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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 18, 2020 19:20:56 GMT -5
Amused, Liz scoffed, able to keep up with Kujo as they fought, leaving destruction in their wake. The holes and crates in the walls and floor would be evidence enough —a testament to their powers. Despite the fact that Kujo was giving his all, furthered fueled by rage, it seemed like Liz had yet to go all-out —instead amused as she played around.
”Whatever dreams you have...I'll crush them.” Liz smirked, obnoxiously, while muffling an amused giggle. Looking down to the two people in front of her —one of which couldn’t stand up anymore—, the girl was enjoying the battle, playing with her soon-to-be victims before landing a finishing and crushing blow.
“Fufufu… I’d like to see you try” she retorted back, a grin written in her expression.
It should’ve been obvious, but even if Kujo could close the distance between them, Liz still had the upper hand —her whip allowed her distance Kujo’s Akogare couldn’t. And even when the blows were close-ranged, she was able to keep up with precision. Her smirk grew wider as the aura around Kujo radiated brightly, almost as if she knew what was happening.
As a response, the flames grew brighter, the dark and purple colors vibrant and ominous. Still able to dodge, Liz continued her trashing, the whip going even faster and stronger, the dark flames growing in strength and hunger, wishing to consume whatever light it could get its hands on.
Much like the Heartless and people’s hearts.
Suddenly, bright light bullets honed onto Liz with speed, catching her off-guard and forcing her to move back, turning to see the newcomers to the battle. With a staff in hand, M’Lyn had locked her eyes onto their enemy, her gaze a frown. Behind her was Jake, who readied his hand cannon to fire a powerful shot.
“Kujo —back off!”
A powerful and bright energy beam shot forward from the hand cannon, its width massive —enough to cover the entire storage, but it was obviously toned down, looking to hit only Liz out of the people in front. The beam seemed to hit, but Liz was quick to show up over tall containers, the faint trace of the black mist surrounding her before disappearing.
She still had those annoying tricks, after all —but Jake had no means to know that.
“The leader of Raven himself, huh? …It’s been a while.” “…” Jake scowled, “I should’ve killed you back when I had the chance… F—king bitch…” “Hah —and when, exactly, did you have that chance?” Liz mocked.
M’Lyn noticed Jack, struggling to stand up and help, rushing to help him out. Jake and Kujo could handle the battle without her support for the time being —she was sure about that much. Instead, she was to help Jack recover, so that, once an opportunity opened up, they could run away back to HQ —and hopefully, get the answers they were after.
Unable to hold any longer, Jack’s grip let go of the blade, falling back to the ground with one hand still gripping his chest, groaning in agony as the pain became unbearable. What was causing that pressure, and why did it hurt so much? Having his eyes closed shut, he felt M’Lyn keep him somewhat up, and the touch of healing magics around him.
“M…M’Lyn—” “Don’t force yourself —you’re hardly in a proper position to even speak…” the Miqo’te berated back, “…Stand still —I’ll make sure you’re able to run off with us, okay?” “Oh…?” Liz seemed amused, noticing M’Lyn trying to help Jack out, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to save him…”
With a smirk, Liz snapped her fingers, having taken a safe distance from the battle. As the sound echoed within the steel walls, Jack gritted his teeth, yet unable to hold his groaning back —the pressure suddenly feeling ten times worse. M’Lyn tried to help him, intensifying the strength of the healing magics, but it didn’t seem to take any effect —instead, it seemed to make matters worse. Before long, the teen’s grip over his chest tightened, and he coughed blood before falling back to the ground.
“Jack!” M’Lyn shouted, shocked. “You…!” Jake scowled, readying his weapon, “That’s it —I’m taking your head with me today!” “I think that’ll be the other way around, though…” Liz mentioned, “You can’t do anything as you are now —none of you can. Do try, though —I’m always up to giving you hope. That’ll make my victory the more satisfying… And particularly lucrative…” “Can it!”
Jake readied another beam, aimed at Liz, but the girl would have an easy time to dodge the incoming attacks. Her powers over darkness, what allowed her to control the Heartless, what drove her to seek out every core of every world…
It was a powerful weapon —one meant to destroy life from its roots. And the first demonstration to that seemed to be Jack, who continued to agonize as the pain grew stronger and stronger.
[Battle! Liz]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 18, 2020 19:52:15 GMT -5
As Kujo and Liz exchanged blows, the room around them would quake and rumble from the effects of the attacks. Both of their powers seemed to be continually growing with each assault, neither seeming to be hitting their limit any time soon. Interesting… He had yet to meet an adversary who could keep up with his Akogare to this extent. In a sense, Kujo couldn’t help but be intrigued by Liz’s power, wondering if it was akin or similar to his own. ”Too bad, she won’t be able to talk with a broken jaw…” He wasn’t going to start pulling punches now, though. BLING! Bright lights honed in and zoomed towards Liz, causing Kujo to glance over towards their source. So, they made it. M’Lyn and Jake had emerged, finally having gotten through the maze-like building. ”Kujo—back off!” Seeing the energy gathering around the large cannon, the stoic man was a blur as his visage faded and he reemerged a bit back as the powerful beam shot forth. ”The leader of Raven himself, huh?” Glowering as Liz emerged seemingly unscathed, Kujo was hardly about to sit around and let her talk.
The woman had taken some safe distance away, noticing M’Lyn’s rush to support Jack. ”Don’t tell me you’re trying to save him…” The snap of her fingers caused Kujo to raise a brow, though Jack’s sudden agony alerted him to what was happening. Tch—what kind of bullshit is she pulling now? He really couldn’t catch a break, it seemed. Sighing a bit, his annoyance clear on his face, Kujo readied his fists as his aura burst in power once more—his armor glistening in the light of it. ”Let’s see if you can do that without your hands.” Rushing forward with a blinding break-neck speed, the man would be a streak of light across the battlefield as he honed in on Liz. Using his Kagayakashi ability, a large heart made of light would launch and burst forward, exploding towards the woman’s position. Even if it didn’t damage, it was sure to at least provide some opening as his armored fists were flurry of light and force as, bursting forward to follow up the attack.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 18, 2020 20:18:21 GMT -5
Seemingly unfazed by what was happening, Kujo had rushed forward to deliver a punishing combo, starting off with his Kagayashiki to either deal massive damage or blind Liz from the oncoming follow-up. Yet neither of those reactions happened —covering herself in darkness, a shield protected Liz from the blast and punches. Vividly feeding off of the light, the flames burned even brighter than before, all while Liz drew a confident grin in her expression.
“You do notice that the only thing you’re causing is wearing yourself down, right?”
The grip on her whip firm, and helped by the shroud of darkness, Liz’s whip tied to hit Kujo dead center —in the same spot where his heart would be. Yet Jake’s supporting attack would deflect the attack and force her back.
M’Lyn’s magic didn’t help Jack at all —and no medicine would either. Jack’s continued agony had drained most color out of him, coughing blood every now and then and his breathing becoming more and more troubled. Whatever had happened before Kujo had arrived to his help, it was bad news —but M’Lyn wasn’t about to give up.
“Ah…” Alice’s voice echoed in their comms, “No way…” “What is it?” M’Lyn asked, reaching towards her. “T-That is… You gotta get out —now!” “It’d be easy if Liz wasn’t around” Jake scowled, continuing to support Kujo’s rushing in, “But we can’t leave! Why the urgency all of the sudden?!” “There’s way too many squads moving your way —if they get to the building, e-even if you can fight them through…!” “They’ll corner us —is that it?” M’Lyn asked, receiving no answer, only to click her tongue, “Damn it…” “M’Lyn —take Jack out!” Jake barked an order, “He needs medical help —Kujo and I can keep Liz busy!” “You know you’re making it easier on me if you shout your plans like that, right?” Liz asked, smirking, “I’m not letting you off —none of you.”
The flame-engulfed whip trashed forward, flames hungry for more. Jake had the advantage of distance with his gun and hand cannon, whereas Kujo could manage to close the distance. If they could buy enough time for M’Lyn, then they could save Jack…
But would they be able to escape afterwards, before being surrounded? Kujo certainly could, but Jake had no means of moving in a blur through countless soldiers. He was a regular human, after all.
M’Lyn grimaced at Jake’s order, but she had no reason to refuse. What the man had said was true —Jack needed help, and the kind she had available wasn’t going to help him at all. The teen had closed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth as he tried to endure the searing pain coursing through his body. It looked like he could pass at any second… And the Miqo’te was having none of that.
“Understood —I’ll meet you at HQ.”
Picking up Jack and carrying him on her back, M’Lyn rushed out. She flinched as she noticed Jack’s touch turn cold, and his body faintly shivering —all while the teen’s consciousness seemed to falter. Grimacing, she took off through the opening of the storage, finding the improvised entrance Kujo had made to enter the building, and ignoring all of the enemies in her path as she carried Jack back into the sewers, and back to HQ.
It only left Jake and Kujo to fend off Liz.
Despite two people escaping her grasp, the girl didn’t seem worried —the same confidence oozing like an aura. Was her smirk wider, even? She giggled a bit, amused, while the flames surrounding her and the whip seemed to burst with power.
“Hmm… I wonder…” she asked, coy, “Are you going to save yourselves… Or them? …There’s no escape from me —that much, I’ll make sure of. And Polar’s going to be the first one to fall… I don’t need to chase him to kill him anymore —he’ll die by himself, after the blow I landed. …Would you like to be next?”
[Battle! Liz]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 18, 2020 20:41:28 GMT -5
Kujo hardly seemed daunted by Liz’s defenses, his gaze scrutinizing her every move as Jake provided cover fire. ”You gotta get out—now!” Grimacing, the man noticed how Jack’s condition wasn’t improving. If he defeated Liz here and now, would the effect end? There’s only one way to find out. Steeling himself for what was to come, Kujo’s face darkened a bit. Tch—I didn’t want to use that. It seemed no matter how hard he tried to change from his past, it would come back to haunt him. Hearing how more squads were coming their way, the man knew his time was limited. ”M’Lyn—take Jack out!” Jake had a good idea, though Liz also had a good point that shouting it out hardly helped them. Some things couldn’t be helped, though. While the Miqo’te focused on hoisting up the teen and fleeing the scene, Kujo would continue to stay close to Liz, keeping the pressure up. ”Looks like I’ll have to get serious.” Knowing his form would wear off momentarily, the man had to make due with what he had. It was subtle, but Kujo’s stance shifted as he took on a new position.
It was one he had used in the ring—one he had trained with for years. Focusing on devastating damage at specific pinpoints, the man’s galaxy eyes honed in on the woman ahead as he dashed forward in a blur of speed, his armored fists flashing with light as they lanced forth—each blow aimed with weight and emphasis on crushing his opponents body into dust. His movements were far less direct than usual, throwing feints and arcing in movements that betrayed little openings to his person. Somehow, his speed had seemed to increase, even with the powers of his fused form. The aura around him poured forth with sheer power, steadily rising until its form would extinguish. Despite his current forms limited time, Kujo hardly seemed worried. Instead, the man’s face was focused, determined and steady as he bobbed and weaved between the whip and fire, each punch rocketing forth like a bolt of thunder as it snapped forward and back within the blink of an eye. Whatever defenses Liz had—Kujo’s plan was simple.
He’d destroy them. Along with her, and everyone else who came into the room to impede him.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 19, 2020 12:43:30 GMT -5
“Is that all? That’s all the strength you can muster?”
Hardly phased by Kujo’s sudden change in position and tactics, Liz continued to spar, seemingly tirelessly as she kept up with ease. No matter the approach, the girl was able to continue fighting without the need to worry, and even then she hardly had to put her all into the fight. While recognizing Kujo’s strength, she wasn’t about to drop to his tactics.
Odds were she’d seen them already, once before.
The whip engulfed in flames would often collide with the man’s punches and kicks, as it was the weapon that kept its wielder safe. The flames would spread on the surface, with the man’s now lack of protective light armor, but most likely Kujo wouldn’t pay them any attention, since his focus was dead set on Liz. The black flame would burn vividly, devouring whatever life was in its reach —corroding superficially while revealing their true nature.
Jake was trying the best he could, but none of his shots landed, instead hitting empty containers or steel walls, causing him to click his tongue. Alice had already informed them about people closing in —it wouldn’t take long for their position to be compromised. And the thought alone was irritating.
Liz, of course, knew this —she’d kept herself in an advantageous position throughout the entire battle. While her intentions hadn’t been to capture the team, she didn’t find any drawbacks with it, given that the people heading their way and Liz shared sides.
“Come on… Is this all the fight you have in you?” the girl taunted, “Or… Are you choosing their lives over yours? Is that it?”
Continuing the exchange of blows, yet retaining prideful attitude at the current predicament they were in, Liz didn’t stop. Since she didn’t need to chase after Jack, knowing that her powers would do the rest of the work for her, Liz had the opportunity to both claim Jake’s head in their favor, and pushing both Raven and the Brigade back by the loss of one of their leaders, as well as take care of another nuisance in the form of Kujo.
Both of them, thorns in her side.
“Please, both of you —get out…!” Alice shouted, her voice shaking and worried, “At this rate, you’ll…!” “…We’re not gonna die here, Alice —I promise you that much” Jake replied, taking aim once more, before turning towards Kujo, “Ya got that?! We can’t worry her anymore!”
[Battle! Liz]
M’Lyn made her way through the alleys, carrying Jack behind her firmly. The teen was fighting as much as he could to avoid fainting, but his body was seemingly giving up to the pain and exhaustion —all the while it grew colder. The Miqo’te had tried to keep him awake, fearing the worst yet.
Taking a break, but not letting Jack go and still carrying him behind her, she looked back at the building, the sky slowly turning orange as it indicated the arrival of morning —and with that, most likely whatever army was headed towards the building.
“Come on…” M’Lyn glared, somewhat bitter, "What are you two doing...?"
Perking up at the sound of Jack’s breathing, the Miqo’te turned to look at him over her shoulder, noticing his eyes closing slowly, but surely. A new sense of urgency reminded her to keep going, all the while she tried to keep the teen awake.
“Don’t you dare die on me, you’ve got that?!” she threatened.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 19, 2020 13:20:49 GMT -5
Though his form had reverted, the aura around Kujo remained strong as he pressed onward. Once it released, it had healed the man’s light wounds that had slowly gathered and rejuvenated the energy used. In a sense, he felt refreshed and invigorated—almost like one having just finished a long rest. ”Is that all?” Liz’s cocky attitude hardly phased Kujo, who retained a face of composure and focus as he weaved between whip and flames, his movements agile and precise. There was something more than just determination in the galaxy eyes that bore into the woman in front of him, though—there was also a fire that had sparked at finally having found an opponent who could keep up with him. Don’t get carried away. His logical mind tried to remind his heart—though it roared out in excitement, vengeance and pride. ”Please, both of you—get out…!” Alice’s shout cracked over the comm device, though Kujo hardly allowed it to distract him from the battle as he ducked under another flaming whip, rushing through the small distance to sweep a powerful ax kick before spinning through the air to deliver a punishing punching combo to the Liz’s side.
”Ya got that?! We can’t worry her anymore!” Jake’s shout echoed in the ruptured room—the walls cracked and smashed in different sections, mimicking the floor and ceiling. ”Then let’s finish this.” It was clear the man intended to do just that, rather than flee. Kujo hardly seemed concerned about the coming numbers, though he knew Jake had is own limitations. Without taking his eyes off of Liz, shouting back between blows, the stoic man hardly seemed phased. ”If you can’t cut them off, get going!” It’d be nothing for him to escape on his own—frankly, if Jake couldn’t make it so the soldiers coming couldn’t reach the room, he’d just be dead weight once they arrived most likely. The aura around the man in lavender erupted in size once more, its energy renewed and whole once more due to the effects of his prior form. Crossing his arms over his chest, a blinding light shot forth as a clustering torrent of light projectiles shaped like hearts burst forth—his DokiDoki ability erupting and exploding.
Using his enhanced speed, Kujo would emerge behind Liz, feinting a low-sweeping kick before spinning up and into an elbow uppercut aimed for the back of her neck. He didn’t expect the blow to land, let alone knock the girl out, instead following it with a powerful ax kick once more, one that would rupture the ground beneath as the room shook. Ideally, he wanted to take the girl back to the Brigade, both to discover the source of her bizarre powers, as well as allow Jack and the others their own opportunity at revenge. With how well she kept up, though, Kujo had steeled himself for the grim task ahead.
He couldn't hold anything back, anymore.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 20, 2020 10:44:55 GMT -5
Knowing his advantage and disadvantage, it seemed Jake wasn’t opposed to running off —having obtained that information just by observing. His support had given nothing, although it hadn’t burdened Kujo either. He had simply… Been there, trying to get payback but not able to do so at the moment.
”If you can’t cut them off, get going!” The leader of Raven had been thinking similarly —he was unable to match Liz in a 1 on 1, not to mention that he couldn’t afford being caught then and there. Had he not seen what Kujo was capable of, Jake would’ve indeed been reluctant to leave him alone —but seeing him keep up with Liz, even if the hits were blocked or parried, allowed him to see that Kujo had something Jake didn’t.
That alone was reassurance enough to know that he wouldn’t be caught and apprehended.
“I’ll personally kill you if I end up hearing you got caught, got it?!” Jake shouted, rushing to the door as he nodded at Kujo’s plan, “…Don’t give her any room to breathe —do me that favor, okay?”
With that said, Jake left, still armed with a gun while he strapped the cannon to his back mid-dash, heading out of the building to catch up with M’Lyn at the sewers. Entrusting Kujo entirely, it seemed the man had no regrets, knowing how to trust on one’s aptitudes.
Something only few seemed capable of.
Evading the attacks still, Liz didn’t seem to mind the prolonged battle, even if Jake had left while she was at it. Intrigued by the power being used against her, and wanting to learn more about it for as long as it remained, the girl didn’t mind the attacks Kujo tried to land against her, evading or blocking them.
The dark mist surrounding her figure grew stronger, almost giving its user strength —eventually, Liz didn’t have to use the whip to block Kujo’s attacks, instead blocking them with her arms or legs, taking no actual damage. Still, the flame-engulfed whip continued its purpose, lashing back in various attacks to try to knock Kujo out.
The same way he wanted to knock her out.
“Still holding on?” Liz asked, slowly growing unamused, “What, you’re the kind of person that never gives up? Damn… That’s a letdown…”
Snapping the whip against the floor, dark flames spread out on the floor, creating an enclosed area. The walls of flame were tall, even if Kujo wanted to jump out of it, eating away the steel of the structure with little to hold them back. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Echoes of people heading into the storage would be heard throughout, all while Liz seemed pleased with the results.
“Still… Your time’s up” she smirked, “Are you still gonna fight, even though it’s clear you’ve lost?”
[Battle! Liz, countless armed soldiers]
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 29, 2020 12:36:09 GMT -5
”I’ll personally kill you if I end up hearing you got caught, got it?!” Jake’s departing threat caused Kujo to smirk a bit as he and Liz continued to exchange blows. Tch—can’t I catch a break? Despite the man’s power, the woman was able to keep up—each of them able to deflect or parry each other’s blows as the battle dragged on. Thankfully, Kujo’s ulterior goal here was also to make sure the soldiers coming would focus on him, rather than his fleeing comrades. Though he was not immune to such things like guns, the man’s powers and abilities certainly made them less frightening to deal with. ”Still holding on? What, you’re the kind of person that never gives up?” Liz’s retort caused the man to scowl and click his tongue. ”Yeah, right. You just piss me off.” Truthfully, Kujo’s gaze had been following the woman’s movements and attacks carefully—the battle had been rather informative for him. Their powers were different, but also similar in the sense where they seemed to draw from this ‘Light’ and ‘Darkness’ he and Elena had spoken of back at the base.
Whoosh! As flames erupted to enclose the space, the echoes of the coming militants could be heard throughout the area. ”Still…your time’s up.” As the footfalls grew closer, Kujo rolled his eyes a bit, though he straightened himself and shoved his hands in his pockets with a faint scowl. ”You’re really a pain in the ass.” Though holding into a one-on-one with the woman wouldn't be an issue, having countless bullets to dodge and soldiers flanking him was hardly ideal. With an irritated sigh, the aura didn’t leave the man as he reached into his lavender jacket pocket, pulling out a new pack of cigarettes as he pulled one of the sticks from the package. ”That power of yours…” Furrowing his brow as he lit the vice, Kujo watched the darkness emanating forth from the woman. ”It’s useless to me.” Sighing in obvious annoyance, the man exhaled the smoke as he shook his head. It’s not hers. Regardless of the similarities, Kujo had felt an obvious difference in their abilities. Whereas his Akogare came from within, a power manifesting via this ‘Light’ entity, so to speak—Liz’s powers had most likely not originated from within her herself, but in fact come from external sources. This ‘Darkness’…just what the hell is it? There was still many factors unknown to him, causing him to grimace as he took another drag.
He had witnessed some aspects of its powers on prior missions—thinking of the transformed locals on some of the worlds he’d visited and fought against. Whereas the man had ‘awoken’ to an ‘inner power’, so to speak, many who seemed to utilize the ‘Darkness’ seemed to obtain it from somewhere (perhaps that ‘core’?), allowing it to invade them. Clearly her will is strong then, if she hasn’t lost herself. Knowing his time was up, Kujo flicked the mostly unfinished cigarette to the ground before stomping on it. ”Whatever. This isn’t over.” By now, he most likely had bought enough time for Jake and the others, anyway. Glaring at Liz and the soldiers surrounding the flaming circle she had created, Kujo flared in a blinding burst of light (one that most likely wouldn’t blind the woman shrouded in darkness, but many of the average human soldiers around them) as his aura seemed to explode around him. Within the blink of an eye, the man was a blur of streaking light and lavender, barreling through the flames and soldiers with ease as he weaved and SMASHED an exit of his own through the building wall—not wanting to flee the same way as the others.
While attempting to evade Liz and the soldiers, Kujo would use his Akogare’s blinding speed to navigate the battlefield, his voice crackling over the comms as he reached out to the trusted Navigator. ”Oi, Alice. You got a longer detour to get back to the team?” The battle and stalling for time would be pointless if he just led the entire squadron of soldiers back to everyone. He’d need to shake them off, first.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 29, 2020 13:13:41 GMT -5
While the armed soldiers closed in on the battle location, Liz continuedly smirked. Seeing how annoyed Kujo was at her power was, in a sense, comforting for the girl who’d made an enemy of them, rather enjoying their bout for as long as it lasted —but the disparity between them was clear. And sure enough, Kujo had noticed it.
There was no way he could win then and there.
”That power of yours… It’s useless to me.” With her smirk growing wider, Liz took the insult more as a compliment than anything. Watching as Kujo boldly lit his vice mid-battle, amused by the sight, the girl raised her chin high, looking down to the man in front of her, proudly.
“Likewise —your power as it is doesn’t serve me any purpose, either” the girl shrugged, “But, you’d make a fine Heartless, if your heart was devoured by them.”
The blast of light would do its work —while Liz was once again enshrouded by a black mist, the incoming soldiers would be blinded. Kujo would manage to break through the flames just slightly smoking, the flames catching up to his clothes but nothing dangerous —protected by the powers of light, and avoiding the flames from devouring what they could, disappearing soon after creating small injuries the man would most likely not notice. Breaking through the wall and leaving with blinding speed, Kujo was gone.
Recovering their stance, the soldiers began to move to chase after Kujo, but Liz stopped them, dismissing both flames and whip alike. Her confident smirk would say a lot to the so-called “allies” she had under her command, but clearly based on the battle, she relied more on the Heartless rather than people.
“Don’t bother chasing him —he’s too strong for your own good” Liz said, turning away, “Besides, I managed to take care of the worse of nuisances —we’re still ahead of those rebels.” “But ma’am —the leader of Raven’s…” “So? What do you care? They’re cornered —it’s just a matter of time before they reveal their location. That doesn’t mean you get to slack off, though —so get back to work.” “Ma’am!”
Running around the streets, Kujo would once more meet with eerie silence —not a single Heartless or soldier in sight. Then again, with his speed, he was more than capable of losing anything in the large city that was Milennia. And yet, even then, nothing seemed to trail him back to where he’d come from —that being the Brigade’s HQ.
Oddly enough, really, given how Liz was so eager to wipe them all out.
”Oi, Alice. You got a longer detour to get back to the team?” Kujo’s request would manage to reach the young Navigator’s ears, who tried to remain composed despite what she’d seen through the comms of the team. About to reply to him, another voice would break in —one more than familiar to Kujo.
“Leave it” Elena said, firm, “They’re not after you —they have no reason to chase after you anymore, so get back to HQ now. I want a full explanation of what happened inside, understood?”
Dropping the message, Elena turned around and out of Navigations, leaving a distraught Alice alone. Shivering in fear, the girl looked once more through her options, choosing best to first help Kujo get back safely into the sewers and HQ by highlighting the path through his visor, before leaving things alone and rushing after Elena, knowing the woman with blue hair would be waiting for the team at the entrance.
“Jack…” once more, the girl mumbled, her heart aching with worry.
M’Lyn would be the first one to arrive at HQ, carrying Jack on her back, the teen’s consciousness coming and going at a spastic rate, threatening to leave forever at any point. The Miqo’te had done her damnest to keep him awake, shouting at him and jostling enough to perk him up, but even then, Jack was cold to the touch and his consciousness fading. Willing to take him all the way to the Infirmary, she was met with ice cold resistance coming from Elena, who’d arrived at the nick of time.
Jake arrived not long after, shocked at the scene happening in front, with a deadly silence cut by Jack’s groans of pain and panting, seemingly struggling to keep himself awake and alive. Alice, still shivering, after having caught up to the rest, tried to walk towards M’Lyn and her brother, only to be stopped by Elena.
“Elen—” “Drop him” the woman in blue and white ordered the Miqo’te, “Now.” “Wha…? Are you mad?” M’Lyn retorted back, “We have to take him to the Infirmary, otherwise he’ll—” “Drop him, M’Lyn —that’s an order.”
M’Lyn flinched, irked at the thought of what Elena was asking of her. Even if she berated Jack harshly most of the time for being reckless, the Miqo’te wasn’t heartless —she knew what the teen needed most, and that was medical assistance. Yet with Elena refusing to allow them inside unless she followed her order, plus Jake shaking his head in sight of defeat, M’Lyn did as told —dropping Jack from her back carefully, trying to help him stand up.
Jack grunted a bit as his body shook, trying to force himself to stand up —much for Alice’s worry. Faltering in his step, weak as he was, the teen fell on his knees, one hand clutching his chest in agony, and the other making sure he didn’t hit the floor with his face. Struggling to breathe, Jack once more coughed, blood spilling from his mouth —for everyone’s worry, including Elena, yet the woman chose to hide said worry with a stone-cold stoicism.
“Jack…!” Alice cried, pale. “…” Elena scowled, walking towards the teen and wrapping one of his arms around her neck, pulling him up and taking him with her, “I’ll take care of this —you all wait for me at the board room. Understood?” “…What is it you’re up to, Elena?” M’Lyn demanded, bitter, “You know something, don’t you?” “I’ll explain everything after I help Jack —go to the board room, and wait for me there.”
Ushering the order, the woman left, toting Jack with her with a pace that betrayed her urgency. Alice stood paralized in fear, both hands clutched against her chest as she held back from crying, from chasing after Elena and Jack as they both left.
It was far too similar to that time —a scene she couldn’t remove from her mind, no matter what she did.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 29, 2020 13:33:05 GMT -5
”Leave it.” Elena’s voice cut through the comm device, causing Kujo’s eyebrows to raise as he ran along the empty and ruined streets of Milennia. That being said, it was at least quicker and easier that he didn’t need to worry about leading any militants back to base. Tch—that damned woman… Glaring at the thought of Liz, Kujo’s jaw clenched as he grit his teeth. Despite their mission being a success, the man was in a sour mood. Even with the boosted speed of his Akogare, with how late the man had left, he was the last on the team to emerge back at HQ. Thankfully this time around, Kujo knew where he was going, emerging inside of the entrance as his aura faded and he resumed a human pace, walking through the large corridors. Figuring the others would go to the Board Room or the Navigation room to debrief, the stoic man made his way to the later first, noting how empty it was. Tch—
After a moment, he turned into the right hallway, where he would find the others, save for Jack and Elena. ”Where’s Jack?” Glancing at the others, Kujo grimaced at Alice’s palpable fear and M’Lyn’s obvious worry. Glancing over to the Miqo’te, the stoic man crossed his arms and shook his head. ”Just what the hell did that woman do?” By the time he had arrived, Jack had already been in that state. Obviously it had something to do with Liz’s dark powers…but the specifics were something unknown and foreign to him.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 29, 2020 15:09:21 GMT -5
By the Board Room, the silence around was tense. While M’Lyn and Jake remained standing up, waiting for Elena to join them, Alice was sitting down, looking down at the hands clutched tight on her lap, biting her lower lip with obvious worry. She hadn’t been able to get any answers, instead left in the dark, alone and frightened, with her mind going rampant with a thought too grim for the young girl to handle.
Yet despite the similarities, Alice had managed to keep calm, holding the tears that threatened to choke her.
Lid had joined them, mostly out of concern for Alice, since she knew the siblings quite well due to her many interactions with Jack in the past, when they worked together. She was sitting down near her, but was reluctant to do anything, worrying that, instead of helping, the mechanic would make matters worse. So were Jake and M’Lyn —unwilling to do anything that would break Alice’s already fragile state of mind.
Thud. Thud. Thud. The girl flinched, petrified in the spot as she heard footsteps heading towards them —a small hope in her heart shouting for it to be Jack. Yet that hope wasn’t it, instead being Kujo the one who entered the board room. Her body continued to tense up, every now and then shivering in fear as she had yet to receive answers, and was reluctant to greet Kujo as he arrived. ”Where’s Jack?” The obvious question aside, it seemed Kujo was on the same page as everyone, but wasn’t showing his concern with his expression, it remaining cold and stoic as usual. At the very least, he seemed to be capable of reading the mood —something most appreciated.
“…Elena took him elsewhere” M’Lyn replied, having taken a deep breath, glancing over towards Kujo with her arms crossed, “I can’t fathom what she has in mind, but she said she’d take care of it… I’m certain she knows something we don’t —but she refused to say it then and there.” “Well, can you blame her for it?” Jake asked, finally taking a seat, his expression conflicted, “The kid’s dyin’, for crying out loud —whatever that bitch did, she’d better—” “Jake…!” Lid shouted, concerned.
The man perked up, noticing Alice struggling to hold herself back from crying, trying to remain as professional as possible —yet the façade threatened to break at any moment. Looking away, Jake held himself from saying anything else. Once more, silence took hold of the room, the eventual sigh from M’Lyn deciding to continue explaining what they knew.
“She told us to wait for her here —most likely to explain what she knows” she finished, “Until then… We know nothing —at least, regarding whatever happened to Jack, while he tried to escape.” “…Hey” Lid called, looking at Alice, “I know… You might not wanna talk about it, but… Maybe it’d be best if we all knew what happened, back then…” “…” Alice’s hands gripped tighter, her biting on the lip threatening to cause an injury. “You’re calling me insensitive…?” Jake asked, but sighed, “Although… I can’t say I disagree with your take on the matter.” “…Let’s hear it out, then” M’Lyn said, uncrossing her arms and looking at Alice, “That is, if you’re willing to explain.”
Shivering once more, Alice didn’t give a straight answer, allowing silence to take the reins instead. A faint movement from her head would give out her intentions —a faint, subtle nod, all while she struggled to keep the emotions bottled up inside of her.
If it meant keeping everyone in the same page… It seemed Alice wasn’t against it, despite the turmoil of emotions she felt regarding her brother.
Carrying Jack all the way to his room, Elena continued to push herself forward, helped by the crystal vividly shining at her wrist. Using her “master key” —which was basically an ID card that allowed her complete access within the Brigade—, Elena entered the teen’s room and laid him on the lower bunk bed. Jack’s continued agony manifested itself in a searing pain across his body, particularly on the chest, and constant panting. Cold sweat broke from the teen’s forehead as he tried to do something for the pain to go away, yet his constantly fading consciousness allowed him little control in his actions.
“…You really overdid it, Jack” Elena scolded —firm, yet a subtle hint of concern was resonant in her tone.
Having closed his eyes, Jack couldn’t see Elena, nor what she was doing —trying to focus all of what he had left in making sure he didn’t suffer anymore. Yet the cold touch of death was close to him, inviting him to chase after a light at the end of the tunnel.
Much like once before.
Suddenly, warmth —someone’s hand had held onto him to stop him from chasing after the light. A familiar, soothing warmth, one that ended with most of the pain the teen felt at the time, relieving his agony. Finally able to open his eyes again, the teen looked.
Elena’s crystal was hovering in her open palm, bright light shining through and seemingly absorbing darkness that came from Jack’s own chest. Confused and still rather out of it, he simply watched, until Elena’s partner finally faltered, falling onto the woman’s palm with now a faint glow remaining.
“E…Elena…?” Jack asked, finally managing to find his own voice. “…What happened?” Elena asked, her gaze firm, “What did you do, to end up like this?” “I…” the teen tried to sit up, but his body refused —instead remaining laying down with no strength at all, “Why…?” “Don’t try to move —you’re far too drained to be even talking” Elena shook her head, “But I need to know what happened, before I can explain the rest.”
Faintly, Jack nodded —enough for Elena to catch onto. Still struggling to breathe, although his panting now gone, the teen tried to explain what he could, in the little time he was allowed, knowing his body would give up eventually.
Afraid of losing his own consciousness, not knowing what would happen after, Jack tried to rush his words out, regardless of how much sense they made.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 30, 2020 14:34:51 GMT -5
Looming in the air of the board room was a heavy sense of grim. Kujo noticed Alice’s forced composure, Jake’s bitterness, and M’Lyn’s subtle concern. ”Elena took him elsewhere.” The stoic man frowned at the vague answer to his question, crossing his arms with a faint sigh. ”I can’t fathom what she has in mind, but she said she’d take care of it…” Raising an eyebrow, Kujo couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had occurred, and how Elena planned on fixing it. Can her ‘partner’ do that…? Though his own Akogare had abilities that could restore and rejuvenate himself, it was unable to aid others—at least, as of now. Useless. What good was that? It wasn’t like he needed it, half of the time, with how powerful his guardian made him. If anything, the man was constantly frustrated at the fact that it was limited in such an annoying way. ”The kid’s dyin’, for crying out loud—“ Lid was quick to cut Jake off, glancing over at the struggling Alice, who looked close to tears. ”Tch—“ Shoving his hands in his pockets, the man in lavender walked over to where the young Navigator sat, raising a brow as he looked down at her.
”What’re you worried for? That guy's come back from worse than this.” Despite his hard face and gruff tone, it seemed the man was offering words of reassurance, sensing the girl’s plight. He definitely won’t die. Not while she’s still on the loose. Kujo knew the face of revenge—the state of a heart seeking closure. Jack’s face had shown with such determination after finding out the identity of the woman they had fought. Knowing the teen after their time together in the Brigade, there was a certainty the man felt in his heart after speaking the words. ”She told us to wait for her here—most likely to explain what she knows.” Thankfully it seemed they’d be getting some answers, at least. Damned woman… Those ‘Darkness’ powers of hers were definitely a pain in the ass—though truthfully the man couldn’t help but feel a lurking excitement at having finally found an opponent who could keep up with him. Lid’s attempt to pry information from Alice went in vain, while Kujo found a seat at the board room table, leaning his chair back on its rear legs as he crossed a leg over the other.
M’Lyn seemed able to coax something from the girl, though she seemed rather choked up at the moment. Silently waiting, Kujo didn’t show any impatience as he allowed the silence in the room to stay. Alice nodded, though it didn’t seem she was truly ready just yet—not while the state of Jack was still up in the air.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 30, 2020 15:38:19 GMT -5
”What’re you worried for? That guy's come back from worse than this.”
As Kujo tried to offer his own side of reassurance, Alice continued to clam up, despite having agreed to answer what the team was missing. She couldn’t help it —seeing her brother once more at the brink of death, completely destroyed from both inside and outside. Despite knowing that Jack had, in fact, pulled through and came back with even more vigor, Alice couldn’t help wonder if things would be different this time around.
“W…Where should…?” Alice’s subtle whisper finally echoed through the empty room, yet the girl refused to raise her head, instead still clutching onto her skirt with her hands clenched tightly, “W-What should…?” “…I think the only thing we’re missing on our side is what happened while Jack was trying to regroup with us” Jake said, now calm after seeing Alice’s state. “…Right…” teary-eyed, Alice began to explain, “I-It was while I w-was showing him the way back… B-back through the ai-airduct he’d used before…” the girl’s voice became shivery, tears threatening to fall at any point —choking her, causing her breathing to be slightly shaky, “L-Liz… Sh-She showed up outta nowhere… An-And cut Jack’s path —forcing him to fight her…” “…Then what happened?” M’Lyn asked, noticing Alice’s voice had lost volume as she finished, “What happened after they begun to fight?” “…Jack—he…” shaking, Alice raised one hand to her chest, palm open wide and placed over where her heart was, “Liz… Hit him dead center… W-With that whip… He—he hit the wall after, and…” “That’s when he began to falter —right?” receiving a nod from Alice, the Miqo’te was brought back into thought, “But… That doesn’t really explain why Elena of all people is taking care of him.” “Somethin’ up?” Lid asked. “It’s just… If they were internal injuries, then magic should’ve been able to do the trick —we could’ve probably retaliated then and there” M’Lyn shared her thoughts, “And yet… It did nothing… And imagine my surprise when Elena orders me to drop him, when what he needs first is medical care…”
Silence followed once again —this time, finishing with M’Lyn rather bitter, confused as for what reasons Elena had to order something like that. Why had she not said anything back then? Was it for Alice’s sake, or for the rest? Or perhaps she didn’t want to share it? With so many doubts in her mind, the Miqo’te’s ears didn’t pick up the subtle sobbing of Alice as her façade finally broke.
Silently, the girl’s tears fell, her hands clutching onto her skirt fiercely while she tried to keep her composure. Lid was the first to notice, wanting to approach and console her, but there was little she could do —since no one knew what was happening anymore.
They were all still in the dark, and Elena had yet to arrive to answer what she could. Where was she, anyways?
“Am I…” Alice began to mumble, her body shaking as she let her emotions loose, “Am I gonna lose him…? For real, this time…?” “Alice…” “Is Jack… Really gonna leave me this time…?” the girl shook her head, in complete denial, “I… I wanna go see him… I wanna help him…”
Alice continued to mumble those last words, raising her legs in order to curl up in a ball, hiding herself from the rest as she silently cried —her worry obvious. With clear past wounds being opened once more inside of her heart, it was evident that what Alice needed now was reassurance —not false promises.
She didn’t want to go through the same pain of not knowing again —knowing her brother was one step away from fading, and leaving her behind. Just like once before.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 30, 2020 16:34:35 GMT -5
”Where should…?” Alice had barely managed to find her voice, faltering shortly after. Kujo wasn’t annoyed or impatient with that fact, understanding the girl’s concern for her sibling perfectly well. Despite not having siblings of his own, the man had someone he cared for deeply, with all his heart. He, too, had once had to worry for their life. Tch— If anything, Kujo was more frustrated with the fact that Liz had put Alice in that role once more, knowing it wasn’t Jack’s first brush with death. ”What happened after they began to fight?” M’Lyn and Jake managed to get an explanation out of Alice. Apparently Jack had been struck dead center. Grimacing at the knowledge, the man crossed his arms as he rest his chair back on all fours. ”If they were internal injuries, then magic should’ve been able to do the trick—“ The Miqo’te’s confusion made sense, as Liz’s powers were unlike those of which they had ever faced before. ”It’s most likely something to do with that ‘Darkness’ she’s using.” Having ascertained quite a bit of knowledge from his fight with the traitor, Kujo’s face remained a stoic mask as he divulged the information.
”Elena’s powers…her ‘partner’, is one of ‘Light’. If the damned woman’s attack did something because of its powers of the ‘Dark’, it's likely the only way to counter it.” Though he had discovered the source of Liz’s powers, its underlying abilities were still a mystery. Kujo himself had been well protected from the woman’s assault, though it seemed if he hadn’t been, something similar would have happened to him, too. Damn it. There were still too many pieces of the puzzle missing. ”Am I…Am I gonna lose him…?” Alice’s tears finally began to fall. Frankly, the girl had held out longer than Kujo had anticipated, noting her strength with silent respect. With a sigh, the man leaned forward in his seat, his gaze firm as it landed on Alice. ”Have more faith in your boss. Elena’s powers aren’t something to disregard easily.” Though the man knew little about the woman’s abilities, the sheer presence and power he had first felt upon their initial meeting had been enough. Whatever that ‘Crystal of Light’ was, it wasn’t anything to underestimate, even if it wasn’t at its full power.
”He’ll manage. You can help him by worrying less.” It seemed in his own way, Kujo was telling the girl to have faith in her brother and Elena. Though he wasn’t one too open with words, the man felt like the best thing Alice could do was have faith in them and focus on what was to come. Jack would surely be distressed if he knew the state his sister was in because of his own condition. Not that it was the teen’s fault. Liz had been surprisingly powerful. I knew he shouldn’t have gone alone… Though it had been a stealth mission, Kujo couldn’t help but feel a pang of irritation at how the events had unfolded.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 30, 2020 17:10:03 GMT -5
Despite the words trying to comfort, first from Kujo and then from Lid, Alice seemed to have reached her point —no matter what she did, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. M’Lyn and Jake both grimaced, unsure on what to do —the latter more concerned seeing that it wasn’t his first time seeing something like this happen.
Both times, the one at fault was the same person —Liz. “I hardly think she’ll listen anymore…” M’Lyn sighed, looking down with her arms crossed, “Can’t say I blame her, though…” “Still, what the hell were you saying, just now?” Jake asked, looking at Kujo, “You stood with Liz longer than the rest —you sure you’re doin’ okay?” “It’s Kujo we’re talking about —he’s been able to pull himself from worse.”
Rolling her eyes, the Miqo’te seemed fed up with the situation —mostly to do with her inability to help. She wanted to help both siblings, but one was who knew were with Elena, and the other was suffering from open traumatic wounds —and M’Lyn wasn’t very good with those kinds of things. Much like Kujo, in a sense. While she was a bit more empathetic than the man in purple —at least, for most people’s eyes when comparing the two—, she still struggled when it came to healing others’ emotional scars. Right now, there was little she could do for Alice’s sake. Jake leaned forward, his eyes looking straight at Kujo as a question lingered in his head. Given that Elena still hadn’t showed up, he figured he had some time to ask his end of questions —most of them having to do with Kujo. Resting both forearms in his legs, he began his own part.
“How did you manage to keep up?” he asked, looking serious despite a hint of curiosity behind it, “I mean, I can understand if you’re like miss cat-ears over there —given that you’re from another world ‘n’ all. But… We can clearly state by now that Liz ain’t human anymore, right? How she dodged my shots and what she did to the kid… That ain’t normal for humans.” “Well, you’re partners with Elena, aren’t you?” M’Lyn asked, “Surely you know about Light and Darkness?” “I do —but I still don’t get what they consist about. So…” Jake looked at Kujo yet again, “Your power… Whatever it is, you managed to keep up with Liz. How the hell’d you manage something like that?”
Jake allowed the question to linger a bit, his gaze never moving away from Kujo as he waited for some sort of answer. He hadn’t expected it —someone able to keep up with that amount of power. Even if Kujo was from a world unknown to him, Jake was still intrigued, wondering just how strong other people were, when they came from a world different than theirs. Elena was similar in that regard —always going alongside her “partner”, showcasing definitive finesse with the sword and tremendous power to protect.
Was Kujo in a similar route to Elena, or not? The question would reveal something —even if Kujo himself was reluctant to talk further.
Once more, silence would take hold of the room completely —now no questions remaining. Alice had managed to calm down, if only a little, but tears still fell down her cheeks, and her body continued to quiver in fright. Lid had tried to help a little, but it only helped so much.
“Good —you’re all here.”
The girl perked up, raising her head as she heard Elena’s voice, standing up with both hands clutched against her chest —hopeful, in a sense, to finally receive the answers she wanted. Yet Elena’s gaze was anything but what she’d expected. Her arms crossed, and her expression cold and distant —an expression Alice had rarely seen.
What was happening?
“…Where’s Jack?” the girl asked. “…” Elena sighed, “Before I answer… I need to know” she looked at M’Lyn, Kujo and Jake —all with a stern glare, “Did any of you get hit by Liz’s whip?” “…I didn’t” M’Lyn shook her head, a bit skeptical, “I didn’t go near her during the whole fight.” “Not that I know, either” Jake gave the negative, “If anything, I’d be concerned for Kujo…” “Well?” the woman with blue hair looked his way, waiting a reply.
Alice shivered, still standing up with both hands clutched near her chest, her heart threatening to burst through. She hadn’t received any sort of answer from the one person who had them, since Elena was concerned about the team’s safety as well. While she could understand the sentiment, the girl was selfish enough to desire the answers she wanted —ignoring everything else.
Her worry overcame any sort of reasoning at that point.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 30, 2020 22:48:51 GMT -5
”I hardly think she’ll listen anymore…” M’Lyn seemed to give up on coaxing Alice, who had seemed to collapse inwardly from the turmoil. ”You stood with Liz longer than the rest—you sure you’re doin’ okay?” Jake’s concern caught Kujo off-guard, causing the man to merely shrug as he leaned back in his chair, raising his feet to the table as he reclined with a faint scowl. ”It’s Kujo we’re talking about—he’s been able to pull himself from worse.” The Miqo’te’s confidence in him caused the man to smirk faintly before rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Indeed, Jake’s concern was misplaced—if anything, Kujo had fared the best out of the team. Despite the one-on-one, the man’s abilities had allowed his body to already restore fully from the minor wounds received. As for fatigue…well, even before his Akogare, Kujo was a man with surmounting stamina and powerful strength. ”How did you manage to keep up?” Jake seemed intrigued by his powers, not that the stoic man could blame him. Indeed, to those who had never witnessed such abilities, it was sure to cause some curiosity. Kujo himself had hardly believed the power he’d awoken to, back then.
It seemed part of the man’s intrigue was built from the fact they hardly regarded the woman wielding darkness as human anymore. Though Kujo could understand the thought, his face showed his open skepticism to such a thought. If she wasn’t human, what the hell would she be? Thoughts like that seemed unreasonable to him, despite the situations and bizarrities he’d run across. ”Your power…whatever it is, you managed to keep up with Liz. How the hell’d you manage something like that?” With a faint sigh, he decided to do more than shrug in response this time. Though the man didn’t move from his reclined position, a burst of light emerged from behind him as his Akogare emerged, hovering and translucent as its galaxy eyes seemed to stare at nothing yet see through everything. ”My powers enhance my capabilities, to keep it simple. It’s…” Furrowing his brow for a moment, the man seemed to scowl for a moment. Clearly, explaining his power was still something he found difficult, as most of what he knew was hardly explainable. ”What it is isn’t important. What is important is that it’s not a good match against that damned woman.” There was something else he’d noticed during the fight.
”Whatever that ‘Darkness’ power of hers is…it seems to feed off of energy.” Grimacing, the man’s guardian dissolved in a ray of light once more as he sighed and glanced up at the ceiling in frustration. ”Since my own power is similar to a near limitless well of power and energy…it was stuck at a stalemate.” That being said, the man was sure he'd have prevailed if the soldiers hadn't arrived. Regardless, the fact that Liz seemed to have been drawing power from his own was annoying to say the least. Glaring a hole into the ceiling with his anger at the information he’d gathered during his fight, Kujo was wracking his brain in an attempt to find a weakness in Liz’s abilities. If I use it, it gives her steady power…if I don’t, there’s no way I’ll survive a hit from that… Though the man was confident in his own capabilities, he was by no means a hotheaded fool. Without using the powers of his Akogare, the man would essentially be a slightly stronger human. Gauging what had happened when Jack had taken a direct hit, that wasn’t an option, even if his own strength was enough to do some damage.
”Good—you’re all here.” Elena emerged in the board room, interrupting the man’s broiling thoughts. ”Where’s Jack?” Alice’s face had flashed from hopeful to concerned within a moment, not that Kujo could blame her. ”Did any of you get hit by Liz’s whip?” Scowling a bit at how the woman dodged the initial question, the man in lavender tsked in irritation with his arms crossed as he shook his head in ‘no’. ”If we had, we’d be in a similar state.” Gruff as ever, the man moved his feet from the table to sit forward in his chair, giving Elena a stern look of his own. ”The hell did that whip do to him?” It was time they got some answers. Despite the ‘success’ of the mission, the team was riddled with frustration, anguish, worry and concern—it felt mostly like a failure.
Kujo was ready to plan for their next move, after ascertaining Jack’s condition.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 31, 2020 5:13:35 GMT -5
Elena sighed, in a sense relieved. The fact that no one else had gotten hurt was nice enough, even if she had to double check. Knowing what she did, Elena didn’t want to chance it, instead asking straight and making sure everyone else was, in fact, safe.
Knowing that took some weight off her shoulders, but it was far from enough.
Jake grimaced after hearing what Kujo thought about Liz’s powers. The prospect wasn’t an optimistic one, since apparently Liz’s power only grew stronger by draining other people’s energy —whatever that meant. Even without knowing the exact implications, the statement alone was frightening. Just how strong could she get? How much stronger would she have gotten, had Kujo continued to bout with her, back there? It was legitimately a grim thought —one the man didn’t want to linger on.
”The hell did that whip do to him?” Refusing to raise her head, Elena sighed, a clear scowl in her expression as she debated her options. Alice was still there, waiting hopeful for an answer, both hands clutched in her chest as she waited with uneasy eagerness. Looking away, Elena seemed to finally give in, arranging her thoughts in, what she considered, the nicest way possible.
“…Jack’s fine, thankfully” she explained, “But hardly able to move…”
Elena clutched her hands, rather distressed, still unsure on how to word her thoughts aloud. The crystal by the gauntlet was shimmering faintly, trying to shine brighter but seemingly unable to —something Alice had noticed. Didn’t it usually shine with a bright white light, guiding Elena’s path and speech, encouraging her to move onwards?
So why was it so… Dim now?
“…Where’s Jack?” Jake asked, standing up with a firm expression, “Even if you say he’s fine, it doesn’t help—” “He’s in his room” Elena replied, “Confined —he’s by no means capable of going onwards anymore. What Liz did… That ‘Darkness’ she’s able to manipulate… It’s not normal.” “Meaning…?” M’Lyn asked, skeptical. “…” Elena hesitated, before looking at Jake first, then M’Lyn, and finally Kujo “I can only describe this as a curse —a poison, eating him from inside. I tried what I could, and while I managed to mitigate the damage considerably thanks to my partner… There’s no way I can dispel it currently. Sooner or later, this will kill him.”
Silence. Alice shook, her perception shattered in a second —seemingly unable to process what she’d just heard. Lid looked her way with concern, knowing that she could collapse at any second. The girl stood there, frozen, shivers going through as the thought slowly settled in her head —all while tears flowed down.
Her brother… Dying? For real, this time? There was really a chance he would leave her behind, and fade? Not only that, but Elena mentioned he was “confined” in his room. Was he that bad in condition?
“Can… Can I…?” Alice whispered, taking a faint step forward. “I’d rather you didn't” Elena shook her head, “I can’t tell what this darkness is capable of, nor do I want to chance it. Even if it’s someone like me or Kujo —I don’t know whether this can spread. It’s corroding —eating away any sort of life it can catch onto. That much, I can say for certain.”
With yet another uncomfortable silence, Alice was shaking her head in denial. She wanted it all to just be a bad dream —a nightmare she could wake up from. She wanted to see Jack, and hug him, never to let go of him —find the one person she could find reassurance in. But even that was being denied to her, and leaving her instead alone and scared.
It didn’t take long before she bolted out of the room, her aim clearly being Jack’s room. While Lid tried to stop her by shouting her name, the girl didn’t listen to anyone else’s voice but her own.
“I don’t believe it… It’s not real…!”
Elena looked down, once more thoughtful. With Alice now gone, there were a few more delicate things she could divulge —but keeping the girl in the dark was hardly an option. She’d told Jack already, before arriving there —no longer would Elena keep things hidden from her, no matter how much the teen pleaded her to. Not when he was in that state.
M’Lyn looked skeptical, suspicious that Elena had decided to keep something to herself. Her arms crossed, trying to hide her obvious concern for the siblings, the Miqo’te looked to pry further, knowing that they were just scratching the surface of the real issue.
“You’re keeping something to yourself” M’Lyn inquired, “Why?” “…Truthfully, I didn’t know how to explain it with Alice here” Elena shook her head, “That doesn’t mean I plan on hiding this from her —not anymore.” “Then?” “…By the time you brought him” Elena looked at the Miqo’te, “He should’ve been dead by then —beyond saving.” “What…?” Lid looked perplexed and confused, “But… Jack was still holding on, right? Despite the fact that he was struggling to do so…” “True —but I’m not lying. He should’ve died way before you even got to the sewers. The fact that he’s still alive after all of it is a miracle of sorts, but a very small one. It doesn’t change the fact that this will kill him eventually.”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 31, 2020 13:40:19 GMT -5
”Jack’s fine, thankfully” Despite the initial ‘good’ news, Elena hardly seemed relieved, something Kujo was quick to notice. Raising an eyebrow in silence, the stoic man could see there was something she was reluctant to say. ”Even if you say he’s fine, it doesn’t help—“ Jake seemed frustrated by their boss’s vagueness, as well. ”I can only describe this as a curse—a poison, eating him from the inside.” The news was more grim than he’d expected, hearing how eventually it seemed it would kill the teen, unable to be dispelled fully. Give me a break. Scowling openly, Kujo glared as he crossed his arms with an irritated tsk. Wasn’t she giving up a little too easy? ”Can…Can I…?” Alice’s whisper caught his attention, noting how the girl seemed on the tipping point. ”I’d rather you didn’t. I can’t tell what this darkness is capable of, nor do I want to chance it.” Though the delivery itself was somewhat tactless, Kujo couldn’t disagree with Elena’s decision. He himself found it surprising such an effect could occur, never having seen such things occur on any of their missions prior. ”I don’t believe it…it’s not real…!” Within a moment, the young Navigator had fled the scene.
He didn’t bother going after her. There was nothing he could do right now, either. ”You’re keeping something to yourself.” Shrewd as ever, M’Lyn seemed to see something lurking beneath Elena’s gaze, too. Hearing how the teen should have died from such a ‘curse’ before even arriving back to base was somewhat alarming. Just how powerful is this ‘Darkness’…? Though he’d seen it transform locals of other worlds, or devour entire sections of worlds (much like the ‘lake’ he had once fallen into), Kujo had never seen it corrode someone from within. What the hell are its limits? Regardless of the vagueness of these ‘Dark’ and ‘Light’ entities, everything that existed followed some rules of its own. It was no different for his Akogare, or Liz’s powers. ”Whatever. The point is he’s alive now.” Sitting up in his chair and leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, Kujo gave Elena and the others in the room a stern and determined look, irritation clear in his tone. ”Clearly whatever power she’s gotten from this ‘Darkness’ is different than what we’ve run into.” Glancing at M’Lyn, the man could tell by the look on her face she wasn’t familiar with this ‘curse’ nonsense, either.
”What if we use that 'sword' of his?” Crossing his arms in thought, it seemed Kujo was hardly daunted by the grimness of the situation at hand. Rather than lament on their failures and give up to the hopeless situation, the man had a stronger will than that, focusing instead on the next steps forward. There’s no way it’s invincible. Regardless of its power, everything had some sort of weakness, at the end of the day, no matter how faint or small. ”It’s reverted those transformed and possessed by ‘Darkness’ before…it could work on releasing this ‘curse’ bullshit.” Clearly, the situation was still frustrating him though, evidenced by the open scowl he wore. ”If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to resort to taking her out altogether—“ His expression darkened, knowing what that would mean. Though not familiar with the concept of ‘Darkness’ and ‘Curses’, Kujo’s own home world had its own superstitions and rumors. It wasn’t like he’d never heard of a ‘curse’ before. Typically, in rumors and mythos on his home world, if the placer of the curse was ‘destroyed’, the curse itself would dissolve, too. ”—not that I see any obvious weaknesses, on her part.”
Somehow, his scowl deepened at his last comment. He’d have to review the scanned recording of their one-on-one, though he knew it’d most likely prove fruitless. What would he be able to see from a recording that his own perception hadn’t gathered?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 31, 2020 14:20:19 GMT -5
Elena grimaced, looking at Kujo as he tried to pull it back up. In a sense, he wasn’t wrong —the fact that Jack was still alive, and able to continue if only barely, meant that some hope remained. The question was where —Elena’s partner couldn’t do much more than lessen the damage. Much like Kujo, however, Elena was frustrated at the fact that, perhaps, the crystal had powers that she hadn’t unlocked or discovered yet.
Maybe then they had a chance to dispel the “curse”?
”What if we use that 'sword' of his?” The mention of Jack’s own power brought her out of thought —although it set clear curiosity from both Lid and Jake, having never heard of a “sword” in Jack’s hands. Jake leaned forward, wanting to learn more about what the teen had been up to, and what sort of power he had obtained.
“If that were the case, don’t you think it wouldn’t have affected him?” Elena pondered aloud, “That power of his comes from within his heart —much like your power or mine. If anything, that power is the reason why he’s still alive, but I don’t think it’s strong enough to fight back.” “How, exactly, are you so sure about it?” M’Lyn asked, confused. “…” Elena held her partner from the gauntlet, it’s shimmer dim and somewhat off, “Because of how it resonates. Given that they’re from the same side —that being Light—, my partner oftentimes can tell these sorts of things. It reacted the same way with Kujo —but with Jack, it was different because of what Liz did to him. And now…” “It’s dim…” Lid mentioned out, “Isn’t it usually… Like, super bright?” “It is —but while we tried to get rid of the darkness inside Jack’s heart… It seemed to be too much for us. Hence, why we couldn’t totally dispel it. And trust me —I tried pushing the limits, but even then it wasn’t enough.”
Finishing the thought, Elena sighed, scowling, as she looked away. The silence didn’t take long this time, as Kujo tried to figure out any other resolution to the problem —that being beating Liz. But if already they had struggled, ending at mostly a tie… How did he expect to beating her in a 1 on 1? Elena grimaced, her arms falling to her side as her cold gaze scanned Kujo’s own.
Knowing that she’d underestimated their opponents, Elena couldn’t afford losing others, as well.
“How, exactly, do you plan on beating her?” she inquired, stepping forward, “Are you planning on doing the same thing you did before? Fight her head-on, knowing her power’s stronger than yours? Trust me, Kujo —she was toying with you. What do you think will happen if she goes all out?” “Aren’t you worrying yourself too much, though?” M’Lyn stepped up, “Kujo and I could most likely do something about her. Even if she’s strong, there’s bound to be a weakness we can exploit.” “Then how do you plan on figuring that out?” Elena asked, bitter, “If you can’t find that weakness of hers, then what happens next? …This isn’t a battle we can win —none of us. While I can understand your reasonings and desires, I won’t allow you to toss your lives aside. You two, of all people, should be more than able to understand the difference between a difficult fight, and an unwinnable one.”
M’Lyn groaned in discomfort, knowing she had no rebuttal to Elena’s words, and fell silent. As for the woman in white and blue, she sighed, willing to more the topic onwards. Having understood the general idea, Jake nodded to himself, looking down at the floor with his hands clasped together, debating his options while he was at it.
“For the time being, you are to remain within the facilities —you’re not allowed to go outside until Jack’s able to get back up” Elena said, “Once he recovers enough to move, you’re leaving Milennia —and you’re not coming back, again. Not until this is solved, or we find a solution to deal with Liz. Right now, we can’t do anything about her and the Heartless plaguing the city.” “Wha…?” M’Lyn blinked, shocked, “You’re… Asking them to leave their home for, perhaps, forever?” “Liz’s objective is Jack —first and foremost. Even before forcing us out of hiding” Elena replied, “That is mostly likely due to the fac that Jack can seal the world’s core —and that would mean that the Heartless couldn’t appear here anymore. I’m not going to risk this happening again —not while Jack’s power is this weak compared to hers.” “But we’ve encountered Liz outside of Milennia” the Miqo’te retorted, “Twice, if I remember correctly. It wouldn’t matter if we’re here or in another world —Liz will find us.” “The only solace I can find in Jack being in another world is the fact that Liz’s powers are limited outside of Milennia. She’s purely a projection, right? That has to drain her of most of her power, meaning that what she can do here, she can’t do elsewhere” Elena sighed, “That alone might help. Even then” she shook her head, raising it to look at the rest, “I’ll leave whatever worlds you want to go to your disclosure —I won’t issue any more orders to you. All the while, Jack’s most likely temporarily dismissed as a scout —until he can gain a better grasp of his own power, and stand up to the darkness within his heart, he’s not to leave the ship once he boards it.”
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 1, 2021 16:08:02 GMT -5
”That power of his comes from within his heart—much like your power or mine.” Grimacing a bit as Elena rejected his proposition to utilize Jack’s bizarre weapon, Kujo leaned back in his chair while crossing his arms and a tsk of his tongue. Despite the woman’s power and ‘partner’, it seemed she wasn’t able to do much else about purging this ‘curse’ from Jack. Tch—figures. If they couldn’t simply undo or remove this ‘curse’, it seemed that getting rid of Liz herself was the only other option, at least, it was the only other alternative that seemed to present itself at the moment. Not that that’ll be easy. Though part of him had felt excitement and adrenaline at having met an opponent who could keep up with him, the man primarily felt an annoyance towards the woman. They’d have to pinpoint a weakness or vulnerability of some sort—or at least gather more concrete information on just what those ‘dark’ powers consisted of, what their limitations were. ”How exactly do you plan on beating her?” Elena hardly seemed to want to put any thought into the matter herself, instead merely continuing to be a voice of rejection, masked by a facade of ‘reason’. It seemed she wasn't keen on suggesting any counter-alternatives, other than a retreat.
”Is that how you run this place?” At this point, Kujo’s patience had hit a breaking point. Elena’s ‘solution’ of merely having them turn tail and run off of Milennia was hardly a solution at all. Over all, the man was beyond disappointed and irritated at this ‘leader’s’ decision making. ”I don’t think it’s a bad idea for Jack to leave for now. Not only is he no match for her, but he’s the main target...” Shaking his head a bit, the man gave an annoyed sigh. ”But frankly, I don’t see how any of your units here are going to be more effective than M’Lyn or I in gathering information on this damned woman’s powers.” Glancing over at the Miqo’te, the man had a sudden idea occur to him. ”I think it’d be smarter for M’Lyn or I to take Jack off-world, while whatever units we can spare here work with Alice and whoever stayed behind on actively seeking out that damned woman’s weak points, limitations, or at least figure out what those ‘dark’ powers of hers are fully capable of.” Looking over at Elena, Kujo’s irritation seemed to simmer down, the look on his face replaced by a stoney determination. ”We don’t have enough information for a solution, but that’s not hard to change.”
It was a better idea to him than the entire team turning tail and simply relying on Elena and her soldiers (none of whom Kujo had known well enough outside of his own unit to trust more than him or his own allies capabilities) to get the information they needed. Though Jack could certainly use the strengthening up, there was no reason to not utilize the rest of the team’s abilities. ”I doubt she’ll want to leave her brother, after all’s said and done…but there’s no doubt that her Navigation skills and perception are a vital tool for us in figuring this out.” Clearly, the stoic man put the young girls skill in quite a high esteem. Raising an eyebrow, Kujo wondered for a moment if he was being insensitive. ”I’m sure if it meant figuring out a way to remove this ‘curse’, she’d be willing to deal with it.” Alice had always seemed to prioritize her brother, just like Jack did with her. Even if the idea was rejected completely, Kujo felt there was some merit to it. Clearly, the man wasn’t keen on simply letting matters end like this.
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