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 Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 12:42 am
It took a minute for Rep to realise what had happened, trying to hear over the panicked stammering of Tracey telling him over and over that one more good hit like that claw and they were dead. But the creature, for whatever reason - left. He was still living on miracles.
He moved to slink an arm around Harrison properly, as much for affection's sake as to steady him, relieved to see he'd had the awareness to protect the tablet too.
Watching Jerry chase the thing made him frown before barking angrily.
"Don't bring it back you ******** idiot!"
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:49 am
A distant roar could be heard.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:50 pm
"Jerry-kun!" Allan was all admonishment as he grabbed the Sun Hunter and restrained his arms, wriggling his own weapon out of his grasp. "You have to let your darkness go. Do you understand why Simon-kun does not want you to go on this mission? It is because you have not conquered your kokoro. Search inside yourself Jerry-kun, what do you see beyond your blind anger and rage?"
It would have been a lot easier to search himself if, essentially, Allan wasn't spoo- ahem - hugging Jerry in a vice grip.
"Now look to your friends Rep-kun, and Harrison-kun. They look very unhappy right now. Why do you think they are unhappy?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:33 pm
"They're unhappy because you won't give them any straight answers!" Jerry snarled, struggling to try to free his arms, but Allan's grip was unbreakable. "How am I supposed to be feeling?? You think it's healthier for me to just... just take all of this with a smile on my face and a song in my heart? That doesn't seem... frickin' meshugener??" He snarled. Finally, though, he relinquished his weapon, Roar vanishing in a flicker of green light to swing at his neck in whistle form.
Careful, the weapon hissed, these are the folk that decide the definition of crazy and useless here, whether you agree with it or not.
"I nearly took down that... that fog thing on my own, didn't I?? What am I supposed to see? The fact that my mentor was just... just murdered, the woman I love and my Moon were just kidnapped to who knows what torture and y-you're telling me my best friend is suddenly missing and no one wants to talk about it?? How am I SUPPOSED to take this, sir? How am I supposed to be acting right now? Because I have no idea!"
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:46 pm
"Like a ******** adult and not a princess" Rep muttered off where they stood, deadly serious. "You aren't the only one with problems here and the world doesn't ******** revolve around your friends." It didn't revolve around Jordan either he realised, for anyone outside those close to him - it was pointless to lose it, it only hurt whatever cause he was after.
It was strange how pointless rage looked on people who weren't him.
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:54 pm
Allan let go of Jerry, staring at the practically rabid mess of a Sun Hunter with feelings. Finally, and very quietly, there was a soft "Yes."
The Sun lead was looking everywhere but at Jerry now. "Because you promised to fight as a Hunter, you promised do the right thing, Jerry-kun, all of us did. These aren't just ordinary hollows out there, even if you went out there, you would hurt a lot of us, our trust, and our duty as a Hunter. What you are doing now, how you are acting now, that's not-" At last, he summoned his own weapon, a simple sword now, an uninteresting flat silver. "Listen to us, open yourself to us. Don't make us - Don't make us have to put you down. Not like this. Not right now."
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:02 am
"Professionally, Mr Collins," Simon added as he removed his glasses and began to clean them. "We expect you to act like a professional, instead of a victim. Besides which, the portals are down. However, if you'd like to swim to Africa..." he replaced the glasses and then suddenly the assistant's guns were summoned and drawn. "It can be arranged." Maybe he could convince Allan it was a training exercise.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:12 am
Jerry's face trembled as he caught sight of his reflection in the curve of the surprisingly simple blade. Countless words flowed through his brain, begging to explode out his mouth, but the rational part that was left in him knew it would be wise to choose which words very carefully.
"I can't apologize for being human, sir." He managed weakly, glancing up to Allan's face.
He tried to ignore Rep's comments. Like he knew anything about what the stupid red-head was talking about. The news about Jordan only compounded everything.
"What would you do, if you were in my position, Sir?"
Killzone was no longer there to back him up, to stand up for him, and help guide him to the light. Sasha was no longer there to emotionally support him. He was alone. Maybe they were crutches. Like drinking had been. Maybe he was wrong. He had never been a soldier, he was sure the military would have chewed him up and spat him out. But he needed to become one, and quick.
He wasn't sure how.
He wobbled a bit, his eyes glazing with tears, his expression hardened as he kept his eye contact. For all he knew, Simon was behind him with a gun at the ready.
What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to feel? Harrison had just fainted in the face of danger with the weight of what they were all sharing just then, but no one was reprimanding him nor giving him a second glance. They were supposed to be Humanity's salvation, but how cold they if they couldn't even feel human.
Simon's voice sent chills down his back and he finally closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. It was easy to act like a victim when you certainly felt that way.
If this was to be the end, then so be it. At least he had tried.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:27 am
There was perhaps a time when both he and Simon had been a little too new, a little too hotheaded, quite a few times they had been written up, several incidents verging on probation, and then countless incidents of property damage. The story however, wasn't very long ago, and so neither was the memory.
Yet every single time, they got a little too far, they got a little too carried away, there had always been someone else watching them, someone they once truly looked up to. As time passed, it was now their turn, and perhaps in the future it would be someone else's.
"You can believe in us." Allan had long ago, already put away his weapon, not being very good at this threatening business in the first place, not ever since, well - ever. "We are your nakama but are also your guides, at least for now. Your taichou, and sensei. You can trust us to do the right thing, until you find yourself and one day grow to become a true man."
Of course, there was always the implication Jerry wasn't a true man right now, but that slipped entirely past the Sun lead's radar of encouraging positive thought. He kept his tone encouraging. "Besides, you don't really want to swim to Africa right? What if a swimming lion ate you on the way?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:32 am
"There's also a kraken nest. But I think he could handle it, Allan-taichou. See how he took down that fog thing on his own?" Simon actually smiled charmingly at his leader, adjusting his glasses with the muzzle of one gun.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:53 am
It took Jerry several long moments before the mental image of the fearsome Swimming Lions kicked in, and he had to blink a bit too frequently as his brain caught up with it.
He wobbled a moment as he fought the urge to snort and lost.
"I'm not a s-strong swimmer, Sir," He admitted, sagging immediately as though the fire in him had finally run out. The moment of tension broken by absurdity had helped where the punch had only bandaged.
Direction, he needed to concentrate on coherent direction. The labs... right. Portals were down. First step: get them operational. Second step: assemble a team, Death Hunters would be necessary if- First step: he knew a good spot to sit quietly until he could think more clearly.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:14 am
Harrison stopped leaning on Rep. He was still pale, and both of B0nez's blades were stored in his sash.
"Here," he said, carefully giving Rep the tablet and coat back before stepping up to stand beside Jerry. He still had a problem looking either of the leads in the eye, and his hand squeezed B0nez's hilt out of habit.
"Sirs. Jerry's a good fighter," he offered Allan's shoes. "Even if trusting's hard for him on account of everybody-" he stumbled, "on account of everything. Killzone's not here to step in for folks anymore. But he believed in Jerry. He said there were two battles we all had to fight." He looked briefly at Rep. "...Jerry's a good fighter," he repeated.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:20 am
Rep raised a brow as Harrison handed over the wrapped tablet - an expression that quickly metamorphosed into the most livid glare he could manage. So that was how it was, Jerry - who fought the monster all on his own. Jerry who got away with defiance in the face of authority - worth standing up for. Even when he'd threatened him, even when he'd come close to shooting Rep in the past.
Jerry's a good fighter.
Well in Rep's mind right now, Jerry was a wanker.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:46 am
Allan nudged Simon. Hint hint. Nudge. Wink. It wasn't exactly very subtle. "Well, since Jerry-kun doesn't want to swim, I think we can let Jerry on our special mission instead, it'll help him on his task to build his inner strength and spirit." Wink, wink. "Ne, Simon-kun?"
Rep and Harrison might have suddenly found them being lead in Jerry's general direction as well. "In fact, I think everyone should join together. As nakama." He squeezed the other two a little too tightly, in affection. Only one of the three was giving the Sun assistant puppy dog eyes.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:53 am
The assistant's smile was long gone, but apparently he would comply with his leader's orders without protest. After a short pause, the assistant nodded in agreement and added, "By the way, sir, Brody delivered several crates for you prior to the invasion. I think this would be a good opprotunity to test their quality in channeling..." he tilted his head just slightly, causing the light to reflect ominously off his glasses, "...warrior spirits."
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