The slavering wolf's drool flew out the snout's side, identical canine zooming to their side, at the same speed to an indistinguishable destination, continuing to speed down the road, they'd reached a corner. What laid before their eyes, information transmitted into their brains was none other than that bloody scene. The life from her eyes was all but void, the lower half of her body missing for a dark-red gore to contaminate the pavement out the end, the duo beasts whined in unison at the horrific scene.
"What do you see?" The unforgettable sight reflected in her vision, forcing out a shaky breath, Kima rubbed at her temples as Darrell continued to look, responding for her to satiate Katie's curiosity,
"Kim bore witness to the gruesome aftermath of the Crow slaughtering one of the iconic members of the Evolution Frontier: Heidi Snow. Blinded by rage and avarice, she attempted to commence a secret assassination against him with the Harbinger mercenary by her side. She failed. Miserably, might I add. Oh, and another thing. Unexpectedly, your father let Rizia Kosuke, Harbinger... survive."
In that alley, with their knees curled up to their chest, letting their head fall between limbs, Rizia's tear-stained face peered into the repetitive pattern of the ground, as if that gaze could go on forever, the way time seemed to loop, their thoughts seemed to mimic that cycle. Left to prolong their life after being granted mercy at the hands of the Crow, movements still for the slightest movement or twitch sent another miniature sob breaking through their lips.
'Why do I feel this way? Why don't I understand anything, what's the point of experiencing these feelings? In the face of ultimate evil incarnate, Azazel... really... he thought I deserved another chance, after all the ruin I brought. But why? That version of him doesn't know me, he might have the memories but he's not MY Azazel. But I still let those words strike me to the core, the essence of myself. This feels like bathing after sparring with Ryosuke. Ryosuke...' The memory of those beef sticks for arms rattling her short strands, an immense display of affection simply gifted to no one but themself, 'I wonder how he's going to take the news. I wish things weren't this complicated. I miss the way things were before, when it was just one big family, even Icarus, no matter how monstrous he might be, maybe... he does think of us as some sort of family.'
Their inner ramblings continued until they reached a breaking point, but when would they hit it? Of course, when they turned their head to realize their surroundings once more, that they weren't enclosed in the comfort of their room. Where the temperature of the AC could be determined with but a flick of a switch or a joint could be lit with but a lighter starting the flame, but the outside world was unpredictable. Is that why they hid away, why they damned what laid beyond the Founder's side so it could be blown away to oblivion? Frightened of what the unknown might hold, is that also why they attached to Azazel's hip?
'I've seen it before... love manifests the most distorted curses.'
All these things they'd known, the weakness of the heart, the flaw of the individual, all imperfections everyone had to experience to become a better person. But even so, despite those best intentions, no matter how many people tried to inform you to aid yourself, in the end, that's easier said than done, isn't it? No matter the faults you might face in the road ahead, the one behind would always be more turbulent than a path to betterment. Emerge from the wrongdoings of an alien time, crack the shell, rise from the egg as a better person than you once were. If they were to abandon what he'd said by leaving them breathing, that'd be just as mad as stomping on the memory of those they left without lives, wouldn't it?
As they raised to the bottoms of their soles to stand tall on their suit's boots, they looked to the sky, the blunt tint reflecting in their dark-shaded eyes, taking but one step forward. The path to redemption was only forward, and so, from that point on, Rizia Kosuke walked down that righteous route and never again looked back in the history of HER life. For the first time, she'd made the 'right' choice.
Back with Riot, Kate grabbed at the top Jefferson used to cover his black chest, eyes' centers harnessing that deeper darkness for what seemed like smoke to evaporate through the cracks of her white fingers, Darrell stared... without a light seeable anywhere in the spherical shape of his eyes. For while her inner power held the most potential, for while her fangs were sharpened to the extreme through years of hatred built up to its limit, she wasn't alone in her decision to question. The ability to question why. Why, the Crow of Justice of all people, would dare to give mercy to the right hand of the Founder, everyone kept guessing, but they needn't do so any longer, as the thud of shoes hitting the ground belonged to none other than the former Detective Prince. Hair flowing back with the wind's chosen direction, another unsteady puff crawled out his mouth's pink recesses.
"The ability to gift mercy unto those who deserve is not a weakness. Not everything has to be about murder and execution. The lives you've all had, I understand they've been difficult, for all your youth had been stripped from you at the hands of the enemy lying in wait. But don't falter... we're not good people, not in the slightest, but as long as we can be able to save at least one life, maybe it's best we at least try. So we can die without regrets, for at least saving one life is enough to say you lived- a fulfilling life. That being said, Kima, relay the information we gathered while scouting about the Incarnations," Azazel ordered, swatting his hand, Kima took his place, clearing her throat of any feasible scratches prohibiting her voice's range with a clear cough.
"On the roads connecting the Opera House to the four different districts that compose Riverton, I managed to count up a total of about 10,000 soldiers from the start of the road to the end of the veil. They're situated not only on the roads but through houses like land mines waiting to be stepped on. Tanks are situated between rows for every 500 soldiers. Makes for a pretty lasting combination, well, if we were human, I suppose," Kim uttered that last part to herself, scratching her cheek with the tip of one finger.
"However, about the Incarnations, the Spirits summoned from the Old World? They were hidden extremely well. Since going underground wasn't an option, we can only assume they'd either be hiding in the confines of the houses we didn't check, underground or the Opera House, just waiting to be commanded at the ripe time," Jefferson added to Kim's initial statement, informing the rest of the team the remainder of the needed information.
"Good, then."
The Plague felt her lips covered by the chilly temperature signature of steel, the mask's clampers attaching themselves for her face as the arms extended from inside.
Mei could feel the air around her turn to ashes, lifting her hand higher so that sphere of purple plasma could encircle her hand, the output of her aura gleaming like the sun's shine through grey clouds on rainy clouds. Clenching her fist, marching forward, Sol's radiation casting her shadow was like an unavoidable giant towering over the horizon, but gracing her in its hand so she could feet the tips of her toes slip off the concrete.
Ed felt the hold tighten with something as simple as a yank over his wrist, those exorbitant lines that covered his palms now hidden like a vault. The explosive potential to destroy everything in sight, in the Old World, that memory when he was nothing but a ticking time bomb flashed in his heart of hearts, damning this curse to the cliffs of Hell so it could be torn apart for eternity.
'Alex... you're still alive, after all this time. I want to see how this plays out. So I can see you again and apologize for being so incompetent, compared to you. I want to prove to you, to myself, to whoever- that I can do some good with this power you helped me confide in. I want to be a good person.'
"We'll take it from here."
Next Chapter - Black's Assault
To Be Continued.