Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Forty-Nine

Without warning, EDJ launched into an attack. DJ redirected the assault with his lance, raising his shield and sword arm to stop an incoming hit from Shard. EDJ came back around and Shard had to swerve out of the way to evade swings from both Original and Evil Other. Surprisingly, DJ held his own against both assailants. Even after Shard froze another portion of the floor closer to DJ. 

“Come on, melt faster,” Lui muttered to himself, eyes darting between his hands and the battle. Lui melted through the ice keeping him restrained as quickly as he could with the meager light he had. Once he was free, Lui jumped to his feet and ran for his sword. The ice surrounding his weapon had melted enough on its own that Lui was able to grasp the handle and rip the blade free. Sword in hand, Lui rushed to join the fight and protect his Original. 

Shard flew into the air and dove in for an attack from above, trying to stay out of EDJ’s way. DJ slammed the end of his lance into the floor with pressurized wind magic to shove the attackers away in all directions. With one more swift lance swing, DJ pulled the air around Shard toward the ground before evading a jab from EDJ. Shard was barely able to stop herself from slamming into the floor the way Iul did earlier on in the fight. EDJ kept the Original distracted. As Shard moved to throw a slash at DJ again, Lui stepped in front of her and blocked the attack. Seeing his chance to take the offensive, DJ unleashed a furious assault on his Evil Other, knocking Iul back a few feet. 

“You made a mistake by forgetting about me,” Lui said, parrying Shard’s sword away.

“Grr, I don’t have time to deal with you!” Shard tried to get around to DJ only for Lui to keep intercepting her. The sudden noise of a weapon dropping caught both of their attention. DJ’s lance was on the ground and both he and Iul were locked in a neutral sword bind. EDJ shifted just enough to drop the weight of the sword and go for a grapple, which DJ did not anticipate. 

No! Stop! Just STOP! “I can’t take this anymore!” Shard dropped her sword and shoved past Lui. She threw out a wave of ice magic with both hands, freezing the floor directly beneath both DJs. Both Original and Evil Other slipped on the ice, pulling and wrestling each other for control as they fell. Lui took a step forward. With an icy claw, Shard turned and knocked the sword out of Lui’s hand. Instead of attacking, she held up the frozen hand to halt Lui. “Just wait,” Shard warned. Lui paused, looking from Shard to the two DJs and back in confusion. Shard turned to the two still fighting and asked, “EDJ, you alright?”

With a short blast of light magic to melt the ice floor, DJ was the first one up. He jumped to his feet and held both swords to EDJ’s throat. Panting, DJ looked back at Lui and Shard. “No, I don't think he's alright. Do you?” DJ answered, still emanating snark. He watched Shard with narrow green eyes. 

Shard looked at EDJ then at DJ with a frown. “I suppose this was going to happen sooner or later.” She slowly stepped toward the two. “DJ,” she started, icy claw arm returning to her normal hand. “I have a question for you.” Tension rose with every step.

“Ask it.” DJ helding the blades even closer to EDJ’s neck in warning. A quick glance at Lui revealed the uncertainty on the Other’s face.

Shard paused in her path as she watched DJ. Her eyes turned from red to blue. “Do the ends justify the means?” Hanna asked in a serious tone. 

DJ’s glare turned to surprise as realization flashed across his face. “Of course,” he whispered to himself, mentally piecing things together. “I think… you didn’t actually do it, did you?” he asked, almost in relief. Hanna shook her head. 

EDJ squirmed, blades still uncomfortably close to his throat. “What’s going on?” he looked from DJ to Hanna. As soon as he noticed the color shift, his eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“You made one mistake, EDJ,” Hanna said as she resumed her walk toward the two. “Wanna guess what that was?” 

EDJ attempted to scoot back as Hanna knelt next to him. EDJ yelled and turned in panic to get away, but Hanna grabbed him and did not let go. Layer by frosty layer, Hanna started encasing EDJ in ice. EDJ gasped and struggled to get enough fire to melt the ice, but it was too late. His limbs were already too frozen to move, though he gave off plenty of steam. “I never pressed that button.” Hanna answered her own question as she continued encasing EDJ in ice. 

“I…completely… forgot…” EDJ’s breathing came out short and shallow as the layers of ice around him thickened and the steam stopped. “So… cold…” EDJ glared at her. “Traitor...I...thought...you…” Overcome with cold and exhaustion, EDJ passed out as Hanna finished encasing him in ice. Hanna sat back on the ground and let out a deep breath, all energy completely expended. DJ also plopped down on the ground in exhaustion, though held on to both blades. 

“Wow, that was an awkwardly anticlimactic end for such a spectacular fight,” Lui commented with a nervous chuckle. Lui retrieved his weapon and cautiously approached Hanna. “Is… Is it really you again?” Lui asked quietly. 

“It was always me,” Hanna answered in shame. “From the very beginning.” She looked up at Lui in tears. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Lui said as he sheathed his sword and sat next to her. He reached out a hand, but, upon remembering how well that went last time, immediately retracted it. “It’s going to be okay. It’s over.” Lui reassured with a smile. Lui turned his attention to DJ and frowned. “You’re bleeding again.” 

“It’s fine,” DJ answered, inspecting the area Iul sliced with a dagger earlier. “He caught between the plates, but didn’t get very far. I don’t think he hit anything vital.” DJ turned back to Lui with a tired smile. “Just a flesh wound,” he finished. DJ looked down at the two swords he recovered from Iul. Black and red were the colors of the hilts while the blades themselves were silver. Etching on the metal near the hilt of one blade demanded a closer look. “The Last Word.” DJ read, holding up the sword to the dim light. He inspected the second blade. “Kindness.” DJ rolled his eyes. 

Seeing DJ was more or less in one piece, Lui turned to the frozen Evil Other. Can he even breathe in there? Would he need to breathe or is he just in stasis? Lui reached out and tapped the ice casing. Tap. Tap. Tap. Solid. Either way, EDJ wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while.