Say My Name and I'll Be There

Chapter 27

"Don't make me say it again," Scaramouch warned.  He conjured his catalyst once more, this time holding his palm out to you rather than charging at you.

"You want to fight?  I'll make sure it kills you."  Your eyes shone enough to further illuminate the entire room. Dotorre made one of the Fatui agents note the brightness of your eyes in a notebook.

You didn't wait for Scaramouche to make the first move, and instead lunged at him.  He evaded easily.  Then he sent another bolt of electricity your way.  You barely managed to duck in time, making sure to lower your weapon as close to the ground as possible to avoid shocking yourself again.  You put your weight onto your hands and flipped yourself over, then stabbed at him the second you were back on your feet.

He's no Childe, you realized with widening eyes.  I can beat him.

Childe leaned forward, his breathe hitching from the excitement.  He itched to join the scuffle while Xiao kept his eyes focused solely on you.  You performed his combo almost as flawlessly as Xiao did in past battles, this time being the one to pin the harbinger against the wall. 

"How far do you want me to go, Master?" Your taunting angered the harbinger until a wild look consumed his face.  "Is this far enough? Or do you want me to injure you?  Tell me, what do you want me to do?"  You hit the catalyst out of the air and it clattered to the ground several feet away. 

Xiao marveled at your sudden change in personality.  He had thought you were breaking, but maybe it was his own miscalculation?

"Since when did I give you permission to issue your own orders?"  He threw himself at you and conjured his weapon once more.  A fury of lightning strikes hit the air around you, but you were too quick in moving your polearm out of the way.  The air charged with electricity, but it didn't do anything to you.

Well, except ignite a metaphorical lightbulb above your head.  You sent a quick glance in Xiao's direction, but your attention was focused mainly on Childe.  I don't need a vision.  I can outsmart them.  You slowly drew Scaramouche towards you until he was in the middle of the room again, then you charged at Childe.

"Huh?"  It took a second for Childe to realize you were gunning for him and not Xiao.  An excited smile played across his lips, and he let go of Xiao's shoulder.  "I think I'll take this as an invitation."  He summoned his bow and aimed a charged shot at your head.  You ducked just in time, and it hit Scaramouche's catalyst.  It exploded in a fit of electrical bolts and shattered across the ground.  Childe cursed under his breath.

Scaramouche was beyond livid at this turn of events.  "You--!"  He turned his attention to Childe and was about to throw a punch.

"Now, Xiao!" You bolted for the exit as a precautionary measure.

"What?!  NOW?"  Xiao scrunched his brows together and glanced between the group of harbingers.  He immediately began to concentrate a force of anemo around his feet, and the power slowly came to its crest.

"Wonderful!"  Dottore cackled as he watched the two of you work together while Scaramouche and Childe were at each other's throats.  "These were exactly the results I was looking for!"

Almost there!  You nearly reached the set of doors when something pierced the back of your knee and sent you crashing to the ground.  "Ngh!"  Your fingers wrapped around Childe's arrow and yanked it out of your skin.

"--But unfortunately, this little performance is over," Dottore finished.  One of his previously sleeping machines awoke from its slumber and shot a dart that landed in your shoulder.  

"No!"  You looked behind you to find Xiao also being effected by the wounds.  "Xiao! Leave me! Go!"  A fierce kick to your jaw shut you up.

Xiao bit through the pain and was near breaking the seal when a few portraits flared through his head of a small, purple-haired girl.  Time seemed to slow down as he remembered her.  I can't... His gaze slowly floated over to you.  ...hurt you too...