Chapter Text
Martlet's eyes fluttered opened as she pushed herself off the wall she was currently slumped over, trying to recall what had happened before it comes rushing back. Ceroba. She had tried to escape with Clover, to protect them from Ceroba, who had wanted their Soul to help 'fulfill Chujin's legacy' even if that meant going to war with humanity. To help Kanako.
"Clover? Clover, are you..." She trails off as she turns around, eyes widening in horror at the sight in front of her. Clover was laying face down, body still and unmoving as scorch marks covered their body. She hasn't even noticed Ceroba, who had been walking away before turning to look at her, mask off and filled soul jar in hand.
"C-Clover? Clover, please wake up... This isn't funny. Please, this is just a sick joke right...?" She whispers to herself as she stumbles towards her friend's lifeless body. A nightmare, this has to be just a nightmare. She falls to her knees, shaking Clover, hoping that by some miracle, he was just asleep or knocked out, playing a prank on her, anything! Just not dead, anything but dead.
But they did not stir, nor show any signs they were ever waking up. Tears started to stream down her face as she kept shaking them, continuing to call their name. She had promised. She had promised to get them home. She had promised to keep them safe and yet she brought them here and now they were dead. This was all her fault. This was-
"I'm sorry Martlet. It had to be this way." Ceroba tells the bird girl, her voice low as Martlet's head snaps to her as if noticing her for the first time. For the first Martlet could remember, she felt something well up inside of her. A feeling she had never thought she'd ever experience. A feeling she didn't want to experience. Pure, seething rage. A burning inferno of anger, fury and grief that she didn't think was possible swirled within her.
"You!" She spits out, her voice laced with such venom and disdain that Ceroba's eyes widen. Ceroba only really knew her from Chujin but she'd always seen her as a kind and caring person, not prone to anger. It made the look of pure hatred on Martlet's face unsettling to say the least. "I trusted you. Starlo trusted you. Clover trusted you and you murdered them." She says, slowly standing up, unable to stop the tears that were staining her face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath. It felt like she was being crushed. Crushed by this guilt and rage. She hated this feeling but she couldn't stop it. She wanted it to stop so badly.
"They were just a child. Probably the same age as Kanako. They had a family, a family who is worried sick about them and now they'll never see them again because YOU KILLED THEM!" She screamed the last part, causing Ceroba to step back In shock. She summons her staff, ready to defend herself. "Martlet, I did what I had to do. Please stand down. You and I both know you can't win." Ceroba tried talking her down but Martlet simply laughs, a hollow laugh that felt empty and devoid of any real emotion. The laugh of someone who felt completely broken inside.
"Yeah... you're right. As I am now, there's no way I can beat you." Martlet whispers in a low voice as a chill runs down Ceroba's spine. The way she had said that worried her. "What are you getting at?" Martlet stays silent, as if contemplating her next move before letting out a shaky breath.
Martlet reaches into her pocket and brings out the serum she had snagged from Alphys lab a while back. She had taken it in case of a human who proved too strong, when Chujin's words about humans still made her hesitate, but never thought she'd be using it against another monster, especially one she thought had been her friend. Had been Clover's friend. Ceroba's eyes widen as Martlet pulls the syringe out. "M-Martlet? Please don't do something you'll regret." She says as Martlet simply looks down.
"I always tried to see the good in everyone. Whether they were human or monster. To believe that someone could always redeem themselves. You? Murdering an innocent child who never wanted to harm anyone, who just wanted to help... Who just wanted to go home... I will never forgive you. It doesn't matter what your reasons are, there are lines you don't cross. Even if Starlo, and everyone back at the Wild East despises me for what I'm about to do, I won't hesitate. You talk about carrying on Chujin's legacy? I'll carry on Clover's legacy!" Martlet injects herself with the serum and after a couple seconds, her eyes shoot open as she falls to one knee, panting as she drops the empty syringe, causing it to shatter. "Ceroba... You will face retribution. You will face Justice!"
Suddenly, Martlet's body begins contorting, causing Ceroba to slowly back away, eyes wide in horror and fear as the Martlet she knew disappeared. As the transformation finished, she was left staring at a massive bird like monster, the color of her body and wings an intimidating black as her hair and talons were a sky blue. Her hair had grown all the way down to her talons, dancing in the wind like an azure fire. Her eyes were now a piercing yellow, glaring straight at Ceroba with a absolute hatred.
Ceroba dismissed her staff just long enough to put on her mask. She couldn't afford to hold back, not against... Whatever Martlet had become as her phantom tails appear. Martlet lets out a cry of fury as she launches a myriad of feathers at Ceroba, intending to end this as quickly as possible. Ceroba brings up her shield and gasps as the feathers lodge into the barrier, causing cracks and fractures to spread throughout the shield, unable to believe she had so easily damaged it. Martlet prepared another wave of feathers and, knowing her shield couldn't take another barrage, dismissed it and decides to fall back, turning on her heel and sprinting down the bridge, holding the soul jar close. She couldn't rely on her shield so she needed more space to dodge freely.
"GET BACK HERE!" Martlet screeches as she chases after her, launching wave after wave of feathers at the fox woman. She places the soul jar against a wall, not wanting it to break as she dodges and weaves through the feathers as best she can, using her shield only if necessary. She launches her own attacks whenever possible but grimaced as they were absorbed into the armor that Martlet was now wearing. It seemed she wouldn't be able to hurt her unless she dealt with the armor. She really wasn't liking her chances.
All Martlet saw was red. All she felt was a blinding rage. Even so, tears still fell. Unseeable due to the chaos of the battle but they were there. They weren't just falling because of Clover but because of the whole situation. There was still a part of her that wanted this to end. Still the kind, caring Martlet who told her to stop. But she couldn't afford to stop now. She couldn't afford to be the kind person she was, not now.
The battle continued to rage on, Ceroba doing all she can to whittle down her armor but she was tiring quickly. With yet another cry of rage, she sent a swarm of her razor sharp feathers straight at Ceroba. Unable to dodge, she brought up her shield, feathers embedding themselves into shield, completely blocking her view with the feathers and resulting cracks. As she dropped it, her eyes widen as Martlet had already closed the gap. She had fallen into her trap.
Martlet raised her wing, lined with razor sharp feathers as Ceroba raised her staff, desperate to defend herself but it was no use. Martlet brought the wing down snapping the staff in half and causing Kanako's mask to shatter. A huge gash ran along her chest and stomach as Ceroba fell to her knees. With just a single blow... It occured to Ceroba that she had lost the moment Martlet had transformed. Even if she ran, Martlet would catch her and it would end the same way. She was simply too strong.
Martlet stood over Ceroba, looking down at her with disdain. She had calmed down, at least slightly but Ceroba knew she wouldn't back down now. "...Was it worth it, Ceroba? Was all this truly worth killing them? Even if your plan worked, and that's a big if, all of your friends wouldn't be able to look at you the same. Kanako wouldn't be able to. And you know it." She says, her voice once again low and shaky. Ceroba wanted to say something but she knew she was right. Maybe some part of her believed that with time, they'd forgive her. In hindsight, it was stupid to think that.
Martlet raises her wing again for the final blow. "Please know, I truly wish they could end a different way. I wish we could have talked things out. But the second you killed Clover, any chance of that was impossible. There's no way I can let their death go unpunished. I know that I won't be forgiven either and I've accepted that. I don't care if I become a traitor to my own kind. Clover was... I was willing to risk everything for them. Whatever comes of this, I'm sure I'll deserve it. Goodbye, Ceroba. I'll see you in hell." Ceroba looks at the ground, accepting her fate as Martlet brought the wing down and dust fills the air, blown away by the wind, never to be seen again.