This wasn't going anything like the mercenary would've expected, one had to keep in mind he'd only been on active deployment in Commander Capricious' division of the Empire's armed forces as a hired mercenary for a little under a week. He'd been around others such as General Ciel Odine, and Haruka, for over three years and completely away from these new faces. They knew him by name, they knew him by reports, but they didn't know him like the other's did. His experience with Ryoko would likely be similar to how he worked with Ciel, if he were to be too crass and uncooperative he could potentially endanger himself.

Snapping from his daunting state of self-reflection, Salforge's eyes fell on the maid that lead them out of the elevator, and sure enough this was nothing like what he was expecting. Although he wasn't present for their conversation, Ryoko was given specific orders to come here and fortify this location from the emperor himself. A leader regulates his manpower and the chain of command is always aware of what their soldiers are doing. To surprise another General...Salforge's eyes hovered over to Ryoko. As he scanned the room by panning his head from left shoulder to right, and right shoulder to left it was as lively as it could be.

Ryoko's intensity was determined by her presence. The mercenary could've made an abrasive comment, but his eyes flickered and he chose to resolve his unease with silence and eliminating that need as "petulant". Salforge stepped backwards and waited as the elevator doors remained opened, with the hark that echoed from Ryoko's rage she wasn't long before she returned, but not without a grim glare of belligerence.

"Does this sort of break in command and briefing happen often?" Salforge said to Ryoko as the elevator descended.

She never did answer his question, it was his guess, that was the last thing intended. When the elevator reached the ground level they'd quickly passed into the communication room. A brief message was made, he leaned against the door as Ryoko came out. She made it a point to point out a loophole in a direct order, back to his question from how information was passed down the chain of command it was in disarray with this lack of communication prior. He unfolded his arms, and stood straight, pushing all the weight to his left leg.

"With any luck we could find someone that scouts for them. Is that what you mean?"

Trisean kept striding forward as Asuka spoke up. "Yeah, I hear you," he responded. "You're right. We should focus on getting home. One step at a time. Just thinking out loud here." Trisean thought as he walked, trying to straighten out his constant stream of thoughts. The aftermath of the operation and Rika's appearance had left him rattled. He was jumping at shadows that he wasn't sure were there. He had to get a grip. Focus on the present now, worry about possibilities behind the safety of the bunker. Regardless, he tried not to show it, but he was worried. God knew when Nomis was going to play his hand, and Rika was still the wild card. Sure, Trisean had no problems going into situations where the odds were against him, but he at least wanted to know what the odds were.

They hadn't walked far when there was some sort of commotion coming from street level. Trisean motioned for Asuka to wait, then swung up to the next grate with his whips. When he poked his head out of the grate, he glanced around for a few seconds before his vision focused on the monitors in a nearby square. Trisean's jaw dropped. Nomis's power play had begun. And this was probably only the first move. The bastard was using what looked like footage from the warehouse to rile the public against them. Street level transport was definitely a no-go now. Trisean quickly dove back into the sewers after confirming his location. Fortunately, the bunker wasn't too much farther away.

Motioning to Asuka, he said urgently, "We need to move, now! Nomis started his power play. He's using us as a scapegoat for the explosion last night. Supply bunker isn't much farther now. With any luck we'll make it before someone has the bright idea to check the sewers." As they ran through the sewers, Trisean pulled out his badge and contacted Ace and Shizuka. "Ace! Shizuka! Asuka and I are closing on the bunker, but we have a problem! Nomis started making his move. He's using us as a scapegoat for the explosion last night and is turning the people against us! We need to recall any agents we have out immediately, so we can form a counter move."

Rika’s instincts hadn’t told her much more than to be prepared, but this stranger with that strange gleam in her eyes had done well to show respect. Rika may not be of renown yet, but that was because she was so good it was hard to hear of her. Certain criminal-centered families would have use of her, but she is so expensive to acquire that often organizations believe they might lose more than gain from that transaction. A life for thousands upon thousands, easily millions if the target was high-profile enough, wasn’t the easiest trade to make and was better left to those who had very serious grudges. Shizuka was quite the stranger in this situation and didn’t know how to play anything cool, but Rika would chalk that up to inexperience. The expression on her face didn’t change for several seconds, ultimately becoming one representing a cool appreciation. Strange as this woman might have been, she had done well in her tone and getting right to the point.

“You have a ‘master’, huh? You only get a servant if you’re rich or powerful …and I like an employer with both those qualities.” Rika relished in someone who could get enough on her to even gather her name, and knowing what she is capable of only meant they did damn good research enough to know who they were getting. That showed they were looking for the absolute best, and approaching her confirmed what she already knew; she was the absolute best in her field. Focused entirely on the messenger, Rika’s train of thought when it came to what wealth this ‘master’ could possess was immediately broken by Shizuka’s desire to be noticed. Grabbing her wrist mid-wave, the thief would guide it downward and shake her head in disapproval with her actions. Before Rika could educate her on how to handle a situation like this, something loud and obnoxious had occurred throughout the city with a message that, to Rika, was not nearly as convincing to her as it was these commoners. Shizuka, being the simpleton she was, was quick to spout off how it ‘wasn’t us’ in front of a woman she obviously didn’t know, and who’s allegiance they had yet to determine. Quickly putting her left hand over Shizuka’s mouth, Rika glared at her in a fashion that was quite the change from her joy with her prior to this very moment.

“Are you kidding me? You don’t know this woman, why in the hell would you-- …” Scoffing, Rika removed her hand and shook her head, muttering “Idiot…” under her breath. Waving a hand in dismissal to whatever excuse Shizuka might give for her foolishness, the thief’s option of working with the rebels may not go through if idiocy like that is a constant. “Cat’s out of the bag now, but forget about her, she’s some nobody with no real talent. You already caught my attention, so your boss obviously taught you how to address people of my caliber. Lead the way.” Rika encouraged this messenger to begin guiding her to her master, and hopefully the thief’s employer. The robot-like woman had turned and proceeded to do what was asked of her, but Rika gave Shizuka one last passing stare as she moved along.

“By the way, that guy making that announcement? Full of shit, and it’s not just because we both know better …it’s because I know a liar when I hear one. Overreacting doesn’t change anything, so start growing up. War doesn’t forgive innocence, it takes it away, and things are bound to get worse.” Giving her a mocking bow as she walked backwards, Rika spun back around closely behind Pepper and kept her hands behind her neck, allowing Shizuka to get back to whatever her job was meant to be.

~-~

Elsewhere in a cozy part of Hollow Bastion, the woman that sat alone kept her eyes shut and visualized a better place than this. Her old home was clean with a strong economy, a populace that was happy and thrilled to be alive, and felt secured because there were people that watched out for them. Police were public figures of justice but once upon a time she had lead something much greater, much more important to humanity, than the men in blue could ever become. This poverty was disgusting, but not nearly as disgusting as the lies that were broadcast across Hollow Bastion. The fools and drones who believed anyone with a microphone would take to those words like vultures to an animal carcass, and there was no concern of what would become of them.

“More coffee, ma’m?”

Opening her eyes, the woman looked to a brown-haired young man who appeared clean and handsome in a uniform she could easily relate to the café. Once empty, in the blink of an eye this cozy little corner of Hollow Bastion had found new life. Men and women young an old coming together, children eating ice cream and enjoying a stroll hand-in-hand with their mothers and fathers. This was an ideal environment, an environment she was quite familiar with back at her own place of origin. She was no longer alone here, the good souls of Hollow Bastion had joined her, adding to the appearance of a highly refurbished and ideal neighborhood in the city. Only the surrounding blocks held this happiness, while all outside it were just ‘business’ as usual. The location was perfect, far north and very distant from the rebel safehouse and the warehouse that had recently been destroyed.

“Yes, thank you.” The woman nodded and raised her empty cup, allowing the employee of this gorgeous café to pour her a perfect cup of coffee once more before walking off and attending to other people. A writer working on a novel, a couple having an early morning glass of coffee similar to that woman. Things were pretty much perfect here, minus the fact the announcement of the Empire’s dog still reaching her ears. Amused at the efforts they made to cover this up, she had almost laughed out loud to the point it would have been a contagion to all other persons in the area.

“So that’s your opening move? This will be an easier victory than I ever expected.” the woman muttered to herself, smirking slightly before enjoying another sip of well-prepared coffee.

The Empire would need to do better than that…

The streets of Hollow Bastion were once again stirring to life, taking the first breath of the morning as the lifeblood of the city moved about, living out their daily lives. Pepper was not a citizen of this city, nonetheless she found herself walking among it's denizens. Her eyes scanned the decrepit architecture, the cracked roads, and crumbling alleys. If the people were the lifeblood of this city, then the city was a dying body. Rika trailed behind her, following her to the meeting place of her future employer. Convincing the thief to come with her had been easier than anticipated, little negotiation was required. The young woman had a strong ego, and it was too easily coaxed.

They eventually arrived to a part of the city that was not quite as ghetto as the rest, here, the populace could at least pretend that they still lived in the city they once upon a time could call Radiant. On the sidewalk the crowd was beginning to thicken, and among the people she could see a change in social class. Scarves wrapped nonchalantly around necks, berets tipped so precariously one could swear it was a sign of high class to have them just on the edge of falling off of one's head. The men and woman here were more well off than others, or at least they liked to appear so. Stepping under a veranda, Pepper held out an open hand to show Rika the way to her employer, for she was seated right before them. "Master Aeva, I have the woman you requested." She spoke in a clear voice, as if forcing Aeva to ask her to repeat herself would be a sin. She had done as she was told, however, she still wished to be of assistance. Her eyes looked to the cup of coffee in her hands, judging from the steam rising from it and the amount still in the cup it had just been filled, so bringing her more was out of the question, that was the waiter's job anyhow. A duo of posh men a table over were speaking, and she heard them mention the announcement that had been given via the eyesores sprouted all over the city. "Master, I will leave you to your business, however, if you wish to deal with the announcement given by the Empire, I can hack into the speakers and monitors." She said.

_____

"..Idiot?" Shizuka muttered the word that had just been spoken to her with such contempt. She lightly kicked a can with her sneaker bound foot, watching it tumble with a loud clang down the jagged street. "That woman surely wasn't with the Empire, I've never been wrong about that sorta thing before..." She let out a sigh, disappointed with herself for leaving such a bad impression on a new friend. She would have to make that up later, she wasn't really an idiot after all. "But Innocent? Funny." She chuckled derisively, kicking the can into a bin. She would have to forgive Rika for being so presumptuous, she knew she looked as if she were born to bear the moniker of an airhead, but she wasn't as naive as she let on. She reached into her pocket and grabbed a keychain. The accessory was a simple chain with a steel heart motif, however, the chain was broken on the end, rendering it useless as a keyblade attachment. "Isn't that right, Capell?" Shizuka's reverie was cut off as her badge vibrated, and Trisean's voice rang in her ears. He was panicked, and more than upset over the turn of events Nomis had laid out. "H-hey, hold on, I don't think it's that serious, we should be able to handle this.. right, Ace?" She said.

"I don't know what type of game Nomis is playing, but he's doing it wrong. If he believes the destruction of an empty building on property that the Empire owned is enough of a crime to make us look bad, he should think again. The Empire is bleeding this city dry, we are the one's trying to save them. I trust them to know that." Ace's voice echoed into her ear. Shizuka grinned and nodded.

"That's right, the people are on our side, we should believe in them."

_____

Ryoko looked up at Salforge's face and stretched her mouth into a hungry smile. "Those rebels are getting cocky, and they're spread about the city like cockroaches, we'll find one, and we'll squash it until it tells us where all of it's insect brethren are hiding." She patted the mercenary on the shoulder and began to walk for the exit. "I do hope you know how to hunt, Tin man."

Out on the streets of the city Ryoko could see a car approaching. It was a dark green military truck with tinted out windows. "Those must be the special forces I ordered, I do hope they're all they claim to be." She didn't bother greeting them or telling them their orders, they already knew what to do. "Here should do..." Ryoko mumbled to herself, having stopped by an alley that placed her and Salforge in a blind spot to those in the street and sidewalk. She snapped her fingers, and five bat like beings materialized above her. "Reconnaissance Heartless, it's amazing what a little experimentation will do to those things." She said. The Heartless soared into the sky, and flew off in different directions. Their bodies vanished, becoming invisible in the blue sky. "Those Heartless have an appetite for strong hearts, it shouldn't take them long to find one of those Unbound brats."

Laying in the bed of the room that he rented in the Inn, Cerden had his eyes wide open as he thought about the day ahead. He was no stranger to deep thinking while still laying in bed. Actually, for the longest time, it has become a part of his morning ritual. It’s actually the first thing that he does before even doing anything else, that even includes showering and other such things. On his mind currently was the fact that the Empire’s storehouse exploded and Cerden had no doubt in his mind that it was Nomis or at the very least, someone within the Empire’s doing. Considering it would look bad on them to the people of Hollow Bastion if the word got out that one of their main storehouse facilities got hit by the Unbound Hearts, most likely the notion of blowing it up and making it look like that the Unbound Hearts did it out of desperation was their strategy going into having it explode. Of course, there were other aspects that Cerden was considering.

Feeling that he was taking too long thinking about what most likely happened, Cerden would prop himself up into an up-right position, causing the blankets to fold over as his body created momentum to sit up correctly. Then, as he started to wake up more, Cerden would wipe his eyes lightly with his hands, wiping any eye dust that might have gathered in the corners of them. He would then remove the blankets from his body, and shift his body as his feet touched the ground and he was leaning a little forward rubbing his head a bit. Taking a brief moment to just let the last few yawns escape his body, Cerden got up, bones cracking as he would stretch and release a loud moan-like noise.

Cerden would take the next twenty minutes getting ready for the day ahead. It was a nice view out of the window as he briefly took a moment to enjoy the sunrise, but after that, Cerden continued to the bathroom, took a shower and made sure to wash his body a few times just so he got all the dirt off of his mocha-colored skin and his white hair. It only took him ten minutes to do that and once he finished, Cerden dried off his body and brushed his teeth. Afterwards, he got dressed and made sure to put the piece of Taint Metal into his pocket. He then grabbed his swords and would open the window, choosing to go out from the window, as that was his preferred way of leaving a building.

Cerden’s body propelled through the air, his hair freely floating backwards revealing his slightly pointed ears. It was by the time that he had crossed ten buildings in the time of one minute buildings that Cerden was already halfway through the town as his body moved exceptionally faster than that of a normal human. However, his hastened movement seemed to bring him to a stop as he heard Nomis’ voice. So early in the morning, but it was the voice of his brother that got his attention. It was what the Empire General was saying that took Cerden’s interest. He was blaming the explosion on the Unbound Hearts, as if spreading some type of propaganda or something like that. Cerden stood on a building about a few blocks away, but he heard every word. He just smiled and closed his eyes. “It seems that he hasn’t changed after all this time.” Cerden spoke to himself. It wasn’t like anyone could hear him.

---

It was after Ryoko’s rather rude and unnecessary comments that prompted her to leave with Salforge. Caleb would be lying if he wasn’t hurt. He had offered his assistance and she completely blew him off. It was her loss. Not like Caleb was going to help her after her rude comments. Regardless, Caleb would return to the monitors that his uncle had so kindly requested him to look at. As his eyes were indeed fixated on them, what he saw was his Uncle Nomis addressing the explosion from the night a few hours ago and telling them that it was indeed the Unbound Hearts that did it and not The Empire. “I guess that‘s my cue.” [/b]Caleb said as he clapped once and nodded.

Getting up from the chair that he was sitting in, Caleb waved his arm and a portal of darkness appeared. He would simply step through it, and within the very second that he did, Caleb was right beside his uncle as he had just finished speaking to the citizens of Hollow Bastion, assuring them that The Empire was not the one to blame for the storehouse fire and that it was the Unbound Hearts. “A very nice speech, Uncle Nomis.” Caleb said to his uncle, but he was more like a father to the teenager, as Caleb’s own father left him when he was younger and Nomis raised him.

Trisean seemed somewhat panicked at the recent announcement. It had been so loud even Asuka had heard it down in the sewers. Once he jumped down it looked like he wanted to press forward sooner than later. So much for taking things easily. However, like Shizuka, Asuka didn't think this one act was such a big deal. Besides, for those who were on their side they would already know that the Empire was so full of itself anyway. She did find herself wondering why exactly they would make such an announcement in the first place, though. It was very curious, but right now was not the time or place to be pondering out loud. She didn't offer any sort of response to what the trio had said mainly because she would simply be reiterating what they had said anyway.

Asuka made sure to keep up with Trisean, though notably was not as in a rush as he was. Something felt odd in the air, however. Still, she wasn't going to dwell on it; there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that she just wanted to get back already. The tips of her fingers had gone back to normal, but her keyblade was itching to come back out again. At that point she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Geez, it was like the thing had a mind of its own sometimes. There weren't even any enemies around! Pouting slightly, she had half a mind to ask if they were there yet, but judging by Trisean's pace, they'd be wherever they needed to be (close to the bunker anyway) momentarily.

The question was, would they reach the bunker before or after running into the Empire's lackeys?

"Mmm, I just want to get out of here already!" Asuka whined out loud, disrupting most if not all her serious thinking. "I'll never sleep again if it means I never have to endure this kind of torturous filth!"

Under the veil of shadows, there was a red cape that tattered in the wind. A rather young man wandering down the way of narrow passes of hollow bastion's more metropolitan areas. He'd been unhooded and seemed to take rather light, but slow steps towards the end before stopping. Raising his lazy eyes, he saw from the darkness two more silhouettes quickly move inside. First instinct told him to otherwise let them be and he continued walking.

Walking for felt like a weeks time, in search of the gathering spot on this world, only his third day on the job. The red-haired youth was prompted to find them, no real description of their faces, but he had a single location in mind. Trudging along, bat heartless seemed to fly past, quickly stopping and marveling over the teen as if they'd fallen in love. He possessed a potent and strong scent that they could smell, the darkness that wrapped around his heart completely distracted them from their master's tasks.

The mercenary turned his head, Ryoko would surely follow.

"Does that always happen? Seems the heartless have...someone in mind?"

Salforge's eye tinted and flickered bright red for a moment. The teen he and Ryoko had been looking at, hardly seemed like a harmless resident, the empire had a massive registrar of the locals after intervening on this world and building the factory. The heartless persisted, but watching the teen, the mercenary noted he put up little to no signs of bother or even resistance against the beasts. While they possessed or show no means of harm he just stood there, as if his rights were suddenly revoked. Then he did the oddest thing, he raised both of his hands and put them behind his head.

"Um...is this kid serious?"

"....." he said nothing, it only made this situation more awkward and equally as daunting.

Lifting his hands slowly, the mercenary could finally see it. A detonator switch, his eyes flickered again hearing a swift press. He spun around cupping Ryoko under his left arm and threw up his right to condense a quick three-layered wall the radius of the alleyway between them and the stranger. As if he were per a terrorist faction, his entire body ignited like a nitrogen bomb, there was a cool breeze and that spot went up and froze, though not passing too heavily beyond Salforge's barrier. The air quickly grew cold and the mercenary used those seconds to partially code Ryoko with his shells.

"I take it, this is one of the ones we're looking for. Fine." Salforge stood up and peered past his barrier, a pool of darkness swam, with a slight tint of blue. The teen's clad was flapping about in the now subzero temperatures, that was more of what Salforge worried about, but he unlike Ryoko was cold-blooded and could function perfectly fine, his extra coding would at least keep her up against the lowered temperatures.

"You're with The Empire?" his first words spoken, the red haired teen separated the veil of darkness and could now be seen. Pointing back at himself, "Gavin."

"Not much of a talker are you sport? Fine by me, long as I get to waste you that name is irrelevant to me."

The messenger wasn’t much for chatter, instead moving forward with her given task and not much for questions. Judging from how serious she took this, it was Rika’s guess that whoever was in charge knew how to pick their subordinates. Intimidation would affect lesser mercenaries, but for someone like her she was beginning to relish this chance encounter more and more. The more they traveled northeast the more she debated on asking if this meeting was even going to be in the city, but in the blink of an eye after a certain point the scenery had changed. The buildings looked much finer, the people here were in much more abundance, and the environment was less bleak. Rika suspected the wealthy in Hollow Bastion resided here. In a short amount of time they had arrived, and it didn’t take long for Rika to identity the employer; she dressed a little darker and, for her age, oddly. A sailor fuku? Someone wanted to hold into their youth, didn’t they?

Coming to the vacant seat in front of the woman, the messenger introduced her boss as ‘Master Aeva’. Well, whatever bad thing Rika could surmise, this woman carried the title of ‘Master’ well. Just standing there with a cup of coffee in hand, Aeva glanced to Pepper and nodded her head.

“There will be no need for retaliation Pepper, but I thank you for your enthusiasm. Stay close, you’re welcome to witness.” Aeva didn’t expect Pepper to be valuable in any other location right now than beside her. Setting her cup down on the table in front of her, the dark red eyes of this most promising employer took their sweet time examining the thief before her. Rika had since sat down and crossed her arms over her chest, looking her over as much as Aeva looked her over. This examination of the two had gone on for several minutes before Aeva had decided to initiate the conversation.

“I apologize for my silence, I was just looking into something.” Reaching for her cup of coffee once more, she had brought it to her lips and sipped quietly.

“I’m gorgeous, I know, I get that a lot. Your robot friend here said all the right things, and here I am. What’s my job?” Rika looked from Pepper to Aeva once again. These two seemed dangerous, and all they were doing was remaining in one spot.

“Mmmn.” Aeva drew the cup of coffee from her sips and sighed in a joyful silence. Pepper had worked tirelessly to prepare this coffee for her before departing, and Aeva had taken the time to smile at her, an occurrence not frequent considering her seriousness for this job. She had left the pot inside, and the waiter she had instructed had nothing to do with it. Returning focus to Rika, Aeva had set her cup down once more. “I’ll get to that after I size you up a little more. That was some nice work, trying to dissuade Pepper from recognizing your companion wasn’t worth the trouble of keeping an eye on. I almost believed your comment about her being an idiot.”

“Ah, so you were listening to that? I figured as much, your ‘Pepper’ doesn’t do much talking.” Rika smirked, not breaking any sort of sweat with this new discovery. The woman before her was very articulate and calculating; what began as an opportunity to employ her was quickly becoming a contest to see who could surprise the other more. Aeva was likely to win this, because before now Rika had never heard of her. You didn’t have money, and power, and not have someone know of you. Shrugging her shoulders, Rika relaxed in her seat. “Not much of a surprise you had a method of listening in on us.”

“Oh? You think I had Pepper here hide a wire?”

“Is there another explanation?”

Aeva closed her eyes and fell silent for several seconds, deciding on the best possible next sentence. The time it had taken was short, and the recollection of these words was seamless. It was just a matter of what would surprise her more. “So either you take my help, or I walk and make it a goal to undermine you bastards out of principle from this point on.”

Rika raised an eyebrow, both shocked and suspicious. She knew the rebels weren’t the most professional, but to leave their bunker wired like that…

“Let’s see, what else…” Aeva mused to herself just before deciding on another line of dialogue. “Let Death know that Rika Masaki sent—“ and cutting off just like Rika had done previously, Aeva opened her eyes, seeing her barrier begin to fold.

‘How the hell would she know about that?’ Rika thought, trying to keep her control of the situation, but unable to deny her grasp slipping every second. The most she could do now was ask questions. “…Are you with the Empire?”

“No.”

“The Rebels?”

“…Somewhat.”

“And how did you know about that last line? I didn’t say that in front of anyone, at least living.” Rika muttered, certain everyone in the room was dead. Even if they weren’t, that place was blown to hell and back, there was no way anyone could have survived to tell of it, right?

“I believe the better question is how I know about that precious resource of information nestled between your breasts?”

“!?!” Rika stood up, startled and effectively knocking her chair back at the same time. Completely losing the war of control, this person, this ‘Aeva’, had effectively known of information that simply wasn’t possible to know. She knew of every camera in that facility and avoided them all. The mere fact she knew of her words in the most secured locations was beginning to freak her out. “…Who the hell are you?”

“I have many titles …among my favorites happens to be ‘Mother of God’. What I know of you, Rika Masaki, is what someone very close to you has divulged to me, and I am not only here to hire you, I am here to show you the error of your ways.” Aeva gestured towards the fallen seat. “Let us continue.”

~-~

A large gummi ship transporting denizens from other worlds had made a slow, epic descent into Hollow Bastion’s port. Families had exited, eager to meet relatives for small and large reunions. Friends came to be with other friends for holidays or get-togethers. Some people were just here to sightsee and have some fun in new worlds. And then there was the girl from China, who had hustled out of the ship as fast as she could, darting past those taller and wider than herself, making use of her incredibly dexterity to get ahead. With no bags to claim and no one waiting for her, this girl’s destination was entirely unknown, yet she continued to run and run until she was out of the port and into Hollow Bastion’s early morning air. Skidding to a halt in a location entirely unknown to her, the girl raised her arms in the air and stretched for several seconds until she had begun to bend her knees and pull her arms apart. In the middle of cracking her neck she had realized that her destination shouldn’t be too hard to pick out, especially since the food on that ship was pretty unsatisfactory. Her people never left her home much, but if they ever planned to she’d warn them to eat a good traditional meal before taking that trip.

“Okay! If I was my friends, I’d be …training? No…” Meilin “Lin” Xiao Yu muttered to herself. It had been six months since she had last spoke with her dear friends, and she knew for a fact training wasn’t going to be their goal this early in the morning. “Ace might be sleeping …but Shizuka would beeeee…” sniffing the air, Lin tried her best to lock on to the direction of the best early morning aromas. The girl knew how to eat, and she was proud of it too. It was no good, she was too far away to pick up anything worthwhile, and was completely lost. Huffing loudly, Lin looked over her shoulders, up to the sky, and on buildings beside her. There was no such hint to be found, except for one large smoke pillar just west of her, and rapidly dissipating. A commotion? It might be where her friends are!

“Okay, find friends, find food, no problem! I’m coming guys!” The ride to Hollow Bastion was much too long and boring, she was actually demanded to hold still. The seats weren’t too comfortable and there was a man behind her snoring, making it difficult to mediate and calm herself to pass the time. With so much energy in her system that she could no longer bear it, Lin raced through the streets of Hollow Bastion, narrowly avoiding collisions with people who were both surprised and happy to see someone so cheery in the morning. Taking great leaps and bounds, the freedom of this city felt much more restrictive than the Imperial City back home, and much less clean. Things didn’t seem good, but as long as she was here, they’d find a way to make everything okay.

In time she had skid to another halt, finding a moderate gathering of individuals surrounding the wreckage that had generated the smoke pillar. “Whoa…” she mumbled, hustling through the crowd and squeezing by others to get a good look at the wreckage. People were being pulled out from it, clearly dead, and that was a tragic thing to behold. “What happened?” she mumbled to herself. If Ace and Shizuka were caught in that …she wouldn’t know what to do with that level of tragedy. Offering a quick prayer to those who lost their lives, Lin clasped her hands together and lowered her head, hoping the transition to the afterlife was much more peaceful than the end the deceased had found.

“Find peace.”

Ryoko let out an annoyed breath, the warm air from her throat condensing in the sudden icebox that had been created. "Quick thinking there." She muttered to Salforge, brushing off flakes of ice from her shoulder. Had he not protected her, she would have been forced to retreat, something she was not fond of doing. She looked at her hand, and saw the shells that Salforge had placed upon her body. A sweet gesture, but she didn't feel she needed his coddling. She glared at the red haired youth with an expression of disdain and want, it had been a long time since she had enjoyed a good fight. She held out her arm in front of Salforge. "Wait, let me have this one." She said, stepping forward.

"Make yourself useful and make sure he doesn't try to run away, I want to savor this." Ryoko stretched out her arms above her head, and dug her nails into her wrists. Her sharp cuticles punctured her skin, and as she flung her arms downward a splash of black blood poured from her veins. The blood did not fall to the ground, however, it began to circle her arms like the rings of a planet. "My name is Ryoko, by the way, it is proper etiquette to introduce yourself BEFORE you try to kill someone, you little shit." With a thrust of both her palms, the blood shot from her arms like a cannon, spiraling into the shape of two large basketball sized bullets that crackled as they hit the cold air. She had little knowledge of how his ability worked, but for now she knew getting close to him could result in a serious case of frostbite.

_____

Shizuka had decided to hurry back to her home, while she wasn't too worried about Nomis's announcement, she'd had an uneasy feeling in the back of her head, as if she should be afraid of something. Unbeknownst to her, an invisible Heartless in the sky had locked it's eyes onto her, and was following closely. It's job was to find those that had within them a powerful heart, and hers was like a buffet in the creature's mind. It's order had been to simply watch and report, however the creature's instincts were strong, strong enough that it couldn't help but call upon some of it's kind to devour the girl. "Wha!" Shizuka gasped as a dozen Neoshadows sprouted from the ground, along with a duo of Darkballs. The Heartless wasted no time in homing in on their target, and all at once gave chase. Shizuka quickly turned on her heel, and ran.

"Ace! Ace!" She screamed into her badge. "Heartless just showed up in the middle of the city, I'm going to try and lure them somewhere empty!" The badge was nearly knocked out of her hand as a Darkball swooped downwards to crash into her, she put the device away and quickened her pace. There weren't many places that were vacant in the city, however, she knew one place that would be safe for sure. Dashing though a parking lot, she hopped over a fence and soon found herself in the wreckage of the Empire's storehouse. There was a crowd nearby, however they were far away from the scene, and were being held back by the authorities. The Heartless soon caught up with her, and she took a breath of relief.

"Alright, now as long as I finish them quickly the people will be safe." Shizuka hardened her fist into steel, and pummeled a Neoshadow in the face as it attempted to attack her. The Heartless dissipated as it was vanquished, and she jumped back to get some space. "Huh?" She noticed that the Heartless were no longer focused solely on her, a few of them had their attention turned to the crowd. "Who?..." She knew she should be the only one on their minds, unless someone powerful was also among the crowd. Straining her eyes, Shizuka saw someone quite familiar, Lin. She wished she could be happy to see her friend once again, however, the situation had turned this into a less than stellar reunion. Shizuka rushed the group of Heartless, hoping to finish them before they decided to go into the crowd, however one of the Darkballs caught onto her rashness and bashed into her. She caught the monster, however it had succeeded in distracting her long enough for many of the Neoshadows to begin charging towards the crowd. "No!" Shizuka screamed, only just killing the creature with a swift jab, she couldn't make it in time to stop them.

A sound like a gun going off shook the air, and before her eyes Shizuka saw as three of the Neoshadows instantly dissipated. "Ace!" She cried out, seeing the shaggy haired boy in the street.

"This is getting annoying..." He said, sheathing his blade. He looked back to Lin, and flashed a smile. "It is nice to see you, however. I hate to ask but, mind helping us out here? I don't want anyone here getting hurt."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Storehouse District~~~~~~

He knew people weren’t inherently stupid…perhaps blissfully ignorant by choosing to believe anything anyone said, or fearful of going against the will of the stronger speaker, but stupid? Definitely not. That was something Nomis knew more than anyone, and it was by using that knowledge, to know the right moment when you can turn a crowd around to your way of thinking no matter the true reasoning behind it, that was what he was exceptionally good at.

“A very nice speech, Uncle Nomis.” Said the new voice off to the side of Nomis, the older man looking towards the shadow cast by the walls of the area with the rising sun, seeing the teenager just out of sight of the crowds who were further back out on the street, still facing the man.

“Thank you very much, Caleb. I trust there were no setbacks with your task, hmm?” Asked Nomis as the strange metal eye cameras, those that changed into their weird tripod forms, soon morphed back to match the floating type, all three now floating in the air behind both Nomis and Caleb.

It was by one of the machines suddenly blaring loud like a siren that caused Nomis to stop and look, not towards the eye itself, but that of the lone figure that suddenly leaped over the far wall with a small group of Heartless in tow.

“Look at this now, Caleb. They just keep giving themselves more rope to hang themselves with.” Nomis said, speaking quietly to young Caleb beside him, his smile slowly presenting itself more as he turned back towards the now panicking crowds, cane held in the air as he approached.

“Fear not, residents of Bastion! These creatures of darkness will not harm you, the Empire will protect you for as long as we are here! See how those who caused you harm, return to bring even more wanted destruction! But do not worry! Return quickly to your homes, and let your Empire protect you all!” The crowds had already started to leave from the moment the Heartless arrived, though the words spoken by Nomis seemed to bring some sort of order to the once growing chaos. The Empire’s authorities already beginning to mobilize and lead the large gathering of people out of the district as quickly as possible.

The large vehicles, filled with the only salvageable materials from the decimated storehouse, soon started to leave once the crowds had thinned enough on the district’s streets, only a long machine was left just outside on the sidewalk, its long body elegantly crafted and moulded as if from a single large piece of metal. Waiting by its side, a familiar mask wearing maid stood by the driver side door of the vehicle, only moving to open the passenger door for Nomis as he made his way towards it.

“Come Caleb. Things are in hand here.” With that said, Nomis tapped the end of his dark cane on the ground three times, each tap causing one of the floating machines to change colour from what was once a calming blue to now a malevolent purple.

It was after the door was shut by the maid that that floating machines sprang into action, their large frames swiftly moving through the air and around the Heartless, whom seemed to ignore the inorganic beings, and intently towards that of Ace and Shizuka. The first of the Eyebots came down towards Ace, its body morphing once more into a tripod form, except unlike before when it remained stationary, it soon used its new legs to try and impale the young man, stomping its sharpened points into the ground as it screeched static towards him.

For Shizuka, the second of the machines seemed to follow in suit with the Darkball she was currently engaged with. Choosing to remain floating in the air, hovering around in sync with the Heartless’ own movements, the machine soon sprouted a pair of long metal arms from inside its casing, the ends of which seemed to be fitted with a pair of tools, one being a singular sharp claw most likely used for cutting through metal, while the second arm was that of a drill, buzzing as it whirled wildly while charging for the young woman.

It was the third that remained a mystery for now, its form never changing, its position being the same place from where all three first started, only now high above the burned area where the storehouse once stood.

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Sewers~~~~~~

The sound of splashing echoing throughout the sewers was something not at all strange to hear for those travelling through it. However it was the constant emergence of numerous and even louder forms of the sound that was unsettling to hear, especially coupled with that of the brief instances of metal scrapping against bricks that could just be made out during the very rare moments of silence between splashing water.

The hulking Metalwolves stood hunched as they made their way through the sewers of Hollow Bastion, their journey taking longer due to the assortment of sealed cases which they proceeded to drag behind them, the long chains attached to the items being held within their mouths as they followed behind the leader of their pack, the sight of which was even more monstrous than before.

Now more than twice the size of even the large Metalwolves themselves, the beast looked grossly out of proportion. Moving through the sewers, which are large enough to allow most adults to walk normally through and even the Metalwolves to pass with just a small hunch in their stance, proved to just be barely large enough for the leader, its massive form causing it to move on all fours though revealing as it walked the sight of two smaller forearms closer inside its chest area.

It was the large ridges of metal lining its back that seemed to be the cause of the echoing scraps throughout the sewer, and though its large main forearms and legs would splash into the water from time to time, them having slipped off the solid bricks that made up the side-paths of the sewer, it was its long reaching tail that appeared to be the main cause of the noise, hanging low towards the water and eventually slapping through it whenever the great beast stopped to gain its senses of the area.

He released her, and gave a quick dust to his left shoulder. His cold eyes, crimson in color met with the boy's that were also crimson in color. He could find no roman numeral etched into the right, so he had to assume this one was human. It'd be pretty inconvenient if there was more than five of them running rampant somewhere, nearly immortal with respect to body composition and the fact that they didn't age. Royce's claim was enough for Salforge to heed without second guessing. Placing his hand behind his head, stroking his neck and raising a nonchalant shrug. His palm was laid flat and the narrow pass of the alley restricted even tighter, securing all exits.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're now boxed in." he said proceeding to find an empty a parking lot dumpster to sit on.

Gavin on the other hand, began to quickly assess what he had seen. The black haired male with the red eyes seemed to possess some manner of abjuration, protective spells of some sort that seemed to have decent damage resistance, but not infallible as the cold air managed to pass through with little complication. This was just his first impression, easily changeable pending on what else happened by this enemy. His keen eyes sharpened as the woman the male was protecting offered her name and expressed her suppressed rage. Paying special attention to her, she constructed what seemed to be blood, although hardened and about as dark as his heart, if that were possible.

This was a bad turn of events...for the woman. If it got any colder, they'd quickly see who would be the one that started moving more sluggishly and how effective her blood would be if it was frozen. As her twin projectiles entered his range, the temperature dropped, and the black mesh of darkness waft past them, turning them into onyx colored slabs of ice, shattering as they hit the ground. Gavin placed two fingers on his head, his dull face growing somewhat sorrow-filled, before executing a taunt.

"Bang."

His body tilted over in a discombobulated contortion, and icy wind trailed from his breath. The darkness rose from his feet, and quickly traveled upward to consume his body that had gone limp. This was him "Playing dead" And the heartless from earlier flocked through the cold regardless of the hostility of the unforgiving temperatures. They proceeded to feed Gavin's darkness, effectively increasing his range as the stretches of where the shadow lingered across the ground stretched further.

"Kid-ding" he said, catching his balance, and lashing forward with a grasp of his hand. From the base of his feet, the darkness traveled up his arm, and extended into an arm itself. It was whirled forward with all intentions of grabbing Ryoko as she liked to be called, with a touch of cold. Because this was an alleyway, Gavin had anticipated this working by a simple jump, or to parry. His arm was low enough that she could duck or roll away, either way, it wasn't very speedy but the limited space gave him more options.

Trisean took a slight pause as he heard the more collected voices of Shizuka and Ace respond. Just how paranoid had he gotten? He needed to get a grip. This was embarrassing. He took a deep breath as Asuka mentioned the stench of the sewers. "Amen to that." he said with a chuckle. "I'm gonna need a shower after this. Certainly not my brightest idea." He took a few steps forward, before stopping and muttering with another chuckle, "Damn. Really loosing my edge today." He turned to Asuka and said with a smile, "Hey, sorry if I've been acting off my usual game today. Got a lot on my mind is all." Trisean decided he was done being worried about everything. What came would come, and he would tackle it with his usual youthful energy. He certainly wasn't going to let some mercenary have the satisfaction of killing his mood.

Trisean was about to get moving again, when something felt off. His expresion went back to being serious, and he extended his arm in front of Asuka with a curt "Hold up." He thought he heard.... and there it was again. Too much splashing to just attribute to echoes. A large number of things were in the sewers with them. And the scraping metal he heard every now and again answered the question as to what they were. "Damn. Constructs are in the sewers with us. And I think I know what kind. Nomis certainly loves his wolves." Trisean's whips uncoiled out of habit. Judging his environment, he chose to attune himself with blizzard magic. The whites of his eyes turned to a light blue, and his skin seemed to pale slightly as his body temperature cooled. In close quarters, ice would serve well as a defense. Plus, there was the ever present fact that water froze.

If anything, Trisean still had a twinge of anger and irritation left in him. He grinned slightly as he thought of the irony of the situation. If Nomis had sent these things after them, he had just give Trisean a present. Trisean very much wanted to hit something, and here came more wolves, like gluttons for punishment. "What the hell. I'm still a bit pissed anyway," he said to himself. Of course, Asuka was still down here with him, and he didn't want to go into a fight if she didn't want to. He turned with a slight grin to her and said, "What do you say Asuka? Want to lay the smack down on these fools? Its as good a reason to fight the empire as any."

Just as Caleb complimented Nomis on his speech to the people of Hollow Bastion, his uncle would acknowledge it. Nomis would then ask about the task that he had given Caleb. The teen shrugged slightly. “It went as you predicted, Uncle. Ryoko roared as she only could and stormed off.” Caleb said expressing his annoyance at Ryoko. “I don’t see why The Emperor keeps her around. Her anger problems are on no level that I ever have known anyone to have.” Caleb was just thinking out loud at this point.

By the time that Caleb had finished, Nomis would once more speak to Caleb, but this time about how The Unbound Hearts were, as he so rightly put it, giving themselves more rope to hang themselves in a metaphorical suicide. Caleb would just smile as he agreed with Nomis. He didn’t say anything as Caleb felt that he didn’t need to. Plus, that was when Nomis would once again speak to the crowd gathered below. He would state that the flying heartless were not the ones that they should fear, but rather it was the Unbound Hearts that they should. He further would say that the people of Hollow Bastion should go to their homes and let the Empire protect them.

Once he finished, Nomis would motion Caleb to follow him onto the vehicle. Caleb would silently follow his uncle into it and the door would close and the vehicle would move as the maid from before drove it. Caleb sat in the vehicle thinking about how foolish the attempts of the Unbound Hearts were. It truly was something that made Caleb laugh, which eventually he did, but only lightly. No doubt that Nomis heard his slight laugh.

Shock and awe, a combination of fear and anger, and a pride wounded. Aeva did not take offense when Rika did not immediately sit back down once requested, but her outburst drew the attention of others nearby, effectively ruining what she prided herself on all this time. The tension in her face, the tightening of her stomach, and her heart fluttering with anxiety about this unknown employer who knew things no one could have, or should have. The woman glanced at Pepper for but a moment, wondering if she found this situation as entertaining as she did. She wasn’t one for laughs, but when you spent enough time at her side you tend to get used to the sight of people’s defenses crumbling before her. That calculating stare made all but the most experienced and mature crumble, and this Rika Masaki was not yet enough of both of those things to outmatch her in a battle of truth. Red eyes fell upon Rika’s seat and she motioned for Rika to gather it, immediately raising a hand at Pepper to not do it for her.

“You’re a big girl, Rika …you can pick that seat up. Surely Setsuko taught you some manners?”

“!?” Even her mother ...even her mother!? Rika’s cheeks were beginning to twitch and her eyes narrowed. Aeva knew not only of the information she tucked away, but even her mother’s name. If someone like this existed her mother would’ve told a story about it as a kid; she was a nightmare in the form of an admittedly beautiful young woman, and before that gaze no lie could be told. Within that look, past the initial silliness of the sailor fuku, held more danger and experience than Rika had seen and felt in her life. She had only ever feared one person before, and that was her mother when she was little. Taught how to steal, how to seduce, how to murder without blinking an eye, it was only a small piece of the Masaki family’s skills but what they were the most known for. This woman was no Masaki, but somehow Rika had the feeling she mastered those skills. Gritting her teeth at the circumstances placed before her, Rika looked to Pepper, back to Aeva, and then moved to pick up her seat with so many eyes in her direction. Reluctantly returning to a seating position, Rika didn’t know where to begin, and so let Aeva dictate where the conversation went.

“My knowledge of you and my source is fully credible, but I’m not here to discuss your secrets. I am here to motivate you to pick a side in this conflict, because for better or for worse you’ll be a key player in it. You have a particular set of skills I have never, in all my years, found anyone able to match outside of your family. It is subtlety and strategy that will give the Unbound an edge in this conflict, and you know that they need you more than you need them.” Aeva said calmly. The eyes once on Rika returned to where they had been previously, and things appeared business as usual. “I recognize potential when I see it, but personal growth and discipline should come before strength. You’re calculating, intelligent, and an asset to anyone who utilizes you. I would like to know what your plan is with the information you have on your person.”

Rika wasn’t immediately answering, because she hadn’t quite thought about it yet. There were many possibilities with that information, and it could easily make her rich and in a seat of power when all this blows over. Her renown could skyrocket, but then there was helping a band of rebels overthrow an Empire. “I …I don’t really know yet.”

“You don’t know because you’re at the crossroad that decides just what kind of person you are. This is no simple decision of handing a child some bread you stole or keeping it for yourself, this decision affects countless lives across hundreds of worlds.”

“I know that, but there’s just a lot to think about.”

“What is there to think about? You help doom the existence of many, or fill your own pockets. You are smart enough to realize the wealth that the Empire would acquire is several times larger than the rebels, yet still you suggest you may help them acquire the information you already have.”

“But-“

“Are you with the Unbound, or with the Empire?”

“Neither. I don’t care about any of them, I’m just trying to earn some dough and take care of myself. No matter who wins or loses, I’m coming out unscathed.”

“Are you even trying now?” Aeva inquired, causing Rika to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

“Trying to what?”

“Trying to act. Because from the way I look at it, you cared about Shizuka enough to try and redirect Pepper’s attention entirely on yourself and convince her that that girl was no trouble. She was the only one who had faith in you, and you didn’t want to see her get hurt, not because she was helping sell your story, but because you like her.” Rika hadn’t said much to that, and so Aeva continued. “That man, Trisean. He had a hunch about you and you feigned hurt and irritation …except it wasn’t all an act, was it? You sat among them and had a desire to belong, because they weren’t in it for wealth or fame, they were in it to help others and free themselves of tyranny. It was a cause that you, at heart, could get behind. So while that man’s hunch was a long-shot, it ultimately led to you starting to realize that you wanted to be taken seriously. Was it all pretend, Rika? Did he not hurt your feelings by not believing in the good you might’ve had in your heart?”

Rika had sat back, dumbfounded at just how easy it was for this woman to read into what had gone on in that bunker. It was no longer a matter of how she was knowing all of this, even her mother’s identity, but it was now what this was all about for her. This woman had the tension of a thousand eyes behind two and a fountain of power in her posture; the threat of engagement was real, and Pepper wasn’t the intimidation factor of the two. If she took her eyes off of Aeva she felt as though she might die, yet at the same time felt like she may die if she tried to run from this. Her feet were shaking and her heart was uncertain, but above all else she was …

“Vulnerable. That’s the first time you’ve felt it in a long time, the first time anyone’s been able to figure you out since your mother, isn’t it?”

Rika snapped out of her stupor and glared at Aeva, a move both bold and reckless considering how much power she had in this situation. With everything said, all pieces put together, she still couldn’t accept defeat like this. Shaking her head and balling her fists, the thief wouldn’t be talked down to like this. “Okay, I’m done playing this game. Are you going to hire me or not?”

“…” Aeva might have smiled were it not for the fact she was doing her very best to remain patient about this stubbornness. “Maybe you’re right, I should stop playing games.” Reaching down beneath her, she had retrieved a large brown sack and set it on the middle of the table, letting the contents spill out towards Rika. What was revealed was, in fact, a large sum of munny. The world’s currency was compact, but an experienced girl like Rika was no doubt already processing how much was in there. Allowing Rika a moment to examine the contents, Aeva glanced out towards the far off direction of the destroyed warehouse as though she knew something no one else did. Pepper was a vital tool for helping the Unbound, but they should get used to resolving conflicts on their own, especially considering who had just arrived had quite the future ahead of her.

“I’ll cut you a deal.” Aeva turned back to Rika, who had surprisingly not done anything with the money. Interesting. “I’ll let you walk away with that if I have your word you’ll remain out of this conflict, but you also hand over that disc to me. I’ll tell them you had found it and I paid you for your time, which means you never told them that lie about not having it and they don’t need to spare the resources to pay you themselves. You held up your end and you will not need to be involved any further, absolving you of any relation to the group.” It was going to be a tempting offer and Rika had no reason not to refuse it, until what would come next.

“In exchange for that service, I'll be killing everyone in the vicinity, women and children concluded. You have one minute.”

~-~

Her prayers to whatever gods might receive their souls would have to be enough, as there was little more Lin could do for anyone the way things were. Among the crowd she was nestled in, whispers of blame were going left and right. Some believed the Empire were wrong, that the Rebels wouldn’t make a show of blowing some place up unless it were important. Others believed the Rebels were doing wrong, that they couldn’t beat the Empire and instead should work together to improve conditions for the sake of all. Lin had wanted to believe negotiations were possible, but an Empire so deeply rooted into all worlds wouldn’t free them without battle. It was the cruel reality in which she was stuck in, and there was no sense in trying to escape it. People would keep dying until one side had lost, and Lin was going to be sure that the Unbound freed everyone from the invisible chains around their neck. A small word to those in the crowd would have been in order were it not for the commotion nearby, and being too small to see past anyone she had to squeeze through again, popping out between two large men and stumbling forward. “Whoa-oah!” her balance was amazing, but no one said her ability to get through tight spaces was perfect. What she happened to witness next was a combination of happiness and a juvenile thrill. Shizuka, even after half a year, still looked the same, still running from danger, still needing someone to save her butt.

That person was going to be Lin.

“Fear not everyone. I, Great Warrior Lin, will be happy to help destroy those creatures and—…Oh.“ Hands on her hips and appearing proud, it was only after she looked over her shoulder and finally took notice of the crowd already running off that she realized her audience wasn’t so captivated, and was in fact quite fearful. Puffing out her cheeks a little in disappointment, Lin stomped her left foot in the ground and began to stretch her legs, preparing to assist Shizuka. In the midst of this, someone who represented the Empire was already putting the situation in their favor, having soldiers escort the fleeing crowd while attempting to convince them that this was a situation the rebels put forth. “What? That’s not even close to being true!” upset at the mere thought of someone believing such garbage, she had been distracted long enough to miss the fact she was a valid target. As shadows raced towards her, Lin gasped and stumbled backwards, holding up an arm in alarm and preparing to emit fire to defend herself. With what sounded like a gunshot ringing in the air, the three shadows that had raced towards her were destroyed swiftly, the essence evaporating in thin air. “What the…wait, I know that noise!”

In the past within China, sparring with Shizuka was a good deal of fun when she wasn’t sparring with her brother. The speed at which they were destroyed and the noise that rang out was coming back to her now, even after all this time. Getting to her feet whilst brushing the dust and dirt from her clothes, the Chinese hero-in-training was quick to throw a smirk at Ace. He was handsome and someone she could depend on, a true friend like Shizuka who she’d be happy to fight beside, and that thought began to make her giddy. “It’s been too long, guys! Don’t worry, count on me, I’ll---“ the sound of a door slamming and some rumble behind her had thrown her off again, and while leaving Ace to watch her back she had turned towards that strange thing the man with the Empire announced earlier while some strange metal things had begun to take position. “Hey, don’t run from us you cowards!” she shouted, gathering flame in her right hand. Forming a sphere of flame, she threw it towards the fleeing car and had narrowly missed its rear wheel while it sped off. Disappointed in her failure, she had turned back to see the machines entering combat with the others. Ace and Shizuka could hold their own no problem, and now that she was here she could help destroy these creatures in half the time.

“Sorry guys, but don’t worry, I’ll make up for it, I promise I will!” Apologetic for her failures, Lin was immediately intending to redeem herself for that near-miss. Turning back towards Ace, who was effortlessly avoiding the strikes of that weird metal thing, flames gathered in both her palms and she had throw them towards the machine focused on Ace, intending to overwhelm it with one concentrated blast and knock it down for good. At the very same time, an overlooked pair of Neoshadows had begun creeping behind her just as she had unleashed that concentrated attack. Lin was too enthused with the idea of Ace going to owe her for this, even if it looked like he had it under control.

One: Always trust the keyblade. Detecting Heartless was not its only perk, as somehow or someway it knew there were enemies abound. That would most likely be the last time that Asuka would ever hesitate to trust it. Two: Yes, in fact, they would be interrupted on their trip back, meaning that they would run into the Empire's dogs (pun not intended, that and she was sure these things were modeled after wolves anyway) before they reached the bunker. Because, you know, nothing can ever go smoothly. Ever. Three: Not only was the idea of having to walk through the sewers nauseating enough, the idea that Trisean actually wanted to fight and risk getting splashed was an astounding piece of information. True, Nomis' little metal pets probably wouldn't let them walk out without a fight, but...the entire thing was just gross.

The brunette waved her hands in front of her, wanting to disperse Trisean's worries. "I'm sure this little field trip has been an inconvenience, too." She would tell him, though before she could elaborate something was heard in the distance. Asuka heard the sounds too, coming to a halt as Trisean had ordered though she had almost walked into his arm. She perked up slightly, straining her ears to listen to the sounds. It was semi-obvious what had been making said noises: scraping metal. Great. Trisean would confirm her suspicions, guessing that they were probably those wolf things (what were they called again?) that Nomis liked. She watched him brandish his weapons, and she looked down at her hands in response to his suggestion.

"I don't think we have much of a choice." She would mutter as she would clasp her hands together, though after a second she would raise her head, nodding at Trisean with a grin as wide as his. "Yeah! It's not like we started it anyway!" She exclaimed rather excitedly, turning to the enemy. No keyblade for now. Whether the Empire knew about it or not didn't matter too much, more that she didn't want to keep relying on it all the time. If things got bad, only then would she use it. That was for the best right? Right. Except if the tingling was annoying before now it was just getting ridiculous. "Let's go, onward! Forward! I missed out on the action before anyways, so if it's a fight they want, then it's a fight they'll get! Bring it on!" Maybe she was just a little too cheerful all things considered and maybe she was forcing herself a little, but it was all for the name of...justice? Nope, she just wanted to beat something up. Yeah, that was a lot more honest.

Both Shizuka and Ace both let out a collective groan as they heard Nomis's voice once again. He really was trying to pull off the image of a charismatic leader with the best intentions of the public in mind. The Empire was well past the point of trying to coddle the masses, for they had already partaken in mass murder. You would be hard pressed to find someone that did not have a grudge against the Empire for one reason or another, and the disturbing fact in this matter was that this was how it was meant to be.

Nomis had spawned more mechanical abominations using his tainted metal, three hovering robots that each set out on a specific course of action. Two of the bots split up to attack Ace and Shizuka, changing in form to adapt to their target. "Holy War of the Worlds..." Ace said, the robot's design clearly too close to that of something he'd read before. It's legs stomped about attempting to pierce him, however, he was easily able to evade the strikes. He could see bullets coming from a mile away, the clunky swings of a robot were nothing. Shizuka on the other hand, was being more cautious, the claw and drill that the robot in front of her had produced looked quite dangerous, and she did not have a weapon to defend herself with. She picked up a metal pipe from the wreckage of the storehouse, and swung it at the robot, sure enough, the pipe was easily cleaved in two. That sold it, she wasn't letting that thing get close to her. She began to pick up rocks and debris, throwing it at the robot as it chased her.

Ace still had not drawn his blade, he could destroy the robot, but he knew that as long as Nomis willed it he could send more after them. Nonchalantly avoiding the robot's attacks he spotted Nomis and Caleb entering a car. Well, now he had a reason to get this bot off his back. Meanwhile, Lin attempted to halt the vehicle with a fireball, but narrowly missed it. Ace couldn't help but agree with her sentiment that their foes were being cowards, surely they knew that throwing heaps of metal at them wouldn't get them anywhere.

Lin was quick to try and make up for her mistake, and sent a fire blast at tripod that incinerated it. "Thanks, Lin. I see your fire hasn't lost it's touch." He said, rushing over towards her. A pair of Neoshadows had sneaked their way behind her, Ace quickly moved between them and Lin and cut them apart. "You've gotta watch out for those ones, they can creep through the shadows... Hold on, Shizuka's running this way for some reason."

"Ace gimme your sword! I'm out of stuff to throw at this thing."

"So you want to throw my sword!?"

"N-No, just give it!" Shizuka cried out, Ace shook his head and tossed Shizuka his katana. The moment she caught the blade still in it's sheath, a manic grin spread on her face, as if she had just been given the keys to the car she wasn't allowed to drive. Without drawing the blade, Shizuka hardened her arm into steel, and swung the sheathed blade at the robot. The result was akin to what one would see if they slammed a clock onto pavement, the robot was blown apart, however Shizuka didn't stop there. Like a tank in an RPG she had just risen her aggro to an insane level. The rest of the heartless all leaped onto her at once, but were each torn to shreds as Shizuka bludgeoned them with reckless abandon.

She walked up to Ace breathing heavily, and handed him his weapon back, she then turned to Lin and hugged her as tight as she could. "I'm... So glad to see you Lin! I've missed you so much! Ace has missed you so much, right? Ace, give Lin a hug!"

"U-um." Ace couldn't help but blush at the idea, it had only been six months, but Lin seemed to be a lot cuter than the last time he saw her. Apparently he was taking too long to decide, because Shizuka grabbed him and forced him to join the hug. "I uhh, missed you too, Lin. I'm glad you're still safe."

Shizuka let Ace go, and took a better look at Lin. "So what brings you here? oh oh, How's your brother Han?"

It was like destruction was the only thing that the Empire knew how to do. First Nomis explodes The Empire’s warehouse and then he blames it on the Unbound Hearts .Now he speaks more propaganda to reassure the citizens of Hollow Bastion that the empire was not at fault, even being so bold as to tell them that they should go to their homes and let the empire protect them. Yeah, that got under Cerden’s skin just a bit. He knew exactly how The Empire was and they wanted to control, not protect people.

Standing on top of a building, Cerden heard and saw it all. He heard Nomis’ words and he saw his brother get into a car with a teen. Cerden was sure that was his son. He didn’t have time to worry about them as they had left in a car and were out of Cerden’s range. Well, at least for the time being they were. Cerden would then notice that not only had Hollow Bastion been overrun by heartless, but machines of Nomis’ Taint Metal were also present. By the looks of it, the Unbound Hearts were holding their own against the enemy forces. However, Cerden knew it better than anyone that the only way for the taint machines to be properly destroyed was to destroy the Heart Gear. Obviously the Unbound Hearts did not know about that. At least, not yet they didn’t.

Leaping from the top of the building, Cerden’s body was heading skull-first as he was upsidedown. However, at the right moment, Cerden’s body half-flipped, and he landed one knee on the ground, with his fist on it, hair forward. He then looked up, hair whipping back, and he would see one of the teens take a sword and turn their arm into steel. Cerden had to admit that it was mighty impressive, especially the way the teen was able to manhandle the heartless and machines. Still, Cerden knew that the machines would still be a problem. Perhaps not the ones that the teen destroyed, but more would come.

Cerden eyed the teen who was among company of other teens. He smiled at the fact that they were so young and yet, as he looked at them, they had a certain aura about them that spoke the future of warriors. Cerden saw a bright future for those kids. Still, even as he wanted to leave them be, Cerden knew that he couldn’t do that. He would approach them casually, clapping his hands, no doubt they would take notice. “I must applaud you. That was some mighty fine work you did to those machines.” Cerden said smiling at the group of teens. “However, if you think that they will stay down for much longer, you are sadly mistaken.” Cerden informed them. “They are, after all, my brother’s own creations.”

Ace was quick to compliment her skills, making Lin blush and grin like an idiot. Getting compliments from people she cared for felt truly amazing, and her cheeks were burning as much as the flames that cooked that weird machine were. It was nice to know that, in spite of all her failures, when she succeeded it was appreciated. Rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly, Lin gave him a thumbs up of agreement. She was pretty cool, wasn’t she?

“You better believe it, but don’t think just because you said that means you—“Ace was rushing towards her, causing Lin to flinch in surprise. He was her friend, so there was no way he was deliberately attacking her. Bracing herself naturally, it wasn’t until he moved past her that she had realized he was moving to cover for her as she just covered for him. Turning around, startled at the now vanquished creatures, the young woman was embarrassed for having let her guard down like that. Ace had repaid the debt in an instant, making Lin feel both gratitude and stupid at the same time. Getting a quick description of how the creatures acted, it was as though Lin was still the junior of the group, and that got to her. She had spent half a year without their company, but she was still getting saved by them. “Y-yeah, got it.” Acknowledged Lin, who was trying to contain her own disappointment. It wasn’t time to reflect on her own failures, but instead find it a little funny that Shizuka still enjoyed running away and throwing things at people. Finding amusement in that, she stifled a grin and looked between Ace and Shizuka as they spoke. After a humorous exchange the sword Ace carried was lent, and using it in her own unique way Shizuka had completely decimated the robot that was after her, and then executed a perfect attack just above, taking out the last one above.

“Awesome!” She exclaimed, leaping in the air out of excitement. It had only been for a minute or so, but fighting with her friends again was one of her favorite hobbies. She did fight with other friends back at home, but Ace and Shizuka were hard to beat, especially because they were just so funny. Snickering at how out of breath Shizuka was, Lin gasped as she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug that nearly caused her to exhale all the air in her lungs. When Shizuka hugged you, you always felt it. “G-glad to see you guys too!” she managed to say, bringing her arms around Shizuka and trying to hug her without begging for release. Ace was extended an invitation and Lin grinned, beckoning him over with her left hand. Taking too long to do it himself, Shizuka brought him over and the three shared one big hug together. Lin had a wide grin on her face, all too happy to be in the company of her friends once again. With Ace being released and soon after herself, Lin took in a deep breath of air and wasn’t all too surprised Shizuka asked about her big brother.

“Brother is doing really well! I know things in China aren’t the best, but it’s getting a little better after …you know …” Lin didn’t really want to talk about the tragedy that had befallen China, and instead wanted to look forward to the day they’d take it back from the Empire. Just before Lin could inquire as to what Ace and Shizuka had been up to all this time and why they didn’t visit any further, an obnoxious applause rang from one man who had made his way over here as though nothing had been wrong. Well, nothing was wrong because she was there, but that wasn’t the point. Lin initially found the man handsome, but it was only until he opened his mouth that she realized that he was quite possibly very, very ugly inside. Taking a stand in front of Ace and Shizuka, Lin folded her arms in a manner she associated with superiority. He had even gone on to mention that his brother created those things, something she had a feeling he mentioned in order to either impress them or make himself appear as some kind of threat. All he’d receive was disgust.

Lin had no idea who this ‘brother’ was, but if this man associated with him then he was just as bad by default. She had no respect for someone who stood by and allowed those things to put people at risk. “What if someone got hurt who couldn’t defend themselves? Would you still look so proud about being related to him? If anything you should be ashamed, or could it be that you’re just as horrible as him for making those things?”

A normally friendly girl, there was nothing about this man’s arrival that showed good will or kindness. He was gloating and showing off in the site of death and pain, and for that he shouldn’t expect forgiveness. She was scowling and badly wanted to leave, but not before she gave a piece of her mind to him. He didn’t hesitate in giving his own.

“We’ll destroy as many as we have to in order to keep good people safe, so either you help do that next time, or show off to someone else.” Lin looked over her shoulder at Shizuka and Ace, worried they might actually want to hear the thoughts and opinions of such a man. “You guys don’t really want to stick around, do you? What kind of a heartless jerk just stands by like that? I say we just leave!”

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~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Storehouse District~~~~~~

Each stab from the machine’s three spider like legs seemed to be easily dealt with by Ace, his reactions to the attacks making it look like the easiest thing in the world. Yet it was the large eye that seemed to be speeding up, not the actual appendages themselves, the weird pupil watching every step the young man took and as the battle went on grew fast enough that even its own movements were learning to catch up with Ace.

The large blast of fire struck the back of the metal case that surrounded the eye, and as the flames quickly coiled and almost immediately dowsed its form, the legs were soon the first to go, the entire machine collapsing to the ground as a pile of incredibly heated metal. Chunks of pipe were soon flying through the air between Shizuka and the floating eye, its large claw easily cleaving through the small pieces of debris solid enough to damage it as well as rocks and bricks left behind from the storehouse itself, yet everything that was thrown was either battered away, pulverised or just simply dodged.

The collapse of the Tripod seemed to stop Shizuka’s machine for a few moments, its eye scanning the heap of metal in sync with the third floating Eyebot in the sky before both turned to look at one another, a small series of beeps rapidly sounding back to each other as if they were speaking. Quickly swinging back towards Shizuka, it was the spinning drill heading right for the woman that was the last thing the Eyebot managed to do, the hunk of steel combined with Shizuka’s own strengthened arms slamming straight into the side of the machine, the sheer force of which cracking open the metal skin like a box and causing some of the small dark gears inside to spill onto the ground, the mess soon followed by the lifeless husk of the machine itself.

Solely watching the wreckage below, the remaining machine continued to float high above everything, its pupil zooming in to watch the newer arrivals, especially that of the white haired older man. With pupils that had started off as blue and soon changed to purple at the start of this fight, the last machine seemed to take on a new colour than that of the others, the bright red appearing to react with sparks and crackles of electricity that escaped from the spreading sections of its case, a very clear sign to its increasing mass.

Swooping down and past the others, the sparks of static left a trail of blue as the machine suddenly stopped and turned back towards everyone once a fair distance between its two fallen clones. The electricity seemed to only get worse as the floating bot shook and its casing spread wider, revealing for the few brief moments the now rapidly spinning gears that made up its insides, all of which moved around a central larger version.

Creaking against the ground, it was the mangled pile of metal from the scorched machine that Lin and Ace dealt with that reacted first. Its own casing, tripod legs and all, soon skidded along the dust covered ground as if to meet up with the electric spewing eye, an action that seemed to be shared by the cracked machine that Shizuka had apparently dealt with.

The dark gears that spewed up out of the broken machines soon joined the collection within the remaining Eyebot, two equally large gears being of important notice as it linked up in the centre and seemed to immediately cause the smaller versions to react by spinning even faster and wilder. It was at this point the now lifeless cases fell to pieces, the parts quickly latching onto the floating machine all along its body and increasing its size and monstrous form by the second.

The machine’s large tripod legs were much larger and sturdier than its clone had before, pieces of metal that laid harmlessly in the dirt quickly piggybacking along with the cases when attracted to the floating eye, and now like the rest joined to make a weird amalgamation. Still looking down at the group with its still normal sized pupil, it now looked out of place with the massive casing that encircled it, the metal clearly much thicker and heavier than before and so in need of the reinforced legs and extra appendages that slowly rotated on grooves along the frame.

Taking a few extra stomps towards the group, the single eye seemed intently focused on the newest arrival to the scene, the screech of loud distorted beeps and sparks of electricity signalling its unhappiness, just before its three legs suddenly gave way underneath it, causing its massive form to slam into the ground with a small quake. With apparently no harm done, the large boulder shaped machine simply waited as the legs stretched out like spears before locking in place around its body, it was then that it started to spin, soon picking up speed as it began to move towards the group themselves like a monstrous spinning top.

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Sewers~~~~~~

The splashing throughout the sewers soon grew to a deafening sound as the scraps of metal and now even shadows of some shambling creatures slowly came closer from around a corner, one which Trisean and Asuka would have most likely passed on their way through the labyrinth styled tunnels. It was the lead wolfs long snout and face that came into view, a sight which seemed to fit with some kind of giant alligator beast than any kind of common wolf.

The bright lights fitted along the skull, like eyes, were clearly mismatched as they swerved and soon settled on the tiny forms of Trisean and Asuka themselves further ahead down the main sewer tunnel. The deep growl from the monster seemed to echo deeply throughout the sewer, its hulking form slowly crawling into view as the large metal ridges on its back scrapped against the sides of its tight tunnel, and which once fully free, its long tail swinging through the air, allowing the newer sight of the smaller but still quite deadly looking Werewolf machines that slowly came into view.

Leaping over the large chains that were attached to the much larger beast, the Metalwolves howled as they charged towards the two ahead of them, the closer they got the sight of scorch marks and scratches soon becoming clearer on their metal hides, yet all the damage didn’t seem to hinder their deadliness. With a long drawn out howl, the great beast soon started to move again, the chains it had soon pulling out from the tunnel the large sealed cases, sliding half submerged in the water itself, yet not halting to correct anything as it soon began to disappear down another similarly sized tunnel with its large amount of cargo.

Even though she said not to, the mercenary was quick to do the most calculative thing.

"Haste." he called, beckoning quick speed, and feeling of the blocks building power speed up as well. Making a bad dash in front of the hand of darkness there was a burst of cool air that surged, felling up the mercenary. Frozen solid it seemed, a block of ice that possessed some manner of movement.

The boy crouched down, placing a hand on his head to catch a view, to see if that really happened. He'd clearly seen the male throw himself in front of the hand to guard Ryoko from it's icy grasp. It would've probably been more effective to do what he did before, but that kind of thinking is what even Gavin's noesis could not keep up with. Spontaneity always trumped him, a move he couldn't predict, he always assumed his opponents would do the most intelligent thing automatically and prepared to counter.

"One down." the teen said, and quickly turned his head to the empire's woman named Ryoko again.

Twinning inside of the block of ice, thin lines of semi-transparent blocks seemed to come together like a conflux, a spire of quickly forged cubes soon was visible around the mercenary's position. When they solidified, they separated, then vanished, watching in slow motion as the caged in mercenary stood up in contraposto form. He used his blocks to forge spaces in between the ice, put them apart, and then release the cubes to drop each individual slab that held him in place.

"Hey. I heard that, how about this?" he snapped his fingers, and boxed the teenager inward. "Haste. Compress." using the haste spell again, he quickly multi-layered the boxed prison that held Gavin inside, making it of smaller cubes to fortify his entrapment. The walls began to shrink and converge inward, the mercenary lifted the cube upwards, disconnecting the mysterious assailant from the ground, and his darkness.

As Gavin lay floating in air he quickly began to think about the next few moments very carefully. He wasn't adept with the darkness to where he could open a portal, not even close. Right now he had to acknowledge that he was in the enemies hands, this user of abjuration would prove to be of an even larger problem than fighting a band of invisible pureblood heartless solo. Just what could he do? He started to panic, and quickly threw up a veil of darkness as he continued to float upwards, but he was now no longer visible to the enemy from inside this floating cage.

Salforge raised a finger and the enemy floated in place, in a cube about the size of a small cubicle. It was constantly being layered, so he was definitely boxed in. The mercenary spun the cube around in mid-air to juggle the captive and make him dizzy as a means of disorienting him even further.

"This must be how a hamster running on the wheel feels, when he misses a step."