Chris eyed the scythe in the copy’s hand. “Great, so it can make copies of possessions, too.”

“It might not have the abilities though,” Tayte said, tapping a finger on the blade of her Relic.

“It’s still a pointy, deadly weapon!” Chris reminded.

Tayte’s copy came at them, swinging the scythe from the side. The original blocked the attack and pushed it back.

“I got me!” Tayte shouted and sprinted at her copy.

Chris observed the two having a mirror match. Each of their moves synchronized, causing continuous offsets. The clangs of the blades ringed loudly from the battle. They both had the same joyful, manic smile on their faces.

A rocketing fist to the head knocked Chris out of his trance. As he turned to face his copy, it threw another punch, connecting with his left rib, and then it wrapped its arms around him. Chris was flipped over onto his back.

Thud! Chris sat up, groaning. Before he had the chance to recover, the copy had its hand on him again and forced him back onto his feet. It dashed behind Chris and tangled its arms around his waist, snaked its legs around Chris’s and performed a successful, painful takedown.

###

Tayte glanced at Chris as he tried to escape from the grappling hold. She got a sharp reminder of her own fight as her copy made another bold attack. Tayte dodged but got nicked on her thigh. She smiled at her minor wound and turned the Relic over in her hand. She rushed at her copy and thrust the bottom of the shaft into its gut. With the help of gusty wind, it blasted back, and so did Tayte. It flew over an empty buffet table as Tayte skidded across the marble floor.

She looked over at Chris as he broke free from the hold and then rammed his head into the copy’s forehead. They both squealed in pain and Chris staggered his way back to Tayte, falling back onto the floor.

The pair lay on their backs, facing opposite directions.

“How you doing?” Chris asked, with his hand on his head.

“I’ve been worse.” Tayte smirked and squeezed her gut, pleased that her mirror copy was no wimp. “I think I just ruptured my stomach.”

“I think I’m experiencing the world’s first double headache,” Chris complained. “How the hell can we fight the copies?”

Tayte squinted. “If every hit it takes is reflected on to the original, then why don’t they just hurt themselves to get the job done?”

“Maybe it doesn’t work like that,” Chris responded.

Tayte thought back to the hallway chaos. Her face lit up. “That man whose copy I hit. Nothing seemed to happen to the original…”

Chris paused. “I think you’re right.”

Tayte sat up and witnessed her copy vault over the buffet table, and Chris’s copy grab onto the edge of a table and pull itself up.

The originals rose to their feet and stood back-to-back, each facing their copy.

“We’ve got to test it out.” Tayte said. “Hurt my copy and see what happens.”

They spun around, switching their targets.

“Ytilibail a si noinapmoc ruoy.” Chris’s copy jeered.

“What the heck are they saying?” Tayte questioned.

“I think they’re speaking in reverse,” Chris said.

“Oh, okay,” she said. “Now shoot me.”

“I’m not going to test your theory by shooting you!” Chris took out his gun and stared at it.

He threw it at the copy and it bounced off its shoulder. He looked back at Tayte. “Feel that?”

“No,” Tayte said, baring her teeth.

“Good luck with me,” Chris said, getting into position.

Tayte leered at her target and spun the Relic once to her side. Silence and stillness took over.

The originals took off.

Tayte pounced at Chris’s copy and assaulted it with a series of hectic swings. “Now, I can have some real fun! I don’t like fighting when I’m confused.” The copy did its best to evade, but took some serious damage; the deep cuts on its body multiplied, although no blood spilled.

She finished it off with a speeding wind slash in its direction that dragged it out through a window.

Tayte darted to Chris and found him firing at her copy’s knee caps. It dropped onto its blown out knees and Chris drove a foot into its face. He blew the smoke from the muzzle of his gun and put it back into its holster. “All in the day’s wor—”

Bang! The gun went off on its own, startling the two.

“Ugh! This stupid curse!” Chris yelled.

The ungaikyo popped up from under a table. Tayte and Chris locked their eyes on it.

Chris lowered into a crouch. “Okay, let’s be subtle this time—”

Ruining his short-lived plan Tayte sent a wind slash its way. The ungaikyo evaded, and the table was split in two. The ungaikyo bounced for the exit.

“Tayte—!”

“I was trying to destroy it!”

The chase was back on.

###

Tayte and Chris ran out onto the sandy road and looked around, confused. On the opposite side of the entrance to the hotel had the entrance to a tropical tiki bar. A large straw thatch hut overlooked the themed gates.

“Where did it go now?” Tayte said.

“I didn’t think it could make floating mirrors, too,” Chris scoffed. “It’s one new ability after another. It’s hard to keep up.”

“Just keep them noted as the battle goes on. There’s bound to be some inconsistency or weakness we can exploit.”

Chris stared at Tayte as she scouted the area.

She was excited but focused. A seasoned fighter.

“Before I showed up. You fought a bit with Ayo,” he began.

Tayte faltered for a moment, but remained silent. “We should check that bar—”

“It wasn’t the first fight you’ve been in, was it?”

Tayte stopped, standing under the yellowing light of a lamp with Chris.

“I don’t have to answer that,” she said.

“Yeah, you don’t, because it’s pretty obvious that you have a lot of fighting experience. Where did you learn how to swing a scythe like that?”

“The Relic gave me the skills.”

“Relics that take the shape of weapons don’t work like that. If your Relic takes the shape of a sword, having it fused with your soul doesn’t automatically make you an expert on swordsmanship.”

Tayte gave Chris a look. “Can we do this after all this is over?”

“I just want to know who the hell I am teaming up with,” Chris said in a shaky voice. He stared back at her calm face with fear. “I thought you were just a mortician apprentice.”

“I am,” she said calmly. “Okay, so what did Melissa mean when she said she didn’t want to give you the luxury of laughing right into her face again?”

“Oh, look at you being sentimental. Why do you want to know?”

“You can bombard me with questions and I can’t?”

“You barely answered mine.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you after you answer mine.”

Chris gazed at her for a moment and then scratched the back of his head. “Alright, fine.” Crossing his arms and settling in a slightly hunched position, he said, “We used to date.”

Tayte took a step back. “So, that’s your type? Funny, I expected you to be the kind of guy who likes his girls—”

“She wasn’t as emaciated as before. Wait...” Chris paused. “What were you going to say?”

“You dated a child abductor, huh? That’s rough—”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Were you about to say ‘thick’”? You were about to say that, weren't you?”

Tayte ignored his scowls, making a childish grin, and went on. “How serious was it?”

Chris disarmed his look and let out a sigh. “I was thinking about marrying her.” His hand settled on his hips. “I met her way before either of us joined Post Mortem and we were just a couple of fresh faces in the grave-robber world. Back then, everything was new to us, making it exciting and the best part was sharing those experiences with someone else who always had your back. It was almost two years into our relationship, and for her birthday, I took her out. We did a whole bunch and then we went back to an apartment in Rio where we lived at the time; I had some brownies I prepared earlier in the day for her.” Chris’s expression soured. “After she blew her candles, she decided then to share her past with me. Her disgusting old job and the worst part is that she also decided to share what her wish was with me and you know what it was? Forgiveness. She wished for forgiveness. I couldn’t control myself, so instead of screaming, I just started laughing. Forgiveness, can you believe that?”

“Isn’t it a good thing that she feels bad?”

“It doesn’t matter if she feels bad or not, it still happened! It doesn’t change anything! Those kids’ lives she ruined will stay ruined forever and the rest are dead! She worked with the organizations for years, fully aware of what she was doing! And then she had the audacity to ask if I forgave her!”

“What did you say?”

“I said, ‘no’! I don’t! Rainbow Bridge was a bogus charity organization that was a front for human trafficking. They advertise themselves as some kind of group of freedom fighters that save children from unfavorable conditions and keep them safe in shelters where they are taken care of until they can find a home. In reality, they plucked kids from the streets or from remote areas in developing countries, African nations being their main dish, of course.” Chris spat to the side and pushed sand over the saliva with his foot. “They had many subgroups for their operations and Melissa was part of the one who set up circuses and did street performances for free to lure them in.

“Some nights they get just one or three or, if they are feeling lucky, a school-bus worth of kids. These are kids that nobody would look for and the ones part of families would have no chance of even making local news due to those remote places having no access to services like that. Sure, these kids were in bad conditions already, but they would’ve been better off if a real organization got a hold of them. The shelters, although they were beautiful on the outside, inside was nothing but horror. They’d abuse the kids and let them starve just so that they can take staged pictures of them to share with the world. That’s how they got donations. After that, they’d sell them off or throw the dead ones away like trash. It’s disgusting.”

“Wait, I’ve heard of Rainbow Bridge,” Tayte said, “but weren’t they exposed?”

“Yeah, they were. A lot of members got arrested, but around the same amount were unidentified and got off scot-free. Melissa was one of these bastards; she had been helping since she was a teen herself. And she wants to be forgiven and for all of it to be forgotten just because she feels bad? It doesn’t work like that! It shouldn’t work like that! If there is a Hell, then she’s going there. She deserves to burn forever,” Chris ranted. “If she really felt bad and wanted to repent, then she’d wish for her and all her buddies to go to Hell.”

“You morons actually came outside,” a cheery voice called out.

The two followed the direction of the voice and Melissa uncurved herself from behind a bent palm tree, her blue eyes radiating. She spread her arms apart and bowed. “Here the advantage is all mine.”

“What advantage?” Tayte asked.

Melissa raised her head. “By the time you figure it out, you’ll already be dead.” She winked and straightened herself. She strutted a few steps towards them and then stopped to analyze Tayte. “So, what are you?”

“A mortician apprentice,” Tayte answered, like she had rehearsed.

“Don’t give me that bullshit. What are you really? You can’t be a grave-robber. I’ve never seen or heard about you before, and I know everybody. New and old. I’m pretty sure I would’ve heard about a gray-haired, petite girl who laughs like a lunatic when fighting. You come from a unique background. What is it? You a martial arts prodigy or something? Assassin? Marine? Special Forces? You part of some government organization where they train kids to be killers?”

“I’ve never killed anyone in my life,” Tayte said in a measured tone.

Melissa let out a laugh. “Doubt it! Your eyes are just like his.”

Chris glanced at Tayte.

“If you haven’t, then you’ve at least come close to doing it…” Melissa ran a hand across her throat. “... and you enjoyed it.”

“All I do is help with the aftermath of death,” Tayte defended, her tone more lively. “Nothing to do with causing it.”

“Stop lying. You’re a natural-born killer. I can see it in you,” Melissa said. “You’re enjoying this.”

“Well, you’re right about that.” Tayte smirked, putting her other hand on the scythe, and then started running.

Chris gripped onto his shoulder, pulling her to a stop. “Wait!”

Tayte whipped to him and snapped, “What?”

“Don’t just charge at her! She could summon a mirror and make more copies and then we would be in that confusing situation again.”

Tayte shrugged off Chris’s grip. “Then, I’ll attack her from here.” She swung the scythe downwards, launching a fearsome wind slash at Melissa.

“Damn it, Tayte! Would you just slow down for…” Words failed Chris as he stared back at Melissa.

She was perfectly intact and didn’t move an inch from her spot. Chris opened his mouth.

“What?” Tayte uttered, beating him to it.

Melissa laughed heartily and sprinted at Tayte. She thrusted a front kick and Tayte blocked it with the shaft of her weapon.

Tayte felt a bash at her spine that forced her to lurch forward. With her scythe lowered, her defenses were down, too. Melissa acted fast and spun for a kick. Tayte raised an arm to block the attack.

Wham! Her face jerked violently to the opposite side of the kick. Tayte wasted recovery time wrapping her head around the invisible force that just struck her. Melissa charged in for another attack—

A gunshot went off, stopping Melissa in her tracks. She turned to a baffled Chris, who kept his gun aimed at her. There no leaking bullet holes anywhere on her body. “Wanna try again?” she teased.

Tayte swatted her weapon at Melissa. Nothing happened. Her mouth fell open.

Melissa made a fist. “Close your mouth, cutie.”

Her uppercut came speeding at Tayte. She moved the shaft up to block and then a random blow rushed into the back of her head, plummeting her face into the ground.

###

Chris fired again. Nothing but air.

“Now, this is the part where you beg for your life and give up your Relic,” Melissa said, exalted by her invulnerability.

Chris threw a punch. It never reached her. He pulled back and clenched his jaw. “How’re you doing that?”

“Let’s do this. Forfeit your Relic and then I’ll explain to you,” Melissa said, sending a kick his way.

He raised both arms to block. An invisible force hit him from behind, pushing him forward. Melissa twisted her arms around his neck and pulled him close until their noses touched, trapping him in a bizarre embrace that should’ve broken all her bones.

“Is this really how you want things to end between us?” Melissa said softly. “One killing the other?”

Chris stared back at her eerie, shining blue eyes and got lost in them.

“Well…?” she asked, impatiently. “What do you have to say—?”

“You’re a copy!” Chris sputtered.

Melissa made a devilish grin.

“Where’s the real one? And how come you’re not speaking in reverse?” Chris dropped to his knees and slipped out of the bodily knot. He shot at Melissa once again and there was no damage. He looked over his shoulder and saw something that made him narrow his eyes.

Melissa performed a perfect backbend and then released her legs, flailing them at Chris.

He joined his hands behind him and raised them to the center of her back. He felt a blow to his palms, and bizarrely, none of the kicks in front of him connected.

Melissa unfolded herself and scowled at Chris. “It means nothing. You’re still going to—”

Chris swung a punch at her left and she raised her right fist to block something invisible that caused her to jerk to the side.

“So, that’s it,” Chris said in an undertone and rolled over to Tayte just as she was getting up. “Everything’s inverted!” He started. “I don’t know when she did it, and I don’t know if the whole area has been affected or just our senses, but up is down, down is up, right is left, and left is right.”

“Another ability to add to the notes,” Tayte said casually.

“She’s a copy as well,” Chris added. “If it was a time thing, she would’ve disappeared by now…”

Tayte caressed the bump on the back of her head. “I was thinking about what makes the copies disappear...”

“When you were faced down on the ground?”

Tayte spat some dust out of her mouth. “Yeah, I think I got something…”

“Well, share your findings then.”

Tayte didn’t respond.

“Tayte? Tayte?”

Tayte dropped her head down and stared at the ground, losing herself in her thoughts.

“Um, Tayte?”

Melissa clapped. “Can’t you tell that I’m invincible? Even if you somehow managed to hit me, it doesn’t matter! The real me will remain unscathed.”

“I get that you’re a performer and all and enjoy making a spectacle, but you should really get rid of us when you have the chance,” Chris said. “Wouldn’t it be better if you did it with your own hands?”

“You’re trying to lure the real me out and it isn’t going to work, Chrissy,” Melissa said. “I can mess with you two as long as I want. I’ve got all the time in the world—”

“I’d like to thank you, Melissa,” Tayte said. “You and Ayo reminded me why I like to do things so recklessly. The rush of a near-death experience.”

Chris looked over at her, fearing the worst as she raised her head.

“Most of the members in my family already look like they have one foot in the grave, and I will too someday.” Tayte said as she moved her hands down the shaft of the scythe and grabbed the very end of it. “So, why not just live like I am going to die soon, anyway?” She stormed at Melissa, stretching her Relic behind her.

“That won’t work, you little idiot,” Melissa said, showing her teeth.

Chris stayed behind and watched the spectacle.

Tayte rushed past Melissa and skidded to a halt, pushing dust up into the air. She held the scythe up, the top part extended in front of Melissa’s eyeline, the blade’s tip pointed at her throat. Tayte turned the weapon, making the blade sideways.

It glinted at Melissa, pulling her attention to the shiny black blade. Its curve was a perfect shape and so clean it was reflective. Melissa’s reflection was eyeing back at her. She frowned. “Ah, crap—”

The copy vanished.

Chris caught up to her. “How did you know?”

“I was wondering why Melissa said she had the advantage here…” Tayte looked off to the side. “Right before my copy vanished, my back was bending over the sink and the copy was pushing me down and right above the sink—”

“Is a mirror!” Chris exulted and saw Tayte nod back. “And in the hallway. The mirror was right by my copy’s side. It must’ve looked at it when it was chasing us. If a copy looks at their own reflection, they disappear. That’s why she said she has the advantage.” Chris looked around. “There aren’t any reflective surfaces out here.”

“And you with the inversion?” Tayte asked.

Chris pointed at the hotel’s entrance sign. There was a bullet hole between an A and a K. “I shot right at Melissa and yet a bullet hole appeared behind me.”

“It’s nice to have a reliable tag partner.”

Chris hastily avoided Tayte’s warm smile and paced around the sandy battlefield. “Okay, Melissa, you can come out now. For real! This time! Enough with the games! Let’s settle this once and for all.”

There was an angry, contorted susurrus. Shortly after, the ungaikyo dropped from the palm tree where Melissa’s copy was hiding.

Chris and Tayte barely made it two steps before it ran up the tree and sprang onto the thatched roof. They looked up and Melissa was there, rising, holding the ungaikyo in her hand. She climbed down from the hut and landed on the top of the fragile door gracefully.

The ungaikyo transformed back into a regular mirror just as a glowing pink slit opened on her forehead. She pushed the mirror into it and it closed.

“Ooh, new attack incoming, huh, Melissa?” Tayte said, unnerved.

Melissa’s lips pursed.

“What’s your play now, Lissa?” Chris put his hand over his gun.

Melissa alighted on the sandy ground before them, alarming the two, and then she turned. She made a break for it.

Chris groaned. “I had just about enough of this.”

They went after her.