paixaorpg | This calls for hazard-pay (Active/Open)

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This calls for hazard-pay (Active/Open)

Character(s): Uchiha Fugaku, and anyone else who feels like showing up
Content: intro post. Fugaku is not happy at all.
Setting: Nifleheim gate
Time: evening
Warnings: Fugaku is suffering from blood-loss and coming off a Soldier-Pill high. He’s not in a good mood. Language, possible violence and destruction of property

Fugaku was betting that someone on the mission-staff hated him a great deal. In fact, he’d placed ten ryou on the line, and that had been six hours ago, when the assignment had still been A-Rank and a safe distance away from any wandering Iwa-nin. Just slice and dice job, kill a man whose death was vital to the continued existence of dear old Konoha, and bring his head back in a brown leather bag, and oh yes, on a side note, try to come back. Preferably in one piece, but that was negotiable, as A-Ranks tended to be.

That had been six hours ago, and before the squad nearly twice their size, and all jounin-rank <i>at least</i>, because their luck just fucking sucked. Life hated them today, and was making a grand attempt to send them home in bodybags. Uchiha Fugaku didn’t want that, for himself or any of his chuunin teammates, even if they were little brats three years younger and a hell of a lot stupider than him. They were teammates, and he was the Captain, and when that was your job, you got everyone home alive.

He’d taken a blow to the head and a kunai to the side, and then Fugaku had <s>been fucking stupid</s> blacked out. When he’d come to, the scenery was very different, and no one was attempting to decapitate, crush, or otherwise kill him. For about ten seconds, it was very nice. Then he remembered his team, and swore violently, even as he jumped up, eyes activated and scanning for danger. Heart-rate was too high, and damnit, Fugaku knew the adrenaline was going fast, and he’d be crashing soon. Couldn’t do that. Couldn’t, couldn’t, had to…do something

What was he supposed to do?

Find the team. Kill the Iwa-jounin before they turned his team into chunks of meat. Right. He could do that. Easy. Kill the jounin, all fucking six of them. Angry jounin. Had to kill them…

The gate was unexpected, and unwelcome as well. No team. No Iwa to kill, either. Fugaku glared, didn’t give his name when requested, and took the…journal. Thing. Whatever.

He stood, nearly bouncing on his heels, breathing too fast, and bleeding out in the ribs. He yanked the kunai out, blinking at it for a moment, and not-noticing how much blood he was loosing. Good steel. Nice balance. He’d kill someone with it.

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After the fight in the church, Kenshin had finally come to, but was greeted by nothing but silence. When he'd finally managed to get to his feet, he'd had a look back in the strange room, but the creature and Jintetsu were long gone. Where, Kenshin couldn't begin to guess.

He rested awhile then realized he really had no choice but to return to the city. It was a long, slow walk back as pain lanced through his side. The rurouni realized he was more than just a little bruised. He could imagine how upset Kaoru would be at him, and Megumi would have been telling him off too, as she tended to his wounds. But his friends weren't here to look after him... He missed them.

As soon as he had managed to slip back through the gate, he pulled out his journal. With a fake smile to hide the pain he was in, he'd managed to record some kind of message onto the contraption and had a reply soon enough by someone who'd seemed to get the hint. The one who'd spoken to him wasn't the ideal person to explain to, as Kenshin had certainly had a difficult time explaining things to him before, but he was in no state to fuss right now.

The information needed to be passed along to those who might use it and it was best that it be someone who knew how to use the journals properly.

As he had no option but to wait now, Kenshin rested, standing against the inside wall, near the gate. Vaguely he watched the people who came in through the gate, trying to keep himself concentrating on something, as it would be all too easy at this point to sit down and once more pass out.

Fugaku didn’t scream when he used chakra to force the stab-wound to stop bleeding, even though it hurt like hell, probably even more than the receiving of the original blade had. He never screamed. That was stupid, and weak. Very weak. And shinobi, and Uchiha-shinobi on top of that, did no such things. They were strong, because somebody always had to be, to keep things together, and as the strongest clan in Leaf, they had the honor.

He wrote an entry in the journal-thing, responded to the responses, and wondered at the fact that there was another Uchiha here, a brat who claimed….well. Fugaku did not like to ponder what he had claimed. It wasn’t a good thing to think about when you were crashing down to the ground, and hard, from a soldier-pill high and bloodloss on top of adrenaline.

Watching the people while staggering around didn’t seem like a good idea. So he sat down against the wall and waited for something to happen, twirling the bloody kunai that had been lodged in his ribs with one finger. His sharingan was activated, and twirling sporadically, changing speed and direction seemingly without a pattern.

There was a redhaired man leaning against the wall, and Fugaku decided to get some intelligence. Once a shinobi, always a shinobi.

“Oi,” he growled, kicking the ground once to get hold the man’s attention, “What the hell’s going on?”

The was blood on his jounin-vest, blood on his hands, and splattered on his face. Fugaku looked like someone had thrown a can of dark, sticky red paint over him. His dilated eyes and trembling hands spoke lengths about his high, and his current temper. Fugaku had been killing things before he’d come; he was still in the mood to continue.

Kenshin didn't quite jump at the sudden 'greeting', but he did snap his head up, slightly surprised. Any other time he would have already since noticed the shinobi, but today the rurouni was barely with it. At least it seemed they were on nearly equal ground. Fugaku didn't seem to be doing so well himself, Kenshin noted, not to mention seemed highly unstable. He'd have to tread carefully, as he was in not in the best of shape to deal with any trouble.

What was going on? That was a difficult question, at least to answer simply. It was all complicated, and little still made much sense to Kenshin. He had a feeling, however, that side-stepping the truth wouldn't go down too well. The true facts were probably the best answer, even if it didn't make sense. At least he hoped it was the best answer to give.

"Where ever you were, you are not there now, de gozaru," Kenshin began after a moment of pondering how to begin. "And by that, sessha means you are not simply a little ways from where you were, but rather... a whole different world."

“Figured that out,” he growled in return, glaring at the rurouni, and kicking the ground again, though making no move to stand up. Fugaku wasn’t sure he could manage it, and that would be very, very bad, to say the least. Never give the enemy a hold over you. Die before you granted them a good turn. Die screaming before you betrayed your country. That was the rule. No room for weakness. So Fugaku leaned back, and coughed.

“What happens now?”

Stupid question. No real way of knowing that, no matter who you were. Even the Shodaime-Hokage hadn’t known for sure what would happen when he formed Konoha. But Fugaku was tired, and despite the impromptu-healing session, still hurt. Blood-loss and the crash were hitting him hard, too hard, and he closed his eyes for a minute, and concentrated on slowing his breathing down. Wouldn’t do if he passed out in the street. Wouldn’t do at all.

It hadn't taken Death long to get from Auntie Unde's to the Niflheim gate. Long hours during which most of the city slept gave him plenty of time simply to wander and observe, and he had long since learned the way to each gate. Moving with a purpose, the trek here had been rather short.

Finding the one he was searching for also proved to be a simple task, per usual: find the name in the sea of nameless blond beings.

He had to admit he hadn't been expecting two of them. One was the man he was to meet; the other was unfamiliar. He made his way over to them, path made easier by the thinning of the crowd. Fewer people entered the city this late in the day. Death arrived just in time to hear the question.

MEDICAL ATTENTION, I SHOULD THINK, was his response. Neither man looked fit enough to walk, never mind anything else they might want to do to prepare for the onset of night.

He nodded in turn to both the red-haired man - I APOLOGIZE FOR KEEPING YOU WAITING. A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, HIMURA KENSHIN. - and the black-haired one. AND YOU, UCHIHA FUGAKU, THOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES COULD BE BETTER. It wasn't strictly true - he had no emotions, after all, and pleasure was a bit of a foreign concept - but when all else failed, the formalities had to be observed.

THERE IS A MEDICAL CENTER NOT TWO MILES FROM HERE, he addressed them both. CAN YOU WALK THERE, OR SHALL I OBTAIN OTHER TRANSPORTATION?

((My apologies for epic failing last couple weeks Fade. DX))

What happens now? Kenshin was unsure how to answer a question like that, as there was no real way of saying. The rurouni had been trying to figure that out for some time, in fact, and really hadn't come up with much of an answer, although he supposed now he did. Somehow he'd have to find Jintetsu, though Kenshin had no idea where to start, but hopefully the one he was waiting for might have an answer or at least be able to pass the information onto someone who could.

"Well..." he began hesitantly, trying to still work out what to say, but was interrupted as the one he was waiting for made their presence known. It made the rurouni jerk, eyes widening slightly at Death.

He'd seen some strange people since arriving, but this was... unexpected. And he knew their names? Both? The... man? skeleton? before them didn't even seem to be talking, and yet he heard him, but it felt more like in his head than by his ears. It was a little unsettling to say the least.

"A-ah... Hello..." Kenshin greeted awkwardly, trying to straighten himself a bit.

A medical center? The rurouni wasn't so worried about himself but Fugaku certainly seemed to need it, but Kenshin sensed he was also very volatile. Would he be convinced to come along?

"Sessha can, yes," he answered quietly. He supposed he could share the information on the way there.

A snarl was Fugaku’s answer. He didn’t want help, he was a fucking medic, couldn’t anyone tell? If he couldn’t save his sorry self without the aid of another, then he was pretty damn pathetic at his job. He bared his teeth at the stranger (the skeleton, and goddamn, that had to be a genjutsu, though a really good one that wasn’t easy to break), and, bracing his hands, stood up.

“I’m fine,” he snapped, and used a free hand to wipe some of the blood out of his eyes. “And how the fuck do you know my name?”

He glared when he said it, though the expression was significantly less intimidating without the crimson sharingan behind it. Fugaku didn’t have enough chakra to maintain the Bloodline limit, though, and wasn’t quite stubborn enough to try.

GOOD. Death nodded to Kenshin, then turned his attention to Fugaku, somehow unsurprised that he was being uncooperative. He was the sort of personality who would refuse to believe he was in danger of dying up until and even after he already had.

I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU ARE, he replied to Fugaku's statement. PEOPLE RARELY BLEED WHEN THEY ARE FINE.

AS FOR YOUR NAME, I CAN SEE IT, he explained simply. THERE, ABOVE YOUR HEAD. As far as Death was concerned, that was all the explanation that particular question required.

NOW COME. He turned to face the direction he'd come from. THE MEDICAL CENTER IS THIS WAY. It wasn't an order...yet.

Kenshin couldn't help but look a little baffled. Names above people's heads? Like so many other things he'd encountered here, it was yet another strange thing to add to the stack. He really ought to stop ever looking surprised by these things. Nothing here was 'normal' by any sense of the word.

Yes, the rurouni decided it was best not to question why a skeleton was telling them to go to the medical center, he simply nodded and moved to follow Death. It didn't sound like he'd listen to arguement anyways, and Kenshin knew well enough when he did need some, although it was well in his ability to pretend he didn't. He couldn't help Jintetsu, however, if he could barely keep on his own two feet.

“Let me rephrase that,” Fugaku said pleasantly, spitting blood out, and then wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, “I don’t want you help, and if you push it, I will fucking set you on fire.”

Of course, setting people on fire required ninjutsu, or copious amounts of gasoline and matches. Fugaku didn’t have any matches, and was running low on chakra, which was needed to cast such jutsus. But it was a good threat. Sent most people running, or if they weren’t pathetic civilians, at least put them on edge. He’d find a way of making it happen.

“Above his head” didn’t explain anything. Unless it was a genjutsu…..yeah. Something like that. Maybe he’d just snapped. That worked, too.

I WOULD RATHER YOU NOT DO THAT, was Death's simple reply to Fugaku's threat. I AM RATHER FOND OF THIS CLOAK, AND I AM AFRAID IT IS FLAMMABLE. LOSING IT NOW WOULD BE A SHAME.

NOW COME WITH US TO THE MEDICAL CENTER AND RECEIVE TREATMENT. It was no longer a request - there was an undertone in the words that demanded - no, expected - obedience. Fugaku would come with them to the medical center, and his wounds would be treated. It was simple as that.

NOW. Death turned his attention back to Kenshin and began walking, setting a pace he was reasonably certain his two companions would be able to keep. WHAT EXPERIENCE DID YOU WISH TO SHARE?

Kenshin had been pretty sure Fugaku would not listen to reason. Usually the rurouni might have tried to help, but he was weary and it was growing worse. Death, however, seemed to have everything well at hand. The rurouni wasn't sure he could have even resisted such a command. Glancing to Fugaku a moment as Death took off, he turned, moving to follow.

"Jintetsu and sessha went to the church in the far field beyond the domes, and we found something. Several things in fact, de gozaru," Kenshin explained slowly as he followed along beside Death, trying to make sure he'd make sense. That wasn't going to be easy, however, as there was a lot that didn't make much sense to him in the first place.

[And now Fugaku's been dropped. This should be interesting.]

I SEE, Death replied. It would be long, possibly difficult work to get what would likely be a confusing story put together in a way that made any sense to any who would hear it. Paixao was indeed a strange place, and Kenshin's information would likely make it that much stranger. AND WHAT WERE THOSE THINGS?

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Fugaku wasn't about to collapse (he had no doubts the bloodied ninja would be following him), then stopped short. Fugaku simply wasn't there anymore.

One possibility was that the ninja had resisted his command. Death had seen the Nobodies refuse him (only after several short moments of compliance), but a normal living being should not have been able to deny his command. In addition to that simple impossibility, Fugaku had been injured to the point where he could no longer stand. It would have been difficult if not impossible for him to get away in such a short amount of time. Possibility number one, Death concluded, was simply not possible.

Which left possibility number two: Fugaku had disappeared, in much the same manner Kit had those weeks ago. It was not unheard of, and it fit the evidence. Until he had proof to the contrary - for which he himself would search, just to make sure - Death would assume that possibility number two was indeed what had occured.

IT SEEMS OUR FRIEND HAS DISAPPEARED, he commented lightly.

((indeed.. should we start a new thread so we don't spam Fade with lj alerts?))

Kenshin began to answer, but paused at Death's sudden comment.

"Oro?"

The rurouni glanced behind, and sure enough Fugaku was gone. Just simply gone. There was no longer any sense of him at all. Normally Kenshin would have noticed sooner, but he wasn't exactly in the best state right now.

Kenshin's expression turned slightly grim and he nodded, "So it does seem, de gozaru."

Just like Saitou. There one moment, and gone the next. It was very troubling to think any one of them could just suddenly disapear like that.

Looking back to Death, Kenshin finally began again. "The church seemed normal enough, but upstairs we found a room - a room that couldn't have fit within the building, de gozaru. It was very large, and had another staircase leading to a door that was locked, de gozaru."

INTERESTING, was Death's comment on Fugkau's disappearance. AND SLIGHTLY DISCONCERTING...BUT DO CONTINUE.

He listened silently as Kenshin's story continued, waiting until he paused to ask his questions. THE LARGE ROOM DID NOT HAPPEN TO BE A LIBRARY, DID IT? He'd not be surprised to see L-space in Paixao, and it explained the rather unexplainable size of the room.

There was another question, one that Death considered to be more important than the possible existence of Paixaoan L-space: DID YOU MANAGE TO ENTER THE LOCKED ROOM?

Kenshin shook his head, "No, it was thoroughly locked, with a very large keyhole."

He then backtracked to Death's first question. "It wasn't a library, just an empty room, or so we thought, de gozaru."

The rurouni paused a moment to rest a moment and catch a breath before he continued to move forward once more and speak.

"There was a huge creature that dropped down from above us... neither of us could injure it, de gozaru. Sessha was struck out of the room, back into the church, and passed out. When sessha awoke he could find no sign of the creature or Jintetsu, but his blade, de gozaru."

At mention of Jintetsu's blade, he vaguely indicated to the additional sword tucked into his obi at his side. Kenshin didn't feel he could leave the wanderer's blade in such a place, so had brought it with him even though he felt rather uncomfortable carrying, despite for someone else, a true katana.

Death continued to walk on in silence, mulling this new information over. A large lock likely meant there was a large key somewhere to fit it - the only question was where, and if that were to be answered, how to obtain and use it. An inexplicably large room without a library to explain it was yet another quandary that couldn't be answered at the moment. Perhaps more information could be obtained over the journals.

As for the giant monster...well, that explained how the "we" in the story had become the "sessha" walking next to him. SO JINTETSU IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, he mused. This brought the total of people who had disappeared on him to three.

WHAT SORT OF CREATURE WAS IT? he questioned Kenshin, rather eager to wrap up the story before they reached the medical center. He'd rather not discuss information of this nature in such a public spot, especially with certain black-cloaked people he'd rather not have overhear the conversation. DO YOU KNOW?

"Aa," he confirmed in regards to Jintetsu. He had no idea where the wanderer could now be. He could only hope he was safe and alive, as he'd taken some hard hits from the creature. Kenshin hoped he would be able to find the wanderer, although he had no idea where to exactly start, but for that church and the door.

Once more Kenshin shook his head. "No, sessha isn't sure, de gozaru. It was nothing like sessha has ever seen. ...Ah, it did resemble a mantis a bit, perhaps."

The orange-haired rurouni thought carefully, trying to recall any other details. "It was almost white in colour, very strong. Sessha could not damage it."

One more person missing and a giant monster to boot. The more Death heard about the situation, the more complicated it became...though a giant mantis was certainly interesting.

ALMOST WHITE, he repeated, calling to mind the ivory-silver color of the creatures he'd seen before. DID IT HAVE ANY SORT OF SYMBOLS ON IT? If it shared the same emblem the creatures had, that would clear up at least one question.

[Wanna wrap this up soon? I'm not sure there's much else to write.]

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This calls for hazard-pay (Active/Open)

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