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"..I beg your pardon?"
Glitchmaster pulsed, stifling down mixtures of frustration and tense energy.
"Allow me to explain," she said instead. "The NOISE BLASTER: a weapon with the capability to convert screams into destructive energy; invented by Noisemaster."
The Disaster Master in front of her half-turned, red-eyes beneath a hood of rose hair staring at her, betraying the Rose's curiosity.
"Once charged," Glitchmaster continued, "it was to fire a blast with enough force to eradicate the city of Trebleopolis."
"It did. All went according to plan."
Rosemaster sighed, turning away. "But somehow, it all went awry. Is that all you wanted to tell me?"
Glitchmaster pulsed once. "I have footage of Trebleopolis recorded at the time of the blast," she continued, despite the Rose's obvious and - frankly frustrating - disinterest. If she could just see-
"Please, watch carefully."
Rosemaster half-turned again, though she clearly wasn't expecting much. Glitchmaster didn't blame her - not really, not after 100 cycles of the same thing.
But this, this was important.
The recording played, and Glitchmaster knew when the barrier was raised simply by watching the Rose's expression. She watched, simply, as a look of horror flashed through her gaze, a leafy hand raised to her mouth.
As Rosemaster knelt down, eyes wide, Glitchmaster couldn't help a soft thrum of sympathy.
"I'm sorry, Rosemaster," she murmured - as much as Glitchmaster could murmur. "This was difficult for me as well."
Glitchmaster took what was her version of a shuddering breath - the area around her turning pixelated with her agitation.
Keep calm, Glitchmaster, she told herself. Don't attract his attention.
"We serve a traitor," she couldn't keep the spite out of her normal voice, "a CRUEL master."
"I-I can't believe..."
Glitchmaster couldn't see The Rose's expression from where she hovered above the kneeling Disaster Master - but Glitchmaster knew it was far from a cheery smile. The Rose shivered, leafy hands reaching up to rub against her own shoulders.
As much as Glitchmaster wanted to give The Rose time for the fact to settle in, she couldn't stay here for long. Not with him still in power.
"Rosemaster, listen to me," she urged, hoping the urgency would be made evident by her tone. "We've been toyed with long enough."
"It's time we've removed him from the equation."
Rosemaster rose to her feet slowly, though she kept her head turned away from Glitchmaster's gaze. Glitchmaster watched as The Rose's shoulders shook, before falling to a still.
"How?"
"Glitchmaster?"
The Nightmare Knight's eyes narrowed in confusion. Standing before him, Rosemaster and Glitchmaster stared back.
Rosemaster, he expected - this was her post, after all. But Glitchmaster wasn't supposed to be here.
The Knight had turned a blind eye to his Disaster Masters visiting each other before - he knew the feeling of wanting others to interact with. But he still had a charade to play, one that forced him into the role as soon as the two Disaster Masters appeared right in front of him.
Why couldn't they have tried to be more subtle?
The cold mask slipped easily over whatever features he had. "Explain yourself, Glitchmaster. What brings you to abandon your post?"
"You truly do not have shame for what you've done to us. Still, you PRETEND."
The Knight froze.
No.
No no no.
"What nonsense have you gotten into your head, Glitchmaster?"
The Disaster Master didn't respond to him, instead just referring back to Rosemaster. The Knight realised she had been holding a small flower, suspended over her palm.
The Hocus Crocus. Rosemaster's accessory.
"Give it here, Rosemaster." Glitchmaster pulsed, her surroundings turning into an angry, red, pixelated version of itself. "I will end this cycle, for us all."
The Knight stared down at Rosemaster, his eyes wide whilst she hesitated.
"Rosemaster..." The Knight breathed out softly.
Her eyes peeked out from her hood of rose hair, and The Knight could only watch as they hardened.
Rosemaster held out the Hocus Crocus for the pixelated Disaster Master to take.
The Knight lifted a rushed barrier, taking a moment to reshuffle his thoughts.
On the other side, Glitchmaster attacked with a kind of enraged frenzy. Her blows pounded against his magic and The Knight winced. Their surroundings were devastated - a mixture of blows from both sides.
The Knight hunched into himself, eyes closed. He didn't blame the Disaster Master for trying to kill him, really. She'd always been the more empathetic of his masters - despite her obvious attempts at trying to prove opposite.
If anything, The Knight expected her to be able to convince Rosemaster into the fight as well. But she'd disappeared from the area - which, in all honesty, he was grateful for.
It was hard enough fending off one murderous Disaster Master.
The Knight opened his eyes. "Glitchmaster, enough of this."
The Disaster Master on the other side paused. "What? Tired already?" she sneered.
The Knight made a small scoff. "We've been at this for hours. You cannot defeat me, Glitchmaster."
"I wouldn't be so cocky, TRAITOR ."
The Knight stifled down his frustration. "If you'd just..listen to me, I-"
"We HAVE been listening to you! YOu'vED LIED TO US-SS-SS! AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN AGAI-" Glitchmaster screeched, resuming her attacks with new vigour.
The Knight's eyes widened in surprise as his barrier began to crack beneath her blows.
As the barrier shattered, The Knight raised an arm to his face, grunting. He lowered it with only enough time to see Glitchmaster lunge for him.
"Rosemaster."
She blinked, stepping out of the shelter she had shoved herself inside when the battle began. Rosemaster knew better than to stand in the open during a fight like that.
Now, the sounds of the battle had dimmed down, and she stepped forward.
Glitchmaster hovered a few paces ahead of her, her form glitching and pulsating - the power she radiated throwing Rosemaster in for a loop.
What she saw on the ground beneath her made The Rose freeze.
"you've won."
Glitchmaster - although having no discernable features - was clearly staring down at the purple Disaster Stone on the ground. "Yes."
Rosemaster lifted her hands to her mouth, taking in a sharp breath.
"I'll have to thank you, Rosemaster," Glitchmaster continued, "I would never have been able to do it without your help."
Rosemaster didn't respond - couldn't respond - not while his Disaster Stone lay on the ground a few paces ahead of her.
The stone shifted, rising up to the ground and floated, suspended in the air on Glitchmaster's level.
Rosemaster frowned. "what're you..?"
Her gasp was drowned out by a thunderous snapping sound. The Rose's eyes widened as Glitchmaster broke the stone cleanly in half.
The two Disaster Stone pieces fell to the ground with a clatter, it's glow lost.
Gone.
"wh-what've you done?" Rosemaster breathed out, horrified.
Glitchmaster turned to her. "I've freed us."