---

Rachel made her way to the basement, Fiona now sitting on her shoulder as she talked to Gisele, which caused a few looks from the others.

“Yeah?  Is Galatea doing well then?   Mhm … Mhm … Oh! … She does give off that kiddy vibe, but she’s so cute and playful … You’re cute in your own way, too, Gisele.  No, really, don’t sell yourself short!”

Isabel leaned over to her sullen sister, whispering, “You think she can actually talk to that thing?”

“Why not?”  Benedict asked.  “I can understand them.”

“Wha … No way,” the twins mirrored each other.

“Mhm!”

“When?”  Edelira asked.

“Eh, basically … since we changed.”

The two women looked at each other with dull looks.

“Lying?”  Isabel asked.

Edelira nodded.  “Totally.”

“Believe what you want,” Benedict snickered.

The rest of the Las Tunas lieutenants and Máximo were each engrossed in their own little action as they slowly made it to the basement; a small army of fifty people was digging through the ground, creating a massive hole—there was even a horse pulling a wagon of goods—the girl riding it didn’t seem that thrilled to be there.

Alberto, the bird-type Beastkin, had taken a shine to her pets with the twins; each of them was carrying their own little slime.  Hayan was being smothered in Isabel’s arms; Coral sat comfortably in Edelira’s, and Rose’s ears were pulled back as Alberto stroked her squishy head.

“Marvelous creatures,” Alberto praised, scratching Rose’s ear to her delight.

Isabel giggled.  “They totally are adorable!”

“I’m adorable, too!”  Nia huffed.  “Where’s the Dark Leader’s praise?!”

… In my black heart.

“Aww … that’s so sweet,” Nia cried, wrapping a bit tighter around her body for a moment.  “The Abyss embraces you with love!”

Are you a snuggler … Wait … I think I know the answer to that.

Nia giggled, hugging her again.

Once below the prison, Rachel flipped her hair over her shoulder and leaned against the wall to stare at the group, pointing at the floor.  “They’ll probably come out right there.  So, Máximo … What do you want to do?  You know, we could take care of the trouble for you?  It could be the first step for our partnership to give Cuba back to the people.”

Her ears tilted to the right, noticing a sudden change in movement from two small groups of people with many Demi among them, possibly another attack group, but they were over five miles away.

Máximo’s searching glare wouldn’t leave her, and Araceli’s muscle tension told her the woman wasn’t trusting either.  He scratched his neck, glancing around at the others.  “My lieutenants want me to give you a shot … However, I’m still not entirely sold on the idea you’re on our side—or these ‘mole people.’”

“Just one of them is a Mole Beastkin,” Scarlet chimed, showing her pointed fangs in a smile—Rachel was beginning to wonder if she was doing it on purpose.

Jhosep shivered upon seeing it, tracing a cross across his chest, muttering something in Spanish.

Their leader shook his head.  “Whatever it is … If we’re under attack, we’ll deal with it.”

Rachel shrugged.  “We’re here if you need us…”  her narrowed eyes fell to the floor, fingers tightening against her arms.  “There might be one that will be hard to deal with—one or two. They sent this as a surprise assassination mission after all.”

“I told you,” he growled, “we’ll handle it—anyone who harms the future of Cuba will be the bones on which it will rise.”

“Uh-huh,” Scarlet replied, trying not to laugh at his seriousness.  “Cuba will rise with the bones of its enemies!”

“Here, here!”  Nia cheered.

Al walked to Rachel, Luis still held in his monstrous arms.  “Rachel—that was your name?”

She nodded questioningly.

He sat Luis against the wall beside her.  “Can you protect him? He can’t defend himself.”

A warm smile brightened her face.  “Since you asked so nicely, I will.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, moving to Máximo’s side.

“Ahem,” Jhosep cleared his throat, still speaking in his broken English.  “I ask—amount of the poppers—porpers—things below,” he said in utter confidence at each mistake.

“That would be relevant information,” Máximo mumbled.  “If anything is off, then we’ll know you’re not to be trusted.  Well?”

Rachel restrained a sigh, but Benedict, the Pixie, was the one to respond.  “Yo, Máximo, dude, Fiona’s perfectly trustworthy; look at her face!  You see it?!”

“What’s up with my face?”  Fiona asked, totally not following the conversation as she continued to speak to Gisele.

“... I can hardly see her face,” Máximo mumbled, clearly not liking the Pixie’s continual comments.

“Ah, right, right,” he sighed.  “It’s just too heavenly for you to see anything but light—she may be a Fairy, but she could be an angel with those looks … Wait … is there a difference?”

“A difference—big be,” Jhosep grunted.

“Bah, I can’t see it, Jhosep,” Benedict laughed.

“Mmh…”  Fiona tried to ignore them, humming a song with Gisele.

Isabel and Edelira chuckled at the Fairy’s response, and Rachel was a little shocked how shy Fiona was acting—she was usually the little bundle of energy floating around, high on sugar.

The younger of the twins poked her sister’s side, holding out her hand with a small grin.  “C’mon, Edel.”

“Mmh … not yet,” she whispered, brushing back her blonde hair.  “I’m not ready.”

“Hmm?”  She poked her side a few more times before Edelira waved it away.

Alberto was still focused on Benedict as he sat Rose down to hop back over to Rachel.  “Are you joking or serious; I can never tell with you.”

“Joking,” Isabel instantly stated as her sister followed with a grin.

“Serious.”

Both chuckled as Benedict pointed at each of them to say they were both right.  “TRUE!”  He ignored the question and hovered over to Fiona, giving her plenty of space.  “So, Fiona … What’s your favorite food?”

Interrupting her song, she brushed back her hair, sitting on Gisele’s back as she hovered in the air.  “... Homemade, really … But that’s not the point; there are assassins below your feet.  Shouldn’t you be preparing?”

“Gmmmgh…”  Máximo scratched between his eyes at all the antics his people went through, tone blunt.  “That the American Fairy is the one to state that is … frustrating.”

“Indeed,” Araceli mumbled beside him.  “We head into combat in a few minutes.”

“Some of us do,” Isabel said as an off-handed comment.  “Oops!  Did I say that out loud?”  she asked, giving Araceli an apologetic smile.

Máximo took a calming breath twisting an unlit cigar around his hands before handing it to the black-haired woman, her deep brown eyes staring at the amused twins.  “Anyway … Rachel.  How many?”

Scarlet was the one to answer, all smiles; of course, their own group had their fair share of frivolous conversations in stressful situations.  “Umm … they’re a few meters below the foundation.  Actually, they’re basically ready; there are about … 48 … 51 in total,” she mumbled, glaring at the ground.

Ernesto’s eyes widened, gaze shifting to Al with concern.  “Fifty … If they caught us off-guard with that many changed people…”

“Demi, apparently,” Benedict corrected.

Jhosep laughed.  “Demi, or whatever…” a shimmering brilliance lit the dim basement space as a sword and shield came into his arms, “we shall purge Cuba of her traitors and scum!”

Scarlet shrank away from the white rays; it wasn’t strong enough to really hurt her like Maria might, but it could cause damage that would be slow to heal if she were cut.

The summoned eye of Liliana’s closed for a moment, sliding up to project an image of two companies of Demi and presumably Champions, walking down a long road.

Máximo’s nose twitched, lips becoming a line.  “... Did you know about that?”

“I did,” Rachel replied.  “They’re still five miles out and could have been your own people for all I knew.  To be sure, I was going to wait until you cleared out these assassins.  It shouldn’t take that long.  Right?”

“A likely story,” Araceli whispered, her brown irises giving them a dirty glare.

Al was the only one nearby that wasn’t reacting to the information in a worried manner; his muscles were loose, waiting for orders to be issued.

Freddy, the explosions guy, had been listening the entire time, but now he raised his hand.  “Eh … Aye, Máximo, can I just, ya know, blow the hole in?  Ya rush ‘em and all—launch the first attack?  … Just seems like the thing ta do.”

“Oh, I like that plan!”  Benedict floated over to him.  “The sooner we handle this whole affair, the sooner I can work on making a good meal for Fiona to try!”

“You know, he’s a little sweetie, isn’t he?”  Nia giggled.  “Fiona’s still giving him the cold shoulder, though, poor guy.”

Mmh … He is a Pixie, and Fiona’s Irish … she probably has a better understanding of their nature than we do.

Nia gasped.  “No!  Are you jealous she’s getting attention?!”

No?  Rachel mumbled.  You can’t be sensing that … Am I?  She was starting to doubt her response since Nia was connected to her emotions and mind.

“Mgmgh … mmmh … mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!  I did it!  I made … I made you doubt yourself!  Nia is the greatest mastermind of the hollow sun of despair!”

… Why did I even…  she released a sad sigh; the little teenage Living Denier had actually got one over on her.

“He-he-he, umm, heh … anyway … so, he isn’t trying to hurt Fiona … right?!”

I don’t know—I need to study his tiny body more to get a proper read on him.

“Good!  Nobody hurts Fiona, or Scarlet, or Maria, or Selvaria, or you, or—well, I can make fun of you—or Gisele … Nia is the Abyss of Infernal Doom Protection!”

Mhm … You really got a healthy dose of Scarlet.

Nia was suddenly glaring at her from her private corner of Rachel’s mind.

What…

“Why’s that bad?  Who, my bunny, bunny tail fluff machine, was it that let lil’ ol’ junior Nia be worn by the adorable super fang Vespertine Reaper?  Hmm?  Hmm?!  Scarlet’s like my mom!  Kind of … And I feel like you’re making fun of my mom!  Not cool, Secret Society Member Lunar Abyss … Not cool.”

Rachel paused … she hadn’t thought about it in that light before, realizing it was true; Nia first imprinted on Scarlet—although, she had to wonder if that was also a part of Moongmor’s plan … perhaps to even break down a few of her barriers to allow for various other outfits the Rabbit-Moon Deity liked.

You’re right, Nia … I’m sorry.  Scarlet is incredible, and so are you.  I love you.

“Love you, too, subordinate!  Okay, let’s get back to the action!  Shhh!  I’ll miss things…”  She gasped.  “Oh!  My super popcorn is ready!  Yeeesss!”

Uh … Super popcorn? She shook her head, if only internally. Okay, back to the important stuff.

Máximo, Ernesto, and Jhosep discussed the strategy of their attack, consulting Freddy on how controlled the explosion would be.  Scarlet was roped into the conversation, providing information on the areas the hole was being leveled out at.

Al was focused on Luis’s sleeping form, Alberto had his attention pulled away by her Rabbit Gang again, while Fiona tried to ignore the Pixie, and Gisele acted as mediator.  The eyes were observing everything in creepy silence.

However, Isabel stole her attention shortly after Nia went to grab her imaginary snack, or maybe try to make her jealous that she had some kind of snack … Rachel couldn’t be sure with the kid’s chaotic mind.

The younger twin scooted over with a questioning smile on her bright face, eyeing her body with a small smile.  “So … What’s up with your cool outfit?  Is it a modern fashion in the U.S.?  I mean … those ripped tights, stylin’ belt—oh, and what do you call that top … It’s so bold!”  

“She’s talking about me!  I’m bold!  Nia, the ultra-giga-chad that puffs her chest out with pride, proclaiming world conquest to the sheep of every land!  See, Rachel?!  See?!  Edgy is totally in!  Oh!  We should tell Scarlet!”

Rachel ignored the girl’s hype, giving the peppy twin a short chuckle.  “I’m afraid it’s not common in the U.S. … Eh, and this is just a fairly revealing corset, which is nowhere close to popular fashion in the States.”

“Mmh…”  the girl continued to eye her.  “Shame … ‘cause you’re killin’ it!”

Nia was about to have a heart attack.  “She loves me!  Look!  Look at Rachel’s ass!  Isn’t it big!  I do such a good job!  Cheer Nia and the Secret Society of butt coverers!”

Are you serious?  Butt coverers … Nia…

“Is awesome!”

She was very glad no one could hear her clothes.

Isabel was totally into it, though.  “You should help me get something cool like that!”

Edelira walked over, giggling at her sister’s comments.  “I don’t think you’d make it work like she does, Izzy.”

“Mhm … You know we have the same body type.”

“Which is why I know,” she grinned.  “We’ll never pull something like that off … Eh, not to be crude, but … How do you keep your boobs from jumping out?”

“I know!”  Nia huffed.  “You really have no idea!  None!  I do such a good job!  Nothing escape’s Nia’s threads; not even Rachel’s big boobs!”

Rachel’s eyes closed, rubbing her temple at Nia’s shameless outbursts.  “My ... clothes are magical.”

Isabel’s eyes sparkled.  “For real—for real for real?”

“Yup.”

The elder twin pursed her lips to the side.  “Like the things Juan can do?  He made us magical bullets, but not outfits.”

Rachel plucked at one of the threads pressing against her core with a forced smile as Nia continued to go crazy in her mind.  “Actually ... a lot more magical than that.”

The girls gave each Rachel impressed looks, Isabel ending in a low cry.  “Aww…  Why do Americans get all the good stuff?”

“Aye…”  Máximo snapped his fingers, drawing everyone’s attention before speaking in Spanish, telling them to get ready.

Rachel, Fiona, and Scarlet hung out with her pets as the leader of this rag-tag resistance got together to discuss his plan; there were nods and glances their way when he was probably talking about how distrustful he was of them.

Araceli, Luis, and Freddy, after he blew up the hole, would be left behind with them from the looks of things.  With Lilian and Juan being left above, that meant the Las Tunas lieutenant attack force would make up eight individuals, including Máximo.

The forces below were just about ready to come up, but with their numbers, it was taking too long to organize, and there were more than a few that didn’t seem to want to be there at all, which was odd since, from what she understood, it was a volunteer mission.

“We can help,” Rachel offered.

Máximo shook his head, pointing at her to stay behind.  “... I’m trusting you with my precious people … Prove you are here to help us.”

“If that’s what you want…”

His opinion wasn’t shared among all his people, by their sighs and grunts, but they accepted his decision.

“Still, if things get out of hand, we can jump in to help out.”

“We won’t need it,” Máximo growled, giving Araceli a pointed stare that said, ‘watch them.’

Scarlet, Fiona, and Rachel retreated for Freddy’s explosion with the others; she had no doubt they would have trouble, but the real issue was when they should intervene.

* * *

 

Edelira’s folded arms were pressed tightly against her body; it was getting to the grit now.

She glances over at the Americans, standing in the dim basement light.  They didn’t seem all that bad, but looks could be deceiving.

Benedict had undoubtedly fallen for the Fairy girl; of course, the little she’d heard about fairies from the stories growing up, they went from an innocent chick to devilish fiend.  She didn’t want to see Benedict hurt, but he was a big boy.

Her sister nudged her side with a slight smirk and wink.  “I called it!”

“Fine…”  Edelira sighed, bending down and jumping into the air; her world became hyper-focused as she transformed into a Makarov pistol.  She entered a cramped black mental space.

She released a low groan as her younger sister swiped her out of the air, spinning her around—Isabel was always so rough with her.

In a mundane fashion, she glared at the bullets hovering before her; everything on her person morphed, so long as it all weighed less than 20 lbs, combined.  The 9mm bullets she hid in her custom bra and around her belt floated before her naked body; Edelira had control over which ammo they used, and if it was standard rounds, she had unlimited, with the caveat that they vanished after doing their damage.

“Careful, Izzy … you’ll bruise me if you grip that hard, and don’t get me started on how brutal you are with my trigger.”

“I’m not that rough with you—you just like being a baby about not being first.”

“Well maybe if I could try it more than twice a week!”

“Fine.  Fine.  You get next time!”

“Heh … knew you’d break.”

“Maybe I like to be gripped hard!”

“Boo!  Not pulling that on me.”

Izzy giggled.

Her focus turned to Freddy as he ran back with laughter; he’d summoned a magical bomb, saying he’d been preparing this baby for the past five days, and it should be enough to do the trick.  They all took cover behind a wall as he blew it.  A large hole appeared, eight feet across, as it crumbled below.

Edelira leaned back to get a better view as her sister cocked her, and Benedict gave the Fairy a thumbs up and bright smile.  “I’ll be right back!”

She played the shy card, but that only made her friend more motivated, darting into the hole at a much quicker pace than Ernesto and Jhosep.  The two tanky men jumped out behind a wall first, roaring at the top of their lungs as they charged.

Typical men…  Of course, her sister was right behind them with her in hand, screaming a ferocious cry of her own—iron grip bruising her butt, as usual.

A flurry of green mist exploded through the chaos as the Pixie sent his disorienting dust into the cavity; Alberto was humming in his annoying voice, aiming the vocal stream with his abilities to cause physical pain to those below.

Of course, Araceli, the aggravating woman, was staying behind with the Americans; she was infatuated with Máximo, which, sure, he was an alright dude, but she was way too into him.

Máximo was right behind Izzy, Al by his side; Freddy stayed back to enjoy his little firework as Liliana’s eyes hovered around, trying to catch every moment of the battle.

Getting ready for battle, Edelira loaded in her enhanced bullets; they were as good as the best Soviet or American armor-piercing rounds and should get the job done.  Edel just hoped her sister wouldn’t overheat her again … and the first pull Isabel made against her trigger reminded her how harsh Izzy was—it was like she was yanking her hair every so often.

“Careful … I’m delicate,” she groaned, looking down the narrow sights she had at what Izzy was focused on.  Her twin could see what Edel saw, which made for a much better scope than any standard model; she also had a little power to nudge the barrel in the right direction.

“Way too delicate,” Isabel returned.

Bullets were fired one after another; she internally cheered every time her sister hit her mark.  They’d entered the hole; it was massive, but they appeared to have built a ramp coming up because it sloped down at least thirty feet and was another thirty across.

Al was by Máximo’s side, punches crushing lizard and furry people left and right as poison globs sent others to the floor, screaming in pain.

Jhosep and Ernesto led the charge, rushing down the center as the Dragonewt slashed and bit the soldier’s arms off as they raised them to cast strange elemental spells at them, which simply deflected off his scales or Jhosep’s armor.

Benedict was near the ceiling, sprinkling dust across the opposing forces as Alberto caught up to her in the back, singing in a voice that couldn’t even make a mother proud—not to mention, threw off her sister’s aim even more than normal.

“One down, two … He resisted my shot … Nice, Al got him … Double-tap, Sis—up a little … oof, my butt!”

“Stop backseat driving!”

“I’m the car!”  Edel huffed.  “Geez, every time—those gorilla hands make it so I can’t sit for hours.”

“I know, I know … Wait, I don’t have gorilla hands!  Ah, YEAH!  Headshot … Wait, do you see that woman way down there?”

Edelira zeroed in on her sister’s pointed finger; sitting on a horse, in the back of the crowd, was a beautiful caucasian woman wearing blue jeans, a plaid button-up shirt, and a cowboy hat sitting atop her brown hair—her two rifles caught Edelira’s eye, one strapped to her horse and the other across her shoulders.  Her old-fashioned belt had a meat cleaver on one end and a revolver on the other.

Most of the Demi sent to take them out were getting bodied by the frontal crew, dizzy from the dust and voices in their heads, caused by Benedict, while Alberto made their ears bleed.

However, the woman in the back was just frowning while twisting her pinky in her ears, glaring at the calamity around her with a dull expression.

“Eh … hey, is she riding a horse—underground?”

“I mean, they did come a long way,” Isabel chuckled.  “She is a ripe target at that height, though!”  Her twin raised her up, focusing on the girl’s bored expression.  “Bang!”

Just before Isabel pulled the trigger, the girl’s blue eyes shifted to her, and she lifted up what appeared to be a steel flask.  The bullet hit the object, harmlessly bouncing into the darkness.

“No way!”

“Did she just…”

Zoomed in, Edelira watched the girl take a long, annoyed breath as the flask fell, using her free hand to pull her bandana over her mouth, gaze shifting across the battlefield.  Isabel shot two more bullets, yet somehow the flask stopped it again, and her frustrated, blue irises returned to them.

“You gotta be kidding me!  What’s that thing made of?”

“Alright, get her leg and then head!”  Edelira offered.

“Yeah…”

The woman brushed back her thick brown hair and readjusted her cap as the bullets let loose; this time, the horse hopped out of the way.  Edelira tried to correct her sister’s aim, but the steed was shockingly fast.

“Okay, I have a bad feeling about that one,” Izzy mumbled, backing up a little to look at the others.  Edel kept her focus on the woman as her sister scoped out the battle.

“What’s happening?”  she asked, glaring at the impossible to hit woman, standing at least fifty feet back.

“It’s clearing up—Why’s she not attacking; almost all her guys are toast?  Benedict’s dodging all the spells and stuff they’re throwing—heh, basically at each other since their brains are mush.  Jhosep, the idiot, is bleeding from his stomach; part of his armor’s broken.”

“Al?”

“He’s good; we can’t even break past his skin; remember, when he asked us to try?”

“Idiot…”

“Yeah … Ernesto’s good—he’s got people running from him, and can Alberto stop that stupid nail-biting…”

The woman on the horse released another groan as she unscrewed the top of the seemingly impenetrable flask, took a swig, and tossed it to the side; Edelira was a little surprised as it vanished in red light.  She was a little distracted, but it still wouldn’t have helped—the woman slung her rifle off her shoulders and took aim in half a second.

“!!!!”

Her twin instantly felt her panic and reversed their transformation; the in-between phase would grant them a moment of invulnerability.

Edelira’s eyes came into focus as a spray of red liquid struck the side of her face, and crimson crystal spread out in front of them.  Her focus fell to her right with Ernesto—the bird-like man’s hellish song still hung in the air as he dropped to the floor, half of his skull missing.

Looking up, she saw the Americans in between them; a jagged barrier had saved her from the woman’s lightning-fast shots—in fact, without the icy shell surrounding Benedict, the crimson shield protecting her, and the rabbit-eared girl taking a bullet for Jhosep, they’d all be dead.

The remaining attackers cheered at the young woman’s intervention, but a moment later, a gust filled the space; the Fairy whipped up a dust storm that pulled in what remained of the screaming men before the crystal barrier turned to spears, skewering everyone inside.

“W-What’s happening…”  Isabel gasped.  “Is … Where’s…”

Edelira soon found Máximo beside Al; the massive man fell to his knees, cradling his large, muscular arm that had a large chunk of flesh blown off, but his shaking hands soon moved toward Máximo … Their leader’s head was blown clean off.

“... No way…”

“How could she … Did you even see?”

Alberto and Máximo … They’re dead…

 

* * *

 

“Rachel!”  Nia shouted.  “Y-You’re bleeding!  Who is this lady?!  She needs to suffer in the depths of…”

I’m fine, Nia…  Rachel returned, cold eyes appraising the young woman as she reached up and dug the bullet out, just below her collar bone.  Her nose twitched at the pain, but the woman had retreated several meters the moment they appeared, shooting during the leap.  She’s a Legendkin … for sure.

“I don’t care!”  Nia cried.  “Super punch her face off!  I … I’m supposed to protect you!”

Rachel scratched the base of her left ear before looking at the glowing red slug in her palm, dripping white liquid.  “... You good, Fiona, Scarlet?”

“Me?”  Scarlet mumbled, rushing over to her as her blood closed around them again.  “Look at … I can see your blood, Rachel—outside of your body!”

The woman just watched them from a far distance, vision scanning the swift destruction Fiona and Scarlet had created.

If she’d wanted to, she could have killed one of the twins during that moment—hell, the sharpshooter could have attacked the same place on her own body and done massive damage—she was fast enough, and hitting the same place several times probably wasn’t that much of a feat for her.  Fiona’s Ice Shield may have increased in Levels and Grades, but it was still vulnerable to that sort of attack.

Shit…  Her ears twitched with agitation.  Máximo’s dead …  We were supposed to jump in before casualties happened.

The woman smacked her lips a few times, obviously not liking the fact they’d successfully blocked her bullets; Rachel was a little taken aback when she summoned a flask to drink from it, mumbling, “gah ... Such a shit job…”

Fiona tried to get Benedict to calm down after seeing the bullet in the ice near his head while Scarlet fussed over her.

“You aren’t hit anywhere else—Rachel, talk to me!  Why’d you just take it…”

“I’m sorry … I’m sorry…”  Nia cried in response.  “It’s my fault…”

“No, Nia … It’s not your fault,” Rachel whispered, “and I’m fine, Scarlet—I’m just not at my best underground.”

“R-Right…”

Scarlet’s angry, vampiric eyes darted to the young woman as she finished her drink.  The girl’s blood formed a portal right beside the Legendkin, and Scarlet jumped through, her scythe materializing as she exited to land in her hands.  “You’re dead…”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed as the woman held up her gun to block it.  “H-Hey!  Hey, there, lil’ lass!  I—oh, shit … Aww, screw it…”

Rachel dashed forward as Scarlet jumped back to dodge her horse, appearing out of red light nearby to attempt a forward kick, but the fanged girl vanished in shadows to emerge behind the woman; crystal blood continuing to attack her front.

The woman dispersed into red light—now, on her horse in response; her left hand wielding her pistol as she fired at the back of Scarlet’s head; her crimson blood enclosed Scarlet again.

“Bad cess to ya,” the Legend grumbled.

[Bad cess to - may evil befall. “‘Red Slavin, bad cess to him!’ and her eyes regarded her questioner with renewed anxiety.” Randall Parrish, Bob Hampton of Placer.]

Her next shot was at Rachel, and she tried to dodge, but this girl’s aim wasn’t normal; her bullet was on point, right between her eyes as Nia screamed—a thick ice shell enclosed around her, blocking the four follow-up shots and giving her enough time to change directions.

The moving shield shattered as she leaped in the air, spinning around to kick the young woman, and Scarlet’s scythe closed around her neck—she dropped her gun, holding up her hands with a forced grin.  “Surrender!  Uh … heh-he-he…”

Lips tightening, Rachel eased the force on her kick and pulled in to flip past her; Scarlet’s scythe turned to liquid, enclosing the young woman in blood.

“Eh … I’m kind of shocked that … oof…”

Scarlet’s blood rose to defend her head as a bullet hit between the Legend’s eyes.

“What are you waiting for?”  Edelira growled.  “Kill her!”

“Umm … Rachel?”

“Hey!  I surrendered!  C’mon!”  the woman groaned.  “Gah … I need a drink … ugh … I’m out … do, uh … any of you have any?”  she asked with a forced grin.  “Oh, and I’ve got this itch behind my ear … C’mon, Vampy—I’ve got boobs, too … not so tight!  And did you really have to put that blood around my horse, too?”

“Uh … Rachel?”

Rachel hissed as Scarlet turned to her for a response.  “... I get it, Edelira—she killed your leader…”

“Hey!  Hey!”  the woman chuckled.  “I’m just doin’ a job.  Okay?  I was promised some fun, but … uh, yeah … this wasn’t exactly what I signed up for,” she grumbled, glancing around at the carnage.  “Not ta mention—y’all crazy strong—ya took a straight bullet, Ma’am!  Like … for real?”

“... I did good?”  Nia tentatively asked.

Great.  “Okay … Edelira,” she sighed as Scarlet blocked another bullet.

“... That one was Izzy,” she mumbled, not happy with how things were going by her muscle twitches.

Jhosep and Ernesto had retreated to check on Máximo and Al, the Crusader nursing mild wounds.

“H-He’s really dead,” Ernesto whispered in disbelief.

The Crusader made a cross and said a prayer in Spanish.

“Give me a moment with her,” Rachel said, rubbing her shoulder blade; her blood was thick and sticky.  “So … if you want to live, then tell us who you are, what Legend you’re from, and your place in this war.”

The woman’s lips tightened as Scarlet squeezed her.  “C'mon ... The boobs … Okay—okay … I’m Grace Alexander.  I was kind of offered this little … I don’t know, a pamphlet of sorts to come and hang out—I admit, it was kind of shady, but sounded fun—so … Yeah.”

“Your legend?”  Fiona asked, floating down with the hesitant Pixie.

“... Man, y’all got some insane homies—right, legend…”  she gasped.  “Gah … have mercy … Heh … I’m the Legend of Calamity Jane!  It’s a pleasure to meet y’all!  Oh, and I’ve got no real part in all of this—this war, you called it?”  Her tongue clicked.  “Yeah … not a clue!  Now … Can I get that drink?  My throat’s a little dry.”

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