Notte del Tradimento: fine

Trigger Warning (Violence/Blood)

The Blast of water and flames clashed as the whole sanctuary shook from the clash between Bell and Moth.

Despite his injuries, Moth fought furiously. Black-scarlet flames fanned out toward Bell, who only avoided the shower of flames. He then slid across the flooded floor and blasts a cone of water in Moth's line of sight, blinding him temporarily.

"Oh~ you sure have a short fuse!" Bell cooed as he sends Moth back with a blast of water. Moth slammed towards the wall as the pressure of a waterfall kept him pinned. With a snarl, Moth bursts free with his flames.

Moth coughed out some of the water that got into him, as Bell walked slowly as he sits beside Moth, mockingly and gleefully showing a false pretense of concern.

"What's wrong fratello? Getting numb?" Bell sneered at Moth.

Moth eyes blazed with fury as he casted a glare at Bell and swung at him, but Bell caught his fist and twisted it. Moth grimaced from the grip and how his arm was twisted.

"Violent as always Moth." Bell whispered behind his ears, each word laced with contempt and venom as he pushed Moth down. Bell then fashioned shackles of water that held Moth down. Aquatic chains digging deep on his neck, limbs, and chest.

"Why are you doing this!" Moth demanded, struggling to lift his head as the shackles began to constrict.

"Why? Because it's exhausting to be just a "Cinder Child". Unlike you, fratello. I woke up from the truth." He gestured across the flooded room. "This 'family' is nothing more but a sham. We fight, we kill, we destroy many lives. And for what? Justice? Safety? Self-preservation? Very funny... We're nothing more but monsters, and I refuse to live to be someone's monster."

"So you betray the garden... You betray us!" Moth's voice rang across the flooded hall, his eyes incredulously brimmed with fury he wanted to shank Bell's chest cavity with his hand.

"I've long since betrayed the Garden, fratello But still... I am but one fragile cinder child." He walked towards his brother and extended a hand. And broke the shackles away.

"Join me Moth. And together, we can destroy the Garden. We can free everyone from a fate worse than death! We will be heroes!" He declared, Moth extended his hand, but instead of grabbing and shaking Bell's hand, Moth summoned a blazing lance that impaled Bell.

"Go to hell..." Moth managed, but Moth's attack didn't hurt Bell. If anything, Bell was as incredulous as Moth was.

"This is most... Disappointing!" Bell breaks the Lance and the floodwater roared around Moth and dragged him away towards the open rain.

"I offer you salvation, and you chose oblivion. I wanted to spare you of the suffering Moth, I really do. But you just wanted to play the hero, then fine." Bell snapped his finger and several hooded figures appeared and dragged the 10 year old children out. Caterpillar was among them. His face ashen with fear as he saw Moth.

"What are you doing?!" Moth tried to stand but Bell knocks him flat to the dirt.

"Resist and they die. Don't make it difficult Moth." Bell said, he knew his brother well.

Moth's strength, was also his biggest weakness: His Love for the Family. Despite his usual aloof and detached demeanor, Moth was the fiercest protector of the Garden.

So Moth didn't resist nor defended himself with Bell's onslaught. He was flung around the rain soaked ground, his blood mixing with the flooded gravel. Bell was enjoying the assault, it was therapeutic, almost... Elating for him, to cause harm towards Moth.

 "That was soooooo tantalizing!" Bell exhaled as he tossed Moth down to the ground and pressed his foot on his back. "But let's pull the curtain to this farce, shall we?"

Numerous lances of condensed water formed and aimed to impale Moth.

"Well... Aren't we feeling murderous~?" A familiar and annoying voice spoke suddenly.

A flash of green and yellow zipped towards Bell and knocks him away. Then that same speeding freight train knocks away most of the hooded men holding the kids hostage.

"Have I mentioned that I hate the rain? And sending assassins toward me? Not cool feccia traditrice!"  Dragonfly growled as he wiped his goggles clear. "Hey Moth! Go wild now!!"

"Sciocchi inutili! Stop him!" Bell snarled at his followers. The hooded men stood up and began to fire from their firearms towards , but the bullets froze in mid-air and was sent back to the shooters, the other stray bullets that got through was blocked by a pixelized shield.

"Hey! No sleeping on the job, anziano!" Hawk and Wolf appeared over head. Hawk was uncharacteristically alert, it was either things were serious now, or that someone cut the wi-fi off.

"Run for the main foyer, Firefly is over there." Wolf spoke in a firm steely voice. "Your fratelli will ensure your escape."

Instead of replying, Moth's whole body made the water against his skin began to steam as his whole body began to be enveloped in his black-scarlet flames.

"Thanks... fratelli." Moth spat out his blood and he formed a blade of flames and charged at Bell. Round Two of their clash made it clear that Bell's initial advantage was a result of Moth being in a state of rage.

With the thought of his family was safe with Wolf, Hawk, Dragonfly, and Firefly around, Moth's mind was now at ease and was now fighting as he could.

With a swing of his flaming spear, Bell was now the one getting slammed on the wall. Despite the weather advantage and the flooded floor. Bell was also bleeding out, but not as much as Moth.

"This needs to stop Bell. I don't have to kill you." Moth staggered forward, his blade dissipating from sheer exhaustion.

"A dog... like you... why did I even bother in trying to convince you?" Bell laughed weakly, and he took something from his pocket. Moth moved but was too slow, Bell managed to swallow the pill. And Bell was then crazed, appendages suddenly burst from his back, and his mouth began to foam with venom.

Bell moved as fast, no, faster than Dragonfly. The appendages acted like spears, and Moth managed to block two of the six spears, one of it, impaled Moth's left thigh and in his crazed state, Bell bit Moth's neck. Injecting a strange venom inside his system.

Before Moth could lose consciousness. Bluish Thread-like strands began to wrap around Bell's neck and mouth, and someone pulled Bell slightly. Then, as if imitating Moth's power, Caterpillar managed to yank Bell off of Moth. But Bell then lunged at Caterpillar. Who was frozen from fear.

"NO!"

With desperate fear, Moth's Flames bloomed to a scythe and managed to slash upward, messily decapitating Bell from the torso. Moth was taking heavy breaths as he walked over towards Caterpillar.

"Moth?" Caterpillar mumbled as he embraced Moth. And Moth hugged back.

"You okay?" Moth asked as he looked at Caterpillar with care. With a sigh of relief, he ushered Caterpillar to move.

"Moth! You dead??" Dragonfly appeared, scuffed and bleeding, along a bleeding and bruised Hawk and an even bloodied Wolf.

Moth ushered Caterpillar to move slowly, but then, the world seemed to slow.

Everything became a blur.

Dragonfly rushing towards them.

Wolf shouting for Moth to avoid.

A pixelized shield shattering.

A sickening stab.

Moth being pushed aside as Caterpillar, getting stabbed by Bell's still living upper torso.

Moth blindly thrashing at the now messy remains of Bell.

"M...oth...?" The little boy muttered.

Moth couldn't speak as he shakingly held Caterpillar's hand, the light in his eyes fading by the second. Moth's hand pressed against Caterpillar's abdomen, applying pressure uselessly. Firefly arrives, her face paled as she saw Caterpillar's state and tried to apply healing to some extent.

"Hey... Moth? I... want to be... a Moth... too..." Caterpillar spoke weakly as Moth tried to assure him.

"Caterpillar, you're going to be fine. Don't close your eyes." Moth pleaded. His free arm stroking the boy's head, assuring and soothing him from the pain uselessly.

"Firefly... please! Do something!" Moth begged, tears suddenly flowing from his usually stoic face,

But Firefly could only look away. Tears streaming from her face as her healing stopped.

"I'm sorry, Moth. Caterpillar is dead."