood spilled out and his mask fell off to the side.

As if on cue with his death, the water was...gone.

The 'rain' was over.

~~~

"Well...Would you look at that..."

Satin had been prepared to torch what he'd deemed as Icy's last attempt at attacking them.

But due to his death, the sphere melted to reveal what appeared to be the chick he'd killed's keycard.

"Guess that if he was gonna die, he didn't want an enemy getting BOTH cards...."

But what of the other sphere?

~~~

He'd suspected that his partner would have gotten himself killed running off like this.

It was just plain logic given the number of people participating. Someone would show up who proved a counter to his semblance, situational as it was, and slay him.

Given the melted sphere at his feet, he figured that time had come at least. The billowing cloud of smoke coming from the other end of the hall was a good clue as to where Radiant had met his end.

Pocketing the card, he sighed.

"I suppose even in death, you had your...uses...Radiant."

As 'tragic' as this new development was, someone like Harvest Vermilion wasn't going to let it distract him from the goal.

To win no matter the costs!
​