Takeover Tag Team Times Two

[Fayte Scarlett]

The rain was fierce that day, pouring down without relent. Fayte had abandoned her traditional and practical jean clothing. Instead, she was wearing a dress, far too fancy for her to have picked out by herself. It was blue with white lace, framing her form nicely before billowing out past her waist. This was the last gift that Master Xian Fei had given her, before passing away. Master Xian Fei and Fayte had very different opinions on clothing, the master preferring lace and other extremely impractical choices. In her younger days, Fayte had thrown away much of Master Xian Fei’s gifts.

But she had insisted that Fayte keep this particular dress, in case a mission demanded she wear something formal. The dress had become more than that over time, a memento of days now past. She wouldn’t have guessed that now, she was wearing it for a practical use instead of sentimental.

The mission was to infiltrate a party, and assassinate the host. The party was going to be filled with couples and high-ranking Magic Council officials, which meant this task would be difficult. Secrecy would be the key. Fayte was assigned a partner to increase their odds of blending in and completing the mission. Who that partner was, she didn’t even know his name. Just that he would meet her at this particular spot, under the streetlight, about five blocks from where the party was starting. Fayte held onto her lacy umbrella, watching the rain hit the ground. This felt more like a surreal dream than reality, like she was watching someone else play her part as if from afar.

[271]

[Fayte Scarlett]

It took her an extra moment to realize that splashing footsteps had approached her, and stopped. A blond man, about her age and dressed in a tuxedo, stood before her. “You’re Fayte Scarlett?” He asked cheerfully, grinning widely. Fayte nodded. “I’m Kyle Chase. Your partner for this mission. And I have to say, by the way, you look positively stunning in that dress.”

“If you are ready, let us leave immediately,” Fayte said flatly. If that was an attempt to flirt, serious or not, she wasn’t interested. They had a mission to focus on, not time to get distracted.

Kyle’s grin faltered, but he managed to keep it. “Cold. I hope you can be a little more friendly at the party, or we’re going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

“I think it’s best if you do most of the talking,” Fayte admitted. She had no trouble leaving that to her partner. Talking certainly wasn’t her forte. While she could act to some degree, place the faint smile across her face, nod at the right time, and even laugh a little… she couldn’t completely change her personality. If anything she just tweaked her performance slightly, trying to act the ‘shy’ type rather than showing that she was completely numb.

[481]

[Fayte Scarlett]

“Fine with me,” Kyle shrugged. The two of them began walking towards the party, each carrying their own respective umbrella. Fayte normally liked the rain, but she thought it was a bit inconvenient when they were wearing these types of clothes. “So is Fayte really your first name?” Kyle asked.

Fayte couldn’t tell if the question was a practical one, or his attempt to make conversation. “Yes,” she said simply. It was. The little girl Angelique had passed on. Fayte was a different person completely.

“It sounds way too much like a code name, and I don’t want anyone getting suspicious of us right away. Can I just call you Scarlett? Just introduce yourself fin reverse – Scarlett Fayte. That sounds a lot more like a first name,” he suggested.

At least her partner was capable of thinking about the mission. Fayte was glad that the question had been of the practical sort, even if she had been unable to tell initially. “That sounds…. Fine,” she agreed neutrally. Trying to avoid answering in single words. She wasn’t sure if the extra two made a difference.

“Is there anything I should know about your magic?” She asked, deciding that it was worth the question. If Kyle had some kind of stealth magic, they could avoid some social situations completely.

[698]

[Fayte Scarlett]

“You mean you don’t know?” Kyle wondered curiously. “I’m a takeover wizard, like you.”

“…Oh.” Fayte wasn’t sure how she was supposed to know that.

“It’s not like there’s many takeover wizards in Shadow Heart, so news of our team got around pretty quickly,” Kyle explained. Fayte twitched slightly; she didn’t appreciate him using their dark guild’s name so freely. They might look alone now, but this was still a public street… anyone could be listening. “But, I’m not a natural like you. I didn’t develop takeover magic until after some magic-infused bio-engineering.”

… Fayte was at a loss of words again. That sounded… strange. She wasn’t sure if she should ask, or if that would be pressing too far into his personal life.

“Hey, what’s your reason for joining Shadow Heart?”

… A lot of people were scared to ask her personal questions. While she normally didn’t mind, they were on a mission now. And… her reason for joining Shadow Heart… Well it had been Master Xian Fei’s dying wish. Or more like, Master Xian Fei was certain that Shadow Heart would take care of Fayte. The rest fell into place so naturally, Fayte accepted it as destiny. “I… was just in the right place, at the right time…” She answered. Right now, she didn’t feel like divulging her story about revenge. There was something about Kyle… that just didn’t click with her. She was pretty sure he would never be able to help him against Mordekai.

[946]

[Fayte Scarlett]

“I joined because my friend did,” Kyle answered the same question, even though Fayte hadn’t asked. …Joining just because someone else had though… Was that friend this important? Committing to Shadow Heart wasn’t for the faint of heart. “He saved my life. And even though he’s the kind of guy to push away friends, I knew from that moment that I owed him. He tried to join Shadow Heart without telling me at first, buuut I figured it out pretty quickly. I joined shortly after.”

“This… ‘Takakiro’ means that much to you?” Fayte frowned lightly. Maybe she understood a little of the same relationship, because Master Xian Fei had saved her life… more than just saved it, Master Xian Fei had completely changed her into a new person. But the way Kyle talked about Takakiro sounded completely different. Kyle still held the utmost respect, but had more of a ‘friendship’ than reverence tone.

“Absolutely. He can try to push me away all he wants, but I’m too loyal. I blame the genes, maybe it’s just natural now, haha,” Kyle laughed.

The mansion were the party was at was within sight. Their small talk died, the mission back to being the forefront of their attention. They had a Magic Councilman to find.

[1,157]

[Fayte Scarlett]

Blood had spattered at odd angles, marking the walls like splashed paint. The dead littered the ground; Hugh’s entire cabinet of crooked businessmen wizards. This was not what they had signed up for. The supposedly easy mission had turned to mission impossible. Someone had tipped Shadow Heart’s plan, and now Kyle and Fayte were trapped in the secret meeting room.

Fayte stood to the side, transformed into her partial harpy self. One claw pressed against her side, blood seeping through the wound. Kyle was in far worse shape. He was in full takeover form, which resembled the savage mythic monster, Cerberus. His black fur was matted with blood, some in frightening locations. Fayte wondered if the takeover form was giving him the strength to remain conscious. Both were panting heavily, but Kyle’s entire frame shook with each breath.

Hugh had some kind of strange magic, something that Fayte had never seen before. Behind the old man was a vault, the air between the vault and reality shimmering uncertainly. If she had to guess, it was a transport to a different dimension – one that only Hugh could access. He could reach inside and pull out any manner of item. Most were holder weapons, each possessing extremely different abilities. Even with the combined strength of herself and Kyle, they were having trouble keeping up with him. Hugh’s cronies had gone down easily enough, but Hugh was a formidable opponent.

[1,398]

[Fayte Scarlett]

Hugh reached inside the dimensional gate, pulling out a sword with golden markings. The lacrima on its hilt shone brightly. Kyle rushed on all fours towards Hugh, clearly hoping to catch him before the sword finished transporting to this dimension.

Even Fayte could tell that Kyle wouldn’t reach it in time. He was overcommitting himself to an attack. “Wait-“ She tried to warn him, running in after. But she was too late. The golden sword thrust, Hugh piercing through Kyle’s dog-like form.

Fayte’s claws reached past her dying companion, striking at Hugh’s throat. The corrupt man gurgled, collapsing uncertainly as soon as Fayte released his slashed windpipe. His grasp on the sword relinquished, Kyle following suite, the blade still lodged completely through him.

The two were dying, would be dead in a matter of seconds, Fayte noted. One look at Hughs confirmed that. Fayte kneeled down to her fellow takeover mage. His form was fading, paws returning to hands and feet, fur returning to normal human form. His blue eyes were glazing over, and Fayte knew there was no way to save him.

“Scarlett…” Kyle managed to gasp. Even with his dying breaths, he still recognized her as ‘Scarlett’, perhaps wanting that to be her name more than Fayte. “Takakiro… I can’t…”

[1610]

[Fayte Scarlett]

The one regret she had in losing Kyle... was that he was a takeover mage. Even if the two of them hadn't gotten along well initially, there weren't quite enough of those in the world. Part of her wanted to feel bonded to him for that single reason... but was that really enough? She wasn't sure if she deserved to mourne for that lone reason.

She had the strangest of feelings that this Takakiro would be important somehow. Leave a mark of destiny upon her life; alter it in some way. But then maybe she just wanted to feel that way because he sounded like he was from Hosenka. Fayte found that she was inexplicably drawn to those of her hometown...

Opening the window, Fayte scaled down to the first floor. It was the dead of night, and she could hear the festivities of the party continuing from within. It seemed no one had been alerted yet; that there was an entire room of dead wizards above them. Fayte slipped into the night and disappeared, her mission complete, at the cost of a single life. There was nothing she could have done to prevent it, and her only regret was that there was one less takeover mage in this world.

[2,024]

[Sponsored content]