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Enemy, Familiar Friend

Chapter 2: Now I Will Stand and Watch You Crawl

Summary:

The battle against Miranda.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ethan wasn’t sure what he thought of this plan, but it was the best they had. Several members of the Hound Wolf Alpha squad would rescue Mia while he was distracted. The soldats would take on the lycans alongside the air support. This was all sensible. What he didn’t like was the other part of the plan and was glad that Chris had his own doubts. They would allow Miranda to progress through the ceremony until Rose was reformed into infant form and then Heisenberg would distract her giving enough time for Ethan to grab her. Depending on what support they’d need, Ethan and Chris would run Rose over to the chopper or Chris would do it himself. Chris openly hated this idea, but his body could take more damage than anyone else’s, and Chris could easily pass Rose off to Mia or even the pilot.

Still, just because he trusted Heisenberg’s motivations did not mean he trusted him with his daughter. The sniper barrell beside him gave him some context.

“Mother Miranda!” Heisenberg strode to the Giant’s Chalice with obnoxious flourish. “I promised, and I delivered!”

She almost looked half-impressed. “Well done. Is Ethan Winters dead?”

“Of course. I work with corpses, I know how to make one.” He handed all four flasks over with an exaggerated gesture.

“Do you have proof that the father is dead? He’s proven himself to be…roach-like.” Ethan felt nervous. The others had vetoed the idea of him cutting another finger off, but it seems it would have been helpful.

“Well, figured the kid wouldn’t like that much.” He cocked his head at the flasks.

“My Eva will not be perturbed. It isn’t her father.” Miranda stared at Heisenberg, daring him to explain herself.

“No, of course! But I was thinking of last time. Figured she’d cause more problems while she’s Rose.” Even from Ethan and Chris’ spot, you could tell that bothered her signficantly. There was an innocent little grin that oozed with mockery, but hidden behind false respect.

Ethan’s heart stopped for a beat as she pulled out the ornate dagger. Wasn’t that the one he killed Lady Dimetrescu with?

“Hold out your hand.” The knife was still bloody with a hint of crystallization. He looked wary for a moment and she forced his hand out. “If you had protected your siblings, then I wouldn’t need as much blood from you.” She sliced one of his veins and held it out over the four open vials. She wiped the knife on the vial and sliced hers open as well. Mold spread all around the Giant’s Chalice and congealed to form Rose.

“Watch the vessel.” As Miranda walked towards the Metamycte, Heisenberg winked at the bush where they and grabbed the ceremonial blade. For half a second, Chris revealed the barrel of the gun, warning what would happen if he even tried to touch Rose. Barely reacting, he held the knife in his hand.

[Signal]. Heisenberg signed.

“Now, now, come to Mama, Eva.” She held the strange fetal creature in her arms, seemingly overcome with a hesitant joy. They barely had time to blink as Heisenberg waited until she was in front of him and jammed the ceremonial blade into her neck, ripping it out the side.

“Now!” Heisenberg screamed and bullets began to fly. Chris aimed at Mother Miranda while Ethan ran from the other side and grabbed Rose. She cooed slightly and later, his heart would melt at just how quickly she felt safe.
Mold tendrils began to connect her head to her neck with a sickening crackle. “Just run Ethan!” Chris ordered as he loaded his gun once more.

Metal started to lift from the ground. Ethan’s ring flew off his finger and Chris nearly lost his second gun. Following his ring’s trajectory he tightened his grip around Rose as the Lord was replaced by a fleshy mechanical abomination.

“Alpha!” The comms buzzed among a screaming concotion of metal, wolf and firearms.

Ethan jumped into the tank and with Rose in his bad hand, he slammed the gas with his foot and sped off, as his hand held the steering. Before he left, he turned the gun towards the battlefield and fired missiles into the mold with rapid succession.

“Thanks, Papa!” The metalic entity laughed. Ooh he hated that nickname, but there was no time to address it now. Ethan continued towards the helicopter, holding Rose tight and firing missiles into Miranda’s defense system.

“It’s okay Rosemary, daddy’s got you.”

-

Miranda seethed as the mold influenced her form, starting to look as disgusting as she did on the inside. “You insolent fool! I made you! I gave you purpose!”

“The only thing you get credit for was giving me a new purpose! Killing you!” Karl felt so alive. Those missiles on the horizon were beautiful, especially in the way they cut into the mold. Her power, his prison. God it was fucking poetic.

Stabbing her with Eva in her arms had bought necessary time. Miranda loved her child just enough to rush her back into the safety of the Metamycte. If she controlled his fucking ‘gift’, he could at least get a few shots into her. The mold tried to envelope him, but with his bladed hands, he severed it and watched as it crystallized. Ethan had really done some damage to the mold, hadn’t he? Manic glee filled him. Her eyes furrowed as they watched the crystallization of the ancilliary piece.

“What’s it like to feel weak, Mother? Because I’m loving feeling strong!” He cackled as he went to hack another piece away from her. Unfortunately, the same trick wouldn’t work twice. The arm severed and he hissed, determined not to let her hear him scream ever again. Despite the electrical shock, he summoned the portion of his arm again and split her open with the whirring saw blade. The mold stitched her back up. Before either of them could react a missle landed on her head. Mold sprayed everywhere, but crawled back to the host. He tried to split her body apart but the mold had different plans as it crawled, seperating the skin from the metal.

Oh no.

The cadou pulled against his spine and he screamed. Fuck fuck fuck! Metal whipped into a frenzy as he tried to reign it. Trying to keep the terror from his voice he yelled out a warning. “You’re going to want to retreat, Boulder-Punching Asshole!” It was almost impressive how much strain he kept from his voice.

Karl heard something about keeping aerial strikes but was relieved to see the unexpected ally take cover. With freedom of movement, he crashed his body into Miranda, letting the metal she tried to control sear her mutated flesh. He was able to get the intended effect as their mutations abandoned them and their decievingly human forms crashed into the snow. Karl tried to wrap his hands around her neck, but the cadou forced him to fly to the other side of the Giant’s Chalice. His face slammed into the chalice and he was dragged to back to Miranda’s side of the chalice, allowing the pathetic, childlike fear to return.

“That’s right.” She hissed before slamming him into the ground. “I should have known. Selfish child, Alcina always told me you never grew. I turned you from a peasant into a Lord! A deity!”

“You took everything from me and made me your fucking pawn!”

“You were a homeless waif! You had nothing! You were just some whore’s child that she left with her decrepit father! I gave you my kindness!”

“You took me because I was only the Heisenberg you could reach! None of my family would have fallen for your tricks! You had to kidnap a child because we were better than you!” He spat in her face.

“Oh really?” She sneered. “Name her then. Name this noble mother of your so called esteemed bloodline. Name the only other mother you had, other than the one who raised you, cared for your injuries and elevated you to an honour you did not deserve.” The cadou brings him closer and the mold grabs his neck.

“Tell me, darling son, what other mother wanted you? What father? You don’t even know his last name.”

The mold ties his arms back and she sneers, taking off his glasses.

“Your whore mother didn’t die. She had other men, and other babies. Babies that she loved. You were a stray dog. This village is your home, and we were your only family, and you squandered this one too.” She purred, stripping a rebellious tear from his face.

“You’re not my mother.”

”Then tell me who you’re real mother is? All I need is her name.” The mold loosened around his vocal cords, tauntingly. “Again, don’t be shy.” The mold slithered around him as she waited in sick bemusement for his answer. Something that they both knew he couldn’t fucking answer.

“And once again, he cannot answer!” She laughed. “Face it Karl, I’m the only mother who wanted you. Clothed you, gave you power. But I can take it all away.” There was a manic laugh and Karl screamed. Metal swirled around and a bulbous protusion was visible from his spine.

A bullet shredded her ear and as she gripped her ear, Karl dropped to the ground like a stone, and the cadou slithered back into place.

“That’s enough.” Ethan Winters was back. Wait, why was he back? “Sit down.” Miranda - Miranda of all people was forced to the ground. Ethan barely reacted to the mold that forced her to obey his command.

“That confirms what I thought.” There’s a dangerous look in Ethan’s eyes, and for a moment, no one knows who’s talking. “Did it ever occur to you that the reason you failed to reanimate your daughter was because she didn’t want you? If it was about suitability, wouldn’t Eva be in my daughter now? If it was about loyalty, Moreau would have been Eva. If it was technique, it would have been Karl. I don’t think Eva actually wants you. In Louisiana, I was psychologically tortured by a brand new child, Eveline who was created for you. Tell me - I was told you rejected her but is that true?”

The silence is broken by Karl’s laughter. “And behold! The bitch can’t answer!” He stalks up to her. “I can’t blame Eva for not wanting to go back to you, you sick fuck. You said we were the same age when you took me. Well guess what, the reason you asked me that fucking question over the years is because I was even remotely interested in having mine and I didn’t even know who the fuck it was!” Karl’s laughter grew. “Your daughter decided being dead was better than being with you! Bet you the happiest day of her life was when that flu took her away from you!”

The mold writhed. Ethan tried to prevent it from being used by Miranda. “Look! Even she’s laughing at you!” He pointed to the mold. “If you had half the strength you claimed, I’d be dead right now, but she hates you so much she’d rather just see you killed off!” The unthinkable happened. Miranda sobbed. Maybe there was some truth to what Ethan had said after all. Oh, this. This was beautiful. A stray cigar was in the snow and as he stalked towards her, Ethan offered a light.

“Thank you, Papa.” He winked and snorted at the disgusted look Ethan gave.

He went down to Miranda and kneeled on her stomach. Metal daggers flew from his pockets and stabbed her arms.

“You’re a reject. A failure. Pathetic. Tried to make yourself a god, but the only person who you cared about didn’t even want you.” A tear rolled down her cheek and with a bemused grin, he rubbed out the cigar on the droplet.

“I always hated being your favourite, but honestly, that makes this shit so much more satisfying you fucking bitch.” He backed up slightly and with the dramatic flair that Ethan saw right before he was stabbed, Karl snapped his fingers.

Metal rained from the sky towards her face. Torrents of torrents of metal flew and Ethan wondered if there would even be a village left standing. The metal wielder sat and laughed maniacally as viscera splashed on his face, turning into crystallized dust and shards.

“Ethan! We’re going to lose the helicopter!” The walkie-talkie from Chris buzzed.

“Heisenberg! Just grab metal from the right!” Karl obliged and a significant amount of scrap rained down from them.

“Thanks.” The walkie-talkie’s owner sighed in relief. A baby’s giggle could be heard over the speaker.

Ethan spoke into the walkie-talkie. “Any sign of the BSAA?”

“Not yet but that metal rainbow is going to draw attention. Potentially international.”

“And a bomb wouldn’t?!”

“Shut the fuck up Rock-Boy and let me have my fun!” Her viscera splashed all around him and soon, he felt her body began to crystallize. Wanting to enjoy the moment he stopped the metal. Ethan quickly pointed his gun at Miranda.

She gasped and choked on stale blood, and her one remaining eye stared him down. “I win, bitch.” Taking his gloves off, he pressed down onto her neck until the gurgles ended, and her form crystallized.

“We’re ready to set off the explosives.”

“Are there anymore lycans?”

“Maybe a couple, but you took the tank back. That should be enough.”

Karl looked up to see Ethan staring at him. His gun was holstered but he looked deep in thought.

“If you even think about pulling out that gun I swear-”

“Where are you going to go?” There was something strange in Ethan’s eyes. A type of pity that he did not appreciate at all.

He stood up from Miranda’s corpse, or he tried to. With a hiss his body almost dropped to the ground, until two arms caught him. “They’re planning to blow the village up. We need to be on that chopper.”

“What, you want me to come with you?”

“You technically did just help me save Rose. Least I can do is offer you a way out.”

Fuck it. He was tired, and he was sure his lab could withstand the blast. He felt for the dog tag and sighed quietly.

“Lead the way, Papa.” He flashed a flirty grin at Ethan, who rolled his eyes and hoisted him a bit harshly into the tank.

“Chris, don’t argue, Heisenberg’s coming.” Before he could get a response, Ethan turned the walkie talkie off and gently pressed the gas. Karl settled for looking outside the window, and quietly thought that the village looked so much more beautiful now that Miranda was gone.

Notes:

I'll explain why Ethan went back for Karl in the next chapter. I just figured this should be hobo magneto's time to shine.

For those confused about Karl's backstory (which I will cover a little but not a lot), is that his mother wasn't ready to have a child but as it was the 1930s there weren't a lot of options. Her father (a WWI veteran who owned the dog tag) agreed to take the kid once born, and raised him until a certain someone found out there was only one Heisenberg child (as the family had resisted her influence or were unsuitable hosts).

Also, you guys should check out the band RED. Their lyrics are providing the story title and chapter names after all.