KS52

She scrabbled for Roman's gun when he dropped it, but the click of a heel warned her to roll away a second before Neo brought her rapier down. They were both here. Shit. They must have been watching them from the start, and they'd taken John out when she sent him ahead to scout the corridors, replacing him with Roman under an illusion.

Of all the times for Roman to try and turn on them, it had to be now.

"Damn brat!" Roman growled, grappling with John. "I should have killed you weeks ago!"

John didn't waste time with words. He managed to get on his knees and slam a fist down into Roman's face. Roman reached out and gripped a wrench off a shelf and slammed it into the side of John's head in recompense. He fell back with an agonised cry.

Still, it was a chance. There was a chance for her to get out of this alive. But only if they worked together.

"John, keep him busy. I'll deal with Neo!" Emerald snapped, already moving for Neo, by far the greater threat. If she could just get the girl trapped in her Semblance – preferably before Neo trapped her in her own – then the fight would be over.

First one to get caught died. Not odds she liked.

They traded quick kicks and punches. Neo was a whirlwind, and flexible in a way no person should be, but every moment she spent dodging and flipping was concentration not spent on weaving an illusion to trap her. Emerald penned her in against a wall and tried to wrap her Semblance around her, only to feel it drift off like oil on water.

It was the only warning she got – but it was enough to have her break off and hurl herself aside. Right as the blade slammed in from behind her, an almost certainly fatal blow.

Neo had her in an illusion before the fight even started.