Chapter 9: Numb

Marigold ran through the Neighboring World as Scarlet chased her, she fully wasn't there. She had gone berserk, Yui chased after as she tried to slice at Scarlet to slow her down.

"Hey, over here!" Yui barked as she threw her kunai at her. "I'm your opponent now!"

Scarlet let out a bellowing laughter as she deflected the kunai. She looked at Yui as she only saw Ryuko in her place. It was probably the school girl uniform she had on. It reminded her of Senketsu, her vision of Yui changed to that of Ryuko. "Matoi....."

Yui raised an eyebrow up. "Wh-" she was cut off as Scarlet dashed forward and got punched in the face and was sent spiraling backwards through the air and crashed into a birdbath.

"Ms. Yui!" Marigold cried as she stopped running and panted. "....Mommy.... stop....." she took a few breaths as she looks at Scarlet.

Steam and smoke came out of her mouth as she had a blood red smile on her face. She tilted her head to the side as she didn't listen, she was about to dash towards where Marigold was at. A shadow formed under her as Nightmare's arms rose up from under Scarlet and wrapped around her legs, and waist.

"Get as far as possible." Kurumi said as she glared at Scarlet. "Isami, check on Yui. Hibiki, Tsuan.. block Scarlet's escape routes, we must contain her.."

Isami nodded as she rushed over to Yui. Marigold listened as she ran as far as she could from the chaos. Scarlet struggled as she roared and snarled, she tried to break the Nightmare arms and free herself. The more she struggled the more it made hard for Nightmare and her clones to keep Scarlet in their grasp.

Tsuan noticed as she dashed forward and jumped into the air and swung her hammer down onto Scarlet's head, the sound of her neck breaking and snapping could be heard as Tsuan landed on her feet. "Piece of cake." She turned around as she swung her hammer over her shoulder. "She didn't seem that fearsome.."

Hibiki's eyes shrank as she backed up. Nightmare also backed up, Tsuan slowly turned around as Scarlet grabbed her neck with her Grimm hand. Scarlet's neck popped back into place as she glared at Tsuan, she bellowed as she opened her mouth wide, her jaw unhinged as  her cheeks started to pull apart.. Her mouth widening more. Deep in the back.of her throat, a Grimm arm came slithering up from her throat and grabbed Tsuan by the neck. Lifting her off the ground while Scarlet grabbed her by the arms.

"What in the....?" Hibiki asked as her legs shook. "What's going on?"

Nightmare wasn't too sure what was going on, but this was something she hadn't seen before. Tsuna was in pain, she gripped onto her hammer but her hand started sweating as it was starting to get hard to keep her grip on her hammer.

Scarlet laughed under her breath as she started to pull at Tsuan's arms, Tsuan gasped for air as the Grimm hand had a tight grip around her neck.

~~~

Marigold panted as she made it as far as possible. She found a tree not to far as she walked over to it, she slouched down against the stump as she sat under the tree now. The shade looming over her as she wondered what was going on, and why Scarlet was attacking them and not Queen.

"Why is she attacking us and not Queen?" Marigold asked herself as she crossed her arms and ponders. "I know she's still in there... but why is she?"

A sound of a gun clicking was heard next to Marigold as she turned her head and saw Queen aiming her flintlock at her. "I'm not done with...."

Marigold just sat there as she saw how injured Queen was. "....You're not in any shape to do anything."

Queen scoffed as she pulled the hammer back on her flintlock and smirked. "You say that now. But you're so wrong." She was about to pull the trigger as a Grimm arm came stretching from her left as it slashed at her hand. "Son of a--"

Marigold glanced over to the left as Scarlet was approaching, it seemed Tsuan had perished. Nightmare and Hibiki were no were to be seen. Scarlet snarled as she pulled her Grimm arm back as she stopped. She got on all fours and bellowed, she glared at the two before charging towards Queen.

"Why won't you stay dead?!" Queen barked loudly. She swung at Scarlet but missed. "How?"Scarlet leaped over Queen and kicked her in the back of the legs.

"Ngh." Queen grunted as she lost her balance and nearly fell over. "You monster."

Scarlet punched Queen in the face once she had turned around. Queen went flying back as she flipped through the air and crashed through some trees.

Queen stumbled up as she spits some blood to the side. "You're no monster... you're corrupt, and you're more animalistic... You've lost full control and what sanity you had left." Queen smirked as she heard footsteps running towards them. "Well now." She summoned her angel. "Virgo Sword" She slashed her sword in front of her, a crack form as it slowly opened.

"A crack in space and time." Hibiki said as she saw Queen. "You're running away from your problems."

Queen snickered as she shook her head, her flintlock appeared in her hand as she pulled the hammer back. "Me run? I think not. But here's a small parting gift for you." She pulled the trigger as she shot at Hibiki.

Nightmare came running up as she saw Queen shoot Hibiki square in the chest. The bullet passed through her skin and through her heart as it came out of her back. Hibiki spewed up blood as her lower lip and chin were covered in blood, she glanced down as she looked up slowly at Nightmare and the others before collapsing.

"It's been fun... but my job is done." Queen said as she stepped through the crack.

"She's getting away!" Marigold yelled.

Scarlet shrieked as she dashed towards Marigold, Yui noticed as she quickly dashed over and blocked the assault, Scarlet clamped her jaw over Yui's head and tore it off.

"That's it!" Kurumi said as she summoned her angel. "Zafkiel!" The giant clock appeared behind her. "It's time to slow you do, even if it doesn't work."

She aimed her musket at two and drew power from it. "Second bullet. Bet!" She pointed her musket at Scarlet and shot at her.

~~~

The bullet hit Scarlet and slowed time around her, since she didn't have her sanity. Her semblance didn't collide with the slowness of the second bullet.

"Hibiki.... Yui, I'm sorry." Kurumi said as she lowered her guns to her side. "I have to fix this." Shw glanced over at Scarlet as she slowly walked over to her. "I know just how to snap you out of this fit of a rage."

Marigold watched as she wondered what Nightmare was going to do. Nightmare stopped as she stood in front of Scarlet. Her arms wrapped around her as she embraced her in a hug, she then kissed her on the lips as she stayed there for a bit.

"Is this going to work?" Marigold questioned as she realized that there was no one else alive. "....Oh...."

The second bullet started to ware off as the time around Scarlet was back to normal. Kurumi pulled away as she looked at Scarlet and booped her nose, the Grimm facial armor plating started to crack as pieces fell off. Soon it started to crumble and fall off completely.

Kurumi watched as she noticed Scarlet was slowly returning to normal. She smiled a bit as she saw Scarlet start cracking to pieces, this confused her. It wasn't clear just yet, but it seemed like she was shedding her skin like a snake for a much newer one, which made sense for her since she had Grimm DNA inside her.

"Ugh.... that was long...." Scarlet finally spoke as her skin finished shedding. She popped her neck and her back, she shook her head as some dust fell from it. "I almost lost myself there."

"Welcome back." Nightmare said as she kissed her nose. "....Queen got away."

Scarlet glanced at the crack that Queen made. "Tch, guess I have to chase her."

Marigold cried as she ran towards her and jumped into her arms and hugged her tight. "Mommy! You're okay! Yiu scared me!"

Scarlet rubbed her head as she kissed her cheek. "I don't know what came over me... but you two should return to Tengu City... I have a copy cat hunt down." She put Marigold down as she looked at Nightmare and kissed her deeply. "I'll be back.."

Marigold wanted to chase her and stop her from leaving, but she shook her head. "Go kick her ass mommy!"

Scarlet stopped as she turned around and smirks. "I'll be sure to kick it really hard." She jumped through the crack.

The crack closed up completely as Nightmare looked at Marigold, she grabbed her hand and rubbed her finger against her fingers. "Let's go back, the others are probably worried."