paixaorpg | Here We Come to Save the Day [Active]

Laharl actually had headed for the gate that morning pretty promptly. He'd been waiting for something like this for a long time. Suffice to say, he'd have been in on any blow to the Organization, but between the assult on Etna and that hallucination, that he was sure they were somehow responsible for, he was more than ready to deliver some payback.

He slipped out of the gate easily enough, and made his way over to Death who seemed to be the only one here so far.

Harry still wasn't sure he had the whole story on what was going on, but he knew he couldn't just sit back and let others take all the risks while this Organization was running around abducting children. Harry didn't even want to think about what would happen if they took Leslie.

With that thought in mind, he'd gathered his foci, slipped on his jacket, made sure his gun was loaded and clean, and set out for the gate. He'd already let Aerith and Murphy know where he was going, and he wouldn't be surprised if they decided to join him. He actually wouldn't mind having Murphy along as backup, though he hoped she'd managed to secure the proper weapons.

Exiting the gate, Harry looked around carefully, before making his way over to where Death and a short blue haired kid were waiting.

Considering he was meeting up with the anthropomorphic concept of death, Harry decided to wait before passing judgment on the kid.

Harry had given her the scoop on what was going on and knowing how often Harry got into serious trouble, Karrin had had of course decided to tag along. She had to stock up first, thankfully she had been on her way to work so she had her guns on her already but she needed to pick up more ammo, which she did. Karrin also grabbed a knife which could come in handy in a tight spot...especially since she didn't know much about whoever (or whatever) they were going up against...she just hoped bullets worked on these things.

It had taken a little...force...to get passed the gate but she'd managed it and was now walking over to the group. She spotted Harry easily enough but stopped a little short when she saw the skeleton man, her eyes widening for a second. She figured since Harry wasn't trying to set it on fire or blow it away that it wasn't a threat...but it was still really jarring (and Karrin had seen a lot of crazy shit in her time too). Karrin finally pulled herself together and joined the group proper, still looking a little wary of the bony figure...before she realized there was a kid there too.

Karrin elbowed Harry in the side and gave him a, 'what kind of ragtag group of people is this?' look.

“It’s so early!” raised a loud and particularly whiny voice from behind the quickly gathered group. “Couldn’t you have picked another time, something around late afternoon when, you know, normal people wake up? I almost fell asleep on the way here twice! Not to mention the fact that I barely had time for breakfast. What are you tryin’ to do, starve a guy?”

Pacing around the feet of those present, the familiar looking rodent bit into the apple he had been carrying. It was no surprise that he among all ‘people’ to come on this little expedition would bring a snack apposed to a well sharpened blade. He had never been a fighter, and his small stature made certain of that, but that by no means meant he could not attribute to the group. If times called for it, he could sing to fill any awkward gaps and pass time during any long periods of walking. Not that this particular adventure would call for that, but the contribution was there.

“Just how many people are we expecting, anyway?” Timon asked, tapping his foot impatiently while he took another bite of his apple. Pieces flew from his mouth as he continued to speak. If it were not obvious enough, he was not a morning person. The only reason he would get up anything earlier than afternoon was for buisness or because of Simba who simply refused to let the meerkat sleep in. He lazily combed the fur at the top of his head down which in many ways defined the term 'bed head'. “If we end up having to wait till afternoon for ‘em someone had better of packed a lunch otherwise I’ll starve.”

Edited 2009-03-11 03:04 (UTC)

"As many as will come," said the by now quite familiar voice of a certain long-haired gentleman. "At least five more, unless I have missed my guess."

Sephiroth had other ideas as to the meerkat's usefulness, but he wasn't going to mention them just now. There were two people present with whom he was not familiar, but that was to be expected; he had been busy enough with other matters over the past month that he had not managed to meet in person many of the newest recruits. He trusted Death and Laharl's judgment, though; if they were here, they were capable.

Ever since her arrival in the city, Susan had been taking a relatively low profile in the city. Not so much because she had intended to, but because it was just a natural side effect of looking into what she could find about how the city worked.

So far, she wasn't particularly impressed. So when she'd heard of the plans, she rather naturally had decided she may as well go along. If nothing else it would give her an idea of what to expect. Nor was she coming unarmed. She might not have the weaponry her grandfather had, but she'd picked up one of the pokers from the room she was staying at before she'd left.

Unorthodox, yes, but it ought to still work as it had back on the Disc. And if it not it would still make a rather handy bludgeon. Time to see what her Grandfather had been talking about.

Auron lingered near the rear of the group, watching the group silently as always. He didn't recognize three of their number, but he recognized enough of them.

So they were to assault the enemy on their own grounds? He honestly didn't have high hopes for the endeavor, but he had no intentions of voicing these concerns at the moment. They could wait until everyone that was to come had come. He didn't have any intentions of repeating himself, either.

The ex-guardian shifted the sword on his shoulder and shoved his sunglasses a little further up his nose, looking for any newcomers.

He was glad to participate in the mission, yes. And he'd never admit it, but he was a bit unnerved. Though the exact details of it were unclear, he did know that there were a number of people trying to help with this, and assisting a large group was a stretch. The general limit was three, save for certain desperate circumstances.

Well, he'd focus where he could. That was all he could promise.

But, upon approaching the small congregation, Tanaka was met with something else a bit unnerving. Some of these people were... odd. An animal. A young boy. A skeleton. And that was to say nothing of the spirits of some of these people, even those who looked odd.

But if there was something he'd found over these years, he told himself, it was that appearance had no bearing on the ability of an individual. It didn't matter how ~~very~~ abnormal things appeared, what mattered was the goal. So he kept his expression (relatively) neutral as he arrived, and greeted them with his low bow.

Death waited patiently for the rest of the partakers in this particular escapade to come, greeting each of them by name as they arrived. Karrin he did not recognize, but judging from her interaction with Harry, the wizard had invited her. The only other he'd never seen before was Tanaka, who did not have any overt association with another member of the group. Nevertheless, Death returned his bow; there were cultures on the Disc who considered it a polite greeting, and Tanaka's was likely of the same mindset. Death would find out how he knew of this meeting soon enough - of this he was certain.

He looked around the group, nodding at Harry and Sephiroth, his co-conspirators. IS THIS EVERYONE? he inquired. IF SO, WE SHOULD BEGIN. IT'S A SHORT WALK - this was directed at Timon - SO STARVING SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF YOUR WORRIES.

[Remember, no posting order - Angeal, Aerith, hop in whenever~]

"No. There is at least one other," Sephiroth replied, glancing back at the gate. It wasn't like Angeal to be late, but then, there had been no set meeting time.

Sephiroth, for all his efforts, could not see the building of whose existence Death had informed him. Doubtless he and Harry had devised some method of rendering it visible, but even so, he felt a measure of... it wasn't uneasiness, and it wasn't fear, but there was a bad feeling about this whole affair. He'd feel a lot better when he was able to see whatever the hell they were about to barge into.

The city was large, and finding required areas were still difficult, even if this one was nearby. Though he did have the habit of showing up at the last minute for things. It was just how he worked.

Seeing a group of people gathered by the Joutenheim gate, the winged man calmly walked over with a nod. Some of the people he'd seen around, most he hadn't. Sephiroth and the meerkat might've been the only ones, in his honesty.

"Sorry." He said simply to the group. He didn't need an explaination; it wasn't important, and they'd only be delayed in their mission. "Where're we going?"

While Aerith hadn't heard the whole story, Harry had told her enough to pique her interest. Besides, if they were exploring outside, they might need someone to heal them if something bad happened. She hoped nothing like would happen, but it never hurt to be safe.

She walked up behind Angeal, smiling at the group. "That's a good question," she agreed. "Where are we going?"

The last of the group had arrived. Good. They could commence.

THERE. Death pointed one long finger in the direction of the building. THERE IS A BUILDING CONCEALED, LIKELY BY MAGIC, NOT TOO FAR IN THAT DIRECTION. No more than two miles, he'd guess. WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE IT IS WHERE THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN CONDUCTING THEIR EXPERIMENTS. OUR MISSION TODAY IS TO ENTER THE BUILDING, OBTAIN INFORMATION, AND FREE ANY PRISONERS.

After a pause, he added, I WOULD NOT MIND SEEING IT BECOME RUBBLE.

THE PLACE IS GUARDED BY NOBODIES, he continued with a warning. THE LESSER ONES ARE EASILY DEFEATED, BUT DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF THERE ARE MORE. That said, he began walking in the direction of the building. Why waste time?

Auron tapped the large blade against his shoulder once. He wouldn't be surprised if a few of the Organization itself decided to make their appearance. Hopefully they wouldn't have to deal with too many. He'd heard of their abilities, but hearing and seeing were two entirely different things.

"I doubt they would let such a place fall so easily," he added before following after Death. He saw just as little reason to wait as Death did.

Harry just grinned at Murphy and gave her a look that clearly said, 'just wait and see."

With the exception of Timon, who Harry had already met, the rest of the group didn't seem too strange. At the very least they all appeared human, though Harry knew better than anyone that such looks could be deceiving.

Nodding to Aerith with a smile, Harry made a mental note to keep track of the healer. He couldn't forgive himself if she got hurt, and given his own propensity to soak up damage, he'd likely need her help.

"Right, defeat the monsters, navigate the dungeon, rescue the princess, and property damage is encouraged. What could possibly go wrong," he asked in a tone that said he could imagine several things already.

Turning to Murphy, he gestured gentlemanly and said, "Ladies first."

Upon arrival, the rodent offered Sephiroth a small salute. However, evidence of disappointment appeared on his face when he looked up to greet general. No blueberry bagel... Why, no bagel at all! What a cheapskate, bagels didn't even cost that much! Like a man like him couldn’t afford to pick one up on his way outside the city. Why, he probably walked right past a Cafe Ersesat! Timon frowned and turned away from Sephiroth, looking as though he’d been betrayed by the man. If he had a bagel he could think of quite a few uses for it right about now, but with only his breakfast on hand he worked on finishing that instead to prevent the rude remark from escaping his lips.

By the time the rest of the group had arrived Timon had just finished eating. Surprisingly he had taken things slow, but as a result he appeared to be in a far better mood. He threw the apple core carelessly to the side and spat out its seeds before clapping his paws together excitedly. “Alright, let’s get down to business!” he said to no one in particular, looking between his cohorts before tuning in to Death’s instruction.

Following his lead, the meerkat started in the direction of the said Organization hideaway. The subject brought about a lot in his mind, not to mention the mission itself, but being outside seemed to bring even more. The last time he’d escaped the city had been with Larxene, and as one could easily guess, the experience was not one he enjoyed. This time, however, was different. With no building in sight the walk ahead of them looked as though it would be a long one, regardless of what Death had said. As far as he was concerned that left plenty of time for him to take in the experience.

Falling onto all fours, Timon happily trotted through the grass behind Auron. “Well,” he began, deciding to reply to the warrior’s comment jokingly. “Not unless they’ve got some good property insurance on their hands. If they’re gunna be reimbursed everything I can’t see ‘em being too worried.”

If Death wasn't bad enough there was also apparently a small talking...rodent with them as well. A loud mouthed, bitching one at that. Karrin attempted not to gawk and instead pretended to be checking her guns instead, this was crossing so many lines of weird that she never thought she would cross.

Thankfully she didn't have to wait long for all the members of their little group to gather and thankfully the talking rodent and skeleton were the worst of it. She had to focus though and pushed the weirdness, as she always did, to the back of her mind. Listening to the instructions she glanced over in the direction Death had indicated, she couldn't see anything but she knew all too well about magical concealments and figured if they were going this far that one of the geniuses here had figured out a way past that.

She rolled her eyes at Harry, "Don't jinx us before we even get there."

Karrin thought over Death's warning and decided to ask, since it would be pretty important, "Just to clarify, bullets can hurt these things, right?"

"Everything can get hurt." Angeal chimed in, readying a katana he'd purchased not too long before this endeavour began. "Just gotta know where to look, right?"

Not even bothering with introductions - a waste of time, in his opinion - the winged SOLDIER calmly followed the group into the assault, making sure to wtach his back, and the backs of his comrades. Nobody was going to die here if he could help it. These 'Nobodies' would be dispatched as soon as they'd reared their ugly faces.

With a small smirk, he added. "Just make sure to have fun, kids."

Thus far Laharl had been pretty quiet, just staring off towards the point Death had pointed. Out here was where he'd been taken? Memories of his escape were fuzzy at best. He vaguely could remember the inside, but the outside? Not at all. Then again, if most people couldn't see it, of course he wouldn't have a memory of it, would he?

Well, he didn't have to know exactly where it was to blow it up.

"Hmph, rubble? It'll be dust by the time I'm done with it, whether they like it or not!" he pipped up, ending his silence, as he followed along.

The Overlord was alone. He'd had no part in gathering those that were here. He might have considered bringing Etna along, but she was still recovering from her bought with Larxene. In the end Laharl hadn't even told her where he went, since she might have tried to come anyways.

Tanaka was quiet--he still was trying to process some of what he was seeing in this group. It was getting hard to keep his expression looking neutral in the midst of them all; his hometown always found special ways of surprising him in the physical sense, but the spirits of these people were honestly a bit boggling.

The boy's was dimmed for the moment, but the cheerleader could see it had the potential of an inferno behind it. The man with sunglasses' soul was scattered and sputtering, on the brink of puffing out--Tanaka vaguely recalled the desperate ghost from six years ago. And even amongst the more average spirits, the vast majority of them were strong, bright. This was an impressive crew. Perhaps this city had an affinity for bringing such people in. The talking animal hardly registered, in comparison.

They were true oddities, but the main event was the skeleton who spoke without speaking, for the precise opposite reason. He had no visible spirit; he was nothing. Tanaka often catch himself staring. He could have gotten over the complete lack of skin or proper voice, but a complete lack of soul? It was just... well, he simply didn't know what to make of it. He supposed he couldn't cheer that one on very well, at least.

Harry glanced down at Murphy and said, "Can't say, but they burn. Something can burn, odds are good it can be shot. Anyway, if they can't be, I'll just have to protect you."

He fully expected to get hit for that last comment, but it was worth it. Besides, it ensured Murphy would be in the right state of mind for the fight to come. Really, Harry was just being considerate.

The walk was not taking long - it seemed most everyone was eager to arrive at their destination (even if the majority could not see it), and those who were not eager were evidently keeping up just fine. Death was keeping an eye on the distance to the building. They were nearing the point where he, Harry, and Leslie had been attacked on their last expedition. WE ARE CLOSE. It was part announcement, part warning.

As if on cue, a dozen Creepers (http://kingdomhearts.wikia.com/wiki/Creeper) appeared before them and immediately began to shift, taking forms meant for battle.

Options here were simple: the entire group could fight (and lose the element of surprise) or they could split, leaving half to fight and half to make it inside the building. The second option would be more beneficial to their goals. Death knew Harry at least was a wizard, and quite a few others in the group were outfitted for combat. They would, he believed, perform well.

Though he was unaccustomed to giving orders, Death made the snap decision. SEPHIROTH. TIMON. LAHARL. WITH ME. They were the members of the group with the most information on the Organization and would likely accomplish the most inside. Aside from Harry, he did not know the capabilities of the others (though he did not doubt his granddaughter to be anything less than capable), so he left the decision to fight or enter the building up to them. With no further words, he turned and swept towards the building, reaching the outer door and, drawing his sword, cleaving the lock off in a single stroke. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, waiting for the rest of his group to join him. The sword would not be sheathed - the inside of this building would be anything but safe.

[Alright, group switch! Fighting group and exploring group get their own subthreads, and group list is here (http://community.livejournal.com/paixaoooc/658985.html). Both groups may split into multiple subthreads if characters split up.

Fighting group, after the Creepers should come a round of Berserkers (http://kingdomhearts.wikia.com/wiki/Berserker). They should keep things busy for a bit, I think~

Exploring group, there is little left in the building. All pertinent notes on experiments and such have been cleaned out, and none of the Organization is present, though the stray Dusk may occasionally appear. Aside from Flonne (who will be found by Laharl), there are no remaining prisoners. Feel free to go over previous experiment threads to facilitate room descriptions - everything described in those threads is in this building. After exploring is done and once everyone's out, feel free to decimate the building.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to poke me. Have fun!]

Harry hadn't reopened his Sight, but he didn't have to to know when they were approaching the building. The memory of where it was had been burned into his memory as clearly as when he had first seen it.

When they got near, Harry slid his blasting rod out of its tong, expecting trouble. A few seconds later he discovered that trouble apparently was determined not to dissapoint him.

He swore as the same creatures who had attacked them the first time they came to this place appeared once again, swirling into existence and twisting their bodies into the shapes of weapons.

A spear cut through the air, straight for Harry's heart. The wizard twisted back and around, bringing up his staff to redirect the blow past him. The Nobody sliced into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dirt as it spun and changed shape to a sword, flying back at Harry with its blade dragging along the ground for an upward slash. Throwing up his other arm, duster billowing behind him, Harry sighted the Creeper along his blasting rod and snarled, "Fuego!" A beam of pure concentrated flame tore from the edge of the rod and slammed through the Nobody, ripping it apart and casting its remains to the wind.

Spinning on his heel, Harry head Death shouting orders to the others. A part of him wanted to follow the group heading down. Who knew what kind of trouble they could run into? They might need his help! But at the same time, Death knew what he was doing, and he must have chosen the people he did for a reason. Someone had to stand and fight these things, give the team going down time to rescue anyone trapped below. Smirking Harry said, "Looks like that someone is me. Alright you over sized rubber bands, let's dance!"

Besides, if Harry wasn't there, who would deliver the awesome one liners? Really, he had a responsibility to stay.

The wizard ducked as a blade slashed over him, bringing his staff down on the Nobody at the same time, only for it to shift into a shield and block the blow. "Forzare!" It couldn't, however, block the blast of magical force that smashed it into the ground.

Harry barely had enough time to enjoy that victory when a club smashed him from behind, sending him sprawling. He rolled with the blow, and his enchanted duster dissipated some of the force, but it still hurt like hell and leave a nasty bruise. Scrambling to get to his feet, Harry turned and saw the Nobody swinging right at his face.

"Oh hell!"

Suddenly, there were monsters present. Not the kind Tanaka was used to. Tall and thin and shapeshifting, what. He jumped slightly at their arrival and strange appearance; so here was what Sephiroth had in mind. Not your average robot invasion or massive animal attack. Somewhere in between, maybe.

His moment's surprise was enough to let them begin the attack, and half the group split off before Tanaka could align himself. And one man was being attacked, spewing fire and dodging attacks, and not dodging attacks. No time for gawking or error, then.

"OSUrrrrghn--" He tried to plant his feet and let out a cry, when one of the creatures lunged at him with a sword. An inelegant stagger out of the swing's path, and Tanaka gritted his teeth. He wasn't a fighter, but he'd have to move like one. A nice intro to the big leagues. No backing down--determination!

He gathered his spirit and dodged another attack. He would keep his focus! He could not let these things lay a hand on him. "Let's do this!" he yelled. "Three-two-one, here!" Tanaka's spirit flared, and with it he felt someone else's do the same, but he was too distracted to focus on who; to much going on to spread it out. He could only hope those not getting the boost would make do.

((OOC: Didn't want to pick and choose. Whoever posts next gets a nice little boost to their levels of awesome. Unless Tanaka trips or gets hit.))

So these were the strange creatures that they were supposed to take down. They were certainly weirder than anything Karrin had encountered (and she had taken down a chlorofiend with a chainsaw). Karrin wasted no time and pulled out her gun, shooting at the first one that came in her line of sight. She was grateful that the bullet actually seemed to work, although it didn't hit it and go through like a normal bullet should. She supposed that was because they were made of some weird shape shifting substance.

Deciding not to question it as long as the gun worked. Karrin looked over to Harry and saw he was already down. "For the love of," it was hard to aim with it so close but suddenly a strange...empowering came over her. She checked it off to adrenalin and shot the bugger away from Harry with a clean shot.

Angeal nodded back to Sephiroth when the groups split, focusing on the impending danger first and foremost. If anything, they'd finish early and follow their comrades inside, but for now, there were enemies to be dealt with.

Whether it was the battle or not, the winged SOLDIER felt an unusual spike in his normal adrenaline and his focus sharpened on the targets. Whatever the man with the uniform did, it helped, and he leapt forward to strike at the nearest creature. Upon impact, however, the monster seemed to... transform before his eyes, into a spear, and swipe at him. The SOLDIER ducked and went for a roundhouse kick, knocking the monster to the ground and finishing the move with a stab through its head.

...did it just... disappear on him?

"What the hell are these things?" He asked over his shoulder, blocking another after his head.

He'd expected nothing less. The ex-guardian stop only to watch as Timon moved over to the other group, making sure he made it there safely before quickly moving out of the way as one of the Creepers transformed into a spear and shot toward him, though it managed to catch the sleeve of his coat, tearing it. He brought his sword down on the creature, watching it disappear before turning his attention on the others.

Most of his group seemed to have some sort of fighting experience, at least.

"Nobodies," Auron replied, dispatching another of the creatures just in time to dodge a slash from one that had managed to sneak up behind him. "Or so I'd assume."

Harry didn't close his eyes or see his life flashing before him, he just smirked and waited for the gunshot.

Dragging himself to his feet, he shot Murphy a grin and shouted, "I think guns work!"

Another Creeper barreled down at him in the shape of a spear, but this time Harry didn't bother dodging, he just lined up with it, hauled back his fist, then punched the air in front of him, releasing the power stored in one of the kinetic energy rings he wore on his right hand. The ring stored up a little bit of kinetic energy from when he moved his arm, only to later release it with devastating force. The air in front of him seemed to distort, like water that had a rock tossed into it. The distortion tore forwards and slammed into the Creeper, causing it to crumple as if it had slammed into a brick wall.

Spinning back to glance at Murphy, Harry saw another Creeper making its way behind Murphy. Swearing, Harry lifted his staff and shouted "Ventas Servitas!" Wind bust from the end of his staff and shot out to hit the Creeper hard, flinging it away to splat it against the side of the invisible lab. Moving near Murphy he said, "So, would it be too Lord of the Rings if we started keeping score?"

Karrin didn't linger on Harry for long, casually glancing at the others to make sure they were handling themselves alright before shooting down two more of the Nobodies. It was strange to watch them disintegrate into nothing soon after being hit, blasted, or swiped at. It really made her wonder what the hell they were made of.

She sensed one behind her just as Harry blew it away with some of his magic. "Now Harry, that would just be childish," Karrin replied with a wry smile. She turned her back to him and shot down three more as they moved strangely across the grass trying to get to anyone they could. Karrin didn't bother looking at Harry although there was definitely amusement in her voice, "Although I do believe that brings me to about...seven."

Rrgh. Okay. So he sparked up two peoples' spirits. This was good for their odds in this fight, considering the lack of balance in numbers, by all means. But the effort was straining on Tanaka's boundaries. He gritted his teeth and pushed on. Like he was going to let himself trip up that fast.

The creatures weren't all that hard to dodge, if he was paying attention, which was a stroke of luck. He needed to keep as much focus as possible on motivating the actual fighters in the group, on keeping his cheering strong. Step, slide, wave, step, "Hya!" The moves were simple enough, but his strain was apparent for anyone watching. But he was keeping himself up, and with himself, the others. The flames were slowly rising.

It seemed like they were getting the upper hand pretty quickly, the Nobody's edge in numbers being rather handily dealt with by virtue of superior skill, firepower, and musical accompaniment.

Smashing through another Creeper with his staff, before hitting the two behind it with a blast of flame, Harry counted off. Usually combat was a hectic mess of fear, pain, and split second decisions, but sometimes, just sometimes, you got into a situation where you were strong enough, your allies skilled enough, and your enemies stupid enough, that you got into a sort of rhythm. That's what Harry found himself in now, and before too long, it seemed like all they had left to do was mop up a few stragglers.

That's when the ground started to rumble, and Harry had that sinking feeling he got whenever the cosmos decided to let the other horrible spiky shoe drop.

Emerging from portals of darkness were Nobodies that had made the ones that they'd just beaten look like kittens. Sticking to classical terms, if the Creepers were the goblins, then these things were the Cave Trolls. Each one towered over Harry, and he wasn't a short man by any means, and hefted what looked like a T-bar support beam as big as they were in one hand.

"Uh, Murphy, what do you say we count these guys as like, three?"

Auron wasn't sure how many of the Nobodies he had defeated. Every one of them had disappeared as soon as he had delivered the final blow. He was used to such things, but fiends always dissipated into pyreflies, they didn't just disappear into nothing. He wasn't sure whether or not he preferred it.

He turned as new portals of darkness appeared nearby. While it hadn't been easy before, Auron had had a feeling that the Creepers weren't going to be all there was to the fight. "The reinforcements arrive," he commented, readying himself to defend against the next onslaught. With the size of their weapons, defending was likely something he was going to be doing for awhile.

At first Timon was sceptical of Death. For the amount of walking they had done, they didn’t seem to be going anywhere all that fast. As far as he could see there were was not a single building in the area, even when the skeleton had suggested so. All the landscape revealed was more grass and the brilliant blue sky. The thought occurred to him that the hideaway could be underground, but only for a moment. When it had been described to him didn’t sound like it was that well hidden. He frowned and squinted, trying to see what Death appeared to.

“I don’t see anything.” He replied, “Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?”

The sudden appearance of the Creepers answered his question. “I’ll, ah, take that as I yes.” He said with a chuckle as he inched back nervously behind Auron who he yet to leave the side of. It was no surprise he had left his guard down during the walk to their destination, too focused on enjoying the outdoors more than anything else. Now, however, it didn’t look as though he had much of a choice; the approaching darkness was difficult to ignore. Alarms sounded in his head, warning him to leave the battle and abandon the group, something the meerkat stopped to consider. To be completely honest, it certainly was an appealing idea at a time like this.

Hearing his name called out, he snapped back to attention. He was hesitant, but forced himself to follow the skeleton toward the building. The fact that he could not see it remained however at this point he could simply feel its presence. The Darkness that poured out of the building hit him like a brick wall as he drew near, even more so once Death managed to break the doors open.

“Oh, I better live to regret this.” Timon told the skeleton as he followed him inside, looking more alarmed than anything else. This placed screamed trouble so loud it hurt.

Sephiroth didn't waste time dithering. He gave Angeal a quick nod; the two had worked different halves of the same mission more than once, this wouldn't be the first time.

The interior of the building wasn't anything special. Mostly white with what looked like symbolic decor, and the main area seemed to be a hallway with doors branching off. Aside from the coloring and decorations, it seemed a fairly normal place. The feeling, however, was anything -but- normal. He couldn't remember feeling such revulsion, anywhere. Not even the monsters he killed so often these days were like this.

Of course they were going in the right direction. Death always knew where he was going. Well... most of the time, anyway. Every now and then a strange idea crossed his skull but generally he knew what he was up to. Besides, Susan could see the building just as well as he could. And if Death expected her to not follow him, then he'd simply have to think again. Someone had to keep an eye on him and it might as well be her.

As for the building itself... she'd certainly seen more interesting building both inside and out. But it wasn't the appearance that was off putting. Rather it was the feeling she got from the place. Whatever people had been getting up to in this place it hadn't been good by any stretch of the imagination, her hair unconsciously rising out of the bun she routinely kept it in, her clothes shifting to something more akin to Death's outfit not long thereafter. This as serious and it would do well to look the part as best she know how.

YOU WILL LIVE, Death assured Timon as the meerkat entered the building. WHETHER YOU REGRET IT IS YOUR DECISION. He watched the rest of the group enter, then opted to leave the door open as he headed away from it. If all else failed, it would make for a quick escape.

Making his way down the hall, he noticed Laharl slip off but said nothing. The demon boy could more than handle things on his own.

Door after door either swung open easily or fell to his sword (what time did he have for locks?), and room after room revealed nothing of interests. Laboratory equipment of the sort Death would expect the newer generation of wizards to have and inhumane chill were about all that remained in the room. There were no papers, no notes, no ingredients, and no people. Several rooms did show signs of hasty abandonment, but aside from that there was nothing.

THESE MATTERS ARE NOT MY STRONG POINT, Death gestured to what had to be the sixth room, in a state of disarray but still as empty of clues as the previous five had been, BUT I HAVE YET TO FIND ANYTHING OF INTEREST.

It was then that a cry of rage echoed down the halls.

Death continued on as though it were commonplace, though he'd become quite interested to see what had agitated the demon so. I BELIEVE LAHARL HAS, HOWEVER.

One minute they were outside, surrounded by countless apposing nobodies, the next inside the very labs that had once held the Organizations prisoners. Things were moving surprisingly quickly, though Timon was in no position to complain. Anywhere away from the attacking nobodies was good enough for him, even if it was in the heart of Organization XIII’s lair – or at least what he thought was. The building innerved him, but with the notable absents Organization members, the meerkat felt at least a little eased. However, for safe measure, he stuck with the majority of the group. Laharl could run off and play hero all he wanted; he would play the “still in one piece” guy.

Timon had found as little as Death had during their investigation. He searched through drawers, under tables, and every corner of every room they searched. Throughout the process he had made a number of characteristically lame jokes to brighten the mood. Not to entertain his comrades, but help distract him from the horrors that each room revealed. He sensed the struggle that had once taken place in them, but knew better than to concentrate on such a thing. Otherwise he’d be forced to hide under Death’s robe and who knew what even greater horrors laid under there.

Presenting the group with an empty test tube, the meerkat shook his head in disappointment. Even the chemicals that had once taken residence inside the object could not be detected by his nose. The labs were virtually empty. Only the faintest of scents lingered, easily frustrating the rodent.

“I got nothing; they’ve wiped this place clean.” He explained. “I dunno how, but they did. How ‘bout you guys?” Death was first to speak as they approached the sixth room, and little to his surprise had he found anything either. He was just about to ask the others on their findings before suddenly finding himself interrupted by a familiar cry. Startled, Timon dropped the test tube he had been holding and jumped behind Susan in fright.

It didn't surprise Susan in the least to find that the place had been wiped clean. Since whoever'd been here hadn't been present when they'd arrived, either they'd been simply out for a stroll or - as was rapidly becoming more likely - they'd seen them coming and had set up leaving with as much as they could take with them.

Apparently they didn't want people to learn too much from what they'd left behind.

"It seems they've been kind enough to not leave much behind," she answered, the tone in her voice one of annoyance and disgust. No notes, no indication of just what they'd been up to, and certainly nothing that was going to be of any use. Just that strangely unsettling feeling.

Or at least that was the case until a scream split the air. Someone had found something, although what it was she couldn't really say just yet. "Or perhaps they have."

While Laharl followed Death to the building, he was in no real mood to be ordered around. The moment they got into the building and he saw the opportunity to slip away, he did, masking his presence carefully and sword in his hand.

Let them find whatever the hell they wanted. He had his own agenda. Revenge was certainly on his mind, as he moved through the corridors, but that wasn't all. Memories of this place trickled into his mind. He remembered being dragged down these hallways. Laharl had no doubt at all what this place was.

As he made his way along the hallways, checking any rooms he happened by, he was dismayed that, thus far, he'd seen not a single sign of any of the Organization. Had they really all just taken off and left? Cowards!

With another turn down a hall he was met with a dead end. Well, almost. There was a door there. He found himself approaching it, listening silently there for a moment wondering if anyone could be inside. He heard nothing, but like every room he had come across so far, he threw open the door.

It wasn't the same room as he remembered, but it was very similar. White. Very white. Bright even. With a table in the middle. A table with someone very familiar left strapped down to it.

Everything for a moment seemed to stop, as he stood there gripping the door frame. A faint gasp the only sound he made. Laharl was utterly stunned. After a moment his lips moved, her name only a whisper at first.

"...Flonne..."

The clang of his sword slipping from his fingers and hitting the floor sent everything into motion. A slew of emotions slammed down upon him, as he came up beside her, still staring in disbelief.

She was meant to be in the Netherworld. She was meant to be safe! She wasn't supposed to be here. She should be just his imagination! But there could be no doubt as he touched her shoulder, finding her quite solid.

"Flonne...!" he prompted her, staring down at her blank face for any sign of, well, anything.

What had they done to her? His gaze locked on her eyes. They were so dull and lifeless! She didn't flinch when he shook her. She didn't twitch when he called her name.

What had they done to her?

All his emotions quickly were overshadowed by one. His anger exploded, his dark demon power leaking out in waves around him as he slammed his fist into one of the lab's counters with an angry cry. Laharl no longer cared to hide himself in the least. He didn't give a damn if they knew he was here or not. Let them all feel his rage and his strength!

While he still did nothing to mask his power, he did calm enough to return to Flonne's side and worked with trembling fingers to release the straps holding down to the table. Taking a moment to return his sword to his scarf, he then gathered the fallen angel into his arms. Funny how he seemed to keep having to do this, but it didn't matter. He was going to get her out of here.

((ooc: Laharl's pissed. Everyone gets to know! \o/ lol))

Edited 2009-03-18 09:27 (UTC)

Here We Come to Save the Day [Active]

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s-slips in?

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IMPORTANT: TEAM SPLIT

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Re: IMPORTANT: TEAM SPLIT

Here We Come to Save the Day [Active]

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*s-slips in?*

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IMPORTANT: TEAM SPLIT

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Re: IMPORTANT: TEAM SPLIT

s-slips in?