Finn glanced around and assessed the situation, keeping a keen eye on the purple mist that weaved its way through the hole in the wall. It didn't take long for him to discern that it wasn't something he should be breathing in. And even if he did breathe in some, his physique would've given him a little more resistance.

You mentally sighed. Ugh, to be big and muscular.

A young man with pretty long blonde hair entered the scene. Not to overreact or anything, but you thought an angel had stepped in or something. Kein glanced around and when his eyes met yours, they lit up.

"(Y/n)! I came here as promised. Wait, why are you here?" He frowned. "Did I misunderstand the plan again?"

You didn't respond. Well, you couldn't unless you wanted to play the role of sleeping beauty for the next few hours.

"(Y/n)? Are you okay? Did something happen? Why aren't you––oh." Kein chuckled sheepishly and dismissed the mist. "My bad."

You gasped for sweet sweet air. The first thing you did after that was chuckle at Kein. "You're fine, you came according to plan. It's just that something came up." You pointed at Finn. "That's the something."

"Oh! That was not on the plan."

Despite Kein's sunshine smile and lighthearted demeanour, you could only imagine what kind of conflicting emotions were running through him. This was his first time seeing Finn in person ever since he became the forgotten seventh SF member. From what the game hinted at, the two were pretty close. Kein was literally the only one who genuinely laughed at Finn's terrible dad jokes bless him.

"You're..." Finn tilted his head. "That's strange, you seem very familiar."

"That's great!" Kein gave Finn a thumbs up. "Keep that in mind."

Hilariously enough, the tension was almost broken by how confused Finn looked by Kein's comment.

Cecil leaned over to you and whispered. "I understand what you mean by him being good-looking."

You whispered to him back. "Now's not the time, but I yes."

Your attention fell back onto Kein. Despite having his usual optimistic expression, you could tell he was uneasy and hesitant; he had a habit of playing with the ends of his hair when he was feeling that way. However, even without that visual clue, anyone can discern this was a tricky situation. His first reunion with Finn and it was in a situation where Finn was revealed to be an enemy, not an ally.

Kein wouldn't want to fight a friend, and you didn't want to make him.

"Uhm, I'm not entirely sure what's going on," Kein said, looking at you with a smile. "But just tell me what to do! I trust you."

My HEART.

"We'll continue the plan as usual," you replied, fighting back the urge to forfeit all your possessions to Kein. "I'll distract Finn as you and Cecil go. Don't worry, I won't hurt him."

Kein nodded happily. He was giving Amias a run for his money of being the puppy of Anomalous. "Of course! You're a good person, you won't hurt people for no reason."

Well, it's also because my physical strength is like a wet piece of paper compared to Finn.

"Ah, so that's my competition." Cecil chuckled, sharp eyes glinting with amusement at Kein's adorable puzzled expression at his comment. "Well, (Y/n). I'll see you soon. Maybe even take you out on a date?"

You shot him a thumbs up. "If you're paying."

"You drive a hard deal, dear––"

A surge of flames rushed towards you three.

Ah, man. Couldn't even finish flirting with Cecil.

With practised muscle memory (dodging was a big part of your training regime due to your lack of offensive skills), you swiftly evaded the fiery onslaught. The heat lingered in the air, acting as a warm reprieve from the typical cold Anomalous weather.

You, Cecil and Kein nodded at each other before sprinting in opposite directions. Whatever it took, you needed to buy the two enough time to execute the plan.

If you were going to be honest, you had no idea how this was going to go. Finn had you beat on every physical element there was. There was no hopes of even wearing him down, let alone beat him. However, you were familiar with his abilities and combat style (you've played his character pretty often during gameplays) and there were aspects of your abilities he was unaware of. That advantage was crucial.

Maybe. Contrary to popular belief, sometimes brute force does overpower knowledge.

"And they're off..." Finn mumbled. With how soft his expression was, he looked like a mother sighing at her kids rushing off to go play. "I'm assuming there's no way to ask you to move aside?"

"No. I spent too many brain cells on that plan for you to ruin it."

"Hm, that just makes me more determined to see what it is for myself," Finn replied. His demeanour was light-hearted. You could be tricked into believing this was a casual Tuesday conversation if you closed your eyes. "I guess this isn't too bad. I've always wanted to know more about you."

You weren't complaining, you were much better at talking than fighting.

"Same goes for me."

"I'll start this off, then. To clear up any misunderstandings, I don't hate you, (Y/n). In fact, I like you a lot. You're compassionate, you care for the speciality force––someone like that is needed," Finn said. "However, I don't know if you can protect the SF well enough in the future."

"I mean, it's not like I'm doing nothing. I've..."

I've done a good job so far, I've literally prevented two deaths.

Though Finn couldn't have known what you were about to say, his gentle expression must have acknowledged a similar sentiment.

"Things will become unpredictable in the future. We will see a rise of stronger apparitions and increased vengeful apparition activity––we need to be prepared for it. And there is a solution," Finn said. "Yes, it is not... ethical, but fairytale solutions don't exist, unfortunately."

A conflicted expression on your face, you quietly replied, "I just... I can't accept that."

"I know." Finn smiled. "It's okay, you're not doing anything wrong. You can leave the burden to me."

"That means looking the other way, I'm basically responsible as well. And leave the burden to you? Finn, why would I want you to go through this alone?"

Finn had a sad smile. "For what I did to get here, I deserve that."

There was so much about Finn you didn't know, especially his past. The things you knew were snippets of his childhood and things about him as a person. In the game, the player cold learn more about Finn by getting his friendship level up (which involved a bunch of volunteering work). His 'character arc' involved helping the SF team, especially Elias, grieve over Caleb's death during a moment on the battlefield where morale was low.

Was he doing all these kind acts to make up for something he did in the past?

"I don't understand everything about you and your motives, I have no idea what life outside the city walls is like," you said. "But I can't just sit back and accept such self-deprecating words."

Finn was quiet and his gaze drifted to the ground, eyes reminiscent. It was a look between a reluctance to revisit his past and having a subtle undertone of nostalgic attachment.

"... You grow desperate, I suppose."

Desperate, huh? You could only imagine. A place with no authority, no structure, and no systems in place. You were about to raise more questions, but Finn didn't seem to want to dwell on it. You changed the topic.

"Are you working directly for the chairman? Or do you have connections with Eve? You have access to this area and seem to know more about the technology design division's inventions than others."

Finn simply smiled and replied, "You can make your assumptions from there."

His tone had a note of finality. Oh, dear. You didn't want to fight yet (or at all for that matter).

"Finn, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

You needed a moment to ask the question, the words felt heavy on your tongue. "If a member from the SF were turned into a weapon, would you condone it?"

With how oppressive the silence was, you wondered if you should've just kept your mouth shut.

"... How much do you know?"

"Things here and there," you replied. "You're avoiding the question."

Finn sighed. "That won't happen." He then took note of your expression, "You look doubtful."

Well, that's what happened to Caleb.

"Are you sure you're also not doubtful?"

"..."

It was hard to guess Finn's thoughts. Though you didn't know much about Finn's past, you could try and make inferences by using your knowledge of the game, theories you've thought of in the past, as well as internet theories. Those fan animatics are about to be a lifesaver.

"Talking with you is dangerous. I feel like you can see right through me." Finn chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a hint of vulnerability. A bitter look replaced his usual friendly expression you've grown so used to. "Like you'll uncover my sins."

You didn't know how to respond to that.

"It's always been like that," Finn continued. "I know you mean well, but as someone who has a lot to hide, it's unnerving when someone has the means to uncover everything.

Oh. This was the first time someone felt uncomfortable with that part of you. Others in the past have acknowledged how that part of you was what made them feel comfortable, Caleb and Amias being the main ones.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you badly," Finn assured. "We've been trained to knock people out quickly in case of possessions, weren't we?"

Cecil's death came to mind again. Even after confirming his betrayal, you seriously couldn't envision Finn intentionally murdering him.

"Please go easy on me."

"I'm afraid I can't, I have some catching up to do."

"To Cecil and Kein?"

"Kein?" Finn furrowed his eyebrows. "There was only Cecil."

Oh, shoot. Righ, Kein's condition. Since the blond was out of Finn's sight, he was forgotten now.

The topic of Kein was switfly abandoned when Finn made his move, and my god he closed the distance WAY too fast. You dodged his attack out of pure fear and surprise. You might've died of embarrassment if you had let out a scream at that moment.

Now, look. Yeah, you could beat an average person in a fistfight and a good amount of AEI members as well (some would be VERY close ties). However, when it came to the speciality force, you ranked comfortably at the bottom. Yup, even Cecil was a few steps above you despite working in the operation design division prior.

Lyle trained you and Amias (you two suffered together), you received a few lessons from Caleb (a lot of it was messing around and him using it as an excuse to tackle and hug you), Jade would give you pointers whenever she could, and Finn would also spar with you here and there. Your body had only been conditioned to fight for a little under half a year. That up against someone like Finn who had years of experience and an impressive physique? The results were pretty clear.

At least I'm wearing decently long shorts underneath my dress.

With Finn constantly overpowering you and forcing you to move backwards, the fight transitioned from the room to the hallway. The space was dimly lit with flickering lights and there was a faint waft of disinfectant. With how pristine the hallways were, you wanted to apologise to the cleaners for the mess that was about to unfold.

You narrowly avoided a kick towards your midsection. Even just the wind from the action felt heavy. Finn wasn't going easy as a friend who was sparing with you, guiding your movements, and landing weak attacks––his actions were now precise and had purpose, a purpose to take you down.

You mumbled, "What would happen to the SF after this?"

To no one's surprise, Finn overpowered you easily, even when using Mochi's strength to enhance your movements. Bringing out the wolf wouldn't do much good, and the reason why you were still standing was because you were utilising the apparition children's abilities for close calls. You were honestly in awe experiencing first-hand just how skilled Finn was.

You raised an arm to block an attack.

"A little more to the left," Finn said. "You need to angle it right."

And he was giving you lessons???? My god, how much did you suck?

Bringing out Alastor was a risky choice. For one, constantly switching in and out of possession messed with your head. Second, you would prefer to be present against Finn because you had the knowledge and means to prompt certain conversations.

A powerful kick landed on your shin, causing you to falter. Finn utilised that opening and delivered a potent punch to your solar plexus, sharply stealing your breath away. It felt like someone had violently ripped it out of your lungs.

You gasped for air and staggered backwards. Holy fuck. That HURTS.

As your mind swirled in a disorienting haze, it became difficult to discern what happened next. It was as if only a heartbeat had passed. The next thing you knew, there was a painful strike to your neck, your body fell to the floor, and the world around you dipped into a hazy cloud.

"Sorry for this." Finn's voice was muffled. "I'll make sure the area is safe. For now, rest here."



===



A fighter isn't typically the first thing that would come to mind when you thought about (Y/n).

Having a plethora of knowledge at her disposal, being able to devise plans that encompassed those around her, thinking about the different elements and aspects of a situation to plan not only for the moment but for the future as well––those were her strengths.

Alastor would typically take on solo physical roles. So you assumed he'd do the same here, right? After all, (Y/n) was knocked out and it seemed like the only way to overcome this situation was to defeat Finn in a fight by overpowering him with strength.

Well, that wasn't the case this time around.

Finn sighed in relief. (Y/n) was unconscious and suffered minimal injuries from him. That was good. All that was left for him to do was to exorcise some lingering apparitions so they wouldn't possess (Y/n). Then he planned to move her body to a safe place.

Little did the young man know that (Y/n) wasn't completely unconscious. She was desperately latching onto that thin thin string of consciousness as if her life depended on it. It seemed futile, like trying to hold onto a sheet of glass with just one's nails.

These lingering apparitions that Finn sought to exorcise would play a crucial role.

Very early in (Y/n)'s transmigration there was an event that endangered her. Namely, when the silver apparition broke out of the lab. After going through a moment of introspection, she discovered that she could handle several possessions from apparitions whilst holding onto her consciousness. It helped her recover her physical health and granted her enhanced physical abilities.

The other major time she's done such a thing was during the first half of the SF trials when she faced Lyle. She's also used that same trick here and there during operations.

But what if this time, we took it a step further?

One of her fingers twitched. Just barely. Even Finn didn't notice.

The apparitions fought to assume command over (Y/n)'s mind, but her body had been conditioned at this point to overcome that mental battle with ease. Her body has been conditioned to use their strength for her own use. Selfish, right? Selfish for one's survival.

Just like an apparition.

"The apparitions..." Finn mumbled. "They're all coming towards her."

Finn would easily exorcise the apparitions, but the situation was tricky. To exorcise a possession out of someone required a different process than a normal exorcism; what was happening was something in between. Finn's minute of confusion on what to do granted that crucial window of time for (Y/n) to recover.

Before one finger twitched. Now, all five fingers shakily scraped against the floor. After, (Y/n)'s arms pushed her up from the ground and she steadily got on two feet.

Finn took a slow step back and called out, "(Y/n)?"

She didn't respond. (Y/n) was conscious, yet her eyes seemed fixated on something that blocked out Finn and everything else around her.

... I don't think she's possessed. Finn thought. Well, at least not conventionally possessed.

Finn was right, (Y/n) was not possessed. If she was, the apparition possessing her wouldn't care to repair her body or opt to achieve her goals. They would be puppeteering her to their liking.

There were a few setbacks to this ability. A bit of mental clarity here and there—nothing that would hinder her survival. But, perhaps one of the compromises was a little detrimental to (Y/n) as a person. This was an ability that would gradually chip away at a crucial part of (Y/n)'s character; her sympathetic nature.

But this wasn't too important as of right now.

Finn didn't have a clue about what was going on, but given (Y/n)'s history with surviving possessions with little repercussions, he could make inferences.

"(Y/n), are you okay––"

Finn evaded an oncoming attack, sidestepping as (Y/n) executed a powerful kick. The force of the strike missed its target by a little and crushed a nearby wall instead, causing it to crumble. The collision reverberated through the air, and (Y/n) appeared unfazed by the show of strength. She shook off some dust on her legs before fixating her eyes back on Finn.

Prior to Finn knocking her unconscious, (Y/n)'s eyes seemed to be able to follow his movements. Somehow, she seemed accustomed to how Finn fought. However, her body was unable to keep up with her mind. Now that she had the physical capabilities, you could say she climbed her way up the ladder in terms of fighting prowess.

A shame, really. Had (Y/n) used this ability more often and honed it even further, she could be a force to be reckoned with. Well, I suppose we should be thankful she didn't. Focusing entirely on strength and sacrificing sympathy in the process... Who knows what could've happened? And, to be fair, she had other priorities than to become a fighting machine.

Amidst the intensity of the battle, a vice-like grip abruptly seized Finn's arm. Immediately, (Y/n)'s fingers applied an immense amount of pressure around it, crushing his arm in her grasp. Though it hurt, Finn displayed no physical reaction as he quickly pushed her off with a kick to the stomach. There was a bruise on Finn's arm, but no broken bones.

The current situation was dire. If this intensity persisted, one of them would come out severely injured.

Regarding technique and combat experience, Finn was superior. Yet, he still found himself struggling. More blows were exchanged, each one powerful and heavy. (Y/n)'s gaze remained unwavering, it was a gaze that saw right through Finn like glass––a gaze that could see everything, that knew so much about this world that he could not even begin to comprehend.

How terrifying, was what Finn thought.

After a struggle, Finn managed to grab a hold of (Y/n) and made a move to slam her against the ground. Before her body made contact with the floor, (Y/n) planted her palms firmly against it and propelled herself upward, executing a backflip that created distance between the two.

Immediately, Finn commanded a surge of flames to surround (Y/n). He didn't intend to burn her, just to trap her. The flames engulfed her, but it didn't take long for Finn to realise it wasn't effective. With a quick hand motion, the flames parted for her. (Y/n) had essentially commanded the apparitions to counter the flames for her.

A determined gaze and steady breathing, each footstep of hers carried a sense of confidence that echoed throughout the hallway. The space was her stage and everything around her were tools and puppets under her command. Though things were not in his favour, Finn couldn't help but watch it all unfold with awe.

Truly, (Y/n) was an anomaly.

"If Eve finds out about this..." Finn mumbled. "They won't let you go."

Now... What was going on through (Y/n)'s mind? After all, she hadn't spoken a word.

Well, despite everything going on, (Y/n) was still––well, you. Fighting for control over your body to this extent was no easy task, and you feel a bit of yourself slipping away. However, you kept going. You weren't sure what urged you to keep going. The adrenaline? The fact that you found a means to stand your ground on the battlefield? Either way, your goal to distract Finn and not let him reach Cecil and Kein was clear in your mind. Even... if it meant hurting him severely.

That was the thought that terrified you. You found no pleasure in this power. Sure, it was great to be powerful, but you didn't feel like you.

That was a small peak into (Y/n)'s current headspace.

The fight relentlessly persisted, and many thoughts ran through Finn's mind. Things weren't going anywhere, it became more of a test of stamina if anything. Which would be fine for Finn on regular occasions, but time was critical for him here.

With a decisive snap of his fingers, Finn manifested a thin spear made of flames. He was getting more serious.

"Just for a little," he mumbled.

Unaware of the new weapon, that extra second (Y/n) needed to register it caused the blade to slice her cheek––it narrowly dodged her right eye. After the initial surprise, (Y/n) instinctively seized the weapon, unaffected by the blade cutting into her skin.

A moment of panic hit Finn seeing the blade dig deeper into her hands and he forcibly wrested the blade from her grasp. It left a bloody mark on (Y/n) palm, but it didn't take long for it to heal. Though, as time progressed, the rate that (Y/n) was healing her cuts became slower. She was being worn down. All Finn needed to do now was to find an opening to knock her unconscious.

The hallway once cold and empty was now infested with flames. Warmth swirled in the air as (Y/n) panted heavily, determination keeping her on her feet.

"(Y/n), let's stop here. You've accomplished your goal, it's going to be hard for me to catch up to Cecil now," Finn reasoned.

It was a lie, but he wanted to see if (Y/n) would react. Finn observed her closely for any subtle changes in facial expression.

"..."

Bending down slightly, (Y/n) pushed her heel against the ground, propelling herself towards Finn with a burst of speed. Without a doubt some bones were either broken or damaged by pushing her body to its limits, but it got her to close the distance in the blink of an eye.

Finn struggled to follow (Y/n) movements, so his body reacted on instinct instead. Everything happened fast––way too fast.

Something pierced the blade. More notably, someone.

Shakily, Finn lowered his gaze. Warm blood coated his hands and (Y/n)'s cold body slumped over his shoulders. Clarity returned to her eyes as blood fell from her lips. However, despite her perilous state, a small and relieved smile was on her face. With trembling hands, (Y/n) pushed herself off Finn and she collided against the wall before sliding down and leaving a trail of crimson.

Her eyes remained dull and her breathing dwindled to minimum.





A/n: Just slap a bandage on 👍

I experimented with a different narrative style in the 2nd half of this chapter. Since Yn was technically not entirely herself, I thought it'd be cool if I removed the usual second person perspective. I write to create distance between the reader and yn to really hammer in that effect. Not sure if it was too jarring. feel free to lmk your thoughts!

Anywaysssss, yn kicking ass for once! Well, up until the end. Very fun scene to imagine. Chapter 9 and 10 yn making a comeback. Is this foreshadowing for something? idk maybe