//------------------------------// // Episode 4: The Ocean Has Eyes // Story: Celli and Lulu’s Strange Situation: The Siren's Call // by ArcticAce01 //------------------------------// As running could be heard all around them, Ace and Sonata kept themselves on the swivel, waiting for the moment one of the Midnight Runners would decide to strike. They could already hear their tiny voices gloating out there in the dark, unable to see them. “I can take you all by myself. You’re all mine! Mine for the kill!” one squeaked. "There's no way either of you two fuckers will see where we're coming from!" they heard another one shout from behind. “I’m sorry for the way it just swore at you!” a meeker one said. “Thy years are surely matched if I could still swing mine arms.” “Though, I wish I didn’t have to fight someone who looked so handsome. You’d make such a lovely partner,” another said in a flirtatious tone. “Mmph! Even with your power to create ice, you'd be dead wrong if you think we'd surrender just because you managed to deal serious damage to one of us.” One voice had a proud and confident tone. “Dammit, why did you all get to say the cool lines?!” another voice said in annoyance “Ah just forget it let's just take these chumps out!” “No not yet~ I want to play with them some more~,” the flirtatious voice purred. “It’s more fun when we make them sweat~.” Ace had Cold as Ice create two disc like shapes in its hands, holding one in front and the other to its right as they waited for another attack from the dark. And then there it was. From the darkness came a red and a blue Midnight Runners, slashing at Cold as Ice’s shields faster than Ace could blink. His Stand managed to block one attack, but the blue one managed to get around its other shield, anticipating its movement, slashing at its elbow. Blood sprayed from both Stand and master and Ace grasped his wound as he cursed under his breath. Before he could react, the green Midnight Runner slid in from behind, catching them unaware. It sliced at the back of Cold as Ice’s foot, then climbed up its leg before cutting it in the knee before being kicked away. “We can’t stay here,” Ace said as he pointed to the next streetlamp. “We have to move.” “How? You’re injured.” Sonata said only for Ace to flash her a reassuring smile. “It’s just a small cut, nothing serious.” Ace assured her before he reached down and touched his wound encasing it over with ice to prevent blood loss. Sonata was impressed when she saw this, able to seal up his wound with his ice. Then she felt her leg getting a bit cold. She looked down and noticed him doing the same with her wound from when Midnight Runners first attacked. “By the way, you haven’t told me your name.” A smile was plastered on Ace’s face. Sonata blinked. “Oh, I haven’t? That’s my bad! It’s Sonata Dusk. But everyone just calls me Sonata.” “And it’s nice to meet you, Sonata.” Ace gave her a quick handshake before ushering her towards the next light. “I wish I could say it was under better circumstances. Not a Stand battle.” “Where are you going?” Dexy could be heard running through the bushes close to them as her Midnight Runners sped all around the two of them. “Did you think finding another light source will save you?” And then the footsteps of her Midnight Runners grew faint and to their dismay, the closest streetlamp’s bulb blew. “I’m sorry, but it had to be done to defeat you,” one of the Midnight Runners said. It’s voice sounded like it had come from right beside Sonata’s ear. “You’re not going anywhere, not until I’m finished here,” Dexy said. “The boy’s fate has been determined, and he will perish!” one of the Midnight Runners snickered. “But the girl will be taken back, all by me! She will be delivered to her sisters! By me!” “Your sisters?” Ace looked at Sonata. All she did was shrug. “Like I said, long story. What are we going to do now?” Ace watched as the next streetlamp disappeared into darkness when its lightbulb shattered. “We have no choice. We’ll have to face them in the dark.” Cold as Ice slid to a stop and raised both arms, creating a shield of ice above its head, which began to spread outwards. More Midnight Runners attacked from all around them, bouncing off against the expanding ice. A few managed to get in and cuts began appearing all over Ace’s and Sonata’s arms and legs. The cold air began to smell like iron, but they weren’t able to move fast enough to avoid the Midnight Runners. In the dark, they were almost invisible, even when up close. By the time they could even see one, they had already been injured by it. Sonata clasped her hands together as she watched Ace continue to protect her, a random person he had only just met. He was giving it his all to defend her and she knew she couldn’t just stand here and let him risk his life. She had to do something and she had to do it now. “I can’t hide forever. Come on, Ocean Eyes!” Sonata crouched down, putting both hands on the snowy ground between her legs as she threw her head back. Sonata’s body began to emit a purple glow as a being draped with a blue furry coat and ushanka appeared behind her. It flexed its lean arms, then brought one palm forward diagonally, while its other arm dropped to its waist, fist forward and ready to do battle. Through the glow around Sonata, Ocean Eyes’ green eyes glimmered before it thrust its side arm forward. Water began to float up from the snow below and flew forward like that of speeding bullets. Sonata heard a squeak from the dark as her watery bullets hit something, followed by a growl from Dexy. “I’ll give you that one, but you can’t destroy what you can’t see!” “I’m gonna kill you so hard!” one of the Midnight Runners chimed in. “Not if I do something about it!” Sonata replied. “As far as I know, your Stands can’t fly.” “Pfffff…” a rasp came from the dark. “So what? You can’t fly either.” A smirk formed across Sonata’s lips as she raised both arms in a ‘V’ shape. “I don’t have to fly. I just need to make sure you can’t fly.” Ocean Eyes copied its master's movements as its eyes shone forth from behind metallic turquoise hair. “H-Hey, what gives?” one of the Midnight Runners squeaked. “I can’t get you like this!” “Tis a torrential current!” another yelled. “Dammit! This cheap trick wont stop me!” another snarled trying in vain to free itself. We can’t lose! Not to a handsome face like that! “Damn you! Face me like a true warrior!” “I’m sorry, master!” “What the fuck is this? Stop it now!” “Don’t do this! please! We can’t fail them!” “How could we let this happen? We’re much better than them!” “Dammit, I don't wanna go out like this! Not without a cool line!” “What are you doing to my Stands?!” And for the first time since the battle started, Dexy walked closer, coming out from behind a row of bushes. Her almost neon green eyes shone with fury in the dark. Sonata pointed two fingers at her, one on each hand. “Ocean Eyes has the ability to control water and to use water to its advantage. Snow is just water, right? All I did was melt it and make it real dense so your Midnight Runners have trouble moving around. It sure is cold with so much water around, but at least I won’t be feeling as bad as you.” In the darkness, Sonata and Ace could barely make out all nine Midnight Runners struggling to move through the water, which had once been snow. The water level rose and fell like that of a tide, controlled by Ocean Eyes as it moved its arms and body back and forth, also like the tide. Due to their small sizes, each Midnight Runner couldn’t firmly plant their feet on the pavement below and they were pushed around with the tide as it moved, eventually, Ocean Eyes’ ability managed to pull all nine of them together, pushing them into a clump as their faces smashed against each other. “Ow!” Dexy put a hand to her head as she winced from the impacts. “St-Stop that!” Sonata smiled and looked at the boy who had come out of nowhere to help her. “Ace, you think you can handle finishing this up?” The boy put his fists together and cracked his knuckles. Sonata never knew how that helped, but a lot of people seemed to do it. “With pleasure. Cold as Ice! It’s time!” His Stand spun through the air, forming icy razor blades around its arms as it rolled to a stop. Slicing its arms out, it shot the razor blades through each Midnight Runner. Because they were now unable to move on their own, the ice shards pierced through their bodies before landing in the water, freezing them to the spot. Ahead, Dexy coughed out blood as she clutched her chest. In the darkness, it was hard to see if blood was spreading across her maroon jacket and black vest, but Sonata was sure her Stands’ damage had copied over to her own body. “No, it’s not going to end this way! It’s not!” she gasped. As Cold as Ice’s hands began to glow a white blue, Ace pointed at her before drawing a line across his own forehead with his other hand. “This is what you get for preying on the innocent. It’s over!” His Stand thrust both arms down into the rolling waters, creating an explosion of frost that instantly froze everything around it. The ice crept up and sealed each Midnight Runner in a layer of frost. “You’re done for now, missy!” Ace sent Cold as Ice forward, forming an ice fist over its own hand. “N-No, don’t!” Dexy fell back on her bum and raised both arms in front of her face. “Wait!” Sonata was suddenly in front of Cold as Ice, stretching her arms out. “I want to talk to her!” “What? What for?” Ace wore a puzzled face. “She’s trying to kill you. Or something.” “I need to know why she’s working for my sisters.” Sonata looked back at the cowering woman. “What did they do to you?” Dexy looked up at Sonata, still breathing heavily with trepidation. Even after what just happened, Sonata got in the way to save her. Dexy slowly lowered her arms down as she tried to breathe calmly before answering. “They didn’t do anything…I did this for money,” Dexy mentioned. “They promised a good amount of money from your sisters if I capture you, Sonata.” “They?” Ace leaned closer to her. “Who’s they?” “I…I don’t know.” Dexy shook her head. “It was dark. I was given half by a dumpster. I didn’t see his face. I was promised the second half if I brought you back.” Ace stared at her a moment before he closed his eyes for a moment, listening to what she said, and looked into Dexy's eyes. “Let me ask you something, let's say you accomplished your goal, and brought Sonata back. How do you know you’ll get what you want? Did you think about what could happen? The chances of getting backstabbed, or even wondering why you were told to bring Sonata back?” Dexy looked at the boy and took in what he had told her. But, before she could answer, she saw Cold As Ice reaching out towards her, causing her to tense up a bit until she felt it touch her wound, which began to encase in ice. “W-What are you doing?” she said as Ace’s Stand closed up her wound. “I’m making sure you don’t lose any more blood,” Ace mentioned. “But why? I tried to kill you.” Dexy was shocked that he would do such a thing after what happened. “Yeah you did, but you were not in the right headspace, so patching you up makes us even,” Ace said, while keeping his concentration on her wounds. “I…It looks like I was wrong to come after you…” Dexy was moved. “I was just after money, but I see now. There’s more to life than just money.” “Of course there is!” Ace gave her a smile. “You promise you won’t come after Sonata again, then?” Dexy held up a hand and nodded. “Never again. I’m sorry. I’ll only use my Stand powers for good. It’s the least I can do after the kindness you showed me.” When Cold as Ice was done, Ace stepped away and his Stand faded. Sonata stood by him, watching the back of his head. Whoever he was, he was a nice boy. Once Dexy left into the dark of the night, she tugged on his sleeve and asked him, “Just who are you exactly?” Ace could only shrug. “I’m just a boy trying to make a difference.”