Slayer x Pyre 1x1

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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Sophie paled, though it hard to see in the darkness. "Gone...but why...?" she fidgeted with the blankets for a moment before a nervous chuckled escaped her. "Maybe they just..we-went for a walk or something...right...?" They weren't stupid enough to do something drastic, right? Especially when the hunters had captured Tahra so recently. Sophie could think of a hundred and one things that the two were doing, and none of them were good. "Niko, you idiot" Sophie sighed and held her head in her hands. If something bad had happened to the both of them, she didn't know what she'd do. "...What do we do now?"

Lucky for Sophie, only one dragon was in mortal peril at the moment... Well, given that Ni had nearly crashed Tahra's car, leaving a large scratch down one side of it from where he'd hit a guard rail... Maybe two. He imagined when they rescued Tahra she wasn't going to be thrilled. But that could wait, he'd made it back to the hideout, and now he just had to get back inside... Which was going to be an issue, given Tahra's security. Abandoning the car in front of the garage, Niko dashed up the stairs they'd gone up before, Niko found himself face to face with the door that Tahra had taken them in through. The one that required voice authentication.
"Uh...open sesame?"

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

Kaito nibbled on one of his nails when he could hear the tone in Sophie's voice; she was more than surprised by the disappearance of the two so that ruled out her knowing anything. Going for a leisurely stroll seemed highly unlikely also and from the way she was stuttering, she knew it too. Slowly Kaito got out of the bed and walked over to Sophie's so that he could sit down next to her. "Well, for starters we have to keep level heads in a situation like this. Whatever they got into, I'm sure they knew what they were doing." Kaito started quietly, in a way wishing that they would have confided in him and Sophie. Maybe whatever it was, they needed to have less people? It still didn't make any sense but it was a possibility. His mouth opened to say something else but a ding that sounded in the house caught him off guard. "What was that?" Kaito both looked and sounded confused as the ding sounded not even a couple seconds later. A fast look around showed a tiny spec of a green light glowing on the wall next to the door. Kaito got up and walked over to it, his hand reaching out to touch it the second he got close enough. The light flashed a brighter color and soon a small monitor was sliding out of a hidden panel on the wall.

"Jeez...Tahra sure is full of surprises." Kaito muttered with a sigh since it felt like his heart skyrocketed from the surprise of the thing just coming out of no where practically. "Hm?" Upon closer inspection of the now apparent screen, Kaito noticed that Niko was standing outside of the front door. "Hey, Sophie! Niko's outside!" Kaito spoke quickly but before she could say anything, he had bolted out of the room to head to the front door. He remembered the types of thing Tahra had to go through and highly doubted Niko would be able to do such things.

"Cannot recognize 'open sesame'." A female automated voice with a heavy accent sounded from the door at the same time as the light turning a bright red on the keypad. "Please say 'how to build a potato tower' in Arabic to continue. Multiple attempts will result in self-destruct mode." The light flashed a couple of times, almost as though it was warning Niko that it was serious about detonating. Muffled 'no's' came from behind the door, followed by a loud bang and a curse in another language. A couple seconds went by in silence before the light stopped flashing and faded back to its normal blue color. The door swung open and Kaito heaved a sigh of relief when he realized he made it before something happened.

"The hell is wrong with that door? Self-destructing threats. Tahra really knows how to keep her place safe." At least that was a plus side to the whole thing, although she wasn't going to be very happy about the fact that he thought he might have broken something when he tripped. Not that the little robot dragon that had been on the counter near seemed like it had been used at all. That wasn't important right now though. "Where have you been? Oh...where's Tahra?"

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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​

Sophie sighed, as Kaito sat beside her, she scooted over and briefly rested her head on his shoulder. How could Niko be so stupid, how could he...how could they? It just didn't make sense. She expected this sort of thing from Tahra, they didn't know each other very well, but Niko? They'd been friends for several years, for him to just up and disappear on them... What if something had happened to them? What if they got caught? The hunters wouldn't let Niko escape a second time... She took a shaky breath and looked up at Kaito, how could he remain s calm at a time like this? "...What do we do now...?" she asked, softly, but then there was this beeping noise, which Kaito moved to investigate. Sophie watched wit tired eyes as Kaito checked some screen that had come out of the wall. It seemed Tahra had her entire place wired. She perked up however, as Kaito said Niko was outside the door. "What?" she sat up some, Kaito went to check, and Sophie sat there, stunned for a moment. She felt relieved and thankful that he was alright...but also angry. Her eyes narrowed, standing she tossed her blanket to the side and stalked out to confront the fire dragon. He was in sooo much trouble.

"Build a what now?" Niko blinked, confused. Why the hell did anyone in their right mind know how to say that in any language. "Listen here you fucking door" He shouted, giving the door a good solid kick, one that left a sizable dent in the metal. His foot was also throbbing, but Niko paid it no mind. Tahra and her god damn security...
Had Kaito not open the door, Niko might've done something stupid, like continuing kicking a door threatening to blow up on him. However, Kaito did manage to open the door, causing Niko to sigh in relief. "Tahra's been..." Niko started, but was cut off as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. He staggered back as he felt a sold force hit him square in the chest, he gripped the wall to keep on his feet. "You IDIOT!" Sophie's voice sounded from behind Kaito, as the angry air dragon stormed onto the scene. "Sophie...calm down, ca- AGH" Niko cried out in pain as Sophie pointed at him, and the air in the room seemed to weigh down on him. "Sophie, stop it, fucking hell" the fire dragon wheezed, looking up at the angry woman standing over him.

Sophie glared down at him for a moment, before sighing, the air pressure disappeared, dropping to her knees Sophie wrapped Niko in a hug. "Don't you ever do something like that again!" she cried as she hid her face against her shoulder. Niko went stiff for a second, started at home Sophie managed to go from angry to crying ad concerned. As she pulled back, Niko pat her on the head. "...I won't...and I'm sorry...but we don't have time for this right now" He stood, slowly, and helped Sophie up. Looking to Kaito, Niko answered his question. "...Tahra's been captured...we...we went after the scale..my scale. They took a piece of it and..." he shook his head. "...When Tahra found out where it was, she...we decided to go and get it back" Sophie's eyes went wide, looking to Niko's chest she grabbed his shirt and pulled it up. "Hey!" Niko said, but Sophie paid no heed.

True to his word, Niko's scale was whole, though it was slightly discolored. There was a large crack going across the scale, though it was starting to mend in some parts. Sophie could hardly believe it. "...Its back..."
Niko nodded, and lowered his shirt. "...Yeah, but she was caught...and if we don't help her they'll..." A shiver ran down his spine, just thinking about what Tahra had to be going through. "...We have to help her...its my fault she was caught...we..." Niko shook his head and hung it.

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

"Tahra's been...?" Kaito trailed off just as Niko had, hoping the other dragon would continue but that wasn't going to happen right now. Sophie wanted to speak her mind it seemed and it caused Kaito to let out another sigh. He felt there wasn't the time for such antics but it was better to let the woman get it off of her chest. Of course, he also took a step to the side so he could avoid her wrath; a woman scorned was never a bad thing and this just proved yet again why it was never good to mess with them. The moment turned to a better one when Sophie switched like a light switch and started crying. She must feel so relieved to have him back safe and sound from whatever happened. But that still didn't answer the question. Kaito opened his mouth to ask again what happened to Tahra but it closed promptly when the answer was finally being given. "What?" She had been captured? They just rescued her from a capture that she had wanted earlier but now it was for real? Already his mind started working to what they could do, only briefly stopping to look at the scale on Niko's chest. It was a risky move to go and infiltrate a hunter's base and clearly it didn't turn out as well as they had hoped. Niko got his scale back so it was a good thing in a way but Tahra...

"First, you need to calm down Niko. Getting upset won't help change the situation and it won't help Tahra at all." Kaito spoke in a quiet tone as he glanced to the side, still thinking about how they could go about things. "It isn't your fault she was caught, you both knew the risks for such a feat I imagine. It's no wonder you kept it from Sophie and I." The less people they had, the less likely they were to be noticed. That still didn't make it right by any means. "We don't have much time if we're going to be rescuing her from them. I do hope you remember where the facility is because you'll be needed to drive...if she has a car." Did she? Kaito imagined she would since no one really got around anywhere without cars these days. "I know the perfect distraction to keep the attention away from you so that we can get her out of there the fastest. Just leave that part to me. However." Kaito paused as he looked over to Sophie with a concerned look. "You should stay here. The hunters know exactly who I am and what I look like. I imagine they know what Niko looks like too since they had half of his scale. What they don't know is about you; not what you look like or the kind of dragon you are, or anything really. It'd be much better to leave it that way for your sake as much as your family's sake. I think it'll be wiser to have just Niko and myself go after Tahra."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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Niko took another breath and nodded. Kaito was right, remaining calm was the best thing he could do, freaking out wasn't going to help Tahra any. Looking to the older dragon, he spoke. "I know where it is...I drive back here, though I also kinda crashed it...but she has others in the garage". He hoped he'd have better luck with one of them. Sophie looked from Kaito to Niko, between the three of them, they'd be able to get Tahra back...right? She didn't particularly like the other dragon, but she wasn't going to leave her to die at the hands of the hunters. However...
"But, I want to help... I can help" Sophie said, looking from Kaito to Niko. Niko sighed and nodded in agreement. "...Kaito is right Sophie" . The air dragon looked to him, frowning. "Look, we've been identified...but you haven't been. If something were to go wrong"

"Oh, you mean like the last time you did this?" Sophie crossed her arms. "I'm not sitting here, waiting for you to come back. Because if something went wrong and..." she trailed off and her eyes moved to the ground. "...I'm coming...I won't wait here...wondering...praying...that you'll all come back alive" she looked to the both of them, pleadingly. "I'll stay out of your way, I promise...just please don't make me wait here..."
She couldn't bare the thought of none of them coming back.

​

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

A nod was given when Niko spoke of the cars that they could use and how he could get them there. At least that was a step in the right direction, which just left the one problem of how Sophie would take being left behind. Clearly it wasn't taken well at all as she was quick to say she could help. Kaito didn't want to put her in any sort of danger, let alone one that could be risky enough for her to be seen. It would endanger her family and he didn't want anything to happen to them. He knew the pain of loss and wouldn't want anyone else to have to feel that if he could help it. Despite his own words as well as Niko's, none of it seemed to go through to Sophie. She was adamant about coming and that caused a deep breath to be taken by Kaito. She didn't know how to fight, let alone the kinds of dangers they'd be facing. She'd be safer here and yet she still wanted to come with. Taking a step closer, he reached out to cup her chin slightly and gave her a stern but kind look.

"Fine, you can come with. But-" he paused so he could emphasis his next words, even going so far as to point a finger towards her face to make sure she paid attention. "You'll be driving. Which means you'll be staying behind to keep the car going so that way when we get out, we can just bolt from there. There's going to be no compromising whatsoever on this one and you'll not be coming in with us. I won't risk your safety or the safety of your family over this." Just having someone there to keep the car going would actually help a lot given how they'd need a quick way out. Flying could be an option if one of them stayed in their dragon form but that would be too risky. Especially after what he had in store to keep all eyes on him. "Do you understand, Sophie?"

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Median and Sophie Stolts
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​

Sophie blushed as Kaito cupped her chin, but hearing that she could come along brought a small smile to her face. "Okay, I'll..d.rive" she sighed and wiped at her eyes. Niko chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "that's probably for the best, given I am a terribly driver" Sophie chuckled nervously. "I bet" Though she had no desire to sit by the sidelines, she was scared. She'd never been in such a dangerous situation before, and while she had a decent control over her powers, she disliked the idea of using them to hurt people. "...So, what do we do now?" she asked, looking to the other two. Were they going to storm the place, as Niko and Tahra had, Sophie couldn't help but feel that was a bad idea. If either of them were caught... Sophie shook her head. She couldn't afford to thing about that.
She sat down on the couch, she pulled her knees up and rested her head on them.

"...So...what do we do now?" she asked with a yawn. Niko was looking fairly tired, both from getting is scale back, and Sophie's beating. He sighed and looked to Kaito. "...As much as I hate to say it...but we should rest...I'm not sure how uh...well off I am at the moment" His strength was still returning, but he already felt and looked better than he had before. Niko aside, it was clear Sophie was still exhausted. "We'll make our move tomorrow...hopefully" Niko looked toward Tahra's computer room. He wished he could contact Mai, just to know that the girl was okay, and to see what help she could offer.

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

When it was all agreed on that Sophie would listen, Kaito took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest. Things just kept getting worse and worse for them. At least there was a positive in Niko's scale but the rest of it wasn't so great. He'd have to make sure to have some fun with those hunters when they confront them. Sophie's voice brought his gaze to first look at her and then to Niko. There was no way they'd be able to do anything for Tahra tonight. Sophie looked exhausted and Niko...well, he sort of looked like a worn out rag doll in a way. Both of them were too tired to be of any help. "I hate the idea of leaving Tahra there but you're right. We won't do any good for her if we're too tired, especially you. You'll need all the strength you can when we confront them." Kaito mostly spoke to Niko in that regard since the water dragon couldn't do all the fighting himself. Well...in a way he was going to since he was working as a distraction but that wasn't the point. Niko still needed to be at his best so he can find and get Tahra out of there. Running a hand through his hair, an inaudible sigh left his lips as he knew he likely wasn't going to get much in the way of sleep tonight. All well.

"All right, we'll talk more about the plan in the morning once we're all rested. Come on." Kaito motioned for them both to start walking towards the bedroom, every now and then even giving them a gentle nudge if he felt they weren't walking. He made sure that Niko went into the master bedroom to rest on a bed since that'd give him the best sleep before he followed Sophie into the guest room. Another sigh left his lips as he settled down on the bed once more, setting his hands to rest behind his head. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling and his thoughts were a jumbled mess of potential plans and possibilities. He was working different scenarios, trying to think of the best one that would help them the most. How much time had passed before he finally passed out, he wasn't sure but he knew it had been a while. A few hours sleep was all he needed anyway since he was used to it as an artist; having to focus on the painting to get it finished on time, there was no room for sleep until afterwards...

⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹​

Nicholas​

After the capture of the dragon, Nicholas had gone straight to the call the director and inform him of exactly whom the woman was. There were no doubts in his mind that she was the sister of that filthy beast from some years ago; one that almost cost them three different research facilities until he was finally put down by none other than Nicholas himself. The two looked similar and from what Nicholas remembered, the dragon mentioned having a little sister. Well, he mentioned a lot after he broke from all the pain the hunters had given him. It was only natural since they needed to make sure that some of their things worked and what better way than to test it on a captured dragon. This particular dragon was the reason they found out about the heartscales in the first place. After his talk with the director, he was given permission to do what he thought best to get information out of her about the other dragons as well as try to figure out how the body of a dragon worked. Some dragons had been cut open before -in their human state- just to see if they were indeed identical to humans but with her being alive, this would be a good way to test other things they were curious about. He had informed some of the scientists to ready some tools that he thought might be needed, then headed off to do some late night training before bed.

Nicholas had awoken fairly early the next morning, did a bit more training as per usual, then got ready for the day. As he was nibbling on breakfast, he called on the same researchers from the night before and told them to meet him outside the dragon's cell. For a moment, he wondered about bringing Livia and Sahara with him to this little meeting but then thought better of it. They were still green so they wouldn't be able to stomach what he was doing. With the thought tossed out the window, he made his way through the building until he reached the restricted area where the cells were. The guard let him in, along with the three researchers bringing a rolling table that was covered by a thick white cloth. The redhead was already awake, trying to pull at the restraints with all the strength she could muster; luckily, that was about the strength of a human at the moment thanks to some drugs that had been in the tranquilizer. That would take longer to get out of the dragon's system than the effect of sleepiness. A fierce glare was sent Nicholas' way when she noticed them coming near and all it did was crack a smile on the hunter's lips.

"Well, I never thought we'd cross paths this way...Aria." The name left his lips with a chuckle as he eyed her for a reaction. She didn't give him any and that was a bit disappointing.

"Talking all high and mighty for someone that doesn't even have all the facts." Tahra snapped, trying very hard to keep herself calm and in her right mind. That name was one she hadn't heard in a very long time since she had changed her name. How did this man know it?

"Oh but I do have all the facts, Aria. I know exactly who you are." The grin only widened a bit as Nicholas stepped closer along with the researcher pushing the cart forward. The redhead eyed the covered cart for a brief moment before returning her glare to the hunter. "But that's a story for another time. I'm going to give you a choice, beast. Tell us all you know about the dragons and we'll consider giving you a swift death." Not that Nicholas really wanted to give her that much but it was orders. Tahra seemed to think about it for a few seconds before she thought of what to say.

"The dragons are very scaly, creepy looking beasts with long claws and fangs. They like to prey on a human's crops so you have to make sure to keep your eye on it, especially the sheep. One is purple scaled and looks like a sumo wrestler, but as a dragon. Then there's the one with a super long neck and four heads, very difficult that one. They tend to argue with each other all the time and-"

"Enough." Nicholas snapped this time out of annoyance that just got amplified when he noticed the way Tahra grinned. She knew very well he wanted information about Niko and the others but there was no way she was going to give them anything. "Fine. We'll see how long you hold up after some tests." The cover on the cart was removed, revealing a slew of tools that didn't look very pleasant at all; most were sharp, some with jagged edges on them. Others looked more blunt, like they were a hammer of sorts. Needles and vials with some oddly colored liquids were lined up neatly as well. "Last chance. Tell me about the other three dragons."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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​

Sophie was more than happy to go back to sleep. In spite of how worried she was, she couldn't hide how tired she was. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes and shuffled back toward the guest bedroom, but she refused to go back to sleep until sh knew Niko was in bed. The fire dragon didn't seem happy about leaving Tahra for the night, but he was exhausted. He was still adjusting to having his scale back, he hoped by the next day he'd be better off. God only knew what they were doing to Tahra. As Sophie and Kaito shuffled back to the guest bedroom, Niko collapsed onto the master bed. Rolling onto his back, Niko stared up at the ceiling, which he could see in near perfect detail. "...God damnit Tahra..." he sighed and rested an arm over his eyes. "You better not die on me". She just had to hold on a little longer... They were coming for her.

Sophie crawled back into bed, but for the longest time, she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept wandering to Niko and Tahra, and why they hadn't told them about what they were doing. Maybe if they
d asked for help then this never would've happened... She shook he head and sighed, she tried to just close her eyes and sleep, but couldn't. She was nervous and scared, scared for Tahra, and scared about the danger Niko and Kaito would be in trying to rescue her. She didn't want any of them to get hurt...
Sleep eventually came for the air dragon, she fell into a fitful slumber ab hour or so after Niko came back.

Mai Acantha
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The night of Tahra's capture, Mai got little to no sleep. After patching up holes in the security system, and leaving some intentional weak points for her to exploit, the girl found herself buried by paper work. She was signing off on experimental procedures to be done on Tahra the following day, and each one was enough to make her stomach twist. She wanted to refuse them all, but the girl had to tread carefully. In light of how far both dragons had made it, and the fact Niko had escaped, security was on high alert, as well as suspicions. People were starting to wonder whether or not someone on the inside was helping the beasts, and if Mai were to be exposed. Her death would not be painless or swift, but it would be assured. If she were to die, there'd be no one to help Tahra... Well, almost no one. Mai got the feeling that Livia, Sahara's partner, was having doubts about everything she'd been taught to believe. She'd tried to do more research into the girl's past, but found a lot of it was locked behind a wall of security.

Though she could've hacked it, Mai didn't want to waste the energy it would take. Perhaps another day she'd question the woman about it but... Sometime around three am, Mai finally fell asleep, at her desk, as she often did.
She was awoken the next day by a loud banging on her door. Peeling her face from her keyboard, the tired scientist pushed her rolling chair to the door, upon opening it she found her dear aunt, staring down at her with a disapproving scowl. "Child, we are needed at the cells, I expect you to clean up some before joining us" she snapped, and Mai just nodded numbly. "Yes Ma'am"
Her aunt sauntered away, and Mai shut the door. She supposed they were starting early with Tahra... Some of the things they were testing for, like regeneration rates, would take some time to gauge.
After a quick, cold shower, Mai pulled on a clean tank top, a pair of black tights, and some shorts over them. Once she was dressed, she grabbed her lab coat, with hung too long on her skinny frame. It had belonged to her father, it was the only possession she had of him, aside from his research notes. Wearing it served as a reminder to the promise she'd made him.

She would do what she could to aid the dragons, and right then, that meant figuring a way to save Tahra.
Mai stood quietly as Nicholas taunted Tahra, her expression remained impassive, even when the instruments were pulled out. She couldn't afford to display any doubt or disgust in front of these people. Mai was there to ensure Tahra didn't die to early. That was all.

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

Morning came a bit too quickly, much to the water dragon's disapproval. He wanted nothing more than to roll over and catch a few more minutes of sleep; that couldn't happen though since they had to find a way to get Tahra out of that damn place. Taking a deep breath, Kaito forced himself into a sitting position and sort of slumped over for a minute. His neck was a bit sore likely from the pillows but it was nothing that a little stretching wouldn't fix. With that in mind, he got up and eyed the bed that Sophie was on; it looked like she was still out like a light so he let her be and tiptoed his way out of the room. He went to the bathroom first to take a quick shower and cleaned up. It was a little awkward having to wear the same clothes but by the time they made it to the facility it wouldn't really make a difference. His distraction would cause them to be ripped apart anyway since he was going to shift into his dragon form and put a rather big dent in the place. What a way to draw attention to himself and keep it off of Niko. He'd just have to tell the other two while they talked about it and then go from there.

Once he was clean and dressed again, he made his way to the kitchen and set up a pot of coffee to brew. Tahra really did keep a stock of those chips just about everywhere in the house; how did she stay so healthy just eating those? Kaito could never understand such a thing but he wasn't going to question her style of living. At least not yet. With the coffee being brewed, he went out into the living room and began to do some quick stretches to work out any kinks or soreness he might have felt from the sleep. Several minutes went by and only once he had down stretching for his whole body did he feel satisfied like he had actually slept normally. So he made his way back into the kitchen to pull out some things to cook for breakfast; eggs, sausage, some corned hash -which was from a can but hey, it would have to do- and some bacon. A little bit of everything and that would hopefully be a good enough breakfast for them. Although he wasn't sure how Niko or Sophie would like their eggs so he held off on making those. The smell of food wafting through the house should hopefully wake the two of them up, if they weren't awake already.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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​

It was the smell of food that finally roused Niko from sleep. he was laying, backwards on the master bed, with his feet in the pillows. Which was odd, given he was pretty sure he'd gone to be with his head on a pillow... Yawning, the fire dragon sat up, his back protested the movement with a sharp jab of pain, but Niko ignored it. He was pretty sure he smelled bacon and that more than enough reason to crawl out of bed. Today was ideally the day they were going after Tahra, he and Kaito had a plan...of sorts. He wasn't sure what Kaito's distraction was, but he could guess. Niko was debating shifting into his true form and tearing apart the facility, it would also provide a convenient escape, assuming he could get into the air quickly enough. Flight was not his strong suit however, that was Sophie's expertise. Niko was itching to go all the way, but didn't want to risk Mai being injured in his rampage. Transforming would be the last resort, his job was getting Tahra. After that, he could indulge in some mindless destruction.

Wandering out into the living room, Niko yawned. Someone was definitely cooking, he wondered if it was Kaito or Sophie. He got his answer as he walked into the kitchen and saw Kaito at the stove. "Sup" he said with a yawn, rubbing the back of his neck Niko sighed. "...So...are we doing this today?" He didn't want Tahra to stay there any longer than absolutely necessary. Niko was more than ready, assuming Kaito and Sophie were as well they should get moving. God only knew what Tahra had been put through.
Sophie stirred in bed, the smell of food had coaxed her from her sleep. Yawning, she climbed out of bed and wandered toward the bathroom.
Only issue was, she wasn't wearing pants, as she'd gotten hot the previous night and had taken them off. In her half asleep daze, she forgot to pull them back on. Wearing nothing but her underwear and a tank top, Sophie wandered to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen.

Niko's eyes went wide and he started to giggle as Sophie grabbed a glass to fill with water. Yawning, she looked to the fire dragon, confused. "...What are you laughing at?"

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

The greeting caused Kaito to pause in turning over the bacon strips in the pan so that he could grin towards the other dragon. "Morning." Although the grin was quick to fade when it was already mentioned about them going after Tahra. At first all he did was nod his head as his attention went right back to the pan in front of him. "I think we need to get her out of there as fast as possible but...I'm starting to think that jumping right in to attack them might not be the best of ideas either." Kaito let a heavy sigh leave his lips and once he finished flipping the last piece of bacon, he turned his attention back to Niko. Although whatever he was going to add was lost the second that Sophie came waltzing in to the kitchen in nothing but underwear and a tank. It left just about nothing to the imagination in a way and caused a deep red to cross Kaito's cheeks. Was she doing this on purpose? She had to be. Maybe not though since she didn't see why Niko was giggling.

"S-Sophie, you..." Kaito quickly turned his gaze back to the stove to try and hide the blush. "Seriously. Walking around like that, you do know men are like wolves right? You shouldn't be so open with us like that." Kaito spoke quickly and made sure to keep his focus on the food and not her. Even though he really felt the need to look again but..no, no. That was a bad idea. "Agh, please go put some pants on Sophie. Like right now, you're really distracting." Kaito wasn't afraid to admit she distracted him, even when she was fully dressed. He knew he was starting to like her more and more as he got to know her better. This though, this had to be some kind of test of his sanity. "H-how do you want your eggs?" Maybe if he just focused on food things wouldn't be so bad; but the image of her wouldn't leave his mind just yet and it caused a small groan to leave his lips. Food, food. Just focus on food and breakfast will go through just fine.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Sophie blinked, still half asleep she didn't know what Kaito was going on about, or why Niko had busted a gut laughing. Sipping her water, she looked down as Kaito mentioned putting on pants. She blinked upon seeing she was in fact, not wearing pants. "Huh..." she yawned again and set her glass on the counter. "Fine fine fine" she turned, waving her hand. "I like my eggs scrambled, by the way" she called over her shoulder before walking back into the bedroom. Once she was gone Niko laughed even harder. "My god is she a spazz..." he sighed and wiped a tear from his face. Sophie was often dazed in the mornings, as she was not inf act, a morning person. The only thing funnier than Sophie half awake was Kaito's reaction.

Once she was gone he elbowed the other dragon playfully. "You might need to put your tongue back in your mouth, you dog" he chuckled. You'd have to be blind to not see the sparks flying when Kaito and Sophie were around one another, but this was the first time he'd seen Kaito as frazzled as Sophie could be. "I mean, its okay, she's cute and all" She was just a little too...innocent for Niko's liking. A girl like Sophie needed someone who was mature and grounded to level her out, and Niko was never both of those at the same time.

Sophie walked back out a few minutes later, with her pants on, though they were on backwards. "Better?" she asked with a yawn as she refilled her water cup with coffee. She needed coffee to really function in the mornings...

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

Scrambled eggs, Kaito could do that. He could do it....for a split moment he forgot how to actually make scrambled eggs and a quiet curse left his lips. This just had to be a test. He was in the process of getting a bowl out to get her eggs prepped when Niko nudged him. The blush only seemed to stick as Kaito turned a surprised gaze to the other man. "W-what are you talking about?" Kaito had hoped that he wouldn't be questioned about it but it seemed his luck wasn't with him today. He was being...quite obvious. Thank the gods or deities or stars or whatever the hell was watching over them that Sophie seemed a little too dense to catch on. Maybe she just wasn't a morning person? Ah, but all of Kaito's thoughts were now wrapped up around her still even though he was trying really hard to focus on food. "Yeah, she is cute. Really cute." He admitted after a moment of just staring at the beaten eggs that were now cooking in the pan. "Hey Niko." Suddenly Kaito turned a more serious gaze to the other dragon and at the same time started mixing the eggs on the pan to keep it from sticking. "Do you think...I mean, you know her best and all. Do you think-"

Kaito was cut off when he heard her coming back so quickly he bit his tongue. He was going to ask the other dragon if there might be a chance for Kaito with her but he definitely didn't want to ask that in front of her. It was still too early for such a thought but...he was just curious. For the future. Yeah, that's what he'd keep telling himself and try very very hard to not let himself fall into embarrassment like this again. "Much better, thank you." A sigh of relief was given as he eyed the pants she wore but the image of her without them was still too fresh. He needed to think about something else. "I'm thinking that we might need to stake out the facility before he bum rush in to save Tahra." Yup, that was a good topic to discuss and not let his mind wander too much. He realized after a moment that he had mixed all of the eggs -Niko's and his included- when he went to scramble Sophie's so hopefully the fire dragon would be all right with it. It took him a moment to find the plates again but after he did, he started divvying up the food for them; a little of everything on each plate. As he was doing so, he continued his thoughts. "I know we need to get Tahra out as fast as possible but putting ourselves at risk won't exactly help her either. We need to see what the best way to go about this is and I think we'll be able to figure it out easier if we keep an eye on the facility for a while. I...don't think that they'd kill her right away. My gut tells me that we have some time, even if it isn't what I want to do. I want to make sure we're well prepared so we can get to her without any hassle." He turned to look the two other dragons over, holding out a plate to each of them. "What do you think?"

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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Niko grinned and nudged Kaito again as Sophie walked back in. "I think you got a shot kid" he chuckled. "Shot at what?" Sophie asked, looking over her shoulder. Niko just chuckled and shook his head. "Never mind Sophie, but you might want to fix your pants...there backwards" Sophie looked down at her pants and sighed. "Oh...well shit" she set her cup down and went to fix her pants. "...I'd say your chances are pretty good man, I mean, its pretty obvious she likes you" Niko chuckled. Sophie was pretty easy to read, when she was awake at least. Niko could tell from day one that Spie had a thing for the guy. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if your just now noticing that she likes you"
When Sophie came back, her pants were on the right way. "That smells great Kaito, thanks" she smiled at the man as he handed off her plate of food.

Leaning against the counter, Sophie listened as Kaito spoke. "...You have a good point...if we stake the place out, we might be able to find the best way inside". She sighed. Niko smiled. "Well, you'll be staying at the car, remember?" Sophie frowned. "Yes...yes I know, but that doesn't mean I can't help you stake the place out...or..." she looked to Kaito. "...or I am no allowed to do that either?" she asked, arching an eyebrow, she had a challenging tone to her voice, as if she dared either man to tell her she couldn't help. Sophie understood her not going into the facility, but she didn't want to sit and do nothing while Niko and Kaito played spy.

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

Niko just had to go and figure out exactly what he was going to ask, didn't he. Sophie left to go fix her pants and Kaito almost immediately zoned in on what Niko was saying. "Really?" Sophie liked him? He knew they got along pretty well but he didn't think that she actually liked him like that. The blush came back again -briefly this time- when he realized he had been dense about the whole thing also. Niko could tell easily enough so did that mean the two of them were obvious to everyone but each other? That was a bit disappointing but it could be fixed pretty easily. After the ordeal with Tahra. "Thanks, Niko." Kaito spoke quietly as he noticed that Sophie was coming back already. So he held the plates out once again for the two of them to take and gave the woman a gentle smile when she took hers. "Your welcome. I hope it's good." All the ingredients seemed to be pretty fresh so he was hopeful that it'd taste good. Once they took their plates, Kaito picked up the third one and started nibbling on some of the eggs as they started focusing on the real task at hand. At least they seemed to be in agreement about staking the place out before jumping head first. The look that Sophie gave Kaito made him feel as though his resolve was melting away a bit.

"Well...I can't say we'll really be looking for a place to get in because of how I plan to keep them distracted." Kaito glanced to the side for a moment before figuring that he should probably let them know what his plan was. "Seeing as they already know what I look like and that I'm a dragon, I'll be shifting into my dragon form to keep their attention on me. If there's any hunters or guards, they'll go after me for sure. It'll be enough cover for Niko to slip in from wherever to find Tahra. But Sophie." He paused to look her over some. "You can come with us when we stake the place out but you can't get involved. No matter what we do, you'll be staying in the car at all times. You must stay off the radar at all costs, Sophie."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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Niko smirked. "Your welcome buddy" he pat Kaito on the back. It was sweet to think that in spite of all this fucked up shit, that some good was coming from this, Sophie and Kaito would make a cute little couple. Ideally when this was all said and done...Niko and Tahra would...follow suit? He couldn't deny he was interested in the earth dragon, perhaps this underlying attraction was apart of Niko's desire to see her safe. It went far beyond simply caring about a fellow dragon. Although, judging from how Sophie was acting at the moment, she might be the one wearing the pants in the relationship.

However, this wasn't the time to be thinking about it, right then, it was time to make a plan.
Niko whistled. "Well, that will definitely keep them distracted". He said with a nod. He had to admit, he was curious as to what Kaito's dragon form was. He was a water dragon, so probably something serpent like...kinda like Sophie. Sophie frowned, she knew that would work, but the idea of everyone focusing on Kaito didn't sit well with her. "...As long as your careful..." she said softly. She knew this was important, they had to save Tahra, Sophie just didn't want to see anyone else get hurt doing it. "...I promise to stay back during the actual mission...I promise...scouts honor" she held up her hand and chuckled. Even though it was kinda annoying, she thought it was sweet Kaito worried so much about her.

"...So, when we get her back...do we come back here? Will this place still be safe?" she asked, looking to Niko. The fire dragon nodded. "Should be, if Mai tracked this place electronically, its location is safe with her. And no one followed me...the guards were...well, incompetent would be an understatement". he chuckled and picked at his food. Once he was inside, he'd have no trouble getting Tahra out, even if it meant ripping through those who got in his way.

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

"Of course I'll be careful, don't worry." Well, as careful as Kaito could be considering he wanted to try to bring down some of the building on their heads. That would be fun. He was also glad that Sophie seemed to officially agree with staying behind during the actual encounter. If only she could stay behind during their little espionage they had planned but beggars couldn't be choosers. Kaito would just have to deal with it and try his best to make sure she stayed out of the light. He continued to nibble at his food and as Tahra's home was mentioned, he finished off the last of it; the plate was put in the sink beside him for now, figuring he could just do dishes later since they had more pressing things to worry about. "Not only is it safer in that regard but that damn door of hers is ridiculous to get in to. I mean, it threatened to blow up if Niko didn't get the answer to its questions right after a couple of tries. I feel like this is the safest place for us to be right now period. Tahra really knew how to make a good base of sorts." Not that they could stay here for very long since the hunters would eventually find a way to track them down again. At some point if they really wanted their freedom, they'd have to go after the head hunter or whatever he was called and take him out. Although...if that was done, considering how big the organization was at this point they might just appoint someone new.

Kaito chewed on his inner lip some as he thought about different options that they could do. At the same time though, that was far in to the future so he eventually pushed the thought aside for now. They could talk about it once they were all together again, should Tahra decide she wanted to stay. Oh. He'd been so lost in the thoughts of what was going on that he completely forgot about coffee. Kaito quickly began to skim through the cabinets until he found some mugs and traveling mugs. He grabbed one specific for traveling and then started pouring some coffee into it. "I think we should probably head out, if you two are done eating. We'll need to know as much as we can before we try to do anything. Do either of you want some coffee to go?"

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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​

Niko chuckled. Tahra's security was ridiculous, but that sort of caution was what hat kept the dragon alive all these years, in spite of being alone. He hoped when this was all said and done, she'd want to stick around. Not only because he was attracted to her, but because she would prove to be a valuable ally in this ongoing war. He polished off the rest of his food and set the plate aside. He was ready to go whenever Sophie and Kaito were, he was itching to get out of the house. Although, a thought crossed his mind. "...How are we getting back in...?" he looked to Sophie and Kaito. Sophie thought for a moment. "...The cars are kept in a garage, right/" Niko nodded. "Then why don't we go in through there...of course, if we have Tahra, she can open the door for us". "Assuming she's able to say build a potato tower in Arabic..." Niko sighed and rubbed his eyes. He now felt stupid for not thinking about going through the garage. Had he done that the door would've have threatened to explode on him...

Sophie continued to pick at her food, but thinking about the coming task was taking away her appetite. Placing the half eaten plate of food into the fridge, she polished off the last of her coffee. She shook her head as Kaito asked if she needed a to go cup. Niko declined as well, shaking his head and chuckling. "I can't stand coffee". The stuff tasted like crap to him, he preferred pop and energy drinks when he needed a boost. "Let's just get going" Sophie sighed and rubbed her eyes. She just wanted this nightmare to be done with all of this. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she realized something. Even if they saved Tahra, the hunters would keep chasing them, more vigorously after this was over. There was no end to this battle... It was a depressing notion, one she didn't want to think about. Shaking her head, she forced a smile. "...Sooner we leave, the sooner we can save Tahra"

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

Once they had all come to an agreement on leaving, the three of them left through the garage and grabbed one of Tahra's other cars. It was -unfortunately for them- just a two seater in both cars so they took the LaFerrari as it seemed the less likely of the two to be so obvious. Not that they stayed in the car once they got close to the base. The car was parked a distance away in a safe and secure spot while they staked out the facility. It seemed just like a normal building at first, with workers going in and out following the security protocols. It was pretty obvious after the first few hours of watching though that those 'normal' business people really weren't all that normal at all. They were either researchers or scientists of some sort, delivery drivers with some type of equipment packages, or -on the rare occasion- hunters. Kaito only figured it out because he noticed the gun on the holster of one of the men entering the building. There were only three entrances that they could come in from, along with the roof if they so desired to go in that way. Which had been quickly ruled out since it'd take too much time and effort to get all the way up there. Kaito decided he was going to go in from the main entrance and give Niko plenty of time to sneak in through the side entrance. By the time they formulated what could have been just barely a decent plan, two more days had past more than they thought. That meant it was the fourth day that Tahra was in that hell hole and Kaito knew they couldn't wait any longer. They all knew it. At least they were certain about how they were going to get in now though.

Tahra's car was settled back at her home where it wouldn't end up damaged and instead they had rented a car that housed four people; an economy car, not that Kaito cared or paid attention to which one he had rented for the day. It was parked on the other side of the building in one of the parking garages. Sophie was standing by in the car, ready to come pick the two of them up the moment that they made the call. Or when she saw the building was done falling apart, whichever came first. The car was still purring even as Niko and Kaito waited just beyond the garage itself and were hidden in some kind of wannabe garden of sorts. "There should be some kind of alarm that goes off throughout the building, based on what we learned the other day." Kaito spoke softly, adjusting the hat that covered his hair and shadowed his face. He also wore a thick pair of sunglasses as well as having a backpack that had his spare clothes in it. A part of him wanted to leave it in the car but running around nude after this was said and done to get to the car wasn't a good idea. "All eyes will more than likely be on me since they won't be expecting a full blown attack. You find Tahra and you haul ass getting out of there. Don't forget to send up some kind of signal of sorts to let me know when you leave the building." It was a simple plan but one that would be the best they could do. The layout of the building or where Tahra was exactly was unknown so Kaito was fully prepared to keep entertaining the hunters for a while. Good thing those tranqs couldn't pierce through a dragon's scales. "Are you ready?" He turned a confident smile over to Niko, telling himself that things would go well and that they'd be able to get her out of here. They had to.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Livia Hayes
​

It had been just about four days since they had gotten a hold of the beast; or at least it'd be four solid days once night fell since they had captured her during the night. A lot had happened in the past four days and Livia wasn't so sure anymore about...well, anything. After hearing a brief tidbit from Mai about what happened to the dragons in captivity, Livia had already began to question things then. Now she just downright hated it and didn't agree with what her father was doing at all. Multiple times she'd caught Nicholas covered in blood and on his way to get cleaned on; when she questioned him about it, he told her it was classified and ordered her to let it go. She even got a dock in pay on the second day when she asked him again about it. It was that same day though that Mai had confronted her and asked her about her feelings on the matter regarding the dragons. Now, normally Livia would have reported Mai right then and there for a: gossiping of sorts, and b: going against the code of their organization. Livia didn't though. Instead, she had taken the scientist out for coffee and the two of them talked pretty in depth about things; a lot of things. One of the more important ones was how Livia didn't agree with how dragons were treated here despite how it was claimed they needed this research. The same types of experiments could have been done on a dead dragon. Or at the very least a dying one, not a healthy one like this redhead was. Or at least that was Livia's initial thoughts.

Mai went ahead and told her exactly what had been done to the dragon thus far and it made Livia sick to her stomach. Torture. That was what it was, under the guise of wanting to test things like regeneration rates. If that was really what they were testing though, why go through all the extremes of breaking her bones and messing up her eye with some lead sprinkler thing? So much had been done in such a short span and yet the will of that dragon didn't break. Whatever information Nicholas was asking of her, the dragon had yet to spill anything and that had made so much more sense. The older hunter had been irritable the past couple of days and Livia hadn't known why until her talk with Mai. However, the young scientist also told Livia that she was going to be trying to get the dragon out of the facility. How and why the hunter didn't pay attention to since she had been so shocked by the admittance; more so since Mai had asked for her help. Livia couldn't do that though, she couldn't betray her father and the organization. She kept telling herself that there had to be some kind of mistake, that someone else was pulling the strings instead and he didn't know. As much as she wanted to confront him about it, that would have jeopardized Mai and Livia just couldn't do that. For whatever reason, she kept her mouth shut about what she'd heard and kept her distance from the other hunters for a while.

When the day that Mai wanted to attempt her little escape plan came, Livia sat in her room biting her nails and staring at the wall. She was lost; confused, livid, hurt, she even felt betrayed. How could her father let things like this happen? Just because it was a dragon didn't mean they had to be put through such things. Livia never wanted to really be a hunter, it was just that she got into it because of her father. She wanted to be someone he could be proud of and how desperately she wanted to be closer to him. But this...this wasn't worth it at all. Not after finding out the truth about how things really went down and it was only a glimpse that she had received too. She needed to confront him, she knew she had to but the question was when. Now wasn't the time for it. Glancing up towards her desk, she stared at her guns for a moment before finally making a decision that had been running around in her mind since the day before. She was going to confront Mai today. Now, whether it was to stop the young scientist or to help was something she wasn't entirely sure just yet but she knew she needed to do something. If she didn't, she'd regret it her whole life. A quiet sigh left her lips before she jumped to her feet and walked over to grab her guns. Once they were in their appropriate holsters, her butterfly knives were hidden away on her person. Then, with a more determined look in her eye, she left the room. Livia was torn between helping Mai and turning her in but...she knew she needed to do something.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
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The next few days were painfully slow for Niko, who wasn't used to this level of planning and detail. He was more of a act now, ask question later kinda guy, but he couldn't force Kaito and Sophie to move as quickly as he would've liked. Every second they spent observing the building, Tahra was suffering, and that didn't sit well with the fire dragon. He spent the days irritable and tired, constantly stressed from worry and antsy from lack of action. He had half a mind to bust in there, transformed, lay waste to the building and find Tahra himself, but he knew not only was this a bad idea, it would also upset Sophie and Kaito, and that was an equally terrible outcome. Niko had no choice but to be patient, and hope that Tahra would be strong and hang on. He spent most of the nights awake, unable to fall asleep knowing his friend was in the enemy's hands.

Sophie was equally stressed, she still didn't like the idea of sitting on the sidelines, however Niko and Kaito refused to budge on the idea. She was to wait by the car, and drive like hell once Niko and Tahra were back. Kaito would ideally join them soon after the rescue, barring something extreme happening. Sophie didn't like to think about that, because she wasn't sure if they'd be able to rescue the water dragon if he were to fall saving Tahra. Then they'd be right back where they started... She didn't let the thoughts stick around for long though, and did her best to think positively. Kaito could handle himself, Niko could too. All Sophie had to do was wait for the call, then she'd be there to pick them up and this nightmare would be over.

She stood outside the car, leaning against the door, the boys had left a little while ago, by now they were moving into position. From here, she could see the facility, and knew shortly it would be partly reduced to rubble. She held her phone in her hand, and checked it anxiously, all this waiting around was going to be the death of her...
Before they'd left, Sophie had given the both of them a hug. "You'd all better come back...got it" she'd said as she tried not to cry. Niko felt bad for putting all this stress on her shoulders, but they couldn't risk he being identified. Not when her family represented the last of the air dragon clan. Niko had pat her on the head, chuckling. "You bet kid..." "She'd frowned at that, and shoved him playfully as he walked off. Once his back was turned, she turned to Kaito. "...Be careful...alright?" she chuckled as she gave him what she hoped hadn't been an awkward hug.
Well, even if the hug hadn't been awkward, the kiss she'd planted on his cheek might've... Sophie shook her head as she felt them getting red. Why had she done that again?

Niko took a deep breath and nodded at Kaito. "...Sure thing...but hey, if you need some good luck, just rub that cheek" he said, pointing to where Sophie had kissed him. Rolling his eyes, Niko moved into position, he didn't bother covering his face, given they already knew who he was. By the time he was on the move, the hunter were going to be dealing with a full scale dragon attack. "...I'm ready when you are" he spoke softly, his eyes were glued on the door he'd be going through. This was it. "Just hang on a little longer Tahra" he said quietly.

Sahara Cephres and Mai Acantha
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​

Mai wasn't sure why she'd told Livia about her plans, maybe it was because she'd been hoping the huntress was going to help her. Nicholas's torture was getting more and more extreme, and it was only going to get worse, given Tahra showed no signs of breaking down. On top of that, her body was struggling to cope with the energy left behind from the weapon... The weapon Mai had helped create. The scientist couldn't sit by and watch the abuse any longer, and decided she was going to help the dragon escape. Whether she had help or not didn't matter...and it seemed she wouldn't. She could only pray Livia wouldn't report her... She doubted it, the hunter had seemed very conflicted on whether or not to help, but Mai could tell one thing was clear. She didn't agree with what was going on here. Maybe some day, she'd be willing to do the right thing...
Mai couldn't afford to think about that though, she was on her way to Tahra. It was her turn to patch the dragon up, Nicholas liked having her as awake as possible when he came to torment her.

Mai carried a special medicine and a syringe, which would, hopefully, treat the burn on the woman's back, which was left behind from the energy shot. The security system was under going an update, which would slow it's alarms and alerts, this was Mai's only chance to make her move. If she could get Tahra to the service entrance, than she'd be home free. There were plenty of cars there, all she'd have to do was place her in one and go. It wasn't a well thought out plan, but Mai feared if she didn't move soon, Tahra would die. The scientist took a breath, flashing her badge, she got past the guard standing in front of the cell block Tahra was in. She pushed her cart inside, and paused briefly outside of Tahra's door. she looked awful. "...Hello..." It was the first thing that came to Mai's mind. It was also the first time the teen had spoken to the dragon since her being here.

Sahara had been the only other person Mai had told about her plan. And the older woman hadn't taken her seriously. She'd laughed and pat the girl on the head, saying that sort of fantasy could never happen in the real world. Sahara didn't approve of the measures being taken, but she also didn't have much desire to stop it. The dragons were dragons, not people. And she couldn't fully dismiss the fact a dragon had killed her darling sister. However, that day, the hunter had a bad feeling creeping over her, as though something big was going to happen. She couldn't help but worry that Mai was about to do something stupid. Sahara found herself pacing the halls, anxious. When she found herself in front of Livia's room, she paused. Perhaps her partner could offer some advice. Sahara knocked. "hey Livia...you in there?"

 

[pyreshadow]

Kaito Iwasa​

Red tinted Kaito's cheeks and a mock glare was sent to Niko for the tease; although his hand did come up to touch the cheek that Sophie had kissed. Why the hell did she have to do that? It was hard enough thinking about everything going on but now he was also thinking of that too. Not that he was really complaining any. "Just focus, would you?" Kaito grumbled a little and turned his gaze back to the facility. "Just wait a few minutes once I head there but you'll know when shit's going down. That'll be your real clue. Let's do this." Kaito gave a firm nod to show he was ready as well before he stepped towards the street. Looking both ways, he jogged across and made his way to the entrance of the facility. The security was tight, just like they had first noticed but it wouldn't make a difference. Not for what he had in store for these bastards.

"Hey." Already he was being called out to by one of the guards and a grin began to form its way across his lips. His thoughts were on Sophie for a moment, the thought of going back to her giving him a burst of strength and energy that he wasn't used to. "Who are you? I need to see some identification." The guard was coming closer and already the other two around the doors were now eyeing Kaito. That was exactly what he wanted; Kaito ignored the guard and only once he was close enough did he punch the man hard in the gut. This caused one of the guards to quickly run inside to alert the others while the other guard came running to try and help. It didn't make a difference though; deep orange and aqua scales were beginning to spread along Kaito's body as he roundhouse kicked the guard. The man went flying, crashing straight into the glass building and causing screams and gasps of shock from some of the researchers around. Kaito took the opportunity to run full speed towards the new opening he had just created, much to the dismay of the guard. Immediately the man went on his walkie and spoke about the intrusion but his words fell silent when he realized what was happening. A blue mist formed around Kaito, swirling faster and getting larger within a matter of seconds. More glass shattered as Kaito's growing body broke through the entrance. It didn't take long before the blue mist faded, revealing a massive orange-scaled serpent like dragon that floated a few feet above the air. The underbelly was almost an off teal color, eyes glowing a golden yellow, and bronze horns protruding from its head.

"D-d-dragoooon...!" One of the researchers shouted in fear, moments before Kaito let out an ear-shattering roar; his tail whipped out to the side and slammed hard into the nearest wall. It crumbled on impact and from what he could see, the guards were already trying to call for back-up and trying to switch the alarms on to alert the whole facility. All Kaito needed to do was keep this up for a bit, long enough for Niko to get to Tahra, then they'd all be home free. Another roar left his lips before he started moving around, purposefully slamming into walls and the ceiling as much as he could to gain the attention of as many people as he could.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey
​

How long had she been here? Tahra wasn't sure since it was so hard to tell time but she knew when it was usually morning at least. That was when that prick of a hunter came to try to get information out of her; it was the same routine all the time. He'd demand information, Tahra would taunt him -although it was meek at best the day before- and he would do his worst. The agency she worked for had nothing on what she was going through right now. That hunter literally counted each bone in her foot as he spoke it, laughed when he was cutting in to her left eye right before sprinkling what felt like hot lead into it, but that wasn't even the worst part for her. No, it was when he was flogging her and taunting her about her brother that it really irked her. He knew detailed information about her past that no one should know except for her brother. How was that possible? Tahra couldn't understand it but she didn't openly show that it was getting to her. No matter what happened to her, she refused to give any information about the other dragons. They deserved to have a happy life and if she could keep the hunters off their back, then so be it. She'd never give in.

Deep gashes ran along her body, blood still fresh as much as it was dripping from her eye. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't heal her own wounds and she couldn't connect herself enough to the earth to get healing from that. Every time she tried, a wave of nausea hit her like a rock and she wanted nothing more than to double over from the pain it brought. A searing pain in her back from where that weapon had hit her. It still didn't stop her from trying though, despite how she wound up feeling. Closing her eye, Tahra took in a deep breath and tried very hard to ignore the pain she was feeling. What kinds of things would happen to her today? She briefly remembered the hunter mentioning some kind of endurance test with a spiked collar but she couldn't be sure either. Whatever it was, she just had to endure it. Despite everything that had happened so far though, she couldn't stop her thoughts from drifting to Niko every now and then. She kept wondering how he was doing with his scale in tact now, praying that he made it back to the others and they were as far away from this place as they could be. A part of her doubted the last bit but she could still hope. Hope was all she had left and even that was dwindling. The only thing that wasn't was her will to keep the hunters from knowing anything.

The sound of her cell opening stopped all the thoughts she was having all at once. A fierce glare -as much as she could give with how weak she was feeling- was sent to the scientist that had come in. By herself. Where was that hunter? That was the only reason the scientists ever came in, when the hunter was here. All to keep Tahra alive long enough to get information out of her. Tahra refused to give up anything though so a low growl left the back of her throat.

Livia continued to walk down the halls, doing her best to avoid the ones that seemed to be more crowded. It was a scenic route unfortunately but she didn't really feel like dealing with anyone right now. As she was walking, she paused when she heard an announcement being placed through the halls. "All security and hunters report to the main entrance; an unidentified dragon has begun an assault on the facility. Scientists in zones A through D, all data files need to be transferred over to the Lamyra Facility as soon as possible. Those in zones E and F need to report to the transportation room to be evacuated. Test subject A001 needs to be relocated as well. I repeat, all security-" as the message repeated itself, Livia's eyes widened slightly. A dragon attacking the facility...that never happened. Was it...no...but...Livia couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the dragon they had captured. Her heart started to race more than it already was and all too quickly did she make a run for the cells now, not even caring if she passed anyone anymore. The 'test subject' in the announcement had to be the dragon in their custody, Livia had no doubts about that. Which meant not only was the dragon in danger, but so was Mai if she was serious about trying to get the dragon out of there.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+​

Niko grinned as Kaito blushed, but didn't say another word. He knew the other dragon cared about his friend, and that was good It meant that he'd be damn sure to come back, alive. If he didn't... Niko didn't want to think about what Sophie might do. Rather, he watched as Kaito left, and the plan was underway. He heard some shouting as the dragon disappeared from his line of sight, and he knew it was time. A short while later, there was a massive roar as Kaito broke through the roof of the facility, and Niko made his move. Dashing to the side door, he ripped the damn thing off it's hinges with one tug. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, making him feel ten times lighter and faster. The halls were filled with frantic people in lab coats, running about as they complied with the announcement over the intercom. Grabbing a guy by the back on the neck, Niko slammed him into the ground back first, ripping a cry of pain from him. Few watched as he knelt down, holding the man by the scruff. "Where is the dragon you captured?" The man blinked, his eyes wide with fear as he stared into Niko's. his usually placid green eyes glowed a fierce, hot anger. He was pissed, and this guy knew it.

"D-do-down the hall, c-cell block...C-C...please...l-lemme go" The man stammered, his pants grew wet and sticky as he wet himself. Niko's sensitive nose recoiled at the smell, he stood, and kicked the guy in the ribs. "have some god damn self respect" he spat, before taking off, running down the hall. Cell block C... Well, he'd tear this building apart to find it, as well as anyone he passed who tried to stop him. A few hunters attempted to confront the angry dragon, but a slash at their throat as all it took to stop them. Niko left a trail of bloody bodies in his wake as he searched for Tahra.

Sophie's eyes went wide as she saw a large, golden dragon hovering above the facility. That was Kaito's...true form. She couldn't help the silly smile that came to her face, they were both serpents... Though Sophie had a pair of large, feathery wings in her natural state. Seeing Kaito stirred a primal instinct inside her, one that beckoned her to join the destruction. She shook her head and ignored it, instead she focused on her phone, waiting to see Niko's name pop up on her caller id. "Please hurry" she said softly with a sigh.

Sahara Ceprhes and Mai Acantha
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+​

Mai jumped as the building shook, she nearly fell to her knees, the sound scared her so much. The announcement over the intercom made her blood run cod for a moment. "A dragon...attacking..." she looked to Tahra and sighed. "...it seems I'm not the only one who thought of this idea huh?" she chuckled, briefly before approaching the restrained dragon. "...I'm not sure you'll believe this, but I need you to listen. I'm not here to harm you..." she started undoing Tahra's restraints. "...I'm Niko's friend...and contact. And it seems we both picked the same day to stage a rescue attempt, so just relax and follow me" she said as she released the dragon from her restraints. She wasn't sure of Tahra would be able to walk, Mai would have to support her. She offered the dragon her hand. "Quickly now, the others will be here, looking to move you"
She could only pray most had gone to deal with Niko, or whoever was out front.

Sahara jumped as she felt the building shake, the impact had her relying on the wall for support. A group of men ran by, all with their gear, cheering about the chance to fight a dragon. Sahara could hardly believe what she was hearing, a dragon was staging an attack here?! That could only mean... "God damnit" The woman turned and started to run for the containment cell. There was no doubt in her mind that Mai would be there, but what she'd be doing... Sahara could only hope it wasn't something stupid.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

Tahra's eye glanced to the walls of the cell in confusion when the whole building shook. That wasn't normal by any means and the announcement only further proved her worry. They couldn't possibly...no, why the hell did they come here? Tahra couldn't believe the announcement at first but she also couldn't deny the way her heart picked up. The fact that someone was willing to risk themselves for her sake even though she didn't deserve it left her feeling a bit conflicted. The scientist speaking kept her from thinking too much and another glare was sent towards the woman. She felt another growl threatening to come from the back of her throat but she kept herself from doing so just yet. What was she, high or something? Just how did she expect Tahra to believe her that she wasn't going to harm her? The question still plagued her mind even as her restraints were being taken off. What the hell was going on? The moment that Niko's name was mentioned though, Tahra unconsciously felt herself relax a bit as she furrowed her brows in confusion. "Niko?" His name left her lips, her voice shaky and hoarse from the screaming she had done since she had been here. This scientist knew Niko...which meant that she was the one that he talked to the other day? The one that was Tahra's rival in hacking?

Tahra's hands shakily moved close so that she could rub at her wrists, shock evident in her features. Was this really happening? The entire building shook again, followed closely by the evacuation alarms ringing heavy in the air. "They're really here." The words came out as a whisper but a part of Tahra wanted to curse at the same time; why would they risk themselves for someone like her? She didn't deserve it as much as she wanted it. Due to her job, she shouldn't be allowed to have any sort of feelings like that, she couldn't want anything or possess anything really. It'd all have to fade in time anyway and yet....she couldn't help the feeling of tears threatening the corner of her good eye. Glancing down at herself, Tahra knew there was no way she was going to let this chance slip by. At the same time though, her foot...no, she was still going to try. Taking a quick breath, Tahra made a move to take a step and let out a hiss of pain as she sort of collapsed onto Mai. Not enough to cause the smaller girl to fall or anything but enough to show that walking was going to be near impossible. "I...I can't." Tahra spoke through gritted teeth, trying very hard to bit back the pain as she put all her weight on her good leg. Even that hurt though. "I can't walk."

"Hey." As Tahra had been so focused on what was going on trying to walk, she hadn't noticed that the doors opened again and three guards stepped in to the cell. They were all shocked at what they saw. "Mai, are you...is this all your doing?!" One of them demanded angrily, drawing out his weapon from its holster. Right before the others could do anything about it, a shot was fired and landed dead center in the man's head. As he dropped to the ground dead, the two other guards turned in time to be picked off one after the other by Livia.

"Fuck." The curse left Livia's lips hotly as she stared at the guards, slowly lowering her weapon back to her side. "Oh fuck...god damn it all. What the hell am I doing?" Clearly Livia was still conflicted about helping but she knew there was no going back at this point. Running her free hand through her hair, a groan left her lips as she looked over to Mai and the dragon. "I can't believe I'm really doing this...damn. You better have a grand fucking idea to be getting her out of here, Mai. Most of security is heading to the main entrance right now to attempt to put a stop to this new dragon but there are still some wandering around. They're itching for a fight and if they see this-" she made a motion to how Tahra was clinging to Mai for support, "-you're going to be in a world of hurt. So we need to leave. Now."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina, Sahara Cephres and Mai Acantha
_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+​

Niko tore through the facility, tearing into anyone who tried to stop him. he had no idea where he was going, but thanks to Kaito, he had a little time to figure out where Tahra was. He could only hope he'd find her before someone tried to move her. It sounded like they wanted her transported to a different location. Over his dead body, he growled as a guard aimed his gun at him. Niko grinned, darting forward in a z pattern, the shots missed, and Niko's strike found the man's throat. The fire dragon was covered in blood, blood that didn't belong to him. He reeked of brimstone and iron, as he made his way downstairs, he struck fear into the hearts of those he passed.
Mai offered Tahra a small smile, as she fell the scientist did her best to support her. It wasn't easy, Sahara and Livia had been right, the girl didn't eat or sleep right. She was weaker than she should've been, but she managed to stay on her feet, supporting Tahra as best she could. The girl froze when she heard the gruff voices, and for a second, thought Nicholas was there. If he showed up, it was game over.
However, as Mai turned around, she found it wasn't Nicholas, however, the three men seemed more than willing to kill them both. Mai flinched and closed her eyes as she heard the gun went off, but she wasn't the one hit.

She stared, shocked, as Livia killed the other men and came over. "Livia..you...?" she stammered out, shocked colored her features. "Livia you just...killed your own allies..." that meant she was...screwed. Mai sighed. "I don't know...I wasn't expecting...". She wasn't expecting the dragons to show up, but now she was kicking herself. Had she contacted the, this could've been a coordinated assault. But now. "Livia we need to...to...". Mai's eyes went wide as a new face arrived on the scene, her voice caught in her throat.
He was covered in blood, and his teeth were bared in a nasty snarl. His hands were balled into fists, which dripped blood onto the floor. He panted slightly, due to the fact he'd ran all the way down here. His eyes flickered to Mai, and visibly relaxed when he saw Tahra was alive. But then he saw Livia, and Niko knew that face. "You..." he took a step forward, murder in his eyes. "Your that hunter bitch..." he growled lowly, he opened his left hand, a bright light formed there as a fireball was formed. . "I said I'd kill you" Niko chuckled darkly. "You and your partner"

"Niko, stop it, she's no-" Mai was cut off as a shot rang out in the air, denting the ceiling. Sahara sighed, pointing the gun at Niko, she spoke. "...What, in the actual fuck, is going on here?" she asked, looking from Mai and Livia, to Tahra and then Niko. her expression twisted as the fire dragon turned around. "...You again...your just keen on pissing me off aren't you?" the woman snapped. Niko growled. "...Your the one I said I'd kill first" Sahara smirked. "Maybe...but..." she looked around Niko to Mai, who was now moving forward, slowly, trying to get Tahra to Niko.

"There is a dragon attacking the front, and two are standing here in the room..." She looked to Mai. "...Was this all apart of that little joke, about saving her" she motioned to Tahra.
Niko growled and turned on the hunter, but Mai's voice made him pause. "...it wasn't a joke...I'm helping her escape...Niko here showed up on his own" Turning at his name, Niko turned back around, to find Mai and Tahra were mere feet away. Forgetting about Sahara and the gun pointed at him, Niko moved forward, wrapping his arms around the earth dragon. Mai sighed as Tahra's weight was taken off her shoulders.

Pulling a total one eighty, Niko went from angry and blood thirsty to relieved, he wrapped Tahra in a careful hug and just held her for a couple of second. "Oh thank god...your...alive" he said softly. She was alive, but hurt, badly. There was no way she was walking out of here. "Hold on" Niko said as he moved his arm lower, hooking her legs he lifted her up and into his arms, bridal style. "I told you I'd be back...and I brought help" He smiled at her, and then kissed her on the forehead, forgetting that he hadn't actually you know, asked her out yet or anything.

Maybe being around Kaito and Sophie had made him all mushy. Despite the happy reunion, the air was tense, as Sahara looked from Mai to Livia. Sahara was shocked to see her partner here. "...So, what is your role in all of this" she said, motioning to Mai and the dragons.