1x1 Do No Harm

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The hex bolt sent the man flying across the train car, where he landed in a heap on the ground and didn't proceed to move.

"What's Exodus doing here?" Jude asked. "Are they the ones who took Leia?"

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Sighing, Ludger turned to Wanda and Jude. "Sort of," he said. "They're working with the Revanchist. It's they who took Leia. What that group is doing here in Elympios is beyond me."

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"I think I have an idea, but..." Jude couldn't help but look troubled. "I thought you were supposed to be somewhere else, Ludger. I mean, uh... I saw the reports. Why did you tell Miss Kirigiri the wrong location?"

Ludger crossed his arms, giving Jude and Wanda a suspicious look. "You weren't supposed to see those. That you did means they served their purpose. After all the leaks, did you really think we would not start writing up decoy reports? Wanda was supposed to be in the know, but her recent silence..."

Ludger swallowed roughly.

"Look, I tracked a Revanchist agent to the train. I don't know what's their plan, but they took it over using the Exodus soldiers. We have to get to the front of the train and take this guy out!"

Jude looked at Wanda. "Thankfully, we have a pretty powerful sorcerer with us."​
 
The Witch nodded at the two boys, wrapping her cloak around herself tighter.

"Yes, I have should have known about the reports. I've been off game."

More red energy surrounded the three.

"Take us to the front of the train........"​
 
Ludger waited a moment that felt like forever. It was hard not to notice the disapproving expression that had appeared on his face. Jude looked away in embarrassment, knowing that he had essentially betrayed the Coalition's trust. Hopefully, anyone in the know would understand how desperate he was to rescue Leia. "Um, Ludger?" Jude eventually said once he started feeling uncomfortable. He looked back to his friend, who sighed in response and began walking away.

"With all three of us here," he said, "none of the Exodus soldiers should be strong enough to face us." Something in Ludger's tone seemed odd to Jude, as if the man wasn't as confident as he was letting on, but he didn't want to comment on it.

The next few train cars were filled with Exodus soldiers, but none so strong enough that the trio had any problem moving forward. Even Ludger alone probably could have handled them without much trouble. It almost seemed too easy, Jude thought, which made him wonder if that was what was worrying Ludger. It was certainly a troubling concern, all things considered.

To bring Leia here of all places, her home? What could the Revanchist be thinking?

"Get ready," Ludger grumbled ominously, finishing off the latest wave of soldiers. He started running into the next room, leaving Jude to cut his thoughts short as he rushed to follow the man. They crashed through the train doors and into the front train car, where they found a blond-haired man sitting, looking almost as if he had been patiently waiting for them. Beside the man was a young girl collapsed on the ground, sleeping fitfully.

"Leia!" Jude cried. He moved to rush toward her, but Ludger held a hand out to stop him. It took a large amount of will to allow his friend to stop him, but Jude reigned himself in and froze, staring at the man before them with a glare.

Though he had looked to be waiting for them, the man looked surprised to see them. He stood up quickly, looking tall, lithe, and gaunt. He looked almost a bit intimidating, though that image was shaken by how taken aback he was. Perhaps remembering himself, the man growled and crouched low next to Leia. His right arm hovered over her and transformed into that of a beast with long protruding claws.

"One step closer and the girl is a goner. Would be a shame if you came all this way for nothing."

Ludger was silent a moment but eventually responded. "Vlad," he said. "You've managed to stay invisible to the Coalition for a very long time. What is this? Why now?"

The name wasn't familiar to Jude, but this man must have been known to the Coalition. Jude felt a shiver run down his spine when Vlad sneered at them. "You were there that day," Vlad said, talking to Ludger, "the day we killed that wretched Arch Demon. That was a glorious day, wasn't it? The lines in the sand were drawn. A new power was awakened. You're right, we have been invisible for so long, biding our time. While your people have fallen to infighting and complacency, we have worked toward an ideal future. If only you could know."

Jude could see Ludger's hands turning white as he gripped his weapons with increased ferocity. "I think you're weaker than you realize." He took one step forward, but Vlad shook his head.

"What did I say?!"

Jude didn't know what Vlad had been getting at, but it seemed it didn't get whatever response he had wanted. His left hand, the hand still human, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. On the device was a small glass cage, holding what looked to Jude to be tiny bug-like lights. It only happened in a second, but Ludger was quickly reacting. "Stop him!" he yelled, his blades transforming into guns. Not knowing what to do, Jude's only idea was to run forward.

Leia... He had to save Leia!

@Josh​
 
"I have her, Jude. As well as you."

A red glow surrounded Leia. A wisp of energy wrapped around her, slow causing her to slowly fade away from Vlad, moving to Wanda's side. Soon after, Jude would also be near his two female friends. Creating a force field around the two, Wanda smirked. It was clicking in. She was in the zone. For the first time in awhile, Wanda felt assure of herself, and it would show by the

"Now, Let me give Ludger a hand or two......"

Moving forward,, the witch gather her mystical energy. Wanda took a deep breath, and casted hex bolt near at a wall near Vlad. Metal arms suddenly sprouted from the wall, reaching and grasping at her opponent. With another flick her wrist, another bolt was casted, causing a rain of fire to be brought down on her foe.

"Vlad, is it? I normally would introduce myself, I don't think that'll be needed this time. "

@Atomic Knight ​
 
"W-What...?" Jude looked around confusedly, eventually gathering his bearings and giving Wanda a nod. He knelt quickly next to Leia and started to apply healing spirit artes to her.

Vlad roared and swiped with his claw hand, slashing at Wanda's conjured metal arms. In the next moment, Ludger was rushing forward, firing his pistols. One shot knocked the device Vlad had out of his hands while another clipped the man in the shoulder. Wanda's fire was then upon him, engulfing the man. "Don't be so cocky!" he yelled, the bulk of him suddenly twice the size. He continued to grow and grow until he took up nearly the whole train car.

He was a monster now, a strange amalgamation of man and beast. Ludger wasn't surprised, having seen the man transform before.

"Wanda, cover me!"

Ludger fired his guns at the ground around Vlad, causing tendrils of energy to snake up and surround the man. Vlad pushed through the magic regardless, running down the train car and taking out everything in his path. Ludger's guns transformed into a heavy sledgehammer and he moved to intercept Vlad.

"Earth!" he cried, slamming his hammer down to the ground, causing large spikes of magical stone to shoot up out of the ground right in Vlad's path.

@Josh​
 
The searing rain of fire burn hotter as Wanda focused hard. She needed to concentrate. As the magical stones shot up, the suddenly grew larger than normal. red energy wrapped around them.

"I'm not being cocky, I'm just Confident."

The ground around Vlad was shattering, everything falling apart and around Vlad. Rapid explosions randomly came and went around Vlad's person.

@Atomic Knight​
 
Vlad roared in pain, the searing pain of the molten rock and fire burning his fur and skin. He made a swipe for Ludger, but his pain made him sluggish, allowing Ludger to jump over the attack, on to Vlad's arm, and smash his face in with his sledgehammer. Vlad fell back, reeling, leaving him prime for the final blow.

"Ludger!"

With Leia in stable condition, Jude joined the fight, running in to attack Vlad. Ludger nodded, dashing forward and summoning his blades.

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Magic powered Jude's fist as he punched Vlad into the air, right into the path of Ludger and his blades. Blood soaked the train car as Ludger cut right through Vlad, bisecting him and ending his life.

When it was over, all that was left was blood and exhaustion.

"..."

Jude sighed and rubbed his head. "I wish it hadn't come to that."

"Me neither," Ludger said, putting away his weapons. He looked at Leia. "But Leia is safe, and whatever Vlad and the Revanchist were planning, we stopped it."

"What was he even trying to do, you think?"

"Uh..." Ludger shook his head. "He wanted to be found. The train was a trap, meant to catch whoever tried to rescue Leia."

"He wanted to capture you?" Jude asked. "Kill you?"

"I don't know," Ludger admitted. "I don't even know if it was me he wanted. Either way, it's pretty clear that Wanda's presence was the big wrench in his plans." He smiled at the Scarlet Witch. "So... even though you went against protocol, thank you, Wanda."

@Josh​
 
Waving Ludger's complement away, Wanda humbly smiled, speaking softly soon after.


"No need to thank me, Ludger. When I was chairwoman for the Avengers I learned that once in awhile you need to disobey orders and trust one's gut. However, this wasn't that. I was just out of the loop. I guess sometimes that pays"

A light laugh as she tightened her cloak, she again turned to the boys.

"So, is Vlad truly dead? Not to be a doubter, but in this line of worker, not everything is what it seems."
@Atomic Knight​
 
Jude let out a small chuckle, Ludger's comment reminding him of Bright Falls. "It seems a lot of bad guys never suspect you, Wanda."

"I believe Vlad is truly dead," Ludger said, crossing his arms. "I doubt Revan had any particular love for the man, he was just a straggler from the days of Darth Rex. But, jeez, these guys are so hard to track. I guess we can't really know."

"For now, it's over," Jude said, kneeling down to look Leia over. "We need to get back to the infirmary, especially before Kyoko finds out and starts to worry."

The three were too tired to say more as Wanda used her magic to transport them back to the Coalition. The whole event had heightened Wanda's spirits, at least for a time. However, it would not be long before the woman found herself thinking far too much on the past and of Genji.

The path ahead for Wanda was a dark one indeed.​
 
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