Vex shot through the clouds, leaving afterimages in her wake.
Zephyr City was on the other side of the continent--and the continent was massive. She was going at Mach 40, but it would still take her about fifteen minutes to get from Lincs to Zephyr City.
"I hope Quinn can hold out against whatever it is he's fighting."
Quinn was the strongest being stationed in Zephyr City. It wasn't a major city, so there was no need to place a Pseudo-Legend there. He was a Rank 2 Paragon--overkill for a post like that, but necessary. Zephyr had been attacked several times in the past, but never by anything stronger than a Paragon. Even that was rare.
For something to appear out of nowhere and overwhelm Quinn? She hadn't seen it coming.
"Zero should've gotten my message by now. He should be there already... but knowing him?" She scoffed. "I highly doubt it."
She increased her speed, pushing past Mach 42. Moving at such velocity, one would expect sonic booms or a cone of compressed air--but there was none of that. Only peaceful silence as she approached her destination.
A few minutes later, she dropped from the clouds--and froze.
The city was gone.
Ash and smoke drifted through the air. The scent of burnt meat and blood was thick, clawing at her senses. The once beautiful city had been reduced to nothing. Not even ruins remained.
Booms thundered in the distance--the battle's heartbeat.
She flew toward the sound, snow falling gently in her wake.
Then... silence.
She stopped, hovering above the battlefield.
Carnage.
Bodies scattered across the ground in horrible shapes. They had fought--and failed.
Her eyes locked onto a familiar figure.
"A Creoling," she muttered, her gaze narrowing.
It stood in the middle of the blood-soaked field.
And it was strong.
"A Pseudo-Legend. What's something like this doing here?"
She saw Quinn's body--headless, mutilated, desecrated.
It made sense now. Why he'd lost. Why the battle had ended so tragically.
Quinn couldn't have held his own against such a threat. It was a miracle that out of all the bodies laying around, only he was dead.
The creature looked up at her, six malevolent eyes narrowing. It was angry... but cautious. It recognized her. She was a bonafide Legend. And it knew exactly what that meant.
It raised its weapons in defense--almost comically, considering she could obliterate it without effort.
But there was no amusement in her expression. Not today.
"Why did you attack our city?" she asked coldly. "We have a pact with you void dwellers. But you've broken that pact."
It looked absurd--speaking to something with no mouth. And yet, she expected a reply.
Then, a scene pulled straight from a nightmare unfolded.
The creature's smooth, lower face split open--flesh peeling back like rotted paper--to reveal a gaping mouth filled with jagged, razor-sharp teeth.
And then... it spoke.
"Have you come to kill me?" it asked, its voice beautiful--soothing, even--utterly wrong for the abomination it came from.
She narrowed her eyes at the question. It had ignored her entirely. No answer. No explanation. Just... acceptance. It wasn't preparing to fight. It was waiting to die.
'Why would it throw its life away... for nothing?'
"You have killed millions of humans, destroyed our city, and killed our Paragon. Of course I'm going to kill you," she said, irritation flaring in her voice at the absurdity of its question.
"They were weak, so they died at my hands. I am weak, so I will die at yours. Get on with it."
Its voice remained calm--unshaken. As if it didn't fear death. As if it didn't care.
Its weapons dropped from its claws, landing in the snow with a dull thud. It lowered its arms completely, exposing its chest--a clear invitation.
It had surrendered.
Not out of regret.
Not out of fear.
Just... acceptance.
Vex didn't move. Her hands glowed faintly with power, but she didn't lift them. She stared.
"You know what I am, what we are." she said, slowly. "And still, you came. Still, you killed."
The creature looked at her, its eyes unblinking. "I was told to."
That made her pause.
Told to?
By whom?
She stared at the Creoling, the air thick with tension. It said nothing more. Didn't move. Just waited.
Then--
"How amusing," a voice drawled from nowhere, lazy and disinterested. "I'm glad I woke up. Would've hated to miss this little drama."
Vex's eyes narrowed. She didn't turn around. She didn't need to.
She knew that voice.