Her vision was blurry, and a headache made her felt as if her brain is about twice as big as her skull, ready to burst through at any moment. She stumbled through the woods while trying to cover up the blood streaming down from her right eye. Her skin's burning hotter and hotter by the minute, and the Kraken's silence only added insult to injury.
That Lera...Ver cursed, kicking aside a branch in front of her. She's been watching her ever since the beginning. But what about Wu? What will the innocent young boy think about her now?
"Tsk. It doesn't matter." Ver said, taking a massive gasp of air and walking through the last patch of the forest before returning to the Dweller's settlement.
A few of the kids spotted her walking in, and they stood around and watched as blood streamed through the gaps in between her fingers. However, since Ver's heading straight to Wu, they didn't say a word.
When Ver fell through the entrance of his tent, Wu was focused on fixing a piece of something. He looked up and saw the bloodied Ver.
"VER!" Wu rose up, "What...what happened?!"
"Wu!" Ver shouted with matching intensity, letting go of her right eye as blood continued streaming down her face. However, before she could continue, Wu had already turned and reached for a roll of clean fabric before pulling his chair towards her.
"Come sit down!" He said, "Can you...undo your eyepatch?"
"I have come to..." Ver continued, though Wu had already pushed her onto his chair and undid her eyepatch for her.
"Stop the bleeding first." Wu interrupted again before he examined her right eye briefly. Through her blurry eyes, she saw the expression of a boy that was incredibly worried. With a few rapid breaths taken in, he wrapped the loop of fabric around her eyes a few times before he started wiping away some of the blood. That was when he noticed how Ver's limbs had turned completely black, to the point that he thought she's wearing gloves and a long-sleeve initially.
"What happened?" After the emergency patchwork, Wu for one was glad to have taken the first aid courses multiple times.
"I have come to kill you." Ver said, "And now, there is no one that can stop me."
Wu froze up, and he barely took half a step back, "...Lera?"
"I knocked her out." Ver said, standing up from his seat, "My only goal is you."
"Then...the deal about your pursuers?" Wu asked quietly as Ver walked closer and closer to him.
"I am one of them." Ver said as she cornered and pressed Wu back against his desk, "And they all want you dead."
"Wu!" A childish voice came from outside, "Have you fixed our toys yet?"
The head of one of the children poked through the entrance. His eyes widened when he saw Wu and Ver practically glued to one another as one of her legs are in between his and her hands rested over his chest.
"Um...give me some more time, okay?" Wu forced a smile and waved him off.
The little boy nodded knowingly before he winked and gave Wu a thumbs up.
He...totally has the wrong idea...Wu thought, looking back at Ver.
"Was there some sort of a bounty?" Wu asked, looking into the eyes of Ver as he felt her every breath, "Am I worth a lot?"
"You are worth a Token, and I need that Token." Ver said, reaching her hand forward, "Wu...I am sorry, but I have to do this."
"Right..." Wu sighed before he glanced towards the dark pulsating patterns over Ver's face, "Does it hurt?"
"What are you talking about?" Ver asked, and Wu gestured towards her right eye.
"Was that Lera's doing?" Wu asked, "Does it hurt?"
"Like a bitch." Ver said, putting her hand up beside her and ready to attack, "But it doesn't-"
"In your state, you wouldn't be able to make it that far in the woods, right?" Wu continued, "Is the Token only for the one to take me out, or for the entire group?"
Ver's hands paused, and she held it out over Wu's shoulders as he swallowed nervously, though his eyes were locked onto hers.
"Why does it matter to you?" Ver asked.
"I...I am just asking." Wu scratched his head and chuckled nervously, "I...don't think I know you good enough to appeal to you, but I can still make a deal, right?"
"What could you possibly....." Ver asked, poking her finger into Wu's body when suddenly, a surge of pain came out from within her heart and forced her to drop onto her knees.
"Well, if I am to die for your wish, then I at least want to make sure my death gets you the Token," Wu caught onto Ver's arms by instinct, "You looked like you are about to explode."
"Lera...destabilized my manifest...ARGH!" Ver said, her breath irregular and her head light, "At the current rate...the Kraken is going to come through my body...and I can't stop it..."
"Wait, the Kraken?!" Wu honestly couldn't believe his ears, "That's...inside of you? That's kinda...crazy...and hot."
Ver gave him a look.
"Ah Hmph...Sorry." Wu cleared his throat, "What will happen if you let it out?"
"'It will rampage around where I am, while I lose control and memory of what happened." Ver said, gritting her teeth together, "It has happened a few times before."
"The Dwellers!" Wu said, reaching forward, "You can't do it here!"
"I know!" Ver shouted back, "I am a bounty hunter, not a merciless killer!"
Wu bit his lips, and he thought for a moment.
"The other bounty hunters.....where are they?" Wu asked.
"They are in a camp." Ver said, sitting back, "Not too far away from here. I can teleport there. That's where I will take you there alive......That was the plan!"
"Right..." Wu lowered his head and thought for a moment, "I can't exactly...Hmm. how about this, why don't we work together this time, and I will let you kill me at a later date?"
"Huh?!" Ver looked at him, confused, "Why...why are you like this?!"
"Like what?"
"Why haven't you hated me yet?!" Ver shouted, grabbing Wu's shirt with her pitch-black hands, "I have betrayed you! I hurt Lera!"
"Well...I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt...plus...for you lot, it's all just business, right? Nothing personal." Wu said, scratching his head, "I don't even know you at all...it will be rude for me to make conclusions before then. Even if you have come to kill me, there is a silly part of me that hoped things can be different. You know, having you around was fun."
Ver's body tensed up, and her visions became cleared up.
"So let's work together for now." Wu said, his eyes big and wide as their stares intertwined, "We will fight together to get rid of all of your competitions, and then, we can fight later and make sure that my death will get you what you want, not just hand over the prize to those that did none of the work. Also, don't let the Dwellers get hurt."
Ver thought for a moment before finally nodding. Before she could catch another breath, the pulsing pain made her bend over.
"Shit...I am about to lose control..." Ver groaned as Lono rushed into the tent.
"WU! Attackers!" He said quickly.
"Get all of the fighters ready, and the rest into the Pit!" Wu said quickly, 'They will be safe there while we fend them off!"
"And...Ver?" Lono asked as Ver groaned in pain.
"She's sick, but she will help us!" Wu said, and Lono's eyes jumped in between the two for a few times before he nodded and left the tent.
"This...this is their layout..." Ver said, bringing out her Communication Cast and pressing it into the ground, "I think Aya, one of the archers...... has already set up in the perimeter outside for the attack...It's here..."
An explosion came from the outside, and it rocked the entire settlement as the perimeter fences was blown up by a projectile of sorts in a glorious explosion as flames raged and smoke rose.
"That her?" Wu asked, and she nodded.
"She's strong. She can attack from a massive range, and also set up traps that detect any abnormal activities of Wave from the stories I have heard." Ver said.
"Well, guess who's completely non-interactive with the Wave?" Wu shrugged, "I suppose...I will have to take her."
Ver nodded difficultly. This is not the best idea, but they are out of options.
"In the meanwhile, you should go and unleash the Kraken in the main camp of the enemy." Wu said, holding onto Ver's arms, "Get rid of as many of their major attacking forces as you can."
"They won't let me close without you." Ver struggled, "They will kill me before I can get in range..."
"Well...I do have an idea for that....." Wu said, his eyes darting from one side to another and ideas flowing.
Then, he whispered into Ver's ear as she broke into chuckles and shook her head.
"You know as someone who's supposed to be the Fourth Savior of the world, you sure are weird." Ver smiled, "I will not enjoy killing you after all of this is over..."
"Well, I am just gaining a rudimentary understanding of the Wave now." Wu said, looking back to a jar on the desk before turning his head back and holding onto her shoulders, "I know this is weird, seeing how you have to kill me, but I really wish I could help you with your eye."
"There is nothing you can do..." Ver said, "My manifestation has always been unstable....."
"It doesn't have to be. That's what I am saying. Given enough time, I can figure it out. I know I can." Wu said, squeezing her shoulders, " I will make your eyes painless, and your manifest stable! Then...we can have a nice long talk! Please! Let's help each other, at least for now!"
Ver blinked a few times before a genuine smile came to her face. This boy...this weird, strange, odd, surprising, intriguing boy.....
He was brought to this world and yanked out of his old life. Then, he was barely surviving after getting here if not for his guardian, who she had just hurt and defeated. And now, he's talking about how he will save her from her own power? Just who does he think he is?!
Well actually, that sounded exactly like what a Savior does. Through all of this time, both her and the Guild have referred to him as the Summoned One, rather than the Savior, but deep inside of Ver, as the Kraken's powers slowly awoke, she started to wonder if he is truly the Savior for her. However, before anything was done with her manifestation, this is nothing more than wishful thinking.
"You are so weird..." She said, shaking her body away from his hands and walking out, "I will hold you to that promise. Don't you forget about it! If you do, I will kill you."
"I mean, I do like to stay alive..." Wu watched as Ver's body disappeared into the dark, then he turned around and grabbed onto the jar and a few more things.