All In A Day's Work (Yuki)

[Phantom]

Catherine had come dangerously close to logic bombing Elizabeth when the sound of a slow clap pierced the air and a voice familiar to Catherine spoke. "Well, well, well. What a touching moment. I'm shocked the Scarlet Witch even had such a soft side." The voice was mocking, but its source was nowhere to be seen. Although, it was evident Catherine knew it well. Her calm façade was broken even though she still watched Elizabeth, her face was now as pale as a ghost thanks to whoever had spoken. It was almost an instantaneous transformation, the usually calm and collected Catherine, was now terrified. It was evident in the slight trembling of her hands and the fact the color had drained from her. What was more shocking was that she turned from Elizabeth to look behind her. If only Elizabeth had known her half of the story, then things could have been different. "...You claim to trust me, I need to test that here and now. If you trust my judgment then you'll run away from here now. You can hardly afford to be killed right here." It wasn't a threat, not in the slightest. More like a warning.

[Yuki]

At the sudden new voice Elizabeth became tense, as she looked around but saw no one. Though it seemed whoever it was, was not talking to her but to Catherine and called her by the name Scarlet Witch.. Just what was going on?? Elizabeth frowned a she looked around, " Just who the hell are you? Why don't you show yourself?" Elizabeth demanded though what was most unsettling is that Catherine seemed scared just who is this person? When Catherine spoke asking her to test how much she trusted her Elizabeth looked at her bodyguard. She could tell she was serious.. Though every cell in her body wanted to stay and fight not wanting to leave Catherine alone with this strange person. But the young knight nodded, " Alright... But you better come back to me alive..." Elizabeth said as she then started to run off, though seeing as she was not in her magic armor she only ran at normal human speed.

[Phantom]

As soon as Elizabeth started running away as she had instructed, Catherine could feel a slight shift in the wind. She spun around quickly and before a single word could escape her in a warning to Elizabeth, she saw the crows. They flocked in front of Elizabeth and seconds later became the flesh and blood of a red haired man. The moment he had appeared from the crows, he grabbed Elizabeth and turned her to face Catherine. It was a classic hostage situation but this time there was something different. There was no malice emanating from the man, only amusement. It seemed tracking and hunting people down were a source of great fun for him. He looked down at Elizabeth and smirked, "Shame you're not as great as they say, Commander. I was hoping for more of a challenge." As he spoke, he lifted his gaze to Catherine before continuing, "And I'm not surprised that you failed to protect someone once again. One wrong move and you can both say good bye, permanently." His arrogant smirk stayed plastered on his face knowing full well he'd trapped them both. Letting her gaze fall on Elizabeth rather than staying focused on the man who had once been her boss, only a single thought crossed Catherine's mind.

Do you still trust me even now?

[Yuki]

Elizabeth tried to keep going even though she was suddenly in the middle of a flock of crows. But she was unable to get very far when they turned into man she had never seen before. He then grabbed her stopping her in her tracks making her look back at Catherine. Though there was no panic in Elizabeth's eyes, she looked rather calm. She said nothing as the stranger spoke just looked at him from the corner of her eye. So he was wanting to use her as a hostage huh? Well she was not going to be one without a fight. Elizabeth looked back at Catherine who looked though sadly Elizabeth could not read her thoughts but the knight did not blame her for this. More her fault really for letting her guard down. But then a idea came to her and without hesitating Elizabeth did it. With one swift and powerful backwards kick Elizabeth aimed for the stranger's forbidden zone between the legs as hard as she could. She then did a backwards head-butt and tried to follow after with another kick trying to kick him away. " You really think I will let you take me so easily??" Elizabeth said in a almost laughing tone. Elizabeth then waved her hand over her bracelet that then started to glow, then a burst of light appeared and when it faded Elizabeth was in her armor holding her sword pointing it at the man as she jumped back. Well she tried to run like she was told but she was apart of this now.

[Phantom]

Elizabeth aiming a kick for there of all places was certainly unexpected, but he let her go at the last second and backstepped to avoid her from hitting him. That little smirk of his was still undisturbed, as if her fighting back was predictable regardless of her dirty fashion about it. "Put your toys away, Commander. I'm not here for you this time but if you get in the way, I can't assure your safety." His eyes locked onto Elizabeth as he spoke, watching her the way a lion watches its prey. In a deliberately slow movement, he drew his own sword and let its tip touch the ground. When he drew his blade, Catherine brushed past Elizabeth without so much as a word or even a glance. It was a bad sign but then again, Catherine didn't want Elizabeth dealing with this guy. It wasn't Elizabeth's fight.

[Yuki]

Elizabeth hated people like him, she just wanted to bash his skull in... She kept her sword pointed at him showing no fear what so ever. But made no move to attack ether, as it would just be foolish to rush into battle like that. Though when Catherine walked on past her Elizabeth just watched, knowing this was not her fight but she would jump in if she had to.

[Phantom]

Catherine kept her gaze on her old boss but spoke to Elizabeth, "I don't want you involved in this. I know I shouldn't order you about, but stay out of this fight. If you respect me as a friend like you claim to, then you won't interfere regardless of how bad things seem." Her words were sharp, almost like the blade in Elizabeth's hands, and they were deadly serious. In a movement just as slow as he had drawn his blade, Catherine slipped her gloves off, something she never did. Her gloves never came off as she could use the power Elizabeth knew of with them on but things were serious. In snap of her fingers, a magic circle appeared below Catherine and her clothes glowed with the same color as the circle itself. In another snap of her fingers the circle dissipated as did the glowing, revealing Catherine in her usual shadowy garb. Shadows against shadows.. It seemed like an even match., at least to anyone who didn't know of the history between the pair. In an instant, he vanished as did Catherine. The only sign of any fight was the occasional glint of light off the metal of a blade and the sound of metal hitting metal.

That's when it happened.

That's when they reappeared a few yards away, Catherine clearly outmatched with his blade pointed at her. He simply waited for her. Taunting her with the fact she hadn't even scratched him any of the times they'd clashed. At the same time, he wanted Elizabeth to know how useless her so called guard truly was. He walked slowly towards Catherine, making sure Elizabeth watched him carefully and spoke. "Holding back? Now that's against the rules. Didn't you learn from the last time you held back? Last time it was because of that useless little weakling but this time is different. Is it because you're afraid? Afraid that the person you report to would be terrified of what you can really do? Why don't we find out for ourselves...." In a flash of bright metal, the blade was swung and Catherine staggered back. It was true what he said. She was holding back. One because he was the brother of someone she cared about and two because she was a little afraid of what Elizabeth would think. It was clear she was holding back but there was something oddly calculating about her gaze even as she let his flurry of attacks hit her.

[Yuki]

Elizabeth stood there watching glaring at this unknown foe. She could tell he was toying with them both. But why? To what end? If only she knew who he was and the whole story.. As Elizabeth watched she was a shocked that Catherine took off her gloves and started to use a power she never/rarely saw. But it did not seem to have much effect on the stranger and he seemed to be enjoying it and even taunting Catherine. Now that she thought about it did look like Catherine was holding back... But why?? Elizabeth frowned once more. " Catherine!! Why are you letting this idiot dance around you like this!? Why are you holding back!? " Elizabeth said in a angry tone as she know started to walk forward. "As your Commander I cannot stand by and just watch this..." She said as she then started to run forward at full speed ready to strike. But then she saw something from the coner of her eye that made her come to a sudden stop. A small ball of light went wizzing past her going right for the stranger. As it got closer thick vines with very pointy thorns came shooting out of the around and started to strike at their evil foe. " What the hell?"Elizabeth as she watched this unfold unsure what that ball of light is.

[Phantom]

He barely had time to notice the vines when they hit him, knocking him back a few feet and leaving scratches on his otherwise unharmed self. Catherine, using that surprise attack on him to her advantage, did a few quick calculations in her mind and slammed her hand on the ground. The moment she actually touched the ground though, it reacted and shot earthen spikes up. He had been knocked off guard once and it annoyed him but he saw Catherine's attack and evaded that before rushing at her. Catherine had started using her true power against him. A power he knew he couldn't beat if she had actually mastered it. But he knew the truth. She was terrified of her own ability and therefore used it sparingly. Thanks to that, every earthen spike she used he could easily dodge. When he was but a moment away from slashing her again, she clapped her hands on the blade and held it, stopping it from hitting her. She couldn't hold it forever and she knew that.

An echo of his smirk appeared on Catherine's features and a spark danced on his blade while he held it. A second later and the metal shattered as if it had been dipped in liquid nitrogen and someone took a hammer to it. She stood there watching him as his gaze flickered between her and the mysterious ball of light that floated about the field. In her hand, she held a shard of his shattered blade. The longer she seemed to hold it, the more it seemed to...drip? The shard was melting slowly almost unnoticeably but even still he saw it. "Mystery lights and thorn vines, didn't know you had become so proficient in something you hate." As he spoke he once again disappeared, his voice echoing in the field. "Can't catch what you can't see. Sooner or later you'll wind up with a blade to your throat and you wont even know who did it." His words seemed meaningless, but it was the truth. It wasn't a threat in the slightest but only him warning them. With him and his vanishing act nearby, they had to remain on alert but until then they could focus on the strange little light. Almost without realizing it, Catherine spoke. "What...are you?"

[Yuki]

Elizabeth stood there as the battle went on and soon ended, well it seemed she was not needed after all... Though the battle could have gone the other way if it where not for that small ball of light jumping in when it did. She could tell it was some sort of magic most likely earth magic. Could this light be a magic being? If so why did it help them? When Catherine asked the light what it was she also walked over looking at it. " And why did you help us?" Elizabeth asked the light. Though a she spoke to it she kept her guard up.. Who was to say the stranger was not going to come back?

The little ball of light flouted there for a minute as if it where thinking, soon the light faded to reveal a small fairy. Her wings fluttered like dragonfly wings, she almost looked human if it where not for her size, wings and ears. She looked at the humans before her knowing what they where but she had a feeling they would not attack after she had helped them. " I am a Fairy Ma'am and you may call me Lily" She said. It was not her true fairy name as it would be bad to say her true name just to anyone so she picked the name Lily for anyone to call her by. Elizabeth stared in shock and was speechless they where saved by a fairy... A magic being.. That is something that does not happen everyday.