It was a physical effort for Kerberos not to wince, hearing that second horrible scream, but doing that would have made the pain a lot worse for her. He set the bangle aside, and carefully got back to his feet.
"I know Kairatos. Titan went to get him. He'll be fine," Kerberos promised. "And half the reaosn I could get in here, now, and for so long is that Oder is on its way. The rest of the people that got taken are going to get out, too." He said, in the most reassuring tone he could manage. "Hopefully they're having...fewer complications," he said. Because "complications" was the way to describe "I just had to pry nails out of your feet."
He walked around the back of the chair, and only then did he slide his hand into his chest and extract his starseed. He didn't want to make her watch that, because no matter how fine he was afterwards, it would not be fun to watch someone extract their own soul.
It slid perfectly into the padlock's "keyhole," and he was sure to keep a finger on it the entire time, until the lock clicked open and he could carefully extract it and put it back where it belonged. Then it was just unwinding the chains and making sure to lift them over her head, not let them clatter to the floor and land on her already damaged feet.
"I'll pick you up, and we'll teleport out of here, okay?"
Ivynian
Shazari
extracting his own soul is the easiest part of this whole thing
Ryuthulhu
Bluefire Dragonz
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 5:42 pm
Her headache surged, making her squint painfully despite the way her mouth curled in a toothy grin.
"Not my name, Goliath. You had it right the first time." Move, he says... yeah, right. Because she was horribly good at being told what to do by someone her own rank, bigger than her or not. The half-youma saw the move to bring the hammer about and she shifted back, letting it clear her before she slid forward like flowing water.
He was big, his hammer and his armor was heavy. Matching her speed with her lighter frame and leathers was probably not going to happen, especially not with youma in her. She darted under the upward swing of the hammer, slammed her hand just under his elbow and pushed, following the momentum of the swing to keep it going up and back. In the same movement forward, she swung her knee up hard, aiming for the groin. There was no 'fair' when you fought for a life... only win or lose. Inside of his reach, he was going to have a harder time using that hammer with its long handle, she reasoned, and not retreating meant not letting him closer to the captive.
Being in close like this though, and that name he had spoken in that voice... it teased at a memory of burning whiskey and rich laughter. I know you...
Further assault of this mountain of a man stalled as she remembered him, and the one chained to the wall, and she had a strange feeling about his motivations suddenly. He remembered her name, so he remembered... whatever the ******** it was she remembered. So... he remembered Kairatos...
Literally every battle ever had, his opponents were faster. It was how he had always trained as well- every bloody session facing Obsidian's sword until successfully drawing what was left of the man from the Abyss. It was plain, as she moved in on the offensive, she didn't respect that he'd had any training for any eventuality but using his hammer.
He likewise didn't back, knowing that pain would be paid. He didn't hesitate for memory's sake in their closeness. What should have been her knee became her thigh lifting scalemail to catch all breath out of him, and his second hand was already moving forward for her starseed.
Want, or whatever wishes for hope, they seldom found purchase in a battle. Less in one should be of a friend's cloak, but the grief should have to come later for even acting so whether in success or not.
Songstress Kitsune
Shazari
Ryuthulhu
Bluefire Dragonz
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 4:49 am
[[Content warning for mentions of blood, gore]]
Having the nails drawn back up out of her feet had been painful, so it was hard to have much of an idea of how easily or not it had been done -- but she had the general notion that Kerberos had done what he could not to make it any worse than it had to be. With that in mind, she tried not to take it too amiss that her rescuer, when he came close enough to start working the lock to her chains, smelled a little like alcohol. After all, the point was that she was being rescued. Drunk or not, Kerberos was her guardian angel, and it was more than she'd let herself hope for.
The hasp of a starseed in the lock -- unseen, happening all behind her -- was quiet, and she held her breath. If it broke, they were both dead: Kerberos with no starseed, and Hvergelmir trapped forever in this chair. Slowly, though, steadily, he managed the task, and the lock gave with a quiet, heaven-sent click.
Seconds later, the chains were off. Hvergelmir let out a heavy breath of relief.
"My -- my signet ring," she said. "It's still on the table." The rest of her jewelry, some of it long since gone, was of no real concern -- it was all part and parcel to her uniform, and could be trusted to reappear the next time she powered up -- but signet rings worked differently, and she couldn't afford to risk losing hers.
Titan was with Kairatos. They'd be fine, she decided -- or at least it was obvious that Hvergelmir and Kerberos sticking around here certainly wasn't going to be of any help for them. For all I know, Titan's already got Kairatos and they're long gone, wondering what's taking us so long. We'd better hurry.
Hvergelmir watched Kerberos finish what he was doing. He could've just left me here, she thought. As easily as staying in bed for a day and not lifting a finger. He could've let me die here, and taken a roll of the dice that my dying here, far too early and not at his hand, would be enough to change the future and avert the fate he fears for himself and his loved ones. He could've -- but he was here instead. Risking everything.
Not speaking up had been a mistake, and a terrible one. He'd put the odds firmly in Titan's favor, but...
"Stop!" Cin had pulled the chains from the wall, but this was among the least of his obstacles. "Damnit just..." All he could really do was rattle his chains like a ghost in a bad Christmas special, or maybe try and tangle someone in a length of chain, but he was pretty sure this would lead to him being whipped into a wall, either deliberately or on accident, but the results wouldn't particularly be determined by intent, just impact.
Someone was screaming and he was deeply afraid it was Hverlgelmer, and at some point they'd stopped, and that was even worse.
"Hvergelmer, damnit! Where's Hver!?"
Maybe someone would listen and they'd figure each other out without him having to scream it at the top of his lungs, not that he was sure many people would hear him anyway. Everything had caught up to him and his voice still sounded ragged and lacked the volume he'd have liked under the circumstances.
Ivynian
Guys no.
Bluefire Dragonz
Shazari
Songstress Kitsune
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 7:24 am
Her hesitation cost her dearly, that moment of understanding giving the captain the opening he needed. The pain of a hand plunging into her chest harkened back to a snowy night when Painite had beaten her soundly and poured Chais into her soul.
There was betrayal and deep hate in Cinnabar's eyes as she stiffened, making a desperate grab to dig her fingers into the dark cloth of Titan's shirt and cling to it. Not just one, but two rescue attempts... And they just turned him loose last time. No one had come for her after her screams had stopped echoing off the walls, and soon enough, she had lost the ability to care...
"b*****d..." Cinnabar hissed, omnidirectional loathing in the epithet.
The light in her eyes would go out, though, when that hand pulled her soul from her body. It's form was strange and warped, too many irregular facets for a normal starseed and the fiery red webbed in black veins like marble.
By this point, Kerberos was very much looking forward to getting himself and Hvergelmir out of American Horror Story: Funhouse and never looking back. With any luck, Titan would be there waiting with Kairatos, and one of the Knights would be able to contact Order escorts to get them to the hospital because Hver needed it badly and surely Kairatos did too. (Alternately, if Order proved unsuited to the task, he would teleport them himself, energy loss be damned. It was too important to worry about things like his physical health. He'd be laid up with withdrawal anyway, because he wanted to finally actually stop ******** drinking.)
However, something else beckoned. "Signet ring?" It wasn't a term he was familiar with, not in the sense she was using it, but it was obviously important, so he went back to the table and sifted through jewelry until he found a likely candidate - a ring slightly less delicate than the rest of her jewelry, with the same symbol as her tattoo.
"Is this it?" He asked. "Um, is there anything else here I should grab for you?"
Ultimately, despite his far too great experience with killing them, Kerberos had less than no idea how the ******** Knights even worked. Something he supposed he ought to remedy, maybe.
Ivynian
Shazari
I'm doing this on my phone because I love you
Ryuthulhu
Bluefire Dragonz
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:51 pm
Hvergelmir accepted the ring and -- with weak, shaky hands -- slipped it back onto her finger where it belonged. It was critically important, the most important accessory in her possession: her communication device, the trigger for her aspected magic, and, in her particular case, the key mechanism by which she could reach the piece of the Code at her Wonder. Of all the things she could stand to lose, the finger she wore this particular ring on would probably be less costly to go without than the ring itself.
"No," she confirmed, looking around the room with tired eyes. She'd be glad to see the last of this place. "That was it."
She put her arms up to loop around Kerberos's neck when he came to pick her up and teleport her out. Hvergelmir could only hope that, like most people of the powered set, he was stronger than the impression his delicate, petite stature gave off, and wouldn't topple over trying to lift her.
Kerberos carefully scooped Hver up, letting out a small breath. Normally there was no way he would have been able to pick up a person, but powered strength was a blessing.
"Hang on. I'm, uh, not sure how this feels if you're not used to it," he said, and then he focused on that parking lot and teleported.
This was the first time he had ever done it with another person, and so far at once - and he was not prepared fro how exhausting it would be. For a moment, he thought he was going to collapse. Or sit down. Or literally anything but stand there and hold onto the weight of another human being. But all of those things would have required putting Hver down, and with her feet in the state they were in, that was literally the worst possible thing to do.
"I'm okay," he said, preemptively, in case she had noticed him wobbling. "Teleporting is just...harder, the farther you go, and I guess if you're doing it with more people. Sorry."
Ivynian
Shazari
Ryuthulhu
Bluefire Dragonz
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 11:28 am
Revilsion came after, an unexpected and horrible wave of nausea that quelled every other sensation -pain from her very accurate choice of attack, worries of the screams or battle far off, question if Kerberos was gone with Hvergelmir or not. He only just got his hammer and hand under her to see that she didn't hit the floor.
Mia, we are soldiers. What have I done.
Mia, what right is there to call any of us human anymore- I'll put you back. Gods above. I'll put you back. All that is even left. Second arm scooped under her to carry and compose her a few feet away. He kissed her hair a moment before setting her still and neat.
The return steps to Kairatos were as bad. It was the worst thing, next to eating a starseed, he could think to have done in hindsight. The very difference of Titanlåvenite to Nærøyfjord. Proof he was as much a part of the horrors there in that dungeon as anything. Titan stowed the starseed, precious and delicate. Please let me touch you long enough to get you from here. Please don't be afraid.
"Lean in to me to protect your head." He moved to wrap an arm around the Mars Knight's shoulders to prep for bringing hammer above and against the wall to free the second arm.
The kiss to her forehead made him blink. It was a very Titan thing to do, far different he imagined than Bischophite might have done, and in spite of the violence of the gesture of pulling her starseed... there was something a bit Nærøyfjord to it to. Respect for the fallen that he did not remember seeing in other agents. That he had not even demonstrated himself, once upon a time.
He nodded in agreement, weary and strung tight like a bow string from worry both for them and for Hver.
goddamn if he put that thing back she was going to be ******** -pissed-. And mercifully weak for at least a short time... but pissed.
He still rested his head against Titan as asked, closing his eyes for a second because it was the closest he'd felt to safe for a good week.
Happy damn first anniversary of being a knight..
At least he could say he still was one for now.
Ivynian
Bluefire Dragonz
Shazari
Songstress Kitsune
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 12:28 pm
One stroke and pieces of wall caved in on itself. The second made certain nothing but the chain was coming with them. Titanlåvenite sent his weapon away. He scooped Kairatos up onto his hip with one arm, leaving the second briefly free to deal with the unusual starseed again. "Kerberos should have Hvergelmir. They will meet us. "
He spoke as he stepped back to Cinnabar, dipping to set the starseed over her chest again. Waking could be fast, so he wasted no more in waiting. They vanished away to the satellite lot immediately.
Teleporting was a little dizzying in her current condition, but not particularly different the way the Negaverse did it than how it felt traveling to and from her Wonder, or Mistral's, or Olympus. There was a momentary feeling of inner displacement, of the soul being out-of-body, and then she was somewhere else, trying to get her bearings.
A parking lot. Some -- random parking lot -- no, no clue. She had no idea where she was.
Kerberos didn't look to be in a very good state. What alcohol had already done to him, teleporting must've compounded. "It's okay if you want to put me down," she offered, even though she had no realistic idea how she was going to manage that. Whatever she came up with -- laying on the ground maybe, trying to get her feet to stop bleeding, trying to not be so perpetually exhausted -- surely it would be better than the possibility that he'd buckle under her weight and they'd both crumple to the ground. If Titan arrived, he could maybe -- but then, she didn't know what state Kairatos was in, how much worse he might be. He'd been a turncoat agent -- wasn't it probably likely that they'd have treated him much worse than they did her? Maybe her treatment had been light, gentle -- maybe they'd --
She was panicking. Carmine would've talked her out of going down a rabbithole of magical thinking that was only bound to make her more upset. She couldn't do anything about what had been done to Kairatos or not, and speculating about it wouldn't change the reality. It wouldn't help anyone.
"You're sure they're coming?" she asked anxiously, looking around for some telltale sign.
Ivynian
Songstress Kitsune
Ryuthulhu
Bluefire Dragonz
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:13 pm
Awareness came back in a dizzying swirl of sensation, red eyes blinking open only to squeeze shut again as the world spun around her. <********, she was tired of waking up on the floor, aching from head to toe.
At least she had woken up and part of her wondered at it. The tall blonde had pulled her starseed, as far as she could tell, and yet here she was... alive and angry. He must have put it back, because there was no anxious face hovering over her, or any where else in the room when she finally managed to get her eyes open and look around. He'd taken the knight and left.
God, she was such a fool. The biggest fool. This is what she got for putting her neck out for someone. Anger burned hot, building to rage as she rolled over, getting herself shakily up on hands and knees. Never again. Her loyalty belonged to the Negaverse, not to some memory of something that had never happened. If that a*****e knight got himself caught again, she'd just kill him straight off and be done with the whole damn thing.
That captain though... he had better hope he never saw her again, because next time, she was going to return the favor and find out what color his starseed was. Telling anyone what he had done was not an option, not with the risk he would rat her out for trying to do the same thing, and she preferred to settle her scores personally anyway. She'd seen his name somewhere, but it had been long and weird, so she'd never bothered learning to pronounce it. Cinnabar would have to rectify that... and while she was at it, it was long past time she settled down and get serious about s**t.
She was tired of this... tired of coming out on the bottom. Grabbing for power had been disastrous, but there were other ways. She'd just have to work for it, like anything worth having.
When she managed to gather the shreds of her pride and concentration together, the captain pushed herself to her feet stalked out of the room, heading for the sounds of fighting as her hands flexed. Best way to deal with her anger... ******** someone up.
