Things could go better but they could also go worse. So, within reason, Wednesday Addams allowed herself a slight enjoyment of the fight despite the seriousness of the situation.
What good is mortal danger if you can't have fun with it?
At least that's what Gomez Addams used to say at many of the training sessions in which he instructed his daughter in the art of swordsmanship.
Oh, Wednesday had not learned only traditional fencing. If that were the case her tutor would have been Morticia, who was superior to her husband in the use of the foil and épée and had won all their matches during their years as students at Nevermore, cultivating that discipline in the way that can only be cultivated by those who see attempting to skewer themselves with a bladed weapon as foreplay to other more private activities.
But Gomez had a certain edge and more proficiency in the use of the sabre... and the falchion, the claymore, the khopesh, the jian, the katana, the gladius, the zweihänder, the scimitar, the falcata, the rapier, the flamberge, the spatha, the dagger, the knife, the machete... Needless to say, since ancient times, the heir and head of the Addams Family had always had close contact with sharp objects. After all, Wednesday's first cradle ornament in her infancy had been her grandparents' daggers hanging over her head.
That was why, saber in hand, Wednesday was allowing herself to enjoy the combat. Without the restrictions and rules of a formal competition, the Addams heiress could give her all. The weapon still displayed an incandescent blade, which combined with its enchantments allowed it to cut through The Bright One's armor like butter.
The problem was, as always, managing to land a direct and definitive blow, but her opponent was cunning and devious. As she had been doing so far, The Bright One repelled every possible direct attack by conjuring light shields out of thin air. Her armor already showed dozens of scratches and indentations caused by Wednesday's blade, some reaching the flesh underneath. But none had been enough to slow her down.
And while a death by a thousand cuts sounded like something fitting, Wednesday knew that the longer the fight went on the more complicated the situation would become for her. The Bright One only needed to land a hit or strike her with a barrage of magical energy. Her reflexes had already saved her more than once, but at least one of her braids had already been singed.
The extra irony of the whole thing was that Wednesday had to prolong the fight as long as she could to give Enid time to recover.
Fortunately, she had another ace up her sleeve.
NOW!
Dodging a flaming fist tracing a deadly arc over her head, Wednesday passed her sword from her right hand to her left, leaning forward as her right fist went straight for The Bright One's chin.
The armored fiend saw it coming, activating her magic defense and causing Wednesday's physical fist to pass through her as if she were intangible. But the invisible, immaterial fist of Agent A's spirit partially possessing Wednesday's body was not something The Bright One could foresee.
Once again, she felt as if an invisible fist was striking her. Taking advantage of her daze, Wednesday slashed with her sword ready to slice through her enemy's torso with a horizontal cut. Despite the pain of the recent impact, The Bright One's reflexes and combat experience saved her, extending one of her hands covered by a crystalline luminescence as an improvised shield, intercepting the impact.
Wednesday's saber bounced off the light barrier, breaking it. But her blow had been strong enough to throw The Bright One several feet away, landing on her back to get up immediately after doing a reverse somersault on the ground.
The armored figure remained propped up on one knee, catching her breath as her cold, blue eyes were riveted on Wednesday. The Addams would have attacked were it not for the fact that she herself also felt the need to catch her breath. Her lungs burned with the effort.
The Bright One brought a hand to her aching jaw. She noticed the warm, metallic taste of blood in her mouth and spat before rising to her feet.
"Impossible blows that I cannot see," she said, "And that sword slash had a lot more force behind it than it should, given your physical build."
"Looks can be deceiving," Wednesday replied.
"True, true... but I also know a cheat when I see one," laughed The Bright One, "And I think you're not playing this game alone."
"You're delusional."
"Maybe. It's been a while since I've been hit in the head this many times," admitted The Bright One, "But I hope it won't be an issue for you if I put it to the test. Because I have a suspicion..."
The Bright One clenched her fists and her hands were engulfed in flames. But they were not the usual luminous white light blazes. In the palms of her hands now floated fatuous fires with a sickly green flame.
Careful, this doesn't look good.
The Bright One smiled again, revealing a row of bloody teeth.
"How about an impromptu exorcism by punching?" she asked. And without further regard, she lunged at the young Addams.
The Bright One moved with renewed viciousness and speed, tracing arcs of green flame in the air in her attempt to strike Wednesday with the palm of her hands. The Addams began to back away, dodging the assault and futilely attempting to deliver some thrust with her saber, only to be forced to leap back to avoid a direct hit to the chest.
Unfortunately, that was the end of her good fortune for the moment. The instant Wednesday stepped back, The Bright One slammed her palms together, one against the other, emitting a sonic shockwave and emerald flames that knocked Wednesday straight up.
She fell to the ground, but felt lighter all of a sudden. She knew immediately why when she heard a familiar voice next to her rather than inside her head.
"Oh, shit..."
Agent A was standing there next to her. Her form looked semi-corporeal. Her upper half appeared almost like a full physical presence, but from the waist down her body gradually became transparent until it faded away.
"Well, well!" exclaimed The Bright One, "So it was two of you against one! I guess your little ghost friend was responsible for those punches... Hey, didn't I kill you already?"
Agent A looked down at her hands. Her fingertips were starting to fade.
"This is definitely not good. Wednesday, my bond with your soul is broken. If we don't reconnect I won't be able to delay my departure to the the Great Beyond any longer..."
Wednesday sat up. She felt as if every muscle in her body had developed aches and pains in a matter of seconds.
"What... what do I have to do...?"
"Hold very still while I reestablish the bond... a few seconds will suffice, but..."
Suddenly, a beam of light fell between the two, like a giant luminous guillotine. They both recoiled out of pure reflex, and as they did so Agent A realized that she was becoming more incorporeal.
"Damn it."
"Aw, you think I'm going to give you two time," The Bright One scolded them, mockingly, "This is going to end right here, right now," she said, as her hands began to glow and the air began to shift around her, moved by the energy emitted.
She took a step forward. That was as far as she could go.
For that was the moment when a fist covered in golden fur rammed her from the right with the same force of a locomotive, sending the armored madwoman flying through the air like a rag doll before falling back to the ground, rolling for several meters before stopping with a pained and annoyed groan.
Wednesday didn't bother to disguise the grin that surfaced on her face. Dimples and all.
"Right here, right now," said a recovered Enid, still with her fist in the air "I couldn't agree more, bitch."
§§§
"FOR THE HOUSE OF ADAMO!"
The shout echoed over the battlefield, muting all other sounds.
From their position on the ground, the group could see how a figure wrapped in a sinister-looking black armor, the typical one one would expect to be worn by some Dark Lord of Evil, was flying through the air falling with his sword on the deformed and abnormally large Shadow Hyde, fruit of the fusion/absorption of a couple of his cohorts.
Wodnesdæg's blade, subjected to the same enchantments as the other weapons handed out for the battle, stuck between the creature's two heads, the relatively normal one and the one that seemed to emerge semi-absorbed from its shoulder. The being tried to claw at Wod, but the Prince of the House of Adamo was already descending, not letting go of his sword, as it came down tracing a huge vertical slash up and down the Shadow Hyde's torso, drenching everything with copious amounts of gray ectoplasmic goo.
Reaching the creature's waist, Wodnesdæg landed his legs on the being and yanked his sword out with a tug. He fell backward, twisting in mid-air to land on his feet on the ground with an elegance befitting an Olympic gymnast despite the weight of his attire. In front of him, the monstrous Shadow Hyde had fallen to the ground.
"Ah, there are very few things more satisfying than finishing off an enemy three times your size. It is always gratifying to see them fall," said Wodnesdæg.
"Wod! It's great to see you!" exclaimed Pup. Beside her, Hyde Taylor let out a snort and rolled her eyes.
Show-off, she thought.
"Ah, my brethren," he said, surveying the group of Wednesday and her companions as he lifted the visor of his armor helmet, "My regards. And most of all, my salutations to you Lady Friday," he added, bowing to the Addams in pink, "I am comforted to note that one of the objectives of our rescue mission has been accomplished. My name is Wodnesdæg, prince of the House of Adamo. And I have sworn that you and your family will return safely to your home."
"Oh, thank you so much," Friday replied, " I really never thought I'd meet a version of myself that was royalty of any kind."
"How did you just pop up in the air?" asked Theo, visibly interested.
"Oh, I was launched by my beautiful wife. It's one of her favorite activities when she's fully transformed, flinging me through the air like a living javelin. It's come in handy when dealing with this new brood of monsters, given their great height."
"Uh...Wod?" said Dora.
"It's been a few minutes since these beasts have started doing that," the Adamo continued speaking as he wiped the blade of his sword. It was of such a dark metal that the ectoplasmic gray goo that splattered it seemed luminous in comparison, "Fusions between two or three of them to form a single monstrous form. Fused Hydes, if you may."
"WOD!" exclaimed Dora, insistent.
"Yes, Lady Dora?"
"That thing is still moving!"
Indeed, the Fused Hyde was getting up despite its massive wound. The being was now sitting up, for all practical purposes, and while with one hand it was futilely trying to cover its wound, with the other it was poised to grab the prince of the House of Adamo.
Wod watched the creature with disinterest, "It certainly still moves, but that is no problem."
The Fused Hyde fell back to the ground, its main skull completely crushed by the fists of the giant lycanthrope that had landed on its head. She was a female, golden fur but lighter in color than other werewolf variants of Enid. Her frame and size was more or less identical to Eamon's, but even under the fur a much more muscular and stronger lupine figure than his could be seen, which was already impressive in itself.
Wod smiled as he looked at the werewolf, a smile that would have been more befitting of a lecherous pirate than a prince, but there was a softness in his eyes that was much deeper, "As you can see, my beloved wife has a right to have merriment as well."
Eneit Synklar howled in triumph as the Fused Hyde finally began to dissolve, after tearing off the second head with her claws. With a final snort of satisfaction as she shook the remains from her arms, she walked to stand beside her husband.
"Your royal highness," Woe interjected, "Your presence and that of your consort are welcome. We are on our way to the base of the citadel to aid Wednesday and Enid in their fray."
"Woe, please, I thought we had discussed this these six months: no formalities or titles are necessary between family," Wodnesdæg said, as he absently scratched the fur of Eneit’s neck, who had stood beside him resting her massive head on his shoulder, in an identical manner to how Eamon stood beside Friday, "And if that is your intention, we have our work cut out for us," the prince added.
Wod turned, directing his gaze to the base of the citadel, surrounded by combatants.
"There are no apparent gates on this side. And the size of the fortress spans miles. Finding access on its other sides may take many hours," the prince explained.
"And time is not a luxury we can afford," Woe added, deepening her scowl.
"Maybe flying?" ventured Friday, "If there are Wednesdays or Enids who can make use of magic, maybe one of them..."
"It's a possibility," said Wodnesdæg, "But I suggest we move. It is not wise to maintain a static position on this battlefield, especially when out of any shadow the enemy may emerge..."
And then, almost as if his words had summoned them, a large group of Shadow Hydes, more than a score, made their presence known, surrounding the group. Some emerged from the very shadows on the ground, no matter how small. Others were visibly in the first stage of fusion, like a pair joined by their heads fused to each other.
The group prepared to break through. Swords were raised, crossbows loaded, claws extended. But it would be for another time, for all the Shadow Hyde were dispatched by a single weapon.
An object came flying in circles at great speed, arcing around the group and striking each and every one of the Shadow Hyde that had surrounded them full on. It severed heads, cut torsos in half. The object continued to fly through the air around the group until it finally returned to the hand that had hurled it like a giant, deadly boogmerang.
Except it wasn't a boogmerang.
It was a shovel.
And the hand holding it up was obviously Shark's.
The Addams girl was grinning from ear to ear as if it was the happiest day of her life. Her dark blue suit had turned a deep gray from all the massive amount of ectoplasm covering her. Specks of spatter adorned her pale face as well. She was literally bathed in the blood of her enemies, even if it wasn't technically blood.
"Sisters!" she exclaimed, "Sister Friday! What a great rejoicing! What a joyous day, all gathered here!"
Friday leaned slightly toward Pup, whispering, "Is it just me, or is she a little more unhinged than usual?" she asked. As her only response, Pup merely shrugged, "I think for her killing things is maybe like a sugar rush. People in her dimension don't die from violent acts, you see, so this must be slightly addictive for her."
"That fucking shovel doesn't obey any of the laws of physics!" the semi-transformed Saint-Clair exclaimed, pointing at Shark.
"Ah, the laws of physics are nothing more than mere guidelines for an Addams. Polite little suggestions," retorted Shark.
"Easy for you to say, you living cartoon," the werecat mumbled.
"But while we're on the subject of suggestions, I have one regarding your dilemma that I couldn't help but overhear," Shark continued, bringing a hand to her back. As if out of nowhere, or pulled from some unseen space, her hand now held a bundle of dynamite sticks disproportionately large for simply resting on her palm. The damned cluster of explosives was almost as big as she was.
"If there are no doors, you make them," she said.
§§§
A decisive blow. We need a decisive blow.
That was the mantra in Wednesday Addams' head as, from the floor where she was still kneeling, she watched her beloved battling their mortal enemy. She noticed a tingling and strength returning to her legs, a sign that Agent A had reestablished their bond.
Wednesday stood up, sword in hand, and began to slowly advance toward the fighters.
Enid had fully recovered. Her golden fur bore no mark of her having been charred minutes before. No burn wounds, no scars except the previously existing ones that Wednesday always saw as signs of her paramour's strength. The only trace of the damage suffered by Enid was the absence of the top of her suit, torn and ashen. But the lycanthrope, in her new transformation, clearly had no qualms about her partial nudity.
Enid's current form was similar in size to that of her old full transformation, but with a body of much more humanoid proportions.
The werewolf boasted the same strength as if she were fully transformed, but with the greater versatility of movement and combat options that a slightly more human-like body provided. What couldn't be fixed with claws and teeth alone could be done with punches and the occasional good kick.
To The Bright One's dismay, the werewolf seemed even faster and fiercer than before. She couldn't always get her shields up in time, and she had already taken a few hard hits that hadn't knocked her out solely because of the strength of her armor.
"It's impossible," she mumbled, as she threw small balls of explosive light in an attempt to blind Enid, "It's impossible! Even with a lycanthrope's regeneration ability you couldn't heal that fast!"
Enid grinned, sharp fangs reflecting the light.
An Addams is an Addams.
"What can I say except that I am the Volvaugr?" the she-wolf replied, almost mockingly singing as she dodged another fireball.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THAT WORD MEANS!" cried The Bright One, with her last scrap of patience snapping, "I DON'T EVEN CARE TO KNOW!"
"Good grief," Enid retorted, stepping forward and punching The Bright One's belly. The armored fiend folded in on herself for a second, exhaling, before being thrown several feet backwards by the impact. The torso of her armor now showed a growing crack.
Do you know who you are, Volvaugr?
"You... you..." she whispered, almost spitting out the words.
"Me, me," Enid replied, walking towards her with slow but steady steps, "And here I thought you had left me stranded in a random corner of the multiverse to study me later."
"The only thing I shall study...," The Bright One began to say. The air around her began to vibrate, as if the atmosphere was heating up. Her arms became pillars of golden light emitting such heat that even her face became pearly with copious amounts of sweat,"...WILL BE YOUR ASHES!"
The Bright One raised her arms and an explosive wall of white flames materialized in seconds, advancing straight towards Enid. No sooner had she thrown it, the armored witch charged two balls of light in her hands again, preparing to hurl them at her opponent when Enid dodged the first attack.
Except, Enid didn't dodge the wall of white fire.
The lycanthrope surged in front of The Bright One, bursting through the white flames almost the same way a ghost would have burst through a wall, and barely showing any signs of burns. The fire seemed to caress her fur more than to want to burn it. Thus Enid appeared before her enemy, smiling from ear to ear in a face more human than lupine despite the fur that covered her, her eyes glowing golden in an almost euphoric expression.
You don't seem to have it all figured out yet.
"FYI, Volvaugr means Increasing Resistance to Magic among other things, bitch!" exclaimed Enid, and punched The Bright One squarely in the face. Again, and again, and again. A pair of broken teeth flew from the witch's mouth and blood splattered her armor and the ground at her feet.
"I'm the Guardian Wolf!" exclaimed Enid, "And you've decided to mess with the people I guard!"
One blow, two blows, one clawed swipe. The Bright One's left cheek was scarred as Enid's was. Four bleeding red lines now adorned it as the most visible testament to her broken invincibility.
I am the Guardian Wolf.
"And as you said," Enid continued, "It's time for this to end..."
Enid struck again, a direct hit to her enemy's temple. She didn't hold back the blow. Enid's fist surged through the air with the force needed to burst the internal organs of a full-grown elephant. A human skull would explode on impact.
But instead of The Brigh One's skull, Enid's fist met her armor-clad palm as her foe grabbed the she-wolf's limb at the last moment. The Bright One closed her hand over Enid's and squeezed.
There was a crack, the sound of breaking bones, and Enid could barely keep from letting out a small yelp of surprise and pain.
Before her, The Bright One had risen to her feet again. She had a pincer grip on Enid's fist. Her body had begun to shimmer with a white glow, faint at first but seeming to gain in intensity with every second, like a luminescent aura.
Enid ignored the pain and tried to strike again with her other hand, but the same thing happened again. The Bright One intercepted the blow, grabbing the she-wolf's clenched fist.
They began to grapple, Enid trying to break free of the grip, The Bright One trying to keep it as her armored hands began to shine with an almost blinding radiance. Black smoke and the smell of burning fur, flesh and fat emanated from Enid's hands and this time the she-wolf couldn't help a roar of pain as her hands were burned.
The Bright One's face was a bruised and bloodied grimace of hatred, adorned by a sadistic and grotesque smile. Her blue eyes glowed cold and dead inside.
"That thing you feel in your hands is approaching the temperature of a sun," The Bright One said, "This time I won't leave anything of you that can heal."
Enid didn't respond, lowering her head, writhing in pain.
"Did you think you were special, for going around repeating that little word? You're not special!" exclaimed The Bright One, "You're a freak, but at the end of the day you're just like so many others I've killed. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill your Wednesday, maybe after I let my vermin play with her. And then I'm going to incinerate alive all those bastards you brought with you!"
The hissing intensified, more smoke emerged from Enid's shattered hands, white and blue flames began to form on them and over The Bright One's closed ones. The werewolf was still crestfallen, she had stopped moving.
"Did you think you were going to get anything? Did you think this was going to be any different? Maybe because we are both Enid you thought you could win over me? You're just an Enid. I'm the only Enid that's special! You're nothing! Enid Sinclair! Enid Sinclair! Do you have any idea how many Enid Sinclairs I've killed with my bare hands?"
Silence reigned, for a moment.
And then, Enid moved again.
But it wasn't the movements of a victim writhing in pain. It was a tremor in her torso, a tremor in her shoulders. And the sound that came from her mouth was not a cry of pain or a plea for mercy, not a pitiful moan.
It was a clear, crystalline laugh.
Do you know who you are, Volvaugr?
Enid returned to her human form, throwing The Bright One off balance with the sudden difference in size. The armored fiend was still holding Enid’s hands, still emanating her hellish heat... but it no longer smelled like burning. The she-wolf's hands were healing faster than they were burning. No, it was more than that... it was as if she was absorbing the very magic used against her.
Enid lifted her head and fixed her gaze on The Bright One, and the witch in armor felt almost as if those bright blue eyes were striking her.
It was a sharp gaze, the gaze of a hunter. It was a look that was mad and insane, and dark and unhinged, but also intelligent, fun, kind, and passionate, macabre and luminous. It was the gaze of the wolf scampering through the forest. It was the look of the witch who dances naked in the town square to seduce a minister. It was the look of those who use knives as rattles for their babies. The look of those who venerate the beloved dead. It was the look of all the outcasts finding their place in the world. Being loved, being wanted, being themselves without owing any explanation to the world.
When I say you're already an Addams in all but name I mean it.
It was a kooky and spooky look. Altogether ooky.
"See?" said Enid, smiling with more fangs than her mouth should have in human form, "That's the problem. You don't even know my name..."
Enid in her human form was shorter in stature than The Bright One in her armor. But at that moment, in that place, of the two of them she was bigger.
And the day you take the last step and decide to take the Addams name…
"My name..."
Enid stretched out her arms with a strong pull, drawing The Bright One who was still holding her hands close to herself. Until their torsos were practically glued together, the bare chest of one over the shattered armor of the other.
"...is..."
Enid let her forehead touch The Bright One's. Their faces almost touching. The former's vivid blue eyes pinned over the latter's cold, empty ones.
"...Enid Addams."
And once such a statement was made, once her true nature was sealed, the first thing Enid Addams felt was Wednesday's saber thrusting into her back, invisible to The Bright One's eyes. The blade piercing her torso and emerging from her chest and then immediately penetrating The Bright One's armor and plunging into the armored fiend’s heart.
…Wednesday might stick you with a silver dagger and at most it would tickle you.
And Enid Addams smiled, in pure bliss.
NOTES
Please, don't hate me 😅
I had
to rewrite and rearrange some last minute parts and actually I'm still
not 100% satisfied with how the chapter turned out, which is a thorn in
my side because this was one of the most decisive moments, if not THE
most decisive moment of the whole story.
Anyway, you be the judges.
Also, don't worry about Enid. The Addamsification is finally complete.
PD: Ah, the list of dimensional variants is still in process. I don't know if I'll put it in the Notes of a future chapter or maybe as an appendix chapter at the end of everything when I finish the fic. I'm open to suggestions.
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