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Summary: It’s time to get things spicy! As Nicole, Joseph, Caesar and Lisa Lisa arrive at the German army’s headquarters, something eerie was about to happen… someone was about to steal the aja stone away! Who would be able to stop it in time…?
***
Switzerland, 10PM. In the shadows, a figure was walking towards the house where the heroes were remaining. It was tall, wrapped in drapes with a magnificent pair of ruby eyes sorting out from the headband - so deadly that it would slice you in half with a simple glance. Straight at you. The snow was gently thumbing below his steps, leaving a trail of visible footsteps behind him… visible enough, in fact, for the young Nicole Williams to notice them. Then, she noticed the figure approaching. Someone was coming nearby. She was pretty young for a trainee like herself, but she already had gained a precise sense of deduction, taken from her master Lisa Lisa - as well as her partner Joseph Joestar. While she and her friend, Caesar, were in the same room, surrounded by soldiers, she looked over the window, then scanned the room. She was surrounded by soldiers, so she simply couldn’t just go outside without any witnesses around her. Moreover, her fellow hamon user would suspect a thing if she had to go outside randomly. She had to find a reason… let’s see. The carpet? The ceiling? The walls? The chimney…? It looked like the fire inside it was slowly dying down. And the wood plate next to her was empty… her mind suddenly clicked. Of course! If she could pretend that the fireplace needs some extra wood, she would be able to go outside and fight Kars away! Now the reasoning was complete, she stood up then asked:
“Excuse me, misters… but it appears that t-the room is suddenly getting cold…” she said while pretending to shiver. “Could it be possible to go retrieve some wood, please…?” the soldiers regarded her cautiously. But Nicole didn’t break… though she was wondering… were they aware of something additional, or was it her forgetting about something?
“Say, if you’re cold, then why don’t you heat yourself up with your abilities?”
She slightly shuddered. Curses! She forgot about that detail: they knew she knew about using her Ripple, centered around fire! But at the same time… Caesar didn’t have the same abilities as her: while Nicole can generate flames, Caesar could create soap bubbles. Which was a relief for the young girl, since she could reply back without flinching!
“Yes, it is true that I could do that. But I am pretty sure that my friend, Caesar, over there, must be as cold as me. And my powers are not enough to bring both him and I warmth. Which is quite pitiful, really. And… it seems like you are shivering, too.”
“Damn, that girl’s right! I’m getting cold as heck!” a soldier complained, rubbing his hands.
“What an idea to stay in a place where it’s so cold outside, with thinner walls than paper!” another soldier cried. The last one of them, immune to such temperatures, huffed out of annoyance.
“Urgh, you two are so pathetic,” he mumbled to himself, before he said to one of his comrades: “Alright. Spanner! You’re going to cut one or two trees there and you will prepare some wood for us.”
“Yessir!” but… there was one detail missing! Nicole still wasn’t out!
“Wait!” she called out before the soldier could get a chance to leave the room. “Let me go with you. You might need someone to carry all that wood for you…”
“But then, it can be one of us too, right?” the skeptical soldier asked the young lady.
“Yeah, but then… you’ll have to keep someone to watch over me,” Caesar suddenly spoke up, as if to give Nicole a hand in her musing. To which she couldn’t resist but give him a cornered smile, while all soldiers eyed each other perplexedly…
“Yes. You are quite right. And, no matter what happens, you will still be by our side. Alright, Spanner. Take the girl with you. She will help you carry the chucks back here.”
“Thank you, Mister,” Nicole then turned around. Once Spanner was out of the room, she laid a hand on Caesar’s shoulder. He turned around to that, so she would be able to speak to him:
“Girasole. No matter what happens, I am asking you to please take care of everyone else for me. Master Lisa Lisa, my great uncle, Messina, Joseph… make sure they are all going to be okay for me, please.”
“Hm… alright, I will do that for you, Nettarina,” he whispered back to her, to which she smiled at him again.
“Thank you… I will be going, now. See you soon.”
She then turned away and followed Spanner shortly. Caesar, now she was gone, clenched his teeth.
What is she even doing? he thought to himself. I saw her staring by the window for a while now… what has she seen and why does she go outside? If I were out of this mess, I would have followed her, but I just appeared to be closely watched over… damn it! Nicole, whatever you’re planning to do, you better come back safe! Don’t you dare go down now!
***
"So tell me, fehlschlagen. Where do you come from?" Spanner asked Nicole, while chopping off a tree.
"From Bedford, Great Britain, sir," the young lady informed the soldier.
"Ah, Great-Britain. Pretty interesting region, don't you think so?"
"I find so too, sir."
"By the way, you may call me Spanner, just that name, if you prefer."
"Alright… Spanner."
"You seem pretty young to travel on your own… mostly this far from your country. How come you're here?" Spanner asked her, now preparing his axe.
"Well…" she waited until she could see the soldier's sickening grin on his face. She gulped. Maybe this guy just wanted a bit of conversation in his poor life… or maybe he just wanted to chop her head off with the axe. But regardless of that detail, she kept the conversation going.
"I came here to see my granduncle. He would make me visit places, and eventually… my friends and I met up…"
Which was quite true, but not really. He already knew the truth, so why would he need to hear it again? That seemed to content the man regardless, who meerely glanced towards her direction while she was done.
"I remember going to Italy too, when I was young like you. Do you want to know the truth? My favourite city was Turin. There were plenty of majestic things to see there -- I particularly liked the look of the districts there. Roma was great too, but there is nothing in the world compared to the beauty of the streets of Turin. Mostly because, you see, one day I was walking with mom and dad, till I saw…"
Swoosh.
Was she dreaming? Or was the wind suddenly becoming sharper around her? Spanner didn't seem to notice it, for he was still talking… but she could definitely tell there was something going on… she eyed the outer side of the woods, just next to the headquarters, though seeing nothing but trees, shadows of these trees… and an eerie glow coming from the moon.
"... So all this to say, fehlschlagen, that you should visit Turin, even once. Because this has to be the best city of all Italy…"
"Yes, I do trust you, Sir… now then, how would that wood go-"
She turned her head back to Spanner, and noticed that he was suddenly standing with his arms limp. She didn’t hear anything from him. Not a word. Not a sound. Not a pant. That intrigued her.
“Um… Spanner? You’re doing alright?”
She tapped on his shoulder. As soon as she did that, she saw him falling forward, with his head leaving his body too, in a trail of blood. That made Nicole’s face grimace, and shudder in plain fear. He… he was there, just cutting trees, seconds ago! Who, or what could be the cause of such a neat and brutal death? There had to be something…!
The moonlight glow from before came back, this time even shinier. Nicole glanced sideways… and there stood someone she never thought to encounter, mostly not in those conditions… her senses soon became numb, and her body froze. But her soul remained warm, prepared. On guard… draped in shadows, and a couple of bandages, with a pair of menacing, piercing red eyes were none than…
“I… I know you… you are…! One of the Pillar men we fought once before: Kars!”
“Yes. You are quite thoughtful, for someone this young. Going to a foreign region to practise on your own, even with health problems… I must admit: you are quite a prodigy for a youngling like you.”
“Your flattery won’t get to me. I know exactly what you’re going for. And I suggest that you do not go for it. I would have to stop you otherwise…” Nicole claimed, cracking her fists. Which made Kars snicker.
“I have no wish to fight against a child. But… since you insist so much on giving your life to stop me getting the red stone, I will have no other choices,” Nicole prepared herself into a fighting stance, while Kars would just stand, and watch her doing. She looked at him with determined eyes. “Well, what are you waiting for, Nicole? Go ahead. Since I am so humble, I will give you the first strike.”
“You’re only doing this to trick me into your endgame! I know it too well!”
“Tch. Alright then. Since you asked for it… I shall put all my strength on you, first!”
Without any thinking through, Kars hurried to Nicole head first. He then folded his upper arm to his face. He glanced on the side. He noticed that Nicole hadn't budge the slightest from her spot. That seemed to intrigued him - but the thought quickly snapped away. He had to stop this little one, at all costs. Even if it risked besmirching his reputation. It was this, or no red gemstone…
Was it him, or was she smiling, all of the sudden?
He stopped to a halt, and lifted that upper arm to her face, ready to strike it. Nicole suddenly crouched down, and was about to roll Kars off his feet with a sweeping kick. But he jumped just on time to dodge it. Nicole barely had time to stand back up when Kars already threw a side punch at her. To which she, thankfully, crossed arms just in front of her face, to brace herself from impact. The punch sent her backwards a few yards away from her opponent, but she remained up still. Kars now stood up as well, looking at her with a pride-inducing grin.
"I must say, you have quite some potential," he started off. "If you weren't a woman, and even less a child, I would have probably already fought you and beat you down. But you leave me with no other choices but to restrain my moves."
"Oi, my gender and age shouldn't be a bother to you!" Nicole shouted back at him. "I fought many other men, even stronger than you before! You will not be one to scare me!"
"Tch… heh. Right. I knew you would say something along these lines, somehow. You have a brilliant temper, as brilliant as a firecamp's flames under a starless sky. Or as the sun's very close surface. You would be ready to fight any opponent facing you… but to what extent would you be ready to go, Nicky?!" Kars now lifted his upper arm again, readying another attack. Nicole just stood there, regarding him cautiously.
"Hah! If you want to know, I'd give my all!" she answered with a cocky grin.
"Really, now? Even while facing… this?"
Suddenly, something appeared on Kars’ upper arm. It was as bright as the moon shining on top of them. Brighter, even! What even could it be…? A knife? A new ability of his? Some reflection?
Damn it, I can’t tell! Nicole cursed to herself. But no matter what this is, I need to find something to counter it, and quickly, before he hits me with that thing!
She looked everywhere around her. Trees, snow, the headless body of Spanner… got it!
She quickly turned and stood again, now drawing the axe the soldier was using to cut the wood to protect herself. But Kars came right in and managed to cut the axe’s blade in half, thanks to his own powers. At least, this axe has been proved to be a good shield, in default of being a pretty weak weapon. The blinding flash of light from Kars was now closering on her, and she had very short time to move! The light soon blinded her off…
And then, nothing.
Nicole was not here anymore.
He glanced on the left, then on the right… if he thought that impudent child was going to impress him, she got it stuck the wrong way. For two thousand years, he knew exactly how her kind was. Until you didn’t teach them a lesson, they would not stop bugging you. It was preferable for him to get rid of her right away, before proceeding to the red gemstone. Therefore, he walked ahead and started looking out for her… where was she even hiding?
“There is no time to play hide and seek, Nicky! It is better that you show yourself right now, or I might just have to make you appear myself.”
Oh, but don’t worry. Go ahead. I will just wait until you come into my sight, and I might just make an appearance! Nicole snickered.
“Still nothing? … alright. I had no desire to do that, but I will just have to.”
Without thinking twice, Kars pulled out his lightning blade again from his upper arm, and threw it in front of him, chopping several trees in front of him, yards past him. He now waited. Upon hearing anything, not even the single whimper, he advanced towards the portion of the forest he cut and inspected it. There was no single trace of Nicole’s body. Though… he still could feel there was someone still standing. Was it her? Or was it someone else going to inspect what was going on around him?
“That doesn’t add up… I must find what that feeling is, before it’s-”
“You won’t go anywhere else, Kars!”
A voice rang behind him. He turned around, to see that, sitting on top of a tree branch, was no other than Nicole, a smug smile crossing her face.
“I knew exactly what you were going to do next,” she said while pointing at him. “Look where you stand!”
The god-like looked below his feet… there appeared to be some vegetal life just beneath his feet… along all the trees he had cut previously…!
“That’s right! There’s grass just here! Grass is known as one of the most flammable surfaces known on Earth! So I used this small portion I found while running away from you to trap you into it! It’s just about dried enough for it to burn!” the sound of Ripple loading in now appeared, as she breathed deeply in.
“Now, you shall taste what my Ripple feels like! Taste this!”
She rubbed on her gloves, until some bit of a flame appeared in her palm. She blew it off her hand, and the fire now appeared on the grass just under Kars’ feet. The flames soon licked the grass, like the morning dew would roll off the leaves, and the fire started spreading out around him. Kars didn’t seem to move the slightest, as he would look down at the flames soon gaining height and power. He was now totally engulfed beneath the giant masses of dancing heath. Nicole pumped her fist triumphantly.
I made it! she rejoiced. I beat this Kars freak down for good! He will now be no trouble to anyone… There is still Waamu left, though, but I am sure that Caesar, Jojo and I will find a way to take him down too, and save everyone…!
A glimpse of light erupted from the flames, towards Nicole’s direction. A second. It was all it took for her to get cut on the shoulder from that light blade. Blood oozed out from both the cut on her shoulder, and her mouth, as she would fall from the tree branch, her fall lightened by the thick layer of snow below her. Now, she breathed hastily, as she would try to stand back on her feet, but her shoulder disabling her from doing so, she had to remain laid down. What… just happened…? She didn’t remember Kars moving at all, and she could be assured to send her hamon attack right underneath him… the flames must have hit him on sight!
“You are as predictable as any of your pathetic Ripple users friends,” Kars’ voice suddenly burst out, as he walked towards her. “The flames hadn’t hit me yet, when I prepared that attack for you. It is quite a miracle that you managed to survive this one hit, though… Yes, I am quite impressed. Actually, you are the warrior that stood the longest against me, from what I remember over these past fights… you were quite a bother to my way to the Aja stone. I shall go, now. You will be spared from a coup de grâce, since I have principles.”
“... Hold… on… Kars…”
His eyes darted behind him. He noticed Nicole standing back, this time on her knees. Then, she slowly pointed a finger at him. Finally, she said those few words to him, as a warning:
“Y-You will need… more than that… to take me down to my grave… if this is the Aja stone that you are looking for… I have it.”
That triggered such a sensation in Kars’ body, that he rushed to her, then grabbed her by the back of her neck, lifting her up, and glaring at her with the most dreadful eyes he could ever produce. Him that is known so calm and full of strategy, has now turned into a cold-blooded, blinded by instinct beast. She gasped, as he would press on her vocal chords.
“Where is it…? Tell me now, WHERE IS IT, IF YOU SAY YOU HAVE IT!”
“Y-Yeah… that’s right… I have it… just there…!”
Nicole grabbed on Kars’ wrist and breathed in a last time. Then, she quickly scratched her gloves on his skin, activating a flame big enough for it to lie on Kars’ cloak, and making him drop her off. She once again fell on her knees, now feeling her breath failing her. She rolled her back. Meanwhile, Kars simply looked at her with a bemused face… she lied to him. She didn’t seem to have the stone on her… meaning that it must be inside the chalet she has been trying to prevent him from going to this whole time. But it was not someone as childish as her that was going to stop him.
“Right. I will now be going to find the stone. Don’t you try preventing me from getting to it, this time,” he said, as he would now step away from her, for good. Meanwhile, she addressed herself a small smile.
“Yeah. I won’t prevent you this time. Because you know what…? I realised something during our fight. You are as stubborn as we are… but while you are just stubborn to make it to your own objective… My friends and I have a plain objective in front of us… and for that, we are ready to do anything in our power to fulfill it, not only for ourselves, but for everyone too… hah,” she chuckled weakly, as she now rolled on the snow. “The snow feels soft, tonight… I wish I could warn the others, though… but it is preferable I stay here, for the time being… please, everyone… while I will not be here… be careful… do not let Kars get the stone!”
Her sight now blurred out.
…
“Nicky!”
Caesar ran to her and picked her in his arms. His body then turned bright, surrounding both of them in a warm field of light, like the sunshine during a pleasant month of May.
“Hey, Nicky! Wake up! Say something…!”
“There is also this soldier’s body remaining here, unconscious,” Lisa Lisa stated. “It must have been coming from Kars. Messina, hurry and tend to Nicky’s wounds. Stay safe while we take care of this.”
“Yes, Master!” Messina replied as he now picked Nicole’s body from Caesar’s arms, now going back indoors.
Damn you, forsaken pillar men… you would do anything to get that stone, huh? Well, I’d also do anything to avenge what you did to my friend! Caesar clenched his fists, now seeing Joseph and Kars running to get the Aja stone sliding on the snow.