Epics of Noche 5, Reflection

EON CH 07

GOING TOO FAR.

1777, APRIL 04th, MONDAY 11:15am.

Noche flew towards Dove and Raven. At the last moment, she turned and attacked the man in the yellow raincoat. He was caught off guard by the sudden reversal and Noche took the opening.

"Swap."

In less than a blink, Noche was swinging at empty air.

"You bitch!"

She turned and fired a corruption DLC at Dove, but the bird of death dodged as if she saw the future. Raven came in with two rapid punches, Noche avoided the first and blocked the second. The blonde kicked at the same he did and their legs cancelled out. Noche took a punch to the face to get an opening on Raven — she swung an uppercut for his jaw.

"Swap."

Noche's fist didn't connect. She turned and glared at Dove, but she didn't get a chance to react before Raven was upon her again. The blonde was already in a losing position fighting someone twice as strong. Throwing Dove in the mix made things much worse.

It caused the all too-familiar feeling to creep back into her neck. That sensation of ants dancing under the skin, the knife's edge she was so familiar with walking on. Her fear of failure started to well up.

Elsewhere, in a black realm surrounded by faint golden specks of light, there was a floating white orb. About a quarter of its surface was covered in cracks. It trembled and the cracks spread just a little more.

"Raven watch out! She's about to get a power boost!" Dove yelled.

Noche sped up and Raven barely managed to dodge in time — her corruption arm flying over where his head was a moment ago. Her next two attacks were also dodged, however, her third attack left her vulnerable. Raven took the opening and landed a kick against her ribs.

The blonde was sent flying towards a rock wall — Noche vanished in a flash of gold surrounded by black mist. She reappeared behind Raven and used her momentum to land a corruption fist in his back. The bird of death started glitching like an old video game.

"Strange — isn't it? This attack." Dove shouted. "We defeat the Generals, but spare them. We set fire to Cross, but don't burn anything critical. We fight your soldiers, but always allow a few to escape."

"What are you getting at Dove?" Noche asked.

"These are the tactics to win a war. They are tactics to instill fear."

"Yeah — I know. Edward. Creeps feeds off of fear."

"If you know that, and you're aware you're his favorite meal, then ask yourself... Isn't there someone you love that you fear losing?"

Noche stared at her in confusion before her eye went wide.

"Hurry. He's just outside the hospital," Dove said. "Wandered out there in the chaos. He's all alone."

The blonde stared at her as a bead of sweat went down her face. Then she turned and jumped high into the air. Prismatic energy became a blast of wind that sent Noche flying.

"How much fear do you need Edward?" Dove muttered. "How much fear?"

"What did you tell her?" Raven asked as his glitching died down.

"What she needed to hear to get her revenge... and ours."

Noche was high in the sky overlooking the entire battlefield when the scent of rotting meat filled her nostrils. Create failed her and she was sent plummeting out of the sky. Fortunately, the blonde landed on her feet; her crash landing cracked the concrete.