Demigods

Chapter 21: Target Spotted

They both prepare for battle.

Eagle: "Be careful. If she can use those fans to their full potential, then you need to focus on the defensive."

She is still a little unsteady from the lack of anything in her stomach.

Henrietta: "(wobbly) I can try."

A light wind begins to stir.

Catherine: "I'll try to hold back... a little."

Catherine tosses her fans and has them circumvent Henrietta, who is using her fans like shields.

Eagle: "I wouldn't take her word for anything."

The fans close in on Henrietta, slicing her fingers, but not deep enough to cut them off.

Henrietta: "(in pain) Son of a bitch!"

Her blood stains her fans as Catherine catches hers.

Catherine: "You know that I could've cut off every single finger in that attack. Did Atami really train someone who can barely see two feet ahead of them?"

Catherine tosses her fans again.

Henrietta: "(in pain) No... he didn't."

Henrietta slides underneath the attack and tosses her own fans at Catherine.

Eagle: "There you go!"

Catherine: "Seriously? You think a lackluster counter like that can hit me?"

Catherine catches Henrietta's fans and her own.

Henrietta: "(in pain) You just caught my weapons?!"

Eagle: "This can't be good!"

Catherine: "If you attack me when my hands are free, then of course anyone can catch them. It's the basics of the fan fighting style. If Atami seriously didn't teach you this, then he really didn't expect to kick the bucket with your generation."

She drops Henrietta's fans.

Henrietta: "(in pain) I need to get my fans back."

Henrietta takes a step forward as Catherine prepares another toss.

Eagle: "You can't get to her if you can't defend yourself! Especially if they're right next to her!"

Catherine throws her fans into Henrietta's, snapping them into pieces.

Catherine: "Now I'll go ahead and finish this."

The winds from the fans rip them out of the ground and guides them to Catherine's hands.

Henrietta: "(in pain) You're not going to take me out."

Catherine readies for another toss as Henrietta gets ready to catch.

Catherine: "(disappointed) I just did."

The fans leave her hands at sonic boom levels of speed, having them both act as sawblades in Henrietta's gut before they slow down and send her into the wall.

Catherine: "It's your fault for being worthless as a Bearer. I'll take my fans back and drop your body into the abyss outside."

She begins to walk towards Henrietta.

Eagle: "No... we can't die like this..."

Several years ago...

Henrietta and Atami are currently practicing throwing boomerangs at each other, but Henrietta failing to catch and sometimes throwing several times.

Young Henrietta: "(whining) I just can't do it!"

Atami: "It's not that you can't..."

Atami walks over to Henrietta and places his hand on her shoulder.

Atami: "... it's that you won't."

Young Henrietta: "(sniffling) What do you mean?"

Atami: "When you're catching and throwing, you need to think about where you throw as the thrower, and where your opponent will throw as a catcher."

He wipes away her tears.

Atami: "One more try before we join Grace and Reaver inside, okay?"

Young Henrietta: "(sniffling) Okay..."

Present day...

Catherine is only a few meters away from Henrietta.

Eagle: "Your almost out of time!"

Catherine: "Looks like your going to get plenty of beauty sleep."

Her eyes slowly open.

Henrietta: "(weakly) Thanks for clearing my head..."

Catherine pauses.

Catherine: "Did I speak too soon?"

Henrietta rips the Emerald Fans out of her gut as they spark with new life.

Henrietta: "... Master."

Green light covers her injuries and tears in her clothes as she gets back onto her feet.

Catherine: "I shouldn't have busted those fans..."

Henrietta: "The Ancient who's blood flows like the gales that surge through the heavens..."

Eagle: "Henrietta!"

The eagle takes a more physical form above Henrietta.

Henrietta: "... Wind!"

A massive burst of wind from behind Henrietta, sending Catherine back a dozen feet.

Wind: "You did it!"

Catherine: "Uh oh..."

Henrietta: "Let's wrap this up!"

Wind grabs Catherine by the shoulders and sweeps her into the air.

Catherine: "(smirking) But not bad at all."

Wind: "Ready?"

Henrietta: "Go!"

Wind drops Catherine.

Henrietta/ Wind: "Target Spotted!"

Henrietta tosses her fans, having them go straight through Catherine's chest, neck, and head like sawblades before wind redirects them back to Henrietta and Wind returns to her ghastly state.

Wind: "You gave me a heart attack!"

Henrietta: "It's not like I was trying to-"

She remembers that she has to hop back down.

Henrietta: "(nauseous) Oh yeah..."

Wind: "(awkwardly) The actual fun part..."