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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 15, 2020 14:04:23 GMT -5
Blinking as she processed the order that Kujo had given, Alice tilted her head with curiosity. She understood part of it, but the other details seemed unnecessary. Why would Kujo want to know the path Jack would be taking?
“Umm… Sure, I guess…”
Taking no time, Alice brought the layout yet again for Kujo to examine, as well as the map of the area they were going to explore. Turning back properly, willing to retell the mission at hand, the Navigator looked determined —although perhaps a sense of accomplishment lingered behind her determined look.
“The path Jack will take is this one” Alice began, pointing on the map, “Right here —the nearest exit from the sewers is here. Once outside, you’ll split —Jake, M’Lyn and you acting as decoy from this side” she pointed at a position on the map, “While Jack goes in from behind. It’s a straight way to where the computers are located —he shouldn’t have much trouble getting the information quickly. Once he gets it, he’s to regroup with you guys outside —and with that, you come back here to HQ.”
The explanation dealt with, Alice looked at Kujo, still curious to know what he was planning —reading him like that was easy. He never asked for so much detail unless he had something in mind. Some sort of plan…
The question she had in mind was whether he’d share it or not.
“Say… Is there something troubling you?” she asked, calmly, “I might be wrong, but… Whenever you ask this much detail… You usually have something in mind… I-Is it okay if I ask what that is?”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 15, 2020 14:12:57 GMT -5
After obliging, Alice seemed to sense something, not that Kujo would be open to its discussion yet. ”Don’t worry about it. It’s just rare we get this much preparation.” Shrugging the girl’s worries away, the stoic man straightened and waved a hand dismissively. ”Get some rest. We’ve got an early morning.” Not wanting to linger, less Alice’s intuition proved to be more vigorous than he’d prefer, Kujo turned to head out. Pausing at the door, the man didn’t want to just brush her off, though. ”Good job, today.” Glancing over his shoulder as he delivered the ‘praise’, any other who wasn’t more familiar with the man most likely would have doubted its sincerity—what with the gruff tone and serious expression. But at the end of the day, Alice was Kujo and everyone else’s Navigator—it was a job that required certain attention to detail, one that the girl proved to be more than capable of time and time again. With her guiding their steps, the mission was sure to run smoothly (at least in regards to matters within their control, of course).
Exiting the Navigation Room, Kujo sighed a bit, a frown on his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets and began to make his way back to the room. Whatever. There wasn’t much else he could do, at this rate. Resigning himself to ‘resting’ up before the mission, the tall and stoic man loomed his way back to the room he shared with Jack, the mechanism on the door recognizing him thanks to earlier.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 15, 2020 14:52:49 GMT -5
“Hmmm…”
As childish as always, Alice puffed her cheeks as her curiosity wasn’t satisfied, instead intrigued further. Yet pushing Kujo to answer wouldn’t end in a nice way, so she decided against it as she watched him leave. ”Good job, today.” The praise as well as the concern was appreciated —something that caused Alice to smile faintly, despite her childish pout earlier.
“…Same to you —rest well” she replied back.
Waving back as the man left, Alice decided to remain there for a few things before finally calling it. Once she had all of the details finalized, the girl stood up and headed to her room.
On her way there, Alice was shocked to see Jack, of all people, walking the opposite way from the dorms to… Wherever he wanted to go. Concerned, the girl ran to catch up to him, something the older brother didn’t take into account. Stopping in his tracks as Alice met up to him, Jack tilted his head, curious.
“Somethin’ up, sis?” he asked. “W-Well, yeah… Where are you going?” “…I was gonna head to the Lab and mess around with a few things. I can’t cope with sleep at all.” “Hmm…” Alice puffed her cheeks, bitter, “You should rest, though… You’ll be leaving early in the morning for this —you can’t be tired for it.” “I know, but… I don’t feel tired at all” the teen admitted, shrugging, “’Sides, I don’t wanna bother Kujo if I’ll end up messin’ around with tech, so it’s better if I do that elsewhere.” “…Kujo’s in your room?” Alice asked, tilting her head as she received a reply, “…I guess that’s good to know.” “Where were you going, sis?” “Back to my room —I need to be giving 120% tomorrow, right?! So I have to sleep. And you should, too!” “Hehe… Don’t you know? I’m always givin’ my all! And really, I'm good without a little nap.” “…” the girl looked uneasy as her brother smiled, “You sure?” “…” Jack nodded, patting Alice in the head gently, “Sure as sure can be. I’ll be fine, Alice.” “If you say so… Please try to rest a little, though.” “Don’t worry —I will make sure of that.”
Alice gave her brother a quick hug, a bit more at ease with her brother’s words in her head, soothing. Jack replied back, just as quickly, and before long the siblings each took their own way. The teen watched her sister head back to the dorms, a faint smile written on his face as he did so, before sighing a bit and continuing his way to the Lab, although Alice’s request lingered in his head.
“…Maybe I oughtta try…”
Insecure of even his own mind, Jack didn’t know if sleeping would make him any favors, instead choosing to distract himself with something external to him. It wasn’t restricted to the fact that they were back home —the teen always had issues sleeping.
Be it due to his duty as night watch during their life at the slums, or the nightmares that continued to haunt him —he couldn’t cope with the sleep his body needed unless extremely exhausted. With his mind made up, the teen continued his way, opening his way to the Lab and remaining there working on whatever piqued his interest, late into the night hours. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep without notice, resting his head over his crossed arms above the working table…
“Hey, Jack —wake up already.”
The teen groaned as someone jostled him around by shaking him by the shoulders, opening his eyes slowly. Unable to recall where he was or what he was up to at first, Jack was a bit lost —although it didn’t take long for him to notice where he was and what he’d been up to. Still somewhat sleepy, he glanced over to where the hand laid on his shoulders, finding Lid at the end of it with a rather sour expression.
“…Mornin’” the teen greeted. “Morning, my ass! Did you fall asleep again?!” Lid berated, bitter, “How many times do I need to tell you?! The Lab’s not for taking naps!” “…Hehe… Force o’ habit…” “…Haa…” Lid backed off, frowning, “Don’t you got a mission to get to?” “…Yeah —I’m headin’ there now. Thanks to the wake-up call, though —you’re really the best alarm one could ask for.” “You insufferable little—!”
Now fully awake, Jack flinched as Lid brought the hammer into view, threatening to hit him upside the head. With the weapon ready for aim, the teen was quick to bolt, although he managed to muster a laugh as he ran off from the Lab towards the nearest exit back into the sewers —where he’d agreed to meet with Jake.
It was time to get it over with.
“Kujo, I know you’re there —we gotta get going.”
Alice’s voice would echo through the room’s door alongside incessant and persistent knocking, as the Navigator was quite urged to get things done with as fast as possible —a sentiment that was most likely shared in the group. M’Lyn was already heading to where Jack and Jake would be waiting for the two remaining party members, and Alice was trying to make sure they didn’t lose another second.
“You gotta go meet with Jake and the rest by the exit we used, when we first got here” the Navigator informed, “From there, I’ll be guiding you all to where it is you need to go.”
Once she informed the man of the immediate step, the Navigator would head back to Navigations, enabling the coms with the rest of the group as they readied to leave.
It was about time they got moving.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 15, 2020 15:01:00 GMT -5
Kujo had already risen by the time he heard the knocking at his door. He had noted Jack’s absence in the room, wondering where the teen had gone off to for the night. Doesn’t he know we have a job to do? Walking up to the sliding door, Kujo used the mechanism to open it, revealing a determined and ready Alice. The sight was enough to ease some of the irritation he had woken up with, as he gave the girl a gruff nod in greeting. ”You gotta go meet with Jake and the rest by the exit we used, when we first got here.” Listening as Alice informed him of their schedule, he exited the room, giving her a faint smirk as she left to go prepare. ”Yeah.” Watching the pace of her steps, he was always impressed when the girl turned on her ‘business mode’. Many would probably be surprised at the skill of their young Navigator—but by no means were her lack of years showcased in her skill and finesse while on the job.
Finally. Let’s get this over with. His fists clenched in his pockets as he set out for the Exit, his thoughts dark and of revenge as he thought of the specter behind the scenes. It ends today. He’d arrive at the Exit easily enough, having memorized the path. Once everyone was together, the mission would start—he was more than ready.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 15, 2020 16:38:06 GMT -5
Kujo would arrive at the same time as Jack to where they had to go —M’Lyn and Jake already waiting for them in order to depart. The man leading the mission had his hand-cannon strapped at his back for a better mobility, although it was still relatively heavy —yet it didn’t seem to bother him, as it was his weapon of choice for all sorts of problems.
“We’re all here, then” he said, nodding with a stoic and ready gaze, “Let’s get going then.”
Turning towards the exit, Jake led the way, a visor similar to Jack’s own, with Alice behind their every move while showing the way. The man had picked up a pace, with the others following suit —the hurry behind his movement obvious, since Jake wanted to get over with the mission quickly, in order to gain progress in the world’s situation.
Keeping up with Jake, Jack also had his visor up and running, his gaze focused on what was in front of him. His usual cocky demeanor had disappeared, instead cold and distant. He knew what was at risk in this mission —if he was successful, they had a shot at ending the war, and bringing things back to how they once were, before the madness occurred.
No matter the cost, he was getting things done the right way.
Their dash through the sewers would prove quick, and before long they were outside in the open city. Being the time before dawn, the sky was relatively dark, and the atmosphere somewhat chilly. In the nearby area, there were no streetlamps, and seemingly none for miles, either disconnected or destroyed. Yet that didn’t stop armed soldiers to patrol, with similar technology to the one the team was using.
Ushering the team into hiding behind a building, Jake looked up front —the soldiers hadn’t noticed them yet, by the looks of things, as they hadn’t shouted or rung the alarm. He then looked at Jack, who was more than eager to get started and do his part —all while Alice continued to monitor the group.
“Up front there’s 3 —it’s up ahead that they’re gathered more” Alice informed, calmly, “It’d be best for you to split here.” “Roger” Jake replied in a whisper, looking at Jack, “You heard her, right?” “Yeah” the teen nodded, smirking, “I’ll make it quick —you guys get me an opening.”
With that, the teen bolted away, keeping himself in the shadows’ embrace as he avoided the scrutinous look of soldiers, while Jake would usher M’Lyn and Kujo to follow him a bit further away. He had a plan that would require the two’s utmost coordination, but with the help of Alice and their communication devices, it would be easy enough.
“How quickly can you get rid of people? Knocking them out” Jake asked, “I can lure them with a shot or attack them from a distance.” “If it’s knocking them out the stealthier way, it should be easy enough” M’Lyn acknowledged, “But what exactly is you approach here?” “…Cause 'em some trouble. I'm not holding anything back now.”
The tone behind Jake’s voice was hoarse, seemingly full of bloodlust. The man wasn’t unfamiliar with the bloody business of war, but the hatred behind his words as he turned to see on the soldiers patrolling the streets was obvious. M’Lyn had noticed it, but said nothing about it, knowing now was not the time.
“…I’ll go on ahead” the man said, readying his weapons, “Get as close as you need to knock people out, or outright getting rid of them. They’ll be focusing on me first, and then you —Jack’s gonna be the last of their worries.” “…Fine” M’Lyn closed her eyes, huffing —yet her grabbing a bow and arrow would be proof that she was going to follow, “I take it we’re not taking hostages?” “Do as you please, ma’am.”
Jake went on ahead, leaving Kujo and M’Lyn behind. The Miqo’te readied herself by putting her back against the wall, the arrow in the bow ready to be shot to whoever dared approach. After a few minutes, a loud BOOM! would be heard at a distance, followed by the shouting of soldiers as they ran to where the noise came from.
“We’re under attack! Go check where it was —now!” one of them ordered. “…Shall we wait, or do we add to the chaos?” M’Lyn asked, “So long as we remain in hiding, it’ll be easy to take them from afar, don’t you agree?”
Waiting on Kujo’s input, the Miqo’te had an unusual smirk as she looked his way, the arrow tense and waiting to be aimed and shot. It seemed even she had a bone to pick with the opposite side of where her alliances fell —and was more than eager to get it going.
Needless to say, causing havoc and chaos meant that every trick in the book was up in the table. After all… All is fair in war.
Jack waited behind a brought-down wall, looking at a glance as he saw soldiers near the entrance he was going to take. Before long, a loud BOOM! echoed faintly, causing the soldiers to perk up and run to check what had happened —much for the teen’s relief. Drawing a smirk with confidence, Jack bolted from his hiding place and jumping into the air vent that would lead him inside.
“Jake’s already in position —they’re all going to where he is” Alice informed her brother, “Head straight from where you are —you’ll see a gate after a little. It’s the first one you need to take. Once you’re on the hall, it’s left, straight, then right.” “Couldn’t do it without you, sis” the teen thanked in a whisper. He followed his sister’s intructions perfectly, with perfect stealth and uncanny speed. Once at the hall, having dropped down from the airduct, Jack was made a blur of movement as he followed the directions his visor was showing, rushing as much as possible to take as little time as he could syphoning the information from the enemy.
So far, things were going accordingly.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 15, 2020 17:28:56 GMT -5
Having met up with everyone, it was time for their mission to start. Everyone seemed prepared, though Kujo kept his eyes on Jack from the back as they walked. Is he composed…or detached? It was hard to tell, though the man had already resigned himself to trusting the teen with their part of the mission. Making their way through the sewers, Kujo’s mind was stuck on the antagonist he was after—skeptical if they would show themselves, but also wary of letting his guard down. He wouldn’t get his hopes up, either, though. Emerging into the dark of early dawn, a welcoming lack of streetlights keeping the area dim, not that Kujo had any issue seeing. ”Up front there’s 3—“ Alice’s voice cut through the comm device the man wore as they all hid behind a building for shelter from the soldiers eyes. ”I’ll make it quick—you guys get me an opening.” Watching as the teen darted off, Kujo’s muscles tensed in anticipation as his emerald eyes blazed with determination and focus. ”How quickly can you get rid of people? Knocking them out,” Kujo grimaced a bit—speed wasn’t the issue, but M’Lyn’s comment of ‘stealth’ was something not lost on him. It was hard for Kujo to use his powers stealthily in the dark—as almost all of his powers had some sort of ‘Light’ emitting from either him or his guardian.
Damn Light… He thought of his earlier conversation with Elena, irritated with the source of his power in moments like this. ”Cause ‘em some trouble. I’m not holding anything back now.” Thankfully, it seemed Jake was leaving the stealth to Jack. ”I’ll go on ahead. Get as close as you need to knock people out, or outright get rid of them.” Shrugging, Kujo’s scowl remained. He’d have to strike fast and wide, if he was going to blow his cover with his powers. Can’t I catch a break? Whatever. It didn’t matter if his cover was blown or not, so long as Jack’s wasn’t. Jake darted out from behind the building, disappearing from view as he went to prepare his shot. While M’Lyn readied her bow, Kujo peered out from behind the building while keeping close to the wall, his eyes a vast galaxy, mimicking his Akogare’s as he took in the 3 soldier’s positions Alice had warned them of. At least it isn’t more damned Heartless… Though he was sure they’d show up, eventually. BOOM! The sudden shot clapped like thunder, the shout of soldiers echoing immediately. ”Shall we wait, or do we add to the chaos?” M’Lyn’s comment caused Kujo to look back over his shoulder her way, listening at her suggestion of picking the enemy off from afar.
”That sort of thing suits you better. I’m going in.” Knowing and trusting the Miqo’te’s skill and precision, the man hardly worried about having his back covered. If she lurked behind, picking off the stragglers that were too far out of his range, they’d be wiping out most of the enemy unit in no time. Rushing out from their hiding spot from behind a building, the man’s body shimmered with a light aura as his galaxy eyes took in the opponents in front of him. Shiiiiing! A blur of lavender and light darted across the soon-to-be battlefield as Kujo narrowed in on the nearest soldier. CRACK! Within the blink of an eye the stoic man had closed the gap, their elbow swinging with an insane speed and power as he would elbow the first soldier in the chest, hoping to crack ribs and launch them across the space into the furthest soldier. If they were normal humans, he hoped that alone would be enough to render them unconscious and trip up the other one. Kujo knew the powers of his Akogare, an all out punch from the guardian to a normal human would most likely bring about grim consequences. Tch—such a pain. He had had to hold back on the elbow, even with the effect it would bring upon connection. It wasn’t the first time his own morals had caused grief and annoyance on his own part. The main reason the man had left the violent life he had been leading was because of the power he now wielded.
Not like they’ll care. Kujo wasn’t naive, he knew these soldiers would be aiming to kill. Of course, self defense was necessary—though the man would limit the amount of ghosts he’d have to clean off his shoes at the end of the day. After exposing his position, the man’s aura grew brighter as its full power released, his once emerald eyes still replaced with a vast galaxy as the ground beneath him cracked beneath the strength. ”Let’s get this over with.” Grabbing onto a large piece of rubble discarded on the ground, he broke it in two semi-large pieces in each hand, hurling both as though they weighed nothing towards the exposed soldiers. A clean hit from that would surely knock someone out, or at least pin them long enough to knock out afterwards. That being said, if M'Lyn or Jake acted, the man wouldn't judge their decisions, regardless of the outcome. For them, this was war, after all. For Kujo, it was just a sour and grim reminder of a past he'd rather discard completely.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 16, 2020 4:43:47 GMT -5
“Right —then I shall cover you.”
M’Lyn nodded as Kujo went on ahead, remaining at a distance as the man rushed to the nearby enemies. Her ears twitched slightly, wary of the noise nearby in order to aim her shots as swiftly as she could, less she was shot in the act.
Unlike Kujo, M’Lyn didn’t have much when it came to becoming bullet-proof.
The man’s charge forward would catch the first soldier off-guard, unable to ready his weapon as he was hit straight in the chest and thrown flying back at the one behind him —both knocked out and sprawled on the dark streets, their weapons now useless.
A group ran into the image, but with the rubble Kujo had thrown their way, their path was blocked —some even taking a dangerous hit and rendered vulnerable and unable to act. With the ones up front now taken care of, the ones behind had time to ready their weapons and aim at Kujo.
“Freeze!”
Whoosh! The echo of an arrow passed through, the aim perfect as it hit its target —the first soldier’s arm. Hissing in pain, the soldier dropped the weapon, glaring to where the arrow had come from. Yet the darkness of the streets around him didn’t allow him to notice M’Lyn, who swiftly moved from her current position towards the next one, another arrow ready to be aimed.
The rest of the group were considerably in awe, yet aware enough to ready their weapons and aim. As yet another arrow from M’Lyn’s end hit the mark, the rest aimed at Kujo, yet with how crowded they were due to the previous tossing of rubble, they couldn’t exactly get a clear shot.
Enough of a distraction for Kujo to knock them out with a single hit.
Off somewhere —far from anyone’s sight…
Sitting by a meeting table, calmly observing a layout printed in paper, was a person. Short, dirty blonde hair, and black military clothing. Silently observing, they seemed almost bored —but with the lights turned off in the room, and with no natural light to help, one wouldn’t be able to tell.
A faint movement caught their attention, turning around only to meet the yellow round eyes of a Shadow Heartless. Instead of fearfully shouting, wanting to get out, they smirked, pleased. Standing up to meet the Shadow as it remained still, wriggling every now and then, they crouched down with a wicked smirk.
“…So, he’s around?” they asked, “…And 3 other people —one of which is that guy with that interesting power…”
They chuckled faintly, bringing a clutched hand to their lips as the smirk remained. They stood up, looking at the door leading out of the room, with an idea in mind, before glancing over towards the small Shadow Heartless.
“Leave the boy to me —I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother us this time. So… Go and bother those outsiders.”
Lurking behind a corner, Jack glanced to where there was a group of soldiers guarding a cross. He was so close to where he had to go, but if he ran past, he was bound to be caught. Patiently waiting, he saw the soldiers suddenly moving out —the opposite way— ordered by a superior to go check what was happening outside.
It seemed that whatever distraction the others were doing seemed to work fine.
Once the room was empty, the teen was able to run past and into a small room keeping a single computer. The monitor was easily ten times the normal size for the small computer it was displaying, but Jack didn’t focus on it. Instead, he went straight towards it, grabbing a small stick from his fenny pack to immediately plug into the computer, before starting his reckoning.
“I’m in” Jack shared, whispering in his com, “I’m just starting to check —I’ll keep you guys posted.” “Focus on the information we need, kid —wherever this ‘core’ is at and anything else.” Jake replied. “I’ll make sure of that” Alice informed.
Jack’s eyes narrowed, as his hands tapped away trying to crack into the security systems of the device. With the bug in the stick now implanted in the computer, it would be easy to hack into the information the enemy database had, but he had to be careful when it came to leaving tracks.
With the Navigator’s aid, though, the teen had little room to messing up —whatever he didn’t catch at first, Alice surely would.
While Kujo and M’Lyn would thin out the soldiers going to their encounter, a familiar woosh would change the tide of battle, the following darkness one familiar for the two outsiders of Milennia. Regular Shadows and Soldiers, alongside a few Tireblades, Gold Beats and Vermillion Sambas, all of them eagerly targeting the two members of the team —while ignoring the soldiers, by the looks of things.
However, the soldiers themselves were unsure of what was happening.
“What the—!?” Jake’s voice echoed through the coms, both shocked while bitter. “Heartless on your end, as well?” M’Lyn asked. “Yeah —damn pests showing up now, though… I can handle on my end! You guys keep luring them out!” “…Those soldiers don’t look aware…” Alice mumbled, “…Do they even know the Heartless are on their side…?” a bit of silence came after, before the girl spoke yet again, “Whatever the case, you’re all doing okay! Keep the Heartless busy!”
[Battle! 7 Shadows, 4 Soldiers, 3 Tireblades, 2 Gold Beats, 2 Vermillion Sambas]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 16, 2020 13:24:52 GMT -5
Kujo’s aura had continued to burst forth, his galaxy eyes taking in the new enemies as M’Lyn provided cover. Sure enough, the Miqo’te’s precision and skill were nothing to scoff at, easily disabling soldier’s from the fight within the blink of an eye without betraying her position. Seeing the remaining soldiers attempt to recover themselves, aiming their guns his way, Kujo’s grimace turned into an open scowl. Tch—annoying. Despite the lethality of the weapons, the man seemed calm as his visage blurred, disappearing within the blink of an eye as the bullets sprayed empty air. A streak of lavender greeted the small group of militants, Kujo emerging with a burst of light in the middle of their unit. ”Useless.” His aura burst forth with power, the light blinding as it would explode and burst out as the man swept a powerful kick across them—his body reinforced with the power of his guardian. Hoping to have crumpled at least a good section with the attack, the man would pick up a nearby Soldier, swinging them as though a weapon into the others in order to topple the rest.
”Just stay down.” His voice was a gruff grumble as he scowled down at the assorted armed militants. Whoosh! Immediately, a new yet familiar presence caused the man to jolt in awareness, his galaxy eyes glowering as they landed on the appearing Heartless. What few Soldiers remained seemed surprised by the demon’s appearance, while Jake’s voice crackled over the comm, signaling that they’d emerged on his end, too. So, they’re finally making a move? A dark smirk appeared on his face, his aura radiating with his bloodlust at the thought of finally getting a lead on his main target. "Those Soldiers don’t look aware…Do they even know the Heartless are on their side?” If the figure who was behind the Heartless was a part of the military, Kujo wasn’t surprised to hear that they’d keep their powers on the low. Regardless, they had to keep the Soldiers busy. If they’re ignoring them… If the Heartless were listening to orders to not harm the militants and only target them—that meant the man didn’t have to worry about the Heartless stealing the hearts of others. Even if the soldiers were their current enemy—it wasn’t a fate Kujo would wish on even his worst enemy.
”Pests.” Rushing forward, Kujo was once more a blur of light as he rushed the Heartless, unleashing his Wakeru ability as the aura around him burst with strength. His goal was to pummel the smaller ones into dust, while blowing back the larger ones into the Soldiers—hopefully keeping them out of the fight. In a sense, he was going for two birds with one stone.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 16, 2020 14:02:33 GMT -5
Still distant from the battle, secluded by the shadows, M’Lyn scowled. With so many enemies now focusing on them to try and halt them, fighting at a distance wouldn’t cover as many numbers —even with magic. Changing her bow and arrow for a shield and a sword, the Miqo’te dropped down from her hiding place, knocking away soldiers by pushing or hitting them with either the shield, or the sword’s pummel, before squaring off against a few Soldiers that approached her. Defeating them with ease, M’Lyn readied herself some more, her sword at the ready and the shield at her side firm to block whatever attack came close.
All while the soldiers staggered by Kujo’s assault, unable to draw their fire any longer, and simply confused by the strange creatures that rose from the darkness.
“Jake, do be careful —the Heartless aren’t paying the soldiers any attention” M’Lyn informed, swinging her sword with grace as the Tireblades charged towards her and Kujo, “You might fight a two-front battle.” “I got that already” Jake replied, calm through the coms, “Leave my side to me, and focus on your end of things —I’m not as fragile as you think I am.” “Well, the cast you had when we met spoke otherwise.”
Through the coms, Jake managed to bark a laugh, before it being cut short as he focused on the battle he was waging. All the while, Kujo and M’Lyn would be on a similar battle, although he soldiers on their end were far weaker than the ones Jake had to face —as most if not all of them had been incapacitated by Kujo and his power.
The Shadows crawled through the ground, their aim clear to attack from a flank, while the remaining Soldiers and Tireblades charged from the front. At a distance, the Gold Beats zapped through with electricity, charging mighty thunderbolts alongside the fireballs of the Vermillion Sambas —the latter immediately throwing their charge as the fireballs illuminated the streets for a few seconds, aimed straight at the pair.
Blam! Pushing herself up front, M’Lyn reflected the fireballs with the help of her shield, her gaze firm. Wasting no time, the Miqo’te headed forward to the nearest Shadow that sneaked their way past, a strong horizontal slash taking care of it.
Kujo’s Wakeru would help in his objective —pushing both Tireblades and Soldiers back from their reckless charge, some disappearing completely while others being tossed back quite a fair distance. The remaining Shadows had managed to sneak past, now flanking the man from behind and readying their sharp claws for the taking.
They didn’t hesitate whatsoever as they charged, knowing their objective all to well. All tailored to someone’s plan.
“Come on…”
Focused on the screen in front of him, Jack had a bitter glare in his eyes. Even though he knew his job at the time wasn’t to fight, he was itching for it. He’d overheard the conversation of the rest, knowing that the Heartless had showed up and were openly ignoring the soldiers fighting M’Lyn, Kujo and Jake. Yet the less time he took gathering the information, the better.
That way, they could just leave and investigate the enemy’s plans.
“How much longer do you need?” Alice asked. “Well, there is a lot that concerns us… Not just their plans of attack, but they’ve got good hands on Heartless intel…” Jack smirked, “Someone’s been doin’ their research, for sure.” “Is the core’s location there?” “Haven’t seen it, but I won’t put it aside them —it’s probably inscribed somewhere…”
Receiving a hum of approval from his sister, the teen was even more eager to get the job done. The bug implanted had been doing steady work —syphoning the information greedily, after Jack’s inputs on the computer itself. Selecting what info to take and what info to leave behind, both siblings were quick on their work —wanting to waste no time at all to go help the rest.
“I’m half-way through —shouldn’t take a minute” Jack informed the rest, “We’ve got a lot of work after this one, for sure." “I hope that statement adds up later” M’Lyn threatened. “Oh, trust me —it freakin’ will" the teen replied, obvious pride behind his tone.
Sitting back on the chair in the dark room, the person hummed in thought —feeling something off. They didn’t want to stop their enemy just then, wanting to break their hope as their feeling of victory arose. The sadistic thought pleased them, giggling obnoxious as a thick black mist gathered around them.
“I wonder… Polar, or the other guy, first…” they thought aloud “Ma’am—”
The figure glared as the door was open, a soldier rushing in before stopping dead in their tracks, flinching at the sight of the mist with countless yellow eyes. Raising her hand to stop the Shadows from rushing towards the newly arrived heart, they stood up.
“What, exactly, do you want?” “W-Well…” the soldier faltered, quick to regain position as they stood upright, “We’re under attack —it’d be best for you to leave the area before—” “I’m not concerned —I already knew that.” “…” “Don’t bother about it —I’ll take care of the more… Imminent threat soon enough.”
On the already familiar battleground, more Heartless would arrive to greet the pair already fighting them — a couple more Tireblades, and Soldiers. Brrrrrrt! From afar, shots of pure darkness would be aimed straight towards M’Lyn and Kujo, as a few Pole Cannons etched at the walls of the building would appear.
Whoever was behind their movements definitely didn’t want the Brigade to inch closer —although one member was already inside, unbeknownst to them, gathering intel against their favor.
[Battle! 6 Shadows, 5 Soldiers, 4 Tireblades, 2 Gold Beats, 2 Vermillion Sambas, 4 Pole Cannons]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 16, 2020 22:28:20 GMT -5
SKooooom! Despite having prepared himself for the oncoming attack, M’Lyn swooped in, repelling the fireballs that came their way. Smirking a bit as the Miqo’te flashed their sword and slashed out at more Heartless, Kujo’s aura brightened as the enemies charged. Whoosh! More beings of the dark emerged, launching attacks as soon as they appeared—clearly under specific orders from the shrouded figure in the forefront of Kujo’s mind. Tch—so annoying. They were always getting in their way, weren’t they? Eager to deliver his revenge, he took the Heartless as a good sign. It meant they were here—distracted by the battle at hand. That’s right… Though he planned on rushing to Jack’s aid the moment their target emerged (if they emerged), Kujo knew better than to ease up here. They still needed to make a lot of noise and maintain focus. Brrrrrrrt! Darkness launched across the dawn, arcing through the sky and aimed directly for the pair as it sizzled and broiled. His galaxy eyes were quick to pinpoint the new Cannon-type Heartless, scowling in annoyance as he decided to target them first.
Blllliiiiing! Rushing forward in a blur of light, Kujo would pummel the nearest Tireblade, though his aim wasn’t to kill it. Once he created an opening, the man would heave the large robotic Heartless through the air towards the walls that housed the cannon Heartless. His aim was to demolish all of them, as his form brightened and he crossed his arms over his chest, the light glowing brighter as he prepared his DokiDoki ability. Shiiiiing! Countless projectiles of light, shaped like hearts, cascading where the Tireblade would land, smashing into the Pole Cannons and exploding on impact with bursts of light energy. Hopefully, the combination was both bright, explosive and powerful—not only destroying some of the more annoying Heartless, but keeping the enemies focus as well. "Can't I catch a break?" Sighing, the man readied himself, hoping that it was enough while also making sure to keep his ears focused for any sign on Jack's end of either completing the information gathering, or sightings of Kujo's main target.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 17, 2020 3:37:01 GMT -5
Unable to move from their stationary position, the Pole Cannons were decimated by the powerful attack, as well as the Tireblade that had been uses as ammunition. In a puff of smoke, the Heartless on Kujo’s end disappeared, defeated —yet it wouldn’t be enough to end the battle altogether.
The remaining Heartless relentlessly continued their assault, pushing forward while trying to divert the pair. Now somewhat agitated, both Gold Beats and Vermillion Sambas all charged swiftly, engulfed with either lightning or fire, trying to make use of the opening. Focused more onto the Soldiers and Tireblades, M’Lyn wasn’t really able to move swiftly, instead swinging her blade fiercely trying to make space in the battle.
By a glance, from the left, Kujo would most likely be able to see a squad moving their way —all of them with their guns at the ready, most likely following orders from someone. In a sense, despite the Heartless being an issue, they didn’t exactly communicate with anyone, instead attacking selfishly.
That lack of communication meant that the Brigade was fighting a two-front war.
“They’re closing in on you —you might want to move” Alice informed, “I know you’re more than able to fight through, but at this rate, you’ll be surrounded.” “I’m also in the same position…” Jack informed, his tone bitter, “…I’m regrouping —this isn’t a fight we can take too long in. Not me, at least —I’m dead meat if I’m caught.” “…” M’Lyn growled, wearing a scowl, “This is bad…”
Praying for things to be over soon, Jack gritted his teeth. He was trying to work as fast as he could, but even that had its limits. Alice had been trying to support as much as she could, but hastening the process would be difficult.
Still, it proved to be a good thing anyways —as that meant that there was plenty of information to get.
“C’mon… How much more…?” the teen asked, skimming through the many lines of text in search for information. “There is a lot… While it’s a good thing in the long run, it’s not optimal now…” “…”
The teen gritted his teeth, starting to rush the process. He desperately wanted to go help, and get his teammates out of the fight —despite knowing they were far more capable than himself when it came to battles. Still, something in his nature just wanted to help out.
At the very least he was able to fight, unlike before.
His eyes suddenly lit up, excitement written on his face. As the bug in the computer indicated a successful steal, Jack grinned. Alice, on her end, also was excited, knowing exactly what had happened.
“Done!”
Jack’s voice would echo through the comms, eager —bringing M’Lyn and Jake to a halt, but quick to return their focus to battle. The fact that Jack had been successful in gathering intel didn’t change much of the battle, although it meant they could safely retreat. Whether Kujo would take that option was still up for debate —he had a target in mind after all. But if they were simply commanding the Heartless from afar, from another location… Then searching for them would prove fruitless.
“Okay, that’s it —we’re regrouping!” Jake ordered, “Kid, you’ll meet us back at the sewers!” “Roger!” “We ought to retreat as well —we’ve already done with what we were after” M’Lyn said, glancing back at Kujo, “Honestly, as much as I know how eager you are to fight… Remaining here with our cover so blown would be disastrous.”
[Battle! 6 Shadows, 4 Soldiers, 2 Tireblades, 2 Gold Beats, 2 Vermillion Sambas]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 17, 2020 13:55:06 GMT -5
Having destroyed the most annoying enemies first, Kujo sighed in mild relief. He hated projectile enemies. Sure, he could close the distance quick enough—but he preferred up-close and personal enemies. It just saved him time. Whoosh! As the Gold Beats and Vermilion Samba’s charged, the man rushed forward with blinding speed. Though the two Heartless were coated in elemental magic, they themselves were rather weak and frail. ”Tch—annoying.” Leaping between them Kujo’s aura around his form burst with power, his balled fists colliding with two of the charing Heartless, slamming both into the ground. Skkkz…. Despite the protection of the aura around his form, attacking enemies coated in magic still caused some damage to the man, though it seemed to be very minor—his hands smoldering for a moment and nothing more. Though their attacks were working, it looked like the Heartless weren’t the groups only concern as more armed soldiers emerged at the ready—their guns immediately aimed for him and M’Lyn.
”They’re closing in on you—you might want to move.” Alice’s comment caused the man to scowl, his galaxy eyes falling on the group of militants who were closing in. ”At this rate, you’ll be surrounded.” Well, thankfully that meant that indeed, the forces were focused entirely on them and not Jack. ”This is bad…” As the Soldiers (y’know, the peeps with guns, not the Heartless lmao) closed in, Jack’s voice crackled over the comm. ”Done!” It seemed the teen had completed his task—though the fact he had done so undisturbed brought nothing but suspicion to Kujo. ”We out to retreat as well—“ M’Lyn glanced his way, knowing their situation was only worsening on their end. With an annoyed grimace, Kujo scowled and glared at the Heartless and armed militants for a moment. Tch—they didn't show? In the past, they had taken every opportunity to mess with Jack and the rest of them that they could. Even if they had to be sneakier and less open about their position due to their placement on this world…it felt like things were going too easy.
”Get going. I’ll make sure Jack gets back to the sewers.” The gruff comment at M’Lyn was followed by a sudden rush at the nearest enemy—a Tireblade Heartless. Grappling the larger armored demon and lifting it over his head, Kujo hurled the Heartless with all his might directly at the squadron of guards. Within the same motion, the moment his hands were free, the man rushed towards two nearby Soldier Heartless, working to grab them and lift them up as though shields for the bullets that were sure to income him. ”Don’t worry, they won’t follow me.” They couldn’t really—not if they were normal humans. It was M’Lyn who had to make sure to escape unseen, and for that, Kujo would make sure to give her an opening. With his aura radiant around him, the man would be blur of motion across the battlefield, lifting Heartless and using them to defend himself from incoming bullets, to then throw them at the armed militants and repeat the process. Once M’Lyn slipped out, the man would finally make his move.
Even if his main target hadn’t shown up—he didn’t trust them not to. Something about their personality left the man wary to leave Jack on his own to make it back to the sewers. Can’t I catch a break? Of course, he wanted nothing more than to find that individual and crush them, but he wouldn’t jeopardize the mission over it by launching his own investigation. His plan had been to go if they had exposed themselves, but since they hadn’t, the stoic man was set on meeting up with Jack—convinced that the way back wouldn’t be so easy.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 17, 2020 14:41:23 GMT -5
M’Lyn frowned, but knew there was no convincing. That alone turned her frown into a smirk, nodding as she headed to regroup with Jake, dismissing her weapons for better mobility as she made past the Heartless swarm —not without some parting words.
“I’ll regroup with Jake then —don’t take long” she tossed the quip as she dashed away.
The Tireblade in his clutches, Kujo’s following attack would help in splitting the squad and scatter. While some did stagger, the ones able to maintain a firm grip opened fire. Yet with Kujo’s mobility, added to the mysterious powers of his Akogare, the most damage the bullets would do was scrape the man, cutting faint scratches as they grazed him.
His intuition wouldn’t be wrong —leaving Jack with an unknown yet powerful enemy would be the worse play. But even then, he couldn’t expect what was coming…
The Heartless quickly got their eyes onto Kujo as he blurred past them, having their orders issued and not allowed failure. More Heartless jumped in for the attack —more Shadows, Tireblades, and even new Pole Cannons etched onto the walls of nearby buildings, all aimed towards Kujo as he tried to regroup with Jack.
They wouldn’t make it easy, that was for sure.
[Battle! 8 Shadows, 2 Soldiers, 5 Tireblades, 5 Pole Cannons]
Dashing as fast as he could, Jack focused his all in getting out back where he’d come from —the battle outside allowing him a much needed room for stealth. So far, no one had noticed him inside —no soldiers or politicians. It meant that his infiltration had been spotless, and would allow them a guaranteed surprise attack that was bound to turn the tides of battle.
With the help of his visor, Jack had been aware of the surroundings, just in case he had to slide and hide due to a passing soldier. Making his way to the storage, the teen was close enough to the exit before regrouping with the rest.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Snap! The crackle of a whip suddenly cut across Jack’s path, forcing him to roll away and avoid massive damage. Bewildered, the teen looked around, trying to spot where the attack had come from —as well as the face behind the voice that had spoken. Through the comms, Alice was startled, since nothing had reacted to a presence in the storage.
How had they gotten there so quick?! The Navigator would’ve noticed abnormal movement through the comms —but why had she not?
Finally thinking to look up, Jack flinched. Holding a dark whip, engulfed with dark flames and mist, was a girl his age, with short, dirty blonde hair and mainly black military clothing —a leather jacket over a brown blouse with a short black necktie tied around, a dark-brown miniskirt with black shorts underneath, a fenny pack strapped to the right leg, and black leather boots.
A more than familiar look for Jack, as evidenced by his surmounting rage in his expression. It wasn’t long before he called the blade to battle, unwilling to leave something that had been pending for so long.
“You…!” the teen snarled. “Finally remembered, huh?” the girl asked, an obnoxious smirk written in her lips, “How touching…” “So, you’re why the Heartless are here, aren’t you?! You’re the one behind their actions!” “So? What of it? It’s not like you’ll have to care…”
Jack gripped his blade tightly, before dashing towards the girl taunting him, but the whip in her hands was quick to force him into the defensive, unable to get closer to her. Not to mention that the strength behind it was inhuman… The dark flames grew more vivid, threatening to consume whatever they touched and cause it to wither away —a strong sense of dread and peril emanating from an aura alone.
An aura that caused Jack to shudder.
The struggle continued that way, with Jack unable to close the distance and losing every attack, being tossed back and skidding through the floor. But despite him knowing it was a losing battle, the teen didn’t want to run off.
Not when the one who’d sold him off was right in front —he was getting just revenge.
“You’re f—ing bold, showin’ up now…” Jack threatened, “I can’t believe you’re still runnin’ off, cooperatin’ and prolongin’ this war…” “Again, what does it concern you?” the girl shrugged, “Although… If you want to leave, I can let you go, if you do me a favor… Hand over the key, and the bug —do that, no one gets hurts.” “And why should I trust you?! F—ing bitch!” “Sheesh… Not very gentleman-like, are you?” “CAN IT!”
Once more, Jack dashed forward, fueled with fury as he tried to hit her. Yet again, however, the whip was quicker than the sword, causing the teen to stagger back while he tried to maintain his balance, in order to avoid the onslaught of attacks aimed his way.
He was cornered against a wall.
[Battle! A… Girl?!]
M’Lyn regrouped with Jake, behind a building near the sewers entrance. The man perked up, frowning as he noticed the Miqo’te going on her own, while Kujo and Jack had yet to arrive. What had happened? And where were they now?
“Where’re those two?” Jack demanded. “Kujo decided to go help Jack in getting out —I guess as backup” M’Lyn replied, shrugging, “We should probably get you out, first —if they manage to capture you, we’re bound to lose.” “I’m not leaving without them” Jake scowled, reaching for the team’s comms, “You two! Where the hell are you?!” “…Jake…” Alice’s voice hesitated on the team’s comms, shivering, “…It’s Liz.” “What?!” “…Jack can’t get out —he’s fighting Liz” Alice informed, “Sh-She suddenly showed up, and I couldn’t even see her…! Jack can’t get out with her around —she’s blocking his path.”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 17, 2020 18:04:31 GMT -5
After having created an opening for M’Lyn to flee the scene, Kujo had made quick work of barreling his way through the armed militants, using the Heartless as shields as he moved at an insane speed. With the bursting power of the aura around him, the soldiers would find themselves blown away as the man in lavender sped away from the battlefield and towards where he had known Jack to infiltrate the building. SKoooom! More Heartless emerged, some of the ranged attackers already launching their volleys as Kujo grit his teeth in annoyance. Hmph. So I was right. If the Heartless were focusing on him, crowding the area he was trying to reach Jack at, it could only mean the man’s suspicion was right. It had been too quiet, after all. ”Out of the way.” Using the speed and power of his guardian, the glowing man rushed up the wall against one of the crumbling building walls that housed the Pole Cannons, quick to sweep out a powerful leg as he aimed to cleave them in half. For the ones out of range, Kujo would begin pummeling the very building he stood against with his glowing fists, the enhanced power allowing him to smash through concrete and brick as though it were wood (yeah, that analogy is right. Kujo used to practice even before getting his powers by breaking heavy planks of wood with his fists).
CRASH! As the destruction to the building would inevitably lead to part of the wall crumbling and collapsing to rain down on the Heartless below, Kujo lanced back down towards the earth with a blinding speed as he aimed a powerful slamming attack down on top of the rubble and Heartless alike.
”You two! Where the hell are you?!” Scowling after their battle with the enemies, Kujo would hear Jake’s voice crackle through his comm sharply. ”It’s Liz.” Before the man could respond, Alice’s voice cut through, mentioning a name that wasn’t familiar to him. Liz? Who the hell was that? ”Sh-She suddenly showed up, and I couldn’t even see her…!” The girl’s worry was obvious, causing Kujo to clench his fists for a moment before raising a hand to his own device. ”I’m almost to him now. I knew it was a bad idea to leave him alone for so long…” Despite the teen’s obvious skill with stealth and intel gathering, the fact had remained that they were a large target for whoever controlled the Heartless. Unlike Jake, Jack and Alice, Kujo wasn’t familiar with the name, but the man wasn’t dense. He could easily piece to and two together, after hearing what Alice had said. They finally showed up…! A dark grin spread wide across the stoic man’s face as he ignored the last of the Heartless, the aura around him only strengthening and growing at the thought of confronting the once shadowy figure from before.
WHOOSH! At a break-neck speed, the man was a blur of light and purple as he waved through the streets, heading directly for where he had known Jack to infiltrate the spot and the route back to the sewers. That bastard better hold out. If this ‘Liz’ defeated the teen before Kujo could reach them, he’d really have to throw caution to the wind. Thankfully, with the impossible power his Akogare gave him, Kujo was already closing in—it would only be a moment longer…
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 18, 2020 10:32:40 GMT -5
”I’m almost to him now. I knew it was a bad idea to leave him alone for so long…”
Jake’s eyes widen up, much like M’Lyn —both of them looking to where they’d come from. Alice on her end had flinched as well, but couldn’t help but worry. Not only about Jack, but Kujo as well —he himself was a target as well, wasn’t he? So wouldn’t going there give them 2 birds, instead of 1? The Miqo’te seemed to notice, scowling as she reached to her own device.
“I’m more than aware you want to help, but can’t you think for a second!?” she berated him, “Are you mad?! Going alone will only make things worse! You’re also a target, Kujo!” “Tch…” Jake scowled, holstering the guns in his back before making a move. He looked at M’Lyn, his gaze firm, “We’re going to help —c’mon. I’m not letting that bitch get away with this…” “You’re going, as well? …Haa…” M’Lyn sighed, giving up, “For the love of the Twelve…” “I said it already —I’m not letting that bitch get away with this.”
The man rushed out, the massive hand cannon now strapped at his back for better movement, but he still had a gun in his hands to fight with. The Miqo’te took no time in following, her gaze focused as they were met with Heartless resistance. Jake seemed to go with his own plan, shooting forward as any Heartless that dared cross their paths, heading straight for the entrance.
He wasn’t going to waste time.
“Alice —I’m barging in!” Jake shouted, “Show me the quickest way from there to where Jack is —now!” “R-Right…” “...Kujo, we’re on our way” M’Lyn informed, a sword yet again in hand as she kept the Heartless away from their path, “Jake apparently has a bone to pick with this ‘Liz’ —he’s not going to listen any further. We’ll be there for support!”
Truthfully, M’Lyn was fed up —it seemed Jack and Jake acted somewhat similarly, when enraged. Yet despite that, the man in front of her had what it took to back it up, whereas Jack still lacked it. Jake’s movements, although fueled with rage and anger, were thought-out —not random, like Jack’s.
That alone meant he was thinking through. He still had some cool kept within him.
On Kujo’s end, the Heartless would be rampant, trying to divert the man’s attention with their numbers. Even with the man’s powers being significantly stronger, they didn’t hesitate on their attack and pushed, making sure to delay him.
As per someone’s orders.
“…Kujo” Alice’s voice would chime in his comm, still somewhat shaky, but determined, “Can’t you break through?”
She was referring to the building’s wall, where he was currently at —a rather cracked down surface that was sure to collapse at a single hit. Alice had been observant enough to know the building would stand even with that wall brought down —which in turn would make Kujo’s voyage quicker.
That is, if he wanted to rush to where Jack was at.
“Taking the same path as Jack won’t help —you won’t be able to rush through” the girl informed, “If you head down the hallways I point out, you’ll be able to reach the place where he’s at quicker —I promise. Just… Hurry…”
Even if soldiers were waiting inside, armed and ready to aim and open fire, surely Kujo could run past them with ease —especially given the fact that M’Lyn and Jake would also break their way in to aid Jack. Through his visor, now turned on by Alice, Kujo would see the path highlighted for him —showing him the quickest way towards the storage area where Jack was fighting.
Sword clashed against whip —forcing Jack to mostly defensive maneuvers. He couldn’t get Liz off of his trail, which in turn made it impossible for him to run away. As for the girl in question, she smirked pleased, knowing she had the upper hand. Liz seemed to be enjoying pushing Jack at a corner, her whip doing most of the work for her, whereas the teen had to put his all in simply avoiding the damn thing.
He knew that getting hit by one of those attack would leave a lasting mark —and Jack didn’t want any of that.
Still, what could he do? Unable to defeat Liz with her whip forcing him at a distance and denying him closure, Jack was at wit’s end. The short-range of his weapon didn’t help at all, and what little magic he knew would only get him tired after consecutive use. No matter where he looked, he was backed against a corner.
His only option was to defend and dodge —something Liz seemed to find amusement in.
“What’s the matter?” she taunted, “Where’d all that bravado go? Back when we first met, and that other world… You were so full of yourself —so where’d it all go?” “Grr…” Jack skid back as he yet again was forced to block, “Dammit…!” “Not to mention, you’re not using the full extend of that key’s power” Liz mentioned, aloof, “I wonder… Is it because it’s testing you still? Or are you holding back?”
Snap! Crash! The whip swung relentless around the area, it’s reach incredibly long for a normal weapon. Jack jumped out of the way, as a few crates behind him were cut clean with the whip’s power. Liz’s smirk, obnoxious as usual, grew wider, knowing she had the upper hand.
She might as well land the finishing blow here and now.
“Sis…! Where’s… the rest?!” Jack asked, dodging the attacks. “They’re on their way! Just hang on a little longer!” “Grr… I’m—” “JACK!”
A single distraction cost him harshly. Having blinked for a second, his exhaustion settling in, Jack could only watch as the whip’s end was right in front of him —time seemingly slowing down for him to watch the inevitable. Blam! Hitting the teen straight in the chest, Jack was thrown back against the crates, his back taking the blunt force before he fell to the ground.
His body suddenly went limp —his breathing ragged. Trying to stand up, Jack only managed enough strength to stand in his knees, helped by the blade in his hands. His chest was aching, like something continued to pressure against it, causing the teen to groan in agony.
It hurt —a lot.
Thud. Jack managed to raise his eyes to see Liz approaching him, now vulnerable to any sort of attack. The teen brought a hand towards his chest, his breathing incredibly uneven now, and the pressure unbearable —his hand trying to soothe some of it away by being placed there.
“You’re hurt, aren’t you?” Liz asked, coy, “…You don’t know how much a pain you’re to me now, though —more than before. Getting rid of you now would make so many things easier…” “…” Jack glared back, unable to move around. “…Although, I guess this is merciful enough, right? Putting you out of your misery… I guess I can give you that much, since you've been somewhat useful for me, in the end...”
Liz’s gaze became cold, as she readied the whip in her hands with an iron grip. With Jack now vulnerable for a finishing blow, the girl was not wasting the opportunity —the whip in her hand flying through the air and aimed to cleave through Jack’s neck cleanly…
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 18, 2020 14:04:11 GMT -5
Ignoring M’Lyn’s reprimanding crackling over his comm, Kujo scowled as he sliced through yet another Heartless with a swinging kick. He hadn’t expected the sheer amount, though it was hardly like he was concerned. The aura around him only continued to grow, fueled by the man’s annoyance and impatience as he continued his onslaught. If they’re targeting me, all the better. It would take their eyes off of Jack. Though the man knew the teen had come a long way, there was no doubt he had more confidence in himself and his own powers. ”Kujo, can’t you break through?” Alice’s voice cut through as more Heartless had begun to surround him, only to be blown back by the power gathering around the man. ”If you head down the hallways I point out, you’ll be able to reach the place where he’s at quicker—“ A burst of light blast forth, more powerful than before as a crater formed and a blinding pressure would expand over the area as Kujo’s power broke free. Transforming into his Enraged Heart, the man was now fused with his guardian, his form armored and plated as the powerful aura around him settled into a powerful purple glow. Within the blink of an eye, a loud CRASH! would explode as the building was blown through, a large hole formed and rubble cascading down to seal the make-shift entrance.
”Alright, I’m in. Lead the way, Alice.” With the increased speed of his form and powers, the man would be able to make it with the Navigator’s guidance in the blink of an eye. I’m going to enjoy this. Kujo’s plated fists were glowing with an aura of their own, besides that around him—seeping out from the rage and violence within them. Following the girl’s directions, the man would easily be able to break through any other walls, floors or ceilings necessary—more than ready to decimate any who got in the way.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 18, 2020 14:33:47 GMT -5
Mustering what little strength he had, Jack raised his blade to block the attack. While it did save him, the blade was tossed back from his grip, clanking on the steel floor besides him. He managed to muster a smirk, knowing it’d bother Liz a lot —evidenced by the girl’s glare.
“You’re… Not gonna end me that easily…” the teen said, gasping for air. “You little—!”
Still, Jack was at his limits. His body refused to move, the pain in his chest growing stronger by the second and his breathing ragged. Even if he tried putting up a front, he wasn’t going to last long. It didn’t matter if he called the blade back to his hands in the blink of an eye —Liz was quick to kick him to the ground, her cold gaze irked with annoyance.
“Even in your last moments, you’re still refusing —you’re still going against things…” the girl groaned, “You’re so annoying… Just let me end you —here and now!”
Now truly unable to act, Jack could only look helplessly, while Liz tried another attack to finish the job once and for all. The whip recoiling back, before landing a final blow —surrounded by withering dark flames, threatening a swift death…
Once Kujo opened his way through the building, surrounded by his Akogare’s energy, Alice would help him find the quickest path —from where he stood, straight and then right. Obviously, it wouldn’t be peaceful. The impact had alarmed people inside, startling soldiers within the facility. But it wouldn’t be hard for Kujo to outrun them, given his powers, and head straight to where Jack was.
With his speed, he would most definitely make it…
Breaking in from the front door as swiftly as they could, Jake and M’Lyn rushed their way through. Unbeknownst to them, Kujo was further ahead, making his way to help Jack and beat the hell out of whoever “Liz” was. Jake immediately opened fire, his accuracy incredibly sharp and defeating most of the soldiers who tried opening fire —with M’Lyn covering him from harm with a heavy shield to her side.
“Here —go through there!” Alice shouted through the comms, highlighting their path, “Kujo’s on his way, too —he’s up ahead!” “Good —at least we can do this quick” Jake replied, his eyes scanning for any remaining soldiers, “Keep an eye out for us, Alice —and don’t let Liz get away.” “Y-Yeah.”
M’Lyn frowned, as both she and Jake ran further inside, having picked up Alice’s tone easily. She was worried —meaning something had happened. It wasn’t just Liz cutting the teen’s path, but the Miqo’te was sure something else had happened.
She wanted to know what —but asking the Navigator in such a stressful situation wouldn’t help anyone. Not yet.
“…I’ll get the opportunity later, I suppose…” the Miqo’te thought, as she focused on moving forward and taking out any enemies in her path.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 18, 2020 14:57:21 GMT -5
With Alice’s guidance, the man was a blur of motion and light as he made his way through the hallways. Despite the guards of the building being alerted, hardly any would be able to even register to rushing purple blur that would weave through any who crowded, or simply get blown away. Once he would finally made it to the destined room, the man’s armored fists lashed out like lightning—BOOM! Blasting through the wall of the room, Kujo’s galaxy eyes glared at Liz as rubble exploded out, though the man himself would reach the girl before the debris even landed anywhere. ”There you are.” The dark and violent tone was calm and icy, as Kujo’s armored fists lashed out as he made his way between Liz and Jack—unleashing his Totsuzenshi ability. Regardless if the whip would make its way to him—the man would hardly register it or be impeded with the continuous healing of the aura seeping and exploding from his fused form. Unleashing the insanely powerful attack in a blinding burst of light, Kujo would continue to press on—hardly satisfied with the fight being a short one at this point.
”Let’s see what your tricks do now.” The man’s galaxy eyes shone with a purple hue that seemed to seep like steam—a bloodthirsty look darkening his face as his armored fists continued to lash out as he pressed forward. Following up his mighty attack with his KitaruShi, it seemed Kujo wasn’t holding anything back. The man wouldn’t have time to reach out over the comm, wanting to keep the pressure up on Liz. Jack needs healing. The teen had held out for as long as they could, but when Kujo had burst through the wall, he’d seen their condition. Tch—can’t I catch a break? He’d have to defend the teen until M’Lyn and Jake arrived for reinforcements. Truthfully, Kujo hadn’t expected Jack to get cornered so badly in a one-on-one, or for the teen to engage in one. His goal had been to escape with the information, though if Kujo was being honest with himself, he knew it'd be too hypocritical to reprimand the teen over that fact. It seemed either the man had overestimated his teammate, or underestimated his enemy. Either way, he was annoyed—making a mental note to not make either mistake again.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 18, 2020 16:19:34 GMT -5
“Guh —what!?”
Both people flinched as the wall exploded suddenly, rubble shooting forward and stopping Liz mid-attack, and forcing her now to the defensive. The whip met Kujo’s forearm, but the man was unbothered by the flames as he unleashed a powerful combo, keeping pressure.
The timing had been far too perfect —a fact that annoyed Liz as she kept up with Kujo. Surprising speed while dodging or blocking the attacks with precise whip strikes, it seemed the girl had a power of her own. One able to match Kujo’s Akogare —but obviously, it wasn’t the same.
“K-Kujo…” Jack tried to stand up, finally mustering the strength to call the blade back to his hand, “D-Don’t… get hit by…”
The teen staggered, his breathing ragged, and his chest aching —sundered to his knees again, but the blade remained in his hands. He couldn’t move at all —his body refused to do so. Yet at the same time, Jack didn’t want to give in, knowing that, if he did, the worse would happen. He didn’t want to fall to his unconscious again, knowing only nightmares awaited him. Not yet —he couldn’t falter.
Liz managed to find her way through Kujo’s punches, taking an opportunity to leap back and take the upper ground, glaring. The flames surrounding the whip grew more vivid, opposing the healing aura Kujo had around him —threatening to wither any life in front of it. With a small room for breathing —as she knew the man would continue his onslaught—, the girl groaned.
“You were stalling, weren’t you, Polar…?” she asked, bitter, “That's so like you… To be saved by someone when you’re at your lowest…”
Without hesitation, Liz was quick to take action —the whip quick to trash about the place caring little about who it hit, although mostly aimed at Kujo. The same frustration he felt towards Liz, she felt it back —and perhaps just at the same level of hatred. The reason was obvious, given the context, and the encounters they had so far.
The situation now was clear as crystal —Kujo wasn’t an “experiment” to be taken alive anymore. He was a target that had to be taken care of immediately. “Your timing is really impeccable —almost like planned…” Liz said, a smirk written on her face, “Not to mention… My little ‘tricks’ aren’t something you’d want to know about…”
While Liz continued her onslaught against Kujo, Jack tried to push himself back up and join, but the pain didn’t allow him —his body wouldn’t allow him. Even with the blade in his hands, acting as support for him to not be sprawled on the floor, but he couldn’t stand up on his own.
Jake and M’Lyn were not that far off —but it would take them a bit to actually arrive at the storage, clearing their way as much as they could given that the facility was now in high alarm, their cover completely blown.
But it didn’t matter anymore —not if it meant getting Jack to safety and beating the hell out of Liz.
[Battle! Liz]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 18, 2020 18:50:17 GMT -5
Any hits that missed the dodging woman would obliterate the wall or ground below—Kujo’s energy only ramping up as he and Liz exchanged blows. Though she was quicker than he’d expected, her movements were something his galaxy gaze tracked with precision, his own body keeping up with ease. ”K-Kujo…” Jack struggled from behind, hardly having the strength to stand. ”Can it. If you can move, get out of here.” Without taking his eyes off of Liz, Kujo’s gruff retort was tossed Jack’s way as the flaming whip lashed out. Weaving between lashes, blocking others with his armored form, the man was a blur of motion as he worked on shortening the distance. ”Your timing is really impeccable—“ Hardly bothering to retort or interact with her, Kujo had focused instead on using his speed to maneuver towards Liz’s side. Shiiiiing! Slicing through the space the woman stood, Kujo unleashed his Girochin ability, a kick that swung at a blinding speed—acting as though a blade with the sheer power of the aura and armor around him. Regardless if the attack hit or not, Kujo didn’t plan on letting up.
”Whatever dreams you have...I'll crush them.” Unleashing a torrent of powerful blows with his Wakeru ability, the man’s power seemed to only be growing as his body radiated his wills force. Whatever powers this mysterious user of Heartless held, it didn’t seem to daunt him whatsoever—his confidence not something easily shaken. I feel it… That ‘Light’ he and Elena talked about it—it felt like a bright fire, one that consumed and radiated, burning from his rage and defiance. Power flowed through him, its rush hardly able to shake his composure. This was just the beginning.
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