"Tell me, stranger. How much do you know and relate to this… Entire affair?”
“I know enough to get a gist,” Sal not budging, not giving him anything more.
“Then surely… You speak of their family and relations, the innocence of their being—when all of that gets thrown away once they make this grave choice. They’re bringing back things that should stay buried. Dead. We are perverting laws that are already depraved as a basis. There is no need for more fuel to this wildfire—”
“Sssssays the guy that summoned the judge-angel-god being that strongarmed us into this—” Natalie pointedly made a point.
“Nat, please,” Sal raised a palm to her. “I can speak for myself, here.”
Sal turned back to Richard, with her own arms crossed. “That’s the point. They’re not acting like this is a clean fix… That they’re confident in this—if anything, that would send warning bells going into overdrive—for me, personally. Why do you think they’ve come here to tell you this in the first place? Just to rile you up—to rub it in your face? No. They’re telling you because they believe that you’re the last line of defense here. If it goes wrong, at least you know.”
“We. Are being. Stretched thin,” Richard practically hissed within his mask.
“But are you, really?”
A long pause filled the dimly lit void.
“Granted, this crisis has taken a lot from us, from what I can understand… But you reek of this… Sense that things have to be done in a certain way, a certain fashion. That’s what you’re getting at. This plan being a front to what you and your people believe to be order. Because let’s not mince words here—after this? You want things to go back to normal… Well, sorry, ‘back to business’. So sorry, you do have a point… But let’s not act like it’s not influenced by your own disgust over the fact that what YOU want to achieve is going to be on the line if they go through with this. No longer the novice little monsters you can easily check anymore.”
“…” Richard arced his head towards Calypso. “You’re in the company of very talented people.”
“I am,” Calypso gave an earnest, small smile. “Much better than what I could ever hope to be.”
Calypso’s face rested in its default state, as she stepped forward. “Regardless. We can go and fight and drag this entire thing out. In fact, I’m sure you’re wrestling with your mind in trying to kill us in the quickest way possible. Pragmatic solution in solving a problem, by nipping it in the bud? It’s smart. You’re smart. But what’s the point, other than creating yet another wound? You can be proud that you took care of what you deem to be four maniacs, but what is that in the face of a reign of terror by a careless, disturbed mind? And who knows… If we truly unleash hell, that’s more experience in dealing with Cassie for abnormal Consumed, right?”
Richard just put his hands in his pockets. Calypso felt that he finally was privy to the fact she was gauging his temperament based on them.
With a heavy sigh, he said his piece.
“It’s not like we’re desperately thinking about reaching into our vaults, using our secret aces in hand… Fine. I’ll honor our deal.”
“That’s all we want, for you to know and stuff…” Gale finally said something. “And give us the go ‘head… Because we might not. Y’know. Come back. The ‘least you can do, right?”
Richard paused at that, and turned his head towards Gale. A Gale that was clearly frightened, but steadfast.
He then shook his head. “I understand why the monsters, in a destructive and tactical sense, target us youth… So much to prove, so much to lose. But it’s still terrible, and cruel. We never should’ve become monsters when we’ve barely become people.”
Calypso was taken aback, but kept it to herself.
“We do have a process, at least. We’re driving deep into the forest, away from any possible innocents. And from there, we’ll go to work. Have patrols, sentries—however you work. Just in case.”
Richard nodded, slowly. “Let’s hope to meet again, both in good health and mentally sound. And not with me with a gun to your heads.”
Calypso simply returned the nod, and turned on her heels. Causing the rest to follow in her stead, into the car.
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Making their choice already so heavy not only on the mind, but their bodies as well.
***
“Okay… It’s starting to get dark, y’all…”
They managed to find this place… Calypso would’ve said that this was the very center of everything. An open space in the middle of the forest. Dead, gray grass that was flattened by the elements, as with every step seemed to be kicking up sand that fluttered into the chill of the night.
Sal leaned against the car. Scratching the side of her face, that had creases from the mask.
Each respective Consumed present was rubbing their Illuminator. Watching the slow pulsing of light.
Calypso had to say… Something, before any of this happened.
“… Gale, Natalie… You don’t have to do this. I’m—I’m willing to—”
“Pleeeeease,” Gale chirped. “How else were you gonna tackle this without me teaching you my awesome breathing techniques~? Now I owe you one—so nyeeeh~!”
Calypso couldn’t help but smile at that.
“It’s not like I have anything better to do—with me,” Natalie joked, smirking. “Face it. We’re doing this. And guess what?”
Natalie stretched her goggles, and let them slap her face so she could wear them, adjusting them after the fact as if nothing happened. “Let’s complain about it together on the other side.”
With a thumbs up and the light beginning to cover her, she simply walked into the woods. Seemingly into the undisturbed darkness, that simply swallowed her light.
Watching this, Calypso wasn’t at all ready for Gale’s hug. It nearly took the wind out of her.
“You’re not gonna be alone, this time. We’re friends—and I mean every word of it. You gave this useless girl a direction a-and, like… Hope. When you were at your most hurt. And I can’t just walk away from that.”
Calypso instantly returned the hug, after that. Squeezed her friend tight, before letting go.
“L-like Natty said…” Gale got choked up, as her eyes poured with tears. “See ya’ on the other side~”
Gale gritted her teeth, as she backed away. Letting her light engulf her, while still taking in Calypso with a wavering smile. Letting the darkness take her too, once she crossed by the trees.
All of it, all of this… It was hitting her. It was too heavy.
But Calypso fastened her glove, as her Illuminator with the red “crack” began to glow as well. She wasn’t ready, but she’s doing it anyway.
She then turned to Sal, who was looking onward.
“Guessing that you don’t wanna see me turn…?” Calypso asked, figured. “I can always—”
“Naw,” Sal shook her head. “Think of it as me helpin’ ya’, acceptin’ ya’… Me pullin’ my own weight, rather than cryin’ an’ sittin’ here.”
Calypso cried crimson tears as the light took her, lowering her head with a toothy grin.
“Thank you…”
She reeled her head back as the changes took hold. She let her hair grow past her back, she let her bones shoot out of her flushed, transforming skin as they covered her flesh in protection Leaning further and further back as the bones locked into armor, her elbow scythes sharpened, and finally lurched back forward as her eyes burst with amber light, swallowed by darkness.
Panting, clutching her claws together, she watched as her cousin—who was once taller than her, now a head lower. Calypso tried to make an expression, a neutral one, as she looked down at her—to invite her to realize that it was her.
Sal, shakenly… But calmly, reached up to Calypso’s cheek. She instantly reeled her hand back, due to how hot she was running, causing Calypso to gasp in panic, her dark eyes expressing sorrow. But Sal shook her head silently and attempted to do it again.
And this time, she kept her hand, to cup her dear cousin’s cheek. Rubbed it with her thumb.
“…Does it hurt? Ta’ be… All twisted up, like this…?”
The question quickly sunk into Calypso. She was surprised that she had an answer, so quickly… But she thought about this journey, about this situation, and ultimately her life.
“…I’ve never been so comfortable in my own skin, honestly…” Calypso couldn’t help to laugh and softly shake her head in disbelief.
Sal simply huffed in amusement. “Yeah. It is you still, in there…”
Calypso smiled warmly, as Sal retracted her hand once more. The skeletal monster girl took a deep breath and turned towards the darkness of the forest. Marching forward, with no more regrets or doubt lingering in her mind.
She made her way into the endless void, and continued to keep walking.
“‘I walk… In the valley of the edge of the light… Within the truth that before brilliance, before life itself… This was simply as.’”
Calypso raised her hand, as she cut into it. Unveiling her Illuminator, as the gemstone was embedded into her form now.
“'Now, as a being of light, I’ve come to realize that we were born as both, the dark and the light. I am… Willing… To blur these lines further…!’”
Calypso violently ripped the gemstone out of her hand. Almost as if she tore out her own heart, as it was still connected with tissue, veins, and bone. Screaming in its radiance, but screaming literally as well.
“‘I DON’T RECLAIM MY SOUL IN THE SENSE OF BEING WHOLE…! I AM WILLING TO BRAVE THIS CHALLENGE—A FINAL BOUT, BETWEEN THE LIGHT AND THE DARK! I WILL PROVE—THAT THIS WILL BE THE PERFECT UNION OF WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE EXTREMES!'”
Calypso found herself out of breath... And thinking of her friend, she relaxed. Took a breath in and out from the nose. Doing it again and again, to keep herself steady.
She shoved the gemstone into her mouth, and with immense tears coating her face, forced the object down her throat.
She instantly fell to her knees, clutching at the leaves of the ground. This was way different, way unstable, than her usual reversions back.
“‘Be it I sacrifice the bones that I’ve known…! In pursuit…! For the kind, we must… Tru… Ly… Haaaave--!”
Calypso found herself face down, on the ground. The area around her lightened a tad, revealing this endless forest plane.
As she got up, she found that her hands were once human again. How she was completely vulnerable—how most of the wounds she’s gained from her transformation were healed enough, but clearly scarred.
“…Alright, you bastard…”
The girl looked behind herself, to see the reanimated Grim Subsumed hunched over. One glowing “eye” within it’s dead socket.
“Ready for Round Two…?” she grimaced, with determination.