Episode 15: Lune's Strength
(Tw: Fighting, blood, gore)
"You feel it too, Pieces?" Cancer asked, "What Lune is doing?"
"I'm aware," Pieces replied, "He's broken quite a few of our laws by doing so."
"Will we have to hold trial? You know as well as I do that, he'd never abuse his powers unless absolutely necessary."
"We will have to see what has gotten him to act so recklessly before we decide on punishment."
(I'm bad at writing fight scenes so forgive me-🍵)
Scythe was no longer cocky or bold. He tried several times to escape but none of them allowed him that privilege. Ironic how he was now in the same situation that he put all his victims through. He was too weak to slip off into the shadows, angrily slashing at them, growing sloppy in his fight.
He did manage to slip away once, heading in the direction that Soleil had escaped with Umbra. Lune blocked his path with a barrier and Crimson got the drop on him once again, digging his claws into Scythe's back and bit down hard into his neck. Scythe screeched as Crimson tore out a chunk of flesh with his teeth, muscle and veins stretching and breaking as Crimson pulled his head back.
Scythe tried everything he could to throw off the Bloodmoon, but Crimson would just move right out of his reach and take another slash or bite out of him. Crimson spat out each chunk of flesh, and each one landed somewhere on the forest floor with a sickening squelch.
Scythe had managed to grab her in his fist, raising her off the ground. Salem clawed at his hand with her one free arm. You could hear her endoskeleton and casing breaking with as Scythe tightened his grip, metal and silicone tearing and twisting and snapping into pieces as Salem screamed.
Crimson growled biting into the open wound on Scythe's neck, viciously tearing out more veins and muscle. Scythe roared, dropping Salem. Lune swooped in and caught her before she hit the ground.
As Scythe writhed and roared, Crimson dropped down from his back immediately darting to where Lune was standing with Salem. Dark blood coated their mouth and teeth, like a hungry lion that had just finished eating its prey. His eyes softened, going from the animalistic fury from just seconds before to concern and fear once he reached Salem.
"Salem?" Crimson whispered, taking Salem as carefully as they could from Lune's arms.
Salem whimpered and cried out at the sudden movement. Crimson held her close, shooting a glowering look over his shoulder with a growl at the cryptid that was struggling to get back up without staggering.
"Get her back to the house," Lune commanded, "I'll finish things here."
Crimson didn't need to be told twice. Lune knew that the only thing Crimson cared about more than anything else was Salem and the thrill of the fight. With Salem injured, that thrill was the least important thing on their mind. Crimson took off running, trying to be as careful and as fast as he could with Salem in his arms.
"Good... I didn't want you to get hurt when I do this."
It started off as small blue sparks that circled around his body, growing larger as he turned to face the monster standing just feet away.
"You're going to be ok," Himari said, finishing her examination of Umbra's injuries, "A few scrapes here and there, definitely a low battery, sore throat, and dehydration from crying."
Umbra leaned further against their husband's chest; legs draped across his lap as they sat on the medical bed in the basement. They had finally stopped crying but the black streaks down their face remained. They felt exhausted, absolutely drained. Soleil refused to let go of them the entire time.
Reaper was nowhere in sight.
Soleil pointed that out almost instantly.
Himari looked confused, turning back to where he had been previously standing to find him gone. A look of surprise and hurt crossed her face. He didn't even say goodbye or that he was leaving.
"I'm glad he's gone. I hope I never see him again," Soleil said.
"Don't be so hard on him, Soleil. He was a great help with Scythe," Himari replied.
"He probably got us into this situation. I'm not trusting him even if my life depended on it."
"..." Himari didn't reply to that, "Anyway, I'll probably have to call Twyla to come take a look at Umbra's back. It's the worst injury and I fear that I may only injure them more if I tried examining it."
"... I haven't checked in with Twyla in a while. She's still with Cyrus."
"They still haven't found Crescent?" Himari asked, surprised.
"It's gotten complicated. We might have to intervene."
"One situation at a time. If Twyla is still out on the mission, I'll have to call for whoever was left in charge. I recommend not moving from this bed until they get here with a proper diagnosis."
Himari stood up from where she was knelt.
"I think the best thing we can do right now is to clean up and get some rest," She said, "It's not ideal with the current threat but as long as we stay down here, we should be ok."
"... I don't know how he got passed out barriers. Nothing should've been able to," Soleil murmured to himself.
"When you designed the barriers, it was to hold up against the strongest thing we've faced. At that time, it was the Dark Stars," Umbra replied in their hoarse voice, "Whatever Scythe is... he's stronger than them."
"...I don't like that at all."
"I'll leave you two alone, give you a chance to clean up and get all doting on each other," Himari said, "I'll examine the girls for any injuries and call HQ."
The couple nodded in reply as she turned to leave, shutting the door behind her, separating them from the main area of the basement in this small private space that Soleil had originally intended to be a cell, but Umbra convinced him when they said that they didn't want to be so close to any enemies in their own house. So, he changed it to a private medical room with an attached bathroom.
"I want to shower," Umbra muttered, "I want to eat. I want to sleep. But I can't stop thinking about how he's still out there and Crimson, Salem, and Lune are out there fighting him."
"I have faith that they'll come home soon."
Soleil wished he believed that wholeheartedly. If Scythe was stronger than the astrals...
Soleil threw that thought away faster than it popped into his head. They'll be back. They'll come back alive and this whole thing will be over. He had to believe that.
"I'll help you take a shower," He said, "I don't want you moving too much if your back is damaged."
"Thank you," Umbra muttered in reply.
Lune looked down at the smoldering crater, expecting to find the dead body of Scythe laying beyond the smoke. All he saw was the blood and chunks of flesh and bone that was left of him.
Nothing but little bits and a crater where he once stood.
Lune's wings folded inward, his form shifting from the intense amount of power he had used. Two pairs of wings sprouted out of his back, tearing the silicone flesh and left oil bleeding down his back, turning his clothes black as it soaked into the fabric.
Slowly that power dissolved, fading away almost painfully. His casing burned, like pressing your hand against ice for too long then touched something remotely warm. a lingering stinging pain that stayed far longer than wanted.
The second his feet touched the ground, he crumbled. Face first into the dirt as nausea crept through his insides, adding another unpleasant burning to the back of his throat.
"I think I overdid it..."
(...one more episode for this arc :) - 🍵)
