Jade cursed, the words unclear and easy to dismiss with all the pandemonium happening around them.
'Take them and run!' she remembered the Commissioner's words to Officer Kaneko as soon as they noticed the weird insects push through the five-hundred-meter line.
'But mum!'
'Moriko, get home and lock the doors!'
Jade hadn't hesitated in dragging the blond after the officer. They had to leave before things got more dangerous. Now here they were, running as the sounds of buzzing drew nearer behind them and the screams of people heightened.
Officer Kaneko dodged into an alley, waving the girls to follow her. After Jade had released Momo's home address in the blonde's place, the officer had determined the quickest route to get them there, but the streets had become dangerously rowdy as they pushed on.
"Can you girls keep going a bit more? We can't stop for too long," the officer said panting softly through shaky lips.
"C'mon, Blondie," Jade urged Momo.
"I need to go back for Mom, we shouldn't have left her back there!" Momo blurted out before turning to exit the alley but a buzzing form zoomed by, causing her to shriek and stumble back.
Jade clasped a hand over her mouth to muffle the rest of the sound before pulling her back. She turned to Officer Kaneko, "Let's go," she pulled Momo along more forcefully now.
As they continued she reached out to Kira telepathically, 'Kira! What's going on? The bug things have crossed the line!'
It took a while but Kira's voice reached her back, 'Technical difficulties, we're working on it.'
More screams reached them as they stepped out of the alley, they ran out into the open road to see groups of people dashing past them as the bugs seemed to be coming from the other side now.
"There's a subway up ahead, let's hide down there!" The officer leading them called, firing furiously as one bug crept dangerously close.
Jade was just about to follow when Momo grabbed her sleeve, pointing to one of the many monitors hoisted onto the side of a building. Live footage from a bird's eye view of the fight was being broadcasted.
And things weren't looking good for the trio of heroes that had arrived on the scene. Jade's hands unconsciously went to her necklace, a strong need to do something, anything at all, filled veins with emotion so powerful she feared she'd lose control.
'Kira...are you...'
'Things look worse than they are... really...'
'I can see you from here, moron! You three need help!'
'Jade there's nothing you can do! Now shut up and let me work!'
'Kira! Vermillion!'
Her grip on her jewelry tightened as she watched Kira take another hit from that Arius guy, the impact knocking her into the ground hard enough to make a small crater.
She should be there, she should be fighting alongside them, but she had no idea what to do, or how to go about it. There was also the fact that she didn't want to. It wasn't her job, and she'd gotten Momo back.
'What are you really afraid of?'
Troy's question echoed in the depths of her consciousness. The answer was one she knew even before the question was asked, it danced around her neck with each movement and haunted her dreams at night.
***
'Remember, Jade, if you lose this... you'll never be able to touch anyone again.' Ms. Hills hummed as she clasp the necklace around the young teen's neck.
'And it always has to make contact with my chest, blah blah blah,' She huffed, watching as the older woman slowly pulled off the gloves that had long since imprisoned her hands.
Two long years, unable to feel another's warmth on her skin. Two long years of being unable to look anyone in the eye.
After two long years of loneliness to finally experience the touch of another's skin to hers once.
***
She couldn't take the necklace off, if she lost it in battle, that would be the end of ever interacting with someone again.
She didn't know if she could ever go back to that. Especially not after coming so far. She turned to Momo who was still trying to get a glimpse of the screen as they ran towards the subway.
***
'Hi there and welcome to the Class 1C get-together! You don't look like you're from around here.'
'You could say that again!'
'And you're all alone.'
'I thought Japanese people loved minding their business.'
'Was that supposed to offend me?'
'Are you offended?'
The blond flashed a blinding smile, 'Not really!'
She rolled her eyes and tried to walk away, she'd only come to look around, she heard footsteps bound after her, followed by a startled scream before she was roughly tackled to the ground by the annoying blond.
'Sorry, I tripped,' the stranger chuckled nervously before peering closer at her, 'You look beautiful up close.'
Jade was sure she'd be bright red if blush could show on her skin, 'Whatever.'
***
Just a few words and persistent meetings had restored her confidence in being able to interact with the world again. Before she knew what was happening, she'd made a handful of strangers her world, wishing they'd stop their dangerous antics and just be.
All she could do was watch and hope until she couldn't watch anymore. There was the sound of screaming behind her, she spun to see Momo's eyes locked on the form of a falling billboard a few feet away. The demon insects had chewed its legs and it was tumbling forward at an alarming pace.
They were far enough that to not be in the landing zone, but there were still so many people running, a lot of them running, fear and desperation wafting into the air as the crowd continued to push against each other.
'Stop looking at me like that...'
'None of that has anything to do with me!'
The emotions bubbling up within her weren't her own, she didn't have to put her life on the line for strangers. She turned around and met the empty space where Moriko used to stand.
Her pulse quickened, and she scanned the area until she found a blond head of hair dashing toward the landing zone, struggling to get to a young wailing child even when the shadow of the falling contraption continued to lengthen on the ground.
'I know a place where you could fit in,' Ms. Hills' voice played in her mind.
'Really now?'
'There are other people like you, working to save the world and make a difference.'
'Not my thing.'
A chuckle, 'Kids are usually meant to jump at the chance to be heroes.'
'Give me a break,' a glance at her hands, 'How does a curse help anyone?'
She realized they wouldn't make it back in time almost immediately. Her pulse tripled just as the burst of power seeped out, chilling the air and causing waves of freezing ice to spill from the ground, spreading further up until a dome of glimmering ice trapped almost the entire street.
The sound of loud crashing caused the stunned people to flinch as the billboard made contact with the ice dome.
Jade sighed in relief when only a few shards shook loose from the structure. That had been way too close for comfort. And undeniably reckless.
In the crowd, no one would notice one inconspicuous teen with frost on her feet and hands. At least in this dome, the people would be safe from the bugs outside, the temperature was cold but not unbearably so. They'd just have to hold on until she was done helping Kira and the guys.
The decision had been made and even though she had no idea of how she'd fit into their equation, they needed her now.
She'd barely taken steps to find somewhere to transform when a hand was clasping at the hem of her jacket. Moriko was at her side, holding the lost child beside her own trembling form, she pointed past Jade to another mounted monitor that everyone else was gasping at now.
Jade faced the screen, unable to keep the shock from her face as she saw what was on. Arius was holding Demona by the neck, there was no sign of the other two, probably indicating that he had taken care of them earlier.
As far as the helicopter was, Jade could still pick out every detail. Kira's struggle to escape his grasp, her bloodied face, and the harsh movement of her lips as she struggled for air.
Arius spun to face the camera of the news chopper, "Behold your savior, Tokyo city! And quake in the face of ultimate power," he cackled, "But fear not, as there's allegedly one more! An ice user who's been absent for far too long...your comrades are dying dear wielder, come save-"
"Don't!" Kira's modified voice through her Mask boomed, sounding far more menacing than she ever would. Bright green orbs locked on the camera, and Jade felt completely bare before them like they were completely holding her in place, "Remember your promise!"
'Promise me, you'll look after everyone...'
Jade hissed through her teeth, 'Stupid Vermillion, keep your shit promise yourself, and don't die before I get there!' She communicated telepathically.
She had to get away from Momo, and fast.
***
Kira groaned as Arius threw her across the street again, launching forward to plant a hard kick to her jaw.
She spat up some blood, making a solemn promise to thoroughly disfigure him when the bones in her legs healed. After his power up, things spiraled downward unbelievably fast. They had swarms of insects coming from all directions. When Kuro took control of half the swarm, Arius would spawn more.
Kira tried to get a hold of him and tried to drain his abilities but he slipped out of her chains with his dematerialization ability.
They'd barely been able to regroup and before they knew what was happening, Arius had separated them in the heat of battle, taking down Kuro first and Troy before finally coming to her.
She could hear the slow beat of their hearts, allowing her the small relief that they were both alive and closer than she thought.
She gritted her teeth as she inspected her legs. While fighting off the bugs, one had managed to grab her by both legs and shatter the bones from the knee down.
Her regeneration abilities were all over the place trying to fix the more fatal injuries and that as well. She couldn't stand and her magic energy was draining rapidly.
She pushed herself to her knees using her staff as support to lessen the excruciating pain that flooded her system.
"You're quite the persistent one, Demona, I'll give you that at least," Arius mused as he took a few steps back to smirk down at her expression, "How does it feel to be at my mercy now? How humiliating it must be right? Unfortunately for you, I have no deals to make."
He grabbed the hair beneath her hood, tilting her face up to meet his, "I'll make your death as painfully slow as possible, starting with letting you watch as my pets devour your friends." He turned to the group of bugs seated on a lamppost, "Find the two and bring them here!"
He turned back to her, "You didn't want the ice wielder to show up right, then you shall all perish in their place."
He shoved her rough and pulled back, cackling madly as he went, "I'll conquer this city in the name of my Master!"
'What a pain,' Kira growled to no one in particular, 'Lucifer, how long until I can stand again?'
'Twenty minutes, maybe fifteen if you try to push it but you'll break down again in no time.'
'I can't wait twenty minutes,' she hissed, trying to push herself up but her feet buckled beneath her painfully, dread filling her as she spotted two bugs soaring back with the bodies of her teammates, both of them unconscious and bruised up. They were dumped unceremoniously to the ground.
Kira felt the blood leave her veins as the number of bugs around them increase, the drooling mandibles clacking in anticipation. She had to save them, but what could someone who could barely stand do? She needed a plan, a means to at least slow Arius down but as she was, she was useless.
Weak.
Unable to protect the people who depended on her to lead them. Unable to save the city she fought so hard to defend.
"Guess you were right, Lucifer, I'm not cut out for this. Now thousands of people are going to die."
'And I guess you're going to allow that right? Are you going to shut up and let me help you, let one of us take over!'
'Even if she did that, her legs still need to heal to move dumbass!' Mammon snapped.
'We can't just sit back and do nothing!'
"Your screaming match isn't letting me think," Kira hissed under her breath, closing her eyes and trying to stabilize her emotions, so much energy was thrashing around inside her, she couldn't look up for fear she'd just burst into tears.
'Focus on their heartbeats, they're fine,' she told herself over and over as she tried to calm down.
Nothing in her arsenal could help her right now, she had to hurry or they'd all be dead. Even if Jade did come, Arius would kill her too. Kira couldn't let that happen.
'C'mon kid, we're right here, ready whenever you are,' Mammon growled, and once again, Kira couldn't fight that feeling that made them feel more present than they should.
She closed get eyes, trying to connect to that flow of power that pulsed through her when she first unlocked Mammon's abilities. The darkness that rested too out of reach so she could do anything to accomplish this seemingly unending mission decades older than her.
She couldn't stop fighting, not until she was dead!
Arius' paused, mouth hung open in the order he'd been about to give his pets. The unnatural shift in the air around them would be impossible not to notice. Not with the slow creeping increase in the menacing aura behind him.
He was slowly realizing he should have killed the girl first.
He spun, about ready to launch and use his sickle to slice her head off once and for all when a pulsing outburst of magic aura caused him to stumble backwards. The shock waves continued to pulse bright purple and green streams of energy and light.
"What the-"
His words were stopped as he witnessed two dark pillars of cloudy mass form at the Keeper's side, condescending to look even more solid by the second until actual human features became distinguishable in the mist.
The glare simmered down to a light thrum, leaving two figures standing on either side of a glowing one kneeling on the ground.
One was tall and dark-skinned, clothed in a dark expensive-looking suit with thin glasses perched on his nose. The other was tanned with a hulking build, ink black tattoos crawled up the exposed muscle of his arms, and a brutish grin split his face reaching his pitch black eyes with deep green pupils.
"She actually managed to summon us?" The suited demon mused, hand reaching up to touch one of the three horns on his temple.
"Kids these days are full of surprises," The larger one barked in laughter.
The first demon looked down at Kira, "She's expending so much energy she's gone into a meditative state. Let's hurry this up."
"W-who are you?!" Arius practically screeched at the two figures that had seemingly appeared from nowhere.
They faced him as if just realizing his presence. The larger demon grinned, the ground beneath his feet trembling as he took several heavy steps forward, "We're the two guys about to give you hell for messing up our Boss."
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