Chapter Text
“We could be a rear guard.”
Maria had to stifle a chuckle. It was the same argument he had yesterday. Logan looked like a petulant child, pleading to go along on their mission.
She knew he had his reasons. The poor boy was worried for his father’s safety. Howlett and Haru were the only close family that the younger hunter ever knew- his relationship with Kat aside of course- and he’d lost his Pa once already, so risking both of them was likely driving the poor boy up the wall.
That was why she knew to keep her amusem*nt to herself in this matter.
The Highwinder was confident in their capabilities though.
According to what Maria learned from that church man, Miguel, Pen didn’t technically win the fight against Howlett on his own. He ambushed then poisoned him. Using underhanded, dishonorable methods to kill the older hunter.
But that was when Howlett was by himself, surrounded by enemies.
He wouldn’t be alone this time. They’d put together a crack team to take out the airship.
The prior evening Maria had stayed back with Trudy, Grace, and- once he got back from whatever he was doing- Avery, to iron out all the plans they could. Even consulting with their explosives expert, an adorable young man named Haru, to figure out how to disable the engines of the Duvosian airship.
That had been a whole hilarious fiasco.
When Howlett hadn’t come back from the Research Center, Mayor Trudy had sent Maria to tell Haru and Kat about their meeting this morning. She ended up walking into basically the entire town celebrating and planning Logan and Kat’s wedding.
Evidently, their talk about their relationship was successful, though they had a few more spectators than they’d wanted…
The chaos was partly caused by Haru.
Maria was already fond of the boy, he had the same kind of penchant for mischief that she did. It just took a couple of words from Haru to set the hounds on the new couple. After watching the younger hunter and her daughter be so indecisive for just a few days, it was refreshing to know that she wasn’t the only one frustrated with them.
In fact, it’d been going on long enough for them to accrue a sizable betting pool on which one would crack first.
Something that Maria found hysterical.
When she arrived at the Saloon, the chemist was just sitting back basking in the glory of the chaos. Perfectly exacted revenge for the fact he’d had to spend quite a while as an awkward third wheel to a non-relationship relationship.
That boy was clever, it was like he could pull machinations out of thin air.
Explosive machinations mainly.
In fact, they were able to make their mission plan outright better due to the chemist’s involvement.
Thanks to his- admittedly excessive- forward thinking, he’d spent the past few days making a military's worth of explosive ordinance. Even Commander Avery was impressed.
Their original plan had been to sabotage the airship’s engines and cannons by messing with the wiring. In hindsight, that was a risky plan since they had no way of telling if the Duvosians would find the sabotage and fix it before the Sandrocker’s planned attack.
Now they could simply plan on blowing up the airship beyond repair.
They would set the explosive charges throughout the ship then use a timed fuse to set them all off. Hopefully, after they’d left the top of the Plateau… but there was a reason they were all armed with guns. They couldn’t be sure everything would go to plan.
They could do their best to have an airtight plan though.
Kat was able to sketch out a rough map of the airship since she’d been privy to the schematics that Grace had stolen in the first timeline.
Hearing that her daughter had participated in making a whole damn airship for Sandrock and the Alliance was just a whole other level of pride for Maria. Any worry she’d ever had about Kat struggling to find her own path was certainly squashed. No prouder mother could be found in the Free Cities.
The only hiccup with their plan was that Logan was upset about being excluded.
So was Kat, but she was at least being pragmatic about it, accepting that she might hold them back in her condition. Logan, on the other hand, was being difficult. Between his stubborn attitude and his need to be helpful, they just couldn’t reason with him.
“Logan! That’s enough!” Howlett snapped. “This ain’t something we can take more risk than necessary on.”
The younger hunter flinched, eyes downcast. Maria couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. The older hunter seemed uncharacteristically irritable.
“We can’t risk either you or Kat, Logan.” Grace shook her head at him. “Qi just told us that we need both of you to deactivate the time machine. While I appreciate your concern, it quite literally could doom us all.”
Mayor Trudy held a tired hand to her temple. “Remind me again how that works, Director?”
“We already know that the time machine was activated once by Kat and again by Logan. Since they are both prior users, the-” Qi glanced nervously at the monster hunters. “The shut-down program I’ve made will get rejected by the relic… Its security system is based entirely on who used it first- plus a few flaws related to user data storage… So having them both authorize it at the machine’s terminal is the easiest way to bypass it.”
“And that will… stabilize the realities?” Maria tilted her head.
“Yes.” The Director nodded entirely too quickly.
“That means the sooner we get this done the sooner life goes back to normal.” Howlett interjected. “Our best chance is heading out tonight, then camping out at the base of the Plateau until the morning. The few times I've been to the top of that Plateau it took me until nightfall to reach the top.”
Maria glanced at him. “So pack today, leave tonight. What about the plan with Elsie?”
“Else seemed to believe she'd be back in just a few days… It’s a big reason I want to take care of this now.” The older hunter insisted. “So we can launch our reverse invasion as soon as she gets back.”
The Mayor chewed her lip hesitantly, she may have gotten better at direct action but she was still working on being decisive. Such a forward and fast-paced approach made her hesitant.
“Alliance support could be days if not weeks away from coming.” Commander Avery pointed out. “Duvos could've made off with the relics or Kat could be dead. Grounding their airship is a number one priority regardless of whether or not we attack or wait.”
“I know that…” Trudy hummed nervously. “We can't avoid a direct conflict, I can accept that. I'm just worried about risking some of our best people, this could be a costly gamble. Especially so soon after…” She paused, not quite able to hide her glance at Howlett.
So soon after they just got him back… and so soon after they remembered him dying.
These people really didn't care about whether or not the Duvosians stole relics. That was just what the Empire did most of the time anyways. It was why the rest of the world from Seesai to the Alliance had beef with them.
More than anything the Sandrockers just wanted to protect their own-
“I know you're worried, Mayor Trudy.” Grace's voice cut through Maria’s thoughts. “But I'm confident in our abilities. Everyone on this team has experience pertinent to the mission. Letting the airship stay intact will only leave us with more potential casualties. Howlett’s right. The sooner we do this, the better.”
“Alright, alright.” Trudy nodded. “Let me at least get some folks together to help you pack.”
—
Evening came far too quickly for all of them.
Everyone in the group had dark spots under their eyes, having not made it to their camping spot until past midnight. Maria, Grace, and Howlett were the least affected- used to the demanding schedule of their jobs, Haru looked grim, and Mi-an looked ready to pass out.
They had a goodbye party in the afternoon.
It wasn’t too different from the dinner gatherings the townsfolk had been doing since this whole situation began- Grace actually instructed them to keep it that way and to say their farewells then too.
The spy was certain that the Duvosians likely had lookouts on the edge of the Northern Plateau.
That meant no well-wishers when they left, no change in the townsfolk’s daily schedule, their packing had to be hidden among the buildings, and the group wouldn’t get much sleep since they had to be ready to go under the cover of night.
So they set out at an ungodly dark hour, crossed the bridge with no light- which had been pretty hair-raising- and camped out beneath an outcropping right underneath the Plateau.
Luckily though, it was a spot that Howlett had set up as a base camp during his monster hunts. A surprisingly cozy little nook hidden in a deep alcove hidden from sight by several boulders.
They settled in and the older hunter set about starting a small fire.
It was a neat little setup, no more than a couple of holes in the ground, but it would give them good heat and a warm breakfast with little to no smoke or light to alert the Duvosians on the Plateau above them. Grace was skeptical at first until the campfire was lit and the warmth of it filled the alcove.
Soon enough the Alliance spy and Mi-an were dozing off, catching up on what precious sleep they could.
Haru and Howlett decided to sit around the fire for a spell, the younger man sitting what Maria thought was far too close to the flames. His hands were hanging just above the pit. Practically touching it.
“You alright, kiddo?” Maria sat across from them.
He responded with a strained smile. “Nervous mostly.” His fingers traced lines in the air above the fire. Silent calculations. “It’s the first time since-”
The chemist tensed.
“Ah- the first time in a while that my-” He cleared his throat uneasily and looked away. “My work has been important for a mission.”
Maria tilted her head at him.
His work?
She knew he was referring to the bombs he made. But he seemed like a confident, brilliant young man. Both Howlett and Logan talked up his skills a ton. Emphasizing the fact that Haru had done all this with his own hands and what few books and what little education Sandrock could provide them.
“Haru…” Howlett had a pained expression on his face.
Oh.
Trudy had mentioned to Maria that Howlett’s death happened when Logan had tried to blow a hole in the Temple’s wall to help his Pa escape. But because of Pen, the explosion was bigger than it should have been. Causing the whole side of the Temple to collapse on top of the older hunter.
It was Haru’s bombs that Logan originally used.
Haru thought that it was his mistake that got Howlett killed.
“I- I know it’s not logical. It wasn’t…” The chemist let out a shuddering breath. “It wasn’t my fault. It’s just… easy to make mistakes with this kind of thing.” He clenched his hands. “I’m self-taught- have the scars to prove it too. Even just thinking that I’d somehow made a mistake that caused… that… ”
He glanced over at the packs they were all carrying, filled to the brim with his creations.
“It’s hard to not have some misgivings. Irrational or not.” His dark eyes seemed to burn in the dim firelight, suppressed self-doubt eating him away on the inside.
Howlett’s own eyes reflected guilt as he watched the young man sadly. Likely thinking about how it was his death that caused their pain.
They all blame themselves.
Maria let out a soft empathetic huff. It was the nature of good people to feel guilty for things out of their control apparently. Especially with this family.
“I wouldn't say it's irrational.”
The young chemist looked up at the Highwinder curiously.
“You all have been through a lot.” She shook her head. “Lives hang in the balance, I’d be more worried if you didn’t have doubts.”
“It’s not very assuring for everyone else though…” He ducked his head sheepishly.
Maria chuckled. “You don't gotta worry about us, kiddo- Mi-an, maybe, but she seems like a sensible girl. We're all aware of the danger.” She patted his shoulder. “Worry about yourself, alright? Do what you gotta to make sure you're focused.”
“If you want, jus’ show me the plans an’ I could go into the airship instead-” Howlett offered.
“NO!”
Haru startled himself with his own shout, his eyes snapping to the older hunter in alarm. He cleared his throat.
“N- no. I need to do this myself.”
Howlett nodded, plastering an assuring smile on his face despite the shadows of doubt and worry in his eyes. Uneasy silence settled over them again. The chemist fidgeted nervously, unable to meet the older hunter’s concerned gaze.
“I just… don't know how you guys do this kinda thing for a living- I mean, there was what Logan and I went through but…” He cracked his knuckles. “I wasn’t the one constantly fighting, I always had someone to stand behind- at least ‘till I got shot…”
The Highwinder blinked in surprise.
Kat did mention that Haru getting shot really freaked her out- and that it was part of the reason she’d sacrificed herself at the starship ruins. She had thought he died. They were at war here, it shouldn’t be surprising to her that someone got shot… but it seemed a little wrong that such a gentle, mild-mannered young man was the one who got shot.
“I really thought I’d feel more ready for anything at this point.” Haru sighed sheepishly. “If it wasn’t for everyone else… I feel like I would’ve just run away at this point.”
Maria let out a quiet chuckle. She reached into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out a folded photograph that she’d kept on her when she first left Highwind in search of her missing daughter. It was a more recent one, from when Kat was freshly graduated from builder’s school- or rather it was just after her finals. They hadn’t gotten the results yet but Maria just couldn’t fathom her brilliant daughter failing the licensing test.
She’d originally brought it so she could ask around if anyone had seen her daughter, but it was also fairly sentimental.
There was just an extra childlike brightness in Kat’s smile that Maria hadn’t seen in her daughter recently- an innocence that she’d lost when she faced down death again and again.
It was both a reminder of good times, but also a reminder of how far they've come.
“That’s exactly what we feel, Haru. Every time we fight,” She held the photograph out to him, “It’s always for the sake of someone else. Never when we’re ready, sometimes when we want to run.”
Haru took the picture, looking at it with a small smile.
“If you really don’t want to fight, son…” Howlett spoke up.
The chemist shook his head, cutting the older hunter off. “No. I need to do this. Besides-” He turned his smile towards Howlett. “I can handle a pistol, but you brought your shotgun. It’s better that you’re the one using it because it’ll be… helpful… if something goes wrong.”
“What’s with you tonight, Howie?” Maria turned her attention to Howlett. “I know Logan got his impulsiveness from somewhere, but I didn’t think you’d be so insistent about throwing yourself on the fire.”
The older hunter ducked his head, not meeting her eyes.
“I’ve got m’ own worries.” He mumbled quietly to himself.
Maria raised a brow at him. Again, it felt like something was off about him. The hunter clearly had something on his mind… but he wasn’t elaborating-
Wasn’t talking.
“Well!” Howlett stood abruptly. “I’ll take the first watch and keep the fire going, you two get what rest you can.”
He turned and strode to the edge of the alcove, settling with his back to them. Leaving Maria and Haru to exchange equally confused and concerned glances. Something was definitely not right.
She just hoped he’d open up before it was too late.
—
The hike up the Northern Plateau was a lot more hellish than Maria thought it would be.
Evidently everyone but Howlett were having trouble with the trek.
It was steep, rocky- poor Mi-an nearly twisted her ankle twice- and there were an unfortunate amount of little scorpsters and spiders hiding in the cracks of the rocks. Twice Maria heard Grace mumble something about swearing off rock climbing and hating that this path was apparently ‘easier’ than the first time she’d climbed the Plateau.
Maria herself couldn’t keep her eyes off the back of Howlett’s head- at least when she wasn’t forced to look at where she was putting her hands and feet.
He was avoiding looking at her.
Even with Haru, he kept his words short and positive. Avoiding having drawn-out conversations with either of them.
The hunter was avoiding talking to them.
Knowing him, Maria figured it was because he knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid talking about whatever it was that was bothering him. When they’d been on a hunt together years ago he was a very straightforward, honest man. Sometimes even letting slip what he was thinking about before he meant to.
The Highwinder couldn’t help but smirk at the memory.
That hunt hadn’t been the best time of her life. A large, and alarmingly toothy monster had crossed the border of the Peripheries and managed to dodge the Alliance Rangers until it found their little farm in the outskirts of Highwind.
It’d gone after her husband as he’d been tending the fields.
After that, the Highwind Civil Corps went all out on their behalf to hunt down the monster. Even calling in a few favors around the Free Cities, looking for a monster-hunting expert.
When Howlett had come to town, they’d actually ended up butting heads because he wanted to use her husband, the one who nearly just got eaten, as bait for the monster. He hadn’t meant to tell her, but he’d let it slip one day-
‘These kinds of monsters are smart! It’d be more interested in eating him because it would recognize him as a meal that got away!’
He’d been right of course- despite how much Maria argued with him- he was right.
As it turned out, giant mutant dog-lizard monsters had photographic memories… and a taste for mild-mannered farmer men. She just didn't like the truth.
She let out a soft huff.
As soon as they stopped for any reason- long enough to get him to talk to her- she was sure she could get him to spill what was wrong. It was his nature to be honest, just the same as he’d taught his son.
Maria couldn’t stop a slight frown from pricking at her lips.
He started acting off after he’d left to check on Director Qi… It wasn’t like him to wander off after doing something, yet he’d forgotten about the meeting with Grace and Trudy that evening. She had found Howlett at the Blue Moon when she’d gone to let Kat and Haru know about the meeting they’d had before they left on this mission…
It had to be something that Qi told him.
Something serious enough that he wanted to pretend it didn’t exist.
Her eyes were drawn back to the head of tawny brown hair ahead of her. The sun was reaching its peak and the mix of gray against brown in his hair seemed to shimmer in the harsh daylight.
Nothing seemed to perturb the man- at least nothing short of the potential deaths of the people he cared about- not even his own death seemed to-
Wait-
Death…?
“We can stop here for a minute.” His voice interrupted her thoughts. “Catch our breaths and go over the plan.”
He led them to another alcove in the side of the Plateau, this one hidden by a fissure in the rockface. Pulling a map from one of his belt pouches he settled on a flat rock, spreading the paper out so they all could see it.
“We’ll reach the top by sundown, we can take the last few hours of daylight to scout the area.” He tapped a point on the edge of the Plateau close to the Sandrock side. “On the path we’re taking we’ll end up here, It’ll hopefully be high enough that we can see the whole area. If not there’s a path just to the left here-” He slid his finger along the ledge. “Where we’re going to set up Maria’s sniper nest. That will definitely be high enough.”
“Does the ‘path’ get any easier?” Mi-an puffed out as she slid down against the rock wall.
“No.”
“It gets more vertical.”
Both Grace and Howlett responded at the same time, making the Tallsky builder groan. The hunter glanced sideways at the spy.
“You’ve done this climb before?”
“Once.” The blond shrugged casually. “I had to verify that Duvos was up there. I took a look at some of your maps but… It wasn’t exactly fun. I didn't take the ‘easy’ path.”
Howlett winced in sympathy. “Did’ja at least manage to avoid the Rockenyaroll dens?”
“Yeah. Those were the one thing I memorized from the map.”
“We’re going to have to deal with Rockenyarolls?” Mi-an squeaked out.
“Not as long as we follow the trail we’re on.” The older hunter shook his head. “The Rockenyarolls stay on slopes near their dens.”
Maria took a sip from her canteen, eyeing the map before switching her gaze back to the hunter. If he noticed her attention he was actively ignoring her. Stubborn yakboy.
Before she could say anything he glanced at Haru- “What about the plans for the airship?”
The young chemist startled. “O- oh, yeah. One sec.”
He shuffled through his own toolbelt, shaking out the scribbled schematic that Kat had given him. Five spots were circled along the ship. Two in the back near the engines, two in the front where the cannons were, and one in the center.
“This one-” Haru pointed to the circle in the center, “Is the control center for the ship. It’s the point where Grace will plant her charges. These-” He tapped the two on the back of the ship. “Will be handled by Mi-an.”
“What about the cannons?” Howlett couldn’t keep the concern out of his voice.
“I’ll be handling those.” Haru sighed. “Since it’s the weapon bays, I’ll have to be extra careful as the explosions here could be… uh- catastrophic. There’ll likely be a chain reaction no matter how we do this.”
“An’ you’re sure you wanna do this?”
Haru looked up at the older hunter with a determined face. “I have to. Between trying to prevent an accidental reaction with whatever weapons they’re keeping and having to lay down the fuse before we escape- It needs to be me.”
Howlett nodded with a sigh.
“What’s your contingency- you don’t have a gun.” Maria tilted her head at the young man. “How are you going to fight?”
He looked up at her, his face a picture of calm wrath.
“Preferably we won’t.” He said simply. “But if it comes down to it, I have my bombs. Plus a few rather… nasty throwable flasks.”
Maria could see the fire in the young man’s eyes. It both scared and awed her. He’d take the Duvosians with him if it came to that. The look of a man committed to his mission- committed to winning this war.
“We want you back in one piece though.” The older hunter protested.
“I don’t intend on dying.” Haru shrugged. “It’s just a precaution.”
Howlett looked like he wanted to argue when Grace interjected.
“We should probably get going. The top of the Plateau isn’t getting any closer.”
—
They had a perfect view of the Plateau from where they were.
The trail they took put them closer to the sniping spot that Howlett had picked out. There was a sloped path just below them leading nearly straight down into the crater where the old-world ruins sat.
In the center- practically right on top of what little of the ruin poked out of the ground- was the grounded airship, sitting in the crater with its sides peaking just over the rim of the Northern Plateau like a gigantic black and gray duck. An evil gigantic black and gray duck.
Luckily, it seemed like most of the Duvosians were in the ruins below.
Little more than a skeleton crew manned the airship. Some sleepy-looking patrolmen and one or two maintenance personnel. It would be simple enough to avoid them.
Soon enough the nearly moonless night swallowed the whole Plateau in darkness, driving the last of the Duvosians inside the ship.
She didn’t blame them. If she didn’t have her scope with her- and decades of training- she wouldn’t be able to see a thing either.
Grace, Mi-an, and Haru had already disappeared inside a little while ago. There hadn’t even been a guard at the entrance to the airship. The Duvosians apparently saw no point in defending against the dark, bug-noisy night.
This was almost too easy.
Maria sighed.
It was just her and Howlett left.
The older hunter kept an intense gaze locked on the airship. She could practically see the minutes counting in his eyes.
“They’ve been in there too long.”
His whisper was the first thing to break the silence.
“They haven’t even been in there thirty minutes, Howie. Have some faith.”
“I am.” His voice was tight with worry. “Haru was sure they’d be out in twenty.”
“Estimates don’t equate to the real thing.” Maria shook her head. “Give them some time.”
Howlett grumbled softly, his fingers drumming against his leg incessantly. The sound of bugs filled in the space again. It almost got repetitive as the anxiety radiating off of the hunter started to seep into the Highwinder’s consciousness.
It almost felt worse than sitting in a quiet room with a loud clock.
“I’m going in.” Howlett moved to get up.
“Wh-?” Maria’s eyes snapped up from her scope. “No, you are not!”
She hastily grabbed his arm, dragging him forcefully back down behind their cover. Chagrined blue eyes met hers.
“What the hell is going on with you, Howlett?” Her voice was little more than a strained whisper. “You never used to throw yourself to the damn hounds, never used to snap at people- You're a far cry from the level-headed hunter I knew.”
“I-” His eyes darted away, his voice barely audible. “I can’t.”
“Why not? We’re all fighting for our lives here. Why are you so eager to die?” She hissed. “Because if you do die you at least owe Logan and Haru an explanation.”
He flinched. Shame and pain raw on his face.
“It’s not that simple Maria-”
“The hell it’s not! Why?” She demanded again. “Tell me something!”
The older hunter sagged against the rocks, the shadows on his face seeming to deepen in the lightless night. A haunted look. Pain, loss, and… fear.
“Because I’m scared, alright?!” His voice gritted out. “I’m terrified and-” His voice dropped below a whisper. “...and there isn’t anything I can do about it.”
Maria stared at him, slack-jawed. He- the fearless Howlett, hunter of all beasts great and small- was scared?
The look on his face was heartbreaking. Forlorn and pained. His eyes, once bright with fight and fire, were now dull and listless, shimmering slightly with tears. Hopeless.
Skktt.
Gravel scraped as footsteps scrambled up the slope towards them. Making them both tense, Maria’s hands flew to her sniper as Howlett tightened his grip on his shotgun.
A familiar pair of goggles and a head of blond hair appeared over the rocks, soft panicked breathing and gasps of fear accompanying the two women over the rough terrain. They looked mostly unharmed but shaken. Mi-an’s overalls were torn and both of them had scrapes on their faces and arms.
Most notably; Haru wasn’t with them.
“Are you girls alright?” Howlett surged to his feet, holding a hand out to steady them.
“N- yeah, we- we’re f- f- fine.” Mi-an managed to stutter out. “It’s-”
Grace grabbed the older hunter’s arm, her face pale. “Haru was lighting the fuse- it’s gonna go soon, but Pen got him.” She wavered, her breath wheezing out. “I- I wanted to go back, but he-”
“COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!”
Booming words echoed through the still night air. A voice none of them were eager to hear.
The color drained from Howlett’s face as their eyes snapped toward the airship. Pen held Haru aloft from the ground by his neck, the chemist clutching uselessly at the armored hand choking him. The young man’s face twisted with pain.
“What?” The Duvosian laughed harshly. “Are you all just going to let your little stray die?!”
He grinned viciously as Haru struggled, watching the smaller man’s desperate gasps for air with perverse satisfaction.
“And here I thought Sandrockers stuck together.”
Howlett started forward when Maria’s hand on his arm stopped him.
Blue eyes met a green one.
“I can’t let him die too.”
His arm slipped from her grasp as he hurtled down the slope.
Pen’s gaze snapped to the silhouette, a bright light charging in the palm of his free hand. The Duvosian flung it and the bolt shot out, straight towards the older hunter.
At the last moment, Howlett threw himself out of the way. Rolling behind a boulder as the blast melted the rocks where he’d been standing just milliseconds before.
Pen charged up another bolt of light in his hand when a bright floodlight from the airship snapped on. The brilliant light blinded them all as it burned away the darkness of the night. Even all the way up to their sniper spot.
Maria dragged Mi-an and Grace behind the rocks, shoving them down and out of the line of sight before grabbing her gun again.
The Duvosian thankfully didn’t see them.
He didn’t even really seem to care as his eyes remained fixed on the rock that Howlett had leapt behind. A maniacal grin on his face.
The charge in his hand started to sizzle, whistling like a heated tea kettle.
As the bolt left Pen’s hand towards the rock the older hunter leapt away, rolling as the blast swept him off his feet in a hailstorm of rocky shrapnel. Howlett stood shakily. His piercing glare meeting the Duvosian Knight’s shocked face as he held his shotgun aloft.
The sight of the hunter seemed to give Pen pause.
“Heh,” Another manic grin spread across his face and his grip loosened slightly on Haru’s neck, allowing the poor boy to finally gulp in some air.
“Heh heh heh, HA HAH HA HA HAH HA!” The Duvosian Knight flung his arms open wide. “What. A. BLESSING! I knew there must have been something keeping that mutt of yours on a short leash! Not after what I did to Kat.” He shook the flailing chemist in his hand. “This one is too weak to stop him. Especially in regards to that little hussy.”
“I guess that runs in your family though, doesn’t it? Chasing after women you shouldn’t. Like father, like son.” Pen grinned devilishly at the hunter. “Is that why you brought this one and not your favorite? Rather risk the spare and not your precious bastard?”
“Let. Him. Go. Or I swear to Peach, I will put a hole through yer gut.” Howlett growled out, leveling his gun at the Duvosian.
Haru’s eyes widened. He desperately tried to shake his head, waving at the hunter to run.
Maria’s heart tightened with pain as she watched the pain and fear on the young man's face through her scope. If only she could get a clear shot…
“Ah, ah, ah!” Pen tightened his grip on the chemist’s neck. The glove started glowing, charging up, and earning a strangled cry of pain from the young man. “I wouldn’t move a muscle if I were you. Not unless-” He tilted his head with a mock pout. “You don’t really care about your little stray here.”
Howlett froze, his eyes fixed on the glove burning Haru’s neck.
The Duvosian let out a dark chuckle, the glove in his free hand igniting again. “That’s right.” He tilted his head, regarding the hunter with a predatory stare. “I think… We’ll make your death better this time- I’ll keep your head and give it to Logan. He’d love that.”
Pen stretched out his hand, aiming the relic glove at the older hunter. Cackling like a madman.
He’s not going to move.
Maria’s heart sank as Howlett stayed frozen in place, staring down death. Haru thrashed, letting out choked protests begging the hunter to save himself.
The hand.
It was outstretched. It would be one hell of a shot, especially since she was now one-eyed…
The Highwind woman hauled her weapon up. Lining up the scope as hastily as she could. Hands trembling and heart beating as the cold metal of the sniper touched her cheek.
Breathe.
“Farewell again, Howlett. I certainly won’t miss you.”
Aim.
“R- run! Pl- please!” Haru’s screams tore through her heart.
Breathe.
Don’t miss.
Fire.
CK- CRACK!
As the shrill screech of the Duvosian Knight’s glove reached a crescendo the sniper fired. A mix of electricity and blood sprayed out from Pen’s hand. His scream was the only thing louder than the crackling roar of the glove’s unstable discharge.
He dropped Haru, who crumpled to the ground, and staggered back. Trying desperately to tear the broken relic from his ruined hand.
Everything began to shake, the whole Plateau shuddering with an increasing magnitude. It took a moment for Maria to register what it was-
The bombs.
“HOWLETT! HARU!” She screamed, frantically pointing at the airship. Not caring that she was now standing exposed.
The older hunter’s head snapped over to the ship. Understanding and horror dawning on his face.
He lunged towards Haru-
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Air vibrated as brilliant flames turned the night sky into day. Flashing in a chain reaction as everything flammable caught fire and everything explosive went off. The sheer force of the shock nearly sent the Highwind woman flying back as shrapnel rained in all directions. Its sound was so thunderous that after a moment her ears rang with nothing but a muffled tone.
Then silence.
Horrifyingly cacophonous silence.
—
