(???? PoV)

Darkness surrounded me when I awoke.

Pain seemed to be everywhere. My head throbbed. Thick, metal cuffs dug deep into my wrists, and I found they were chained together when I tried to move them.

I slowly stood up, trying to take in my surroundings. I seemed to be on some sort of platform, with some dark abyss below me. The walls were many feet from either edge of my platform, making the jump hard, if not impossible, for me to accomplish. Some kind of rope rubbed against my neck, but I couldn't see what it was.

I started to walk towards the edge of the platform to see the actual distance between here and the ledge, but an echoing voice stopped me in my tracks.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you. One slip, and it won't end well for youse. And I don't mean the massive height at which you would fall from."

In front of me, a door opened from the wall of the ledge. Laff. His green eyes gleamed maliciously through his mask.

"The height wouldn't be needed. Not with that noose around your neck." Laff pointed out.

"Laff!" I said, sighing in relief, "Your here! Quick, help me out of here!"

Laff chuckled darkly. "Oh, I don't think so."

The memory came back to me as my smile faded.

The click of Laff's door locking behind me.

The struggle to breath through a tight gag around my mouth.

The searing pain of someone bashing something against my head, knocking me out cold.

Laff's gaze, filled with malice and hatred, looking down at me as the world faded to black.

"Laff..." I said, "Why did you do this?"

"I have my reasons," Laff said, "And I can't have you spilling my secrets to everyone."

"What secrets? I did nothing!" I exclaimed, confused.

Laff turned to the door, and started walking away. Before he left, he looked back at me.

"Nice talking to youse," he said calmly. And at that, he slipped out the door and closed it, leaving me alone in the darkness.

———

(Blaza PoV)

The moon, instead of its usual silvery glow, was deep blood red as I walked out of my house. The trees rustled slightly with the breeze as I made my way through the forest, and I was soon in view of the church. The bell tower looked ominous in the red moonlight.

I stood in front of the church, looking around. I'm here, so what now?

"You came."

I jumped at the voice.

"Who said that?" I said, on edge.

"You may be angelic, but your intelligence is still that of a human."

"Alright, just show yourself!" I called out angrily, "I'm done with your games!"

I heard a twig snap to my left, and I immediately lashed out with my tail. It his something - or someone - and they were knocked backwards. I quickly pinned them to the ground with my arm, wings flared.

It was Laff.

But at the same time it wasn't.

His skin was hard metal. His eyes glowed red.

"Hello, Blaza," the robot said. If it was possible for a robot to grin, that's what it would be doing right then.

Searing pain shot up my right arm, the one holding the robot to the ground. I cried out in agony, allowing robot-Laff up off the ground. I looked at my arm, and was shocked to see a plate of metal melded into my skin.

WHAT THE HELL-

The pain returned as the metal seemed to shoot up my arm, cutting under my skin and leaving deep cuts along my wrists. I felt it in my wing, too, as well as my face and one of my legs. My knees buckled beneath me, and I fell to the ground.

My entire body was filled with a fiery agony I had never thought possible. My breathing was heavy, and I could barely move without constant pain.

Soon it overwhelmed me, and the world faded to black.

———

(3rd PoV)

Blaza's hands curled into fists as he slowly got up. His tail lashed in anger, and a white, glowing substance dripped from his eyes.

He glared at Laff, still in the form of his mechanical counterpart, known to us as L4FF.

"Knew I should have killed you when I had the chance," he growled, his voice echoing along with someone else's.

"Yang, is that you?" L4FF said, "What a small world this is! How's Yin back in Timespace, huh?"

"I'm not here to talk about my brother," Blaza growled. "I told you not to get in our way again."

"If you really think about it, it's you that's getting in my way right now, so..."

"You know what I mean."

"Being fair, the time spike wasn't my fault. That was-"

L4FF very suddenly coughed. His words had been cut off when Blaza's tail was driven through his chest. Blaza yanked his tail from L4FF's chest, and L4FF collapsed after one final, violent spasm.

And disappeared into dust.

Right before Blaza himself fell limply to the ground.

———

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!

I'm completing my mission. You stay out of it.

Har-

Never call me that. That is not my name.

You will always be him to me, but very well. Now get. Out.

Why is he yours to claim?

I am collecting a debt owed to me. Stay. Out. Of. My. WAY.

I have no choice now. With Laff dead, I passed on to Blaza. If it's anyone's fault, it's yours.

*sigh* Just... don't do anything stupid. Lay low in here for a bit before going all out.

...Alright.

—————

L O R E

AND WHAT-

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