"If you think tha--" Before Cerden even got a response in or from of any of the kids, he took notice to the once destroyed machines now putting their form back together and into a much more menacing one at that. In the process of doing that, Cerden noticed blue static being present. The white-haired man wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but based on what he was seeing, he had came up with the conclusion that Nomis was still in range to be able to bend the Taint Metal Machines back together. Even more so, it seemed that there were eye-like machines leading the charge.

When the newly-formed, single machine was completed in its thick form, Cerden noticed that it was solely fixated on him. Cerden expected as such since it was pretty much acting like how Nomis would react if he were present. Regardless, Cerden didn’t care if it was on him or the others. The end result would be the same. The machine would be done for good and the threat to Cerden and the teens would be non-existent.

Once the machine had launched its heavy, thick frame in a spinning-like motion, almost like a spinning top, Cerden’s eyes closed and he would simply hear the giant machine coming at them with sheer ferocity. His feet would firmly stick to the ground and by way of sending pulses of energy through the ground, Cerden caused the ground to split slightly, mainly underneath the machine. On the very moment that he did that, Cerden would implement his power of earth to propel the machine upward. Even though he barely made it go up, the momentum of the machine caused it go higher via the spinning it had done. Cerden then would open his eyes and on that same instant, translucent glass surrounded his arms. He would then manipulate the earth beneath him to propel him up, to which he was above the machine. He raised both of his arms and by slicing downward, the glass extended into two long swords of glass from his wrists. The glass would then slice through machine’s thick metal, causing it to split into three separate pieces. However, just as the three pieces were about to fall, Cerden, who was still in the air, slashed nine times — horizontal, vertical, diagnal, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, horizontal, diagonal. The end result was bits and pieces of the machine dropping to the ground, causing sounds of concrete-on-metal being heard.

Cerden touched ground just five seconds after the now demolished machine did, glass fading away into little shards and hitting the ground. Cerden looked to the group, recalling what the Chinese flame chick said to him. Or rather, what she pretty much yelled to him. All he did was smile at her. "I'm sorry. When a machine deathtrap is coming at you so fast, it's kind of hard to keep focus on properly responding to someone." Cerden said chuckling. "Anyways, I am not working with my brother or apart of the Empire. In all honesty, I despise what he has become, but that's beside the point." Cerden stopped himself from going on like a broken record. "Let me introduce myself. " Cerden said approaching the group, friendly smile on his face. "My name is Cerden Celebrindal, former General of The Empire and I am not an evil douchebag my like brother." Cerden said holding out his hand.

"What the hell?" Ryoko took a step back, speaking with a hastily escaped breath. The red haired boy before her was drawing in darkness, and in spite of courtesy for logical sense, was feeding upon heartless. Her cautious foot backwards changed to an anchor for a defensive stance, she glared at the boy with fresh eyes that only now regarded him as a threat. "Are you sure you're on the right side, boy?" Ryoko said through gritted teeth. Gavin, as he called himself, wielded a containment of darkness that rivaled even her own, if he was a member of the unbound Hearts, she questioned their sanity for allowing someone such as him in their ranks.

The boy's body was momentarily lifeless, it was clear he wasn't dead, so she took the time to devise a plan. Even with Salforge's shells scattered on her body, she was still vulnerable to his cold, she needed to change that. She thought of cold blooded creatures, and how they seek the refuge of the sun to warm their bodies. Warm rocks and sun bathing would not help her, however she had an idea. This would hurt, but she was used to pain.

Gavin's body spurred to life, and he charged towards her with a new found hand of cold death. Ryoko did not retreat, and she had no plans of evasion. Reaching out with her right hand, black blood spurted out of the wound on her wrist, though there was an accompanying sizzle and rising of steam from the blood. Her blood was boiling, and in turn nearly cooking her from the inside, if not for her body's robust nature she would have died quite quickly. Her blood bubbled as she shaped it into the form of a blade along her arm, She was prepared to counter Gavin's attack, however she was shocked when Salforge's body got in between her and the boy. "Sal-" She gasped, jumping back as his body was frozen solid. She was about to berate him for his rash behavior, however, she realized what he was up to. Salforge was able to easily breakout of the ice, and quickly enclosed him inside a box.

Ryoko let out a sigh, and allowed her body to cool down. The blade of blood liquefied and returned to her blood stream. Looking up at the box, and then back to Salforge, she realized he had tried to save her twice now. If he was expecting a thank you, he shouldn't hold his breath for it. "Please don't tell me you keep pets, Mr. White Knight." She said in response to his off cuff question. She had changed his nickname, for now, she couldn't call someone with such a rampant guardian complex a tin man, now could she?

"Anyway, before he throws up in there, we need to get some answers out of him, like where those rebels took the supplies that were in the storehouse."

_____

Shizuka watched with wide eyes as the man that had just arrived made quick work of the rotating death machine that had risen from the remains of the robots. It seemed it was true that the robots were harder to take down than they had figured, and it was clear this man did indeed know of them. Ace grimaced, and put away his katana, thinking in his head that he was about to do the same thing to the machine.

As the man landed, he then decided to introduce himself, something he probably should have done in the first place. "An Empire General, huh?..." Ace mused, as he and Shizuka exchanged glances. Lin's first impression of this man was not positive, mainly in part because of his nonchalant attitude towards the danger the citizens had been in. The man being an ex Empire solider, there was a feeling that he was no stranger to looking idly by as innocents died. Lin's frustration was not unfounded, she could not stand perpetrators of evil, and neither could they. Ace tapped his katana impatiently. First Rika, and now this man, Ace's trust was surely being tested today. "What do you want? We have somewhere to be, somewhere you won't be following us to." Ace said, his face stoic and his voice tempered.

"That's rather rude, Ace, he did just help us, you know?"

"He was also being attacked, as far as I see it he could have been defending himself.." Ace turned back to the ex General. "Give me a reason to not walk away now, and make it good."

Cerden definitely understood why the one called Ace distrusted him. If Cerden were the kid, he would distrust someone who just appeared out of nowhere and didn’t say but a single word until the danger that presented itself to him was gone. Even while one of the females spoke in Cerden’s defense, that didn’t change the attitude that Ace had towards Cerden at the moment. Perhaps if Cerden had introduced himself and explained himself first and not simply state that the machines were created by his brother, then maybe the first impression would be different. However, that was neither here nor there.

When the youth spoke to Cerden about giving him a reason to trust him and not walk away. Cerden eyed Ace for a few seconds. He had to give the kid his kudos for not being stupid. Cerden could definitely tell that this kid was the leader of the Unbound Hearts. He could also tell that for the Unbound Hearts to be a real threat to the Empire, he would have to be a good leader, one who his friends respect and at the same time, probably fear. Of course, it was probably the former more than the latter.

Smiling, Cerden spoke. “I like you, Ace.” Cerden said. “You’re not one to trust strangers so easily and I can definitely tell why you Unbound Hearts are a threat to the Empire. The fact that Nomis had to spread that phony propaganda is absolute proof of that.” Cerden said to Ace, but he cleared his throat once. “I’m getting off topic.” Cerden said, “I can help you and your friends. I know a great deal about how those machines work and I can tell you how you can defeat them.” Cerden told Ace and the other teens.

Time had seemed to halt instantaneously when the threat of mass murder was exchanged. Instinctually Rika felt fear, not for herself, but for the people in the area who had not earned the ire of this woman. A reaction like that wasn’t normal for her, because no one had ever directly threatened her with the lives of others before. The fearful surprise on Rika’s face gave away any chance she might have had at trying to dissuade Aeva by proving that that sort of threat would not work against her. Her ability to read her efforts without challenge may have meant Rika would have wasted her time anyway. Seconds were going by that felt like minutes, minutes that felt like hours, and so forth. There wasn’t even a single flinch from either Aeva or Pepper, and that told Rika all she needed to know. These threats weren’t a game, everything was for real, and anything less than satisfactory might make this impossible. Leaning forward, Rika had gotten to her feet slowly, not in an effort to leave but an effort to make Aeva understand how serious she had started to take her. Risk of offense might mean much more severe consequences, and this position was too unfavorable to attack. This woman knew things she shouldn’t have, and if she knew as much as her very words and the location of that disc, then that may mean she knows what her capabilities were.

“These people have nothing to do with me, or you. Only scum would threaten children, I may be a thief, even a killer, but I’d never go as low as that.” Gritting her teeth, the fingers had begun to clench and her arms began to shake faintly. It was difficult to explain, but she was compelled to stop this from happening. Everything she had done so far would have made taking that bag of munny, handing over the disc, and walking away make complete sense. Aeva was wrong; this was still her game, and she’d walk away the winner regardless. Rika didn’t believe munny mattered to her. If you were this confident and collected, wealth didn’t mean a thing. “So why not deal with me and me alone?”

“I am dealing with you and you alone. Rika Masaki, do you not understand the position you’re in yet?” Aeva’s gaze left the standing thief, making a long pass at her surroundings. The various faces of people both young and old, all gathered here in the vicinity of a being that could kill them all in an instant. “This is all to better yourself in the long run. I can’t make good use of you if you’re still foolish enough to believe you don’t care about others. You’ve been lying and scheming for so long that you don’t know who you are anymore. Start thinking hard.”

“Then keep the money, I don’t need it.”

“I don’t believe that. Thirty seconds.”

Rika opened her mouth again to protest, only hesitating once she heard several simultaneous coughs emerge from the throats of bystanders all around her. Covering their mouths with free hands motioning towards their necks, it was quite clearly not a coincidence. Rika had stopped acting a long time ago; her words were as sincere as she had ever been, and yet it still was not enough for this woman. Experiencing panic, and knowing full well her advantages were few to none, she would need to resort to something else entirely if it meant that these people could make it out of this alive. Of course part of her still wanted cash but when you were trained as she was then the endgame was all that mattered. This was no simple score like that storehouse, lives other than hers were at risk. She wasn’t a murderer without cause, but what could she do against a foe who had no humanity?

“You said you don’t believe it. I say that if you really go through with this, then I’ll …” Rika’s voice had trailed off, the coughing starting to grow louder. It had begun attracting the attention of other bystanders within the area and soon enough people were beginning to notice an outbreak of coughing fits. Those not yet affected covered their mouths, others sought to relocate to another area.

“You’ll …do what exactly? Tell me how horrible I am?” Aeva, for all her threatening, was enjoying putting this girl to the test. It was unlike others who would be quick to do the right thing or go against her, Rika was still putting her survival beside the survival of everyone else and was trying to avoid saying something that would get her killed. Every road she had traveled thus far was one of safety and security; she never got placed in a corner, it was the corner she placed everyone else in. Masaki were some of the most cunning women in any plane of existence, all it took was some experience to coax out the true ‘prime’ they had within. The coughing of the pitiful masses around her did not cause Aeva to hold any change of heart, but for Rika it would make her come to a decision that would affect her existence as a whole. “You either fight for yourself, or you fight for others. Ten seconds remaining…start listening.”

“S-someone help! It’s my son!” A voice cried out behind Rika, getting her attention. A young mother was clinging her son closely, who had begun to cough harshly with blood and mucus escaping his mouth and hitting the ground. People who were still healthy had moved in to assist, but they knew as well as Rika that whatever this was there was nothing that could be done. An outbreak of this size didn’t start from nowhere, but just how was she capable of controlling who it affected? There wasn’t any time to figure any of this out for herself, and Aeva was getting exactly what she wanted. This was the very moment, the very second, that Rika understood what side she was on. For better, or for worse, this wasn’t just about herself any further. Shutting her eyes tightly, what happened next she couldn't fully understand, only that it was her own motivation that prompted it and nothing more.

Light erupted from her very soul, and overtook the entire location. A loud crash in the blinding light was sounded, and then there was nothing but silence.

~-~

Deafened by the less-than-subtle sounds of a mechanical construct piecing itself together, Lin looked over her shoulder to see a monster reforming from the parts her and her comrades had worked to destroy. How it chose to reform did not matter, what mattered was putting it to rest for good and stopping people from being put at risk. What should have been fear emanating from her being was instead courage and confident; fear did no one any good here, and she had people who were counting on her too. Spinning like a strange top, the construct was beginning to race towards them, yet it seemed only Lin was ready to face the creature itself. This could be the moment she directed her friends and showed them that she too could be tactically brilliant. As the large and obnoxious situation sped closer towards them, her direction to Shizuka and Ace was halted as the strange beast bounced in the air. That arrogant stranger had taken it on himself to destroy the construct himself, and once the situation had ended had the nerve to, once again, display such arrogance at a site that didn’t demand his ego. Lin was bitter with this situation and bitter at how he believed they couldn’t have taken care of the monster themselves. They may be young, but they were just as capable as him!

Between the claims that he wasn’t evil or a ‘douchebag’, whatever that was meant to be, and wasn’t working with the Empire Lin had no faith in that claim. She shook her head, ignoring the holding out of his hand, and refused to share contact with someone who had been so despicable. Expecting Ace and Shizuka to do what she felt didn’t need to be said, she would be quite surprised at how Ace and Shizuka completely ignored what she had said. Looking back in disbelief at her friends, Shizuka believed that because he ‘helped’ them he was to be spared of criticism. Did she not believe they could have held their own and won? Worse yet, did Shizuka really think that this man deserved to be addressed? He was disrespectful on the site of death, and clearly took pride in who he was. Ex-general did not beg praise when you worked with murderers and cowards, and she had expected Ace of all people to understand that. He didn’t. Addressing him meant that his ‘pitch’ was worthy of recognition; he was insulting them and not even someone she once praised for being intelligent could see through this guise of friendliness? Lin didn’t trust this, and now was uncertain she could trust in her friend’s decisions when it came to people.

Han, her dear brother and a hero in her eyes, always warned her of the evil within people’s hearts and how well they could mask it. Having dedicate much of his life to ridding the world of those who would gladly see good people suffer at the hands of evil, he was often away in order to help China and the other locations that shared the world with them. It had hurt, but she had always looked up to what he was doing, knowing it was for the best even when it seemed to cost him many companions. He told her that her path may one day demand she go alone, when others didn’t understand your position nearly enough to follow you on that journey called life. This was, as minor as it appeared, a wake-up call to that fact. Lin had expected some serious outrage from both her friends, but Shizuka was suggesting that this man earned their kindness, and Ace was actually tolerating him after what he had said and done? Were Lin already not behind them due to the relocation of that bad man, they might’ve seen a flicker of hurt in her eyes.

“Ace, Shizuka!” Lin said in a hushed but urgent tone, calling for their attention. Where friendliness and enthusiasm once showed true, the face of their friend was in a scowl of disappointment never once directed at them until this very moment. Having been completely disregarded by them, Lin’s hurt was not going to remain hidden, and this entire situation had put a damper on a reunion that was, above all else, supposed to be happy. “He comes to us proud on the site of fallen, and you still wish to hear what he has to say? He would have sooner let us die than aid us, but you’d believe his intentions are good? It is self-interest, attacking a creature that was headed for him as well doesn’t change anything I have said! He doesn’t care about anyone, least of all us!” biting her lip, Lin’s fists would be noticeably balled up and shaking. This was no mere overreaction in her eyes; she took pride in the friends she kept, but friends had to listen to their friends, otherwise they were no friends at all. To acknowledge someone who would celebrate the idea of these creatures harming them, or other people, was disgraceful. “If you really care about what he has to say, then you can continue honoring him by listening. I will have no part in this. Find me when you’re through.”

Her convictions were ignored, and so, Lin turned away from her friends, from that ‘Cerden’, and let them make whatever cases they’d like. To acknowledge someone who celebrated murder and violence brought great shame to them as her friends, but she would not order them to discontinue it. She’d trust that they weren’t stupid enough to believe in a man like this ‘Cerden’, but should they do so, perhaps her friendship had been misplaced. You don’t honor someone like that, not even with a smile, or a name.

With her head lowered and her eyes towards the ground, Lin wandered off with no direction, but hadn’t gotten very far. Her only desire was to be left alone with her thoughts until this business with that disgusting excuse for a man was done, but it had appeared that a group of several people at the very edge of the site had something else in mind.

“Excuse me young lady.” Lin had stopped her brisk walk away from her friends and had paused, looking up at a group of unknown faces. Some were young, others old, children in the foreground and adults in the very back. Beside the children appeared a very elderly man who had a few inches on her. Lin looked among them all, unsure of what to say. Her visit to a new world did not excuse a lack of manners, she was quick to stand up a little taller and bow her head in a greeting that the man was acknowledging, followed by the rest. “Y-yes? Is something wrong?” Lin asked. From where she was standing everyone appeared unscathed and safe, which was the entire goal of the ground she stood.

“Not at all, thanks to the efforts made by you and your friends. We all heard that announcement, and none of us believed a lick of it. The Empire is beyond trying to win over our hearts.” The elderly man’s voice was warm, warm enough to bring Lin’s wounded spirit back to the warmth of the world around her. She looked from the elder to the curious kids hugging at his legs, then to the adults beside him and behind him, all eyeing Lin with genuine happiness. Lin’s earlier negativity was beginning to feel pointless. This did not mean her opinions had any less merit to them, it only meant that she came here to meet her friends and to be happy. One man’s insensitivity should not cause her to forget why it is she came.

“What is your name, child?” The elder asked.

“Lin. Well …Meilin Xiao Yu, but my friends call me Lin.”

“I see. You’ve got a good, strong name. A name worthy of the strength you carry in your heart.” Nodding in a sage manner, the elder of this group had bowed his head to her once again. “On behalf of those you stood your ground to protect today, we thank you for your help.” Picking himself back up, he looked back to his group. “Everyone, together now.”

“Thank you very much!” Simultaneously came from man, woman, and child. The gesture was genuine and brought a smile to Lin’s face, revealing her teeth in the process. Gratitude was expressed to her, recognition she didn’t think she’d get so quickly out of China, and all she could do now was grin like an idiot and blush. Her efforts were appreciated by the people, and that was what mattered here and now. The kids that accompanied the group were quick to approach, abandoning their previous shyness.

“Can you show us that fire ball again? How do you do it!?” Said an eager youngster.

“The way you were ready to fight that monster was so cool!” From a little girl.

“Can we go out sometime?” Requested easily the youngest of the group, causing everyone else to laugh.

Lin was far off from her goal and becoming a hero, but this wasn’t an experience she’d forget. Looking among this group of grateful citizens, Lin had bent her knees and clasped her hands together, allowing a small sphere of fire to emerge between them. With the awe of the group and the affection she so desperately wanted to earn, Lin watched the impressed stares on their faces lighten up at the sight of such a thing.

“Don’t try it at home, at least that’s what my brother tells me to tell everyone.” Lin’s cheek turned a rosy red, and the sphere expanded. She allowed it to rotate around her body and carefully gain size as it did so, increasing speed until it was an incredible blur. With a back flip, she allowed the streak of flame to launch itself from her legs and soar into the air before exploding into a billion specks of flame that soon vanished in the air, almost like a firework. Still on her hands, she managed to balance on her right hand and wave with her left effortlessly. The people were entertained by her efforts and she had even managed to get an applause from them, with the children asking for an encore.

Lin was happy for their happiness, and that meant more to her than the disrespect she had felt before.

"Selling out your villainous brother, huh?" Ace said, his stare glaring into the man's eyes. He was prepared to respond, however, Lin spoke up once again. She didn't trust the ex Empire General, and as Lin was a girl that wore her heart on her sleeves she made no attempt to hold back her tongue. Ace wanted to tell her to wait, but he thought better of it. The truth was that for as impassioned as she was right now, he likely held more ire for this man than she did. It did not matter how he had approached them, nor did it truly matter what he had to say. Ex General or not, he had worked for the Empire, that was more than enough to earn his contempt. A throbbing pain ached in his chest, reminding him why he was in the position he was.

Hearing this man say he liked him granted him no pleasure, it only made him feel sick. He hated him, he hated his brother, he hated every single last person that had ever fought for the Empire. He had lost too much because of them. Friends, family, his home, they had taken it and more away as if it belonged to them.
"I have no intention of working with you, Cerden." Ace said calmly. "However, there is one thing you can do that will change my mind. Kill your brother." Ace tapped the hilt of his blade, a habit he had when severely irritated. "His rancid machines are becoming a nuisance, and seeing as how you know him best, I figure this shouldn't be too difficult for you." Ace turned to leave, grabbing Shizuka by the shoulder to force her with him. She got the message quickly, and began walking in pace with him.

"Ace... are you alright?" She asked. "Did you mean what you said, About him killing his brother?"

"Yes, and that's all I meant." He said. Shizuka looked down, a subtle melancholy on her face.

"Is it hurting again, your scar?" She asked. She lightly touched his chest, and felt his heart beating like the roar of a cannon. "Ace... Are you sure..." She mumbled. Ace gently moved her hand, and patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm fine, let's get back to Lin, I think she may be upset with us." He said watching as a fireball exploded in the air brilliantly, letting the two of them know where their friend had gone, she was standing in front of a crowd of people, a slightly familiar sight to both him and Shizuka. The people had come to express their gratitude to them, though it looked like Lin got the brunt of it. "Lin." Ace called to her, his voice noticeably somber. "I'm sorry if I offended you back there, however, you should know that the last thing I intended to do was honor that man. I simply... Wanted to deal with him in my own way. I wouldn't have cared if he had rode in on a white horse and a suit of shining armor, I have no respect for anyone that has worked for the Empire."

"Right!" Shizuka chimed in,

"What? Weren't you saying I was being rude to him?" Ace asked, confused. Shizuka returned an even more dumbfounded expression.

"Well you were, you need to mind your manners Ace, besides, you and I both know there's no way I'd be okay with letting him join us." Shizuka said, then turning to Lin. "I have appearances to keep up after all, right?"

"Oh."

In all honesty the sight and events definitely deserved more than a one word reaction. Except that giant metal crocodile metal thing (or was it an alligator?) had maybe sort of thrown her off guard if only for a few seconds. It didn't seem hostile, in fact the thing seemed more concerned about what it was carrying. Asuka watched it rather curiously, wondering what could possibly be in that cargo. Its growl was somewhat threatening, a warning that while at the moment it showed little care for the Unbound pair, it could and would mess them up if they bothered it. That almost make Asuka even more tempted to follow the giant creature (and perhaps poke it with a stick). The metal puppies that were better known as Metalwolves then shot down that temptation in one fell swoop.

"Showtime!" Asuka grinned at Trisean, shaking her left hand as her barrier shield formed on her left wrist. As the wolves would get closer she couldn't help but notice how beat up they were. Had they run into the others by any chance? Or, or, or, they were in the fire! Wait, did that even make any sense? "I think if we beat these guys first we could follow the big guy and see what he has!" Asuka continued, her thoughts obviously running wild, as was her imagination. The brunette was clearly a little too excited at this new found opportunity. A part of her was purely curious, but the more noble part wanted to make up for the fact that she had missed out on helping everyone at he warehouse. In a sense, maybe this could make up for it.

As the pair of wolves lunged at the two, Asuka extended both her arms out in front of her. Her shield would extend and form a wall between the enemy and themselves if only for a moment, halting their advance. Once she dispelled the barrier by shrinking it again, she would mimic the wolves and lunge forward. She bashed her shield against the closest Metalwolf, greatly enjoying the sound of metal against magic barrier. She skidded to a halt, watching the wolf bounce off her shield.

Cerden had to admit that he was just a little shocked at the Chinese girl. Sure, Cerden understood where her words were coming from and sure she probably thought the worst of him based on his actions, but to completely dismiss him in such a manner like that? Cerden thought that was incredibly impulsive and foolish of the teenager. Even more on that point, to storm off like that made Cerden think that the girl had serious emotional problems.

As it would seem that the Chinese girl left, Cerden was left with the other female, Shizuka and the supposed leader of the group, Ace. It was then that a brief moment of awkward silence took over, but soon Ace spoke. He would tell Cerden that he had no intention of working with him, but one thing could change his mind and that was for Cerden to kill Nomis. The white-haired man shook his head as if he couldn’t believe these kids. Ace would then promptly take Shizuka’s shoulder and leave as if in a hurry.

Sighing loudly, Cerden really couldn’t believe all of this. He had helped those kids, presented himself to them in a friendly manner, and even offered up his assistance to take down Nomis’ machines. After all of that, they brushed him off like he was the enemy. “Kids these days. They never know when a golden opportunity is presented to them.” Cerden said with a stressed undertone to his voice. He looked around and Cerden didn’t even know what he should do. Sure, he could go to Nomis. Gods know that the pale bastard was in the castle, but did Cerden really want to do that? His brother probably has the entire area geared up with cameras and other such devices. Plus, it probably has a bunch of Empire soldiers guarding it. “This is a pain.” Cerden said. He knew he had to do something, so Cerden would simply run towards a nearby building, scale it, and attempt to do something incredibly foolish. I hate being good sometimes.

"Lets just say a job is a job. When your on my side, consider yourself on the safe side of my immovable block and not like this one."

From the brush of wind there was the sound of glass shattering, splintering outward were shards of spiked ice, dancing with swirls of darkness. It seems as if the youth had broken through several layers of captivity. The ice stretched, and etched into the sides of the alley's buildings, creating a cradle that held the massive slab suspended in tow. With a look caution and calculation, he raised a finger and pointed it like a gun. It hovered just in front of the mercenary.

"Yo." Gavin said giving a salute.

He wasn't much for words, but it was enough to discern he wouldn't be easily detained. Salforge understood what happened well enough, he must've been freezing the interior of the block at a rapid rate, causing the shells to shatter. Magic damage was ideal, he'd have to use a stronger block next time.

Brimming with darkness, he sat in the icy perch as if befitting of a low-level duke. Gavin wasn't in a position to run, from what the woman Ryoko said, the Unbound Hearts had already struck by raiding a storehouse. He wasn't apart of raiding team, nor did he arrive in time to be briefed or even commissioned yet. To think he'd encounter empire now of all times, it was far from what he was expecting. Jumping down from his perch it started to walk forward a bit before standing standing in place.

"Am I being detained for questionable identity? The burden of proof falls on you." He spoke in the first clear and concise sentence, and harbored thick darkness at his feet. The air crawled deeper into a cold respite, the teen flcked his bangs back and waited for them to return answer.

Salforge paused for a moment still on his guard, but turned his head to the general.

"Assaulting military?" he questioned, as he didn't have a full answer.

Gravity and her will allowed Lin to fall backwards and land on her feet again, the faces of her spectators still lit with a mixture of childish excitement and a mature level of appreciation. Her people often expressed some amount of bitterness for outsiders depending on who you had asked, but what she was warned about, of people not fond of her for her background, was thus far proved wrong. The people here were impressed with her, not looking upon her age or her gender to believe that her abilities were miniscule. This ‘Hollow Bastion’ was a little dirty and depressed because of the tyranny of the empire, but the citizens had not lost hope. Noticing that the faces of the folks in front of her were now looking past her, Lin turned her head towards the approaching sounds of Ace and Shizuka arriving. The joy of this company quickly turned sober in the face of these two. Ace had offered an explanation, but it wasn’t satisfactory for her, nor did it change anything. What was important to her now, was that Ace learned a valuable lesson about his friends. Apologetic as he seemed, Lin’s point may not have come across well enough for him to keep it concrete in both mind and heart. Dark olive eyes now moving to Shizuka at the talk of appearances, Lin understood what it was like to ‘keep appearances’.

“Brother keeps appearances too.” Lin mumbled, eyes lowering towards the ground with the recollection of her sisterly struggles came to mind. Han was a good man and an amazing brother, but there was something about him that Lin didn’t believe she would ever understand. He was obviously happy and Lin was too, but he could be happier if he tried. “He’s not like me, he’s kept people at a distance and I’m not sure why. I don’t know the answer to that, but he’s always been able to teach me valuable things because of it. No matter how strong you want to be, you should remember what it is you’re being strong for: Good people, family,” Her eyes returned to the center of Shizuka’s face, and then Ace’s. “Friends.” Ending her talk there and just wanting to return to being happy with her friends, Lin’s hands reached for Ace’s and Shizuka’s. Firmly gripping the both of them, squashing this situation was her priority now, and she didn’t want to lose her bonds on account of someone else. At the same time, maybe Shizuka and Ace could learn as she did that strength was useless without the people you achieved it for. These two weren’t selfish people, they cared about her and Lin hadn’t forgotten that. That loneliness she believed her brother experienced was something she didn’t want to see with anyone else, least of all these two. "There's no point being strong without you guys."

With the bonds of the trio in safe hands, it was the elderly man who had broken the silence among his fellows. Silently motioning for everyone to back away, the adults and children who smiled with satisfaction at the heroes who helped keep people safe today had departed, knowing that their gratitude was given. With the old man taking position behind the group moving off, Lin’s head turned back just in time to remember one important detail.

“Hey, I never got your name!” Lin called, turning forward and reaching back to pull Ace and Shizuka closer to him. The young and middle-aged had dispersed, but the old man himself had turned around slowly, facing the three with a warm smile.

“Do not think of me as rude, but the name I have to offer is penniless in comparison to what you three will be capable of. Your names will, in time, far outweigh any significance mine might hold.”

“That isn’t true!” Lin was quick to argue, frowning. “No matter who you are, young or old, your name still means something. At least to me it will.”

“That’s very kind of you, young lady.” The elder looked among the group in its entirety, foreseeing a great future for them whether they be together or apart. From Ace, to Lin, to Shizuka, the elder’s attention was given to each equally. None were overlooked or forgotten, as all played a part today. “I cannot offer you a name now, but I can promise you that we’ll meet again. Until that day please keep your friends by your side, and care for one another. Strength is meaningless if there's nothing to protect it with, didn’t you suggest that?”

Lin nodded her head, smiling widely. Whomever this elder was Lin felt warm and goodness in his presence, which she believed was in all goodhearted elderly individuals. The experience of decades with a taste of all of life’s cruelties and kindness into one form. Big or small, strong or weak, that experience was valuable, and when this man said he saw potential in them she knew to believe it. The man had darkened hair, a slightly hunched back, and wore some tattered robes implying he may have been living a rough lifestyle these days yet deep in his dark eyes she could feel that he was content with how life had suited him. Overwhelmed by his confidence and kindness, Lin could not help but bow her head low and try to avoid crying, yet a single tear would hit the ground beneath her. People believed in her at home, but this was the very first time a stranger from a new land had ever said such kind things to her and her friends. There was no favoritism for her, which meant that he understood the importance of bonds as she did.

“Th-thank you sir, I won’t forget you, I promise!” Lin said, though her small form was shaking with emotion, and a couple tears followed the first to the ground.

“And I won’t forget you. Be well.” Nodding his head and closing his eyes with a kind smile, the elder-without-a-name had wandered off, where is anyone’s guess.

Lin’s head shot back up, and she had taken her hands and wiped the moisture that had surrounded her eyes. Brother may have been right to tell her to be suspicious of the outside world, but that man was one of many she hoped would be able to prove that goodness was everywhere. That the world wasn’t so dark. She spun on her heel and looked to her friends, eyes still wet, but smile having not faded. Just the way they’d have preferred.

“Okay …let’s go. We can’t let-" A brief flash of light in the distance behind Ace and Shizuka had caught her attention and halted her train of thought, but as quick as it had appeared over the horizon it had vanished. Whatever it was, it was gone again. Lin shook her head and rubbed her eyes, believing it to be imagination. "What's the plan from here?"

"Burden of proof?..." Ryoko stared back at the red haired youth, undaunted by neither the pool of darkness swirling at his feet, or the cold he was expelling from his body. He had broken out of Salforge's make shift prison, but what of it? He stood on no ground high enough to speak to her as if she were a peon he could command. She would have laughed if she had not known he was serious. If he wanted to play the fool and toy with them, that was fine.

Ryoko's head tilted slightly upwards, a motion one might expect from pompous royalty. "Perhaps you should have crushed his arms and legs." She muttered to the mercenary beside her. The boy was confident in himself, and he had the power to back it up, but this only triggered the sadist inside her. She would enjoy seeing his copacetic demeanor fall apart beneath her heel. Reopening the wound on her right wrist, she pooled blood into a ball, the quantity being nearly five gallons. The sphere of black blood was made to rotate and vibrate, until the point it was boiling hot. With a thrust of her palm, the sphere was shot towards Gavin. Before it was allowed to make contact, the sphere exploded, splashing the entire area in her blood. With Salforge's shells blocking all escape routes, there was little chance Gavin could have avoided getting her blood somewhere on his body. Ryoko's vision turned blurry, and she leaned against the alley wall. Her breathing had become heavy, and her hands were shaking. "Keep him busy for a moment, while I catch my breath." She said to Salforge.

The average human body has anywhere between 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood inside them, losing more than 40% of that blood is typically lethal without immediate medical assistance. Needless to say, Ryoko's body was not average, however, she still needed to watch how much blood she loss. It would only take a short moment for her to get back to her feet,

_____

Ace and Shizuka were both surprised when Lin grabbed one of their hands. They knew the business with Cerden had left her rather bitter, however, hearing about her brother revealed that it had hit her on a highly personal note. Shizuka smiled, and returned the tight squeeze of her hand. "Of course. The only reason I joined the Unbound Hearts was so I could be with my friends again." She said. "And I hope to see Han again too, he should know that he doesn't need to do things alone. What's he thinking making his cute little sister worry?"

Shizuka's smile turned into a full on cheesy grin, it didn't take much to get her in a good mood. She considered Lin to be a close friend, for the feeling to be reciprocated was akin to receiving a gift. She noticed that Ace was being quiet, which wasn't very unusual for him, but she expected him to say something here.

He let out a sigh, and looked to the two of them with a pleasant expression. "Between the two of you... You sure do put things in perspective. If it weren't for you, I'd have nothing but revenge on my mind. Thanks."

Shizuka let out a noise like air escaping a bag, the tell tale sign of someone holding in a laugh. Using her free hand, she punched Ace in the arm. "Ow!" he said, quite eloquently.

"You know," She said, her voice distorted by giggles, "You can be really sappy sometimes."

"Me? What about you!?"

"That's different." Shizuka said, covering her heart with a proud motion. "I have that type of character, you're the gloomy, silent type."

"What even..." Ace couldn't help but laugh along with her, bringing a palm to his face.

Lin then called out to an elderly man that had been among the crowd, pulling the two of them forward towards him. Lin wanted to know the man's name, however, he insisted upon leaving his identity blank. Instead of a name, the old man expressed his faith in the three of them, as if he saw something great in them that dwarfed his own existence.The words of this kind stranger struck a cord in Lin, and her friends could see her becoming emotional.

"Y-you tear duct terrorist, if you start crying you'll get me started too." Shizuka sniffed, watching the old man walk away. "He kinda... Reminds me of our late keyblade master. He would always give me and Ace advice about nearly anything. It would be nice to see him again."

Their talk with the old man over, it was time for them to keep moving, as Lin was about to point out, however, a bright light off in the distance caught her attention, as well as that of her friends. The light was only visible for a moment, however it was bright, bright enough to be seen even during the day. Ace was tempted to investigate the source of the light, however they had more important things to do. "Let's go back to the bunker." He said to Lin. "We are preparing to infiltrate the factory on this world, so we need to gather some of our members and make our move. Are you going to join us, Lin?" Ace asked, knowing that there was a factory on her home world as well, she could understand the desire of ridding it from the landscape.

Gavin could see this wasn't standard protocol, so he was quickly discerning alternative action to minimize confrontation. So he raised the white flag, removing both hands from his sides, and placing them on his head, while bending down to his knees. The darkness that exhumed at his feet, dissipated. He expected at least the red-eyed male to identify this immediately as a sign of no resistance. His hands moved and hovered to his front and both hands were turned upward.

"Ryoko, hold on!" The mercenary held his palm out to keep her from collapsing. "Look at his gesture, do you recognize the sign?"

Salforge understood it, he was a mercenary, when he invaded worlds and either detained, slew, or captured he understood the pragmatics of war well enough. The gesture that the boy made was an act that conveyed a lack of malice, turning over hostility to a somewhat improvised surrender. What was he plotting?

"Gavin. I've been on your side of the fence before, just who are you really trying to convince with a stunt like this. Us? Or Yourself."

As the words echoed through his head, the teen thought of something. His words were carefully chosen, so he spoke. "I'm saving myself the trouble, thats all."

Salforge's eyes narrowed, he was growing even more cautious and suspicious. "Just what do you mean by that? C'mon kid, a straight answer would make this drag of a chat go by faster."

This conversation was quickly turning into a guessing game between two minds. Gavin was interpreting the best possible string of words to hold it up against the mercenary's questions and growing suspicions. "You're really pushing me into a corner here...I'm telling you. Trust me."

From where the mercenary stood, it just seemed like empty words. While Ryoko was catching her breath this situation was in his hands, the mercenary at this point was almost finished talking and just going to detain Gavin in skin tight blocks. "You'll have to do better than that kid, this is your last war-"

What only the alley heard, what bounced off the narrow walls. The sound of a loud cracking, a complete snap that filtered into the ears of all those present. Gavin's right arm, dominant arm, her forcibly fractured using the gauntlet on his left arm. As his arm fell limp, he bit his lip, with the subtle escapes and murmurs passing just beyond his teeth, there was a surge of pain. The teen fought with his mild-pain tolerance, and willpower to remain conscious. He'd mutilated himself willingly as a fitting compromise in his situation.

Salforge for once, not since out of set conversations with Ciel, flickered and was swayed in this moment. This kid, some random stranger that utilized the powers of darkness as an application of cold, physically breaking his dominant arm. The mercenary had no words, truly even he was surprised by this turn of events...was this how hard human's fought to survive? Was he like this at any moment of time prior to his personal predicament? His eyes returned to their lifeless demeanor and he released a sigh.

"That will do Gavin. The fact that you just did that, proves you aren't affiliated with the rebel faction. No cause is worth acts of self-destruction, only one's life midst peril. Ryoko...It's your call, what should we do with him. He's hobbled now, not even worth killing...detain him? Kill him? Your choice."

In Salforge's mind, Gavin was already more courageous and fit to survive in this war, he had to assume a fracture like that would heal via the darkness quicker than a normal cast. He pitted him, but he was at Ryoko's mercy, and he had virtually no wiggle room as it stood.

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

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

The magic was like a solid wall between the machines and the Unbound pair in front of them. Their powerful lunges just caused the creatures to slam with all their might into the force-field, yet still even with the cracked lines that ran along some of their steel jaws and the bent bubbles of soft iron that made up their patchwork of skin, they still tried desperately to claw and bite through the shimmering wall between them and their prey.

The sudden shrinkage of the wall being quickly followed by Asuka’s immediate lunge was more than enough to take the more damaged of the Metalwolves by surprise. The sheer force from the young woman broke through the head of the machine like an eggshell, the chunks of metal and dark tiny gears which made up its skull spewing everywhere, most rolling into the sewer water as the now headless body stuttered wildly before falling against the closest wall like the lifeless hunk of metal it now was.

While the sight of the creature’s sudden end would have been unnerving, it was the actions of the remaining machines that would have been even worse. All attention on Asuka and Trisean had now been replaced by the body of the Metalwolf, to which now all others suddenly now flocked towards like vultures, their large claws and teeth tearing the form apart chunks at a time. Whatever they were doing within this huddle was clearly quite vicious to those looking on from the outside, yet still their entire attention was on this single action, and possible to go on for a short time longer. The rumbling of the massive beast that went onward with its cargo though could still be heard, even if it was more fading echoes.

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Main Street - Bastion Castle~~~~~~

The ride through the streets of Hollow Bastion was rather uneventful for Nomis and his young nephew. Though there was the occasional act of rebellion from those who knew the occupants of the vehicle, in the form of angry shouts and pelts of rocks at the vehicle as it drove by, nothing seemed too important to stir Nomis and open his eyes, his right hand tapping his finger on the armrest as if in great thought. When it did happen though, it wasn’t calmly or with a smirk, the sudden shake and jitter of his body was more akin to waking from a deep dream or nightmare.

“What in all the worlds was that…?!” Nomis spoke quietly to himself, his eyes wildly moving side to side as if not seeing just empty space in the vehicle itself, but something that shouldn’t have been possible, another face.

Closing his eyes as the vehicle began to slow down, it having reached its destination of the castle’s inner walls, the older man remained still, like that of a statue, only the faintest hint of breathing still noticeable as his face soon started to form an incredibly enraged look.

“Why…why now of all days…?!” Said Nomis to himself once more, his voice raising just now above an internal whisper as his door was soon opened to the waiting maid standing ready.

It was as if everyone there was blocked out of sight for the man at the moment, after leaving the vehicle and making his way along the stone clad path towards the large metal doors of the castle, he continued to mumble to himself, the grip on his cane tightening as well as the now angry pounding of the sturdy object on the hard ground with every second step he took.

“It doesn’t matter…it’s too late now for him to act…”

Angrier and angrier he grew as the image of the white haired man with the group of kids continued to play over and over through his mind, the faint rumbles on the large door of the castle only now growing worse. The moment he placed his palm against its cold surface though did the shaking increase even more, the man stopping himself from actually forcing it open like always, as faint but clearly deep dark vein like lines began to spread up into sight around his neck and cheeks.

“It’s too late for all of them!!” That rage filled roar from the man was quickly accompanied by the immensely loud crash of metal, the large door of the castle swinging wide as if a Darkside itself had opened it. Though it remained still fastened to its mighty hinges, and the walls themselves stayed whole, the sheer sight of the action was truly monstrously frightening to see.

“Have them begin preparations at once!! I will not let him interfere any more!” Nomis continued to roar, the maids that still stood like statues waiting for word from the man himself, only now bowing as they turned and took off for some places throughout the castle that they seemed to know already.

Exhaling a deep, heated breath, Ryoko watched the exchange between Salforge and Gavin. The shaking in her limbs had ceased, and the color in her skin had returned. She pushed off the rough wall she was leaning against, and stood tall.

A warning from the mercenary had informed her that the red-haired boy was surrendering, Ryoko scoffed and chuckled derisively at the gesture. Escaping punishment would not be so simple, begging was a nice start, but it was not enough. Gavin pleaded with cryptic words, words that did nothing to persuade Salforge, nor her. She took a step towards him, but stopped as she noticed him gripping his arm at an awkward angle.

The sound of a bone cracking reverberated through the alley, the moment the sound entered Ryoko's ears her body tensed. She was quite familiar with the sound of bones breaking, she could recognize the sound amid the crushing of twigs and plywood, it had a certain tone that nothing else did. She adored this sound. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her face flushed red, there was a quivering smile on her face that spoke of perversion. This boy was groveling, and in such a magnificent manner! Never before had she seen someone willingly cripple himself, it gave her a rush of ecstasy like nothing had before. Gavin believed he had righteously sacrificed his arm, but all he had done was flip every switch she had. She walked closer towards him, her posture becoming demure and titillating.

Her heel found a place on his chest, and she kicked him to the ground. "I'm afraid you are preaching to the choir, dear." She said, leaning in close to his face. She gently cupped his chin, and the blood she had spilled on his body came to life, it trickled up his body, pooling around his neck into a black collar. "Now as long as I am near you, I can slice your pretty little head off any time I want, so don't try anything, got it?"

Her mission had taken a severe drop on her list of current objectives, when it came down to it, her personal pleasure always came first. "If you really want to impress me," She looked over his body, her eyes gleaming like a child picking out a treat at a candy store. "go on, break something else, cut something perhaps? Show me how regretful you really are and maybe I'll trust you."

In spite of the brightness that blanketed the entire zone, the eyes of Rika’s new employer had never closed once. The glow had receded onto its source: Rika Masaki was now glowing, empowered by Light and crossing blades with the one who tested her emotional limits. Seeing the anger behind those precious emerald eyes had brought Aeva pride, not because the torment was enjoyable, but because she had succeeded in her objective here. The table that separated them was knocked aside, the coffee mug shattered to bits and the remaining contents scattered beneath the shards. Rika put all her force into that one attempted slice and while she wasn’t known for her strength, Aeva had nearly overreacted in her own defense. Beneath Rika tendrils of blackness had erected, a single tendril inches away from her throat, several more to her chest. That moment of rage had brought to her alarm she hadn’t felt in decades, and were she unwise it may have cost her one of the universes saviors. In Rika’s hand was a weapon of legend, angel wings surrounded the handle and a colorful tip. Rika’s new weapon radiated goodness, quite contrasting Aeva’s own weapon: A falchion sword colored in red, purple and blue that was shaped like a demonic wing. Above the handle rested an eye, the handle covered in dark braids. Aeva had reverse-gripped it and deflected Rika’s own attack, and the two remained locked like this. Pepper had not moved an inch, but Aeva knew how stressful it could be when she couldn’t defend her master personally.

“At last …I was afraid I’d have to get much more serious about tearing you down, but it seems part of your potential has awoken.” Aeva mumbled, staring Rika dead in the eyes. The thief hadn’t moved much and the stalemate was resulting in no advantage on either side. Aeva was not trying to win or prove a point, the point had already been made and the goal had been completed. Letting the tendrils beneath Rika recede back into her shadow, Aeva had forced herself up against Rika’s weight and quite easily as well. “While you’re standing there wanting to kill me, observe what’s happening around you.”

Rika, for all of her hate towards this woman for her comments and actions, hadn’t immediately responded to her desires. Normally she was entirely aware of the environment surrounding her, but in her haste to attack she had abandoned all sense of her surroundings in favor of putting an end to suffering. The cold stare of rage she directed at Aeva was abandoned; Rika looked, and she listened, finding fear and a new realization to cope with. Surrounding her were people of all faces and appearances, the people she was trying to protect, frozen as though time itself had come to a stop. Everyone, everything, was unresponsive. No noise. No words. The stillness was frightening, and it was almost as if …

“…It wasn’t real.” She said in a hushed whisper to herself, but in spite of this realization she hadn’t released the pressure on Aeva herself. Just as the revelation had come to life, every person there had begun to dissolve, losing all color and sinking into the ground in a mass of dark puddles. Receding into the ground slowly and frighteningly slow, the ground was coated entirely in those puddles and not a shred of the normal color remained. Slowly, all those puddles had drawn to the source: Aeva. Her shadow had called the others home to her. They traveled along her body and surged through that creepy weapon of hers, entering the strange eye on the handle. Being closely connected to such dark power, her own weapon, a weapon she had finally noticed wasn’t her typical Sai, repelled itself from Aeva, causing Rika to take a step backwards and point at Aeva with uncertainty. The surrounding area now was dark and grim, and it was then that Rika took another look: The brilliance of the area, how clean it appeared and how fine everything looked was also just simulated from this woman’s own dark power. This area was abandoned and looked just like the rest of Hollow Bastion, only much more hopeless in that no one was around. “Nothing here was real …” Rika muttered again, staring at the weapon in her hands with dumbfounded emptiness. All that anger she felt, all that concern, it wasn’t for anyone in the end.

“It was real to you. You held no stake with any of these people, you were free to walk away, yet even so you stood up to me, who held all the cards, and struck without fear.” Aeva’s weapon had faded in an eerie dark cloud and disperse, its use no longer necessary. Pepper had moved to gather the funding that had spilled over from the drawing of Rika’s weapon and the clash that followed, and then returned it to Aeva’s own hands. It was then that she tossed the munny at the thief’s own feet, but it appeared she had yet to move on from this discover very well. Aeva saw the confusion in her eyes, and the constant stare at the weapon she held. “From the spit and mucus that boy coughed up to the good quality ground you stepped on, all of it was my doing. No one was going to get hurt. Believe it or not, I’m on the ‘right’ side.”

Rika nearly scoffed at that. Simulating children dying and others getting hurt constituted as ‘right’? “I’d hate to see what you do to people who are ‘wrong’. I have questions for you, a lot of questions, but I'll start slow. What is this thing? And why is it glowing like this?” Rika held up her weapon, surrounded by a strange yellow-white glow. The weapon itself was almost like a short sword and it was pretty lightweight too, just like she liked her weaponry. For some reason she didn’t want to let it go.

“A keyblade.” Aeva responded plainly. “My knowledge of it is basic: Legends say its wielders brought ruin, others say it brought salvation. They choose the wielder, and in that moment your heart called out to it.”

“I already have my own weapon.”

“You don’t need to wield it if you choose, but know that it will be close to your heart. You are its master now, until the day you no longer need it at your side.” Folding her arms, Aeva looked towards the distance, feeling a familiar presence a distance away and approaching at a casual pace. “You are one of many individuals who are going to decide the fate of this universe, and much like the legend of your new weapon, you are capable of bringing ruin, or salvation to all. I chose you much like your keyblade did, because I recognized the potential in you and knew that with the right push you could be driven on a path you were destined for.”

Rika stared at Aeva, unsure of how to react to this. No one was truly harmed and it was all a test? It was a cruel one to put on her and there was no telling how she was meant to just ‘move on’ after something like that. Her attention went to her weapon, which suddenly vanished in a flash of light. “!?”

“Not to worry …call to it again when you need its light, and it will return.” Aeva returned her vision to Rika. “No more pretending you’re invincible, I have completely dismantled that identity in favor of showing you who you really are. Will you help free this universe? Will you defend it?”

Rika and Aeva had shared a long moment of silence, which only ended with Rika walking backwards for several steps and turning away. “Next time we meet, tell me more.” She waved her hand carelessly and stepped away from the situation, walking off to return to the rebels with new resolve.

Aeva looked to Pepper and let out a huff of satisfaction. Rika Masaki had abandoned the munny and would come to terms with her new conscience, just as she was expecting, and just as she was told. She wouldn’t have been allowed to leave without her confidence that she was fighting for the right side, but now her pride needed to recover. It wasn’t easy to fold in front of people, and to discover she was suddenly chosen as a wielder of a weapon such as the keyblade meant that she had a lot to take in in a short amount of time. So Aeva would leave it at that: The Rebels have a secure new weapon at their disposal, and Aeva got to succeed. Rika was only a single part of this story, a single wielder of a weapon that would save this world and countless others. There were more to reach, but for now they’d follow the small band stationed here closely, knowing that fate might lead them to the others much more naturally.

“That's one.” Aeva mumbled, turning around and joining beside Pepper to come face-to-face with...

~-~

“Am I going to join you?” Lin stared blankly at Ace, uncertain of where this question was coming from. Shizuka and Ace both knew who she was, what she was about, and should have known better than to ask such a thing. It was a long time since they had met, but her opinions on the world had never changed, not once. Knowing of the goal of the Unbound and certain her destiny lied with helping them, Lin grinned widely and flicked Ace on the forehead, hoping to induce at least a little entertainment, if not a girly yelp. “Everything I’ve trained for since we last met led up to this. I’m not leaving until we help free these people, and we’ll do it together like we promised that day!”

They parted ways swearing to meet again and swearing they’d free their homes, and all worlds near and far. To back out now would mean dishonor and disgrace, Lin wasn’t surrendering, and most definitely not chickening out.

“This time for sure, I’m going to show you guys what I can do. Let’s move out!” Lin had hastily turned around and ran off, not even certain where she was going, but suddenly having the urge to run and focus this hot-blooded passion in it. Her story was just beginning.

“Hmm, it looks like things ended up winding down here before I ever arrived,” a voice sounded from seemingly nowhere within the space of the alley where Ryoko and Salforge were. It was faint, almost as if the voice was only present around the ears of those present. “It really is too bad that I was so busy in the Pride Lands, and then after that I had to visit Port Royal...” As her sentence finished, there was a glare of white light which washed over the alley, if only for a brief second of time, before Tyra-Zhen materialized a few short feet from Salforge.

Her appearance was anything but normal, considering the fact that there was a large hood completely obscuring the woman figure’s face, complete with what seemed to be dark matter billowing around her at random intervals. Her jacket and hood were a deep hue of pink that was nearly red. This bright color matched the knee high boots she wore. It was impossible to see inside the hood, but the laughter that came from inside it, could possibly take away from the oddity at hand.

“How am I not even surprised by this??” Tyra motioned with her black keyblade to Salforge, a man whom she had never met before in exasperation. “I get sent on missions to fight armies by myself and meanwhile every time I return, there is a new guy.” She smiled from within the hood, snickering to herself. Whoever this guy was, he was obviously of some good use. Even having just arrived, Tyra could tell immediately that this man was an adversary with dangerous abilities. Something about him was off however, almost like....Vagras didn’t want to consume him. Tyra glanced down at a stain on her left pant leg, rubbing it with her gloved finger. "Hmm...how very odd. No heart??" She shrugged, interested in the identity of Ryoko's associate.

Tyra sighed, turning to look at Ryoko whom as usual, was in one of her fanatical states, torturing some unknown man on the ground. Tyra had to laugh at his pitiful state. He looked completely helpless, his neck was encircled with a collar that was shaded black, Tyra-Zhen’s favorite thing. This was obviously some kind of interrogation, but Tyra had been too lazy to read any details. All she knew was Nomis’ plan had been carried out, there were some civilian casualties and she was to get specific information from Ryoko, a bitch whom she definitely didn’t like. This was probably due to Ryoko’s overbearing persona which was much like Tyra’s darkside, or perhaps because Ryoko was even more twisted than she was.

With an obvious cough to capture Ryoko's attention, the general snapped her finger. “Sooooo,” she dematerialized her keyblade, “Ryoko?? Give me a report about the current situation and finish up here. You have no reason to waste time toying around with this trash. There is much to be done in the near future." Tyra-Zhen nodded at Salforge and stuck out her hand, "Greetings, I'm Tyra-Zhen Le'Nell, the Empire's Almighty Fist , whom might you be??”

11:40 PM

I've had this same recurring dream for months now, well, I guess the more accurate word would be nightmare. I've heard that there are people that can control their dreams, just so long as they recognize when they have fallen into a slumber. But I've never been able to do it, every time I sleep I know this nightmare is waiting for me, and yet I can't change it, I can't even wake myself up from it.

The dream always starts the same, I'm running, running through a large building. The building is on fire, burning so fiercely that the sounds of cracking wood and debris falling apart nearly drown out my senses. The flames lick at my body, and even in the dream I can feel the heat. My throat is sore, my nose burns, my eyes are red and watering. My body wants to give up, to collapse on the ground right there and die. This place was my home, the academy where I was training to become a Keyblade master. I'd always thought this place was impenetrable, that no matter how powerful the Empire had become that we would be fine, I was wrong, I was wrong and a fool for believing otherwise. For the first time in my life I had felt unparalleled fear and despair. There was only one thing that had kept me going, the hand of a friend pulling me along.

I can scarcely see him in front of me, between my stinging eyes and coughing fits, running was about the only thing I could focus on. "ell... go..." I hear myself attempt to speak, begging the person risking his life to save mine to leave me and go. I was weak and tired, all I was doing was slowing him down. But he didn't hear me, between the pain in my throat and the crumbling of the academy there was no chance he could hear me. But it didn't matter, I knew that even if he had heard me he wouldn't listen, he was going to try and save me no matter what, that was just who he was.

I look back, and see something coming towards us. My vision is blurred, and yet even still I know what it is right away. A figure clad in black armor from head to toe. The armor's black finish was chilling to the eye, the flames around it wavered and died, as if it's presence was imposing on nature it's self. It was running towards us, it's movements swift and devoid of any needless motion, it was like a machine carrying out orders. My legs almost gave out, whatever that thing was, it was responsible for this disaster. It was catching up to us quickly, I knew that as long as I held back my friend he would be caught along with me. I strained my voice as hard as I could, and yelled out his name. "Capell!" He turned his head, but by then it was too late. The dream always begins to fall apart at this point, The armored thing smashes into us, all I can see is a black mass fighting with the white silhouette of Capell. He is no match for it, and the last thing I see before my consciousness fades is a cold blackness cleaving through white...

_____

"Hey you two, wake up!" Ace yelled to his two sleeping friends. Shizuka stirred awake, slowly opening her eyes. Her cheeks felt moist, and she realized she had been crying in her sleep. She kept her head down, feigning drowsiness to hide her face from Ace. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve to erase the evidence, and looked to her right. Lin was asleep on her shoulder, it seemed the two of them had fallen asleep while catching up with each other, though there wasn't much to catch up on other than how crappy their days have been since the Empire had taken over. As she was surely awake now, she went ahead and stood up from the wall mounted bench, stretching her arms out and yawning.

"That time huh?" She asked, grumbling.

"Yeah, it's that time. Come on." Ace said, turning around and leaving the maintenance room. They walked through a hall walled with bricks, and exited out onto a train tunnel. The trains here had stopped running more than a decade ago, as other forms of transportation had long since made them archaic. The three of them made their way down the old, decrepit tracks, passing old train cars and rusted equipment. They eventually made their way to the end of the line, where the carcass of a boxcar had been made into a makeshift meeting place. The red paint job on the car had long since peeled away, leaving only white plastics and rusty metal. Entering the car, they joined a small crowd of fellow Unbound Hearts. The windows had been boarded up using wood planks, and the only light source was the florescent bulbs in the car's roof. Ace stood in the front of the crowd, and Shizuka took a seat on one of the cushioned blue seats.

Ace pulled down a white projector sheet, and turned on a computer that was nestled on a round table. Light spilled from a monitor, and the image of a large building came into focus on the projector sheet. The building was made of dark steel, and at first glance seemed to be made out of nothing for large, thick pipes that narrowed into a single spire at the center.

"Today is the day we destroy this factory." Ace began. "The moment the Empire gained a foothold on our world, they built this monument to their conquest. They keep it's purpose away from us, though we know it is key to their goals. Each world they invade has a factory built onto it, without fail. We do not know what is inside this place, but it must be highly valuable to the Empire..." Ace paused for a moment, thinking back to their raid of the storehouse, they had missed their chance to gain more information about the factory then, knowledge of the building's layout would have greatly benefited them.

"The building's structure is unknown to us, so we will be going in blind. Because of this, we will be split into two teams, the assault team, and the infiltration team. The assault team will attack the factory head on. Thanks to the raid yesterday, we have the best weapons available to help us in this mission. While the assault team is dealing with the factory's defenses, the infiltration team will covertly enter the building. Once the infiltration team has shut down the factory and learned of it's purpose, they will escape using a dark portal device. Any questions?"

_____

Deep inside the factory, in a dank and dark room, Ryoko paced, agitated. Gavin sat chained to a wall, leaving him just enough slack to sit. The boy was lucky to still be in one piece, when Tyra-Zhen has interrupted her in the alley she nearly blew a gasket. The woman's timing was terrible, and a massive killjoy. After informing Tyra of the situation she told her to get out of her face, though knowing her she would do as she pleased regardless. It was well past midnight, and she just knew the rebels were planning something. The data on the factory going missing could not have been a coincidence. Ryoko stopped pacing, and turned back to Gavin. "Are you in the mood to talk now, Gavin?" She said, tapping her foot with impatience.

The ride with his Uncle Nomis through the streets of Hollow Bastion were, as one would suspect, uneventful aside from the fact that there were pebbles of rock and clods of dirt that would hit the steel outer-layer of the vehicle. Caleb thought nothing of them as the rebellious citizens knew not what the Empire has done for them. They knew not what generous hospitality they have given them. It mattered not as Caleb would not think much of them, even as he sat next to his Uncle.

It wasn’t until halfway through the ride that suspicions of his uncle’s then content mood was escalating into what seemed like anger. Caleb couldn’t place his finger on exactly what it was, but when his emerald-colored orbs carefully went to his uncle, he noticed a rather fast and angry tapping of his finger. There was definitely something that was making him go into that dark place again that Caleb had been a bit too familiar with.

Caleb would soon feel the speed of the vehicle slowing down as he would look through the window, avoiding eye contact with his uncle at all costs. He would notice that the vehicle had reached the designated location of the castle’s inner-walls. That was when both Nomis and Caleb had gotten out of the vehicle and proceeded to the castle’s main door. Along the way, Caleb heard his uncle mumble in an angry way. He didn’t know what had Nomis like that, but Caleb knew that there were only a few things in the universe that could enrage him like that. Angry mumbles wasn’t the only thing that he heard. Caleb also heard the loud pounding noise that his uncle’s cane was making each step that he took.

“Uncle Nomis…” Caleb’s voice was low as if afraid to even address his uncle in his angry state. Nomis would go on to mention something about it being too late for ‘him’ to act. A red flag instantly went off in the teen’s mind. Him? He can’t mean father, can he? Not daring to ask Nomis, Caleb decided to keep the thought to himself, but that was the only person that got under Nomis’ skin.

The large, metal door started to open slowly, but Caleb would then see it fling open like a curtain pushed by the wind. He couldn’t believe the enhanced strength that his uncle had when he entered his rage mode. It was remarkable that the door stayed attached to its hinges and that the walls remained unharmed. Just that fact alone reminded Caleb of his uncle’s monstrous strength and it made the teen look like an infant compared to him.

It was on the same moment that they walked through the door, entering the castle that the two were met by the maids, to which Nomis would order for the preparations to be made. Caleb knew that was also directed at him as well, and that’s what Caleb would do. He would look to the maids and a silent, telepathic-like feeling was sent through them all, thus caused the maids to scramble and make such preparations ready.

In the hours that followed, Caleb, on the orders given by his uncle, was at the Empire’s Factory on Hollow Bastion. To be more specific, the teen was in the Core Room of the Factory with a full team of scientists clad in black and brown robes. They were all walking around with Caleb overlooking the progress they were making from the second level as he leaned over the guardrail. “Now, make sure that everything is set up properly. My uncle is not one to take failure lightly.” Caleb shouted as he would remind the scientists of how Nomis could get, especially if it’s something to do with failure.

The scientists looked back up at Caleb as if wanting to say something. The youth gave them not-so friendly look, one of which that resembled the same one that Nomis would give them in the same exact situation. That’s what made them turn back around and went back to work on the preparations they were making for Nomis.

The katanas swung down at Minoru’s head with the speed and precision of a Master. Minoru managed a devilish smile as easily dodged the blades by side-stepping the two samurais. Gripping their wrists mid-swing, Minoru pivoted on his heel and spun the samurai head over heel and slammed them into the ground.

With guttural growls, the swordsmen got up and faced Minoru. The young boy looked out of place with his beige overcoat and loose red-tie but he still grinned like he was a parent toying with a child. “Let’s stop this,” Minoru said with a handsome smile as he brushed his hair upward. “If I were serious, I could’ve killed you twenty times over.”

The samurais scowled deeper and gripped their sword harder. “You have dishonored our master,” the first one said, pointing to a destroyed dojo to the right. “By breaking his weapon you robbed him of his pride and didn’t even grant him the mercy of a quick kill!”

Minoru turned and faced them. With the flick of his wrist, he brandished a beautiful rose and twirled it between his thin fingers. “I don’t welcome violence.”

One of the samurai wanted to argue that he destroyed an entire dojo because the Master had accidentally bumped into him on the road but didn’t say anything. Instead the two swordsmen charged and Minoru stood there waiting with a grin on his face.

At the last moment, Minoru charged forward and slammed the samurais heads together, simultaneously destroying their swords and he stuck the rose inside the armor of the first samurai. With a proud smirk, Minoru turned and winked at the fallen samurai who slumped over unconscious.

“Spend some time reevaluating your life, nameless swordsmen being used as plot devices to demonstrate my awesome power,” Minoru told them sagely as he brandished a large straw hat and placed it over his head, somehow grabbing a long tattered cape and putting it over his back. “I’m afraid there are still people out there who need a hero like me.”

Suddenly, a woman’s screech broke through the day and Minoru turned and saw a petite damsel in distress rushing toward him. Minoru caught the poor women as she collapsed in his arms. “Dear woman, what’s wrong?”

The woman, with flushed cheeks and weary eyes, faced Minoru, cupping his cheeks. “Oh, Great and Awesome Minoru. You have saved our town from the scrooge of background characters BUT, your next threat approaches!”

She pointed to the horizon where a massive swarm of demons took to the skies. In the number of thousands they flew up toward the sun, blotting out the light, and charged toward the little town. The woman swooned again and Minoru cradled her carefully.

“Please Minoru, you are the only one who can save us,” the woman said weakly. “The Aztec prophecy declared you the Chosen One who must wield the Sword of Justice and vanquish the enemy.”

She reached into her blouse and pulled out a 10 foot long wicked jade sword with a golden handle and handed it to Minoru. “Please don’t ask how I knew all of that and where I got the sword from. But please save us! Only you can do it!”

“I will random woman,” Minoru promised with determination in his eyes also a hint of sadness but loads of courage in there.

“And if you do, will you marry me?” the woman asked presenting Minoru with a beautiful diamond ring.

Minoru looked away as pain washed over his handsome face. Memories of his beloved flashed in his mind, although it was maddeningly fuzzy he knew there was someone out there waiting for him. His Light.

“I cannot pretty woman,” he said grimly. “For I have a loved one waiting for me.” Minoru dropped the woman in the mud and looked toward the sun. “I fight for her…”

The woman said something that couldn’t be heard over the dirt in her mouth. “You’re right,” Minoru agreed. “I must stop the 10,000 demons before I do the whole tragic hero backstory. AVAST!”

Minoru ripped off his shirt and revealed and a barrel-chest and a six-pack. He raised his sword and leapt to meet the demons in epic combat.

…

A meaty fist collided with Minoru’s face and sent him flying outside the shoddy little diner. Minoru groaned as blood spurted from his nose and he tumbled across the ground.

The Neanderthal attacking Minoru laughed dumbly, cracking his large fists and sending a devastating kick to Minoru’s side which caused him to double-over and retch violently.

“Tiny man sound funny when I hit him,” the man grumbled.

Minoru weakly sat up, rubbing his bruised face. “Ugh, I think your first punch concussed me so much I had a really sexist, possibly racist, dream,” he complained.

The gorilla-man picked Minoru up by the cuff of his shirt, lifting him up over his head. “Tiny Man talk funny!”

“Tiny Man also fights back!” Minoru cried as he brought down a perfect knife-hand technique on Gorilla Man’s face… only to bust his fingers on his tough forehead. Minoru yelped and winced as his hand burned with pain. Gorilla Man laughed and threw Minoru across the street and into a pile of garbage cans.

Gorilla Man laughed as he went back into the shop leaving Minoru to marinate in his own pity. His face was bruised so his cheeks looked like a rotten apple, his right eye was swollen shut and blackened horribly. His shirt was stained with his blood. Minoru sighed which hurt his chest.

“So much for my rotten luck,” Minoru grumbled as he got up and brushed himself off. Minoru should have known better that his luck would turn around, he had found a pouch of munny on the streets and decided to drop by the police station so they can find who it belonged to. The owner came back, thanked him, and gave him a little bit of munny to grab some dinner.

Minoru went into the diner to eat and Gorilla Man randomly attacked him. And no that isn’t some excuse to cover up some horrible thing Minoru did to offend Gorilla Man. Minoru was just eating his food when Gorilla Man grabbed his head and slammed him into his plate.

People got like that around Minoru. They always felt uneasy, nervous or even angry sometimes. Minoru pinned it down to his horrible luck but there wasn’t much of an explanation. Either way, Minoru tended to get on people’s bad side really easily.

Minoru trudged off in a random direction, not really sure where he’s going. He rubbed his aching ribs and thought about the visions he received. A few days ago, Minoru had a few dreams of a woman in white urging him to find her. She wasn’t in trouble or anything but she looked so sad and asked Minoru what he remembered.

Minoru tried to answer but for the life of him he couldn’t. He didn’t know who he was. Only that his name was Minoru Izumi and he has the worst luck in the history of the universe. Minoru walked past a few alleyways, despondently looking at his shoes and grimacing in sadness.

The bruises hurt sure, his face felt like it was being held together by staples and tape. But the pain in his head and heart hurt the most. It was one thing missing someone, it was something else missing something you don’t even remember.

Plato had once described that humans originally had two bodies sorta smashed together. The gods thought it made the humans too powerful so they split them apart and since then every human had been searching for their other half, their soul mate.

“Thanks for the help, Plato,” Minoru grumbled. “A hint as to who my other half is would be nice.”

The sound of growling took Minoru by surprise. He turned around and saw a legion of alleyway dogs snarling evilly at him. Minoru’s eyes widened. “Good puppy, you don’t want to eat me, I taste horrible. I’m not even main character worthy!”

The lead dog barked and glowered darkly at Minoru and he swore the dog was saying something like, “You smell like sadness, I’ll put you out of your misery.”

Minoru ran and the dogs chased him. The thing about running away from dogs is that it’s really hard. Dogs are stupidly fast and no amount of begging could help. Minoru ran for what felt like hours but he managed to shake them off in the alleyways and by throwing one of his shoes at them.

He stopped in the middle of the city to catch his breath. “Friggin’ dogs,” he panted. “Here I thought they were cute!”

Suddenly his shoe came flying at his head and Minoru turned and saw the lead dog from earlier giving him an almost pitiful expression, like saying he felt so bad for Minoru that he’d give back his shoe. Minoru would’ve been thankful except the shoe was chewed up, still he put it on.

Looking in front of him, Minoru noticed a stupidly big structure before him. It looked like a fortified base but Minoru made the educated guess that it was a high school. Because only high school can look so emotionally draining and soulless.

“Or maybe a factory,” Minoru mumbled to himself. “What’s this doing here?”

Minoru was ready to walk in and investigate when a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere and struck him down. So much for a hero’s entrance.

A pleasant dream of fireworks in the skies of China was taking place. The air was a little humid, but a gentle breeze had occurred every now and then. Celebration over the freedom of their world and the dismantling of the Empire brought a new high of joy and pride to the people, and paper dragons soared in the sky. Colors of green, blue, and red erupted in the sky in a dazzling display to the people all across the city. The populace danced and sang, the children ran around with fried treats, and the destroyed gear of the Empire was tossed around jokingly. No more fear, no more oppression, just the freedom brought back to their home. The Emperor would rest in peace knowing that his people were safe and ready to prosper once again. In her dream she was sitting on a large hill outside the city, a warm smile of pride across her face. She was a hero who helped save the world she was born in and the world she loved more than any other, yet her heart wasn’t on celebration, but on a confession. The footsteps of her hopeful beloved had alerted her. With a deep breath Lin had gotten to her feet and turned around, facing a boy with no distinguishable features.

Awoken by a harsh yell, Lin moaned quietly and sat up from Shizuka, rubbing her eyes and detecting the moisture atop her head. Not thinking very much of it and instead smacking her face a few times, she slowly got up and stretched her arms with a very audible groan. Ace was serious about what was coming up next, so she wouldn’t say anything about how rude it was to wake them up like that. She followed after Shizuka and Ace, remaining silent and trying to wake herself up while simultaneously thinking back to her dream. A near-future where she helped save China and became a hero like Mulan, which was always a part of her goals. Yet there was also a boy there, she had found feelings for someone on her journey and wanted to bring them there. The throbbing of her heart told her that it was related to really strong feelings, telling her that it was now or never. When the war was over, there was time to talk about her future, and it was something she hoped to share with someone special one day. Blushing to herself, Lin kept her dream to herself and joined the others in this special cart thing. The world here was much different than China, and she knew it would be redundant to continually ask “What’s this? And “What’s that?”

The briefing was short and to the point about what was going to happen tonight and Lin didn’t immediately think anything of it. If her brother was around, what would he might’ve said about the plan? Maybe, just maybe, it was a little bit…

“Desperate,” Came a voice at the very rear of the compartment. Multiple eyes averted behind them, including Lin’s, to behold the sight of a beautiful young woman with admittedly gorgeous green eyes and a figure that made Lin incredibly envious. The blonde was rested against the farthest wall and had her arms crossed, but a disc-like object was in her right hand between her middle and forefinger. “Absolutely desperate, Ace. You may as well be asking everyone here to commit suicide now, because that’s what it’s going to be.”

Lin bit her lip, wanting to believe in Ace’s plan out of friendship and confidence, but the way this woman carried herself told her to listen. She had a disapproving gaze about her, almost as if she was regretting revealing herself. Lin had looked around the entire compartment before they got in, how long was she back there?

“So let me keep this short: You have no solid intel of the place, no idea what’s waiting inside, and you still want to rush in there? Stupid.” Rika scoffed and shook her head, wondering what the hell that Aeva woman saw in these guys. They had no stability, all of them seemed to amount to a bunch of angry teenagers wanting to play with guns because of it. Ace’s plan was going to cost them a lot of lives, amounting to nothing but ‘let’s hope this goes great!’ and little else. Making her approach through the compartment, the alluring figure of the woman had attracted plenty of attention among the masses. She was beautiful and a true prize to anyone, but that wasn’t her focus right now. At least if they were going to die tonight, they’d have looked at the sexiest thing on the world at the time. Coming beside Ace and waving the disc in front of his face, Rika held it there and shrugged her shoulders. “Told you I’d get it. Don’t ask questions, just start rethinking your strategy. For starters, I’ll be the infiltrator, everyone else can be on the assault team.” The blonde turned around, looking to the people Ace was willing to sacrifice tonight. No matter how he put it or sugarcoat it that was what he was asking people to do.

“I’m no hero like any of you are trying to be, but I can say that tonight I’m looking to fight for something that I can get behind …and after a little encouragement by a ‘mutual friend’ of you Unbound, I’m on board for this ride. Theft, intel gathering, cutting a man’s throat, lying to your face without you knowing any better …that’s my field, and I’m the very best, bar none. If any of you want to make a case against me, you’re more than welcome to try, but believe me when I tell you that before you finish that sentence I’m more than capable of killing you several fucking times. Rika Masaki is the name, mind your manners and your blood stays in your body.” Rika nodded to Ace and relocated herself beside Shizuka and a Chinese girl whose eyes never left her. Several swallowed nervously, uneasy but minding themselves. You didn't just make a claim like that and not be able to follow up, and Rika sure as hell wasn't laughing when she made it.

‘So cool!’ Lin gushed to herself, wondering if that’s how much authority she’d have over a situation once she was old enough. Her words given, it was a case of whether anyone would say anything against this Rika, and she doubted anyone was willing. Rika had left Ace to bring up new information and rethink his plan a little further, and Lin broke her contact with Rika to look to Ace. He was still the leader, and this was the time to change his plan one last time.

"No, Donovan. I'm still a man." Coriander giggled a bit as he answered the younger man. The meeting had not yet started so everyone was "mingling" to say the least. Unfortunately that meant some of the others constantly trying to figure if Cori was lying about his gender. A phenomenal beauty among women and an anomaly among men, Coriander held respect amongst the resistance whilst arguably holding their gaze upon his feminine aspects. A smile etched on his face for his teammates to see and believe in. It was hard to find happiness with the Empire breathing down everyone's neck. The room seemed to quiet as Ace and Shizuka entered. A meeting called by Ace himself so it must have been more important then anyone could have thought. Cori only hoped Ace would be providing good news.

Good news came at a rather hefty price with Ace's words. He spoke on a raid against one of the many factories that allowed the Empire to harness such darkness.Yet Ace had no true plan. Yes there are many victories held through the means that he spoke upon but, the Unbound Hearts did not have the same level of force that the Empire held. Coriander, Ace, and a few others couldn't be a trump card all the time. Many of the members seemed a bit uneasy by the idea and Cori could agree to an extent. Fear had not reached his mind on the subject, rather he didn't want anyone to die in a fool's raid. Words weren't mustered before another individual spoke up against Ace's plan. She was more rigid in her words and held nothing back.

Cori waited till the woman was finished talking, jumping up to speak on the matter as-well. "It's nice to see such lively comrades that still exist." Members stared at their gender-bending superior; a wide sigh of relief at someone they knew complimenting Rika. "I understand where she is coming from and I agree that we should let her be the infiltrator. She was able to score the disk then I trust her to succeed." Cori averted his eyes to Rika while warmly commenting, "Unless you vouch for her, Ace then I think someone should go with her. I mean no offense. Trust is hard these days." A hand placed on his hip, blue/purple hair hanging so freely down his back, and the most attractive smile give only give me credence to his very womanly looks.