Levi found himself on an elevated platform, overlooking a plaza with a fountain. He looked down into the plaza, and saw the source of the barking; a puppy, primarily with white fur and several small black patches, barking loudly at a group of… what he could only guess to be Heartless. There were a couple of the familiar shadows, however what stood out to him more were several other small assailants, clad in blue and silver armor with sharp-looking red clawed gauntlets. [color=82ca9d][i]Soldiers.[/i][/color] Alongside them, or rather above them, were several small yellow heartless, each having a cone-shape to them and what looked like stereotypical wizard hats to him. [color=82ca9d][i]Yellow Operas.[/i][/color] He leapt down from his elevated position, hitting the ground with a roll before pulling his bat off his hip. He ran for the puppy, swatting one of the soldiers aside. [i]Clank![/i] He didn’t question right now why he knew what these things were called, or why he somehow knew it’d take another two-dozen hits with his bat to take it down, as he had slightly more important things to take care of. He positioned himself between the Heartless and the puppy, flourishing the bat as he looked over them. [color=82ca9d]“[/color][color=9e0b0f]Don’t worry, pup. I’ve got you.[/color][color=82ca9d]”[/color] The dalmatian looked up at him, but barely had time to react before he picked up the young pup by the scruff, and set them in the open space inside his rucksack. [color=82ca9d]“[/color][color=9e0b0f]We’re getting out of here. I’ll make sure of it.[/color][color=82ca9d]”[/color] [i]Plink! Clank! Plink! Clank![/i] He raised his bat, as one of the Soldiers lept at him, a little too slow as it’s sabaton found his chest, pushing him back. [color=82ca9d][i]At this rate, they’ll just kill both of us. What was I thinking?[/i][/color] He turned back to look at the pup again, seeing it’s fear mixed with just a little bit of hope. [color=82ca9d][i]This pup’s relying on me… I can’t give up. We had to save ourselves, and we barely got out alive. This pup being here tells me it went through something similar. So long as I’m still going, these monsters won’t hurt ‘em.[/i][/color] He then turned back to look at the Heartless, as he opted to tune out any distractions in the best way he knew how. He put his headphones on with a free hand, reached down to the cassette player, and hit play. The familiar notes of the song’s intro playing in his ears as he took a deep breath, and relaxed his body. [b]That’s the state of my, State of my, State of my head. That’s the state of my, State of my State of my head.[/b] He ran ahead, swinging his bat as it knocked away a shadow. He then sidestepped a lunge from a soldier, smirking as he smacked as he smacked it away with a satisfying [i]clang![/i] that hit in time with the beat of the song. [b]It’s been a Long, bumpy ride Sitting back in the saddle. It’s time to Get down, dirty up my knees In the battle[/b] With a brief flourish of his bat, he swung his bat at another shadow, then stepped back in time to avoid a bolt of lightning cast by one of the yellow operas. [b] So come on, Round up the boys, Gonna make the walls rattle[/b] He was caught in the side by a soldier he didn’t see, as he felt the small bruise already on his side while he staggered. Only to then get caught by the claws of a shadow’s lunge, leaving red lines running down his arm, followed up by a yellow opera making itself known by hitting him with Thunder. The sudden pain, along with the brief spasing of his muscles, made him fumble his bat, which clattered to the ground. [b]Oh our flag is tattered And our bones are shattered But it doesn’t matter ‘Cause we’re moving forward[/b] He was well and truly done with these things now. He had to stop them, right here and now, or they were going to hurt this pup. These things, darkness incarnate playing at being monsters… he’d truly had enough of their antics. He held his hand out, as a sliver light appeared in his hand. He ran at the first soldier before pulling his arm back, moving on instinct as if to hit it with his bat. [i]Shing![/i] The silver light materialized in his hand as an angular, wickedly sharp weapon. It was nearly five feet long and shocking light, with a mostly straight edge and what appeared to be a bit that formed a diamond shape on one end, the opposite with a sharp point, like that of a war pick. At its tip was yet another sharp point, and on the opposite end was what appeared to be the bow of a key, forming a sharp parallelogram that made up the handguard of the weapon. Hanging from the pommel was a small chain, a keychain at the end having a silver diamond shape that matched the key’s bit. It was his tool, his weapon, his extension of himself, his… [color=82ca9d][i]Keyblade.[/i][/color] The keyblade swung through, the edge between the tip and the forward-facing spike catching the soldier at it’s open faceguard and not stopping until his keyblade had crossed his body, causing the soldier to disappear in a dark cloud. [b]Round ‘em up, Round ‘em up, let’s go Round ‘em up, let’s go[/b] He stood tall, resting [i]True Light’s Flight[/i] over his shoulder, relaxed but still ready as he looked over the remaining heartless for a moment, before leveling the tip of [i]True Light’s Flight[/i] at the Heartless, the smirk on his face turning from something to make the pup less nervous, to something much more genuine. He was still outnumbered, but now he had a chance. [color=82ca9d]“Who’s next?”[/color] [b]Oh, my eyes are seein’ red, Double vision from the blood we’ve shed The only way I’m leavin’ in dead[/b] His challenge was met by a yellow opera starting to cast another bolt of lightning at him, which he responded to by leaping at it, his keyblade appearing as a silver blur as it struck the heartless again and again, and knocking another two of them back. [b]‘Cause that’s the state of my State of my State of my head[/b] A pair of shadows rushed him as he landed, however were met with Levi using the flat of his keyblade to block their claws, staggering them and giving him the perfect opportunity to turn two shadows into four shadow-shaped pieces, then two clouds of darkness. [b]They don’t know Where we’ve been We’ve got that concrete-street skin[/b] He looked over at the remaining heartless, then his eyes widened a little as a much larger one formed. It had a spherical body shape and a front covered in armor, with two massive arms and a tiny head, topped with a little metal hat. [i][color=82ca9d]Large Body.[/color][/i] He kicked the fallen bat up into his free hand, before leaping to the side in time to dodge a charge from the large body. A soldier tried to capitalize, only for it’s lunge to be blocked by the flat of [i]True Light’s Flight[/i], causing it to stumble and fall back. A quick pair of follow-up strikes kept it from getting up again. [color=82ca9d]“Not ideal, but could be worse. Now then, let’s go.”[/color] [b]The only way I’m leavin’ is dead That’s the state of my, State of my, State of my head.[/b]