Chapter 48: A New Will

  With the crack of thunder, Ravine's eyes snapped open in shock. She looked down at her torso—no blade wound could be seen. As she looked back, The Will was standing still, staring at the illusion. It was like time was on hold.

  What happened? I know I didn't do this.

  Mother Phoenix answered, "It seems that by going into OVERDRIVE EX mode, your body was able to react before you could manually do so. Give it some time. Time should catch up soon. However, this feeling like thunder striking you isn't something to gloss over. By having your body react for you, you also accelerate the deterioration of your body. So don't think this is a bailout."

  "I see. I'll be more careful."

  As time caught up, The Will turned to her, their voice overlapping. "This ruse might have worked on us when separated, but no more."

  As The Will went to grab her face, she muttered, "Let's get some distance, shall we?" She activated Merciless Strikes. As she drew her blade, four continuous waves erupted from it, sending The Will backward, thudding on the floor.

  Ravine rushed toward it, but as she got closer, mechanical tentacles appeared from its body, rushing toward her. She sidestepped, dashing forward, and dodged all three in succession, one grazing her shoulder.

  "Careful, Ravine. We're already on borrowed time here," Mother Phoenix said.

  "Enough of your cheap tricks. Fight me with your own blade." She proceeded to cut down two of the three tentacles, which dropped with a big clank. The last one shot out and grabbed Zhon. As she looked back at The Will, she saw the tail with a sharp edge replacing the tip in its own body, heading in Zhon's direction. Before contact, she flash-stepped and grabbed him out of danger.

  "Stay back. I'll be back shortly."

  Zhon nodded. "Thank you." His hands were still shaking.

  As he looked back at her heading straight for The Will, he looked at his shaking hands, then slowly touched his back. As he felt nothing, he exhaled. If she wasn't there to save me, I would have been dead or worse... just like him. He stared at Roan, who was again pinned by squadron androids. He slowly walked toward them as Ravine kept fighting The Will.

  As he got closer, Roan's eyes had already turned purple. As their eyes met, Roan started struggling harder, trying to get to Zhon. Zhon sat next to him.

  "Once again, I couldn't do anything to save you... I get it. You're mad at me for failing to save you the same way I couldn't repair Aria in time... which led her to die as a drone. You're angry that we left Captain Irene to die when she pushed me onto the ship so that we could survive. I get it. I'm angry too..." He looked up. "Honestly, I don't even know how we're supposed to do this. It was us three, and now you can't even understand a damn word I'm saying." His teeth gritted. "I don't want us to lose now, but we can't do it without you."

  He turned and shook Roan. "We need all the help we can get, and I'm too weak to do anything to this guy." He looked in Roan's eyes. "If you can hear me, please wake up and help. We need you!" He started slapping him. "Please." Another slap. "Please."

  But this only agitated Roan even more. He managed to get one arm free and punched Zhon back, damaging his nose. Holding it, Zhon slowly walked back to him and got out his electrifying sphere.

  "If you're asleep, I'll wake you up. I promise." He shocked Roan, who groaned violently.

  Meanwhile, Ravine's breath became heavier by the minute. She punched The Will in the torso, uppercutted it, and sent it down with a fast, strong spinning kick to the back of the head, which opened the hole in its head further. As it got its face back up, hair covering most of it, The Will spoke, voice heavy.

  "Even if you beat me now, there are still only two of you left that can carry on the mission. One of them too weak to even move the needle. Why continue?"

  Ravine scoffed as she pushed The Will's head back to the ground and pressed further with her heel. "Mother Phoenix and Zhon will be more than enough to take care of this cheap copy of the original. Zhon is resourceful, and Mother Phoenix has got what it takes to finish things. What you should be worried about is what will happen to you." She kicked its face back.

  The Will lay down, looking up, and laughed. "Even if I were to perish, The Will will return to Lord Razak. There is no better honor than to serve him even beyond our end. You, however, will be just a burden, and this is what will be your undoing."

  Ravine picked its head up. "What I become is of no consequence to you. As long as I kill you, I will have played my role and will be content."

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  Suddenly, The Will's head did a 180 and stared at Zhon, shocking Roan multiple times. "Looks like your friend is trying to cause a reset on the override we put on him." Its head turned back. "How about we pay him a little visit?"

  Before she could say anything, Ravine's neck was trapped between The Will's tail, covering her mouth. "Watch as we destroy your spirit as we destroy the one person you are so desperate to save."

  Her scream was muffled by the tail. Her system was overheating, her body struggling to respond. The Will extended its blade. As Roan was choking Zhon, a sharp blade appeared, piercing through Roan, startling Zhon and keeping him frozen. His voice could only mutter, "No!"

  His eyes watering, Roan—still impaled—was lifted up in the air. Zhon turned to Ravine, his eyes widening as he saw her struggling to break free of the tail's grip, the pressure getting tighter.

  "So much effort to save your friend, and for what? He belongs to us now." The Will gripped Roan's head. "But he is of no use to us now. His only purpose was to shatter your will to fight back."

  Zhon muttered, "Don't... PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. WE'LL STOP. PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM."

  Ravine's eyes looked at him in disbelief at what she heard.

  He looked down, his arms on the floor, bowing. "Please, we will surrender. Just please don't kill any more of my friends. I can't anymore. Take me instead. I don't want to live through this. Please." He sobbed.

  As The Will watched Zhon's will crumble, its face became stern, then frowned. "Pathetic!" It proceeded to crush Roan's head. As it did, Zhon's jaw dropped. The components slowly started falling. Roan's eyes met his as he mouthed to Zhon, "It's okay," before his face burst, the components falling to the ground. His body went limp. His arms and legs stopped moving.

  The Will proceeded to throw it to the side without even looking at it.

  Ravine was sobbing and screaming in anger, the sound muffled by the tail holding her mouth. Zhon kept sobbing on the ground. I'm done. I can't. His hands were on his face.

  A smile appeared on The Will's face. "Looks like you both lost the will to fight... good. This will make it easy for us."

  As it slowly stepped toward Zhon, he closed his eyes on his knees, tears on his face. Ravine, who couldn't take it anymore, used her illusion once more to break free. Without any sound, she grabbed The Will by its neck and tackled it to the ground. Using her razor arms, she cut off its arm, grabbed the blade, and stabbed its torso multiple times. Her eyes were full of tears and rage. She kept her right arm on its neck as she kept punching it repeatedly, each blow with more force than the last.

  The Will was laughing as each blow took a piece from it. As she kept going, its voice grew more and more metallic until, with one final blow, it finally stopped, and its body went limp. But Ravine kept going, her anger turning into sadness, tears blurring her sight.

  Zhon ran to her and held her. She broke down in his arms. He only managed to slowly wrap his arms around her, unable to say anything else. They walked to Roan's corpse.

  "They massacred him..." Ravine said.

  Zhon stayed silent. She slammed her fist softly on Roan's body and lay her forehead on it, tears streaming down her face. "I suddenly feel like letting go."

  "Huh?" Zhon said.

  Ravine's body went limp.

  More concerned, Zhon said, "Ravine?" He shook her lightly, then started shaking her violently, repeating her name.

  In her mind, everything was like a void. She felt as though she was back in that pod before being activated. Is this what it feels like to let go? I can't move my body, but I feel at peace.

  A voice came from inside. "Have you given up?"

  Ravine stayed silent.

  The voice came more intensely. "Have you given up on everything we have worked toward to get here?"

  Ravine said calmly, "We lost already. Why care?"

  The voice came closer. "Because we have not. We are still three alive. We still stand. We are not done yet. Will you allow your body to be used for someone else's bidding?"

  Ravine scoffed. "Even if I wanted to, my body refuses to move. I'm useless."

  "You may not be able to move it, but I can... If you allow me, I can move your body and take control, but I won't do it without your consent."

  "You're only delaying the inevitable. We—"

  "GET OFF YOUR FEELINGS, RAVINE. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT YOU!"

  Ravine gasped.

  Mother Phoenix continued, "WE'RE ALL IN PAIN FOR OUR LOSSES, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP MOVING SO THEIR DEATHS AREN'T IN VAIN. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU KNEW SINCE YOU WERE BROUGHT TO EARTH. THE OBJECTIVE CHANGED, BUT THE RULES ARE THE SAME."

  More softly, she sighed. "Look, Zhon will need to know that we're alright. If you're not going to do it for the mission, do it for him—the one who fixed you two countless times and was always there to push you forward."

  "But what if we fail? What then, Kyomi?"

  "If we fail, we will have done so trying, my sister. But not like this. Our morale has been shattered, but we have to recover the pieces and rise from the ashes anew. Roan wouldn't want us to give up, so we won't."

  Ravine stayed silent.

  "So now, do I have your consent—sister, soldier, Ravine? It is time for you to make a decision: to face fate head-on or let it define you. Either way, I won't come in between your choice."

  Ravine muttered, "You always have a way with words... that makes me want to punch you sometimes... Yes. You may use my body, Kyomi."

  As she said so, it was as if her body came back to life in a blaze. Her eyes were now burning like fire, the wing flames burning brighter than before.

  Mother Phoenix said, "You may not panic, Zhon, for Ravine is still here with us. But for the remainder of this mission, I shall be the one in control of her body. I know you have your grievances. We both feel it. But right now, I am controlling a failing body. I urge you to take my hand so we may depart and reach the last piece we miss."

  With a sniffle, Zhon nodded and took Mother Phoenix's hand.

  "Hold on. This will take but a moment. This ship is big, but I know right where to find this idiot."

  With a slight poof, both of them disappeared, leaving a trail of embers touching Roan's remains...