There was tension in the air as the gunship transporting Kadyn and her team glided through the sky. Kadyn looked at her friends and allies and saw uncertainty in their eyes, but no fear in their hearts. They have doubts about their abilities, but no intention of backing down. However, to properly plan an attack, Kadyn must know the four's abilities.
[Kadyn] - "I have little experience with the limits of a normal crystal user. My husband is an exception to the rule, as he has no limit on the number of techniques he can acquire. I'm going to try my best to understand your abilities, but don't expect me to be an expert on it. "
Said Kadyn as she stood up to face her team.
[McCree] - "I guess I'll volunteer to be the first. "
Said McCree as he stood up.
[Kadyn] - "Alright, try not to damage the ship. "
McCree nodded before taking an energy bar and snapping it in half. Then, with his mind, he activated his ability, which produced an invisible effect on the snack.
[McCree] - "So I toyed with the concept a little in the past few days. It seems like my ability can complete the missing piece of an object if I can properly recall its previous state. "
Said McCree as he dangled the energy bar in front of Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "But I'm not seeing anything... "
[McCree] - "Touch it. "
Said McCree as he handed the snack to Kadyn.
As Kadyn grabbed the missing part of the energy bar, she felt the uneven sensation of the snack even as it seemed like she was grabbing at the air.
[Kadyn] - "Oh! How particular! "
Said Kadyn in surprise as she fumbled with the invisible piece.
[McCree] - "Ain't sure how I can use this ability to our advantage yet. "
Kadyn suddenly raised her gaze at McCree, confusion shining inside her eyes.
[Kadyn] - "Wait! You just described to me perfectly what your ability does, and even the conditions and limits of its function. How come you tell me you aren't familiar with it? "
Said Kadyn, her eyebrow raised in confusion.
[McCree] - "I suppose I just sorta knew from the moment my crystal was connected to my brain. However, what I meant by unfamiliar is how I could properly make use of it in combat. I ain't got a clue what purpose my ability can serve to help us defeat our enemy. "
Said McCree as he rubbed his beard in confusion.
[Kadyn] - "Hold up! Do all of you already know what your abilities can do? "
Yelled Kadyn as she turned toward the rest of her team.
To Kadyn's shock, the whole room nodded in agreement.
[Oltevin] - "We're just not sure how we should use our power in a fight, comrade. "
[Kadyn] - "Oh my... Alright, let's go then, speak up, people. "
Said Kadyn as she pinched her temple in frustration.
[Oltevin] - "Well, since I'm already here, comrade... "
Said Oltevin before pausing and standing up.
[Oltevin] - "My ability allows me to pull or push few select targets toward or away from me within radius of 10 metres. "
[Kadyn] - "Okay... what about you, Audrey? "
Said Kadyn as she pointed at Audrey.
[Audrey] - "Erm... My ability allows me to control friction. I can either make a surface slippery or act like a super glue. "
Said Audrey nervously.
[Kadyn] - "Senju, what about you? "
Senju remained silent with his mind distracted elsewhere.
[Kadyn] - "SENJU! "
Yelled Kadyn abruptly.
[Senju] - "Huh? Sorry! I wasn't... "
Snapped Senju as he immediately stood up in fear.
Clearly, Senju was still traumatized from the encounter he had with Kadyn a few days ago. Ever since his humbling at the hands of Kadyn, the ninja warrior remained on edge and mentally inconsistent.
[Kadyn] - "Senju, please, focus! "
[Senju] - "Oh... Right... My ability, huh? So, I can extend the range of my cuts. I... I can just swing, and the damage will be translated to my desired location within my visual range. "
Said Senju in a shaking voice.
[Kadyn] - "Okay... Good. I know now all your abilities and their functions. Now I just gotta come up with something... "
Said Kadyn as she slowly walked away from the group while deep in thought.
However, instead of figuring out a plan, Kadyn's mind was nothing more than a blank slate.
"Oh God! Why does it have to be me? I'm an assassin, not a commander... Not to mention, Mike was spoiling me with a comfortable position and life for years. "
Thought Kadyn as she bit her nails.
Kadyn anxiously glanced at her team before turning her head away.
[Kadyn] - "Think, Kadyn, think! What will Mike do? What will Mike think in this situation? "
Whispered Kadyn as she nervously tapped her fingers against the wall.
For a moment, Kadyn simply wanted to break down and cry. She was simply not trained or made to bear this level of responsibility and pressure. Not long ago, she was the happy and carefree wife of the world's most powerful man, spoiled with love and protection, but she now had to suddenly assume the role of a leader with everyone's lives hanging in her hands.
[Kadyn] - "I'm scared... I need you, Mike. "
Whispered Kadyn as tears edged in her eyes.
How much Kadyn had hoped for Mike to just appear, put his hand on her shoulder and tell her that everything was going to be fine. How she wished she could just be the lovestruck girl she used to be and let her knight handle all her problems with his genius.
Suddenly, a hand landed gently on her shoulder.
[Kadyn] - "Mike? "
Said Kadyn as she turned around.
However, instead of being comforted by Mike's reassuring smile, Kadyn found Oltevin's kind visage instead.
[Oltevin] - "Comrade, are you feeling alright? "
Behind Oltevin, the rest of the team showed their concern for her with worried looks. However, even with everyone's support, Kadyn simply couldn't help but feel her tears on the verge of overflowing.
[Mike] - "It's going to be alright... You have to be strong. If you let your weakness show, these people will lose hope, too. They need you to be strong for them to be brave. "
Echoed Mike's voice inside Kadyn's head.
With a deep breath, Kadyn wiped the tears from her eyes and swallowed the sorrow in her throat. Assuming a tough facade, Kadyn gently pushed Oltevin's hand away and stepped back into the middle of her team.
[Kadyn] - "I'm sorry. It's just some memories that made me a bit emotional. "
Said Kadyn with an awkward smile.
[McCree] - "What about the plan? Do ya got anything? We're nearing our destination. "
Said McCree with a nervous stare.
[Kadyn] - "I don't have anything too concrete, but... "
Kadyn paused as she remembered the few battles she had witnessed from Mike. Though she couldn't apply the practical to the current situation, she figured she could at least lay out the theoretical.
[Kadyn] - "One of Mike's strategies is to test the enemy, break down the strengths and weaknesses of their abilities, then attack by incorporating a perfect counter aimed at finishing the fight in a single strike. This, in turn, will deny our enemy the chance to properly respond. "
[Audrey] - "This is a decent idea. However, how will we be able to approach the enemy if he's melting everything with heat? "
Said Audrey while raising her hand.
[Kadyn] - "I know the crystals function through the manipulation of energy and molecules. In this case, we shall make use of physics and chemistry. "
Said Kadyn while waving her finger.
Kadyn suddenly pointed at Audrey and Oltevin.
[Kadyn] - "I've got an idea! Audrey, since you control friction, can you glue the air molecules around us, so the heat from our enemy's ability doesn't transfer to us? "
[Audrey] - "I could try, but I've never done this before! "
Said Audrey, a nervous look appearing on her face.
[Kadyn] - "To make this easier... "
Said Kadyn while she looked around the gunship's hull.
Kadyn quickly grabbed two emergency oxygen tanks to be used in case of cabin decompression.
[Kadyn] - "Like this! You'll only have to keep the friction around me, McCree, and Senju, as we are the ones with the offensive abilities. Meanwhile, since your ability is to push or pull, Oltevin, you will push the air around you and Audrey to create a vacuum. You two will use these oxygen tanks to breathe in the meantime. This will lessen Audrey's workload. "
Said Kadyn as she shoved the oxygen tanks toward Audrey and Oltevin.
[Oltevin] - "Sounds good, comrade. "
[McCree] - "Heh! And you said you didn't have a plan. That sounds like a plan to me. "
Said McCree with a smug grin.
[Kadyn] - "I still don't have a plan. This is just... some measures. "
Said Kadyn nervously.
[Oltevin] - "There's a difference between a strategist and a tactician, cowboy. Our little sweet comrade here is a great tactician, meaning one who can solve problems and come up with a path on a map, not a strategist, meaning the one who draws the map and proposes a plan. "
Said Oltevin as he placed both his hands on Kadyn's shoulders.
[Kadyn] - "Oh! Does that mean my husband is a strategist? "
[Oltevin] - "From what you told us about him, he's an amazing strategist. "
[Audrey] - "I mean, you're such a powerful warrior, so it's natural for you to be good with tactics and not plans, since you need to follow orders. "
Kadyn pulled her coat closer and blushed at the amount of praise she was receiving.
[Kadyn] - "Ah, you guys, you shouldn't– "
Before Kadyn could finish her sentence, the gunship rumbled violently while the pilot signalled for the team to prepare to jump. With a nod to her team, Kadyn quickly rushed to put on a parachute, followed by her friends. Soon, the team floated down through the clouds into the hellscape below. Immediately, Kadyn could feel the inferno scorching her skin as even the air glowed red with the massive fires below.
[Kadyn] - "Audrey, Oltevin, now! "
Without delay, the two activated their abilities, which shielded them from the heatwaves. As they dropped down, Kadyn used her eyes' zoom function to scout the area for their target. Soon, Kadyn located the only man walking through the inferno as if the heat meant nothing to him. Without a doubt, this could only be their target.
[Kadyn] - "700 metres to the East, follow me! "
Yelled Kadyn through her earpiece before driving her parachute toward the East.
However, as they descended, even their parachute began to burn as the heat reached an insane level.
[Kadyn] - "Audrey, we are gonna need you to put in some effort. Give us some friction to slow our descent! "
Yelled Kadyn as she slashed herself free from her parachute.
[Audrey] - "Okay! I can do this! "
Whispered Audrey as she and her friends began to fall toward the ground.
After adjusting their trajectory, Kadyn aimed to drop directly down above Famine to catch him by surprise. After extending her wrist blades, Kadyn turned toward Senju.
[Kadyn] - "Senju, give us your best cut! If we can catch him by surprise, it would be better! "
[Senju] - "Okay, I understand! "
Said Senju as he unsheathed his sword.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Famine walked while still unaware of the assault coming from above. By his side, his horse, whose body was made of pure liquid magma and fire, walked beside him. On the soil, Famine's footsteps left a set of scorch marks with each step.
[Famine] - "Just like back in China during the Great Leap Forward, when I burned their crops. How pitiful, it's like an exterminator working to get rid of a colony of ants. "
Said Famine enthusiastically to his horse.
In the sky, Senju activated his crystals and focused his attention on Famine's head.
[Senju] - "Just a little closer... "
Whispered Senju as he raised his sword.
[Kadyn] - "Come on, Senju! You can do this! "
Whispered Kadyn to herself as she stared at Senju.
[Senju] - "Just a little closer... "
Said Senju as he gathered all of his fury into his strike.
[Kadyn] - "NOW! "
Yelled Kadyn.
[Senju] - "Take this, you fat son of a bitch! "
Yelled Senju as he swung his blade.
Just as Senju attacked, Famine suddenly raised his head and stared right into his eyes.
[Famine] - "Child's play! How naive of you fools to challenge Fate's great favourite! "
Said Famine mockingly.
Famine was challenging Senju, daring him to strike at him while he stood motionless, waiting for his attack. To further mock Senju, Famine even extended his arms and exposed his chest and neck to him. For a moment, Senju was shocked by his enemy's attitude, but he quickly gathered his mind and struck at his foe.
Time slowed as everyone expected Senju's attack to have an effect. Yet, even as Senju's eyes aimed at Famine's head, his strike fell short and hit Famine's horse instead. The flaming creature screamed in pain and stood on its rear legs, but the wound quickly healed as its body reformed using magma.
Meanwhile, Senju froze in shock. How could he have missed? How could he have missed an attack this easy and direct? However, before he could overcome his shock, Famine reached his hand forward and aimed his finger at Senju.
[Famine] - "Incineration! "
Before everyone's eyes, Senju's blade melted into a puddle of molten metal that splashed all over his body and hands. Though his real flesh was protected by his outer armour, most of the molten metal was gathered in his hands, especially as the sword handle melted away.
[Famine] - "Solidification! "
As soon as Famine chanted his word, the metal in Senju's hardened and fused his hands together. Before he could even react to the situation, the group reached land and quickly gathered around to face Famine.
[Kadyn] - "Senju! Your hands! "
Said Kadyn, a concerned look on her face.
Meanwhile, Senju's hands were the least of his worries as he remained traumatized as to why he had missed his strike earlier.
[Senju] - "No... No... How could I miss? I fucking missed something so easy... "
Whispered Senju with a livid look in his eyes.
Kadyn quickly rushed to Senju and shook him violently to get him back to his senses.
[Kadyn] - "Snap out of it! It's not your fault! "
Yelled Kadyn in a panic as her eyes paced back and forth from Famine to Senju.
[Famine] - "Aaaah! Looks like I have found the troublemaker herself. You've made it convenient for me; I was going to look for you. "
Said Famine abruptly as he slowly approached Kadyn.
Raising his hand, Famine showed a perverse smile before conjuring his ability at Kadyn.
[Famine] - "As my master willed it, I shall not play any game with you. Incineration! "
Acting out of instinct, Kadyn immediately entered acceleration mode as she sped away from her current location. Instantly, in the place where Kadyn used to be, a burst of heat manifested, causing even the oxygen in that area to burn.
[Famine] - "Hmmm? "
Before Famine could react, Kadyn stabbed toward the back of his head, but her blade immediately melted away upon approaching his skin. As if the possibility of defeat curved around Famine, even the molten debris of Kadyn's destroyed blade was swept away by a gust of wind before it could burn Famine's skin.
With her mouth agape in shock, Kadyn backed away from Famine before quickly regrowing her blade using the same exotic metal from her bones. As Famine turned around to launch another attack at Kadyn, she again had to dodge using her Conagher system.
[Kadyn] - "Damn it... Looks like I can't damage him... "
Whispered Kadyn as she perceived time in slow motion.
After getting out of Famine's sight, Kadyn took refuge behind a large rock where McCree and Senju were also hiding.
[Kadyn] - "Is Audrey and Oltevin somewhere safe where he can't find them? "
[McCree] - "Yeah, they're hiding behind on the other side, behind those rock formations. "
Said McCree as he pointed at a set of jagged rocks.
[Kadyn] - "Good, that means we can start probing at him in peace. I'm going to need some help. I can't seem to damage him. "
Said Kadyn as she brought her blade toward Senju's hands.
In one swift, precise strike, Kadyn severed the hardened metal that was binding Senju's hands together and restored some function to his fingers.
[Kadyn] - "Listen to me, Senju! Whatever happened earlier, forget about it! We need your ability more than ever, and your full focus! Do you understand me? "
Said Kadyn as she tried to look Senju in the eyes.
[Senju] - "I'm worthless... How could I? How could I be so worthless? "
Muttered Senju, his gaze empty.
Kadyn abruptly shook Senju and grabbed him by the face.
[Kadyn] - "Snap out of it, ya wanker! We need you right now, so either sulk like a bloody bitch or fight like a man! "
Yelled Kadyn in a panic with a manic look in her eyes.
Even McCree was shocked upon witnessing Kadyn's hidden side, but her aggression at least somewhat snapped Senju out of his mental breakdown.
[Senju] - "I... I will try! "
Said Senju as he clenched his shoto sword.
[Kadyn] - "Good... However, I need to test something first. "
Said Kadyn as she peeked over the corner at Famine.
Inside Kadyn's mind, now set in predator mode, she replayed her previous encounter with Famine and noticed how he always had to look in the direction of his target to attack. With this knowledge in mind, Kadyn had come up with an idea.
[Kadyn] - "Audrey, I would need an extra effort from you. I need you to create enough friction to pin our enemy in place and deny him all movement. Can you do that? "
Said Kadyn to her earpiece.
On the other side, Audrey was already struggling to maintain the protective barrier around Kadyn and her group. However, with clenched teeth, Audrey took a deep breath from her oxygen supply before biting down on her microphone. Since Oltevin created a vacuum around Audrey, she had to keep the micro in her mouth or else, without air molecules, her voice could not propagate.
[Audrey] - "Go ahead, do your thing! I got this! "
Said Audrey with a determined look in her eyes.
With her hand extended, Audrey focused on Famine with all of her strength. As Kadyn stepped out of cover, Famine suddenly found himself unable to move as if he was bound by a straitjacket from head to toes.
[Famine] - "Ugh! What kind of shit is this? "
Muttered Famine as he struggled against his restraints.
Kadyn, meanwhile, as if taunting Famine, positioned herself at the edge of his vision before vanishing behind him. With calm breaths, Kadyn awaited an attack from Famine.
[Famine] - "Heh... Hahaha! Go ahead, try to do something. No matter how much you try, your defeat is written in the ink of Fate. I'm its great favourite, and I shall dance while you walk toward your doom. "
Said Famine mockingly.
Kadyn didn't respond as she simply waited for Famine to launch his attack, but it simply never came, thus confirming her theory– Famine can only attack if he can establish a visual with his target. That is the limitation of his ability.
[Kadyn] - "Move, McCree and Senju. However, avoid stepping into his visual range. He can't attack you if he can't see you. "
Whispered Kadyn as she breathed a sigh of relief.
[McCree] - "Roger that! We're on our way. "
Muttered McCree before waving for Senju to follow him.
While McCree and Senju snuck behind the rocks to reach Kadyn, something else seemed to be watching them. Through the lakes of lava and flowing magma, Famine's horse quietly swam toward Kadyn like an alligator that's stalking its prey. All of a sudden, the horse leaped toward Kadyn while dragging a wave of magma behind its body. Luckily, Audrey's protective bubble blocked most of the burning liquid before Kadyn reacted and moved out of the way.
[Kadyn] - "Bloody hell! The fucking horse! "
Cursed Kadyn as she clenched her teeth in frustration.
With lightning speed, the horse leaped at Kadyn while streams of lava under its control tried to strike at her. However, with how fast Kadyn could go, the horse's speed was simply beyond outmatched. After many unsuccessful attacks, the horse eventually got fed up with Kadyn as it angrily let out a few fiery breaths.
Tauntingly, Kadyn smirked at the horse. However, instead of giving in to Kadyn's provocations, the horse suddenly dove back into the lakes of flowing magma and disappeared beneath the molten liquid. Confused, Kadyn tried to follow the slight movement of the flowing liquid to see where it was going. However, it didn't take long for Kadyn to figure out that the horse was heading toward Senju and McCree. If it couldn't hit Kadyn, then it will look for targets it can actually hit.
[Kadyn] - "McCree! Senju! Watch out! Under your feet! "
Yelled Kadyn as the colours drained from her face.
On the other side, as McCree and Senju looked down, they saw the ground below them rumble before cracks began to form. Before long, they noticed the rock below their feet glowing and melting.
"How could Famine still direct attacks against us if he can't see us? "
Thought Kadyn as she ran toward McCree and Senju.
Thinking back, the fact that the horse can feel frustration and show anger could only mean one thing– the horse is alive and is a separate entity from Famine with an ability of its own.
To be continued...