Daytonville
Zoe was at the store while she allowed Mari and Cat some alone time. She wasn’t expecting to meet Mari like that, but she was just happy it wasn’t during more… um… inappropriate times, ahem. She was gathering some things she felt Cat might need after their fight with her former caretaker and mentor. Some more ice packs, some bandages, some pain meds… wait… if she’s a Goddess that mean her wounds heal faster? She stood there thinking as she cradled all the items within her arms her eyes looking at everything. “Maybe I should get her some more shrimp.” She murmured under her breath as she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.
Turning around she saw- “Cat?” Zoe’s voice was littered with confusion that turned to concern. “Is everything ok? Is Mari here? You’re walking on your own!” She began to burst out rambling, until Cat firmly placed a hand upon her shoulder to ease her flight of thoughts. The moment contact was made, Zoe felt something… different… and… uneasy. No… this was just her mind racing again. She took a deep breath through her nose to try and calm the feeling as she looked back up at Cat.
“No it’s just me. Mari is back home. I needed to come down and talk to you.” Her brow arched as her eyes then settled on the items in her girlfriends arms. “What are those for?”
“Well I mean I thought maybe you would need them cause you know… you got hurt and-” Her rambling was stopped by the kiss on her forehead that Cat planted. She paused again, collecting her thoughts. “Look, Cat.” She set the items down and gently grasped her loves hands into her own. But… they felt… so hot? Cat’s hands never felt hot. “I know this wasn’t the way you wanted me to meet Mari. But just know that I am so so so happy that I met her and I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.” Her heart began racing and it wasn’t with love for her girlfriend. But… panic. Oh no… not here. It was the same heart racing panic when she fought Ziccarra. When she was deceived. Nonononono, not now.
“I know.” Cat smiled… though… it looked different? Zoe couldn’t pinpoint it but there was something off. Ugh no… nothing was off. Stop it Zoe! “Come on, let’s get something to eat to go and we’ll go back and the three of us can all talk ok?”
“Yeah, sure, you don’t uh, want to take any of that?” She motioned to the items she was about to buy for her.
“No, I’m fine now. Goddess powers do wonders for battle wounds.”
“Oh yeah totally ok cool.” Zoe cleared her throat as the couple walked out of the store. Zoe tried to put her feelings to the back of her mind but the more she tried, the more everything was bothering her. She looked at the ground as they walked. “Hey Cat, I’m really sorry. But uh, I’m feeling a bit uneasy and I don't know wh-” As she looked up to Cat it wasn’t Cat who was holding her hand anymore, but Zeon! “YYYY ZEON!?” Zoe yelled as she tried to pull her hand away. But for the first time in her life, she felt the pain of being burned by fires that were stronger than her own, hellfire.
“Sorry little fire bird, but since I can’t get a hold of the younger Liafador’s at this moment, you’ll have to do.” With that they vanished in a swirl of Hellfire.
Cardinal Hell
Zeon walked along the brimstone flooring as she opened the door to the prison cell to see a captured Zoe. Her arms were chained to the wall above her head as she was kneeling on the ground, her blonde hair draped over her face as labored breathing could be heard. Blood was slowly drizzling from between her lips and to the brimstone floors, sizzling as they made impact. The Hell Cardinal’s had just finished with her. Blood stained the flooring around her and the iconic suit she once had on was gone. Instead rags hung from her body.
“Let me go!” Zoe's angry eyes became golden brought her head up as she stood up, taking a hostile step forward towards Zeon only to have the demonic chains hold her back just an inch from Zeon’s face. “I'm going to funken kill you and if not me, Catalina will!” A ball of spit slammed in the Demoness face.
Zeon’s face twisted in a malice grin as she wiped the spit with one hand and threw a single punch into Zoe’s abdomen with the other, causing her to lose her breath, dropping to her knees as her arms stretched behind her, still connected to the wall. Zeon chuckled. “She probably thinks you ran away again. Abandon her without a word, again and right when she was going to need you the most. She’s too busy either way to notice that you’re even missing. Talking with whatever is left of that family, trying to compose a plan to kill me since I killed the Matriarch. They're so predictable.”
Zoe knew Zeon was probably right. There was no reason Catalina would think that Zeon kidnapped Zoe of all people. But wait… “You… you killed your sister?” Zoe was probably one of the few who actually knew some of the details of the Liafador family, not because she was dating Catalina, but because of her SEVERAL run-ins with them, including being kidnapped by Zeon.
There was a pause in Zeon as her eyes shifted away from Zoe. “I did the world a favor killing another Liafador. That’s one less person who will destroy lives.”
“But you’re destroying your own family!”
“THEY ARE NOT MY FAMILY!” Zeon roared as she pulled out her blade, pressing it against Zoe’s neck as she grit her teeth with anger. “They made their choice long before I made mine. I will spill more blood in the name of Ramon until that bloodline runs dry." She retract her blade, putting it away.
“If you think Catalina is going to surrender herself to get me back, you’re kidding yourself.”
“No, that’s not what I want.” Zeon dropped to one knee as she grasped Zoe from the back of the neck,, holding up so her blue eyes met her onyx black. “I want Catalina to be hurt… no… I want her to suffer emotionally. She has always had troubles with her emotions and since she's gotten soft with you and Marisol, it is there that I will find her weakness. The moment she sees you standing by MY side fighting against her she will feel the same betrayal that I felt when the ENTIRE FAMILY TURNED AGAINST ME!” Zoe could feel Zeon's hand burn with anger. It was now beginning to burn Zoe’s skin to the point of the stink of burning flesh being smelled. The hero grit her teeth in pain as she closed her eyes, trying to hold back the screams of pain.“Then she’ll realize that all of your pain and suffering started the moment you came in contact with that disgusting family. That it comes from her. That your inner turmoil that you’ve been battling for months is because of her selfish love for you and she will be too unstable to call upon her Goddess because she’s not going to want to kill her little ‘Nova Bear’ when all your suffering came from THAT FAMILY, FROM HER!”
Even through the pain, Zoe laughed. “If you think… I’m going to fight for YOU, then you’re more crazy than I thought. I love Catalina and I would never betray her. I won’t be your little pawn in bringing down the one person I love!”
“Ugh” Zeon rolled her eyes at the sickening display of affection. “Your love for her is disgusting. And if you thought you were going to have a choice in the matter, then you’re even more of an idiot than I thought.” Zeon hissed as she placed a hand on the sides of Zoe’s head, holding it in place as Zeon’s lips stretched across her face. “Because you are not dead or a follower of the Liafador faith can’t force you to follow my orders so long as you're mentally sound. But… I can torment you until you are mentally weak enough for me to manipulate your mind.” With that, an electric shock surged from the fingers of Zeon and caused Zoe’s head to tilt back as she screamed in pain.
“UGGGGGH!!” Zoe screamed as she tried to pull away from Zeon’s grasp. Her heart went in flight mode, racing and pounding in her chest as she used all her strength to try and rip her chains out of the wall only to fail over and over again. “CAT!” Zoe called out in desperation through her teeth, tears beginning to fall from her eyes as she tried to pull her head away from the Demoness. “STOP!”
“OBEY ME!” Zeon roared as the light from the electric attack lit up the room.
“NO!” Zoe’s body became rigid as she couldn’t even move at this point from her muscles locking up from the high voltage striking through her body.
Zeon stopped, still holding onto Zoe’s head with her hands as the self proclaimed Fire Goddess went limp. A crackling laugh could be heard echoing in the cell. “Soon I'll be able to experience first hand why my cousin enjoyed your company so much.” She forcefully pressed her lips against Zoe’s as she could taste her metallic blood, savoring the taste of her pain. She let her grasp go, allowing Zoe to collapse on the ground.
Zoe’s muscles twitch from the shock as she laid on the ground, unable to get herself up. But tears began trickle down from her face. Not again… not again… not again… “Funk you b!tch.” She choked out. She had to be strong. She couldn’t give up. She had to be strong, for Cat.
Zeon couldn’t help but snicker at the girl. “In the name of Ramon. Let none survive." She spoke the last words of the Hell Cardinal Oath. “I’ll see you soon, ‘Nova Bear’” she mocked the nickname Cat gave Zoe as she closed the door behind her.
Daytonville/@Catalina's Penthouse
In a swirl of Hellfire Zeon stood in the home of Catalina. She knew the vessel of The Prized Fighter was away and so was her daughter. This made everything that much easier to do. She walked through the home, taking everything into view. This was an upgrade from the last time she invaded her home. She held a crimson and blue fabric in her hands as she walked her way to the bedroom.
The entire home stunk of shrimp but mostly in the bedroom. What the hell kind of pigsty was this? Her prior shack of a home was more clean than this. Walking over to the bed she laid the fabric she was holding onto upon it with a snickering smirk on her face. It was none other than Feral Nova's symbol from her suit. Torn off by Zeon herself. It was a message to Catalina that she had her. As quickly as she appeared in the home, she vanished in the same display of hellfire, leaving a scorch mark on the flooring.
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