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The water and wind beat against Vasishtha's soaked shirt and face, but a grin split his lips while hauling Luka through the storm; life had been interesting since coming to the U.S., and he was happy to forget the drama back home—still, he knew he couldn’t leave it be forever—eventually, his exile would come to an end.

Turning down a side street to find a bit of cover in an alleyway, he set down the wheezing man he carried.  “Heh, sorry, my man; I know bein’ tossed about on my shoulder isn’t the best, but—ah, here we go!”

“W-Wha … Hold up!”  Luka protested as Vasishtha unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to him before sweeping the guy into a princess carry.  “What’s this for?”

“Your face!  We’re gonna pick up the pace, and I don’t need ya drowning while getting peppered by rain; ha-ha, ya heard the girl—we gotta be movin’!”

Starting his jog, he steadily accelerated back to the road.  Luka pulled his hood strings tighter and tried to keep the shirt bunched in front of his face to defend against the gale and downpour.  “Why am I here?”

“Ha-ha-ha!”

Vasishtha’s smile fell a little after tasting the liquid spraying into his mouth; he raced through the stormy night, sharp brown irises cutting past the hazed environment as if it weren’t even there.  Rachel insinuated someone was out there, and he needed to watch for an assassin.

The Lion Warlord’s interest in him smelled of foul play, as well—he’d been set up—but by who and what, he couldn’t say.  Over the past few days, he’d been meticulous in tracking everyone he came across and kept close tabs on those spying on him.  Naturally, he expected to draw attention—it was his style—but someone had found some way to incriminate him.

Nemesis was a man of honor and a warrior at heart.  Sure, he wasn’t against dirty tactics but didn’t feel the need to employ them, so far as he could tell, and Vasishtha considered himself an excellent judge of character.

The Lion was protective of those under his umbrella and had a great deal of pride in his abilities, which had caused some scares, or so some of the women he’d slept with had insinuated.  A Legendkin was doing great work fighting for her fellows in the district, pulling the women in that needed it, and Nemesis seemed perfectly comfortable holding the banner.

In truth, Vasishtha had gained a degree of respect for Nemesis from the way the women in his area talked about the beastman; yes, he was brutal, yet such methods were often the only answer to those that offered the same hand—leverage, in some form or another, was always required, and raw power was hard to challenge.

Vision narrowing, his abs tightened upon darting between the tiniest hint of human interaction with the environment he passed; Vasishtha had seen a lot of things in Cuba that reflected in the inequality of his own home.

Of course, a lot was different, and he couldn’t understand most of the locals, yet he could see the pain in people’s eyes.  The U.S. was much the same—nowhere was free from suffering.  Perhaps Sumit was right, but I cannot go back on my word … Be safe in Krishna's hands, my friend.

It didn’t take long to bypass Noah’s security detail; he’d scouted everything days in advance.  Throughout his time in Havana, he’d gotten to know enough of his people to understand their habits from the bars he frequented.

Vasishtha arrived in the cluster of houses they were using as their base of operations—Noah’s original living residence—and set Luka down just out of sight from the guards, peering out of the windows.

“You good?  Hey, heh, keep your footing, Man,” he whispered, glad the rain and wind were masking their voices from anyone short of godly-level, such as Rachel’s hearing.  Vasishtha held onto him until his shaky legs found themselves.

Luka’s teeth chattered, arms closed around his shoulders while shaking his head.  “N-n-no…”

Vasishtha playfully slapped him on the back with a chuckle, forcing him to put more attention into stabilizing himself.  “C’mon, Man; ya got a jacket on and everything!  You ready to get inside, though, hmm—maybe find a good breast to lay that head-on?  Woah—he-he-he!”

“Mgmgm…”  Luka stumbled forward again, almost falling as the wind struck his side had not Vasishtha steadied the Cuban.

The men peering into the night instantly latched onto them, showing their sharp sight, and Vasishtha could tell they would cause a ruckus by his bare chest in the roaring tempest.  “We should get goin’; don’t want them to have too much time to think about us…”

Helping the man forward, he swiftly swapped to the opposite side as he threw up, coughing a bit while likely cursing in Spanish.

Making it to the door, it was cracked open for them to enter, which was nice of them; not so nice, the dagger at his throat as it shut and the two men pointing offensive spells in his face.  Gibberish was tossed around as Vasishtha held his hands up a tad before pausing when the knife pressed against his Adam's apple.

A woman rushed forward to pull Luka away, speaking to him with concern while her pretty brown eyes hounded Vasishtha.

“Hey, hey—let’s not get carried away!”  he chuckled, tilting his broad chin up to talk only for the edge to rise with him.

“Stand down—he’d kill all of you if he really wanted…”  Everyone fell silent as a deep voice cut through the space, and a bronze-skinned colossus of a man walked down the stairs with two men following him.

Noah was at least eight feet tall, head brushing the ceiling of his house, which showed marks that were probably accidentally made by his passing through the weeks.  He wore a baggy shirt that seemed to have been roughly stitched together to accommodate his growth, and his hard eyes showed an inner power that excited Vasishtha.

He was strong but in a far more controlled way than what he’d come to expect from seeing the Lion King, and Noah wasn’t as practiced in physical altercations; he was sure if the two met, it would be this man’s defeat.  Still, that didn’t mean he was a pushover.

“Hey,” Vasishtha greeted, chuckling a little as the man with the knife promptly withdrew his knife but cut his shoulder bag strap in the process, retreating with it.  “No need to be uncivil; I come in peace!”

“A random person from India, that from what I hear, fornicates with a lot of women,” one man grunted.

“Aren’t women allowed to be with whomever they please?”  Vasishtha asked, lifting an eyebrow.  “It isn’t as if they are your possession.  Am I right, my ladies?”

His grin turned toward the three women in the room who frowned and glared at him, probably not knowing what he said—maybe.

The man that had taken his pack unzipped it and tossed a few things to his buddy while muttering, “Ugh, I don’t like him … Eh, what’s this, Raul?”

A man holding a water-like spear in his direction closed his fist and pulled the liquid into a jar attached to his belt, moving to look at the device.  “A radio … So we were right, he’s working for a rival faction—Leonardo?”

“Give it back to him, Martin—you heard Noah.”  The six-foot-tall panther Beastkin nudged his head to the corner of the room where a group of chairs had been placed.  “I assume you came here to talk—English is fine?”

“Indeed, my friend,” Vasishtha laughed, taking the bag back from the reluctant men.

Luka puffed out a long breath, rubbing his shoulders upon getting control of himself.  “Eh … Yeah, yeah—no, I’m fine, Talía—brrr … I’m just cold … N-Noah, I, umm … That’s a radio to their leader—”

“Calm down and rest, Luka,” Noah interjected; his studious gaze hadn’t left Vasishtha, and he knew the man was trying to gauge his response to the men and women to better understand him.  “Victoria, can you warm him up a little?”

He stepped to the side of the stairs as a beautiful brown-skinned woman descended, arms folded under her chest while studying the scene.  “Of course … Come, Luka, sit with us by the fire,” she soothed, and Vasishtha felt an atmospheric wave weave through the room that settled around the man, causing the liquid to steam off him and his clothes to dry.

“Th-Thank you, Victoria,” Luka mumbled, smiling at the woman as Talía guided him to the couch.

In the manner she guided and fussed over him, Vasishtha could see him having a shot with her; she wasn’t unattractive, but maybe a few years older than Luka, which was fine in his book.

Vasishtha followed the others to the couches, acting as if the tense atmosphere hadn’t existed.  “I’ll get straight to the point, my friends—ugh, this has a good bounce to it, heh—hmm, so … Someone is on their way to assassinate you, Noah, and I’m here to stop it.”

“Huh?”

Everyone froze, some mid-sit, and gave him a stupefied look—everyone but Noah, that was.

“What makes you say that … It isn’t like assassination is new to us,” he calmly stated, taking up much of a sofa himself and making it creak a little.  “I know you’re strong, Vasishtha; I’ve had reports sent back to me about your actions through my area … I want to thank you for the help you’ve offered the many women and men in need.  Can you be a little more specific?”

Spreading his arms out on his lonesome, Vasishtha’s lips bunched to the side, a little disappointed none of the women sat next to him; although, the unnamed woman and Victoria got into a whispered Spanish conversation after Noah’s remark that piqued his interest.

“Hmm … speakin’ about this radio … Here!”

Vasishtha tossed it to the man to catch, causing tense muscles again.

“Oh, c’mon; lighten up!”  he snickered, dropping the back to the side.  “So, uh, I’m currently chillin’ with the U.S. Military, and the big-shot general wants to speak to ya.  I’m here to say or do nothing else but relay that message and make sure your heart stays pumping!

“On that note—yuup-ugh—there we go…”  He got back to his feet, winking at the women and moving to one of the windows to peer through the rattling window, but there seemed to be a protective film some Demi used to reinforce the sheets.  “I’ll just be by my lonesome, waiting to play the hero!  Of course, I’m not against a little company,” he added, directing his flashing teeth to Victoria.

She smiled and chuckled, turning back to the other Cuban woman, but a second glance told Vasishtha she’d likely come over to chat soon enough.

Leonardo cleared his throat.  “Noah, if there is a threat…”

“Hmm … I know.  Raul?”

He reached forward to take a much older and smaller radio off the table, speaking Spanish.  “¿Algo sospechoso?”

[Anything going on?]

“No!”

“¡Nada del Norte!”

[Nothing from the North!]

“He visto a una pareja moviéndose para cubrirse, pero nada más allá de eso.”

[Seen a couple moving to cover, but nothing beyond that.]

Several reports came in, but Vasishtha figured nothing of importance came because Raul growled.  “Se astuto; ¡te perdiste a dos personas que llegaron a la cabaña!”

[Be sharp; you missed two people that got to the cabin!]

“Ehh?”

“¿Necesitas respaldo?”

[Do you need backup?]

“No, estamos bien. ¡Estate atento!”

[No, we're fine.  Keep a lookout!]

Noah sighed, focus shifting to Luka as Talía moved to the kitchen to make a hot drink after bundling the young man in a blanket.  “What do you make of him, Luka?”

“Ahem … Noah, I…”  His focus drifted between them, a lump dropping down his throat.  “They promised to help my sister…”

“Fool,” Leonardo snapped, making him flinch and Victoria glance back at him.  “Don’t you think they’d promise the sun if you’d do what they want?”

“Hold up,” Noah muttered, leaning forward to look at the boy.  “Continue, Luka—don’t worry about what anyways says—I want your honest opinion.”

“Umm, it’s … it’s crazy … Insane.”  He licked his dry lips, hugging the blankets tighter around his frame while staring into the lit fire.  “This Mythickin Lunar Hare girl seems to be running the show … She’s kind of terrifying but really pretty.”

“Hermosa?”  Talía asked from the kitchen.  “¿Cómo es eso?”

[Beauitful … How so?]

“Eh … I don’t know how to describe it … It’s like the moon, really, but … but she’s also intimidating … She has this look and feel about her that makes you—I don’t know, nervous about what she might do—you just don’t know…”

Vasishtha snorted, drawing their attention.  “Heh, sounds about right—Rachel’s one of those women you don’t know what she’s thinking—and she be thinkin’ a lot!”

“Yeah … She’s confronting the Lion King right now…”

“What—you’re joking?  No, wait … We heard his roar not too long ago,” Leonardo muttered, tail stiffening and nose creasing.  “She’s going to kill the Lion King?”

Vasishtha popped his tongue once.  “Naa—not the feeling I got from her, which is a bit strange … he-he, another one of those Rachel mystery-moments; she’s a fighter—a real puncher of a gal, but my guess, she had something else in mind.  Still, I bet she could.”

 The throng glared at his statement, drawing into themselves to ponder his words as Luka shook his head.  “Maybe … She’s from the U.S. and already started—”

Everyone froze, a shiver running down their spines as a colossal beast’s cry shook them to their marrow, causing a grin to spread across Vasishtha’s face.  “Seems Selvaria, Ohan, and Maria just started their attack on the Northeast.”

Raul fell to the floor, quivering as the girl’s Fear Aura spread across the city, forcing residents to flee from the sea monster’s path; rumbles shook the ground as something massive moved its way onto land, and even the storm couldn’t blot out the sounds of destruction from the north.

Victoria rubbed her left arm as goosebumps cascaded down her skin.  “This—is the U.S. assault—what is it—what creature do you have?”

Noah took a deep breath, eyeing the device in his hand; gasping and horrified voices broke across his small radio as reports flooded in.

“¡Monstruo!  ¡Un monstruo vino del mar!”

“¡Ayudar!  Alguien, ayuda!”

“¡Correr! ¡Correr!”

“¡Godzilla! ¡Es Godzilla!”

[Monster!  A monster came from the sea!

Help!  Someone, help!

Run!  Run!

Godzilla!  It's Godzilla!]

He reached forward and handed the device to Leonardo.  “Direct the evacuation from anyone near the North—Vasishtha, am I to assume you aren’t attacking the people under my protection?”

“Not according to my knowledge.  Rachel’s been in this little game with someone from the North, and they’ve forced her to accelerate her plans.  All I know is that General Dallas has some urgent instructions for you, and I’d make contact soon—I’m just sayin’.”

“Hmm … Leonardo, I leave the defenses and retreat to you … Hello, am I speaking to General Dallas?”

“You are,” the general’s deep, sober voice returned, “and let me preface this discussion with a quick warning—you have people under the influence of a puppet master Demi in your midst.”

A knife flashed as Martin’s blade glinted in the firelight; Noah shot forward to defend Victoria, the woman’s eyes widening in shock as the edge went for her throat—he wouldn’t make it—not a hint of intent was behind the thrust.

He didn’t make it a foot to her slim neck before Vasishtha’s fingers clasped his wrist, pulling it to the fireplace as a thread-like flame shot out to hit a log, causing a combustion to lick the stone and lift into the chimney.

“Tsk-tsk-tsk,” Vasishtha hissed, freehand forcing the weapon out of his hands before drawing him into a chokehold.  “To go after such a beautiful woman is a sin, my man—you should really watch where you point such a thing … Women are a gift from Brahma.”

Noah’s tight expression softened as he slowly relaxed, watching the struggling man soon pass out and Vasishtha release him for the Bronze Titan to take.  “Hmm … Thank you … Raul, tie him up—we’ll try to handle this in a bit.”

“Wha—why would … Y-Yeah, okay, but Martin—he was a spy?”

“Controlled, I assume,” Victoria whispered hoarsely, rubbing her throat as the woman nearby teared up and pulled her away, trying to take the vocal Demi to the opposite room while looking uncertainly at the others, but Noah’s hand blocked their path.

“No, Ximena … We don’t know who’s been affected … Vasishtha, if you could keep her close—it seems someone’s after her life.”

“No, pero Noah, yo—yo no quiero que le pase nada a ella; ¡No podemos confiar en él!”  Ximena fearfully hissed, breathing heavily.  “Martin…”

[No, but Noah, I—I don’t want anything to happen to her; we can’t trust him!]

Victoria leaned in to hug her, whispering, “Ximena, quién fue el que me salvó?  Estaré bien.”

[Ximena, who was it that saved me?  I’ll be fine.]

Vasishtha hadn’t planned for this sort of duty but was more than obliged.  “By all means, my good lady!”  He gestured for her to join him by the window, “Allow me to pull up a chair for you; I need to remain vigilant in my other tasks, but I see no harm in pleasant conversation!”

He turned his attention away from Noah and Tom’s renewed conversation as they swapped to Spanish, losing interest with a beautiful face in front of him.  Naturally, he selected a comfortable armchair Raul had previously occupied to move for the lovely dark-haired woman, drawing a deep frown from the man as he restrained his friend.

Luka fell into nervous silence after the sudden incident as Leonardo relayed the information about everyone being careful to watch each other as he informed them about a new order, taking steps to not trigger any puppet orders.

Posted by the window, Vasishtha smiled while looking off into the night, peering beyond wood, stone, and water to see the various individuals around them; he had a similar feat of vision to Scarlet’s, if not so laced with bells and whistles involving clothing or internal organs, but he enjoyed the consensual type of stripping, not the other way around.

Victoria shifted her chair away from him toward the others, crossing her legs as she sat, adjusted her dress, and began the conversation.  “So, Vasishtha is the name you prefer, or is there something else that is easier on unfamiliar tongues?”

“Heh-he, Rach recently called me Vash, which has a certain ring to it—I think she’s starting to take a liking to me.”

“Oh?”  the beauty giggled, watching Ximena glare at him; Talía did the same, rushing back in to question the disapproving middle-aged Cuban woman.  “Are you involved with her, as well?  I’ve heard many interesting things about your … exploits over the last few days.”

“All good, I hope!  As for Rachel, eh-heh-he-ehrm … No, I don’t think I’m particularly her type.  I’m a little too free, and she seems like the possessive type—not that that’s bad, heh, just not me—besides, she has a rather handsome red-haired man back home.”

“Lucky girl … And, hmm-hmmm, I’ve heard quite a few possessive women speak about you, yet somehow they can’t seem to stay mad at you for getting so much attention from other ladies—might that be one of your powers?”

Vasishtha’s grinning eyes moved to a rather fascinating shift five buildings away in the downpour.  “Natural charm, I’d like to call it!  I do what I please, and I’m not shy about expressing how I feel—speaking of which, I can’t imagine I am the first man to point out your stunning beauty.”

“Is that what you see?”  Victoria asked, and he knew it was a test by her tilting lips and inflected tone.

Continuing to center on the displaced atmospheric conditions, Vasishtha hummed.  “Well … Men are creatures of sight, you see—would you not agree?”

Victoria snickered.  “Women are no less attracted to appearances, as well, and it isn’t as if you are lacking that department, but there has to be something more.”

“You flatter me!”  he returned, noticing the grumbles from the couch as Ximena complained to Talía.  “It is to be expected we would be instantly drawn like moths to a flame—the fire of your beauty melting the ice around our cold hearts … It is the qualities you possess after the first glance that is the harpoon which plunges into our chests and compels us into the magical allure women possess.”

“You act as if we are sirens?”  Victoria’s laughter made Vasishtha join her.

“In a way, you are right—especially with a voice as lovely as yours—haha, you drove the chill away from young Luka in an instant, filling the space with warmth.  I was moved by the gesture … What more could a man ask for but lay his head on a woman’s tender breast to act as a shelter from this cruel life that takes all it can from us, leaving barren and broken vessels for the machine?”

“Hmm … You are an interesting one, Vasishtha.”

“Kali is such a cruel mistress…”

“Excuse me?”

“I must go,” he whispered, depressed he had to depart her company.  “Luka, my boy, take this…”

A red sword that pulsated with fervent energy shimmered into existence as he called upon it and tossed the weapon to the man; hands shooting out of the blankets in shock, he caught it by the hilt, or more like it had slid into his grasping hands.

Astonished at the blade’s movement, he stiffened as energy sparked down to his arm, ripping his jacket apart to expose his arm and causing tattoos to illuminate down its length.  “W-Why are you giving me this … Uh, what is it doing to me?!”

“Ha-ha, don’t be so alarmed; live a little!  I need to be the hero, but I also need a wingman to guard the ladies; I can’t go in good faith without leaving them in capable hands!  Will you back me up, Luka?”

“I, uh … Woah, I … I kind of feel good right now…”  He grinned, getting up to stretch out his neck and shoulders.  “It’s like—wow—electricity running through my veins.”

“Aye, ya gettin’ the spirit, my man?  Ain’t ya gonna protect Talía if somethin’ bad happens?”

The woman’s eyebrows pulled together upon looking between them.  “I—you, what be doing to Luka … Luka…”

“No—No, I feel great!”  he said, flipping the blade around as it gave him a minor degree of natural enhanced aptitude; it was Vasishtha's current best supportive weapon.  “Uh, yeah, no, I got this … Woah, I could go save my sister with this sword…”

“He-he, let’s not get carried away; ya got a mission right now.  You got me?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, face hardening as the others gave him hesitant looks.  “Yeah, no, I got it!  You do whatever, Vash; I’ll hold things down—I won’t let anyone have their way like before—I’m gonna take out anyone that tries to hurt the people I care about!”

“Oh … You care for Talía?”  Vasishtha asked, mentally cycling through his available weapons for the best choice.  “I think she’s a pretty woman; what do you think?”

Raul and the other women’s mouths dropped open in surprise as Luka nodded.  “Talía?  Yeah!  She’s pretty cute.  I won’t let anyone put a scratch on her face, Man; don’t worry … I said I got it—go—mmgm!”

“What … did you do to him?”  Victoria mumbled, wide-eyed as the young man moved a bit away to begin practice swings with the weapon.  “He was such a timid boy, and now…”

“Bah,” Vasishtha rolled his left shoulder, “Luka’s always had a fightin’ spirit in him, I could tell, but I think everyone kept holdin’ him back.  All that sword does is enhance the welder's internal desires—heh, it can only influence what’s actually there!  Alright, Luka, keep the girls safe.”

“I said I got it, Man—why are you doubting me, huh?!  They think they’re gonna walk all over us because we aren’t as strong as them—think again!  I’m here now, and I’m gonna toss ‘em out!”

Noah ducked in from the kitchen to look inside; he’d moved into the space some time ago to discuss positioning and the future of Cuba with the U.S. general, and Leonardo had gone upstairs to coordinate their men.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Noah,” Luka puffed up his chest and brandished the sword.  “I’m not gonna let the North take anyone else—Talía, Victoria, all of us—I’ll protect us!”

“Ahem,” Vasishtha cleared his throat and gave Victoria a smiling wave before making his way to the Bronze Titan.  “Noah, I’ve spotted our pair of assassins—they’re pretty tricky with their camouflage, but you don’t need to worry about them.  Be prepared, though; I’m sure this isn’t their only plan.”

Noah’s expression hardened as Tom spoke over the radio.  “Speaking of which, my intelligence network tells me Sancti Spíritus has fallen—mushrooms took over the entire area—no survivors.”

“No…”  Raul mumbled, dropping to his knees.  “Hermano mayor…”

[Big brother…]

Talía’s vision fell to the carpet, tears welling in her eyes.  “¿Nadie sobrevivió?”

[No one survived?]

Luka’s jaw tightened, hands trembling with rage as she hid her face and started to weep.  “Her cousin was in that group…”

The veins popped out on Noah’s neck, a threatening aura growing around him as he growled.  “I had a lot of good men and women there … You’re sure—what happened?”

“So far as our on-site personnel report, fungus overgrowth took the population and sucked out their nutrients, leaving nothing but bones.  We spotted a single Cuban military vehicle leaving and tried to intercept it … My team went MIA just before making contact.

“I did a targeted drone strike next, but it appeared to have escaped into some kind of underground tunnel just before impact and cushioned the blow with mushrooms … Another skeleton was found when it split open, and the fact they had prior warning about the missile shows some kind of sensory member.”

“I’m assuming you’re telling me this because they were heading here, and the southeast is right in their path … The area we’re evacuating everyone?”

“Yes.  I suggest you focus on that while we take care of the city; we’re trying to discover where they are, but it’s going to be difficult given our unit placement, and I expect this user requires some kind of sacrifice to use their powers, likely a Witch-type enemy from our current data.  If she gets her hands on the tens of thousands that you’re pushing to the southeast…”

“I understand … I’m trusting you, Tom … A free election as we dictated; I want it sealed in writing and made public.”

“I know you’re taking a huge risk and leap of faith right now, Noah, but it puts the power back into the Cuban people’s hands … It’s a huge gamble on everyone’s part.  Out.”

Conversation ended, Vasishtha headed for the door yet stopped with his hand on the knob.

“Vash…”

“Hmm?”  He turned to Victoria as she gave him a weak smile.  “Stay safe.”

“Heh, I can’t die; I have a promise to keep, and I always keep my promises.”

Entering the cold night, Vasishtha’s lips fell into a slight smirk as he tracked the pair, and a new point of interest came into sharp clarity, causing a deep chuckle to shake his belly.  I see that beautiful brain of yours working … Clever girl.

A shower of radiant light encompassed the space, pushing back the rain into a shimmering rainbow around him as he called upon Divyam, one of the celestial bows that he’d practiced with the most in the trials he’d undergone in personal quests.

Time slowed as if Kali stood over him, and he drew in a deep breath that locked in his lungs; drawing back one of the three arrows that resembled a Brahmana curse, he took aim.

Droplets of rain glinted in their delayed fall while dark energy gathered around the scripted shaft; he could see a golden path cut through the haze, his target’s veil ripped away from the divine light that instantly cut through the dense storm to illuminate Vasishtha’s target.

Heart slowed, he felt every pump passing through his veins that twitched against the delicate, drawn sinew of the holy artifact.  Wind and rain became a whisper, his focused sight centering on the widening eyes of his target as the light stripped his concealment—a gray-haired man in his early fifties—his companion was revealed to his side, but Vasishtha only cared for his chosen target.

All sound died as time came to a halt, the great Kali wrapping her cold fingers around Vasishtha's throat, daring him to utter a single breath, sharp fingernails pressing against his skin, yet he remained still with the world until her chilled breath caressed his ears before fading away.  “I will have you in the end, Legend of Arjuna.”

Not this night.

A sonic explosion ripped through the air as he released, cracking the windows of the houses; the beam of dark light trailed after the quivering feathers on the arrow’s shaft in a helix pattern, passing through wood and stone unhindered to meet its target.

The tip of the barbed arrow met a wide blue iris, the man mid-leap, unable to even blink before the metal absorbed into its target and activated its curse; blackness took the organ, the bane instantly taking effect as the projectile’s full length disappeared, swallowed by the oculus.

Rain blanketed Vasishtha as he watched his mark leap away from his companion for a streak of unholy flames to streak through the storm; a dark disk formed at the back of a stunned hairy giant of a man, a savage grin lighting Rachel’s full lips as she kicked off to roundhouse kick his back, curving the shoddily dressed man’s spine and causing it to arch from the pressure.

A conflagration of dark fire engulfed him on impact, air leaving his lungs as he was launched ten meters for luminous gold-furred fingers to close around the figure’s throat, Nemesis’ rage-filled nostrils flaring as he instantly stopped the man’s acceleration and took his body into a building with a bestial roar.

Rachel used another platform to jump after, sparkling through the air with the dark fire and light surrounding her, but Vasishtha didn’t miss the smirking wink she gave him on the way down.

“He-he-he, c’mon, Girl—you gonna do him like that—oof…”

Vasishtha turned his attention back to the gray-haired man, breaking into a run and jumping to the rooftops to reach the point his arrow had struck.  Stopping, he shifted his bow to bend down and fish the blackened organ out of the dirty water on the flat roof, a smirk lifting the left side of his mouth.

So … you ripped your own eye out to stop the curse’s spread … Not bad, but unlucky for you, it seems Rachel’s given me the task of taking care of this on my own.

Rising to scan the faint traces he’d left against the mud along the roofs and alleys as he’d retreated to collect himself, Vasishtha scratched his thick eyebrow.  Well, I suppose we’ll have to see if you’re only good at hiding … Still, your friend’s ability to take some of my old sheets and amplify my scent to spread around was impressive.

“Huh, I think this might be a little fun,” Vasishtha muttered, pulling back his bowstring for an illuminated white arrow to form.  “How good are you at dodging something that’s not nearly instantaneous?  Because you can’t hide from my eyes.”

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