Slayer x Pyre 1x1

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

"Yeah, I know what I did Mai. You don't need to go pointing it out." Livia was just a tad irritable, or maybe it was more nervous than anything else. She'd never gone against the organization before, never gone against what her father expected of her. Yet here she was with three of her own allies dead because of her. She'd never even harmed a dragon yet! A groan began to leave her lips but when she heard the hesitance in Mai's voice, she was more confused than earlier. Slowly she turned to glance over her shoulder and another curse left her lips when she saw the bloodied man standing there. Not just anyone either but a dragon. The grip on her gun tightened but she didn't aim it at him.

"Niko." Tahra spoke his name meekly, surprise but also relief written all over her face. She really couldn't understand why he was here or the others for that matter; if Niko was here, it meant either Kaito or Sophie had to be the ones causing such mayhem up above. There was an odd pang in her chest that made her heart feel like it was going to burst as much as the tears that threatened her eye. The fact that he was here and Mai even addressed him meant that she really did know the dragon. Which meant she really was trying to help...and so was that hunter, which was odd in itself but she wasn't going to question it at this point. She just wanted to leave.

"Hey, don't assume shit without getting the facts right. I'm not your enemy." Livia snapped at him, making it official that she was indeed betraying her father and the hunters by helping. Yet despite saying that and Mai's attempts to calm him down, it wasn't until another shot rang through the air that got his attention away from her. "Sahara?" Things just kept getting more and more complicated it seemed, more so since they really needed to haul ass out of here. Livia hated to do this but her own gun raised up to settle on her partner; if the other woman even tried to shoot the dragons, Livia would...jeez, this was so messed up right now. She didn't even want to think about what she would do. Sahara and Niko exchanged some words before Mai spoke about being serious in helping Tahra escape. The redhead being spoken about seemed dazed, every step taken harder than the last. She was trying very hard to not put too much weight on Mai when all of a sudden her eye shot open feeling someone grab her. She stared up at Niko in shock for a moment before she felt herself relaxing in his touch; he was so warm, warmer than anything she'd ever felt before and if this was just a dream she really, really didn't want to wake up. Somehow she knew it wasn't a dream though. Hesitantly, her hand reached up to grip the clothes on his chest as she tried to fight back the fresh tears of relief she felt coming.

"Niko?" Tahra grew confused once again when he told her to hold on before he suddenly lifted her into his arms. A deep blush crossed her cheeks at the same time as a gasp leaving her lips. This was likely the best way to get out of here the fastest but...she'd never been this close to someone before, let alone in their arms. Yet...she found herself relaxing that much more because of his words and the kiss to her forehead. It did little to help the blush anyway so she shifted slightly to bury her face against his chest. "Idiot. You could have been hurt." She grumbled out with more concern regarding him should something have happened. "I told you to leave me.. Why would you risk everything for someone like me?"

"Okay, it's really great and all that you two are having a reunion but it needs to wait until after we leave. Kay?" Livia spoke up before Niko could even reply before her focus turned to look Sahara over. "I knew about the makeshift plan since it was thought up. I didn't know that her friends would be showing up to try and save her the same day though, which is ironic but also a good thing." Livia eyed the two dragons as she said that before shrugging and turning her focus back on Sahara. "We've been lied to since the beginning, Sahara. The reason for hunting the dragons, for trying to experiment on them, making that weapon. Everything's been a lie and I'm going to find out the truth. No one deserves to be put through the kind of torture that goes on here, whether they're a dragon or not. It's inhumane. I can't turn a blind eye knowing what I do now." Livia paused before she took a step closer. "I don't want to hurt you. If you don't step aside and let us pass though, I'll have no choice. I'm going to help them escape and I'll stop anyone that tries to interfere." Unless it happened to be Nicholas, then they'd be screwed but she wasn't going to say that.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sahara Cephres
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​

Mai looked nervously from Livia to Sahara, unsure of what the other woman was going to do. At the moment, the gun was trained on the dragons, but her attention was on her partner. "...Your serious about this...huh?" she said, looking to the bodies on the ground she laughed. "I mean, clearly, fucking hell" Sahara shook her head and sighed. "...And you kid?" Mai jumped as Sahara addressed her. "..This is what you want then...to help them and leave?" Mai gulped and took a hesitant step forward. "...Livia is right...everything you've been taught i-" "I don't rightly give a damn about that Mai" Sahara cut her off. "I asked if this is what YOU want". Sahara arched an eyebrow as Mai looked so confused. This had never been about what she wanted. This was about what her father had wanted, what he'd asked of her when he laid in his hospital bed, dying. His last breath was spent begging, pleading with Mai to right his wrongs. "I..." she looked down at the floor. Her whole life had revolved round this place, from the time she could walk, she was following her dad through these halls. After his death, his burdens became hers. The stress of acting as a double agent had taken it's toll on the girl, physically and mentally. All this stress, for something she had never truly wanted.

So Sahara's question was difficult for her to fathom. "...I don't know what I want" Mai said quietly. Sahara sighed, the gun remained raised. "...I...I've never known life outside of this place...it's all I've ever had...and truth be told, the idea of leaving it is...daunting" Mai continued. "But...the one thing I do know...is my father never wanted his work to be used like this. He never wanted to hurt dragons...he just..." She looked back at the pair. "...He just wanted to understand you...".Niko nodded, he'd known Mai's father. The man had preformed a number of Niko's torments, including of his heart scale. However, Niko had made peace with the man, given he risked his life to set him free. He'd always thought that her father was apart of Mai's motivation, but the fire dragon had never known it was all she had to go off of. He'd never put any thought into the fact that Mai's entire life revolved around this hell hole.

Mai sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "...I...I can't do this anymore Sahara...I don't want to..." she looked back to the other hunter. "...Whether you want to help or not...please, just stay out of our way" She didn't want to see Livia shoot her partner. Sahara studied the girl for a moment, appraising her convictions, after a minute or so, she lowered her gun, and then holstered it. "Alright, alright" Mai's eyes lit up. "I'll help your sorry asses...". She chuckled and looked to Livia. "Your going to need all the support you can get...especially if Nicholas shows up..." Though truth be told, they'd probably be fucked if he did, unless the other dragon took him on. That would be a sight to see... her eyes moved to Niko, and her smile fell. "You and I...are going to have to settle our issues another time, murderer" She spat on the ground, Niko smirked. "...Indeed, but you will have to remind me who it was I killed, because I don't remember"

Sahara's eye twitched, but she took a deep breath to calm down. She was doing this for Mai and Livia, not the scaly bastard... "Well, come on then" she beckoned Mai over, the scientist complied. "You stay behind me, got it?" She looked to her partner and nodded. "You watch the dragons, I got the girl..." This was suicide, there was a good chance they wouldn't all make it. If something happened to her, Sahara trusted Livia to help Mai escape. Looking to the hall, Sahara checked to ensure there were no guards. At the moment, they were preoccupied, with either being dead, or moving to the front to confront he dragon there. "So dragon, what was your plan?"

Niko looked to Livia and shrugged. "Since I have Tahra, I need to send the signal to Kaito so he knows...we have a car waiting for us" Though it was going to be a tight fit with the three new comers...He wasn't sure how he felt about trusting these hunters... but Mai seemed to, so that was something. His gaze flickered down to Tahra, he couldn't help but smile, seeing her alive made all of this worth the hassle. "To answer your earlier questions. Yes, I could've been hurt, but I wasn't" None of this blood was his. "And secondly, you act as if you would've have done the same thing if it had been me" he chuckled. "Lastly, your not the only one who's done some bad shit love. No one deserves this kind of hell though" he paused as the group reached the end of the hall. Niko chuckled. "Besides, couldn't leave a pretty girl behind, my mother would be so disappointed"

The building shook as Kaito's attack continued. Sahara rolled her eyes as the mush Niko was spouting was making her head hurt. "Save the cheese for later kid" she chuckled, looking to Livia, she grew serious. "...So, Ill watch the kid, you watch the dragons. If we can get down to the loading dock, then we might have a chance...". Mai blinked. "What about the dragon upfront?" "Niko can send his signal when we get outside..." Sahara replied. Mai looked uncertain, looking back to Tahra, she couldn't help but worry. "...if Nicholas gets that gun...your friend will be in trouble" Though truth be told, she didn't know how the weapon would fare against a dragon's thick scales. She didn't want to find out.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

Time was running short as it was and it was even more so when Sahara demanded to know what Mai wanted; now wasn't the time to figure such things out but Livia kept the thought to herself. Maybe, just maybe, the answer that Mai gave would be enough to either get rid of Sahara or have the other hunter help them. Livia really didn't want to hurt her since she actually liked the other woman. She started to feel a little antsy as Mai's words sunk in but thankfully it didn't take Sahara very long before she finally made a decision. "Great, we're all one big fucked up family. Can we get going now?" Livia was on edge still since she wasn't sure how may guards they were going to confront or if Nicholas would find them. More than likely he was fighting that dragon that was wreaking havoc above but she never knew for sure. Sahara took Mai to watch over, which left Livia with the dragons. Not that she really minded since the male seemed more preoccupied with trying to bite Sahara's head off and not hers. Mostly anyway. "Got it." Livia gave a nod of acknowledgement and kept her gun out and at the ready just in case. Livia kept close to the pair of dragons but made sure to not leave too much distance with Sahara either. as the woman peeked out the hall, Livia did the same and looked down the opposite way. Bodies littered the ground and footsteps could be heard running some distance away. Overall though it was empty and the perfect time to leave.

As Niko mentioned the plan, Tahra felt herself more in check of her emotions enough to take a peek up at him. If her heart got any louder she'd swear everyone in the room would be able to hear it. Breathing did little to nothing to help it either and when Niko looked down to talk to her, it felt as though her heart skipped a beat. He knew without any doubts Tahra would have done the same for him; she would have fought through hell to get him out of this place. Knowing none of the blood was his either made her feel just a bit better about the whole thing. He really was something special, knowing almost exactly what Tahra wanted to hear even before she knew it herself. Tears finally started to spill from her good eye as she couldn't hold them back any longer. As carefully as she could, she curled up more in his arms and buried her face once again to hide the fact that she was crying. He'd be able to feel how she shook with the silent sobs but that didn't really bother her any. A quiet apology left her lips before she called his name, her hands gripping at his shirt once again. Livia couldn't help but feel for the dragon, more so since it had been the hunters that caused her such pain. At the same time though, based on what Niko said, the redhead had done things in her life that she maybe wasn't proud of? Or...no, it was best to not think of such things right now. The entire building shook vigorously this time followed by the sound of something crumbling in the distance.

"The building is falling apart." Livia announced as she stepped out into the hall to look around once more. This wasn't good at all. "We need to hurry. Nicholas won't have that gun because it was taken back by the scientists to do more research. He mentioned it needing time to cool down or something and he was irritated since he was told it'd take a few days." Granted, a few days had passed since that time so that 'few days' could very well be today. "The sooner we get outside, the sooner Niko can make the call and that other dragon can get out of here too." Livia was leading the way down the hall now as she spoke, her eyes constantly drifting to the two dragons as a precaution. As she was about to turn down the hall that'd eventually lead to the loading dock, she dropped into a crouching position and let off a couple of rounds almost instantly. The guards that had been talking there dropped to the ground in shocked, pained gasps. "This way."

The way to the loading dock was hardly blocked since most of the guards were up top by this point to fight the dragon. The shaking of the building had become much more intense the longer they stayed and Livia wasn't sure how much more it could take. Thankfully, they were just passing through the door to the loading bay as she thought it; all they had to do now was go through one of the doors and they'd be home free. "He hasn't shown up yet." Livia spoke quietly almost as if to not jinx herself. "Nicholas." She added after a moment, her attention moving to Mai and Sahara. "He must be up top trying to fight the other dragon. Which means, you need to get that signal out asap so he can leave. Nicholas is nothing like us; he's ruthless and cold, always calculating what the best way to fell a beast is. I...worry for your friend." Livia admitted as she looked to Niko and Tahra, although the redhead was still keeping her face hidden. It didn't take long to realize she had actually fallen asleep due to how comfortable she was in Niko's arms. "How the hell can she sleep now of all times?" Livia stared in shock before quickly shaking her head. If it was from loss of blood, they'd need to move much faster than they were. "We need to hurry."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sahara Cephres
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Mai was just happy to have both Sahara and Livia on her side. truth be told, she hadn't felt she could handle this escape attempt on her own, if Niko and his friends hadn't shown up, then none of this would be happening. She thanked any god there was for the perfect timing. She fell into step behind Sahara, who insisted that she remain close to her. The teen had never understood why Sahara was so protective of her, but now was not the time to be questioning it. The hunter took her gun out once again, peeking into the hall, she and moved first, with Mai close behind her, followed by Livia, who was ticking close to the pair of dragons. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw that the two seemed to be having a moment of sorts... Seemed a bit odd to the girl, but she wasn't going to question it. "The weapon was cleared for usage, lets hope for that dragon's sake, Nicholas hasn't had a chance to grab it" Mai spoke in response to Livia. Of course, if that was the case, Mai had enough meds to treat to. Ideally, the weapon wouldn't pierce a dragon's hide.

Niko fell into step behind Livia, he was on high alert, wary for any sort of danger. Tahra was already injured, in this weaken state, a stray bullet could spell the end for her. Niko was not going to let that happen, and he'd tear into anyone who tried to harm her. Of course, with the hunters around, they had a little bit of cover. He smiled down at Tahra as he felt her start shaking, only to see she was crying. "Hey...don't cry kid..." He blinked, surprised to see such a display from the earth dragon. Given all she'd been through though... He held her firmly and sighed. "Don't apologize Tahra..." His gaze drifted to Livia. "None of this is your fault". It was theirs, this sudden change of heart didn't change the fact that these two had been hunting them. It seemed they'd both seen the light though, given how they both dropped some guards who stood in their way.

Perhaps these two were trustworthy...perhaps. The group headed into the mostly abandoned loading dock, the building continued to shake. Sahara sighed, looking to Livia, she nodded. "Yeah..we're lucky he has an obsession with fighting dragons..." But Livia was right, a long term fight with Nicholas did not bode well for any dragon, even one in its natural state. Mai was looking through her bag, ensuring she had everything she needed. She had the meds, the syringes, and the data. She'd pulled all hr father's research from the hunter's database, erasing it from the drives. It was all contained on a series of flash drives. Mai didn't want it being used to harm dragons anymore. It was what he father had wanted.

Niko took a breath. "Then let's get going" he looked to the hunters, Livia in particular as she commented on the fact Tahra was sleeping. "...This is probably the most peaceful thing that has happened to her" he snapped at the woman. "Id sleep too...but that's not the point" He started walking toward the exit. "We need to get going...Sophie has the car waiting...it's going to be a bit tight with you three though". Sahara shook her head. "Don't worry about that, we can squeeze"

It was here that Niko froze, as a shot rang out, and a cry of pain filled the air. Turning around, he saw Mai hit the ground, clutching her right leg, which had a bright red stain blossoming on it. Two guards stood at the door way, one armed with a pistol, the other a shot gun, both had looks of rage on their face. The betrayal of their comrades was a little too much to take, given all that was happening. Mai's eyes went wide as the one with the shot gun charged, bringing his gun up the teen's hands flew to her head in a desperate attempt to shield herself. The other guard aimed at Livia, shouting something about being a traitor he opened fire on her. The blast of the shot gun echoed for a moment, and Mai didn't dare breath as she waited for the pain to hit.

It never came. Sahara grit her teeth, down on her knees, she took the brunt of the blast as the guard fired, the blast ripped a scream from Sahara. Running on pure adrenaline, Sahara put a round into the man's shoulder, and then his neck.
Peeking between her fingers, Mai's eyes went wide, seeing Sahara fall to her knees, gripping her now injured shoulder. Her arm hung limply at her side. "Fuck" Sahara coughed" Blood ran down her face, as some of the shrapnel had hit her in the eye. Blood pooled on the ground, it covered Mai as well. It felt warm and sticky, but she knew that it wasn't hers. "S-Sa-Sahara...".

No, this, this couldn't be happening... No. They were almost there, no one was supposed to...die. "S-Sahara...g-get up..." Mai grabbed the woman's arm and shook her. "Get up, w-we're almost there....get up" her voice cracked. This couldn't be happening. "SAHARA!". "Shut up Mai" Sahara screamed right back. The teen went silent as Sahara coughed. "...G-get up, and run, now". Sahara's gaze flickered to Livia. "...You don't have time to wait for me...just...go...now"

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

When Niko snapped about her comment of the redhead, Livia sent him a glare before rolling her eyes. "Running from hundreds of people wanting to kill you is peaceful, is it? I guess you'd be used to it though." Maybe Livia was a little too outspoken at the moment since she didn't exactly know these dragons or anything of the sort. Hell, she hardly knew Mai and here she was risking her own ass for this. Damn this sucked. It was all right though, it'd be worth it in the end. Mai had taken all of the information she could from them so that would put a damper on the progress at the very least. It'd give these dragons time to heal and maybe even get the hell away from here. Her mouth opened to actually say an apology to him but closed promptly when she heard a sudden scream in the air. Livia turned in time to see Mai fall to the ground and the guards closing in on them. A curse left her lips for not having noticed them earlier but there wasn't anything she could do now. Livia jumped out of the way of the man firing on her, a bullet grazing her arm and just barely missing her. The second she rolled back onto her feet again, she shot off several well aimed hits that landed all along the man's body. As he fell to the ground dead, another scream echoed in the bay and instantly Livia jumped to her feet.

"Sahara!" She'd recognize that voice anywhere but it wasn't a good thing. Livia was ready to fire on the guard with the shotgun but somehow Sahara managed to pick him off before she reached for her arm."Sahara-" Livia ran over to the other woman, her own concerns matching Mai's. In truth, she wanted to yell like their drill sergeants did in training for her to get her ass up. The only problem was all the blood surrounding her. Livia swallowed hard and balled her free hand into a fist. Her partner was demanding that they leave her and in the distance, Livia could hear the sounds of more footsteps coming their way. "Shit, this was not supposed to happen." Livia nibbled on one of her nails for a moment before she stepped past her partner and took a gentle but firm hold of Mai. "Come on." She settled the younger woman against her so that she could help her walk before looking Sahara over some. "Shoot at us." Livia spoke quietly and quickly, the footsteps getting closer to them. "The ones that know you helped us are dead. They'll patch you up if they know that you're still with them. Whatever you do, you'd better not die. You still have to square whatever beef you have with Niko too. So pick up your gun and shoot at us." Livia reached down to take the shotgun from the corpse of the guard and cocked it once to load another round in it. That way if the guards did see the group, they'd see Livia with a shotgun which would explain Sahara's wound. "Thanks, Sahara."

There was a gentleness to Livia's tone as well as some regret for not being able to do more to help her. If the other woman would listen, maybe her life would be spared. Livia's eyes darted to the far door as the footsteps were so close now. "Let's go." Sort of hoisting Mai along with her, Livia ran in the direction of the gate and only looked back once to make sure that Niko was following. The sound of gunshots being fired after them sounded all around them but soon there was nothing but curses and angry yells. They were likely heading to Sahara now...Livia closed her eyes for a brief moment, praying -even though she wasn't religious- that Sahara would be all right. The brightness of the sun shining down on them was what opened her eyes again and she glanced around them; they were dumped out near far side of the building, with the main entrance somewhat in sight. They'd have to veer left and continue along the circle to get there but...it was pretty clear that the dragon keeping most of the guards occupied had done a very good job at destroying the building. "Where's your friend, this Sophie?" Livia asked as she turned her attention to Niko with a growing worry. They really needed to get out of here. "And...I'm sorry." She added after a moment before he could even reply to her question. "If I offended you or her, I didn't mean to. I'm really not your enemy so I don't want to get you upset or anything."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sahara Cephres
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Niko glared at Livia, that smart comment was enough to make him want to knock her head off her shoulders. "Well, i do have lots of fucking practice, thanks to assholes like you" he spit, angrily. It must've been nice to make light of the fact that dragons spend their entire lives, living in fear of people like her, and places like this. She clearly had no idea what sort of hell it was, to live a life on the run. Had he not been holding Tahra, he might've smacked Livia. However, she was also holding Mai, and dealing with her now injured partner.

Sahara chuckled, and pushed Mai toward Livia as the girl reached out for her. "No more crying, get up and run" she wheezed, the world was starting to look fuzzy. The pain was intense though, and keeping her somewhat awake. Looking to Livia, Sahara cracked a grin. "...You watch her...got it?" she coughed, wiping the blood from her face, she chuckled. She wasn't sure if they'd spare her, given the situation. Word had likely gotten out that there were traitors among the ranks... But it was worth a shot. Taking a deep breath, Sahara picked up her gun, and pointed it toward Livia and the group. "I'll be fine, don't worry. You jsut get their sorry asses out of here" she chuckled. Niko could hardly believe that she was still conscious given she'd taken a shot gun blast at point blank range. "And fire dragon..." Sahara's gaze flickered to Niko. "...Her name was Kala..."

Niko arched an eyebrow, unsure what Sahara was talking about. "...My sister.the little girl...that you" She coughed again and shook her head. "You killed her, roasted her alive, tried to do the same to me but..." she shrugged. The memory slowly came back to Niko, he'd been pretty young when it had gone down. Honestly he was surprised Sahara had survived that encounter. "...Don't you fucking forget" Sahara spat at him. Mai shook her head, she couldn't believe this was happening. "Sahara...just get up, please" The hunter shook her head. "Nah kid, I ain't going anywhere" The footsteps were getting closer. "But you are, now go!" Tears started to run down Mai's cheeks, but she didn't have the strength to resist Livia as she lead her away. Before Livia was out of earshot, Sahara spoke. "Don't thank me yet".

Once the group was far enough away, she took a couple of pot shots in their direction. The world was starting to go black, and she was losing feeling in well, everything. She dropped the gun, and swore. "Damn...traitor...Hayes..." she coughed. Maybe she'd be spared, maybe she wouldn't be... The approaching group of guards found the woman halfway unconscious. But rather than kill her, one picked her up and carried her away. The last thing Sahara saw was the world tilt as she was slung over someone's shoulder.

Niko followed after Livia, once he felt the sun on his skin, he knew they were home free. "Thank god" he breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze moved to Livia as she spoke. "...She's parked a few blocks away, in a safe spot..." he knelt down, and carefully laid Tahra down, being as gentle as he could to avoid waking her. Pulling out his phone, he sent Sophie a quick text. 'On our way, we have two injured people'. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "...Don't worry about it..." he said in response to Livia's apology. Looking toward the sky, he pointed a finger upwards, and a dense ball of fire collected there, hovering just above his finger. he shot it into the sky, where it exploded like fire works on the fourth of July. "And that, is Kaito's signal to get the hell out of there". Niko looked to Livia, and pointed in the direction she needed to go. "on the off chance we get separated, head that way, you'll find Sophie...and she can help Mai" his gaze flickered to the girl, who was staring at the ground. He'd never meant for her to get involved in all of this. The same went for Livia.

"You've proven today where your heart lies...so don't apologize" he said as he knelt back down and picked Tahra up again. "Let's get moving" Cradling Tahra, Niko headed towards the car. He hoped the other hunter, Sahara, was alright. he hoped Kaito was as well.
Sophie's eyes lit up as she read Niko's text, though her relief was replaced by confusion as she reread it. Two injured parties...? It couldn't be Kaito, given he was still destroying the building. So then who? Maybe his scientist friend...? Sophie shook her head, grabbing the keys from her back pocket, she got into the drivers seat. It was going to be a tight fit, but they'd manage. She hoped Tahra wasn't too bad off, once they were back home, she and Kaito could attend to her injuries, as well as any injuries Niko or this mystery person had.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

A few blocks, well that was going to be so much fun. Livia resisted the urge to make another comment considering Tahra's condition and Mai's wasn't exactly the greatest for walking. The dragons had some semblance of a plan though so they had to know what they were doing...hopefully. When Tahra was set down, a soft groan left her lips and her body curled more into itself. Livia couldn't help but look over the wounds, still fresh as if they had just happened. Which some of them very well likely happened yesterday given how relentless Nicholas was for answers. Biting her inner lip, Livia set her gun back in its holster and looked around them for a moment. At least he brushed off the apology, he could have very well just ignored her outright. The fire shooting into the air caught her attention and she stared at it as it near exploded in the sky; not even a second went by before a piercing roar shot through the air, followed by the screams of some of the scientists. The ground shook fiercely and before long, the roof of the facility burst open to reveal a large serpent like dragon fleeing into the sky. It was going in the opposite direction of where Niko and the others would be going though. Was he trying to keep the hunters from following them even now? The bonds of a dragon were strong it seemed as they were willing to risk life and limb for each other. Understandable, given how few of them were left because of Livia's father.

Livia's tongue clicked in annoyance at the thought before she adjusted her hold on Mai to make it easier for the younger woman. "I hope...he stays safe." Livia said as she glanced back in the direction of where the dragon had gone. More than anything though, she hoped he didn't get hurt. Then Sahara....Livia was quick to push the thought aside as she hoped her partner made it out all right. If she had just walked away when she first questioned everything, then she'd still be all right. Of course, Mai might not be so Livia supposed in the end maybe it worked out this way because of that very reason. Her thoughts stopped suddenly when she heard Niko say to get moving. "All right. Lean more on me if you have to, Mai." Livia nodded in agreement and then spoke gently to the woman in her arms. She was doing her best to be the crutch Mai needed to walk and really hoped it wouldn't be long before they could get her looked at. Boy was Livia hoping for a lot it seemed. "Hey, dragon...erm, sorry. Niko." Livia was quick to correct herself and also cursed quietly at the habit of hers. "Where are we going to go? I don't know if you know this or not but one of the other bases we have in the city controls the cameras and lights in the entire city. So if even one person suspects you took a car, then they'll be trying to match faces with just about every camera they can get their hands on. Unless...you can do something about that while we're on the road?" Livia turned to look Mai over with a curious gaze; the girl was a hacker, right? So maybe it wouldn't be too much of a problem for her to at least do enough to give them some cover. Of course, this was all only if the hunters caught wind of them taking a car in the first place. Livia had a feeling that Nicholas would be trying to chase that other dragon that took to the sky though.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹
Kaito Iwasa
​

The hunters were endless; no matter how many Kaito felled with a snap or a bite of his jaws or even a flick of his tail, more and more of them came. Not that he really cared any since he was going to keep at it until he got the signal. At least half of the building was destroyed at this point and he was trying very hard to keep from destroying the rest of it. He didn't know how far along Niko was to getting Tahra or how much longer they had either. After what felt like an eternity, one particular hunter caught him off guard by shooting some kind of energy ball of sorts from a weapon at him. It hit him right in the chest area and an angry growl left Kaito's lips; it didn't hurt thanks to his scales, it even hardly penetrated anything at all. The burning and tingling sensation left behind by it was what was more annoying than anything else. The hunter -whom Kaito swore he heard someone call Nicholas- cursed the useless effect it had on the dragon. What kind of effect did he expect it to have? He didn't even want to think about it so he swept his tail as swiftly as it could go before snapping at the nearest guard again. Out of the corner of his eye though he could see it. The flames in the sky going off like fireworks and that was the exact signal he needed. Niko had found Tahra and they were now out of the facility. Relief swept through him but he still let out one of the fiercest roars he could muster. It sent several men to their knees, some out of fear while others were in shock. That Nicholas stood there though and continued to shoot at him with other weapons.

Each bullet and tranquilizer syringe bounced off his scales; the only thing that had come remotely close to penetrating was that blast but Kaito wasn't going to worry about that anymore. No, he was getting the hell out of here. His whole body pulled together, twisting in the air like a snake before he shot forward towards the ceiling. Screams and shouts -both of anger and fear- were heard but he paid them no mind as the ceiling came crashing down on the people below. Kaito knew the direction that they were in but he purposefully went in the opposite so that when the hunters gathered themselves enough, they would follow his trail. He flew a few miles before he dropped to the ground hidden deep within a wooded park. The trees were the perfect cover and within moments he had shifted back to his human form. His chest was red and honestly it still burned from the impact of the weapon but it wasn't anything he felt he needed to worry about. So with a quick look around, he grabbed the backpack that had been clung on to the whole time with one of his claws and quickly got dressed in some black jeans and a light blue button up shirt. Socks and converse were slipped on next and then the backpack was slung over his shoulder, cell phone in hand. He dialed Sophie's number before making his way to the exit of the park.

 

[StarryKnights]

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

Niko grinned as Kaito shot into the sky and took off. "Man I'd kill to be flying right now" he groaned as he adjusted Tahra slightly before he started walking. He took it slow, so the girl could keep up with Mai. "he'll be fine, Sophie will pick him up..." he looked to Livia. "She'll want him in the front, so your stuck in the back...its going to be a tight squeeze" They'd have to manage though, given that there wasn't a lot of options. Flying home was not a good idea. The couple of blocks seemed like it was so far away, but they'd get there, eventually. "Tahra has a base set up, totally off the grid...and Mai" he looked back to the teen, who was stumbling along. She was also leading a blood trail, which worried the fire dragon. "...Mai is a hacker, I'm sure she can deal with your security...after all, she used to monitor your security stuff...right Mai?" The scientist just nodded, she didn't speak a word though. Niko sighed. "Once we get these two to the base, Kaito and Sophie can help heal them...water and air dragons can do that sort of shit naturally...where as fire dragons..." He chuckled. 'We're much, much better at destroying shit"

It was a tough walk, Mai stumbled and fell nearly a couple of times, in spite of the fact her eyes were glued to the ground. The shot of the shot gun echoed in her ears, as well as Sahara's scream. She could be dead, or worse, and it was all Mai's fault... The girl hardly registered the fact Livia and Niko were there...talking. She just felt so numb. Looking over his shoulder, Niko arched an eyebrow. "So...sense you know my name, I figure I should know yours"
He hadn't caught it before, in spite of the fact someone had probably said it by now.

Sophie tapped the steering wheel nervously, waiting to see Niko and Tahra approach the car. When her phone started ringing, she jumped, and scrambled to accept the call. "He-hello?" she spoke, keeping her eyes glued to the review mirror. "Kaito?" Niko never called, he hated talking on the phone.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

"I don't care if I have to be in the back, it's all the same to me." Livia shrugged her shoulders some but was also careful about it as she was trying to pay more attention to Mai; the girl was clearly in a daze about everything that had happened and more than just a few times, she'd nearly tripped both of them. The only thing that brought Livia's gaze back to Niko was when he mentioned a place that was off the grid. "Really?" Was that how the redhead survived so long without anyone id'ing her? Hell, they still didn't know anything about her really. Nicholas called her Aria and she swore she heard the name Tahra leave Niko's lips. So who the female dragon was was a complete mystery to her. Livia nodded her head slightly, glad that at least they'd stay off the radar while driving. So long as Mai was able to focus on the task once they were in the car. Then there'd be healing that could be done back at this base he mentioned? Wow, it was pretty nifty to be a dragon if you could heal whenever you needed to. Livia was a little envious of that in a way but she didn't let it show on her features.

"My name?" Livia repeated in a bit of surprise since she figured he wouldn't care too much to learn about her. She was a hunter after all, or used to be. Not as of ten minutes ago though. "It's Livia. Livia Hayes." She said after a moment, not wanting to give him the wrong impression again. "So, you're a fire dragon." It was a statement rather than a question. She remembered the way he had brought about the flames threatening to kill her as much as the flames shot into the sky. "Was that gold dragon fire too? Since you say they're better at destroying things." The whole time that the conversation was going on, Tahra was off in her own little world having the best sleep she'd had in days. She didn't even feel any pain and her dreams were good ones for once. It was an odd feeling but it was more than likely because of the warmth she felt from Niko. Every now and then, her body would unconsciously try to get closer to him while her hand stayed gently gripping his shirt.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹
Kaito Iwasa
​

It didn't take Sophie very long to answer the phone but she sounded so confused and nervous. "Yeah, it's me." Kaito paused so he could look down the path he was walking and make sure that no one was around. "I led the hunters in the opposite direction from where Niko was. Or at least I think I did. They were scrambling when I tore through the roof so I don't even know if they'll be coming after me or not." His free hand reached up to scratch at the spot on his chest that burned. "I'm further away than I originally thought I'd be so I think it's best if you just get back to Tahra's without me. I'll take a cab or rent a different car or something once I get out of this park. I don't want you to have to chance it coming to get me."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Sophie frowned. "...Alright...if you want, I can come get you after I drop the others off" She didn't like the idea of Kaito being out there, alone with hunters looking for him. "Your not hurt are you...?"

Niko shook his head. "Nah, serpent dragons are almost always air or water..." he chuckled. "Only reason he got to do all the destroying is because I've been in there before...twice...well, now three times I suppose" He sighed and readjusted Tahra as he walked. "I didn't think you guys knew about the elements..." He looked to Livia. "...So tell me Livia...what else do you know?" It was kinda amazing that had not only a hunter, but one of their scientists on their team now. They could tell them everything the hunters knew. Or at least, what they thought they knew.
Niko wondered what sort of bullshit they had to be feeding these people to get them to chase after perfect strangers. Probably something extreme, like dragons eat babies or some sort of bullshit along those lines.

Sense Livia had never met an actual dragon before, he assumed she'd have questions. They'd have to wait though, Tahra and Mai took priority.
Sophie fiddled with her hair nervously, and didn't stop until she spotted Niko and a woman she didn't recognize break through the trees. "I see them...I have to go..safe safe, okay...call me if you need something" she spoke into the phone as she climbed out of the car. She didn't hang up until Kaito replied, after that, she put her phone in her pocket and raced to help Niko and Tahra.

Niko smiled, seeing Sophie meant they were truly home free. The air dragon darted over, the look of joy on her face turned to confusion as she saw, and recognized Livia. "...You...?" Sophie said, confused. Then, she spotted the injured, stumbling, barely conscious Mai. "Here..." Sophie moved and draped one of Mai's arms over her shoulder. "Kaito said he'll find his own way back...meaning I'm going to drive you guys back, then go get him, if needed" She spoke, looking to Niko. She didn't question the presence of the hunter, as they had two seriously injured party members to worry about.

"We can put the girl in the front seat" Sophie said, looking to Tahra.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

"Oh. I didn't know that." Livia had a feeling that Nicholas didn't know that either but maybe her father did. Her father and his elite hunters. "We don't...or at least, most of the hunters that come straight out of the academy don't know about the elements. Sahara and I were both in the same boat, just graduated. I can't really speak for her but I imagine she didn't know either unless Mai was aware of it and told her." Livia shrugged a little, putting a bit more effort into keeping the girl upright. Mai was probably losing a lot of blood and all this walking wasn't helping. "Everything that I've been taught and what I know is probably some fabricated lie. But...once we get some place safe, I'll answer any questions you have about the organization. If...you'll answer some that I have too." There were a lot of things Livia wanted to know; like if they really did go out hunting sheep as prey, did they hoard all the treasure they could, how many species were there. Her curiosity was growing by the minute but she knew what the priorities were. After walking for a bit longer, a woman came running up to them suddenly from a parked car and it didn't take long for Livia to piece it together that this must be Sophie.

"Hi, I'm Livia. Not your enemy." Livia quickly added the last bit since she wanted to make that clear to the new dragon. The help to carry Mai eased some of the weight and made Livia realize she was more tense that she thought she was. "We can put her up front, that's fine." Mai would probably be more comfortable being up front more so now that she was close to passing out like she was. Livia was already heading in the direction of the car to get the girl settled in. A groan caused her to glance over her shoulder only briefly to see it had come from Tahra.

"Ni...ko?" Tahra's voice was barely above a whisper as she stirred awake from a nightmare she had been having. She thought that this whole rescue had been just a dream but now that she was waking, she realized she was still in fact in his arms and it wasn't a dream. "Where...are we?" As much as Tahra asked, her good eye remained closed as she just wanted to sleep more. She was just so tired and she wasn't sure if she could stay awake much more than the brief time she had so far.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹ ⊹
Kaito Iwasa
​

"Hurt?" Kaito laughed at the thought but realized his hand was still rubbing at his chest. "Nah, not really. I don't think it's something to worry about but I'll show you when I get there. Don't worry, okay?" Finally Kaito had made it out of the park and he looked around, trying to sniff out any scents that he might have caught while in the building. Everything seemed fine so far so he turned to walk in the opposite direction still. "Oh, you found them? Great! I'll let you know when I get a ride. Just focus on getting them to safety. We'll talk soon." Once Kaito hung up, he let out a soft sigh and put his phone back in his pocket. Cab or renting. The choice wasn't good since both could be traced but it would have to be a cab. That way he wouldn't have to show id or anything and the driver wouldn't question anything. With the decision made, he glanced the street over and quickly waved his hand in the air when he noticed a cab going by.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

"That seems fair enough" Niko said with a nod. "...But in case your wondering...no, we don't eat sheep"
For some reason, that was a common myth, he supposed back in old times, hunting live stock made sense. Now adays, Taco Bell provided a much faster and hassle free meal.

"Okay...well, I can see them, and it looks like we have more people... I'm gonna help, so I'll see you later. Be careful..." She sighed in relief, but before she hung up the phone, she reflexively finished with "Love you". Though as soon as she said it she realized her mistake, hung up the phone and tried to distract herself by helping Livia with Mai. Looking to the hunter, she blinked. "Uh...I'm Sophie..." She didn't know what to make of that last bit. Mai was all but gone at this point, the girl was like a rag doll, hanging off of Sophie. The blood running down her leg had slowed to a trickle. "Let's get you to the car, hurry Niko" she said, looking to the fire dragon. Niko nodded and carried Tahra to the car. Sophie brought Mai around to the passenger side, and set her into the seat once Livia opened the door. Then, she crouched down to look at her leg.

"Poor kid... Sophie frowned when she saw the bullet wound responsible for the teen's pain. It didn't look like the bullet had come out, so Sophie couldn't heal it up. Instead, she tore a portion of her shirt and used that, it was better than nothing. Niko paused at the car door when Tahra stirred. She looked like she needed more sleep. "We're at the car, we're going back to your place...so go back to sleep" he said, looking to Livia, he motioned to the door, silently asking for help. He didn't want to put Tahra down, he wanted her to remain as comfortable as possible.

Once Sophie had dealt with Mai, she buckled the girl in and reclined the seat some so she'd be more comfortable. The teen's blank stare moved to the window, and that was where it stayed. The poor kid was exhausted.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

How did he know that was one of the things Livia was going to ask? She couldn't help but stare at him a bit wide-eyed for the second time before forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. Getting Mai into the car would prove difficult if she didn't focus. Livia opened the car door and helped Sophie settle the younger girl in, then moved back to be out of the way. For a moment, she just watched as the dragon buckled up Mai and even reclined the chair. Somehow, Sophie was actually seeming pretty caring for someone that had been on the side of the hunters. It seemed...odd and not at all what they were taught about the dragons. "Mm, my place? Kay." Tahra's tired voice caught her ear and when Livia looked, she realized they were next to her now. Even before Niko motioned to it, Livia made a move to get the door opened for him to climb in. "You're so warm." Tara breathed out and not even all that long passed before she was out like a light again. Despite the pain she was in, there was a content look on her face; an almost peaceful look and even the way she breathed steadily showed how comfortable she was.

Once Niko was settled in, Livia climbed in and settled herself just about against the door so that way she wouldn't bother the dragons in the back seat with her. "How far away is this base of yours?" Livia asked in a quiet tone to make sure she didn't disturb the sleeping dragon. "Will they both be all right until we get there?" There was a buzzing from someone's phone shortly after Livia spoke again and it was Sophie's; Kaito had sent her a text message saying he was on his way and would likely arrive a little before they did or around the same time. If she saw it since she was driving.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts

Niko chuckled at Livia's confused look. "...its a common...uh, misconception" he rolled his eyes. Once the door was open, Niko bent down and got Tahra into the middle seat. She was pretty out of it at the moment, Niko was surprised she was even awake. He chuckled as she commented on how warm he was. "yes, well fire dragons tend to be on the warm side love" he said with an eye roll. She needed to rest. Soon enough, she was asleep again. Niko paused before getting into the car. "Sophie, you want to look at her now or...?" Sophie took a peek at Tahra, and shook her head. "...I feel like we should get back...besides, her injures are a lot more serious, I'll need proper space to look them over" She climbed into the driver seat, and checked her phone as it buzzed. "Kaito is on his way"

Thank god he didn't mention the whole, I love you thing... Sophie shook her head and waited until everyone was seated and buckled, before putting the car in gear and leaving. She wanted to get as far away from this awful place as possible. However, she didn't speed, or do anything that would draw attention, or cause them to be pulled over.
"It's maybe an hour drive, we'll be there before it gets dark" Sophie said in response to Livia's question. They'd be safe there...at least for a little while. "They'll be fine, Kaito and I can look them over once we get back" Sophie said, glancing into the mirror to see Livia.

"...So, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here...aren't you...a hunter..." She assumed the girl was Niko's friend and contact, her presence made sense. Niko wrapped an arm around Tahra and pulled her close, so her head was on his shoulder. He found himself running his fingers through her hair as he looked to Livia. "...I was wondering about that too...I mean, this is a pretty big deal" Livia had mentioned something to the other hunter about being lied to and shit... But still, was that enough of reason to turn your back on everything you thought you knew?

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes and Tahra Casey​

Livia was quite curious as to what it meant to look them over; she remembered what Niko had said about air and water dragons being able to heal. So that meant Sophie was one of those types? it was...honestly really confusing but she wasn't going to let that on. She'd just learn the truth from them and then go from there when she confronted her father. The fact that it'd be an hour's car ride caused her to internally groan; this was going to be really awkward since Mai was out of it and there were two dragons in the car with her. Not even a few minutes in to the drive did Sophie mention her being a hunter and questioned why she was here. It was natural the dragon would question it, anyone in their right mind would. "Yes, I was a hunter." Livia emphasized the word 'was' as her attention moved outside of the car. She didn't focus on anything in particular and just watched things as they passed.

"My whole life has been for the hunters association, it's all I've ever known. I was told as a child that dragons were ruthless, vicious, and would tear apart anyone in their paths so I had to be very careful. My mother and my brother were both taken from a dragon so I was raised by my father...the head of the hunter's organization." Livia didn't feel the need to hide that fact since she wasn't going back and there wasn't much that the dragons could really do with that information. "I kept my mother's maiden name because my father wanted to prevent anyone from being able to use me to get to him. He always told me that he would never lie to me, that he'd always protect me from the dangers that a dragon could bring but...I never knew the kinds of dangers he brought himself. Mai told me about the experiments that were being done on dragons that were caught, something that's deemed classified information and only the elite know about it. Being that I just graduated from the academy, I had no idea the kinds of things that were being done. The torture..." Livia trailed off as her eyes drifted to Tahra for a moment before a sigh left her lips. "I don't agree with what he's doing in the least and...I don't believe that a dragon just went crazy and killed my family like he claims. I want to find out the truth of what's really going on and I know I can't do that if I stayed. On top of that....I really wanted to get her out of there before Nicholas put her through more hell. No one deserves to be treated like that."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Sophie's eyes wet back to the road as Livia spoke. It was heart breaking really, to think people were so desperate to justify the things they were doing to dragons, that they were willing to raise their children to be their obedient little tools. The story just made Niko's blood boil. The torment he and Tahra had gone through had been for nothing, and the hunters lied to their own people in order to make it happen. "You people...your dad, is fucking sick" he snapped, as he stared out the other window. Honestly, if he ever met the man, he'd kill him. In the most painful manner he could think of. Sophie remained a little more level headed about it. "...I'm sorry Livia" she spoke softly her eyes drifted to the mirror so she could look at the woman, briefly.

"I'm sure this hasn't been easy on you..." she looked back to the road and sighed. "...The world is a surprisingly cruel place..." Tahra and Niko could attest to that. "...But odds are, we night have made it this far without your help...so thank you". Niko snorted at that "We would've been fine, Kaito and I had it covered" Sophie just rolled her eyes and offered Livia a smile. "Just ignore him, he's just...bitter"

Niko glared at the air dragon. "You would be too Sophie" Sophie just sighed. "...Maybe...but what matters now, is we have Tahra back, and everyone made it out alive...albeit a little banged up" Niko blinked. 'The other hunter didn't" Sophie looked confused. "...Other hunter...you mean this girl.she'll be alright" Niko shook his head. "There was another hunter, but she caught the bad end of a shot gun and is probably in the morgue by now" Sophie did remember Livia was with a girl the first time she'd seen them. A very tall one. "...Oh...I'm sorry Livia...and so is Niko, he's just being an ass about it"

Sophie gave the dragon a stern look, one that shut him right up. The rest of the ride was silent, aside from an occasional groan from Mai. When the warehouse was finally in sight, Sophie pulled out a remote to open the garage door. "We're nearly there" Sophie said with a smile. She hoped Kaito had made it back okay, he'd said he'd beat them there, given he was on the road faster.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes, Tahra Casey, and Kaito Iwasa​

The snapping from Niko was completely understandable and Livia found she couldn't really argue with it; he was right. As it stood now, she felt that her father was despicable for approving such heinous acts, putting someone through such pain and torment. How could he have done such things and been able to sleep at night? There was something really wrong there and she couldn't say anything to Niko either. "It's all right, Sophie. Niko didn't say anything wrong so it;s fine. Maybe he and Kaito would have been fine should we have not stepped in, I don't know for sure." Sahara most certainly would still be fine if that had been the case and so too would Mai. That didn't happen though so there wasn't a point in thinking on it either; it would be better to focus her thoughts on the here and now. Right as she thought that, she heard mention of the 'other hunter' and it caused her gaze to quickly look back to the dragons. Niko was talking about Sahara but the way he so quickly figured she was dead really irked Livia. Her eyes darted towards Sophie when she spoke before she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, he's being an ass but it's fine. If that's how he wants to cope with things, let him. But he shouldn't be talking about things he knows nothing about." A half glare was sent his way more out of annoyance than anything. "The hunters are relentless, remember? They won't let her die unless it's on their time. They'll do whatever it takes to get her back to a more healthy state before prying for answers. If they have even a remote doubt about her, they'll fix her up and break her again until they have their answers. If they don't have any doubts, they'll fix her up and put her on some kind of probation for some time. She'll be fine." On top of that, Livia pegged the other woman as being too stubborn to die just yet. Or at least that's what she kept thinking so she was going to hope that was the case. With that said, she settled her gaze back outside of the car and zoned out the others. She didn't feel like talking anymore when she needed to organize her thoughts on the matters most important: her father, the organization, what she was going to do from here. There was so much and it was giving her a headache.

By the time that they made it to a warehouse of all places, Livia felt she knew at the very least what she wanted to do from here on out. She was going to confront her father in some way or another; doing it alone would be like suicide but if she could just manage to get his attention enough for a meeting it'd be fine. As they pulled in to the garage, the side door leading into the house itself opened and Kaito stood waiting for them. He heard Sophie say there were more people so he got the impression that maybe more than just Tahra was injured. There was no way the redhead went in there without some kind of wound. So he managed to set up two makeshit futons in the middle of the living room that would be great to rest them on until they were healed. Once the car stopped, Livia got out and moved to open the front door so that she could work on getting Mai out of the car. Seeing her made Kaito tilt his head in slight confusion but he wasn't going to say anything about it.

"Let me get her." Kaito would say something about that since he noticed the young woman in the front seat once the door was open. The look that Livia shot him showed she was concerned for the girl so he gave her a gentle smile. "She'll be fine, really." He wasn't going to ask the hunter to trust him since...well, she was a hunter. He didn't now what was going on in regards to that but it had to be fine if both Sophie and Niko let the woman live. Stepping around her, Kaito leaned down to lift Mai into his arms bridal style; he was mindful of the wound on her leg and cradled her against his body. "Sophie, would you be able to get the supplies I gathered in the kitchen? I don't know if we'll need it or not but just in case." There was a bunch of first aid supplies that he was in the midst of gathering before he heard them arrive; although he wasn't sure if they'd be needed or not, it was just a habit of his to be prepared when working with injuries. "Niko, how's Tahra doing?" Kaito called over his shoulder as he began to lead the way into the warehouse and towards the living room area; this marked the first chance he had to find out about her so he could put some of his own worries aside.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Niko glowered at Livia for the rest of the ride, but didn't say anything, less he earn a scolding from Sophie. he focused on the good, like the fact that Tahra was alive and safe. As soon as they made it back to the house, she'd get the help she needed. Pulling into the garage, Sophie took a deep breath before getting out of the car. Unbuckling Mai, she looked the unconscious teen over. She looked pale, way too pale, and also thin. She wondered if maybe her health issues went beyond the bullet in her leg. As Livia opened the front door, Sophie sighed. "Poor thing..." She trailed off when she saw Kaito, seeing he'd made it back okay took some of the stress off her shoulders. She offered the water dragon a tired smile before looking into the back to check on Niko and Tahra. Niko popped the door open, unbuckling himself and Tahra, he crawled out, careful to prop Tahra against the seat while he stretched his legs.

Niko groaned, and popped his shoulder, which had been feeling stiff. "Can you get Tahra?" Sophie asked as Kaito and Livia dealt with Mai. The fire dragon nodded, and Sophie smiled. "Alright..." she turned to Kaito. "I'll go get the supplies ready...I'm not sure if we'll need them, but...' Judging from how bad off Mai and Tahra were, they probably would. Sophie also wanted to check Niko and Kaito out, just to make sure neither of them were injured. Kaito had mentioned something about being hurt, and Sophie knew she wouldn't be able to sleep that night until she checked it out. Niko reached into the car and carefully took Tahra into his arms once again. She seemed to be out like a light, a fact Niko was thankful for. "She's asleep...thank god" he said in response to Kaito's question. "She's hurt, badly though" He said, looking down at the injured dragon. "I'm going to get her inside..be careful with the kid" He said softly as he carried the injured dragon into the house.

Once he made it to the living room, he laid her down, gently on one of the cots Kaito had set up. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Niko sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was finally over, but even with Tahra home safe, they could only hide here for so long. The hunters were going to be looking for them, especially since they now had the daughter of the organization's leader... It seemed they couldn't catch a fucking break. Mai was as limp as a rag doll as Kaito lifted her into his arms, her chest rose and fell with each shaky, shallow breath she took. She didn't seemed to be sleeping peacefully, as her face twisted and contorted every now and again, she seemed to be having a nightmare.

Sophie went into the kitchen to gather the medical supplies. She grabbed everything she thought they'd need for Tahra and Mai, including gauze, bandages, pain killers... There were even IV bags and needles... Sophie didn't know how to use those though, so she left them in the kitchen. Her main priority was Mai, the girl was so small and frail, she feared if her leg wasn't patched soon, she may die. Kaito, who was likely a better healer magically, could look Tahra over.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes, Tahra Casey, and Kaito Iwasa​

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Kaito ended up chuckling a little; as if he couldn't handle carrying one petite, frail looking woman in his arms. That was like saying a water dragon couldn't swim....at least to him. Once he made it to the living room, he went to the furthest makeshift bed and laid out Mai along it. His eyes darted over to Tahra though and instantly he felt himself swallow down some nervousness. Both women were badly injured, Tahra just more openly so than the girl. "Niko." He called out to the fire dragon in a soft voice before speaking. "Just relax, okay? We'll figure out where to go from here after we get these two back up to par. Things will turn brighter for us. Hopefully." Kaito wanted to stay optimistic about the whole thing, in fact he was trying really hard to do it too. Seeing as Sophie was now headed over to the girl after setting the supplies in easy access between the two of them, Kaito moved over to where Tahra was and knelt beside her. "Hey, uh..."

"Livia." The hunter responded when she noticed that he was looking her way. She had been trying very hard to stay out of the way of what was going on but she wanted to make sure that Mai was all right more than anything. Or at the very least Mai would be all right.

"Livia, hand me that basin of water would you?" Kaito made a motion to where it was in the corner of the room so Livia was quick to get it for him. She expected a rag to be put in to the water for cleaning purposes but instead, once it was set down next to Kaito, he set both hands into the basin. The water began to glow softly at first, and steadily it got brighter until it seemed to sparkle in the dim light of the room. Only then did Kaito remove his hands from the water but the water seemed to follow his hands out like a stream. It danced and curved around his wrists, his fingers, every part of his hand. With his eyes closed and his breathing steady, Kaito shifted a bit closer so that he could set his hands on Tahra's chest first. The water almost instantly brightened again and began to fan out towards Tahra's shoulders. Any type of wound that was caught underneath the water itself made the water darken into a deep, midnight blue color that contrasted the brightness of the rest of it. Several seconds went by and slowly the dark blue began to fade away and mix with the water once again to become the bright, sparkling color once again. Kaito's hands moved further down and the process repeated itself with each wound that was found. What was left in its wake wasn't a wound anymore but a fresh looking scar that was as healed as it could be. Every now and then more water from the basin rose up and moved in a stream to join the water surrounding Kaito's hands, as if to refresh the water itself.

"Wow." Livia was staring in awe at the display, having never seen something so amazing before in her entire life. If it had been a hunter, the wounds would have been stitched up and it would have taken a long time for them to heal. Yet here was Kaito, going through all the wounds that Tahra had on her body and one by one, they were healing to nothing but scars as if she hadn't just been in life-threatening danger. The redhead stirred a couple of times due to the uncomfortable feeling of not being in Niko's arms but overall she remained asleep. Livia's mouth opened to say more, like how impressive it was and to ask how the female dragon was doing, but it closed promptly. Seeing as she didn't want to disturb Kaito -he looked like he was concentrating and likely wouldn't want to be bothered- Livia stood up once again and tore her gaze away from the amazing sight to check on Mai. "How is she doing?" Concern laced Livia's tone as she looked over the scientist, really hoping that things weren't as bad as they seemed for either Mai or Tahra.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Sophie was working on getting the bullet out of Mai's leg. Unlike Kaito, she wasn't as good at healing with her powers, but once the bullet was out, she'd see what she could do. She looked up at Livia briefly as she spoke. "She's alive...weak, but alive" Sophie looked back down to Mai, she wasn't sure how long the girl would last though. Even after her wound was stitched closed, she'd lost a lot of blood, and there wasn't much Sophie could do about that. She placed her hand on Mai's leg, just over the injury. Like Kaito, she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The air in the room cooled drastically, and a breeze pick up, lightly ruffling Sophie, Mai and Livia's hair. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing a soft, light blue color. The air seemed to concentrate at Sophie's hand, whipped up a small tornado. Directing the air downward, Sophie pushed the bullet back up, and into her waiting hand.
Tossing it aside, she set to work cleaning Mai's leg, wiping off the dried blood. Some of which, was not hers.

Niko watched the healing display, he held onto Tahra's hand and had her head in his lap. He wished is powers could be used for such gentle purposes. Fire dragons were known for their destructive prowess. They often feuded with the other clans, and delighted in tormenting ancient man. Infighting war with the dragons and man kind's advancement combined had been enough to reduce the number of the fire breathing creatures. Niko was actually pretty chill in temperament as far as fire dragons went. Though that even tempered mindset melted away in the heat of battle... Whenever Tahra stirred, Niko would shush her gently and squeezed her hand to let her know he was still there. Once this was said and done, he didn't intend of letting her go for quite some time. His gaze shifted to Mai on occasion, watching as Sophie tended to her.

Air dragons were frail beings, but possessed immense regeneration abilities. However, unlike water dragons, it was difficult for them to lend this power to another, not without a little sacrifice. Sophie bit her finger and held the bloody point above Mai's injury, allowing a few drops of blood to land on the teen' skin. The blood landed just around the wound, and then like a sponge, was drawn into the injury. Sophie smiled as Mai's lg regenerated in a matter of moments. It wasn't as flashy as water dragon healing, but it got the job done. Once she was fixed up, Sophie covered the fitful teen with a blanket, placing a hand on her forehead, she frowned. "...She's burning up..."
Sophie stood and went to fetch an ice pack for the girl, pausing only to pat Kaito on the shoulder. Smiling, she spoke. "When you done with her, I'm checking the both of you" Her gaze flickered to Niko, and then back to Kaito. Niko arched an eyebrow.

"You realize none of this blood is mine, right?" Sophie frowned, and Niko relented. "Alright mom, if you insist" Sophie smiled. "I do insist" she then went into the kitchen to fetch the ice pack. Niko groaned and leaned back on his hands. "You know, your little girlfriend can be quite demanding" he whispered, looking to Kaito.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes, Tahra Casey, and Kaito Iwasa​

Weak. Of course Mai would be weak when she didn't listen to what anyone told her about her own health; Sahara told her many times to eat and sleep properly, hell even Livia herself did. Did the girl listen? No. The stubborn brat. Clicking her tongue slightly, Livia looked back and forth between the two healing dragons before letting out a soft sigh. There wasn't anything she could do really except for stand there and wait. Waiting was such a drag and so annoying, more so given the circumstances going on. After what felt like forever and a day, she began to pace a little as she continued to look over the injured parties. At least until Sophie began to lay the covers over Mai. That was a sign that she had to be finished, right? Which meant Mai would be all right? Livia wanted to ask but she forced her worry down when Sophie seemed to still be taking care of it. "She's lost a lot of blood...and with the injury, it's no surprise that she has a fever." Livia was now biting her nail a bit nervously since she didn't like the idea of the girl going through so much. Maybe it was because Sahara wanted Livia to kept an eye on her. Since Sophie was getting up to get something, Livia settled herself next to Mai and let out a small sigh. Her gaze traveled over to Kaito as he seemed to be finishing up the healing he was doing too.

"I'm not injured either." Kaito spoke up, since he didn't consider the redness along his chest as an injury at all. It kind of was in a way since it was because of that weapon but the blast didn't penetrate so he should be fine after some rest. Sophie likely wouldn't accept that answer though since she didn't accept Niko's. A chuckle left his lips as he pulled his hands away to look over Tahra's body; her breathing was far more steady now and there was no longer as much of a pained expression on her face. Although...he knew that even though he healed her eye to a degree, she'd never be able to see out of it again. Kaito wasn't a miracle worker and whatever the hunters did to her really messed with the nerves there. Plus..."h-huh? W-what?" Kaito stammered after hearing Niko call Sophie his girlfriend. That was something that hadn't been discussed yet with Sophie, even if it was something that Kaito wanted to consider. "S-she's not my girlfriend, I haven't even told her how I felt yet. Jeez." He grumbled a little, clearly embarrassed by the idea of being caught like that. Again. His hands then moved over the basin and all of the water that had been swirling around dropped back in with a light splash.

"I think she'll be fine. She's healed as much as she can be and I don't think the scars will cause her any pain either. They...really did a number on her. I can't believe they'd be that callous..." Kaito's voice trailed off a bit as he looked over the marks along the redhead's body.

"It was for information." The words caused Kaito to glance up in surprise as his gaze settled on Livia. "Nicholas, not quite an elite but a high ranking hunter nonetheless, was trying to get information out of her according to what Mai told me. Information about you all that she refused to give up no matter how much pain she was put through. Her strong will was quite irritating to Nicholas, which is why his methods were getting more cruel by the day."

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Once Kaito was finished, Niko covered Tahra up with a blanket and sighed. He moved her head so it rested on the bed, as his legs were falling asleep. She was already looking better, truth be told, he thought Mai was too, but that could've been wishful thinking. The teen wasn't as robust as a dragon...and she looked a bit on the thin side. He hoped in time she'd recover, Kaito and Sophie weren't miracle workers... Odds were Tahra was going to be blind in her eyes now... He shook his head to chase the thought away, but then Livia spoke up. Her words made his blood boil, but it wasn't a surprising revelation. "...Figures as much" Niko muttered, running his fingers through Tahra's hair, he sighed. "They did plenty of fucked up shit to me for similar reasons...it was only after they figured I had nothing to give them they decided to...
He absentmindedly reached up and scratched at his scale, just above his heart scale. Every now and again he liked to remind himself it was still there.

"We can hide out here until they both recover some, but we'll have to move sooner rather than later..." Niko sighed and looked to Kaito. "I'm less worried about Tahra and more worried about Mai...she's...she's only human" That meant she was infinitely more fragile. Sophie walked back in, seeing Livia at Mai's side made her smile. She handed the hunter the ice pack she'd grabbed. "I'm sure she'll be alright...the fact she's alive right now shows she's tough" She could've died of shock by now... "We just have to be patient..." Sophie placed a comforting hand on Livia's shoulder.

This had to be hard on the former hunter, having lost everything she believed in all in one day, as well as her friend. And now, she had an injured girl to worry about. Though they were enemies at one point, Sophie saw Livia as a friend in the making, she didn't know the woman well enough to consider her as anything more. But, in time, Sophie felt that would change. She offered Livia a smile ad spoke. "Are you injured? If so, I can take care of it"

It was only after Sophie was certain Livia was uninjured that she turned her attention to the others, walking around the bed to Niko, who eyed her, curiously. She tapped Niko's shoulder. "Lose the shirt" Niko rolled his eyes, but complied. Peeling the hoodie off, he revealed his muscled, tanned torso, which was injury free, much to Sophie's surprise."See, told ya I'm fine" Niko said as he dropped the garment to the ground, as he had no qualms with walking around shirtless. The entire house would be far more interesting if everyone was like that... Everyone but Mai. Everyone but Mai...and... His gaze flickered to Livia. Nah, she'd be cool to walk around shirtless, he thought to himself. It was like Sophie read his mind, because she whacked him upside the head. "Owww, the fuck Sophie?" He glared at her, and she just arched an eyebrow. "It's like you think I can't read what your thinking Niko" she giggled as the fire dragon pouted. Sophie's gaze switched to Kaito, and just a tint of red came to her cheeks at the notion of having him shirtless.

A perfectly fine notion to Sophie, but there was no way she could be as casual with the water dragon... "Uh...Kaito...you too" she said with a embarrassed smile. Niko crossed his arms and flashed Kaito a shit eating grin. "Perhaps you should just go into the bedr- ACK" He fell off the bed and straight onto his back as Sophie grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the floor. From the floor, Niko snickered. "Worth it".
Sophie rubbed her eyes and looked to Kaito, expectantly. She'd wait all night if needed, she was not going to sleep until she knew that everyone was alright. It was plain to see that Niko was, he was being his usual, asshole self.

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes, Tahra Casey, and Kaito Iwasa​

"Mai is stronger than she looks." Livia replied to Niko's comment of the girl, though in truth it was more of a reassurance for herself. She wanted to believe that looks weren't everything especially since Mai had been with the organization in the same manner as Livia had; they both grew up in it, which meant Mai knew how to handle things. She just didn't know how to handle the physical aspect but that didn't make her any weaker than the rest of the hunters. This sort of thing wouldn't keep her down, she just needed time to recover. It seemed Sophie was having similar thoughts as the female dragon spoke about it too and handed off an ice pack to Livia. The former hunter took it with a nod of thanks and then focused on wrapping it in one of the hand cloths that were in the first aid things that Sophie had brought earlier. "No, I'm fine really. Go ahead and check on those two." A simple grazing that she took was nothing in comparison to what they'd gone through so she'd deal with it. Plus it didn't even hurt anymore. Then the ice pack was placed to the back of Mai's neck, just to make it easier and less likely to fall. By the time she looked up, Niko was stripping and Sophie was looking him over for injuries. What he was thinking about when he looked over towards Livia she couldn't be sure but it did cause her to tilt her head to the side slightly. Confusion flitted across her face when Sophie smacked him but nothing was actually said about what he was thinking about.

It was Kaito's turn next, with the water dragon having been grabbing some bandages from the supplies so he could wrap Tahra's eye up. At least until it healed more on its own to look more like her actual eye again. As he was bringing it back to the redhead, he paused in his step when he heard it was his turn. "Oh, sure." The supplies were set down next to Tahra and then he reached up to remove his own shirt, revealing a well toned physique despite the fact that he was just a painter. A large, almost perfect circle of red was plastered on the upper part of his chest from the blast he had taken as a dragon and it didn't seem to be fading any. "I'm not hurt, it just feels a little odd." Kaito motioned to the red before he couldn't help but to reach up and scratch at it a little. "It's like a burning, almost tingling sensation but it doesn't actually hurt or anything." As he added that, he knelt down so he could start dressing Tahra's head to cover up her left eye in the proper bandages. He wanted to make sure that she wasn't uncomfortable wearing it. Tahra's hand came up to try and swat Kaito's hands away when he started and when they didn't budge, she let out a grumble of complaint in her sleep.

"Five more...minutes..." The words were barely above a whisper before she rolled over onto her side to escape his hands. That made him want to mutter a complaint of his own but he stopped when he noticed the injury on her back; it was also a perfect circle, like on his chest, only it was a deep red and looked like she had been burned in to.

"Were you hit by an energy blast of sorts?" Livia's voice caught his attention before he could study the injury, Kaito's gaze looking from the redhead's back to Livia and then back again.

"Um...yeah, I was. When I was in my dragon state, that same Nicholas guy you mentioned shot me with it. It didn't penetrate my scales though so..." he trailed off before turning to look over Niko. "Do you happen to know what this is from?" Even as he asked, he set his hand to the waters again so he could attempt to heal the wound.

 

[StarryKnights]

Niko Medina and Sophie Stolts​

Sophie frowned at the sight of the red mark on Kaito's chest, nothing should've been able to leave a mark on his at all, given he was in his dragon form. Still, he insisted it didn't hurt per say...just burned. There wasn't much she could do about that, which only made Sophie more nervous. She was also nervous because Kaito was shirtless, but that was for an entirely different reason. She wondered what sort of weapon could've have left such a mark on a transformed dragon. The implications were terrifying. Seeing a similar mark on Tahra's back, Sophie's eyes widened. This looked much more severe,probably because she'd taken the hit in her human form. "Niko...did you see what hit Tahra in the back?"

She asked, looking down at the fire dragon. Niko's jovial expression turned serious as he got up. "...it was some sort of energy weapon..." he looked from Sophie to Kaito. He arched an eyebrow, seeing the mark on his chest. "...Tahra and I discovered, that they'd been using my scale to develop some sort of..weapon" Niko scratched the back of his neck. "Some sort of..."
"Energy weapon" Niko jumped as a quiet voice interrupted him. It was Mai, the girls eyes were open, and glued to the ceiling at the moment. "Kid...you need to go back to sleep" Niko said with a frown as she attempted to sit up. The girl shook her head, she lacked the energy to sit up, so instead, she tuned her head to look at the group.

She looked exhausted, but even like this, was a coldness to her words and demeanor. "...T-The weapon was designed to t-to" she coughed, hard enough to leave the girl breathless for a moment. Moving beside Livia, Sophie knelt down and placed a gentle hand on the girl's chest. "Shhh, go back to sleep" She said softly. Mai shook her head. "...Li-listen, this is i-important" Her eyes flicked from Sophie to Tahra and then Kaito. "...that weapon is designed to eat heart scales..."
There was silence, as Mai coughed again. "What...?" Niko was the first to find his voice. His eyes narrowed. "How did you...using my scale..." His hand reached up and settled over the scale in question.

Mai blinked. "How doesn't matter...its the truth..." She looked back to Tahra. "...A-a direct hit from that weapon onto a scale....could shatter it" Sophie gasped and shot up, covering her mouth with her hand. That meant death for a dragon, no matter which form it was in. She looked back to Kaito, worry apparent on her face and voice. "..Y-your sure that doesn't hurt?" Niko was back on the bed with Tahra, he knew she'd been hit in the back, thankfully, no where near her heart scale. "What do we do Mai?" He asked, looking to the girl, who looked like she was passing out again.

"...In my bag...syringes..." The girl's eyes closed, but she shook herself awake. She couldn't risk dying without telling them this. "...Meds...meant to...counter the weapon...and its...energy...take it...please" Even without a direct hit, the energies left behind were meant to tear through a dragon, find its heart scale, and erode it away. It would be a slow and painful death, one Mai didn't want for any of them. "...Inject it near your scale..." Niko knew where Tahra's was, so that wasn't an issue. Kaito could do it himself, though Sophie would probably insist on doing it for him.

Mai coughed and wheezed for a second longer, but she couldn't fight the encroaching darkness any longer. "...I-I'm sorry...S-S" She spoke, softly. Sophie relaxed some, this poor girl... "There's nothing to be sorry for Mai..." the air dragon offered her a smile, but Mai wasn't finished. "...S-Sahara..." Niko blinked, and then sighed. "She's not apologizing to us Sophie....now....put her out, she needs to sleep..." Sophie blinked. "Right" She leaned down and placed her hand above the teen's chest again. After a few seconds, Mai's eyes slipped closed again.

Niko sighed and looked to the girl's bag, which rested on the side of the bed. "Hand me that...I can give Tahra her shot..."

 

[pyreshadow]

Livia Hayes, Tahra Casey, and Kaito Iwasa​

The discussion of what caused the mark along the redhead's back made Livia look away as a pang of guilt hit her; somehow, she actually felt really bad about just how much the hunters fucked up the lives of the dragons. And for what? Just to annihilate them completely? Studying them seemed a pointless task now that she really thought about it. A small sigh left her lips as she couldn't believe she didn't pick up on things earlier. Being dense was never something she thought she could be but this situation proved her wrong. Mai's voice kept her thoughts from going further and she was quick to reach her hands out to try and stop the girl from sitting up. "Hey, relax. Don't push yourself." Livia spoke in a stern voice almost at the same time that Niko spoke too. She glanced at the fire dragon briefly before settling her eyes on the scientist; if anyone was going to talk about the weapon, she supposed it was better that Mai explained than herself. So she just kept an eye on the girl and made sure she didn't try something stupid like sitting again.

"Wait, what?" Kaito started in shock, his hand quickly coming up to rub at the red on his chest again. If he had been in his human form...no, he supposed it didn't matter since his heart scale was on his back. Still, that was a scary thought that they were able to create such a weapon. If they had managed to hit his heart scale, it would have shattered and he'd die. Just like any one of them would if it hit their scale. How did they manage to create such a ghastly thing? "No, it doesn't hurt. Just the sensation that I told you about, that's all." Kaito tried to reassure Sophie that he was fine and a part of him figured it was because he had been in his natural state. His eyes darted to Tahra, wondering just how she managed to cope with all of this pain. The woman looked so serene and peaceful right now; she rolled over to her other side though and shifted a bit closer to Niko unconsciously. "You have counter measures for it?" Kaito was surprised by that more since he hadn't expected such a thing but boy was he grateful. Having to inject a syringe into his back was going to be a little awkward but he figured Sophie could...or not. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea if only for the fact that it'd make him really nervous to have her touching him. It wasn't like it was anything dirty though, she was just helping and....nope, his thoughts still went there. A small sigh left his lips as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, mentally scolding himself for being a perv.

"Save that for when you see her again, Mai. It's all right." Livia spoke softly to the girl, trying to make it seem like Sahara was going to be all right. Livia was questioning it but she knew without any doubts that the hunters wouldn't kill her right away. At least not without her father or the elite's approval first. As Sophie used her magic again to put Mai back to sleep, Livia began to slightly nibble at her inner lip. This was such a bad position to be in for them all. "Hm?" Her eyes darted over to Niko when he asked for the bag. As much as she didn't want to leave Mai's side right now, she also knew he felt the same way about Tahra too. So she got up and brought the bag over to him. She dug around in the bag until she found the only syringes in there and pulled two of them out. One was handed over to Kaito and the other one held out for Niko to take. The water dragon looked the syringe over for a moment before his attention went to the air dragon.

"Hey Sophie." He waited until he had her attention before speaking again. "My scale is on my lower back, kind of an awkward place for me to reach. Would you be able to do it for me?" His body turned slightly so that she could see the start of his scales smack dab in the middle of his lower back; they were a nice teal color but only a small amount could be seen as the rest were hidden in his pants. He held the syringe out to her with an almost pleading look on his face. He knew she'd more than likely say yes but he still wanted to ask first to be polite. While he did, Livia knelt down and picked up the bandages that he had been working on; that way she could finish what he had started with Tahra's eye bandage. Although she was a bit hesitant since she didn't want Niko snapping at her either.