Shadow's Dance (V3)

Chapter 12: Everybody Knows That The Dice Are Loaded And The Fight Was Fixed

Jane leaped from her branch onto the ground below. Suddenly, the tremor stopped as she landed. Multiple shots could be heard coming from all around her. A transparent blue barrier stopped the slick red bullets from penetrating. A horrific beast leaped to smash it like glass. From Jane a boom came from her as she blasted the thing back through several trees. It started charging at her again.

The things eyes were crystal clear and its body was distorted and made wheezing sounds as it ran. However. Something else stood out from its figure, the collar.

Jane knew it didn't have a mind left.

Jane knew it didn't want this.

Jane knew it didn't have hope.

Why was there this void inside of her then? She hesitated.

The creature flung her to the side while sinking its teeth into her skin. Her hands pressed against the thing's skull and it went limp. She pulled the massive jaws apart to release its hold on her. Standing up slightly before a bullet clipped her shoulder. It didn't faze Jane as she started walking while holding up one arm with a blue shield quickly forming. Leisurely walking directly into a portal, Jane disappeared.

Otto races to where the noise had come from just after the tremor was the blast. The burning smell lured her to see the eclipse carved out of the trees in one line. An misshapen onyx black body laid on the ground like a fur rug. Then, there was the door that slammed open as an infuriated Jane stormed out of the quant house. She had a few visible scratches but nothing serious. A ping set off inside of Otto as the crisp air felt suddenly full of watchful eyes. The sense of a trigger being pushed cased her to fling a slab of metal infront of it. Swallowing the bullet into the plate that she kept strapped to her arm. The woods felt lonely as dusk started to set in.

A yellow blast came rolling towards Jane. She stomped hard and the snow lifted as a thicker barrier than before appeared. With her hands, Jane spun the chunk to allow some of the energy to spew off to the sides before launching it forward. A thin slice was made in it instantly to spit it into two. This one had a bloody mustard yellow scarf. It looked almost human but the horns curled in different directions compared to its pair. Tusks stuck of of its jaw while the saliva it drooled glowed the same yellow as the blast.

"Patchwork?" Jane took a step back in shock. "What happened?" Like a speak struck her, she saw the black eyes.

"YoooOoOoUuU hHaaApPppEenNEeeeDdd!" Gurgled out the body of Patchwork.

The bright red scarf filled with geometric designs didn't come to life like it usually did. Arms from the same yellow from before grew from empty sockets into the appearance of bear paws.

Jane's energy instantly dimmed from the usually vibrant blue markings on her body as the mouth began to move again. "sSeErRrrRVviiInNnggGg hhHiIggggGeeEerrR ppPoOwwWeeErR."

A yellow wall came up quickly before starting to spin. It launched towards Jane before she summoned her scythe. It spun and sliced the energy into pieces. She hesitated to attack, in the snow Jane stood with the blade end still barely touching the white powder. With exceptional speed she threw punches with increasing speed. Her eye glow was more concentrated as well, like a switch the style of her footing changed as well.

Herring watched the massive change in skill was nothing compared to years before. She too had fought Jane but no one except the experimentations could push her down. That's why she was shock to see her horn had been shattered by someone else with her powers. It wasn't the tire of skill someone had that made Jane indestructible it was how her powers were built upon the bone up. This was the base of what made her. Her emotions were not in her punches nor in her heart. They were discarded long ago and replaced by illusions of emotions.