Chapter Text
Fright Knight trudged slowly through the rubble remaining after the explosion. The main GIW base, a few minutes earlier still looming menacingly in all its impenetrable glory, now resembled nothing more than a pile of rubbish.
The ghost of Halloween limped in a suspiciously slow pace, scanning the remaining surroundings while holding protectively their abdomen. The beaten up and almost unrecognizable from damage Fenton termos was held in a vice like grip while the specter looked for any remaining prisoners. The onslaught of feelings of despair and rage mixed with the heavy scent of blood and smoke didn’t deter the knight from the mission.
The young halfa gave an order to locate any allies who didn’t flee the premises so that there will be no traces and ghosts - even Ended ones - to study, when the reinforcements came.
And they will come.
Fortunately the closest GIW property is half a day of traveling away from here. Taking into account the time it will take for the agents to gather themselves for departure, there was still time for all of the Infinite Realms denizens to disperse and find their way back to the still opened Fenton Portal.
A barely perceivable movement brought the ghost’s attention to one of the bodies covering the ground. From below a mass of white suited corpses a hand sticked out. It was trembling a little, but what makes it stand out as different was the clunky, metal cuff digging into the flesh. At once the knight pushed off the scorched and bloody bodies of the GIW agents away to reveal that the hand belonged to none other than lady Jasmine Fenton.
The halfling’s kin.
She’s in a rough state.
Between many visible bruises and broken bones the one injury that stands out the most was a long gash on her head with blood flowing fast, covering most of her face and matting her once beautiful and shining red hair a dull rusty brown.
At the sight the figure took the helmet off for the first time in a long while, in despair for one of the few humans, who stood on the ghosts side.
The absence of a headwear revealed a mop of chin length, electric violet hair swirling and crackling like a fire flame in an invisible wind. Her ectoplasmic green eyes flashed dangerously at the sight of the damage, but despite the cold fury permeating the air and escaping her body in waves the Knight’s hands were careful and delicate when she lifted the young adult’s body off the ground.
„She wasn’t supposed to be here.” Thought Fright Knight recalling the last conversation with the master of Time she had, before her capture.
„Or she was. Clockwork just didn’t think of it as important enough to mention. I didn’t prepare for this possibility.”
She couldn’t leave the girl. The young monarch prospect would be devastated, if his sister wasn’t taken good care of. But there are no resources she could manage to acquire on her own in order to help. Not right now.
Coming to a decision the ghost changed her position to carry Jasmine’s body on her back. After a last quick scan of their surroundings to make sure no ally remained unattended, she made her way out of the bloody site, where less than an hour ago there were still experiments being performed on the denizens. Now all that was left were broken concrete walls, fried technology in irreparable state and the agents bodies bringing the only splash of vivid red color to the otherwise white and grey surroundings.
„I’ll have to take responsibility for ending lives,” she thought bitterly„even if they were particularly worthy of perishing, the Law is the law.”
„Look at how low I fell. From punishing souls for ending a life, to taking them myself.” She chuckled humorlessly.
„Well, it’s a good thing that I won’t step foot in the Realms for a while, then. The punishment may wait until I make sure the young halfa is safe.”
With that thought in mind she went on her way to the only person capable of helping Jasmine Fenton right now.
Vlad Masters.
…
The door to the mayor’s house opened even before Fright Knight managed to make it near the threshold. On the other side stood the man of the hour himself.
Vlad Masters didn’t look as prim and proper as always. He had deep and dark eyebags under majorly bloodshot eyes. His hair, which was normally well taken care of, now was in disarray. As if he frequently pulled at the strands unconsciously trying to rip them out.
His hands, which were gripping the door to the point of the wood starting to splinter, were shaking uncontrollably. And there were claw marks on his forearms. As if self inflicted.
„What?” He sneered. His eyes jumping between the figures of the trespassers and the area around the property with madness and paranoia. Muscles spasming every once in a while.
„I require a sanctuary for Jasmine Fenton.”
Replied the full ghost stoically.
„Wh-”
„I believe you have the resources to let her heal without bringing attention of any dangerous outside parties to her liminal status?” She cut Vlad off only to falter at the end. Properly analyzing his appearance.
„Maybe I judged incorrectly.” She closed her eyes for a moment in resignation starting to turn away.
„No!”
Vlad’s voice was much stronger this time, as he nearly bolted out the door to grip at her armored arm’s.
„No… Please..” After the initial outburst his voice started to crack and peter off. Making him seem wildly desperate and somehow broken at the same time.
Fright Knight regarded him with a steel in her gaze, eyes searing through his entire being, which melted away after a while making way for understanding.
„Ah…” she said. And left it at that, seeing his uncomfortable stance at her change in attitude.
It was hard not to feel compassion even for someone as vile as the man before her.
Obsession deprivation and denial is not something to take lightly after all. In Masters’ case it even started to deteriorate his core. The edges starting to lose color and flake of, still drifting inside his body, but no longer being a part of the core. More like a dust floating around an unused room.
„As you wish” she nodded briefly, before following after a wreck of a man inside the mansion.
…
After the short walk they reached a spacious living room, where the female laid Jasmine’s prone form on the sofa as Vlad moved to sit on the adjacent one. Leaving the last remaining armchair for the knight to occupy.
„Who are you?” He asked after a period of strained silence.
„You don’t know?”
„There was never such ghost in Amity Park as you.” Was his weary reply.
„The lack of recognition seems probable.” She mused aloud. „My armor IS mostly in shambles right now, not to mention my helmet.”
„Let me refresh your memory.”
At that she reached to her belt and unsheathed the Soul Shredder much to the mayor’s panicked bewilderment.
„Fright Knight” he mumbled, receiving a nod in acknowledgment. The sword now back in its original place. Further deepening his shock.
„You’re a woman..” he stated next. As if unsure, but too unsettled to comment further.
At the ghosts inquiring gaze he clarified „Not that you couldn’t be. It’s simply a shocking revelation. And I’ve never seen you without your helmet before,” he started to justify. „Your voice was always much deeper than it is now. Although, thinking about it your core has the same feeling. How didn’t I notice before?”
„It matters not.” She cut in on his ramblings.
„Right now Jasmine’s wellbeing takes precedence.” She brought the man’s attention to the still body on the sofa.
„Right. Of course.” Vlad said shaking himself out of his thoughts.
„I’m going to call my doctor. He won’t spill a thing. And if he does…” his eyes took on an ectoplasmic hue.
At that Fright Knight nodded in approval. Letting Vlad leave the room to make the phone call.