Chapter 15
The room erupted into chaos as Jinx's machine gun roared to life, a hail of bullets forcing everyone to duck for cover. Sparks flew as rounds ricocheted off the crumbling walls and the floor, the sound deafening. The sudden burst of green trails and masked figures on hoverboards added another layer of pandemonium.
One masked rider swooped down with a burst of speed, their hoverboard sending a gust of air that knocked Ivy to her knees. She turned just in time to see Caitlyn hit the floor, scrambling across the ground toward the blue glowing orb that was rolling further away.
"Duck!" Ivy shouted, her voice barely audible over the gunfire and buzzing hoverboards.
A figure with a bird skull mask dived at Ivy, the metallic hum of their hoverboard slicing through the air. Ivy reacted instinctively, twisting her body just in time to avoid the attacker's grab. She slashed upward with her dagger, the blade catching the rider's leg as they flew past. A sharp yelp of pain escaped them as they wobbled midair.
Ivy darted through the chaos, her body low and her movements sharp as she avoided the onslaught of masked riders swooping down on their hoverboards. Her grip on her makeshift dagger was tight, the blade gleaming as she sidestepped another attacker. She slashed, catching another one of the rider's leg as they passed, and they tumbled off their board with a howl of pain.
Her breathing was ragged, but her determination didn't falter. A second rider came at her from the side, their weapon raised. Ivy ducked just in time, spinning on her heel and driving her dagger into their hoverboard's engine. Sparks flew, and the board wobbled before it spiraled into the ground, sending the rider sprawling.
Glancing back, she saw Caitlyn inching toward the glowing blue orb. Stay alive, Caitlyn, Ivy thought.
As Caitlyn crawled closer to the orb, her eyes fixed on it as though it were the key to ending the chaos. Another rider swooped toward her, their green trail streaking across the room. Ivy saw them coming and sprang to her feet.
"Caitlyn!" Ivy shouted, hurling her dagger with precision. The blade struck the rider's back, forcing them to veer off course and crash into a pile of rubble.
Caitlyn looked back at Ivy, her eyes wide. She gave a quick nod towards Ivy before turning back and reaching out her hand, catching the orb just before it rolled off the edge to be lost in the sea of rubble.
Ivy nodded in reasurement before turning her attention back to her own fight. Two riders came at her simultaneously. Ivy cursed under her breath, pulling out another dagger. She flung it toward the rider on the left, hitting their shoulder. They screamed, losing control of their board. The second rider, though, was slicker and managed to cut her forehead. Their weapon swung toward Ivy's head again, but this time she dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the blow, and kicked out with her foot, hitting the underside of their board and knocking them off balance.
Her movements were instinctive, a dance of survival as the battle pressed on. Blood dripped from the cut on her forehead, but she didn't stop. Her hands darted to her belt, only to find she was down to her last few daggers.
No time to hesitate.
She gripped the blade tightly and charged toward Vi, who was locked in a brutal fistfight with another rider. Just as Ivy reached her, another blow struck her from behind, a blunt object connecting with the side of her head. Ivy stumbled forward, dazed but not down. She turned, defiant, just as another rider swept in from above.
Jinx cackled from her perch, reloading her gun with manic glee. "You're all so predictable!" she shouted, her voice ringing out like a taunt. "This is what happens when you play hero!"
Vi emerged from behind a toppled beam, her fists clenched and her face a mask of determination. She made a beeline for Jinx, dodging bullets and debris, her focus singular.
"Powder, stop!" Vi bellowed, but Jinx's response was another round of gunfire, forcing her sister to dive for cover.
Ivy looked over at Caitlyn who was dodging riders trying to get up from the floor. She looked back at Vi who seemed to be under control with her punching all the riders. She ran over to Caitlyn. Ivy reached for Caitlyn, grabbing her arm and yanking her behind a broken pillar just as another masked rider sped by, their weapon grazing the air where Caitlyn had been moments before.
Amid the chaos, Vi bulldozed her way through the fight, her fists connecting with bone and armor as masked riders fell around her. Her movements were raw and unrelenting.
Jinx, meanwhile, fired her handgun with wild precision, her laughter echoing through the wreckage as she darted between riders, taking them out as if it were a twisted game. Her hair flew around her. Bullets flew, and green trails from hoverboards lit the air like ominous streaks of light.
Ivy gritted her teeth as she crouched behind the pillar, gripping her dwindling supply of makeshift daggers. She cursed under her breath, glancing at the chaos around her. "I'm running out. This can't happen now." She muttered to herself. Determined, she pulled out her last dagger, her parents dagger.
"Are you sure?" Caitlyn asked.
Ivy sighed. "Don't have another choice." She sprinted from her cover toward Vi, ready to back her up. She kept running approaching her fast before she was hit with a strong force.
The blow came out of nowhere.
A sharp crack echoed as something heavy struck Ivy's head. Pain exploded behind her eyes, and her vision blurred as she stumbled to the ground. She groaned, rolling onto her back, disoriented and vulnerable.
Through her fading vision, she saw one of the masked attackers towering over her, their weapon raised high. Before she could react, they swung again, and everything went dark.
The sounds of the battle faded into a distant hum as Ivy lay unconscious amidst the chaos, the fight continuing to rage around her.
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Author Note: Hey! I had some spare time so I decided to write this chapter and release it earlier! Consider this my Christmas gift to you all. I would also like to say thank you to everyone who is reading and supporting this story. I hope you all enjoy your holidays and I'll see you guys back on Saturday for chapter 15! :)