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Fantasy Z O D I A C | Umbra [Currently CLOSED]

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On the Road to Recovery
Sam Sarith | Lucy Black | Camilla Ferarri

Speaking was a chore for Camilla, which was the exact reason why she hadn’t immediately returned Sam’s call given the vertical distance between them. Nonetheless, relief washed over her face seeing that her unofficial uncle was alive and well. Her attention shifted over to the sheep-like being on her chest. She could ask the obvious questions of who the being was, but the simple fact that the sheep-spirit was actively healing Camilla served as proof enough that they had allies in whatever realm they found themselves in, and that was good enough for her. Instead, she used what strength she had to ask a better question; “The others-.. are they-...?”

“See for yourself.” The spirit announced in a bubbly tone as she hopped off Camilla’s chest and landed on her right side. There she pointed in Camilla’s left facing direction where a familiar face was beginning to stir.

The ambient commotion was enough to spark Lucy’s conscious away from her dreams. She was exhausted, her energy completely spent from the shield she had put up, still having no idea if it even worked. Slowly, her eyes fluttered, with each blink revealing a strange face, like some sort of dream. However, after a few shutters, the girl jolted upward in shock, her eyes opening wide, staring toward the strange figure before her, who too, jumped in response to the girl’s sudden movement. Lucy’s eyes darted around in shock, though no words left her gasping mouth, confused and startled. “W-w?” She began to mutter uncontrollably, fearing the worst, as she glanced at her strange surroundings… Still unable to piece together what exactly was going on.

“Shh, shh.” The spirit was quick to recover from her excited state. Being the tallest of the fawns, she knelt down by Lucy’s side where she began gently humming into the girl’s ear. Whilst doing so, she cupped the girl’s hands into her own and held them in a firm, yet comforting grasp. “You are safe, my dear. Be at ease.” Usually the girl would have recoiled from the notion, not knowing anything about the spirit, yet something about the gentle humming relaxed Lucy, her eyes now slowly moving between each strange cloud.

Nonetheless, there wasn’t much for Lucy to see apart from the infinite stretching clouds, all in a similar shape and only a fraction acting as a platform for her companions. As she looked downward; however, several clouds were being rapidly dissipated by a pillar-like structure that rose at frightening speeds. In a matter of seconds, the pillar had reached a height that was level with her platform, causing her to recoil slightly, and on its tip was a new entity who sat with an aloof smile. Like the personal spirits that accompanied each patient, the new creature was sheep-like in nature, having large spiraling horns that jutted from her head and hooves that acted in place of her feet. In her hands was a smaller sized staff that spiraled along the length of its body and ended with a fluffy ball of wool. Most notable, however, was the levels of energy that radiated from its presence; an obvious testament to its identity as a Zodiac and subsequent owner of the present limbo. “Hmm, so everyone has awoken except for the critical patients. The job here is well done then, ya know?” She wove her staff which caused each of the occupied platforms to float to her level, all while the accompanying spirits vanished into thin air. “Each of you have been treated to the best of our abilities, though some of your kind have yet to escape the criticality of their wounds. And in some cases neither have you lot.” With her initial explanation complete, the spirit pointed its stave in Camilla’s direction, which caused a burst of cotton to explode from its end. Unlike the gradual healing performed by the lesser spirits, the current spell enacted a rapid heal over time effect that began repairing her wounds. In addition, it provided her with a sudden burst of energy, albeit temporary for the upcoming conversation alone. “You lot are a curious bunch, ya know? The Phoenix is in critical condition, that girl has Byakko’s power, and above all yall been afflicted with a condition that I cannot heal. It hurts my pride, ya know?” With nothing more to say, her expression turned sullen and she began kicking her legs, almost as if she were throwing a small tantrum in regards to her closing statement.

The added burst of energy that was transferred into Camilla’s being was more than enough for the girl to sit upright upon the floating fluff, yet rather than bombard the zodiac with all sorts of questions, the speedster was more than content with visually affirming the wellbeing of Lucy and Sam. “You’re both safe..” was her immediate response as a heavy sigh of relief followed soon after. Her gaze fell to her hands - which were now working in tandem with one another thanks to the healing of the unknown spirit.

Part 2 of 4
 
On the Road to Recovery
Sam Sarith | Lucy Black | Camilla Ferarri

“I’m… sorry.” She started, “Had I known that our journey to bring Janaiya back would immediately plunge us into chaos, I would’ve never-..” Camilla’s tone grew feeble as her eyes glistened with welling tears. “All I wanted to do was help, but not only did I fail in bringing her back, I cost her aunt a leg and stuck us all on the opposite side of the planet with our only guide barely clinging to life…” Sniffling, her now function arm wiped away the coming onslaught of misery. “This is all my fault, and I’m sorry to have dragged you both into this.”

Lucy, too, wanted to blame herself, after all, she was the reason for the woman’s failed attack on the creature, but as she set her eyes upon the feeble Camilla, she truly understood her woes. “You… Weren’t the one that opened the portal.” A weak voice noted, attempting to push through the strange state they now found themselves in, both nervous, and yet relieved to be out of their previous trouble. “At least you were trying to help.” Lucy slightly whimpered at the notion.

The sudden depression that had befallen the area, left a sour taste in the spirit’s mouth. As such, she quickly interjected with a general roll of her eyes. “I think yall be misunderstanding, ya know? A few missing limbs, some near mortal wounds, none of those are a concern for my talents. Heal em on up I would, if I could, ya know?” She looked to the group for confirmation, yet upon receiving none, she sighed before continuing with her explanation. “Yall got some demonic curse on ya...a parasite if you will. Now of yall, the Phoenix and the ol’ dark-skin got it the worse, but you guys be an afflicted bunch too.” As if on cue, there was a sinister pulse of energy that emanated from Camilla’s body. In particular, it came from her burnt shoulder where grotesque movement began to bubble under her skin. It was as if something were alive and squirming about, but more important was the fact that it began absorbing the healing and energy that she had been gifted. As if instinctively, Camilla gripped her charred shoulder with a now terrified expression as if it would get the ‘parasite’ to stop squirming. Lucy gazed up toward her fearfully, shaking from even the thought of it. “And there ya have it, the problem of it all.” The spirit announced with obvious frustrations in her voice. “All yall suffering from whatever it is that’s taking host in your body. I tried removing em, but all that did was accelerate their growth. They seem to be absorbing Zodiac energy, which I imagine would count towards your own usage. A real stumper bummer if you ask me. They’ve gotten far more active since I started treatment, and I don’t know how much more I can give--as for the critical patients...well, ya get the gist of it all.”

Thinking back, there wasn’t a single point where Camilla had actually made physical contact with the creature during the battle. Just how exactly did this parasite come to manifest? She had every mind to gouge out the thing herself but didn’t exactly look forward to the pain or the gruesome scene she’d cause in light of the peaceful vista they were in. “It absorbs Zodiac energy..?” she echoed the spirit sheep’s words, her face still wet with tears. “..What if we gave it too much energy?” she asked the spirit. Her answer, however, was undoubtedly simple. The spirit merely shrugged before giving its succinct, somewhat unhelpful response. “Who knows, I have never encountered such foreign energy. Though on that note, I’d imagine nothing good, ya know? Perhaps this is a method to further weaken its prey, or even a means of reproduction.”

Lucy’s hand slowly shivered up toward her scalp, before slightly grazing the skin, a pulse of energy emitting from the area, sending a wave of horror through the girl’s body. Fear and confusion also infected her, the idea of such a thing growing like a grub burrowing into her head… And how those that were even worse off must have been feeling...

“I see.” she responded timidly, casting aside her gaze for lack of a better response. In the face of an entirely new issue, Camilla’s emotions stabilized for the moment. “In that case, we shouldn’t stay here much longer.” There were no accurate means of knowing just how long the group had been unconscious since the battle. Knowing that gave Camilla a sense of urgency just to get a full understanding of their situation despite her injuries and afflictions. Through slight strain, she rose up on the fluffy cloud with every intent to leave the Limbo. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, uhm..” Oh, that’s right. They hadn’t even gotten a name from the spirit yet.

“Camilla...it’s not your fault” Sam gave her a reassuring look before coming to task with the issue of the parasite. He didn’t know who this zodiac was, but it could have killed them...but didn’t. He took a moment to breath, a slow, focused breath that spread throughout his core. Sam’s control over zodiac energy was...limited, but he could at least give it a hell of a hard time. “I may not be able to starve it out...but mine won’t be eating very happily. And if we can get the collars...” He reduced his presence to a minimum, leaving little for the parasite to eat. He then waited, trying to gauge the spirit. “She’s right. Thank you, but...why help us?”

“It’s my job, ya know.” The spirit’s answer was short, sweet, and was followed by another simple shrug. “My master leads the Clan of the Sheep, and as a clan, we define the medical ward of the Si Xiang... err, rather the Chinese Dominion, as ya know it.” All throughout the sky, lesser spirits began to reappear on the various platforms that encompassed the area. While some were shy and only observed from afar, many began to wave at the village crew with jubilant forms of greetings...or in this case farewells, as the vision of limbo began to fade from each individual, and soon, they found themselves back in reality.

Part 3 of 4
 
On the Road to Recovery
Sam Sarith | Lucy Black | Camilla Ferarri

Their new location was simple. It was an ordinary room that consisted of all white walls and no more furniture than the three beds that they rested upon and the single occupied chair that was fixated in front of the room’s only window. For some in the room, the male youth who sat in the chair was a familiar face--namely, one of Kaivant’s soldiers whose water-based reality magic had proved a useful boon in the fight against the late Cerberus. His legs were crossed and his expression consisted of a mix between annoyance and boredom; an obvious testament to the fact that he had been stuck waiting for their recovery.

“It’s funny how the two of you are present whenever there is demonic activity.” Gui’s gaze was fixated between Camilla and Lucy as he spoke, though the smaller woman cocked her head in confusion. There was obvious suspicion lathered over his words; though he remained passive in light of his lack of concrete evidence. “An explanation, please. From all of you, and leave no detail out. What you say is very important in what happens next.”

Camilla wasn’t a fan of Gui’s choice of words as they came off rather threatening in its implication. Nevertheless, she brought herself to sit upward as she recalled the events after they had stepped outside of Kaivant’s portal. The beatle, the dragon-like corpse it had been feeding on, and how their abilities served their enemy more than it did them.“..And that’s the jist of it.” she finished, undoubtedly blind to the nature of their enemy and their surroundings. “We’re only here for Janaiya. Kaivant was originally going to do all the talking, but then this happened.” And what made it even more baffling was the rate at which things turned sour. A part of her hoped that Azreal could pitch in with his prior knowledge of the creature, but he was nowhere to be found.

A brief tension rose as silence fell. The reality of the situation was that they were somewhere within a Dominion facility in China with little to no allies to call upon. There wasn’t any guarantee that the trio would be welcomed with open arms, or even welcomed at all, which begged the question. “We’re not-.. prisoners, are we?” After all, Gui was the same youth that had branded Camilla a murderer in public shortly before he broke down in tears. She remembered vividly how that felt. A wave of nervous energy sent itself over Lucy’s face at Camilla’s words, visibly showing.

Gui sighed. Camilla’s explanation was overwhelming to take in all at once. Recent activities combined with the medical evidence provided by the Sheep clan validated the bulk of her story. There were still many loose ends and even more questions that remained up in the air; though he was entirely sympathetic towards her current, general confusion. Under normal circumstances, Kaivant was the one to handle such investigations, with Ryu or Byakko next in line. Gui was nothing more than a child given the opportunity to lead a clan--his talents in battle were exemplary beyond belief, but any experience past that was severely lacking. “I don’t know anymore. The Si Xiang is in shambles, Kaivant’s dying, Byakko’s dead, and the Dragon clan is stuck investigating the loss of their power. I hate this.” Gone was his confidence, replaced with whining and pouting that was befit of his age. Suffice it to say, Camilla was surprised given her expression as she witnessed the facade of Gui’s maturity undone.

But it couldn’t be blamed. Things were just as dire on the other side of the fence judging by the boy’s frustration. Camilla had little knowledge of the Dominion’s structure on the other side of the world, and it showed. Naturally, she’d be inclined to comfort Gui, but given that she was the murderer of his comrade and friend - she’d best not. Instead, she rose off of the medical bed with minimal issue and examined her battle-damaged clothing with a hint of her own frustration. “I don’t suppose there’s spare clothing laying around?”

Gui lifted his head to gaze at Camilla’s attire. Having been subjected to the flames of the explosion, her outfit had been left in utter shambles. Very little remained intact and what did threatened to fall apart at its seams. “Yes, there will be...though in your case I am not sur--..” A series of firm knocks interrupted his response, causing Lucy to jolt in shock, right as the room’s door swung open and revealed a shinobi-esque figure. Immediately, he fell onto one knee and performed a curt bow for Gui. “I have come for the Byakko.” He rose to his feet alongside of his declaration; his eyes turning to observe Camilla. There was obvious disdain being directed her way, though the agent remained civil as he patiently awaited further orders.

“Take her.” Gui announced while gesturing for Camilla to follow the man. “You must come to terms with the consequences of your actions. There are expectations of you. Do not run from them.” He explained in a stern, almost commanding tone. It was hardly surprising - Camilla glanced towards her two friends with a worriless gaze before it steeled at the sight of the shinobi, as Lucy looked drastically between her and the man. “..May as well get it over with then.” she muttered, making sure to sling Dominic’s sword onto her back before she left with the man, causing Lucy to leap out from her seated position. “N-No! Wai-...” She gasped out as Camilla left the room.

Part 4 of 4
 
Branching Paths
Sam Sarith | Lucy Black

“And what the hell are you planning to do with her?” Sam said as he pushed himself off the gurney. The man had been on the defense ever since he had learned what he suspected- they were in a Dominion facility. The hairs were raised on the back of his neck, and the expression on his face was that akin to a wild animal that had been trapped- angry and on high alert. “We’re just here for the kid. You don’t even know that her name’s Camilla, and your off planning to do things?” Sam scowled, the man’s anger driven from his protective spirit towards Camilla. His eyes scanned the room. They were separated now, so he couldn’t just port them out.

“And what are you going to do with us?”

Gui dismissed Sam’s anger with a mere wave of his hand. He didn’t feel in the slightest threatened by the sudden burst of anger. If anything, he found it relatively annoying to have to deal with such behavior on top of current events. “Please, Sam...at least I believe that is your name. All of you have been infected with an unknown parasite, and you expect us to simply allow you to waltz away as if nothing had happened. You are a potential threat to the world. Your precious Camilla is an entirely different issue in of herself.” Another knock interrupted the state of the room, though it was not another shinobi that entered into the room, but rather a nurse that was dressed in expected white attire. In her hands was a series of papers that he handed towards Gui. Immediately, he began to scan across their contents, dismissing the nurse only once he had finished doing so. “The medical investigation suggests a potential link between your parasite and its origin. This confirms our worst fears that the demon is aware of your survival and present location. On the flipside, this also suggests that killing the demon would be the best option in removing the parasite from everyone. Hmm...” Gui’s voice trailed off, as he began tapping his fingers against the chair while considering the various options the medical evidence suggested.

Lucy, still unable to properly grasp their situation, approached the window wearily. “Where did you take her?” She pointlessly questioned, knowing full well that no answer would come. Hanging her head dejectedly, the girl thought on Gui’s words, slowly looking back up toward him. “T-That thing… It…” She almost didn’t want to say it, and it was clear by her tone. “Called me a threat, maybe we could…” By now, her words were nothing more than whispers, desperate ones at that, not even being able to finish her own sentence. They needed something, some sort of leverage to be able to get Camilla out of wherever they were taking her, especially considering her past with the Chinese Dominion.

“We can kill it.” Sam said flatly, staring down Gui with a cross expression. “It was afraid of Lucy, her power. With the right setup, we can take it down and get rid of this...thing in our system.”

Gui scoffed at Sam’s optimism. There was a level of overconfidence coming from the man that brought him genuine surprise. “I have a hard time sharing your confidence, Sam. Seeing Kaivant in the state that he is, does not give me hope that this girl is at all a threat to the demon. Furthermore, utilizing your Zodiac energy in your current state is nothing more than a desire for death.” With nothing more to say on the topic of Sam’s plan, he turned his attention towards Lucy, to whom he gave some minor form of reassurance. “Worry not about your friend. She must walk a separate path, to atone for her sins of murder. Instead, focus on your own future that has become tied with the enemy that has brought you here in the state that you have suffered.” The response forced Lucy’s head down once more, though this time, it was not in fear, her small fists slightly clenching.

Part 1 of 3
 
Branching Paths
Sam Sarith | Lucy Black

“Wait, hold on a second. What the hell are you talking about?” Sam interjected again, confusion vastly replacing his hostility. The man could process that he was taking things too quickly, and the mention of not being able to use zodiac powers was..unsettling, but something he could work with. But Camilla…”Murder? Camilla’s never murdered anyone. She’s hardly even been in the field.”

“She is the successor to the divine beast, Byakko. There is no other way to obtain such power, unless the former holder is dead.” Gui responded without so much as hesitation in his tone, a small drop of liquid falling from Lucy’s face to the ground as she began to realise their intentions.

“What..? Wait. Just what exactly are you going to do?” Sam was slower on the draw, fists clenching. “I don’t know what your talking about, but Camilla is no killer. She’s just a girl! If you do anything to hurt her... “ Sam’s fingers curled up into fists, concern evident on the man’s face.

Gui sighed in response to Sam’s light threat. The emotions running through his head were understandable, yet it didn’t discount the fact that they were annoying for him to deal with. “She is not a child. She made her decisions, thus she can walk her own path. If you trust her to this degree, then I imagine you can have faith in the path that she walks.” Having said his peace on Camilla’s ordeal, he opted to change to the topic. “I believe there is a larger concern, and that is how you plan to move forward from this point on.”

“I do whatever I need to do to kill that...thing. Figure out it’s weakness, whatever. Then I find Camilla and take her home to the village. I’m not staying for one second longer than I need to in this prison. One morning me and Lucy here’ll wake up with collars around our next and injections to keep us passive. I remember what you people do.” He glowered at the indifferent Gui. “But first, one thing we agree on- we need to deal with the parasite.”

“Separate path…” Lucy suddenly spoke up, though silent, her tone was visceral, completely different to the one Sam had been hearing so far, filled with distaste. “Kaivant was the reason we ended up with that… Thing. Now some child uses it as an opportunity to take Camilla!?” Lucy’s entire visage seemed like a complete reversal to her normal state, as she stared upward toward Gui, suddenly moving her fist forward to slam on the glass before them. Though the force was little, it sent a wave of energy through her body, to which the parasite on her head clearly responded to the small change. “We aren’t doing anything until we know she’s safe.” Lucy spitefully demanded, lowering her hand from the glass, not moving her shivering gaze from Gui.

The slam against the window did little to affect Gui’s state of being, neither did the sudden outburst that came from Lucy. Instead, he addressed each point as calmly as possible, starting with the accusations that Sam inflicted. “If we wished to suppress your power, we would have done so long before you awoke. As for Camilla, I do not understand why you accuse us of taking her. Everything she has done, including her arrival here, has been done of her own will.” At this point in time, the parasite within Lucy’s body was still continuing to wriggle--an obvious consequence for utilizing the power which flowed within her. “If your goal is to bring about death to the demon, then debating over another’s well being is not a path to victory. As it stands, you’re own power seems to be your greatest bane.” The girl continued to scowl at his words, it almost seemed clear the demon was of less importance at this time

“And what exactly would you recommend we do? Before you decide to throw us in test tubes.” It was clear Sam’s opinion of the dominion was...largely a universal approach.”You said it yourself, using our host power is suicide.” He gave Lucy a somewhat cautious look. The girl needed to be careful not to lose control of herself and use those powers...not if she wanted to live. “I’m a good shot, but I’m going to need a bigger gun than I think exists. And Lucy...she’s going to need training.” The girl crossed her arms at the notion, Sam took a slow...long breath, making an active effort to calm himself. He had to think things through rationally here. All the man wanted was to go home to the village he’d helped built with the girl he’d help to raise. Camilla was almost like a daughter to him, all he wanted in the end was for her to be safe...but he was slowly coming to the realization her generation might have to fight after all.

Part 2 of 3
 
Branching Paths
Sam Sarith | Lucy Black

A smile came to Gui’s face, although internally, he was relieved that the two were finally willing to listen. “Both of you lack a fundamental understanding of the energy that you wield. This is not a fault on your part, but rather in the system that penalizes your connection to the higher beings that walk amongst us…” He paused his explanation to reach into his robe where he retrieved two orbs that were subsequently tossed in Sam and Lucy’s direction.

Lucy’s hands rose, fumbling the ball before finally grasping it in both of her hands, while Sam caught his with trained reflexes. “I’ve been a host since I was in high school. I know how my powers work.”

This statement brought another smile to Gui’s face. “Then answer me this question, Sam. There are currently three hundred and fifty six agents that utilize Zodiac energy. They are here and among you, and certainly someone such as yourself can feel them. How many of these users are hosts?”

Sam took a moment and took a slow breath. The scent of zodiac energy was rich in the scent of the area, he’d always been good at picking up on them. As he exhaled, he gave Gui an incredulous look. “All of them would have to be. You can’t use zodiac energy without being a host.”

By nature, the question was a trick, and one that Gui anticipated Sam to answer incorrectly. “You are incorrect. Of these men and woman, at most seventeen would be what you consider a host.” The idea struck confusion on Lucy’s face, though she attempted to hide it through her look of displeasure.

“So what...the rest are all some kind of energy benders? Yeah right.” Sam scoffed. “Subhosts or something then?” Laughter followed Sam’s disbelief. It was a common occurance from experienced hosts that were not accustomed to the ways of the Si Xiang. “That’s one way to think of them, though they are not channeling energy through their body like you are accustomed too; they are merely interpreting it from the sources that we all share.” He pointed at the orbs that were now in each of their hands. “Grasp them and channel your energy into their core. Let them divinate that which you are destined for. Tell me what you feel, be it physical..mental...emotional. Each of you will experience something unique to yourself, tell me what that is.”

Nervously, Lucy placed the orb down beside her, unsure of it, looking toward Sam.

Sam slowly gave her a nod, and started to focus his energy. It wasn’t difficult for him to direct it, that was something he was always skilled at. He felt a surge of...something, though it was hard to place. The man had always been protective, defensive of those he cared about...and his bond with the shark-spirit had always amplified those traits. “I feel...anger.” He muttered, memories flashing of events long past. So many people he loved had been hurt by the American dominon- killed. His first friends at Fushinsetsu’s hand back in high school, more during the war against the dominion. The fear of losing more. The image of Camilla’s body played over and over again in his head, and he had to stop his teeth from sharpening at the sight. He clenched the orb, a sudden weariness overtaking him. He had been fighting for the right to exist for over a decade. “Tired..” He murmured. He took slow breaths, fighting back the building frenzy. It was Sam’s main weakness- when blood got into the air, he could become more feral, and he’d spent those decades making sure it didn’t hurt anyone. He looked at Gui as he channeled. “All I want...All I’ve ever wanted, is to live at peace with the people I care about. But bastards like you...they keep taking it away!” He growled lightly, but forced himself to hold back. The emotions of the fight had finally hit him- and it felt like getting hit by a truck. His hand shook, the fatigue growing. Eventually, all he could say was soft...almost a whisper. “I feel like the world’s been trying to erase me.”

The only acknowledgement Gui gave was a slow nod that acted almost like a small bow. Spurred by the orb, Sam had been far more open about his inner feelings--a trait that was soon reflected on the surface of its glass. Etched across the top was a symbol in the shape of goat horns. The same symbol which existed in the very room they were situated in. With his divination completed, Gui turned his attention back to Lucy who had yet to follow through with her task at hand. “You’re turn” he announced in a patient tone.

Unsure of all of this, Lucy placed the orb back into her hands, confused as she fumbled around with it. “I- I don’t feel anything.” She stated, looking back toward Sam to gauge his actions, it was clear she still had only a small amount of knowledge of such energy in comparison to the man. Nonetheless, her actions were enough to trigger a result from the orb, as the body of a snake began to form on its surface. The orb brought sense a feeling of happiness, and yet… Lucy didn’t want to smile. It wasn’t a natural joy, not like the one she had come to know, but one that crept in through an almost dark recess in her body. It reminded her all too fondly of the spider hollow they fought within her nightmares, and the way they ended it.

Gui clapped his hands together as a signal for the end of the divination. “I have made my decision. Since Kaivant is unable to designate a decree, I shall determine your fate in his stead. No longer can we point fingers and and pass blame onto others. Thus I leave you a fair choice. You may either deny your fate, to which you will be considered a threat and imprisoned. Or accept residency under the clan of your designation. In doing so, you will accept training…” He turned his head to gaze directly at Sam. “...something I believe you need, perhaps to undo your clouded view."

Sam weighed his options. There was a deep part of him that wanted to reject the pseudo-offer out of spite. But he forced himself to think objectively, he couldn't help anyone in a prison cell, and with the parasite...he was on a clock. He reluctantly nodded. He'd play their game for now. “fine. I'll roll with your weird system. For now. But whatever this separation clan thing is? I'm still going to talk to Lucy and Camilla.” He spared lucy a protective look. Trying to be somewhat reassuring.

The girl nodded to Sam’s words. “N-not until I know Camilla’s safe…” Her strangely aggressive tone had by now reverted to a more mouse-like demeanor, her eyes gazing to the floor of where Gui was, avoid eye contact.

“All in due time.” Gui concluded with a smile.

Part 3 of 3
 
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| Diana Young |

​
Morning
Countryside
Old Barn​
​
It was clear to the three that remained within the barn that Diana's outright rejection of the manor's invitation sent a shock through the Count. "B-but Mistress! You're the guest of honor!" The tiny Zodiac pleaded to her. "The manor hasn't felt this lively in decades! You have to attend!" If the Count's persistent nature wasn't enough, her blood red eyes had glistened with welled tears threatening to burst at the slightest hint of further opposition. Needless to say, the little Maiden valued Diana's presence at the manor more than anyone else. Axel took this time to interject before any further words were spoken. "If Tyrik herself wills it to see you, she'll send the entire manor to you, so avoiding it is technically impossible at this point." From the look on Axel's face, she wasn't exactly excited to return to the manor either, but unlike her short-tempered host, Axel was aware of her master's stubbornness and could accurately predict just the Maidens Tyrik'll send to fetch Diana.

"If you want to avoid fighting, then we should accept this invitation while the peace still exists." Axel's suggestion was promptly followed by hums of approval from the Count. Nonetheless, the two Zodiacs eyed Diana for an answer.
 
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Diana Young
Boss Boss
Diana grabbed the bridge of her nose as she let out a sigh of frustration, she could deal with the count crying she wasn't fazed by that, it's the fact Axel had twisted her arm, she was making sense, and she had no doubt in her mind she was just going to get shit from this either way from all sides, but she couldn't help but feeling like this was all forced and she had no leg room in the choice. Letting out a low groaning noise she threw her arms up in the air with a frustrated face, "Fine! Fine just fucking take me already, want to put the knife in my back before or after we leave? Because I bet I'm getting one EITHER WAY!" Saying that she couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh. This whole thing had "Bad" written all over it and she couldn't do anything.

"And wait, am I going to be unconscious again? Cause I seriously don't want another situation like before, I was out cold for most of my kidnapping which was not fucking fun." In saying that the memory-- or well thought, of Tom carrying her out of danger made her blush a little smiling lightly.​
 
Cottonball Fever
TerraBooma TerraBooma | Sam Sarith

Sam didn’t have far to travel. He was already within the domain of the Goat clan; his injuries having been treated by their clan leader, herself. As such, he was soon escorted away from the others by a nurse who had been instructed to fetch him. “...You are currently in the clan house of the goats.” As they traveled through the halls, the nurse provided the occasional details that made their walk a tour of sorts. The medical complex was nothing like a hospital found in America. As a matter of fact, it seemed to be far less civilized in given that it lacked common, modern technologies that were utilized by the rest of the world. Many of the patient rooms that were visible along the way demonstrated traditional medicines being applied in various ways. At the end of the day, however, nowhere on Earth was their destination. Instead, Sam was led to a smaller, more personal sized room that was filled with an incense which drifted his conscious away. Soon, he found himself back in the limbo, seated face to face with the peculiarity from before.

“Welcome back, ya know.” She said as a bare minimum to acknowledge his arrival. In her hands was a stone pestle that she used to crush an assortment of herbs that were held within the basin of her mortar. Despite the seemingly simple action, there was an intense level of focus dedicated towards her current work, and it wasn’t until she was satisfied with the resulting paste, that she finally lifted her eyes and gazed at Sam. “Did ya need some extra treatments?”

Sam had walked through the halls of the chinese dominion with a cold edge. He’d agreed because he felt he had no other option, not because this was what he wanted. The veteran host had succeeded in calming himself down, but the anger had been replaced with a wary caution. Each turn brough new dangers, and he never quite shook the feeling that he was walking into a trap. Even as he drifted off into limbo, doubt clung to his mind, worried floated in his brain of traps and backstabbing. He went to speak as he came to face the fluffy zodiac for before but noticed that she was preoccupied. He waited, patient. Sam was worried about the humans and hosts, a zodiac felt...more and less dangerous, for different reasons. He shook his head in response to her question.

“The kid in charge put some ball in my hand and told me to focus. I did, some goat bits came up, and I got told to come here so I can figure out some way to kill this parasite thing before it eats me from the inside. Given the other option was slowly die in a dominion cell, I chose this.” He crossed his arms, looking up at her. He still held that cautious expression, as if expecting an attack. It was clear his experience with the dominion had left him on edge, like an animal that didn’t trust humans anymore. “And since I figure there’s about a fifty percent chance I’m being experimented on as I’m here in your limbo, forgive me for being crass. The faction you’ve aligned yourself with in my experience hurts more people than it helps.”

The goat spirit seemed confused by Sam’s closing statement. For a moment, there was a bemused expression on her face, though it faded from view as she lowered her head and returned to her work. Without looking, she reached over to the nearest cabinet--one of the many which surrounded the somewhat small room they both resided within. From it, she retrieved a vial of liquid that was poured over the paste which began to bubble. With the pestle back in her hand, she began mixing the solid with liquid, up until they were combined into a runny paste that wafted scents of foul earthy herbs. “Drink.” she said after pouring the substance into a low bowl that she held in Sam’s direction.

The man took the bowl carefully, he looked at it with caution evident on his face. “What is it?” He said as he sniffed at the contents. “Medicine.” She replied in a blunt, matter of fact tone. “Your heart is being consumed.”

“...Fair point.” He looked at her cautiously still, but he downed it. “Parasite eating at my heart isn’t exactly thrilling no.” A smile came to the spirit’s face in response to Sam’s interpretation of her words. “That is not what is consuming you, Sam.” At that moment, a pulse of pain shot through Sam alongside of a growing fatigue that sapped away the energy inside of him. Nothing about the experience was pleasant, apart from the fact that his frenzy began to fade. Any connection he had with Cetus, with the Soiree began to grew distant in his mind, up until it vanished entirely, leaving him human at the core.

“GRAH!” Pain shot through Sam’s head as he staggered backwards, the bowl clattering to a ground, though it’s contents were now removed since he’d drunk it quickly. He would have dropped to his knees, but the remnant of spite in his heart wouldn’t let him. His skin felt like it was on fire as his toughened resistance from years being bound to Cetus faded away. His senses were muted, a blessing amongst what felt like being lit on fire from the inside out. Instinctively, he reached for his side where he kept his handgun as he screamed in pain, but the firearm hadn’t crossed over like it would have from a willing transition. He staggered forward, trying to grip onto something, anything, he looked up at her with angry, pained eyes. He knew what just happened, but he still had to speak. Clutching to his chest, the man stumbled.

Part 1 of 4
 
Cottonball Fever
TerraBooma TerraBooma | Sam Sarith

“W-what...what did you do to me!? You are with them!” He kept trying to move forward. He didn’t have a plan, just refused to take this standing still.

The spirit sighed before reaching behind herself and grabbing her staff that had been resting along the ground. There was a loud crack as she slammed it against the floor, which in turn manifested the sudden growth of a plant. Under Sam’s feet, a small sprout shot up between the wooden boards, only to rapidly expand until it bloomed into an enormous cotton ball that enveloped his body. “Do not move while the medicine courses through your veins. It will pass in time.” she explained. She rose to her feet and set aside the mortar and pestle on a nearby counter. With her workspace clean, she made for the exit with the staff in her hand and the now-separated cotton ball following in close pursuit. By this point in time, the medicine had reached every end of Sam’s body, leaving him relatively immobile apart from small twitches and the usage of his voice. Thus, he was locked along the path in which his floating cotton ball led him.

“What is life to you?” The spirit asked whilst strolling down a hallway that was reminiscent of the medical ward back on Earth.

Sam barely responded at first. The pain still coursed through his body. Part of him was thankful for the plant- it held him up as much as it held him in place. “L-life?” He grimaced. “Life is freedom. Life...life is movement.” Despite the pain flaring through his body, he refused to break eye contact. He looked up in stubborn defiance. “Life is the moments I get to enjoy seeing the girl I raised walk, hoping she’s never going to have to fight. Life is protecting those at home. Life is...life is not being hunted. Life is something the dominion’s been trying to take away from me for decades.” He glared at her. Frustration on his face. “Ever since I walked away because I saw the writing on the wall.” Invisible to Sam, the spirit smiled in response to his answer. “A fair assessment, it was both a personal and honest, yet a fantasy as you do not presently believe in what you have said. Defeats the purpose of saying it, ya know?” Both the spirit and the cotton ball came to a gentle stop.They had reached the end of the hall, which was also the exit into the surrounding world. The spirit took one more step forward, and the pair of them were then standing on the stairs to the cathedral which had been left behind them. Much like before, the limbo was an endless sky of cotton clouds and goat sprites, busy at work with patients who had been admitted. This time, however, there was a definite ground at the base of the stairwell--an infinite field of cotton and herbs that were being actively tended by the same sprites from above. “Allow me to ask again. What is life to you?”

“A fantasy? Maybe. But it’s the life I want to have.” He growled back. “I remember life as a kid. It was good. Even the first few years outta high school were good. Then everything changed.” He looked down, darkly. “Life right now is dark...pained. A twisting knife. Life is running from things just trying to get by. You happy? My life is being hunted for who I am.”

The spirit twirled around to face Sam, then clapped her hands together. “There we go. That’s the real you talking.” She announced cheerful. The medicine in Sam’s body had begun to wear off and movement was becoming increasingly more possible by the second. Fully aware of this fact, she beckoned for Sam to follow her into the fields where she soon began caressing the plants with her outward extended arms. Every plant that her hands touched caused a sudden spurt of growth, which was in direct contrast to the effect Sam would have. The moment his body were to come in contact with a plant, it would begin to wither and wilt away.

Sam staggered after, he figured he didn’t have much of an option anyway. His powers were severed, so there was no chance of him portaling out of her limbo. He was veteran enough to know that that meant he had to play nice. He almost stumbled when he could move again, but quickly caught himself. He slowly inched onto the field, still looking like a cornered animal. As the plants withered and decayed, he frowned. “What the…” He murmured to himself. “You separated me from Cetus, so what the hell is going on?”

The warmth was gone from the spirit’s face as she turned to face Sam once more. It was replaced with a shocked expression that brought further weight to the panicked words that came from her mouth. “Now, you’ve done it! I needed those herbs to create a medicine for a sick patient. They were the only ones ready to be picked, and you’ve gone and killed them!” An audible groan escaped her lips as she frantically brought both hands to the sides of her head. “I have another order to prepare, and the sprites are far over worked with recent events. Since it’s your fault anyways, bring em’ back to life for me will ya.” The spirit gave Sam a quick wink and like that she was gone.

Part 2 of 4
 
Cottonball Fever
TerraBooma TerraBooma | Sam Sarith

“M-my fault!?” Sam retorted, but before he could finish his words, she was gone. He scowled. “My fault my ass. You transported me here and walked me into the field. Damn zodiacs and their tests.” He let out a long sigh. He’d been through enough of these to know what it was- some kind of test of his abilities. Or his character, or whatever. He looked down at the dead plants and scowled again for a moment. “Well you heard her. Come on, you need to get better.” He stared down at the lifeless herbs. Why should he care if some dominion kill agent died? A memory flashed in his mind. The villagers back home, not all of them were soldiers, and he knew it. He knew from working in the dominion that not all of the people they treated were evil either...it could’ve been anyone afflicted with host injuries. “Stupid fucking plants..” He murmured. Blind anger morphing more into conflicted frustration. He knelt down in front of them. “I don’t know what she wants to be honest. Well I do, kind of. She was all cheerful and you did just great didn’t you? Now i’m here and killed you. Probably because I’m trapped in a limbo in a class held against my will because the other option was slowly die of a parasite in some dominion cell getting pumped with chemicals or killed. So cheering up isn’t going to happen.” He paused, feeling a pang of guilt. “Even if whoever’s injured might not deserve it. Humans...can’t just be happier. Not that I’d know, I haven’t been allowed to be human in a long time.”

Having granted to the dead herbs for long enough, he knelt down. This was too much, being all frustrated and angry...it wasn’t helping anyone. Feeling the dirt on his knees he took a long slow breath. He might not frenzy anymore...but he needed to calm down.

“How slow are you?” A familiar voice suddenly said into his left ear. “Has to be the slowest human known to humans and their human kind.” Another equally familiar voice said into his right. Sure enough, the same two sprites from before were seated on the dirt, on opposite ends of his body. It didn’t take long before they were soon poking and prodding at his face, just like they did before. “A dead plant isn’t gonna talk back, ya know.”

“It’s called ranting. It doesn’t need to be to something alive.” Sam replied with a cold tone. He wouldn’t let these things get a rise out of him. He kept looking down at the withered plant. “It calms me down. Useful when your in danger of frenzying and hurting everyone...guess that’s not a problem anymore. You two just here to berate me? Goat lady said all you sprites were too overworked to help so what you doing here?”

“Our patients died.” The two sprites said in unison. It was somewhat unnerving how cheerful their tone was, even more so given the wide smiles that remained plastered on their face. “We got bored and heard you giving a speech to some plants….” The female sprite started, only for the male to finish her thoughts. “...didn’t realize how boring it’d be, though. I mean I think I saw the plant wilt even more from it.” Both of the sprites burst into a fit laughter that ended up lasting far longer than it should have. “Tell it a joke, maybe it’ll liven up this time.” They sarcastically concluded.

“A joke. Sure. Like the one about the guy getting captured by the organization who hates his existence and forced to try and cheer up for a damn plant.” His response was flat, he finally gazed at the two. “If your the experts then, how do they work? If i’m supposed to heal this thing for...someone.” He moved back to stand. “And you got names? Otherwise I’m calling you thing one and thing two.” He stood, looking back down at the plant. “I think she wants me to cheer up to bring it back.”

“If only being happy brought back the dead.” They both said with even more sarcasm than before. While doing so, they hopped onto their feet and starting with the female, performed a small bow for Sam. “I am Vitali.” The male then bowed. “And I am Vitale.” With their introductions complete, they plopped back onto the dirt where they each began humming a tune in perfect harmony.

“So that won’t work then? Not really sure what they want me to do then. She separated me from cetus, my zodiac.” He crossed his arms, but his mind kept thinking. “Unless...this is part of what that kid from earlier was talking about. Non hosts using zodiac energy.” He still scoffed in disbelief. “Is that what she wants then? Me to resurrect these things using energy I’m not attached to?”

Both sprites looked at Sam with a clueless expression. Neither of them had any idea of what he was talking about; something they soon vocalized in their usual paired fashion. “What’s a Zodiac? All you need to do is give em’ the ol’ one, two, and life will be back. Not like the plants are totally dead anyways.”

“A zodiac is...know what, nevermind.” If goat lady didn’t want to explain her existence to her underlings and their place in the grand scheme of things, that wasn’t his problem. “But you say they’re not dead? Look at them.” He frowned and kept staring as they spoke. “And how exactly does giving them the old one two help? Punching a plant just kills it more.”

“Well if you keep blabbering your mouth, they’ll be totally dead.” Vitale said in a sudden, stern tone. Of course, the seriousness was all an act, as he soon began giggling at his own jest. Vitali, on the other hand, proved slightly more useful as she rose to her feet, mustered the largest smile she could, reached in and kissed the wilted plant closest to her. Immediately, color began to flow through its leaves, and in seconds, it was how it once was.

Sam was...confused for a variety of reasons. Why one two meant a kiss here, why it worked. How he was supposed to come to some sort of conclusion like that without the sprites. Still, she had fixed it. “I uh...thanks. Vitali.” He nodded to the female sprite. “That’s it then right? All good to go. Where’s the goat lady?”

At first the sprites remained silent, sheepishly tapping their fingers together without any regards as to why. “Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, we doooo neeeeed them aaaaall.” Each word was heavily drawn out, all while they began twiddling their fingers and avoiding eye contact with Sam. “Andnowthatyouthinkaboutitwearebusy.” At lightning speed, they rushed their closing statement before poofing into thin air, just like the spirit from before had done.

Part 3 of 4
 
Cottonball Fever
TerraBooma TerraBooma | Sam Sarith

“They want me to kiss the plant.” he replied with a flat tone. With them gone, there was no way for them to do it themselves. “Of course. They want me to kiss the plant.” He let out a long, confused sigh. Why couldn't it be something less...weird?” He debated walking back inside. He didn’t need to help these people, failing the test wasn’t his problem. And they were probably all laughing at him anyway. He turned and took a single step but...stopped. Why wasn’t he walking away? What was the point of staying? It was probably for some injured dominion agent anyway. Someone who hunted people like him for a living. Who hated him and everything he stood for. Who would burn down the village if they had the chance. Sam clenched his fists.

“But if it’s not. And someone innocent died...you’d never forgive yourself. DAMMIT!” At his feet, the plant that had been healed by Vitali began to slowly wilt once more.

He let out a slow sigh and turned, kneeling down. “And that’s...that’s not a risk I can take. I’m not a monster. No matter how much they always tried to paint me as one.” He leaned in close to the plant, taking a slow breath to calm himself down. If it even had a chance of saving someone innocent...it was worth the risk.

“Hey plant...help someone good, okay?” He asked quietly, before softly kissing each of the flowers in the same style that he saw Vitali do. As he leaned in to kiss the last of the wilted plants, there was a peculiar feeling that rushed across his skin and sent a quick chill down his spine. It lasted less than a quarter of a second, but was noticeable all the same. Nonetheless, in regards to the plants, all remained in the same state as they were prior, withered. If anything, they seemed to be far more wilted having come in contact with Sam’s kiss. In the distance, muffled giggles became audible, followed by a quick SHH that silenced the laughter soon after.

He let out a sigh. Of course that wasn’t it, the sprites had some kind of prank going on. Sam walked over and stalked towards the sound, he might have felt like an idiot, but they’d given their position away. “Haha. Very funny. Make the human kiss the plan. Come on out you little gremlins.” He shook his head. “Now that you’ve had your fun, are you going to tell me how to actually fix it?”

Mature laughter filled the air, in addition to a clap which came from Sam’s rear. The spirit had returned in her usual cheerful fashion, even more so having experienced the prank her sprites had performed. “Now, now, a little fun goes a long way don’t you think.” She walked up to Sam and extended her hands towards his head. In a circular motion, she began twirling her index all across his hair; looping the stray strands of cotton that had been mysteriously formed. “Messy and incomplete, but not the worst, ya know.” She gave Sam another wink, right before she walking over the plants that had wilted beyond belief. With a single touch, each plant began to reform--a phenomenon that at the end of the day, had little to do with emotion . “This is a species known as Fickle. They wilt if men touch or are near them.”

“So it was all some game to begin with.” He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Hardly felt fun, I just looked like an idiot. And stop conjuring cotton into my head.” He didn’t enjoy the prospect of having to wash that out later. “But I didn’t” The spirit interjected in an innocent tone. “So haha, jokes on me. You got me to kiss a plant.” He paused, puzzled. “Oh boy. The plant gives me cotton hair? Great.”

A sigh escaped the spirit’s lips, while a tired expression formed on her face. “Must you be so stubborn, you child.” There was a hint of frustration in her voice as she placed extra emphasis on her title for Sam. “The only trick here was that the plant wilts at the touch of men. Everything else was the labour of your own self.” She stormed up the man and jabbed him in the chest. It wasn’t an overly aggressive action; however, there was still enough force to cause a small twinge of pain. “Look in yourself, find who you are…” There was a short paused as she leaned up to his ear and began to whisper. “...because I’d say that girl you raised, prefers the silly man who can kiss a flower, than a man, so lost in anger, that he can’t even begin to accept his own kind.”

And with that the spirit and her limbo was gone.

----------------

Sam awoke in the room once more, his chest heaving and words half formed in his throat. As he realized she was gone, he felt his energy drain. He had been about to spout a vitriolic retort at her, but stopped. He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed and coming to stand. He looked down at his hands, feeling his fingers tingle. So this was what it meant to be human again? The man stood cautiously, as if expecting some kind of terrible side effect at any moment. He felt...vulnerable in that moment. His skin used to be tough as iron, not it was just normal..human skin. He took a slow breath. There wasn’t any point getting angry at the sprites, nor at the goat-like zodiac. He placed a hand on his chest, still feeling the place she hardly poked him. When was the last time Camilla had seen him laugh? The thought sat heavily in his mind, and he frowned deeply. “They’re not my kind.” He murmured, reminding himself of where he was. They were dominion here. Even if they were hosts and zodiacs among them. They’d picked their side. Yet despite his thoughts, he didn’t have the energy to summon the hate from his gut. He sighed and started walking, maybe the bubble kid would be around to tell him what a failure he was and then send him somewhere else.

Part 4 of 4
 
One Lucy, Two Lucy, Who is Lucy?
Randomfella Randomfella | Lucy

Lucy was not given a similar experience, compared to Camilla and Sam. Immediately following her conversation with Gui, she had been escorted away by a peculiar agent of the Snake clan, her nervous appearance showing all the while. Similar to the shinobi that had come for Camilla, the agent was dressed in covert attire; however, unlike the former, the current showed zero sense of humanity--both in a physical and emotional sense, it was unnerving to the girl. From head to toe, their body was shrouded by some form of leather or cloth, whereas the duration of their journey was done in utter silence, by either of the two. Even if Lucy might have tried to engage in simple conversation, she would have been left ignored by the agent who only continued to trudge forward. Following their departure from the medical ward, the agent had led Lucy towards the nearest back alley where they remained in the shadows, away from the active population of the Si Xiang. For every minute that passed by, the more worrisome the girl grew. Less signs of civilization were becoming increasingly more obvious, and just like that, everything went black for Lucy’s conscious.

It was a methodical drip that stirred Lucy awake, her eyes slowly blinking in stunned confusion. Drop after another splashed against her forehead from one of the many leaking pipes that ran across the foreign ceiling of her new location, eventually fully waking her, the girl’s head twisting and turning in a frantic attempt to figure out where she had been taken. That being said, very little was noticeably visible given the minimal light in the area. Here and there, an occasional candle was fixated against the wall, in turn casting a small sphere of illumination that made visible the grimey walls and floor, caked with unidentifiable, sludge-like substance. To make matters worse, the atmosphere was frigid beyond belief. It was like she was in a room sized refrigerator that had been abandoned for years, it would have driven her body into an intense shiver, if the fear of it hadn’t already.

MRFH NRFGH MRGFH. The sound of muffled screams was the last thing that Lucy wished to hear, her body recoiling as her eyes pierced toward the sounds; however, they became irrefutable upon growing in both volume and frequency. They were close, eerily so, almost as if they were in the next room over--a fact become reality upon a little investigation. Adjacent to the room where Lucy awoke was another, smaller in size, with only three pieces of furniture within. One was a table that contained a strapped and muzzled man who actively struggled against his bonds, the girl’s eyes opening wide at the sight of it. Next was an end table that contained a vial of liquid and a dagger. Finally, was a chair which housed another man. He was a frightening sight to behold given the grotesque scars that blemished half of his face and partially skinless snake that was wrapped around his neck, she could barely stand to look at the figure. Just from appearances, something about him seemed off--a fact to be confirmed the moment he began to speak. “As the sound of drum calls for my life, I turn my head where sun is about to set. There is no inn on the way to underworld. At whose house shall I sleep tonight?”

Lucy moved her gaze away, doing what she could to avoid his attention, his words spoken like a lunatics in an asylum… In fact, this entire place seemed eerily like one, at least in the darkest manner imaginable. “Wh-Where…?” Whispered questions, barely audible, escaped the girl’s lips, her eyes still darting around frightfully, looking for some sort of hope, or at least explanation, to her situation. Even worse, she still hadn’t the slightest idea to the fate of her friends, and she didn’t want to imagine the possibilities.

In a sudden, fluid motion, the man in the chair rose to his feet and crossed the distance that was between Lucy and him, her body jolting back after a short while in shock. Along the way he had taken the dagger from the table into his hand; the same hand that he now extended Lucy’s way. “Kill the man who whines like the swine that he has become.” Upon hearing his words, the muffled man began to scream all the louder; his body desperately fighting against his binds. At the end of the day, however, there was no escape. He was a sitting target waiting to be slaughtered.

Part 1 of 4
 
One Lucy, Two Lucy, Who is Lucy?
Randomfella Randomfella | Lucy

The girl’s breathes rapidly turned to near hyperventilation at the sudden aggressive motion, her shaking legs pushing back into the corner of the room that now housed her. For a short moment, she simply stood, a deer in headlights, staring toward the crazed knife-wielded that hastened toward her. “S-s-s-s-stay back…” She desperately warned, her fist beginning to bang against the wall behind her frantically, though her body was stiff to such an extent that it seemed almost pathetic. The energy from the strikes already began to course through her body, and though the weapon pointed toward her should have posed no threat, her mind was far too stressed to think of the technicalities of her new found predicament. “Please…” She whimpered to herself, being that there was no one to listen to her, for what seemed like the first time in months.

Laughter began to fill the air, amidst the screams that only continued to grow in intensity. The cacophony of sounds were enough to send chills down the spine of any ordinary person. After all, they were an unholy mix between the desperate struggles of a death-sentenced man, and the obvious enjoyment of torment being inflicted upon others. “Yes, Lucy, yes. Use your power, bring yourself one step closer to killing yourself. Isn’t that what your parents had wanted for you, anyways?” Ignorant to her warnings, he swooped down to her level and brought his face in line with hers, her free hand almost touching his core. He was so close that the warmth of his breath could be felt on her face; though it was an unpleasant experience as his breath was foul to the point that it was enough to make her eyes water and her stomach gag, though her body did not move.

Lucy’s hand vibrated intensely, the desire to unleash the energy stored with her conflicting with her own fear, and confusion. “W-What? No…” The girl came closing to throwing up by barely opening her mouth, her stammered words barely convincing as the strange statement ran through her head. “Don’t make me…”

“Make you do what?” The man was quick to respond. “Make you expel your power? Make you actually take action for once in your life…?” He paused to smile, though the scars on his face distorted his expression and turned it into a grimace instead, a short stuttered breath from the girl almost admitting his words to truth. “To me that sounds like everything you have ever wanted. How many times have you sat there? How many times have you dirtied your hands on another’s behalf? The answer is none, because you watched as others laboured for you...you enjoyed it, you savoured the fact that you didn’t have to lift a single, pretty finger--others will simply do it for you.” He pushed his hand forward, brushing the dagger up against Lucy’s own hand. “Do it, kill the man, slit his throat and end his miserable life.”

The girl’s eyes stared down toward the blade, finding far more comfort in the sight of it, than to the man’s cold eyes. “It wasn’t like that…” A hushed tone escaped her, filled with dread, and self-loathing, almost serious in tonality. He was so close, it would have been more than easy enough to pierce through a normal man, even with the lackluster amount of energy she had stored… And that was what had worried her more than anything. Her mind once more receded, to the feeling she held just before plunging that harpoon into the depths of the hollow’s heart, tempting her to pull the trigger. Tears began to well from her eyes. “I wanted to help them, but… Please… I don’t want to-” Her voice dampened once more.

Up until this point, the snake wrapped around his neck had been dormant, its eyes closed and its body unmoving. That changed, however, when the man flicked his tongue and forced a peculiar hissing noise through his lips. Immediately, the crimson eyes of the beast shot open and fixated themselves on Lucy in an almost mesmerizing state. “Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time, there was a family. There wasn’t anything special about this family. The father worked the rice fields that helped to sustain the village. The mother stayed at home to tend to the children, a boy and a girl. Now, this is a relatively cliche scenario, but the plot does get a bit more interesting. Because the father, the man of the house, had a dream. Working rice fields had grown stale, his life was a dead end, just like his fathers and his father’s father, and so forth. One day he had an opportunity to go the city. The village had entrusted their wares for him to sell--the money that would sustain them for the next year. Now as you can imagine, temptation sunk in when he found himself with a surplus sum of coin, but he ignored it. He gathered the money and began his journey home. There were no ill thoughts left in the man’s mind. He only wished for the best of his family and the families of those who lived among him.

...the end, happy ever after, right? What do you think, Lucy?“

Part 2 of 4
 
One Lucy, Two Lucy, Who is Lucy?
Randomfella Randomfella | Lucy

The basic concept of a snake speaking, an image that previously would have caused the girl to pass out in fear, had seemingly become common place in the strange world Lucy now lived in, a prime example of the extreme desensitization she had gone through over the last few months. In fact, its interference of the man it clung to was almost calming, though that isn’t to say the girl was not still terrified of all that was going on. The story, or at least of the father, reminded her of her own. Though she knew little of what he did, Lucy knew he was a just man, one that would have brought back all the worth he was given. “I-It’s okay…” She silently noted, the sudden change in tone clear in the confusion that fogged her vocal cords, her body only slightly calming from its shakes, her nose sniffing at the mucus still beginning to clog it. “Just okay?” The man announced in an incredulous tone. ”You are the age of an American student, are you not? Imagine this is an English course. Tell me more, tell me what you feel, analyze what is good, what is bad, what seems off?...TALK TO ME.”

Lucy’s body recoiled slightly from the man’s words. “I-I-I Suppose it could have been… Longer.” Her words grew to whispers, frantically searching for the answer he wanted, until her mind landed on her own thoughts. “How could he just ignore it?” She couldn’t help but blurt out, still in a whisper, but her tone was almost curious. “Cast aside his temptation… I… I don’t know, he sounded good…” Lucy began to stutter out once more, changing the direction away from her own words. The man’s outburst was fleeting, replaced by another smile that he soon followed by several quick claps. “Ah, there you go, the root of the issue. See, the truth is that he didn’t resist temptation. Instead, he began a dark path that inevitably led him to us. Soon after, he brought ruin to his family, to his village, he was gifted with the power that you know all too well. Of course, the darkness in his heart only continued to grow, until his humanity was all but the screams of desperation that you now hear. Murder, manipulation, rape, all crimes this man has committed, and you mean to tell me you wish for him to live?”

So the story was a lie? It was what Lucy wanted to ask, she had no idea of the man’s past, his virtues, or even why he was here. The muffled screams continued to echo in her mind, haunting her as her hands trembled by the cold steel. “I’m no executioner.” She silently stated, her eyes still darting away from their stares. “Nobody is, until they are forced to become one.” He responded in a solemn tone. “For you, that time has come much sooner than for others. Tonight, I plan to release him where Camilla and Sam will sleep. By this point in time, both have had their powers stripped from their body, leaving them helpless against a man who wields power. To that, I give you a choice. Kill him now, before his power returns, or risk the lives of your friends knowing you could have prevented it from the start. What say you now, Lucy?”

A sharp gasp escaped as Lucy’s chest tightened severely from his words, her eyes bulging to the point of threatening to burst from their sockets, glancing from the man, to the one bound, screaming before them. “W-What!?” Her hushed tone was now far more drastic, almost erratic, as their spoken words drowned through her mind. It was clear that they were insane, but… “Why would you…?” Lucy couldn’t even finish her sentence, stricken by fear now not only for herself. She didn’t even know what the man would do if left alone with them, but she couldn’t risk the possibility that what he said was true. “P-Please, no, there must… There has to be something else I can…” Her knees buckled, her body nearly trembling to the ground before she collected herself, her mind threatening to give way to the pure tensity of the situation, eyes glaring between the knife, and the man they wanted her to kill. “Is that what you will say, as you watch your friend’s life be taken from them. As you cower with the answer in your hands, begging, ‘please no, don’t make me do it.’ But then it begins anyways. The screams, the pain, the gore as you watch Camilla’s heart be ripped from her chest, as you watch, Sam be torn from his limbs. But with the knife in your hand, you will sit there, you will watch, then you will say, ‘oh dear me, why couldn’t I save anyone.’ ”

The tears running from her eyes only intensified as the realization of what she had to do came to her. The thought of those who screamed in pain at Brookfield, the sight of Nikky as her leg was ripped clean from her body… Lucy told herself she wouldn’t let it happen again, that she wouldn’t idly sit by as others got hurt trying to protect her, but this… This was different, an unarmed man, bound, with the threat of another of what he might do. That did not change the fact of the outcome, however. Slowly, Lucy’s hand shifted to the side, brushing against the smooth hilt of the blade, fingers wrapping delicately around it as she pulled it toward herself. “I’m sorry.” She whispered once more, almost like clockwork by now, as she brought the blade up level to the man’s chest, her hand shaking to such a degree that the blade wobbled as if it were to fall from her grip at any moment. The tip, poked gentle against the man, her eyes glancing hopelessly back to the snake, and the man it rested upon. “Why…” She cried. “Why are you making me do this?” The mess of a girl asked helplessly. A strange feeling continued to well from inside her as she gripped the blade, her words still attempting to disassociate her from their demands. On the table, the victim was violently shaking, desperately attempting to escape the fate that hovered above his chest. The muffled screams continued to intensify--each one carrying the fear and desperation that overflowed through his emotions. Yet to the man with the snake, the sounds that the victim made were pure ecstacy. Chills of pleasure coursed through his body as he grasped his arms and dug his nails deep into his skin. Blackened blood began to pour from his self inflicted wounds and stained his fingers with the peculiarity of his blood. “Because it’s what you want…” He spat out between heavy pants. “Listen to your heart, to the frustrations hidden within. You hurt those around you, you use those around you, you hate yourself for the weakness that resides within you. You are useless, Lucy. Everything knows it, everything thinks it, nobody truly wants you by their side. Your parents left you, it is only a matter of time before Camilla and Sam do the same. Someone as weak as yourself, how can you stand next to those who are are strong, and claim that you will protect them, that you will be there for them. YOU KNOW THIS LUCY, YOU HATE THIS ABOUT YOURSELF, CHANNEL THAT EMOTION, DO WHAT YOU MUST, STAB HIM, KILL HIM.”

Part 3 of 4
 
One Lucy, Two Lucy, Who is Lucy?
Randomfella Randomfella | Lucy

Two pained cries erupted as the blade rose into the air, and slammed down into the man’s chest, one from him, and the other from Lucy. The difference between the two was that Lucy’s continued, as she rose the dagger into the air again, and again, plunging in into him, blood splashing viciously over her face as she continued to sob. Though through her tears, and the pain she expressed, a peculiar noise arose. “Heh, hehe.” The girl grinned as she continued to lunge the blade into the body, barely enough blood left to splash, her eyes staring directly into those of the man before her. “What I want!? You think I wanted to become one of you? A monster?” In a sudden act of kindness, the man knelt down and sidled up against Lucy. Wit his left hand, he gently pat the top of her head, while he spoke in a warm, soothing tone. “Actions speak louder than words, my dear. You are a murderer now, but that is not something to be sorrowful over. It is something to be happy about. You have done so well today. When you see your friends again, tell them how you saved them. They will praise you for being such a good girl.” He rose to his feet and walked over the alternate table that contained a vial of runny, green paste. It smelled foul, just as its appearance suggested; however, that did not stop the man from offering it at Lucy. “Drink this, it will release you from your pain.”

The sensational feeling grew within the girl, like ecstasy, a true euphoria. A slight giggle followed the man’s words as Lucy smiled to him, taking the vial with her free hand as she grew closer. “You’re right…” She began, glancing into the vial as she held it into the air, before looking back to the man. “I do hate a part of myself… But I haven’t saved them yet.” Lucy nonchalantly stated, a grin still on her face, an almost dead expression in her eyes, as she lunged the blade forward toward his stomach without a change on her blood-soaked face. There was a low grunt as the blade ripped through his skin and became lodged in his stomach. For a moment, it was as if the life had been drained from his face. His skin turned pale and his eyes grew distant, all while his upper body slouched over as he grasped at the handle with waning strength, as the girl’s gleeful smile grew. All of that, however, soon became low giggles that then exploded into manic laughter. “Yes, yes, perfect, you are wonderful, Lucy. PERFECTION~.” He announced, heavy emphasis on his final word that was sung in an operatic sense, as the girl scowled, attempting to twist the blade within him. In a firm grasp, he took a hold of Lucy’s hands and shoved them outward, away from his body. The handle of the dagger still existed in her hand, yet it was missing the entire length of its blade that had once existed, her eyes glaring toward it a she held it up. Steam began to rise from the open wound on the man’s stomach--a metallic tasting residue of what was once steel, having been eaten away by the caustic, toxicity of the man’s black blood. “Drink to the occasion, Lucy. Release yourself and accept who you have become.”

Lucy slightly chuckled at his words. “That’s cheating.” Her scowl once more returned to a slight grin as she spoke in a eerily calm demeanor, any presence of fear now lost to her desires, though there clearly remained none to satisfy them. At the shrug of her shoulders, Lucy lifted the vial to her lips. “I’m still going to find a way to kill you, you know?” The girl slyly winked, before pouring the contents down her throat, seeing no other option considering the man standing before her. “I’ll welcome it.” He concluded with a chuckle. For Lucy, a burning pain would have started in her stomach, only to spread throughout the rest of her body. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t last long, as her conscious would soon fade to black, leaving her asleep throughout the de-binding process. As she laid on the ground, the man, with a smile on his face, watched as the stains of blood that coated her arms began to move, slithering up and down the length of her skin.

Part 4 of 4
 
| Camilla Ferrari |
The Black Tiger
Azukai Azukai Boss Boss
​
For a member of the Si Xiang’s shinobi, speed was the source of their power. Thus, it took mere seconds for Camilla and her escort to arrive at their new location. They were in the east wing of the settlement, where things had begun to transition from Chinese-based architecture to a more Japanese oriented construction. A majority of the buildings were traditional-style huts that housed numerous agents whom were visible through the open walls. As a whole, the area was strikingly similar to that of Camilla’s dreams, albeit with less fire and brimstone eating away at the neighborhood. In her current location, Camilla was no longer unique. It took little effort for most citizens to focus past her speed, and it was with obvious contempt that they did so. Furious eyes remained fixated on her figure, up until she reached the brief isolation that their destination brought. The agent leading her came to a sudden stop at the foot of an entrance to a more ornate structure. The current building was obviously the home to higher ranking officials--a fact that was further proven by the surrounding garden that had been meticulously crafted into perfection. Off to the right side of the courtyard was a series of flower beds that were shaped into the kanji of the Tiger, while on the left was a zen garden and pond that housed an active school of koi.


Sitting on a rock that bordered the edge of the pond, was an elegant figure, occupied with tossing the occasional handful of food towards the water. She was dressed in a short yakuta that was cutoffed and tied at her waist and whose blue coloration complemented her flowing, pink hair that was topped with a pair of bunny ears. All in all, she was a peculiar sight, yet one that garnered immediate respect from the agent who fell into a full bow. “I have cum, my Lord.”


Had it not been for the scornful eyes following her every movement, Camilla may have actually enjoyed the brief trip. It was clear that the Chinese Dominion took a more traditional approach to their base of operations versus the American Dominion. The air - although lingering with that same tint of danger - was lighter without the oppression and slavery of hosts. She had wished that the American Dominion took notes, but everyone knew that wasn’t going to happen.


Nevertheless, her gaze flickered between the peaceful woman donning a beautiful garment and the shinobi and immediately felt anxious as to what to expect. Visually, the woman was no older than Camilla herself, yet like Gui, she carried an aura that demanded a certain level of respect that came with whatever status she held. Camilla held her tongue, unsure of how to even greet someone who could potentially hate her like Gui.


“I told myself I would stay calm…” The tone of her voice was unexpected. It wasn’t confident in the slightest. Rather, it shook with a myriad of emotion that soon became obvious once she turned her head to face Camilla. Streams of tears fell from her eyes, while anger began to flare in her cheeks. “But seeing you now...I don’t think I can do that.” Bolts of electricity began to discharge from her body as she rose to a standing position with her right hand hovering the handle of her katana. “Draw your sword, thief. I will cut you down, here where you stand.”

“.. I refuse.”


Camilla’s stern reply didn’t come without pause. She knew punishment was the only reason for being summoned, but she wasn’t keen on putting any lives at risk. The woman’s cold glare was met with Camilla’s look of stubbornness. “I know what I did. I killed your friend, and for that, I can’t apologize enough.” Even now, she could tell her words did nothing to sway the woman. “I also took Byakko, but it wasn’t my intention to.” In a surprising act of forgiveness, Camilla bowed her head like the shinobi before her, yet her glare drilled into the bamboo flooring. “I’m extremely sorry, and I’m willing to take whatever punishment you deem fit, but I simply cannot and will not die here.”


“Then you will die a coward.” The girl responded almost immediately. She began to walk forward, each step carrying the weight of her anger that fueled her drive against Camilla. In doing so, she drew her sword and held it outward, with its tip pointed at the target of her hatred. “You know nothing about what you have done.” She cried with audible pain lathering her words. “Imagine yourself waking up, excited for the love of your life to be greeting you with a long-desired kiss, yet instead, it is his partner announcing to me that he won’t be returning home...ever...” Blinding speed carried her blade as she swung it in an arc that aligned with Camilla’s neck. She had every intention of driving the blade through the throat of her enemy, yet she stopped herself right as the steel came in contact with Camilla’s skin. “...not because he fell in battle, but because he was murdered in cold blood by a child who couldn’t control her emotions.” Camilla’s eyes finally met the woman’s. “You dare come here with his blood on your hands, just to tell me you’re sorry to my face…”


“..You’re wrong,” Camilla returned. “and you fail to understand what it means to be killed in cold blood.” Her tone betrayed her, as she could still yet feel the coldness of the blade at her neck. Regardless, her gaze hardened. “Your boyfriend chased and assaulted me relentlessly, and I have the scars to prove it. Yes, I killed him, but it was out of self-defense, not cold blood.” Camilla pinched the blade at her throat and pulled it away from her skin. “Death in cold blood is when your baby brother is shot in the head and you’re powerless to do anything but watch, so don’t talk down to me as if I know nothing of loss.” Shoving the blade back in mild anger, she continued. “If you can’t see the truth past your own pain, then you’re just as childish now as I was back then.”


The girl opened her mouth to retort, yet no words escaped her tongue. Logic was the last thing she expected to come from someone she attacked. In the heat of the moment, anger was all she had, and so she swung her blade in a sudden upward strike. Blinding momentum carried the electrified weapon along its deadly arc, though it fell short from its target, hindered by the wrinkled hand of an old woman. “Sheath your blade, Tuzi. You become no greater than the sins of those you slay.” Having stopped the blade, she returned her hand onto the handle of the cane which helped to support her aged body. That being said, it was almost shocking how fast she could move. Her small movement was a blur, even in the eyes of Camilla and Tuzi. She might have been old, but her very presence screamed the fact that she would likely floor both combatants were a fight to break out between them.


“You have chosen to come then, kitten?”


Turning towards the older woman in awe of her speed, Camilla nodded. “T-..That’s right.” That being said, the addition of a third party not only helped to calm her own rising nerves but also to prevent a nasty situation from getting worse. Tuzi - as she was called, had every intention of killing Camilla no matter what she said, and she wasn’t going to let herself be killed either. A fight between the two would’ve only brought more trouble to Sam and Lucy, and that’s something she couldn’t allow. “Who are you?”


“Think of me as nothing more than little old woman who will evaluate she who has stolen a timeless lineage.”
 
| Camilla Ferrari |
The Black Tiger
Azukai Azukai Boss Boss
​
The elder, Tuzi, and Camilla were each seated on a floor mat in the meeting room of the Tiger Clan’s Hall. It was a spacious area towards the rear end of the building with an open wall that faced a much larger Zen garden and pond that was completed with a small, makeshift waterfall. The sound of bubbling water filled the air and provided the room with a soothing atmosphere that was truly zen as its name suggested. Upon their arrival, several hand maids had been ordered to fetch a collection of snacks and tea. They had yet to return, but rather than remain in awkward silence, the elder had opted to begin the evaluation that she had mentioned from before. “First, let us see your interpretation of Byakko.” The elder announced with curious anticipation in her tone.


For a moment, Camilla was stumped. Although she had been paired with the tiger spirit for quite some time; most, if not all of her supernatural usage came from her original ‘well’ of power prior to receiving Byakko. Other than the added manipulation and autonomous generation of her electricity, there really wasn’t much she knew of Byakko’s gift, so her only real plan was to let loose and hopefully awaken the repressed abilities. “I’ll stand out here, then.” she declared, rising up and making her way out through the opening to the zen garden. The area sure did wonders to the mind. The kimono she had received as a replacement for her damaged clothes only matched the environment perfectly.


Shutting her eyes and exhaling, Camilla briefly recalled the rare moments in which she threw caution to the wind and allowed her abilities to take over, which so happened to be her final encounter with Byakko. Back then, she felt darkness take hold of her. Rage was the fuel that truly let her tap into her potential, so that’s exactly what she called upon. When her eyes opened once more, they had been devoid of the light that highlighted her natural grey color. Thunder began to rumble overhead, similar to that one rainy night. With an open palm raised to the sky, a sudden, persistent lightning bolt crashed into her hand with such intensity that it seemed to rob the morning of its natural light at that moment.


All Camilla could picture was the lifeless expression of her kin, the very powerless feeling she had mentioned to Tuzi. The only target of that rage was Byakko. The lightning continued for half a minute straight before it suddenly dissipated and returned light to the skies. Camilla stood silent, her back facing the elder and Tuzi as her electrical energy could barely be contained with her own body. Slowly, she turned to face them with that cold expression, thus carrying on with her most difficult technique.


Her form began to blur with rapid vibrations that only grew in the seconds that passed, and before long, Camilla could be seen stepping to her left and her right at the same time as if she had been cloned. From the two projections of herself stepped another, then another, until there were roughly 8 or 10 mirages of her blurred form standing in the zen garden. Lightning briefly bounced between each one, giving off the hint that Camilla was actually moving back and forth between the clones faster than the eye could see, yet not perfect enough to mask her lightning nor completely halt the blurring. The speed phantoms existed for another half minute before they abruptly disappeared into a single, dazed figure with the light returned to her eyes. “..I can’t actually.. call on Byakko’s power yet..” She admitted, a hand gripping her head. “But this is the most I’ve learned so far on my own.”


“A parlor trick,” Tuzi scoffed as after images of her own body began to form on alternate ends. Camilla clicked her teeth in annoyance. “‘Parlor trick’.. This bitch..” Tuzi’s demonstration was effortless, albeit petty, and was immediately punished by the elder who reached across the distance and smacked her cane against Tuzi’s head. A loud crack echoed through the air, only to be followed by another, as a similar after image of the elder’s arm wrapped behind Camilla and also gave her a solid thwack. “Gyuk-” From the perspective the girls, the elder hadn’t even moved from her seat. “Oww.” Tuzi began to whine while shooting a glare in Camilla’s direction, who had returned it with a glare of her own.


“I did not ask for a demonstration of your power, kitten. I asked you to manifest your interpretation of Byakko.” The elder calmly announced. It was at this point in time, that the handmaid returned with three cups of tea. Each cup was carefully placed in front of each floor mat, before she exited the room with the quick bow. Using both hands to cup her tea, the elder took a deep sip of the piping liquid before exhaling a weary sigh. Mayhap the physical scolding jogged her memory, but Camilla briefly recalled Tuzi’s lover taking on the physical aspect of the tiger, and wondered if that’s what the old woman wanted. If that were the case… “I.. can’t.” She sighed shamefully. “Or I just don’t know how.”


“Then we are done here.” The elder responded in a curt, frank tone. In a single sip, she inhaled the remainder of her tea, before rose to her feet and began hobbling towards the nearest hallway.


“..Wait,” Camilla called out. “Let me try again!” The elder came to a brief stop, though she did not turn to face Camilla’s direction. “No, you will fail again.” With that, she continued her hobble towards the exist; there was nothing more she had to say. Camilla’s hands balled tightly into fists. She hated failing - it reminded her of the countless times Colt had sent her to the mat after a careless step or misjudgment, but with the harsh demeanor of her father mingled in. Worse than that, it only made two months of training seem like a waste of time. Frustrated, she could do no more than keep her gaze to the ground in front of her. What did any of this mean? Why did she fail at virtually everything she attempted?


“I do not know why you came here.” Tuzi began. Unlike before, there wasn’t anger backing her words; instead, she spoke with in a flat tone that honed the reality of the truth. “What do you hope to prove in Raiu’s stead?” Dispelling her anger in a heavy, slow exhale, Camilla looked to Tuzi. “...I’m only here because I promised a friend I’d bring their niece back.” It was the honest truth. Camila knew nothing of the ‘lineage’ the old woman spoke of, nor was she aware of the implications that came with being tethered to Byakko. “I don’t see the importance of-... ‘proving myself’ beyond avoiding execution.”


There was a smile on Tuzi’s face following Camilla’s response--a forced smile amidst the shadow of her pain, masked behind her forced hospitality. “I see.

I wish you luck on your endeavors, then. An agent will take you away.” She gave Camilla a quick nod of farewell, before zipping down the hall which the elder had departed through. A strange feeling surfaced in Camilla’s core after watching Tuzi depart the way she did. A feeling that threatened to eat away at her for an untold period of time. Glancing down at her hand revealed the bloody marks her own fingernails had made in response to the critical failure that she was becoming. “Byakko…” She muttered, painfully aware that he was watching. “... Is there truly a reason why you’ve contracted me?” Before she knew it, tears had begun to fall well before she could do anything to stop them.
 
| Camilla Ferrari |
The Black Tiger
Azukai Azukai Boss Boss
​
“Well that went about as well as I expected it too.” Off to the side, Gui was standing against the wooden panels of clan house gate, fully aware that Camilla was bound to return. True to Tuzi’s words, an agent had arrived shortly after her departure and had led Camilla with the intentions of escorting her back to the medical ward. Having been dismissed by the leader of the Turtle clan, the agent gave a quick bow before zipping away without another word. All the girl could offer in her current state of mind was an empty glance in his general direction for a few seconds before looking off to the distant buildings. “Disappointed that my head isn’t rolling down these streets?”


The youth began to laugh, and for the first time since they had known each other, there was a genuine crack of a smile on his face. “Now I won’t say I wouldn’t have welcomed it. I haven’t forgiven you for what you did, but I cannot bring myself to hold a grudge. If you were truly an evil person, brother Raiu would have slain you where you stood. Regardless, you’re too weak to have killed him, were he serious...” His voice trailed off with hints of sadness masked behind further laughter. It was obvious there were wounds cut deep into heart--ones that had been caused by none other than Camilla.

The boy was most likely right given the strength of his comrades. Camilla’s victory had only come through underhanded tactics, thus, her win was nothing short of a miracle. She was far from a talkative mood and had too much on her plate to worry about - Her friends, Kaivant’s health, Azreal’s whereabouts, Byakko’s lineage, the mysterious creature from last night, the parasite, Janaiya - the list went on as the strain from all of her worries wore plainly on her tear-dried face, therefore, she remained silent following Gui’s words. Though none came. Instead, he began walking down the dirt street, beckoning for Camilla to follow him. Like Camilla, his own thoughts were in a state of disarray. So much had happened over the course of the past two months. Normally, he would have had mentors to turn to during such times, but through the culmination of recent events, the total number of such people had been effectively reduced to none. It took several minutes of silence before the awkwardness of the situation had grown far too much for Gui to handle. As such, he turned his body around and began walking backwards with his attention fixated on the girl lagging behind him. “So what are your plans now?”


“Eh?” Camilla’s eyes shot upward from the ground two feet in front of her. Gui spoke as if recent events hadn’t occurred, a common trait of her late brother. “..Well I must know if Janaiya is safe. I made a promise I’d bring her back to her aunt.” Were it only as simple as that. “But there’s a new issue-... The issue of that creature I talked about - and the parasite...


“She is, though certain complications afflict them both. The Clan of the Goat will sort them out, regardless, have faith in that.” Gui started with the easiest of the topics that Camilla brought to discussion. The matter of the creature and the parasites that now afflicted a significant number of individuals was whole different complexity in of itself--one that he had little idea of how to approach. “As for the creature, it’s a Demon.”


“It sure fought like one.” she replied. As they continued down the street, an undeniably savory smell hit her in the face, stopping the girl in her tracks. Again, Gui began to chuckle in response to Camilla’s sudden distraction. Over the course of their conversation, they had reached the outskirts of the neighborhood which was defined by a small market district of sorts. “I suppose you would be due for a meal.” Gui said with a shrug. Camilla stared at Gui in shock. “Is that alright?” With quick beckon, he directed her towards the nearest table which hovered at the edge of the street. Within seconds, there was a server at their table, ready to take their order which became a rapid series of dumpling platters for the two of them to share. “How you speak of the demon leaves me to believe that brother Kaivant has left you in the dark, not that I am surprised. There is a stigma that surrounds them.” As he spoke, Camilla had already finished up the second dumpling with ravenous haste. “..We didn’t exactly have the opportunity to talk very often. The American Dominion makes communication outside of my village fairly difficult.”


While listening to her speak, Gui enjoyed a single dumpling as much slower rate, savouring each bite that he had the opportunity to take. “Ah yes, our idiotic brethren overseas. They are lucky we were capable of quarantining the Cerberus. Were a demon like the one you faced to appear, I doubt their capability to quell its terror.” He took a moment to take several gulps of water that helped to wash down the dumpling that he had ate. He concluded his break with a satisfied sigh, before continuing with the explanation he wished to give. “We don’t know much about the demons. Kaivant seems to believe they are linked with an imminent apocalypse, which their strength would give notion to. The last one we faced, not including the cerberus, took the lives of several dozen agents before falling to our blade. Based on your recollection of the battle, I do not wish to imagine what the one you faced could do.”


“Neither do I. It seemed far more interested in its meal than us.” Camilla stared down thoughtfully at her next dumpling victim. “It absorbed all of our energy and sent it back at us tenfold before we even knew what we were dealing with. We still don’t.” She wasn’t sure if she’d ever see the beetle-like demon again and if the parasite situation would worsen as a result. Thoughts aside, Camilla eliminated yet another dumpling with glee. “Sho good!”


“Such knowledge is a step towards victory, though for you, there are other matters that take precedence in the now.” Although the market district they resided in was not the main, it still housed a number of citizens who were busy going about their day. “I imagine you can sense the energy which surrounds you. Of these people, how many do you think are hosts?” With her mouth still full, Camilla yet took the time to scan their surroundings. Fortunately for her, she could actually tell visually whether or not an individual was hostless or not thanks to her nature as half-Zodiac. Swallowing her food, she looked back to Gui contently. “54 exactly - maybe 55 if you count the child, though his connection is largely dormant.” Laughter filled the air. Camilla had given him the exact answer he had expected. It was the most logical response she could have given, even if it were incorrect. “Not quite. The correct answer is none.” “Huh?!” gasped Camilla as she raised a brow. There was a noticeable grin on Gui’s face in response to Camilla’s reaction. It was a common trick question that stumped nearly every guest of the Si Xiang. “There are never more than seventeen hosts active in the Si Xiang, yet despite that fact, one hundred percent of all members are capable of using Zodiac energy in some shape or form.” “How is that possi-” And then it hit her. This wasn’t the first time she had heard of people using supernatural energy while yet being hostless. Her father had the ability to lend a small portion of his smoke to whoever wore it as clothing. She remembered vividly the day Colt was nearly defeated by a household fan. Sam was a similar case. Both of them had temporarily tapped into Dominic’s power, though she never truly knew how far such a talent could go.


“..That explains why there are so many speedsters in one area.” She noted, staring down at her empty plate. “The old lady, the shinobi-... Perhaps even Tuzi?” It was a valid thought given the context of the conversation. If so many people had access to otherworldly power, yet there were only a couple dozen hosts, then it was only reasonable to assume others could lend out their power similarly to her father. “The shinobi, yes. On the other hand, Tuzi is a host being that she is a clan leader. The old woman you met also is, or rather was one as well. In a sense, you are her successor just as much as you are Raiu’s.” “Succ-..successor?!” Gui smiled at the hesitance Camilla demonstrated upon learning of her role in the Si Xiang. That being said, he didn’t continue to press the topic, opting instead to continue along a slightly alternate topic. “Why do you think you failed her evaluation, Camilla?” “I failed to utilize any of Byakko’s power; the aspect of the tiger is my guess.” With that said, Camilla vaguely remembers the second she noticed a primal shift at her very core - it was amongst the emotionally taxing minutes that followed Cerberus’ defeat. Even if that was a fraction of the aspect, Camilla had no idea how to trigger it other than to be completely overtaken by emotion.


“Well, yes and no...” Gui began in an amused tone. “It is not because you failed to use his power, but rather, you failed to manifest an interpretation of your divine beast. Like most hosts from your nation, you share the same fundamental misunderstanding of how the energy works...” He paused to raise one of his fingers into the air. It was a rather anticlimactic move as nothing seemed to occur from the action; however, in time, a small bubble began to form at its tip. There wasn’t any denying the obvious traces of Zodiac energy tied with the manifestation, yet despite that fact, not a single ounce was connected to Gui himself. It was almost as if the bubble was a unique entity, seperate from all others. “Would you believe me if I said it was possible to pass the old woman’s trial without channeling an ounce of Byakko’s power through your body?” “My life’s been one surprise after another lately, so I’d wager yes.” Now she was intrigued. With her innate ability to sense supernatural energy, she could tell that the bubble was its own source of power, completely independent from the one who summoned it. “S-so what you mean to say is-... I need to manifest an independent version of Byakko..?” The confusion in her tone was apparent, but so was her eagerness to learn.


A cunning grin formed on Gui’s face as he rose from his chair and slammed several coins onto the surface of the table. “What I mean to say is that you need training…kitten.”
 
| Camilla Ferrari |
The Black Tiger
Azukai Azukai Boss Boss
​
“We are here.” Together, Gui and Camilla were standing in front of one of the most anticlimactic reveals known to mankind. Byakko’s residence, the clan house from before, had been an elegant structure that pushed the limits of Japanese architecture. What stood before them in the now, the clan house of the Turtle, was a hut. Not even a well-constructed one, or large for that matter. From the outside, it looked to be no bigger than a few feet in width and depth, not to mention the fact that the gentlest of breezes threatened to topple its foundation of heavily aged, run down straw and wood. “It isn’t much, but it should suffice for your training.” Gui said with a sheepish laugh. His eyes were shifted away from Camilla, unable to look her in the eye as he spoke.


..How was Camilla supposed to convey this? From the moment they had arrived at Gui’s abode, she had been quietly staring at the anthill before them whilst coming to the shocking reality that his respective clan was nowhere as grandeur as the dumpling shop they had just left. “..Humble.” was her only response to the.. ‘big reveal’. Though, it made her wonder just how she was supposed to train in such an enclosed area. “So this training-...” She glanced over to the no-doubt embarrassed Gui. “How are we to go about this?” There was a moment of silence as Gui contemplated Camilla’s words. She had a valid outlook, based on appearances, though it wasn’t enough to quell the inevitable return of his optimism towards the training. “We will make do with what we got.” He announced in a cheerful tone. With care, he reached forward and grasp the handle to the hut’s front door and gently swung it open to reveal the his abode, or rather the empty space that defined his living area. Furniture was nowhere to be found, apart from a tattered futon mat that was strewn across the bare dirt ground. A few personal objects were scattered here and there, but all in all, the interior was as disappointing as the out. “Roll up the mat, throw the stuff in the corners…” His trailed off...there was nothing he could say to make his argument sound any better in Camilla’s ears. “...after you.” He hastily added with another nervous chuckle.


And in she went, though it required some effort not to hit her head upon the top of the ‘door frame’ on her way in, the interior felt like a world of it’s own - similar to the many pillow-forts Camilla built against her brother. Like Gui suggested, Camilla rolled up the small mat at the center and set it off to the side, being extra careful not to trample over Gui’s possessions in the process.


Watching Camilla attempt to tidy his pitiful abode triggered an incessant burst of laughter from Gui. Several seconds passed, and he was practically in tears, knees in the dirt, unable to stand from the fit that had overcome him. “Wh-..What’s so funny?” she asked, a hint of annoyance on her face. “I think you need to open your eyes.” He eventually managed to say in between his over-the-top chuckles. All it took was a snap of his fingers for everything in the world to change. The taste of salt was in the air, carried along by the ocean breeze which blew across the edge of the building that Camilla and Gui were now standing on. Compared to the surrounding buildings, they were standing atop one of the tallest, which in turn allowed for the awe-inspiring view of the city which stretched for miles. Ordinary modern aesthetic, mixed with traditional architecture defined the various buildings--all of which were interconnected by endless miles of skyway tram lines that provided transportation for the citizens below. In the air, various sea creatures soared through the sky, including bellowing whales who floated along and schools of giggling dolphins that cheerfully dashed by. “Welcome to the Clan of the Turtle.” Gui announced in a flat, matter of fact tone.


The transition alone was enough to send Camilla to the ground. Not in the slightest had she expected to find herself far above a perfect metropolis. “Incredible..” was all she could comment as she peered over the edge of the building to gauge just how far up they were. “Is this a pocket of Limbo?” she asked, casting a glance over her shoulder. It was mighty impressive if that had been the case - most if not all of Limbo screamed endless misery in one form or another. To think that such a locale existed baffled her mind. “In a sense...” He said, brow furrowed from the contemplation of how to best explain their surroundings. “It is a blend between the reality magic of our family and limbo as you say. We exist neither on Earth or in Limbo, but at the same time, both. What surrounds you is centuries of generations that have grown this space since the origin of our clan.” “Yeah, I don’t get it.” Camilla blinked innocently with a smile before turning her attention to the horizon. “The air here feels lighter, so free of our worldly troubles-... How you resist the urge to stay here forever, I’ll never know.” although Gui smiled, there was a hint of sorrow in his expression and the tone of his voice. “Perfection isn’t always what it seems.” He reached into his robe and retrieved a small vial that he tossed Camilla’s way, which she caught. Inside, was a green, runny paste that looked far from appetizing in any shape or form. “Drink this, and we can begin your training.” With shifty eyes between Gui and the vial, Camilla reluctantly uncorked the concoction and shielded her nose from the fumes that undoubtedly spread through the air. Yeah, it was awful, but the girl had grown up with hosts and Zodiacs alike - all with their various customs and understandings of what ‘food’ was. With a shrug and a brief moment of mental preparation, Camilla downed the contents of the vial in one swig. And then it hit here. The burning sensation that started from her midriff and quickly spread to every end of her body. The pain was intense and only grew by the second, up until twitches and words were all she could manage. To make matters worse, the energy that provided her with the source of her power grew faint, increasingly so until there was nothing left for her tap into. Had she been capable of moving, there wouldn’t have been any speed, much less any electricity for her to use. For the first time in her life, Camilla as a person was human.


Camilla remained on the ground for quite some time, though through a great effort, managed to rest on her knees and stress an important question. “What-.. was-.. That?!” There was a sympathetic expression that formed upon watching Camilla suffer through the pain. It wasn’t the first time he had watched someone experience the contents of the vial, but it never really got easier. “Your connection with the supernatural is getting forcibly destroyed. It is a temporary effect, but it will last for quite some time. In a couple of minutes, you will be a human girl, nothing more, nothing less.”


Was that possible? As Camilla looked upon her hands, she could visually affirm that they were fine, yet every inch of her skin felt aflame. Every twitch of her muscles sent a ping of pain throughout her body, prohibiting any form of focus. All she could do was clench her teeth and endure the minutes that passed by in agony.


In time came relief and with it the ability for Camilla to properly move. Gui had patiently waited for this moment, to which he extended his right arm and manifested a staff into his hand. The staff at its core was nothing more than a basic wooden staff with a curved top. Unique to its construction, however, was the sharp-edged harp that rested adjacent to its tip. “Now let us begin.” He flicked his fingers across the strings of the harp, which in turn manifested a stairwell that led from the edge of the building, down towards the nearest tram rail. “There is a station about three miles from this position. I’d like you to run there.”


“Hm. Simple enough.” she returned as she finished up a series of stretches. The pain from the ‘medicine’ had largely subsided and allowed her to move with relative ease once more. A part of her was eager to simply explore the city for its beautiful vistas, and so the girl wasted no time in jogging down the stairs laid out for her on her journey to the station. Gui trailed along, using a bubble that floated him alongside of the tram line. “The average human takes about ten minutes to run a mile. I imagine you are still a bit faster than the norm, so let’s say it’ll take you about 5 minutes to run a mile…” He took a moment and looked downward. Underneath of the tram line was empty space that resided about five stories up into the air. “...forty eight feet generally defines the lethality of a fall, and as it stands, this tram line remains about sixty feet into the air. I would recommend you avoid falling, please.” It didn’t seem too bad to Camilla as long as she didn’t look down for the entire duration of her training. Up until this point, Gui had been speaking like a tour guide, even if his details had been ambiguous and seemingly uninteresting. Nonetheless, there was a point hidden behind his words--one that became increasingly more obvious as he opened his mouth to speak once more. “It should take you about fifteen minutes to reach the station. An impressive time no doubt, but I would recommend you cut it down a bit. I believe the next tram is due in two minutes.” As if on cue, the rails of the tram line began to lightly vibrate, and in the distance, the speckle of a headlight was visible to be seen.


She almost didn’t want to look, but sure enough, it took one glance over her shoulder to realize Gui wasn’t bluffing. “No way-” Her eyes widened as panic became her main motivator. Her words were separated by a combination of panting and sudden fear. “NO WAY!- You’ve got to be joking!” She yelled as she picked up the pace along the tram line. “I find that fear is often great motivator.” Gui said in a nonchalant tone, all while performing several flips within the confines of his bubble. “Unless you grasp Byakko’s power, the medical ward will be your future either way.”


There was an eerie level of honesty in Gui’s tone that suggested that he wasn’t all too concerned about Camilla’s well-being for the moment. With the medical capabilities of the sheep clan in such close proximity, one could easily fall into the impression that the life-threatening injuries that once defined the limitations of training were no longer that much more daunting than a scrape of the knee. This realization did motivate Camilla to run faster, but there was a stark reality to be had - she simply couldn’t outrun a tram without a supernatural edge.


She didn’t give up, but rather ran her mind through every probable situation that ended up with her walking out of this ordeal. Gui mentioned the usage of Byakko’s power, but again, such a well of power felt out of Camilla’s reach even now. She had to figure out how to draw out the benefits of her contract as she did two months ago. All the while, the tram was quickly gaining on her. “Damn it, think!” she growled. How did she feel that day when she openly surrendered her father to the Dominion? Or perhaps when Lily condemned her as a liar, or with Gui, as a murderer? She felt… disconnected, as if the old Camilla wouldn’t have ever thought of doing such things. She felt… rage, a by-product of not knowing what she was, and the secrets withheld from her. She felt…


Suddenly, Camilla came to a halt along the tram line. Gui did the same. He watched with a curious expression, unsure of what she was entirely thinking. Nonetheless, he opted to offer some advice all the same. “Stop thinking so much, Camilla. As you are, you cannot channel Zodiac energy through your body, but your contract with Byakko is not so fragile. His energy, it exists wherever you go. You must believe in its existence, you must feel the power which has always been there, you must interpret it in a way that only you can discover.”


Yet contrasting Gui’s advice, Camilla had thought of everything up unto this point - every decision she had made, every experience she had, all the people who had placed their faith in her, only for her to disappoint and ruin everything as a result - Lily, Byakko, Dominic, Lucy, Sam, Logan, Nikky, and countless others; she saw their looks of despair and anger when she closed her eyes and came to a simple conclusion; enough was enough.


A flash of yellow beamed from the shadows of her hair as her pupils dilated into vertical slits among yellow irises. Electricity began to crackle around her form in violent, unpredictable patterns just as the strands of her hair began to float at the ends. In that moment, Camilla cast her glance behind her towards the tram that was mere seconds away from slamming into her and raised her palm towards it with every intent to stop it in its tracks. The electricity pulled from the line as well as the surrounding air served to strengthen her muscles and anchor her down...and then the collision happened. The sudden burst of energy was chaotic beyond belief, as sparks and jolts of electricity began to fly in all wayward directions. It was a brilliant display and a noble attempt at facing a problem head on, yet the momentum carrying the train was still far too much for Camilla to overcome. At the least, it provided her with a small cushion that alleviated some of the incoming force. Nonetheless, she was still sent flying off the tracks, with a sudden wave of intense pain coursing through her body, and the crushing realization of yet another defeat.


“..Why?..”


Camilla could fit the tram within her grasp, yet as she reached out for seemingly nothing, all she could do was fall. Thankfully, there was a bubble on the ground waiting to catch her on the way down. On contact with its film, her body was absorbed into its gel-like interior that negated her momentum, before popping away. There was a dull thud as landed on the asphalt of the street, a lesser wave of pain shooting through her body from the much smaller distance she had fallen. Gui was waiting on the sidewalk. “Your emotions are as chaotic as your display. You will never truly interpret Byakko through pure anger and rage.” “God damn it, I know.”


The girl brought her hand to her face and wiped away potential for tears, yet in doing so, she restored the natural color in her eyes. There, she remained on her back with her gaze skyward. “Even just then, I could barely control myself..” Such an issue was obvious if Gui could tell where her spark came from. “That much is obvious.” He stated in a blunt manner. With a wave of his staff, the two of them were once again standing in the old, dilapidated hut--the city having vanished in a literal blink of an eye. “Let us return to the Si Xiang.” He explained while beckoning for Camilla to follow.


“What do you think of, when you think of Byakko? How do you perceive his existence?”

A few things came to mind whenever she pictured the Zodiac. Large, white fur with a predatory gaze that instilled a level of primal fear. “..I think of-... leadership-... courage.” Camilla kept her gaze to the ground in front of her as they walked. “Both accurate considerations, yet that in of itself, encompasses so little of his entire being. Give me more.” “Alright, well-... He struck me as a lonely-type-.. Sort of like a single candle of sorts-... Only he and his previous host took it upon themselves to shephard an entire village in Limbo.” Though hearing the thoughts out loud made it even more ridiculous. “I imagine that both he and your comrade were akin to candles in the dark, a beacon to look towards.” Camilla had only needed to recall how Tuzi described him. “... A wise figure you can put your faith in, I suppose…”


Gui remained silent throughout Camilla’s thoughts, and even after she had finished explaining them. The pair continued in silence, trekking across the mountainous terrain until they reached the gate which led into the main Si Xiang body. His presence alone was enough to gain them immediate access; however, rather than lead them through, he stood at the edge of the gate and turned to face Camilla. “And what of his power? How would you interpret it?”


“..Ferocious, with a bottomless well of energy primed to explode..” She recalled how she felt when she took on a portion of Byakko’s power earlier. With a fresher mind, she was able to deduct more from the experience than she did on the Brookfield streets, and therefore was able to note the more subtle details in what she felt. “I felt like I expelled anger with every movement back then - like a good ‘venting’ sort of feeling.” With what she was able to gather from her successful attempt, Camilla was sure to practice well into the night had her schedule allowed her to.


The smile on Gui’s face faded into a small frown. “That’s a shame.” He concluded in a low, sullen tone; though the emotion quickly faded, and his usual self returned. “Regardless, well done for today. You are dismissed, do as you please within these walls, though your curfew is at six sharp.” He reached into his robe and pulled a small piece of paper that he tossed Camilla’s way. On it was an address that connected with a small villa residence located within the domain of the Tiger clan. “Await further directive, and until next time...” He gave Camilla a quick nod, before skipping forward, through and gate and eventually out of sight.


There was definitely a psychological reason as to why Camilla’s potential as a host resided locked behind a mental block, but in light of everything that occurred - such a flaw was to be expected. She sighed after Gui’s departure and glanced at the note she was given. With the sun ready to set, this was no doubt a designated place of residence for her while she received her training. A rogue thought wondered how her friends were doing at this point, as well as Kaivant’s recovery. Pocketing the note for now, she resolved to stop by the sheep clan in hopes of checking up on him.
 
Clown | Tom
Collaboration Post

​

Evening
Brookfield | Outskirts​

It had been another hour or two since the unlikely duo left the cafe, and night fell quickly on American soil since. The city’s nightlife took over as sure as the moon rose over the land. Darkness was the perfect cover for their operation given that the research lab was located out of town, where there was an apparent lack of lighting and general electricity. The lab, dubbed ‘Gamma’ judging by the information attached to the file, was nothing more than a rustic storage house gated by a chain-link fence. In its prime, the warehouse was linked to one of many that operated under a single business entity - however, since the war, it had been abandoned to time along with the company itself, leaving its skeletons up for grabs.


A single road led up to the facility, and beyond it was naught but miles upon miles of open fields or forestry. From a distance, it was apparent that nobody was guarding the front gate, nor was there a soul to be seen within the building itself. Tom had parked a small ways away from the building. It looked clear, but looks could be deceiving. So he made sure to park somewhere they couldn't be seen. “So this is the place? You sure you aren't fucking with me just to try and get some more time? Because if that's the case I'll make your death feel like the nine circles of hell just fell on you.” Tom said taking his keys and stepping out of his car. Luckily it wasn't noticeable, so he shouldn't have to worry much about their getaway ride being taken. Even if they did lose it Tom wasn’t worried about escaping. He could outrun the enemy if they got overwhelmed. Of course, the others would probably be lost. But this was a what if situation. So even if it happened he would just have to take the L.


Speaking of the other. Tom received a call from the other team. Saying they had all exits covered. So if anyone was in there and attempted escape they wouldn't make it far. “Come on Clown, this place looks like the setting of some biohazard horror movie. Let's try and clean it for all it's worth. I don't want anything left. Oh, and I guess we gotta get that girl or whatever.” He said an apathetically walking forward towards the entrance ready to enter the mysterious building. If this was some sort of trap he’d make sure to kill Clown before anything happened to himself. He noticed one of their guys hiding nearby and nodded in acknowledgment. He was one of their best spies, his powers made him adept at infiltration, assassination, and of course espionage. But Tom didn't know if he was any better than 13. He had only seen little bits of his work. Most of which went down without a hitch, but really didn't leave him any visual information about the guy's ability. “Alright Marco, you check the area? Notice anything at all?” He asked his subordinate a curious eyebrow raised quizzically. “It doesn't look like anything is around here. But just to be safe shadow me and Clown as we investigate. I'm not going to focus on him while I search this shit hole. So I'm depending on you to keep him alive for me. Anything happens to him and you’ll take his debt.” Tom warned poking him in his scrawny chest. He was your basic Mafia thug aside from his abilities. He wore a black suit, had black slicked-back hair, and was of Sicilian heritage. Although Tom wasn't sure that their gang cared so much about that bit. Either way after hearing his report he would wave them both forward as he approached the entrance. Watching it warily as if it could explode at any second. “Alright, then Clown...let’s go.” With that, he made his way into the building keeping an eye out for anything of interest. Whether it be people, information, or some valuable gadget that Tom could sell or use for his own gain.

As the three moved onward and well past the chained gate, it became increasingly obvious that this locale was nothing more than a forsaken storage building. A keen eye would’ve noticed the freshly made tire tracks that parted the dirt on the cracked tarmac. The interior of the building fared no better. Rust coated the building in multiple areas. Old liquid tanks and storage crates busted with its contents empty. Suddenly, there was a discovery - alone keycard reader positioned next to a sliding elevator door. Unlike the doors, the white keycard reader was free of rust and served as the only light source within the building with its slot glowing a bright blue.


Tom eyed the keycard reader not sure what to make of it. “Hmm, perhaps it's a passage underground or something...but exactly how do we open it?” He asked looking to his hacker expert, and infiltration expert. “Either of you have a keycard on you?” He asked in a joking manner although he half hoped one of them had managed to find one just sitting around somewhere. Elijah moved forward, hesitant to be getting into a closer vicinity with Tom he approached the keycard reader “No, but that shouldn’t be a problem, let’s see here...” he said as he hunched himself over the keycard reader with his phone in hand, attempting to to hack into the system and grant them access “Hopefully this works, or we’re just going to have to look if somebody left one laying around here.”


It only took half a minute for the card reader to emit a satisfying beep confirming their ill-gotten acceptance. The twin doors parted to reveal a clean elevator interior. Bigger than most elevators, the interior was well equipped with state-of-the-art technology that screamed of Dominion-tech. Stepping inside revealed their floor options, which consisted of only one other floor beside ‘ground’. “Ready to go when you are, boss.” chimed Marco, who was the first to step into the elevator just to make sure it was safe. Tom nodded in response. Giving a glare towards Clown. Who had managed to pull through for them. “Watch yourself, Clown. You still have a lot more to do before I forgive you. Anyway, going down Marco.” Tom stated smirking at his trusty aid Marco. Who had more or less replaced Clown while he was hiding as Tom’s second hand man. The only difference being he wasn't nearly as annoying or pathetic. “Yeah I know…” Elijah said meekly, rubbing the back of his neck as he followed behind Tom and being the last one to step inside the elevator before its doors shut behind him. Following his boss’s orders, Marco pressed the only other option on the elevator’s touchpad, and all three could feel the brief shift in gravity as the entire mechanism descended below ground.


The ensuing silence only highlighted the tension between Tom and Clown. Personally, Marco had nothing against the hacker, but he wasn’t exactly looking to make friends either. It was the reason why Clown received nothing from Marco but a brief judgemental glance. “Just to clarify; Are we here for the girl only, or do you have another goal in mind?” he asked Tom. Tom smiled a sinister smile. Like he had just said something to amuse him. “Oh, we’re here for all this place has. I want to take it for all it's worth. If that means I have to slaughter all these people then so be it. But let's keep the collateral damage to a minimum. Oh and if you see someone who looks important cripple them but keep them alive. I want info on anything they’ve got.” He ordered Marco, looking at Clown with a disgusted expression. “Lemme guess, you’re going to hang back, hide, and cry like the useless trash you are while we fight aren't you?” He asked rolling his eyes away from Clown and back to the elevator door “Erm..No, not this time...I’m going to be looking for a girl, and I did bring this…” Elijah gestured inside his jacket, revealing the taser he’d gotten from Tom’s armory.


A loud clunk and sudden stop of the elevator nearly had the strength to send its passengers to the floor. A previously unforeseen issue unveiled itself as a hidden slot within the forward-facing wall slid back to reveal a camera that peeked down at them. “Oh goodie, now the lab rats deliver themselves. I knew something was off the moment our network was breached. To whom do I owe the pleasure?” The voice sounded similar to the doctor in the recorded video. Weathered, but not too old to carry hints of smugness in his tone. Tom stepped forward, an equally smug grin on his face. He looked up towards the camera, grinning his cheshire smile. “You can call be Diablo, because I'm about to send you to hell in a few seconds. Unless of course you want to be a good little pawn, and hand over all your information, and any of those so called Lab rats who happen to still be breathing.” Tom demanded, not worried that they were trapped in an elevator. Worse came to worse he’d have Spike rip it open, or Marco use his phasing abilities. “.. Diablo... Oh, you’re the hybrid from two months ago. I know all about you and your little pet - I led the research project myself actually. We’ve been restricted to small blood samples, but having the entire body-.. The things we’ll learn..” The voice’s tone grew excited over the thought, but it was ultimately calmed once more. “I have no interest in your friends, they can die.” Following his statement was the sudden deployment of noxious gas through four different outlets in the elevator’s walls. Instinctively, Marco covered his nose and mouth with his arm but looked to Tom for a quick solution.


Tom nodded towards Marco, ” Take Clown and escape if you can. Regroup with me once you get to safety. You'll probably be able to locate me by following the screams of terror, or blood trial. Whichever you prefer.I want to introduce myself to this professor fellow. He seems to have a interest in me, and that just brings a smile to our faces.” With this statement Spike reared his ugly smiling heads. Aiming towards the elevator door, he quickly took out the camera removing the enemies visuals of them. Then he dug into the elevator door, attempting to pry it open. “Oooh Doctor! Here's Tommy!” He roared laughing like a maniac as Spike grew more aggressive pounding and ripping into the door.


The doors began to bend outwards through the relentless force. A dozen feet from the entrance stood two automated turrets protruding from the hallway walls, their sights trained on the elevator. Beyond them were a handful of lightly armed guards situated behind deployable cover. It seemed like talking to the voice on the line bought necessary time for whatever security forces lingered within. Spike lashing out within the elevator gave Marco and Clown little to no room to exist without coming close to a frenzied tentacle blade. Nonetheless, Marco exhaled, pulling his consciousness down into a meditative state despite the chaos. A whisper escaped him, saying “Possess.” before his eyes shot open with a menacing red hue and sickening grin. As tentacles flung itself around the small enclosure, Marco shuffled his way directly past Tom, elegantly dodging the stray tentacle as if he had seen it coming an hour ago before he made his way to Clown and pushed him against the elevator wall.


Moments later, Spike had successfully shoved an appendage through the seem and began to force the double doors open. That was when the automated turret rained hell down the corridor into the elevator. Of course Tom wasn't worried about a few bullets, he activated his armor. Throbbing flesh like material wrapped itself around him before he was completely enveloped in his demonic armor once again. It was just fast enough to match the bullets, which gave a pleasing ping sound as they smacked into it either ricocheting or just being crushed and falling to the ground in response. He then drew his gun, with two words he shot several black bullets at the guards, who promptly returned fire, even as two of Tom’s bullets hit their marks. “Devil trigger!” Not waiting for the chaos to ensue he took the initiative leaping forward and sending two tendril blades directly at the mounted turrets, disabling them instantly. Through the burst of chaos, a single flash grenade came to a stop at Tom’s foot, exploding in front of him and temporarily blinding him.


However, due to Tom’s genetic makeup being drastically different than the average human, his eyesight restored quick enough to catch the last guard retreat around the corner of a four-way junction up ahead. Additionally, the bodies of the guards he took down had already begun to change. Gunshot wounds closed with a familiar black mass that then layered the entire body. Like zombification, the bodies rose up slowly to a slumped-over stance. Tom licked his lips as if he was looking at something appetizing. “Ok boys, hunt down your allies and kill them like pigs. Except for the Head honcho. If you find him I want him brought to me alive. Now go!” He ordered turning to Marco, and Clowns direction. “Hey guys! The coast is clear! Stop hiding and make yourselves useful! I can't kill everyone myself...well I can but that defeats the purpose of bringing company!” He called turning back towards the direction the enemy had run, preparing to continue as soon as the others rejoined him.


“Tch, nobody’s hiding.” retorted the possessed Marco, whose form became visible through the toxic gas. “..You’re not the one carrying baggage,” he added as he emerged effortlessly dragging Elijah by the collar of his shirt regardless of if he was conscious or not. Flinging the hacker forward, he added insult to injury. “Go on boy, find the girl.” slowly getting back up to his feet, a miserable expression on his face as he breathed in the fresh air and dusted himself off, muttering under his breath “Psh, ‘boy’, I’m a fully grown man!” “Yeah I’m going, hopefully I don’t run into anything like that again…” he said, taking out his phone and heading off in another direction from wherever the hollow lackies of Tom were going to surely ensue chaos. His goal was to find Anzu while the rest of the security was focused on Tom and his new hollow allies, hoping he’d just get lucky and find Anzu without much troubles by just wondering around the facility, Elijah wasn’t feeling very willing to take too many chances, his first priority was to start looking to access any building plans for the underground facility which would aid in his search. If he wasn’t able to hack it from his phone, he was going to have to rely on his luck exploring around the facility.


Tom watched Clown head off shaking his head in disappointment. “Just make sure he doesn't die alright? I know it’s no easy task. But as much as I hate to admit it he has his uses, and while he fucked me over, and royally pisses me off...He's kind of my only friend.” Tom said to Marco, then quickly scowled,” you tell anyone and i'll personally torment you to death capiche?” Marco responded only with a roll of his eyes before shadowing Clown on his search for Anzu.
 
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