Wes smacks into the ground.
Wes: *groans* Bitch…
Verity: That’s not very nice.
Wes: AHHHH!
Wes recoils back.
Wes: HOW DID YOU GET DOWN HERE BEFORE I DID?!
Verity: That’s for me to know.
Wes stands up.
Wes: Oh yeah? Well, I want an answer!
Verity: You should probably be more concerned with the fact that you’re still alive right now.
Wes: Huh? Wait- actually, how the fuck am I standing? That was a five-story fall-
Wes looks down; he landed on Demetri and Isaiah.
Demetri and Isaiah: Ow…
Wes: You two?
Verity: That’s what you get for failing, Isaiah.
Isaiah: I miss being in the Vanguard…
Jace, Zach, Lilith, and Eve come running to Wes.
Zach: Wes!
Lilith: Are you okay?!
Wes: Uh… I’ve been better.
Eve: Verity! Why did you throw Wes from the building?!
Verity: I thought it would be funny.
Eve: That may be true, but that doesn’t make it right!
Wes: Hey! (Wait a second, that means Verity was actually trying to kill me there…)
Eve: We’re going to teach you a lesson.
Verity: My fight is with Wes. The rest of you should go inside the dorm and assist your friend.
Zach: Huh? What’s she talking about?
Jace: Shit! Justus is still in there!
Eve: What?!
Zach: Justus?!
Eve: We thought Romeo was the only other person in there.
Jace: No, Justus is all that’s left.
Verity: He’s about to fight Silver, so I’d recommend all of you run inside and help him.
Eve: We’re not just gonna ignore you!
Wes: Eve, listen to what she says. Justus is a dangerous opponent; I can handle Verity. Go help Silver.
Zach: Wes, are you sure?
Lilith: We don’t want to leave you behind.
Wes: Don’t worry, I’ll bring Verity back from the Vanguard, and then I’ll be right in after you guys.
The group hesitates.
Eve: Alright, you heard him. Let’s go, everyone!
Zach: Right!
Jace: We’re right behind you, Eve!
Lilith: Good luck, Wes!
Eve: Come on, Demetri and Isaiah!
Demetri: *groans*
Isaiah: We’re coming…
The six students run to the front entrance of the dorm.
Wes: Alright, Verity, let’s do this.
Verity: Yes, let’s…
Inside the dorm, Silver and Justus face off.
Silver: Our “rematch?”
Justus: Don’t act surprised! Our first battle ended in your victory… and my defeat. I’ve never lived that down, but today is the day I correct that mistake.
Silver: (How did he get me down here so quickly? It’s just like what happened on Easter Island…)
“ Exciton: (His guard is down! This might be our only chance!)
Exciton quickly charges up and fires a Glass Cannon at Vanguard’s wrist.
Exciton: (If this works…)
Justus appears beside the attack and deflects it.
Exciton: What?!
Silver: (Since when did Justus have that kind of speed?!) “ - Chapter 181
Silver: (My last fight against Justus was one of the hardest I’ve ever fought. And now he has this mystery speed ability I have to be wary of… this could get-)
The doors to the dorm burst open; Zach, Jace, Eve, Lilith, Demetri, and Isaiah storm inside.
Lilith: Silver! You’re okay!
Eve: We’re here to help you out!
Justus: *frustrated grunt* I can’t believe you fools would have the audacity to interrupt me!
Isaiah: That doesn’t sound like Justus…
Demetri: No… not since he joined the Vanguard.
Justus grinds his teeth and then takes a deep breath.
Justus: I guess I should get a warm-up in. Silver, why don’t you sit still and watch me dispose of these nuisances.
Silver: What?!
Eve: What did you call me?!
Justus: Silver, I’m going to knock them unconscious, but if you try to interfere in any way… I will revoke that kindness.
Silver trembles.
Eve: (Is Silver actually scared right now? I know Justus is a powerhouse, but he can’t take all seven of us on at once!)
Zach: Jace, what’s his Vanguard quirk?
Jace: I don’t know; Vanguard ordered us to sit on our hands and wait for him to return. So, I never got to see it.
Justus: Jace, Lilith, and Isaiah, what are you doing? How could you betray the Vanguard like this?!
Isaiah: We finally came to our senses and realized we were being controlled!
Lilith: Just like you are right now, Justus!
Jace: Yeah, so we’re here to-
Suddenly, Jace disappears, and they hear glass shattering behind them.
Eve: Huh?
Isaiah: What happened?!
Everyone looks over their shoulder to see a shattered window. Jace lies on the ground in front of the dorm, covered in glass and unconscious.
Zach: Jace!
Demetri: How did he do that?!
Silver: (It’s that speed again! It’s like when we fought EMD, but it’s even stronger.)
“ Aaron transforms his left arm into a machine gun and attempts to fire at EMD, but the speedster punches him in the chest and takes his ball.
Aaron: *pained grunt*
EMD: 16! “ - Chapter 29
Silver: (At least we could see the damn impact.)
Justus is standing in the exact same spot.
Justus: Alright, everyone, who wants to go next?
Eve: I don’t know how you did that, but we’ll figure it out and shut it down!
Lilith: Let’s go, Eve!
Eve: Yeah!
Lilith spreads her wings and shrinks to butterfly size, flying toward Justus. Eve places her left hand on another window.
Eve: (Let’s see how he likes getting tossed out a window!)
Eve charges toward Justus as well.
Justus: Pathetic attempt.
Suddenly, Eve finds herself standing in front of Lilith with her right palm open.
Eve: Huh?!
Lilith: What?!
Zach: How did Eve get over there?!
Lilith smacks into Eve’s hand, causing Lilith to become magnetized and careen through the window.
Lilith: AHHHHH!
Lilith falls to the ground and reverts to normal size as she lies unconscious in a pile of glass.
Eve: H- H- How?
Justus is standing right behind Eve.
Justus: Simple, Eve: You’re fighting the Number 1 Hero.
Eve: Huh?
Justus punches Eve in the face.
Justus: Hammer of Justice!
Eve gets sent flying into a wall; she falls to the ground holding her arm in excruciating pain.
Eve: *groans*
Silver, Zach, Isaiah, and Demetri: Eve!
Silver clenches his fist.
Zach: We’ve gotta do something, guys!
Isaiah: Yeah… but what? Justus has way too much strength and speed for us to handle!
Demetri: I’ve got an idea…
Demetri reaches into his pocket.
Justus: Well, Eve, it’s time for a nap.
Eve: Justus… what happened to you-
Justus kicks Eve in the head, knocking her out cold.
Justus: That’s three down, three to go.
Demetri and Isaiah: You mean two!
Justus: Huh?
Suddenly, a couch comes flying toward Justus, but he catches it before it smashes into him.
Justus: Who did that?!
Justus tosses the couch aside to see Isetri standing in front of him.
Isetri: I did! And it’s time for you to meet your maker!
Justus: I doubt that.
Isetri: Oh yeah? Hammer of Justice!
Justus: What are you-
Justus punches himself in the jaw.
Justus: *pained grunt*
Isetri: You were eliminated by the time my match came up in the tournament, so you never got to see my Ocular Puppetry quirk in action!
Justus: *frustrated grunt* You’ll pay for that!
Isetri: The only thing I’m paying for is a front-row seat to your defeat!
Zach: Nice bars, Isetri!
Isetri: Thank you!
Justus wipes blood from his face.
Justus: I can see you’re going to be an issue.
Isetri: More than that!
Justus: No, less than that.
Isetri laughs.
Isetri: I’m not afraid of your speed! I’ve got you trapped in my gaze! So you’re nothing more than my puppet! Zach, get in there and take him down!
Zach: Right!
Zach extends his claws and charges at Justus.
Isetri: This is over!
Justus: Master Vanguard! Thank God you’re here!
Isetri: Huh?!
Isetri averts his gaze to look at the front entrance.
Justus: Dumbass!
Justus disappears right before Zach reaches him.
Zach: Where did he go?!
Isetri: I don’t know! But-
The couch falls on top of Isetri, knocking him unconscious.
Zach: Isetri!
Silver: (Wait a second…)
Justus appears on top of the couch.
Justus: Well, that takes care of him. You’re all that’s left, Zach. Are you ready for your beating?
Zach: I’m always ready.
Justus stares at Zach.
Justus: A year and a half, and you’re still shit at trash talk.
Zach: Whatever, I’ll still take you down!
Silver: Stop!
Justus and Zach turn their attention to Silver.
Zach: Huh? What’s up, Silver?
Silver: Justus, I’ll fight you, but not here.
Justus smiles.
Justus: That’s fine, but Zach here can’t tag along.
Silver: I didn’t intend for him to come with us. We’ll go to a place where I know nobody will interrupt.
Justus: Good.
Zach: Silver! What are you talking about?! We can take him together!
Silver: Zach, you need to stay here and make sure our friends are alright. You all went through tough battles, and getting tossed around by Justus didn’t help their conditions. I can handle Justus, don’t worry about me, alright?
Zach: I… alright, good luck, Silver.
Silver: Thanks, but I won’t need it.
Justus: Lead the way, Silver; we can walk if you like. I’m in no rush now that I have what I want.
Silver and Justus exit the building. Silver glances at Jace and Lilith lying unconscious on the ground.
Silver: (Don’t worry, guys, thanks to you… I think I know Justus’ weakness.)
Saige and Karma are running to the Main Campus Building. Saige looks over her shoulder at Karma.
Saige: How are you feeling, Karma?
Karma: I’m alright, don’t worry about me. I won’t let a couple of injuries slow me down!
Saige: Okay, just let me know if you need to stop for even a second. You took that explosion head-on back there. So, I won’t blame you if-
Karma: Saige! Look!
Saige and Karma spot Hayze, Filip, Reed, and Fabio out cold on the ground ahead.
Saige: Hayze!
Saige and Karma run to Hayze.
Saige: Hayze? Are you alright?
Hayze slowly begins to regain consciousness.
Hayze: *groans* Saige? What are you doing here?
Saige: We finished sweeping through Vanguard’s dorm, but… we had some problems.
Hayze: Huh? Like what?
Saige: Romeo gave us some trouble with his tarot quirk… and then Vanguard showed up.
Hayze: Wait… Romeo?
Saige: Yeah, so Tyson volunteered to distract Vanguard while we finished him off… but… we were too late…
Hayze: You mean…
Saige: Tyson’s gone…
Hayze grinds his teeth; he stands up and walks over to his motorcycle.
Hayze: I assume Aster sent you guys to help the Containment Team?
Karma: Yes, after Vanguard fled, he told us to-
Hayze: You guys get going; I don’t want to keep you in case they need backup.
Saige: Where are you off to?
Hayze: If Romeo was Vanguard’s personal bodyguard, that leaves one Vanguard member missing… and he’s probably giving my team trouble as we speak.
Saige: That’s right!
Karma: You don’t mean…
Hayze: I’ve gotta make sure they’re okay. I trust Aster’s judgment, so whatever’s happening with Vanguard. He and others will take care of it. Stay safe.
Hayze drives off.
Karma: Let’s hope everything is alright with Hayze’s team… Come on, Saige, let’s go.
Saige is unresponsive for a moment.
Karma: Saige? Are you alright?
Saige: I- uh- Yeah! I’m fine, let’s go!
Karma and Saige continue running.
Saige: (I’m worried about Hayze… his obsession with keeping everyone safe is admirable, but I get scared sometimes about what will happen if everything goes wrong…)
Fatal slowly comes down from the goofy gas high.
Fatal: *groans* Wh- what’s the heck? Where am I?
Fatal looks around and realizes she’s on the roof.
Fatal: How did I get up here?
Daniele: I brought you up here, Ms. Fatal.
Fatal: Hm?
Daniele is standing on the opposite end of the roof. Fatal gets to her feet. Daniele removed her restraints earlier.
Fatal: Daniele? What’s going on?
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Daniele: Sorry, Ms. Fatal, but we had to keep all of you teachers locked away for a little while.
Fatal: Huh? Why?
Daniele: Because The Big Four and Classes 2-A and B have teamed up to take down Vanguard ourselves.
Fatal: What?! Are you joking?!
Daniele: No!
Fatal: Daniele! That’s-
Daniele raises her hand to Fatal.
Daniele: The decision has already been made, Ms. Fatal, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing you can say to stop us.
Fatal: *grunts* Then I guess I’ll have to force you to stop.
Daniele: That’s why I brought you up here. My team’s job is to stop you and the other teachers from interfering with the rest of the plan by any means necessary. So, I’m ready to fight you.
Fatal: (She seriously wants to fight me? I know she’s close to graduating and becoming a pro, but she’s nowhere near my level. I won’t hurt her too badly, but I have to stop these kids from getting themselves killed. They don’t understand what they’re doing.) Alright, Daniele, you asked for it!
Fatal boosts her leg muscles and charges at Daniele.
Daniele: (I know she loves this move.)
Daniele spins out of the way of Fatal’s attack, surprising her.
Fatal: (How did she dodge that? I was moving so fast, and we weren’t far apart.)
Daniele: (I don’t have to beat Ms. Fatal… not that I can. I just have to stop her from leaving this building.)
Fatal spots the door to the roof lying on the ground.
Fatal: (I don’t know how that got there, but hey, I’ll use it.)
Fatal picks up the door.
Fatal: (Now I’ll boost my core, oblique, and arm muscles.)
Daniele: (Now she’ll boost her core, oblique, and arm muscles.)
Fatal boosts her muscles and chucks the door at Daniele with intense force, but Daniele ducks and dodges easily.
Fatal: What?! Again?
Daniele: Confused, Ms. Fatal?
Fatal: You could say that. I haven’t seen you fight since your second-year Sports Festival, but I can’t believe your reaction speed has improved this heavily since then.
Daniele: It’s not that.
Fatal: Hm? Then what is it?
Daniele: You’re an inspiration for aspiring female heroes like me. Sometimes the hero world feels dominated by men, so seeing someone as strong as you has always given girls like me the courage to follow our dreams. I’ve watched all your fights since you debuted when I was in middle school.
Fatal: R- really?
Daniele: I’ve memorized your timing to know precisely when to dodge your attacks. So, if you want to beat me, you’ll have to throw aside your old bag of tricks. Because it won’t work!
Fatal: (I guess it’s never hit me now that I’m in my late 20s that the newer generation of heroes grew up following my career. It’s humbling to hear that Daniele has studied my moves so well that she can predict what I’ll do before I do it. She’s a talented girl, but that won’t stop me from getting past her.)
Daniele: (So far, so good, now I’ve got her thinking. Hopefully, I give the others enough time to complete the mission.)
Walker, Wrath, and Ivy face off.
Blair: Is Mr. Walker actually going to fight them?
Aaron: It sure looks like it.
Blair: Why doesn’t he want to talk this out? I know Wrath challenged him, but still, he accepted without hesitation.
Alexis: It’s because our lives are on the line right now. He wants to shut this down before anyone dies… if someone hasn’t already.
Aaron: Yeah… I bet he thinks this is faster than trying to be diplomatic.
Blair: What do you think we should do?
Aaron: I don’t know, I guess just watch. I’m not sure we should get involved…
Blair: Huh? Why?
Aaron: Mr. Walker… he said something a few minutes ago about avenging someone that girl murdered. What was he talking about?
Alexis: Yeah, I was wondering about that too.
Blair: He’s talking about EMD.
Aaron and Alexis are shocked.
Alexis: Wait… are you telling me that’s…
Blair: Yeah… she’s the masked girl that killed him.
Aaron and Alexis are silent for a moment.
Aaron: You fucking knew that and still let us fight with her among us?! What the fuck, Blair!
Blair: Only because I trust Hayze’s judgment. He thinks she could help us, and she did.
Aaron stands up.
Aaron: Fuck that! I’m helping out Mr. Walker! That girl shouldn’t even be standing here!
Alexis grabs Aaron’s arm and holds him back.
Aaron: Alexis? What are you doing?
Alexis: Aaron, trust me, I don’t like that girl any more than you do, but we shouldn’t turn on her.
Aaron: What?! Why?!
Alexis: Blair said she trusts Hayze’s judgment, and so do I.
Aaron: Well, that’s great, but I don’t!
Alexis: Then why are you here?
Aaron: Huh?
Alexis: We put our careers and lives on the line when we agreed to join Hayze for this plan. You put everything on the line because you trust him. So, if you can’t trust him about that girl, then you look like a moron for trusting him with everything else.
Aaron: *frustrated grunt* (She’s right…)
Aaron sits back down.
Aaron: Fine, I won’t interfere, but I’m not helping her.
Alexis: That’s okay. (I wondered where this girl came from and why she was fighting away from the rest of us. She was trying to avoid us seeing her quirk. She wants to help us now, so maybe Hayze did change her. Either way, I have to trust him.)
Wrath coats his fists in fire.
Wrath: *whispers* Alright, I’m going to attack him. If you see an opening, take him out. Otherwise, stay out of my way.
Ivy: *whispers* I don’t think that’s-
Wrath charges at Walker.
Ivy: Smart…
Walker raises his hand to Wrath.
Walker: (Clearly, this one didn’t get Hayze’s brains.)
Wrath: Boost!
Suddenly Wrath points his hand at the ground and blasts into the air.
Wrath: (I’ve seen you fight plenty of times through Hayze and Khaos’ eyes. I know your game. You use your portals to block attacks and then turn them against your opponent; well, I won’t let that happen.)
Wrath materializes his bow limp and ignites the string.
Wrath: It’s time to debut a move of my own creation!
Wrath loads and aims three fire arrows at Walker.
Wrath: Firestorm Barrage!
Wrath shoots the three arrows at Walker. They fly downward towards him.
Walker: What’s the point of doing that?
Wrath: *nasal grunt* Just watch!
The arrows split into three thinner flames, totaling nine burning toward Walker.
Wrath: (The spread on those arrows is large enough that he can’t absorb them all with a single portal, and if he tries to dodge, I’ll blast him myself.)
Walker stares at the slew of arrows barreling toward him.
Walker: (I guess he got some of the brains, just not a lot.)
Walker opens a portal beneath himself and disappears into it.
Wrath: Shit!
Wrath’s arrows hit the ground and ignite a circle of flame.
Wrath: *frustrated grunt* Where did he go?
Walker: Behind you.
Wrath: Huh?
Walker has appeared in a portal behind Wrath. He punches him in the face, causing Wrath to plummet and smack into the ground.
Wrath: *groans* Fuck!
Walker goes back inside the portal and disappears.
Blair: He got Wrath good there…
Aaron: Yeah, Mr. Walker’s way too smart to fall for a simple trick like that.
Alexis: That might have worked on Aaron, but not him.
Aaron doesn’t respond.
Alexis: No comment?
Aaron: I mean, you’re right.
Ivy looks around, waiting for Walker to reappear.
Ivy: (Phantom Walker… I’ve never faced him, but I saw him in action during the night of the forest attack. He’s a brilliant tactician with immense strength… defeating him will not be simple. I’ll have to think outside the box.)
Ivy glances at Wrath as he’s getting to his feet.
Ivy: (But first, I need to get Wrath to work with me. We can’t do this if we fight him individually.)
Walker reappears in a nearby tree and surveys the surrounding area.
Walker: (I need a weapon to attack her with. I won’t pull any punches, I’m going to kill her.)
Walker spots Blaze approaching Blair, Aaron, and Alexis.
Walker: (Hm…)
Blair notices Blaze.
Blair: Blaze? What are you doing here?
Blaze: Aster sent me here; Vanguard’s on the move. He wanted me to help you guys out.
Aaron: Well, you’re a little late. The job’s already done.
Blaze: That’s good to hear, but why do those two look like they’re on alert.
Alexis: Mr. Walker broke away from the Containment team. They’re fighting him right now.
Blaze: What?! Then where is he?
Aaron: That’s why they’re on alert, kid. They don’t know.
Blaze: Well, I’ll help them!
Blair: I wouldn’t do that…
Blaze: Huh? W- why not?
Blair: Because Wrath is having trouble accepting help from one person already.
Wrath is getting pissed.
Wrath: COME OUT HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN! WHAT KIND OF COWARD HIDES DURING A FIGHT?!
Blaze: D- does he not…
Blair: Yeah, he definitely wouldn’t have beat Silver that day.
Wrath frantically looks around.
Wrath: (There’s no way he’s still hiding inside his pocket dimension… otherwise, he would have attacked again by now. He only accepted this fight because he thought he could win fast, so he’s not trying to make me mad. He’s doing something else… but what?)
Wrath glances over at the rest of his team and notices Blaze.
Wrath: (Great, now the kid’s here. He better not call me “dad,” or I’ll-)
Wrath spots Blaze’s obsidian sword.
Wrath: (Wait… if Walker’s aiming to kill Ivy, then…) Blaze! Give me your sword!
Blaze: Huh? Why should I-
A portal opens behind Blaze.
Blair: Blaze! Look out!
Blaze: Huh?
Walker steals the sword from Blaze’s sheath and kicks him to the ground.
Blaze: *pained grunt*
Walker: Thank you.
Walker disappears within his portal again. Blair rushes to Blaze’s aid.
Blair: Are you alright?!
Blaze: I’m fine… don’t worry. He just caught me off guard.
Wrath: *frustrated grunt* Dammit! You’re fucking useless! Hayze should have made you a shot into a napkin.
Aaron: Ha! Gross.
Blair: Hey! Don’t talk to him like that!
Wrath: Why not? He shouldn’t have run onto a battlefield with his guard down! And now Walker has a weapon!
Blair: *frustrated grunt* Why you!-
Blaze places his hand on Blair’s shoulder.
Blaze: It’s alright. I don’t need you to argue on my behalf.
Blair: I- Oh… right, sorry.
Blaze: I’m confused why Walker stole my sword… What does he need that for?
Aaron: Probably to kill that girl.
Blaze: Hm? Why does he want to kill her?
Aaron: *sighs* I’m not telling him.
Blair: Let’s just say we have bad history with her… has anyone ever told you about her from your timeline? Her name is Ivy.
Blaze’s eyes widen.
Blaze: Wait… that’s Ivy?
Blair: I assume that’s a yes?
A flashback begins. Blaze (12) and Saige are rummaging through some boxes.
Blaze: What are we looking for again, Aunt Saige?
Saige: Tyson said he remembered putting your Uncle Aster’s supply of Cyanide tablets in one of these boxes. He thinks he can use them for a game to kill a squadron of Iota members.
Blaze: My Uncle Aster? I didn’t know I had an Uncle.
Saige: Oh… right, sorry, he uh… died during a mission a long time ago.
Blaze: What mission?
Saige: You remember how the heroes Vulcan, Exciton, Lust, and Black Hollow died? Well… he was with them when the nerve gas flooded the facility.
Blaze: Oh…
Saige: Yeah… sorry, I didn’t tell you about him. I thought it would upset you, and it looks like I was right.
Blaze: I’m okay… don’t worry. Can I ask why Aster’s things would be in here?
Saige: This storage room is where we keep items belonging to our deceased friends and family. So we can remember them…
Blaze: Oh, I see…
Saige: Here, why don’t you take a break and look through your father’s boxes over there.
Blaze: My father?
Saige: Yeah, some cool things are in there, like his swords and daggers.
Blaze: Awesome!
Blaze runs over to Hayze’s section and pulls down a box. He begins looking through it.
Blaze: (Woah… this is the medal dad won during the Sports Festival… awesome! I wonder what other things they have here.)
Blaze continues searching through the box until he finds something and fixates on it.
Blaze: Huh? Aunt Saige… What is this?
Saige: Hm?
Saige looks at Blaze and sees he’s holding a mask with a slash diagonally across it.
Saige: Oh… that… it’s uh…
Blaze: It’s what?
Saige: That belonged to a villain named Ivy…
Blaze: A villain? Dad must have kicked her butt and kept this as a souvenir!
Saige: Sort of… you see, your dad always believed she was a good person deep down. He tried many times to convince her to abandon the side of evil, but… he couldn’t get through to her. So… he had to kill her during that mission where your uncle died.
Blaze: He killed her?
Saige: Yeah, he had to; she would have killed him. But… Hayze never forgave himself for not being able to save her. He told me he’d go to his grave regretting it.
Blaze: Dad really thought he could convert a villain to the side of good? Why?
Saige smiles.
Saige: Because that’s what made your dad special. He always saw the good in people, even if only a little of it existed.
The flashback ends.
“ Hayze: Let’s not worry about that right now. You mentioned that our timelines are different, correct? What do you think caused that?
Blaze: Well, I’m not sure, but I believe the event that split our timelines occurred during your mission to stop the Vampire Queen. “ - Chapter 179
Blaze: (If Ivy’s here… fighting on our side… that means that Dad succeeded in this timeline. That’s what caused our timelines to diverge!)
Ivy is calmly breathing.
Ivy: (Don’t lose your wits. He stole that sword to kill me with it, but I can’t let fear get the better of me. I have to be ready to counter when he strikes.)
Wrath: Come on! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, WALKER!
Ivy: (I wish Wrath could do the same.)
A portal opens above Ivy.
Walker: (This is it… revenge for EMD!)
Walker emerges from the portal with the sword drawn back, ready to slash.
Walker: (Die!)
Ivy leaps back as Walker attacks.
Walker: Huh?!
Ivy: (I knew he’d attack from above, it was his best option after striking from behind so many times. He was mostly silent, but his breathing was irregular… he really wants me dead.)
Ivy points her palm at Walker.
Ivy: Push!
Ivy sends Walker flying out of his portal; he slams and tumbles on the ground.
Walker: Nice move… I guess I got a little ahead of myself.
Wrath: There you are!
Wrath blasts himself towards Walker.
Walker: I’m not concerned with you, Wrath.
Walker opens a portal, and Wrath flies right into it. Blaze, Aaron, Alexis, and Blair are dumbfounded.
Blair: And I thought I was a hot head…
Aaron: I hope that guy joins our class. He’ll bring the curve up by a mile.
Walker gets to his feet.
Ivy: I’m sorry.
Walker: You think I care?
Ivy: No, I don’t; I’m telling you this to make myself feel better. I was in a dark place when I killed that man, I was blindly following the orders of a madman because I thought that was my only choice, but I see now that I should have refused.
Walker: I don’t care.
Ivy: I understand, but I’m fighting alongside Hayze’s classmates to make up for all the terrible things I’ve done. He gave me this chance to be a good person, so I won’t waste it, and I won’t let you ruin it.
Walker: You’re a murderer. That’s all you are and all you’ll ever be. The police may have given you immunity from your crimes, but my eyes are not the same as the law’s. So I won’t let you kill anyone ever again.
Ivy: Good, because I don’t plan on doing that.
Walker: *frustrated grunt*
Walker charges at Ivy.
Walker: You’re going to die here!
Ivy points her palm at Walker.
Ivy: (He’s planning to open a portal and crash Wrath into me as soon as I use my push force. It’s an obvious move… too obvious.)
Ivy points her palm at the ground.
Ivy: Push!
Ivy launches herself into the air.
Walker: (Why is she doing that?)
Ivy uses Push Force a second time to launch herself even higher. Walker stops moving and watches.
Aaron: What the hell is she up to?
Alexis: I’m not sure, and neither is Mr. Walker.
Blair: I’ve never seen Mr. Walker like this. He’s losing his cool and letting his opponent get the better of him.
Aaron: Yeah… it’s kind of weird to see. You know, in all the time we’ve been his students, we’ve never seen him lose a fight. I mean, there was that time against the Iota goons in the forest, but they didn’t beat him; they used a dirty trick.
Alexis: Well, maybe that night affected him more than we knew. He’s always blamed himself for what happened, and she’s the one who set it into motion.
Blair: He always did seem different after that day…
Ivy uses Push Force a third time to reach a higher point in the sky.
Ivy: (Let’s see how far you’re willing to go to kill me, Walker.)
Ivy points her palm at Walker.
Ivy: Pull.
Suddenly, Walker is lifted off the ground.
Walker: *grunts* (This was her plan!)
Blaze: What’s going on?!
Alexis: Looks like she’s taking this fight aerial.
Blair: But why?
Aaron: I think she’s about to take advantage of Mr. Walker’s weakness.
Blaze: Hm?
Walker flies through the air toward Ivy.
Walker: (I see…)
Ivy: (Walker must now make a choice, if he utilizes his plan to strike me with Wrath, he’ll be forced to plummet to the ground and suffer severe injuries.)
Walker is within 10 yards of Ivy now.
Ivy: (This is it!) Push!
Ivy uses Push Force to send Walker careening toward the ground.
Walker: (I won’t back down!)
Walker opens a portal beside Ivy, and Wrath flies out.
Ivy: (He went through with it anyway!)
Wrath: What the fu-
Wrath crashes into Ivy.
Wrath and Ivy: *pained grunts*
Walker slams into the ground.
Walker: *groans* Ow…
Alexis: Mr. Walker!
Blair: Is he alright?!
Ivy uses Push Force to safely break her fall, but she falls to her knees in pain.
Ivy: (I think Wrath’s head cracked a few of my ribs… Wait… speaking of Wrath-)
Wrath: AHHHHH!
Wrath crashes into the ground beside Ivy.
Wrath: *muffled* I hate him… so much…
Ivy: (Well… at least Walker should be down-)
Ivy looks at Walker; he’s on his feet. His left arm is visibly broken.
Ivy: What?!
Aaron: Damn…
Walker: I promised myself I wouldn’t rest until you were brought to justice, and I don’t intend on breaking that vow. So, you’ll have to do a lot better than that, murderer.
Ivy gets to her feet, fighting through the pain in her torso.
Ivy: I will.
Ash arrives at the room Gus and Gavin are in.
Gavin: *muffled groaning*
Gus: *muffled* You’re gonna make it, Gavin!
Ash: Oh no! Gavin must be hurt!
Ash rushes into the room.
Ash: Gus, Gavin! Are you ok-
Gavin has his pants off, aiming his butt out the window.
Gus: You can do it!
Gavin: AHHHHHHH!
Ash is dumbfounded.
Ash: What am I watching…
Gus: Oh, Ash! Good thing you’re here! Gavin’s plugged up!
Ash: I… nope.
Gus: What?
Ash starts walking away.
Gus: Ash! No! You have to stay-
Gavin: AHHHHHHHH! IT’S HERE!
Ash and Gus: Huh?!
Calm and Sydney are outside the building waiting for Multi to wake up.
Sydney: Why don’t we just waterboard him and get this over with?
Calm: Because I’m not sure we can contain Multi on our own. Time is of the essence, so the longer he stays unconscious, the better.
Sydney: Whatever you say…
Calm: I apologize if this annoys you, but we have a job to do, and-
Sydney: Don’t lecture me. I know what’s going on. I’m allowed to be angry while doing what I’m told.
Calm: I… I guess that’s true.
Sydney: Good; since we’re on the same page, we can stand here in silence until Multi wakes up.
Calm: Okay.
Silence.
Calm: (It’s strange interacting with everyone from the hero course. Wrath, Gale, Impulse, Khaos, and I didn’t pop into existence the moment Dr. Moore injected Hayze with the serum. Instead, our personalities gradually developed over time. So, I have memories of fighting Sydney and growing disdain for her after her fight with Blair. Those memories are not my own, but they still feel vivid. It’s an “interesting” phenomenon… experiencing life for myself rather than being a spectator of someone else’s. I’d like to continue this… assuming Hayze’s plan succeeds.)
Saige: *from afar* Hey!
Calm and Sydney turn around to see Karma and Saige running up to them.
Sydney: What are you two doing here?
Calm: Can we assume this means the fight with Vanguard has begun?
Karma: Not exactly.
Saige and Karma explain the situation to Calm and Sydney.
Calm: I see… It's unfortunate that Tyson has perished, but he’s increased our chances of victory, so I commend his sacrifice.
Saige: Aster sent us here to see if you guys need help.
Sydney: Well, we don’t, so you can buzz off.
Karma: Then why is Multi outside?
Sydney: Shut up.
Calm: Something involving Gavin stopped him from using his goofy gas. I sent Ash to check on Gus and him a while ago, but we haven’t had an update.
Saige: Hm… so, did anyone get out?
Calm: Walker and Adrian did, but the rest are still locked up in the conference room. We weren’t sure we could contain Fatal and Multi, so Daniele is fighting Fatal on the roof, and we were preparing to battle Multi.
Saige: Why were you scared of Multi?
Sydney: Because he can fill the room with his clones, duh!
Saige: Hm… well, I have an idea that can save you two a lot of time.
Calm and Sydney: Hm?
Saige creates a pink-translucent porta-potty and locks Multi inside.
Multi: *muffled* *groans* Wh- what’s happening?!
Saige: If he tips that, he’s in for a world of hurt.
Multi: *muffled* Oh god! It smells terrible!
Sydney: Ew…
Calm: Well, that works, and it’s not too far off from what we had Gavin doing.
Karma: Speaking of Gavin, we should probably go check-
A loud bang goes off inside the school.
Sydney: Was that a bomb?!
Karma: It sounded like it!
Calm: Look!
Gus comes flying out of the school, covered in feces.
Gus: AHHHHHHH!
Gus soars through the air as the group outside watches with dumbfounded expressions.
Sydney: What did I just see…
Calm: I don’t know, but I think we’ve discovered what happened to Gavin. Karma, you’re the fastest, so please find where Gus landed and see if he’s alright.
Karma: *gags* Okay… I guess I will.
Karma runs off in Gus’ direction.
Calm: Let’s go check on Gavin and Ash, girls.
Saige: Right!
Sydney: If we have to…
Calm, Sydney, and Saige run inside the school.
Multi: *muffled* Wait! What’s going on?! Don’t leave me here like this!
Silver and Justus arrive at U.A. Stadium and face off at the center of the arena.
Silver: Well, Justus, here we are.
Justus: *nasal grunt* I didn’t take you for the sentimental type, Silver.
Silver: Hey, you wanted a rematch. I thought it would be fitting to face off in the stadium where we thought our first fight would occur. You remember that day, right?
Justus: Of course… the roaring crowd… the anticipation in the air. It’s something none of us could ever forget. You’re right. This is fitting.
Silver pulls out a remote.
Silver: I set the simulation to random, so chance will determine our battlefield.
Justus: That’s fine; fighters of our caliber should be able to battle wherever and whenever, so I don’t care about our destination.
Silver: Good, neither do I.
Silver presses a button on the remote and tosses it aside. The simulation boots up, and a holographic battlefield is generated.
Silver: (Here we go.)
The field is a recreation of the city of Venice. Silver and Justus find themselves standing on two separate gondolas in a canal.
Justus: What a beautiful sight for your defeat.
Silver: Funny…
Silver opens two dust canisters.
Silver: I was about to say the same thing to you.