[Center][b]Master Jamie[/b][/center] Master Jamie sighed, and he would spare the new members this battle, would spare Damian this. Because a parent always had to protect their children. Even when they thought they could do it themselves, a parent would always step in front of them. And Angelica wasn't someone she wanted fighting the guild members, not right now, not when so many of them were new, and he didn't know what they were capable off. She faced Angelica, the sword that Damian had given him, had had infused with magic from the guild members, was a comfort in her hands. [center][b][color=662d91]Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] [i]The youth, so often mistaken for a girl, or a boy, no one ever quite certain of their gender, was running down the street. They were small, and no one was quite sure how old they were, their legs nevertheless pumped, as they ran as fast as they could. Yet it just wasn't fast enough, as the older youths, all boys, chased after them. And yet, the youth was laughing. Always picked on for being different, always teased for their looks, no one ever feared them. That was always their mistake. They looked back over their shoulders, Brown eyes shining with amusement. Until they looked forward, and saw the other boys, waiting at the end of the street. They had just passed the last alleyway, and there was no escape. Sudden fear leaped in the youth's throat, and they immediately began to look for an escape route. But there was none. They skidded to a stop, trying to find an adult who might help them. There was none. the child, for surely they weren't much older then 12, gritted their teeth, and turned to face the closest boys, teens most like, as if to fight them. The two groups laughed, at the image of this little kid facing them like that. The thin sword at their side, was suddenly in their hand, needle thin and long, it was light weight, and yet it still looked comically large in the youth's hands. The older boys still laughed, and then descended on the youth. They curled up in a ball, the sword clattering on the pavement next to them, a whimper escaping them. When suddenly, one after the other, the youths were ripped away from them. They looked up, blood in their dirty blond hair, dripping into their eyes. The child blinked the blood out of them, rubbing their eyes, and grimacing at the pain it brought, before looking up again, into a face that was hard but soft, the black eyes filled with concern, even as the shaggy brown hair fell over them. [color=aba000]"Are you okay?"[/color] The man asked, their voice soft, offering a hand to the youth. [color=f26522]"Who....who...are y-you?"[/color] it hurt to talk, the the youth pressed a hand to their cheek, wincing at the tenderness there. Most likely someone's foot had kicked their cheek. [color=aba000]"Jarvis. And you are the runt that enjoys mischief, with no parents, and yet doesn't seem to result to stealing"[/color] [color=f26522]"Jamie. My name is Jamie"[/color] They took Jarvis's hand, letting the older boy help them up, the small mark of a bird showing on their hand. [color=f26522]"Why...Why did you help me?"[/color] And Jarvis smiled, shrugging as he said [color=aba000]"Sometimes, people need to be protected, kid"[/color][/i] [center][b][color=662d91]End Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] That had been the first time Jamie had met Jarvis, and now he spoke, [color=f26522]"Damian, please, leave her to me. Make sure the newbies are okay. Help defend them. We don't know what they can really do, and I don't want to see any more members injured"[/color] [center][b][color=662d91]Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] [i]Jarvis soon became Jamie's best friend, a protector of sorts as well as someone who believed in Jamie. It was oddly...thrilling. And it was nice knowing that She had a place to go home to, a place where he could have food three times a day, a place to sleep, and a place to be...safe. It was an odd feeling, but it was nice, at least for Jamie. And the training was fun. Jarvis had retrieved Jamie's sword, and now he taught Jamie how to use it, how to use it properly. Or at least well enough to be able to defend herself. Neither of them would be blademasters for several years to come. Still, the two had fun, and the even began to take on odd jobs. Which is where they learned their magics. Jamie, always adapt at being able to disguise himself, developed the ability to change his appearance at will, as well as the property change magic. Jarvis learned how to manipulate Lacrima. And thus they began to take difficult jobs, learning and training their magics,[/i] [center][b][color=662d91]End Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] As Jamie began to move, to attack Angelica, moving smoothly and in a way that showed she had become a master with the blade, this memory rose in his mind, and she could still hear Jarvis shouting at him [i][color=aba000]"Come on, put some strength in your blows, kid! That would barely scratch! Don't give away your attacks, stop moving your feet before hand! Come on, Kid, you can do better!"[/color][/i] And Jamie growled, as Angelica blocked the blows, as she moved away from Jamie's reach, and Jamie dodged any of the shadow attacks that came towards him. Jamie studied the way Angelica used her abilities, searching for a weakness. There was always a weakness. [center][b][color=662d91]Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] [i]the girl was crying. Her name was Sam, and her dark brown eyes were tear stained, reddened and wide with fear, as Jamie held the young girl in his arms, crouching over her, and shielding her from the view. [color=f26522]"Shhh. Shhh Shhh, Sammy. It's okay, it's okay. We'll be okay. Jarvis will find their weakness, and then we will be out of here. Don't worry, Little One"[/color] But Jamie could tell that Jarvis was struggling, struggling to continue, struggling to find a way out of this, to find that one weakness that could save them all. Jarvis had always seemed solid, there, and very able to get them out of any danger. It didn't seem like he would be able to this time. Even as Jarvis kept on fighting, Jamie tried to stand, but her injured leg, blood still seeping out the wound despite the tight bandage, collapsed every time he put weight on it. And the little girl cried. And Jamie saw the instant it was going to happen. The gun fired, the guns magic providing the power, and it missed Jamie, missed Jarvis. Perhaps it was just a lucky shot, but it hit Sammy, and the girl gave a small "Ouf" and then her eyes closed. And Jarvis screamed, and Jamie could see that the attack had brushed passed Jarvis, barely missing blowing his nose off, blood now dripping down his face, even as he tackled one of the several attackers to the ground. Even as Jarvis managed to save them, Sam drew her last breath. [/i] [center][b][color=662d91]End Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] It seemed to be the day for memories, as Jamie parried a blow from Angelica's shadows. In a quick move, Jamie had the sword sheathed, and shouted out, [color=f26522]"Property change: BOX!"[/color] The unseen boxed formed, with the four walls around Angelica, just like it had with Phones, just like it had with many others, trapping the witch. And Jamie thought it was over. Perhaps his box had been faulty. Perhaps Angelica just found a way out, Or maybe her magic enabled her to break through the high powered wind that created the box. Jamie would never know, but she broke free, and disappeared into the shadows, and Jamie felt the blow of the unseen attack Felt the sting as the knife slid in between his ribs, in what was clearly meant to be a heart shot, but missed. And Jamie's own dagger was out of its sheath, and in his left hand, bringing it up, and into the unseen figure, blood blossoming over his hand, wet, sticky and warm. Angelica dropped to the ground, now seen as her Magic failed, and Jamie allowed herself to feel the pain, to feel the spreading blood, the warm, sticky warm, along his side. She raised a hand, pressing it against the wound, and wincing slightly, he never the less looked back, towards the guild hall, another memory surfacing. [center][b][color=662d91]Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] [i]Jamie held the key in her hand, the old, wooden doors in need of a lick of pain looming in front of them, Jarvis by his side. Jamie clasped the key in her hand, a old brass key that was larger then normal keys, and matched the door. He looked to Jarvis, and smiled brightly [color=f26522]"Our guild"[/color] The scar on Jarvis's nose had healed, but Jarvis appeared to have aged, if only to Jamie's eyes. No matter what Jamie did, she just couldn't see to heal all the broken places inside Jarvis, at the moment. She sighed, and placed a hand on the doors, and the key in the lock, opening the door with a satisfying click, and Jamie pushed the doors opened. Or tried to. They stuck fast, and Jamie grunted, pushing harder, but not getting anywhere. And Jarvis laughed. [color=f26522]"Still the little Runt thinking their bite is stronger then their bark"[/color] And Jarvis pushed against the door, harder then Jamie had, opening them with a groan of hingers, revealing the hall, which needed a lot of work on it. But Jamie didn't care, dancing towards the middle of the room, he dropped the paint can and tools she had been carrying as well, and spun around, grinning. The Red Guild mark shone on her right shoulder, the sleeve deliberately torn to show the mark in the position it was in today. [color=f26522]"Phoenix Wing Begins today!"[/color][/i] [center][b][color=662d91]End Flash Back[/color][/b][/center] A lot had happened in the 15 years since Phoenix Wing had begun. As Jamie pressed harder against his wound, he looked down at Angelica, eyes bleary and vacant, not with death, but with shock. Her breathing was shallow, and Jamie knelt. [color=f26522]"You're done, bitch."[/color] the magical restraints, which prevented the use of magic, and which Jamie had liberated from the Magic Council were taken from a pocket, and snapped onto Angelica's wrists. [color=f26522]"You're done"[/color] Jamie rose , and went into the guild hall, one hand on the wound, and went to the bar, pouring a drink one handed, she lifted it, and drank it all down, leaning against the bar, as he looked around the guild hall. [color=f26522]"I think I need first aid treatment. And the guild could use a lick of paint"[/color] [center][b]Sasha[/b][/center] Sasha looked down as Edo-Trinity and Liana fell, checking to see that the two were alright, relieved when they were. She was about to slide down the legion, when she saw the running figures of Lazarus and Joshua. Her heart rose, relieved that Lazarus had managed to get free, and hoped it hadn't been too much strain on the Edolas Phoenix Wing Members. She slid down the legion's side, towards edo-Trinity and Liana, as Liana said, [color=bc8dbf]"I'm fine, are you okay?"[/color] to Edo-Trinity Sasha looked the way Edo-Karn had gone at Edo-Trinity's concern for her fellow guildmate. [color=6ecff6]"I'm sure Karn is okay, trinity. I think I'm right in saying that they are strong"[/color] She didn't say that she was sure the Wire Master would be okay, that they would return, because Edo-Karn had been in bad shape. She didn't want to worry Edo-Trinity. [color=6ecff6]"We have to do what we can here, to...bring Liana to power, right?"[/color] She said softly, hoping to distract. Just how were they going to do that? Everywhere Sasha looked, there appeared to be some sort of damage to the lands, to the people. Even as she looked, her eyes landed on what appeared to be houses, she saw the flicker of curtains, as people holed up in their homes, trying to find safety. It made her feel sick, as she realised the extant of the damage this would do to the people. She didn't want to do this anymore, didn't want to continue fighting when innocents could get hurt. She just wanted it to be over. She looked to Liana, seeing her own weariness, and need for it to be over mimicked in the Princess's face. [color=6ecff6]"I'll get you your throne, Liana. Because I don't want to see children get hurt"[/color] she said softly, looking towards the Castle. [color=6ecff6]"I think maybe...Maybe I can do something that will really impress the people"[/color] She looked to Edo-Trinity, and smiled slightly. [color=6ecff6]"If you want to go find your Karn, I'm capable of protecting Liana"[/color]