“Hmm. Excellent. And the one you used on my brother?”

With a flick of her hand, Arcana exchanges the dancing orange flame on her hand for a cobalt one. “Blue, it’s the strongest.”

“He did cover quite the distance.”

“And did you see his expression?” Arcana’s face morphs into a devious smile, a small giggle emerging as the memory flashes back into her mind. Jim Caedus, looking confused, hurt, and shocked all at once after being thrown by the powerful sphere of magick. Arcana’s expression flickers for a moment, something was... she was supposed to... she felt...

Great.

She felt great.

The uncertainty in her eyes is gone, quick as a flash, replaced by the chilling void once more.

“........ Is there a problem, Arcana?”

“No John, none at all.” her gaze flits to him, adoration written clearly all over her features, the moment completely forgotten.

“Interesting. You were saying?”

“Oh. There is also this one...” the blue flames turn into a variety of pinks. “It causes the most damage.”

John watches silently, intent on both her and the fire she holds in the palm of her hand, his expression unreadable. He walks to the wall of what appears to be a large, concrete training area, completely state of the art and glistening with black and chrome accents. He flips down a panel, his finger unerringly going to a particular button, a simple command issued. “Go.”

A rumbling noise and sections of the floor begin to move, two strange creatures bounding forward. Both blue, vaguely canid in nature, with pricked ears and grotesque partially hairless bodies, and warped faces. They gnash their teeth, long trails of spittle being slung from jowls as they run.

Arcana leaps into action, sending a sphere towards one, dead on target as it explodes on a screech, blood and guts splattering the floor, hunks of fur still burning with pink flames.

She ducks as the other leaps over her head.

Whirls.

Aims.

Misses.

Sharp teeth sink into her forearm and she yelps.

Suddenly they are ripped from her flesh as John hits another button, the creature being dragged back by the chain she had missed, as it desperately tries to get to her. Arcana looks from the bloody wounds on her arm, to the man who eyed her coldly.

“I can do better.” she hastens, panic rising in her. “Let me try again.”

Wordlessly, he taps the panel.

The canid animal bounds forward again, only to meet the same fate as its twin.

TAP.

A bright yellow critter with neon green markings explodes from the floor.

It is on her before she can blink.

She dodges the attack, feeling it’s hot breath on her thigh. It whirls, barely giving her enough time to get a foot up to kick it away. Her eyes widen at its speed. She pulls a ball of energy, feeling his eyes boring a hole into her.

It leaps.

She releases.

A direct hit on the banana lime blur hurtling towards her.

“Better.”

A smile curves her lips as Arcana turns simpering, puppy dog eyes up to his face.

_____________________________________________________

“Ah Ruby.

I must admit I am woefully unacquainted with you.

All that I really know is that you enjoy the scent of mothballs clinging to your boyfriend, you love superheroes, and are the biggest goody two-shoes walking this fed.

It’s enough to make me puke.

I was a bit like you, but then John allowed me to see what I was missing...

Power usurps all.

Morals are for the weak.

I was a fool, believing in such ridiculous notions. Following some invisible code, just to be... nice and spare other's feelings.”

She lets out a harsh laugh.

“But John, he opened my eyes. Allowed me to see what I could be under his tutelage. What we could be, together. How I could aid him, be a warrior by his side, to mete out just what the world deserves...

And then there is you, Ruby.

Sweet, sweet Ruby, falling in across from me right after I discover my newfound hatred for the virtuous, and none more ostentatious about it than you.

I have to make an example out of you.

I need to show John that he made the right choice in me.

You make it so easy to hate you, Rubes. You are completely blind to the way of the real world, so unnaturally wholesome, that your very being is a violation of the truest and most primal nature of what humans should be.

I am coming into this hot, not only because of the two wins, but from finding my true path to walk. Freeing myself from silly obligations to those who don’t deserve a second thought within my mind. Lycana was right at the start, walking her dark path, but then she strayed from the shadows and stepped into the light. She turned her back on the truth. She proved herself not only to be unworthy of the gifts bestowed upon her, but the one offered by John.

I will not.

I will not let him down.

I will show him that I am the useful one.

I deserve to be his chosen one.

When we step in across from one another, all I will see your face as, is a giant target. One to pummel until it is nothing but a bloodied pile of ragged flesh. You are an abomination, one that needs to be wiped from the face of the earth since you are not willing to accept your base natural and would continue on with this masquerade. I would offer you my hand in helping you Ruby, but you would never be worth the time and effort to try and salvage.

You are too far gone.

And so, you must be eliminated.

Together, John and I will murder the world."

She holds out her hands, an image of the Earth appearing, flames slowly licking from the bottom, until it is completely consumed.