Leon heard the pipe collide with Hakuren’s jaw rather than see it. He whirled around, a sinking feeling in his gut as the whisper he’d heard mere moments ago replayed itself in his mind. He really shouldn’t have disregarded because now Hakuren lay unconscious on the rocky ground, his brain most probably splattered all over said rocks. Leon didn’t even have time to look, let alone panic (though he had to admit, he most likely would’ve just stared in fascination) as one of the newcomer’s companions shoved him and grabbed his arms, yanking them behind Leon’s back. He grunted in pain, feeling his arms stretch way too much for comfort. Immediately, as if in response to the sudden pain, Leon stomped onto the figure’s foot. He felt the grip on his arms loosen a tiny bit and he pulled one arm free, swinging it behind him in an attempt to elbow the person behind him. In doing that, his other arm came free but before he could do any more damage, a net of massive (and heavy) proportions came down onto them, rooting Leon to the spot.

Squirming underneath said net, Leon felt his temper flaring. He hated being restrained, being confined to a singular thing and in this case, a small amount of space that definitely counted as singular in Leon’s book. He flailed and twisted, squirmed and turned, all to no avail. “Let me out of here, you rascals. Who do you think you are?” He hissed, voice dangerously low. His display of violence should’ve surprised him but no, it came as a natural reaction. Perhaps if the newcomers hadn’t been so forthcoming and aggressive, things could’ve gone better.

At the appearance of a very small figure, an addition to the assaulting group, the girl in the front asked, “Where is the list?” Leon gave her a blank look at that, still irritated with the group. After a split second of contemplation, he decided to play dumb. Hakuren’s cryptic answer certainly hadn’t helped and the inevitable bump on his head would be proof enough. So Leon did the next best thing. He was probably the best liar amongst the humans present and, with a convincing air, he gave them a blank and rather dumbfounded look. “What list?” He answered, followed by a rather indignant expression at being attacked for no reason whatsoever.

‘Haku, do you think that-”

Tok.

They say that you think and react faster when you’re afraid or under stress. but given the fact that Leila was completely unaware of the happenings behind her at the entrance of the second cave, it was probably no surprise that the attackers were met with essentially no resistance as she was grabbed and held down. And it was only until moments later that Leila fleshed out the details of the succession of events that just took place, and realized the fact that her hands were locked together behind her, a cool metallic texture pressing against the skin on her wrists as she attempted to separate her hands.

She let out a slight grunt - something that sounded more like a rather pathetic whimper emitted through her voice - as the figure in a cloak secured her grasp on her, and as the other members of the group emerging and being instructed to capture the rest of the lot of lost souls.

”Where is the list?”

One of the attackers proposed a question. Hakuren, as usual, offered a response in cryptic language about dancing bears and unmannerly young ladies, which was impossible to make sense of.

Leila would almost agree that Hakuren deserved that knock on the head.

In the mean time, she was also slightly irritated by the state she was in herself. Her cuffed hands were still grabbed and her head and shoulders were bent forward and held down to prevent sudden attempts of escape - not like it was that she was figuring out any. That, however, unnecessarily prevented her from anything that she could do to keep the messied strands of her hair out of her eyes.

Ugh.

She did almost somehow felt like she needed to writhe around randomly, seeing that all the other people were doing the same. It hurt, however - her shoulder and elbow joints locked in quite uncomfortable positions, not to mention the effort needed for her knees to continue to support her arched stance properly - and she soon gave up the idea.

She strained her ears and listen to the conversations among the groups, instead of watching it. It then turned out that she was incapable of actually making out much of it (although it seemed like she did succeed in decomposing some segments of it in to combinations of sine waves).

It seemed like she really was handcuffed - she also only reached this conclusion now. it was hard to construct any useful picture of an object when all available information was to be gathered through the sense of touch. Doing the topology was alright, although she questioned the validity of it since, topologically speaking, her hands should’ve slid right out of the cuffs.

Leila sighed. The grip of the attacker, which had slipped off a bit overtime, tightened again in a series of brief jerks - Leila nearly toppled over again while trying to remain balanced on the ground with a confined range of action.

Meanwhile there were other questions. Who were these people? They seemed more human than anything Nowhere. They likely planned this attack, they knew of and asked about the List - the Living List. It didn’t make sense of her. What would they need that for - given that only the fate of their little group themselves depends on the completion of seeking-

Wait.

Oh.

"A hungry bear does not dance...

She wasn't really listening anymore. Instead, the girl focused on the pipe on the ground and the light tinge of red that was smeared on it. The humans were here now. The newest batch, the batch with the list. She eyed them up and down, they were an interesting cast. The boy introduced himself as Zabluda then asked if he could make a deal. It made her chuckle, they weren't here to bargain. They were here to put an end to the madness. He kept talking, but it was nothing but a dull buzz in her ears. The only thing she had really heard were his words about a hungry bear. How silly, everyone knew that Rory the bear danced for Honey.

"Rory dances for honey." She stated in an informative tone, as if she were speaking to a child who didn't know that dogs barked and that cats meowed.

She picked up the fallen pipe only to see Gary running around with her pole. ??? stared and watched as her friend whacked the captured human on the head. She didn't laugh, but simply stared on blankly. What mattered now was the list, not some dancing bear. If he didn't talk she'd ask the others.

"You," she pointed a Mado and Leon with her pipe. "Have you seen the list?" The girl wasn't trying to be threatening at all. She asked as if she were looking for a simple item that she had lost and needed to find once more.

"Ey, Gary." Luke frowned. "Put that away before you poke out someone's eye. Last time you nearly impaled Mrs. Cinnamon bun...it could have gotten really messy." Compared to ??? he looked calm and carefree. He held Leila's hands behind her back but didn't try to act tough at all, he simply stood tall with a grin. "Y'know if you tell us where it is it'll go better for all of us in the long run." He watched as Gary continued speaking to the boy in the coat then looked to Sacha. "Make sure she doesn't blind anyone, okay?"

For kidnappers they were a weird bunch and all dressed in hooded cloaks that matched. They had no order and judging by the way things were going, weren't the most organized criminals out their either.

"..the list is important....wish the entrance, but the exit...." The girl with braided hair spoke up.

“What list?” Another voice, this time from a boy with a feather earing.

"Mhm," Luke appeared really. "That list is important which is why we'll be needing it, for the greater good of course." He twirled his pipe in one hand and held Leila in place with the other. "We're on your side." Luke said with a hearty chuckle.

??? stared on and the rained poured. "It's all a game."

~ X~x~X~x~X~

Alligators. Crocodiles.

Maybe...maybe it would be better if they left the swamp to the others. No, no, they had to be brave. He gulped in a breath of air and gave both Jasper and Ace a nervous smile. The swamp area was dreary and depressing, but they had news to deliver. They were one step closer to solving this crazy case and it made him feel good. A few moments after asking his question he noticed how Ace went quiet, but he didn't question her. If she or Jasper didn't want to talk about the wish then he wouldn't ask because it was kind of personal, wasn't it?

"There's a lot of things I want, but I don't know what I wished for."

He gave her a smile. "Did you see anything on the train or did you just decide to hop on?" The thought of Ace hopping on the train on a whim wasn't hard to imagine. He had known her for less than a day but she was spunky and brave. Someone who would probably hop on a magical train the first chance she got. The thought cheered him up a little.The trio walked on and Jasper bumped into him. The boy let out a yelp as he nearly fell over, but she yanked him by the shirt before he could fall flat on his face.

"T-That was close." Jasper proceeded to apologize and he shook his head to say it was alright.

The girl then proceeded to tell them about Rosen and Harper felt a pang of pain. "Sorry I asked." He muttered, not wanting to unearth bad memories. "I know what that feels like." He offered Jasper a sympathetic yet weary smile. "I jumped on the train to save my sister." Speaking about it hurt, but in a way getting it off his chest lifted a load of his shoulder. He would have said more but before he could speak Jasper tumbled into a hole full of foul smelling, icky green slime.

"Ace!" He scrambled towards the hole. "Give me a hand." The boy reached out for one of Jasper's hands and with Ace's help managed to pull her out. She was covered in a weird goop he couldn't name but it wasn't acid and he was relieved. Not long after it began raining and Harper frowned at their horrible luck. "We should get her somewhere safe..." his eyes landed on a cave in the distance. "Maybe we can wait for the rain to stop in there?"

Ace pondered Harper's question and laughed a little. "Ya know... I didn't really see anything. I felt... happy." She gave a small shrug and looked between the two. "It was a sort of welcoming feeling compared to being back...well I guess back 'home'." She wasn't sure what to call back where they once were. It made her wonder why she didn't see anything, but the others did. What was the meaning behind it? The girl left it at that. If they wanted to know more, she would answer.

Seeing Harper nearly fall, and then Jasper apologize a thousand times over made her giggle softly. "You two are funny. I've never met people like you before." She fell silent to let Jasper speak of her reason as to why she hopped on the train. A lost mother and a lost sister. Almost immediately, a somber feeling rose between Harper and Jasper while she stayed silent. Her story wasn't that bad compared to theirs. They both lost loved ones they cared for. Even if Ace never had loved ones, she didn't have to suffer that heartache.

One thing led to another, and then all of a sudden Jasper was stuck in a deep hole. Ace reached out to grab the girl, but was a second too late. "It stinks. I wonder what is." She stated before pulling Jasper out of the mess. Ace began to wipe off the slime on her shirt for Jasper, but stopped and looked up as it started raining. "Heh, well just our luck? At least all that goopey stuff will wash off." Ace noticed Jasper's queasy look. "It's okay Jasper. It'll wash off. Just think, the faster we can get this done, the faster you can go and clean up. So, c'mon okay?"

She spotted the cave just as Harper directed them to it and bounded forward. "Let's go! I don't think walking around in wet clothes is a good idea... We could get sick." The red head paused before she got too far ahead and walked back to grab Harper and Jasper to drag them along at her pace. "And it's not like you two like the swamp anyway."

??? said "Rory dances for honey." She stated in an informative tone, as if she were speaking to a child who didn't know that dogs barked and that cats meowed.

'. . . She got stuck on the bear part?' Hakuren thought.

The young man stared blankly at the unknown woman, with whom he had spoken. Her reply made nearly as much sense as his own sentences when thrown at an individual with little inclination to metaphorical thinking or speaking. Judging by this action, it could be said that she was perhaps one of those people, yet a hastily done job brought shame upon the craftsman, thus he did not jump to any conclusions. Instead, he awaited a continuation to her answer, although the slight chuckle she had given prior to speaking indicated how she viewed his suggestion. It was not surprising, in fact, it would have been natural to laugh your head off in their position. Someone you have kidnapped, someone whom you hit and who was mean to be afraid of you had offered to make a deal with you, not giving a single shiver or hint that he considered you as dominant over him, despite the fact that you were currently in possession of something potentially dangerous and had the said person cornered. This was arrogance at one of it's higher levels.

With his attention directed towards his pipe-wielding attacker, once more he did not notice when another object was swung at him, this time at his head. It landed rather roughly, the impact being greater than the first experience, yet there was a certain amount of restrain hidden within it. However, regardless of how much the attack was intentionally softened, it left a much more noticeable mark on the lad. Blood dripped quickly downwards and tainted his hair, creating a beautiful, striking contrast. The light, which came from the opening on the ceiling, was reflected by the bright crimson drops, as they glided or stood still on the dark blue surface that was his hair, it also glimmering under the dim rays of the unknown sun. Like tulip petals floating in the sea on a clear cloudless night, whilst the full moon gently shines above them.
It was instinct that caused his reaction of reaching for the wound with his right hand, yet he did not scream. Not a yell, not a whimper, not even a curse was uttered by the human. He simply covered the patch, clinging tightly to the hair he could grasp, before slowly allowing his grip to loosen. Once the boy had retracted his hand, he looked at his palm only to discover the obvious. Painted completely in the colour of war.

Gary said “Gee, Mr. Philosophy Pants, was that thing about the bear really necessary?”

'The bear again . . . What is this? India? Or should it be Canada in this case?'

Both girls' attentions were diverted from him, as the first proceeded in inquiring the rest of the group of prisoners, whilst the latter protested against her beloved pole, with which she had hit Hakuren, being taken away by a hooded figure named Sacchin. The second mentioned was evidently an energetic lass. Her long pink hair waving like a flag of victory, she jumped left and right, enthusiasm emitted from her aura. Giving off the impression of a little child, the student was reminded of the saying "The smaller they are, the louder they bark", yet he refrained from mentioning it, albeit he continued smiling in amusement at the scene in front of him, where Pinky, as he had dubbed her, was throwing a tantrum over her item. He knew all too well that one more strike and it would be 'strikeout' for him.



Ripples formed on the water's surface.
Lightly came down the Nowhereian rain.
Drop by drop, it fell with the purpose
of relieving the world from all its pain.

The lake, a crystal mirror of the abyss, which dwelt within it, became distorted as a shower came upon the land of Yonder. Raindrops pitter-pattered in, much like the little feet of children on a wooden floor, as they sneakily attempt to steal a biscuit from the pantry. Curiously enough, it was water which fell and not something along the colourful lines of this world. It was neither ginger, nor green or any unusual colour for that matter. Simple transparent blue or white, depending on how one viewed it. The same as in the human realm. Tap, tap, tap, on the round cold stones stepped louder drops. They had accumulated in volume in the cracks inside the ceiling and fell in equal intervals from one another in different parts of the cave. Not long after the orchestra had begun this musical piece of nature, the low tuba echoed in the distance. Thunder. No lightning was visible from the position the group was in, yet it was apparent that the storm or at least its more intensive side was still far far away.

??? said "It's all a game."

"Couldn't agree more." Hakuren sighed with a smile, albeit he was tempted to at least whisper 'Copyright'.
How unfortunate it was that the first person, who he met in Nowhere to have reached the same conclusion as him, had to be a law-breaking rogue.

The space around them darkened as the rain continued pouring down. Clouds tumbled over each other in the welkin above, unseen for the most part, with the exception of that one light-providing crack. Tension no longer resided in the atmosphere. All was calm, almost peaceful. For a moment, no one moved and no one spoke. For that single heartbeat, everything seemed engulfed by serenity.

"True enough, the Living List holds great importance. It holds the key to the human world. A ticket out of Nowhere." the young man spoke in agreement towards the grinning man. Still sitting in his comfortable position on the rocks, the youngster had only turned his bloodstained head slightly towards the addressee's direction. "This being said, why, oh, why would we ever give it to you? By no means have you given a good reason for us to do so. If you intend to bring death to the table, believe me, it won't work. Killing us only provides a good warning to whoever currently has the List." he told him and continued, although he already felt a bit lightheaded from the blood-loss "Congratulations on the warm welcome, though. You really made it clear you're on our side." he added that pinch of sarcasm "The Living List is a human-only item. If you're all truly humans, then you should all just run along and complete your own. Then again, if you still had yours, you wouldn't be going around stealing other people's list, now, would you?"

[Please, don't hit him on the head again! Or anywhere else for that matter! =< For this chapter, at least.]

The noises of the swamp tripled as her vision became watered down and abstract. The glowing ruby flies buzzed in mesmerizing lights around her head, inspecting the newcomer. As always, Jasper's clumsiness never failed to betray her time and time again, this scenario making it in the top three of the worst unfortunate occurrences in her klutz life. Warm sludge slithered over her skin in a way that brought strange comfort, but she was disgusted all the same. Revolted, yet feeling content.

'Is this what "high" feels like?', she thought as muted mumbling of urgent voices rang out in a dynamic fashion around her. 'Man, I feel stoned.' A bee buzzed in her mind, blinking speed increased, and she felt exposed as her bottom half was dragged out of the mysterious gunk by two saviours; Harper and Ace of course. Cautiously sliding a palm down to her left thigh, she scooped up a handful of the nasty stuff and watched it slide off her fingers as she tilted them slightly. "Gross." Was all she said and then a drizzle began. Soft and melodic. She wanted to doze off and shower in it. Brain must've slipped into the mud and never retrieved along with her.

"We should get her somewhere safe... Maybe we can wait for the rain to stop in there?"

Looking up at the speaker, his face had a white glow like one of the filters available for a picture. 'What's his name again? Harper... yeah that's it.' Turning her head to glance up at the person holding her right arm she smiled like a ditzy dog. Not a surprise, but she smelled like wet canine as well. "It's Ace...", Jasper's voice sounded distant, dumb blond-ish, and drunk, "I wish I had D-*hiccup*- cups". Talk about quadruple "D's" in that sentence though. Hand reaching out to grab a bo*b, she was stopped mid-way when Ace decided to usher them elsewhere at a pace much faster than she and Harper would've gone. The redhead was the type to get things done, in a hurried manner, but slick all the same.

"Heh, well just our luck? At least all that goopey stuff will wash off. It's okay Jasper. It'll wash off. Just think, the faster we can get this done, the faster you can go and clean up. So, c'mon okay? Let's go! I don't think walking around in wet clothes is a good idea... We could get sick. And it's not like you two like the swamp anyway."

Body limp and relaxed, she allowed her partners to carry her to wherever the heck they were headed. For the time being, she stared up at the murky deep green leaves that "pattered" over head, glowing neon vines with blossoming yellow flowers dripping from them. 'How pretty..' A goofy grin was plastered to her face.

Eyes shadowed under the thick hood of his cloak watched as the group of humans were subdued, trapped under nets while Luke grabbed hold of a slight looking girl. This was quite the varied looking group- or he supposed they were. Apart from Gary and a certain man who occasionally appeared in vivid dreams, he didn’t think he remembered enough about other humans to make an unbiased comparison.

“Shhhhhhhtttt, Sacchhhiiin! Look at that hommun’s earrings! They’re like, you know, bird arms. Or something. What’s the word? Feet-ers?”

A quick dodge to the side to avoid his energetic friend’s flailing pipe dislodged his hood, revealing a head of tumbled black hair and curious grey eyes set upon what most people would describe to be quite the handsome face. He stood taller than his pink-haired friend with her head reaching his shoulders while the rest of his body was hidden underneath the black cloak the four were draped in.

Looking down at the weighed down humans with more inquisitiveness than hostility he pondered the brightly colored earrings that dangled from the human’s ears.

“Feathers,” Sacha decided quietly, voice low enough for Gary to be the only one to hear him, but had to quickly step aside when the girl brought her beloved pole down on one of the humans. He couldn’t say he felt much sympathy for the now bleeding human- it was partly his fault for talking about dancing bears during this serious discussion.
Ignoring Gary’s protests he reached over her head and gently lifted the pole of her grip as per Luke’s requests just in case she decided to whack someone again be it herself or another human, giving her a look that told her he would return it later. Then again, the blue haired human certainly could talk a lot for someone who had been hit on the head twice already.

“If you intend to bring death to the table-“

Bring death to the table? Everyone knew Death was a poor companion to have over for dinner. It was nice enough for him to remind them of the fact, but at the same time once again very much off topic. Frowning, Sacha reached over with the pole and gave the man a prod.

He suddenly paused, looking to the mouth of the cave.

“Quiet,” he spoke slightly louder this time, voice soft but commanding as he raised a finger to his lips, handing the pole back to Gary. The faint sound of voices and footsteps were quickly approaching, signalling the arrival of the other half of the group. He turned his head towards the dark haired girl questioningly. They were out of nets, and certainly weren’t going to be able to move these guys out of the way quickly enough. What should they do?

Group One and Two

Harper turned a bright red, what was Jasper talking about? She sounded almost incoherent...was she drunk? The boy stared at the mushy, green, swamp sludge and scrunched up his nose in disdain. "We better be careful around the water." He wasn't even sure if water was the right word, it looked more like moldy pool of chewed up broccoli. Thankfully, it had started to rain and it helped get some of the sludge off their now tipsy friend. "What do you think is in the water?" He asked Ace as he kept one of Jasper's arms around his shoulder. He wondered if they should just go back and wait for the others but lightning tore though the sky and he decided it would be best if they took shelter in one of the caves for now.

"Watch your step," he commented as they clambered up rocks and headed towards the dark entrance of the cave. More than once he'd step on a rock and it'd roll down the hill and splash into the swamp. Their ascent was a noisy one, but it wasn't too bad and soon they were at the mouth of the cave. Inside looked dark, but there seemed to be a blue glow and the smell of water. Hopefully, drug free and clean water. Harper nodded at Ace and the trio, with Jasper between them entered, their footsteps echoing throughout the silent cave.

“Quiet,” the usually silent Sacha spoke and Luke cocked his head in the boy's direction.

"Mhm, what's happening?" He raised his eyebrows, a laid-back smile plastered to his face. Like ??? said this was all a sad game and they'd been playing it for so long--for far too long. Luke quieted down and listened. It was the sound of footsteps and a soft, tentative voice. "Ah, I see the others have made their appearance." He kept one hand on Leila's handcuffs and the other on his pipe. They were a large batch, and it made him rather happy.

??? Simply held on to her own pipe, her eyes flitting from Hakuren to the tunnel that led to cave's entrance. The footsteps grew louder.

"We had death as dinner guest once." She stated in a tone both informative and casual. It almost sounded as if she were talking to friends she had invited over for tea and not hostages she had hit on the head and thrown nets on. A small smile tugged on the corner's of her lips. "He was a dapper fellow, fanciful clothes, pipe and all, but he had an atrocious voice." She chuckled at the memory and wondered if she could invite the humans over for tea sometime. However, her odd train of thought was cut when a yell resounded through the cave.

"Guys?" Harper stood at the entrance with Jasper between him and Ace. "W-What's going on?" His eyebrows creased in concern before he stared at the four cloaked figures. "What are you doing?" He felt fear grab a hold of him but he stood his ground and tightened his jaw. Out of instinct, he balled his hands into fists and stared with wide, frightened eyes.

The girl in the hood stared blankly at him. "Good duskdawn," her eyes trailed to the list sticking out of his pocket. "So, I see you have it."

"Have what? Let them go!" Before Harper could say more, she walked towards him. Calm and cold, like ice. There wasn't a shift in her expression and she stared at him empty grey eyes. "We need the list. It's for the good of everyone." She held out her hand as if he were going to give it to her.

Harper looked at Ace then Jasper. He shook his head, firmly. "Sorry, I can't do that."

??? nodded her head and the next thing he felt was a fist to the face and the damp cave floor. Harper groaned, and the ceiling above him spun. The list, he had to protect the list! He scrambled to his feet and nearly fell into the lake. "Ace! Leila! Jasper! The net," he yelled, "Go for the net!" Despite it being nearly impossible to escape from the inside, anyone from the outside could easily lift the net off.

Harper held the list in cold, clammy hands. His knees were shaking and his heart was hammering inside his chest, but there was no time to give in to fear. At the moment, he could only act. He scrambled away from the pipe swinging girl, his back pressed against the wall. She was walking casually towards him with the pipe and a frown. Harper wanted to disappear but as soon as she raised her pipe to swing he ducked and scrambled out of the way. However he tripped and the living list fluttered towards the center of the room.

Harper gathered every ounce of courage in his body and as soon as ??? turned to towards the list, he did the most logical thing he could think of. "The nets, the list!" He screeched before he tackled her, and they fell into the glowing water, sinking.

Accusing someone of mishandling his or her favorite weapon was a surefire way to get a heated defense thrown in your direction; Gary's face went through an amusing metamorphosis of emotions from surprised, incredulous, vaguely pissed off, intensely incredulous and penultimately supremely insulted. "Excuse me, but I've never deliberately damaged pastries before! Besides, if we're gonna talk about needin' the pole to do someone in, let's gab about that white-haired dude dressed in those weird fantasy-ish clothes and how he kept chasing me about stealing something! Now that's a walking danger that needed to be hit!" She howled in response to Luke's reminder, although Sacha was able to retrieve the pole peacefully from his best friend. Gary had to give up since she couldn't reach Sacha for the life of her, but knowing the cutie, he'd give her baby back to her... Later.

Fortunately, the return of her precious item was earlier than expected. "Well thank you, Sacchin," She quickly reached for the pole in case somebody stole it away again then planted it firmly on the ground, her firm posture and raking gaze reminiscent of a sentinel. However, her attention was caught by the sound of footfalls reverberating within the stony cavern-

Truth be told, Gary was more concerned with the fact that Sacchin just spoke. Man, get a load of that dreamy voice! No wonder Ge...

...

... Ge...? Who's Ge...?

-and she had ample time to see the other half of the human group arrive.

Skipping past ???'s failed attempt to get the list from the screechy boy, Gary whipped her pole around and then crouched defensively, obviously taking position as the defender (er) of the imprisoned group. She was already at the front anyway, so it was no big deal to place herself in between the new arrivals and the other humans. The process, from the quick and efficient way she coiled herself to a tight stance to the way she didn't have any trouble wielding the weapon, showed that whoever was going to attempt to free the people behind her would have to go through this fighter first.

"Luke, watch my blind side," Gary called out cheerfully. Odd; unlike her other companions, she didn't seem to place that much stock on the humans they had recently captured. It was almost as if she lacked any real dedication to keep them imprisoned... Or maybe she didn't care enough for them, like they were simply a contingency plan in case something went wrong in a failsafe plan.

But then again, this was Gary, and her cheerful facade was quite impossible to penetrate, let alone analyze.

Ace looked back at Jasper, with a curious gaze as they walked into the cave. Staring at her long enough made Ace shake her head. "I think she's broken." It didn't take Ace long to figure out Jasper and germs didn't mix. It was noticeable when she first met the girl. "Whatever is in that water, it sure did calm her down. At least she didn't pass out." Thankfully, as Ace predicted, most of the stuff fell off her or washed off. Somehow, Ace managed to find the most dangerous path. Each step she took, the rock would give out only seconds later just as she bounded to the next. Occasionally, she'd find some safe spot in order to help pull Jasper along too.

"Wonderful! We made it to the cave." Ace's voice echoed and she couldn't help but laugh some. "Come on you two, let's go farther. It might be warmer in here." Not even being able to take more than three steps, did she see a group of people in cloaks and her newfound friends in nets. Her hands crossed under her chest and her smile faded. "Looks like someone started the party without us." She was a lot more calm than Harper, but that was in most situations anyway. Ace pulled Jasper behind her a little, and looked at the group of cloaks. "A little life lesson for you Jasper..." As Harper and some random lady 'negotiated' noticed the one with the pipe. "Always check for weapons. And then,"

When Harper got hit, Ace frowned and balled her fists together. She had found a new liking to people, new friends even, so the sudden sense of loyalty kicked in. "That was pretty rude you know. I even have better manners than that." She took a step toward ??? Ace wasn't afraid of a simple fight. This fight couldn't have been any different from the ones when she was younger. But Harper's voice deterred her. He wanted her to help the others. "Fine. But be careful. And don't give her that list." A little ironic for someone who did the exact opposite.

Ace pulled Jasper along, but then frowned again seeing that the one who possessed the pole was the one guarding the net. "Hmph. Jasper, you try and help Leila and Harper. I don't think this one will be so nice as to let us walk by. I'd rather not have you get hit with a pole- and drunk. Not a good feeling I bet." Despite the urgency, Ace gave a reassuring smile and walked up to Gary. Ignoring her, Ace looked at the group. "Long time no see guys. Did you find anything interesting? We should probably discuss this... I guess after there isn't a net stuck over you." Her hands went to her hips and she looked at the girl with the pole. "So girly are you going to let them out? Or do I have to use force? You know, I'm fine with either."

The survival skills she obtained over the years kicked in, searching for the best place to strike. All she needed was to knock her on her butt and pull the net as fast as possible. It sounded easy enough, right? Just how did she plan on doing it... Well, just like the rest of her life so far, she planned to wing it and hope for the best. She was still alive now, so that plan was working pretty well.

When Harper yelled, Ace glanced back at the commotion. She'd let the other two grab the list, Ace trusted them enough to do so. But, that meant Harper was left in the water. "More hands will be needed if we're suppose to actually win..." Using that distraction and impulse behavior, (nope, no plan of action) Ace ran past Gary, careful to dodge any swings from the pole and reached for the net.

It was one of those 'now or never' moments, although 'never' would just be until she tried again.

 


They hadn't traveled long until a group of cloaked beings came into their line of vision. Well, into Ace's and Harper's view at least. Jasper was still zoned out and laughing at glowing vines whilst playing with a palm of the goop from the pond she had slid into earlier. As the trio came to a sudden stop, Jasper brought her gaze down and tried to focus her attention on the scene in front of them. With much effort put into stabilizing her eyes, she made out the familiar faces of the second group and its members trapped under a sort of net.
 
"Looks like someone started the party without us." Ace was covering up a hidden threat with her usual cheeriness.
 
"Guys? W-What's going on? What are you doing?" Harper blurted with an apparent mixture of both fear and bravery.
 
 "We need the list. It's for the good of everyone." The dominant female voice radiated from a hooded figure standing before the scrawny male. With a hand extended in front of her, she urged for the possession of the Living List.
 
"A little life lesson for you Jasper...Always check for weapons. And then,"
 
Still woozy and air-headed, Jasper latched onto Ace as Harper took a blow to the face upon refusal of the girl's demand. Muscles tensed up underneath her grasp on the red head. Feeling a sense that Ace was ready to take it out on the veiled assaulters, Jasper hated to slow the fireball down by lagging behind her as dead weight and eagerly obeyed when she instructed for the aiding of the other team members.
 
"Hmph. Jasper, you try and help Leila and Harper. I don't think this one will be so nice as to let us walk by. I'd rather not have you get hit with a pole- and drunk. Not a good feeling I bet."
 
Nodding in compliance, she was about to scramble for the tall, straight man who currently had Leila in his authority, but something caught her attention, up in the air. Looking just below where the sheet of paper flitted about, the concealed "leader" accepted a full on body-to-body undertake from none other than Harper, the attack ending with a loud splash. Drunken tendencies kicking in, Jasper skipped towards the flying object with a wide grin, her pearly whites exposed and all.
 

"Come little listyyy! Oh don't fly away. You're my ticket back to Neww YORKK~! New York~!", she began to sing a broadway tune as she danced towards the Living list. Taking a snatching swing at it whenever it got close enough, the inanimate object with a paradoxical name would tease her fingers, but slip away only to ride on the encouraging gusts of wind made from her failed attempts. Before long she was beginning to loose patience as well as jumping energy. Seeing a rather large rock in the paper's future path she ran for the possible stepping boost. Landing her right foot straight onto its solid surface, Jasper stared in anticipation at the list which was drifting closer and closer to her. Like a wild feline pouncing on a gazelle under the hot African sun, the lanky albino propelled her stick figure towards her prey. Hand grazing its sharp edges, Jasper curled her fingers only to realize her mistake and miscalculations as she descended down to her awaiting doom of hard rocks. Well hello big purple bruises, here she comes.

Landing feet first, the shock taken from the weight drop toppled her off balance as she scrunched her face for facial embrace with a pile of stones. Groaning in pain, she rubbed at her reddening forehead which had smooshed itself against one of the protruding rocks. An angry bump starting to erupt from smack dab in between Jasper's eyebrows. She also noticed some blood that she had gotten from the Living List by means of a paper cut, which she had smeared all over her newly acquired, stubby unicorn horn(reference to bump).

Sacha looked in alarm as one of the humans tackled their leader into the glowing water, the two quickly sinking out of sight. He quickly stepped forward, about to run over in case the two were in trouble before a page of paper quickly fluttered by him, followed by a white haired girl who seemed to be, for lack of better words, drunk.

He watched, perplexed, as the girl half-danced half-flounced past, smiling toothily and singing some tune while grabbing at the floating piece of paper that managed to evade her several times before finally deciding it was a good idea to pounce at it. He gave a small wince as she lost her balance and fell flat on her face with a painful sounding thud, the list fluttering weakly to a stop beside her.

Stepping over to the fallen girl tentatively, he stooped down and gingerly lifted the list from the ground. The girl seemed relatively unharmed, the only visible damage was the reddening bump in the middle of her forehead smeared with a trace of blood from her finger. For a moment he deliberated helping his rather pitiful looking enemy up, but after some thought tugged out a handkerchief from within a pocket underneath his robe and dropping it beside her before backing up just in case her loopiness was just a ruse. As harmless looking as she was, one could never be too careful. List clenched tightly in hand, he turned quickly, surveying the scene.

His eyes widened when he realized that their leader and the boy had still yet to surface. Hastily tucking the list into a pocket and quickly making sure nobody around was planning on tackling him but instead busy rescuing their friends from the nets, he strode towards the pool quickly, long legs bringing him to the side of the rippling water with a few strides. He peered down through the liquid, feeling slightly panicked when he couldn’t spot the two through the murky brightness. Why hadn’t they come up yet? Was there a creature living down in that pool that had grabbed hold of the two? Or had they bumped their heads and were unconscious down there? By now he was staring down at the water, brows furrowed and grey eyes scanning the water frantically for any sign of the two. Should he dive in after them? But he didn’t want to leave Gary and Luke by themselves now that the humans were free. They’d be coming after him soon now he had the list. He gave a low growl of frustration, continuously looking over his shoulder. They had achieved their goal of tking the list, but they certainly weren’t going to leave ??? behind.

It was cold and he was sinking like a stone. Harper felt fingers around his neck, felt the air leaving his lungs.

Perhaps, this was what dying felt like? The cold that never seemed to leave, the flashes of memory and the inescapable fear. He didn't really know anymore because ever since he had entered Nowhere he had always been afraid. He feared what his parents and sister would do when they found out he was missing, feared for his safety, for the safety of his friends and feared the shadows that darted down the hall's in the Queen's castle. Nowhere was beautiful, but they had seen first hand just how frightening it could be.

The Shakespearean star fisher first introduced them to the darker side of Nowhere. The constellations and everything had been grand--until that star capsized the ship, until Emily and so many others plummeted into the emptiness of space. Even the confident Numair and Clyde had gone down and he wondered how people like Jasper, Leila, and him were still alive. Well, perhaps he wouldn't be alive for much longer. The grip on his neck tightened and he yelled, losing what little and precious air he had left.

Memories came flashing through his head and his eyes went wide.

I can't die yet.

Harper's fingers tightened around ???'s hands and he pushed her away as they continued sinking. No! No! No! It wouldn't end like this, it wouldn't! He kicked her square in the stomach and her grip on his neck loosened. Harper swamp up, towards the light. It happened way to quickly for him to comprehend but soon he was sprawled out on the damp and mossy cave floor, gasping for breath and coughing out water. He was actually alive. The boy crawled out of the small patch of water and noticed that the net had been discarded.

"The list!" He yelled through gasps. Mado, Leon, and Haku were already free and Ace stood rather triumphantly between Gary and the now discarded net. She had actually done it! A small smiled tugged on his lips before he collapsed onto his side and pressed his cheek against smooth stone. He felt so heavy, but seeing everyone alright lessened the load. He scrambled to his feet and noticed everyone was accounted for.

Luke held Leila still with one hand and held the pipe in his other. Ace had been far too fast...and she had actually managed to run past Gary and pull off the net. Plus their leader was still in the lake. This was bad, very bad. They needed to find ??? and get out. "Good job, Sacha." He called out when he noticed the list was safe with his friend.

Not long after a gasp was heard. A soggy girl pulled herself out of the water, yanking onto Sacha to keep herself steady. That kick had hurt...but they had much important matters to attend to. "Where...where is the list?"

More or less completely ignored by the group, Hakuren quietly took in the prodding from one of the hooded individuals as a little blessing. It could have been another hit to the head, which would have definitely sent him to the abyss that was his unconsciousness. This being said, he stood still in his sitting position among the rocks, awaiting the continuation of the play.
Whilst his newest eery companions turned eye and ear towards the direction, from whence the unfamiliar sound came, the young man in the midnight green coat stared at the ground, yet not blankly. He surveyed the terrain and established several steady routes for movement, but his main objective was comprehending the stability of each of the attackers' locations. The many different stones and boulders could serve as one's ally or enemy and if push came to shove, he intended to use them for his own benefit as well as possible. Another figure, which befell his observation was Leila, the puppy girl and partner in the drag-along that was Dissonance's cheerful jog. Currently the only new human not under a net, her hands remained cuffed and held by a person, who seemed rather cheerful and friendly, not to the same extent as the mighty Pinky, of course. Holding a pipe in his other hand, he certainly seemed to carry the role of 'treasure keeper' and his footing was not unsteady at all. The youngster would have delved in more into his proportions and the girl's lovely twisted position, were it not for the familiar voice, which rang through the cave.

Harper said "Guys?" Harper stood at the entrance with Jasper between him and Ace. "W-What's going on?"

"Nice of you to join the tea party" Hakuren responded, smiling as always, albeit he might have appeared a bit frightening, due to the contrast between his casual expression and the blood that was dripping from his head.

Ase said "Looks like someone started the party without us."

He could only smirk at that. This ginger-head had flames burning in her eyes already, the kind that would eradicate anything simply to get a taste of battle. It was a pleasant sight, indeed.

The woman, who had delivered the first attack, approached the newcomers, yet the black-blue-haired lad did not pay much mind as to what they conversed about. The topic was already far too clear for him even before anything had been spoken. It would be a negotiation for the Living List. Rather than listen in on what was being said, his sharp green-blue eyes instantly began creating a map, using the information gathered prior to the assault and during the silence in imprisonment under the net. It did not bare great detail, however, it provided the much needed basics of the loci each and every being occupied and the possible teams they could create.
At present, Harper, Jasper and Ace stood at one of the entrances to the cave, along with the cloaked female pipe-wielder, who had made her way towards them. Leon, Mado and himself were surrounded by a trio, consisting of Pinky; her giant guardian and Jolly Roger, the person who held Leila captive. The first mentioned stood between them and the newly arrived, becoming the first wall, which required penetration. Her tall companion took a stance to her right, a short distance from where Hakuren sat, which was unfavorable, seeing as he could hinder any attempt of escape. The third had taken a steady position to her left, further away that the second man. This left an opening towards the entrance the cave investigators had used, which was good fortune, for they knew how to go throw it. If ever the need to make a quick exit came, it would be the best option, provided the nets got lifted, of course. If the secondly mentioned did not occur, it would leave the fight 4:3 in favor of the opposition/thieves/crooks/just plain weirdos with hood, not to mention the quartet had weapons and obvious experience, whilst the trio most likely had something next to nothing. Overall, it would be a very unfair battle that would lead to his team's demise. The most plausible methods of winning were either gaining the upper hand through numbers, which would require the prisoners' release, or for Harper to take a hike and call the Nobodies, due to the fact that if he got captured, more precisely if the List got captured, it was game over for all of them. Needless to say, Hakuren did not favor the taste of losing. It was a vile, bitter flavor, one which did not go well with anything. The lad preferred softer, sweeter things, one of which was victory. Albeit he wished to obtain the sweet nectar the Olympic heroes savored, his contribution to the cause would need to wait only a few heartbeats.

Quick she was on her legs, indeed. Like a graceful fox running through the high grass and over a river, trot trot trot over the stepping stones. Ace zipped past Pinky, the little devil whose pole had been returned by the Grizzly, and swiftly took the nets off her comrades. It was as if a mountain had been relieved from their shoulders. The heavy items had been shoved aside, as if they were as light as melted butter. Despite his new-found freedom, the young man did not move a muscle. Perhaps it was because of the pounding in his head, perhaps from the tiredness he so often ignored, or maybe it was just for his own amusement that he did not attempt to get a move on at first and chose to simply observe as events unfolded before him.
Harper had tackled the woman who had requested the List, taking her down into the depths of the lake. However, in the process of doing so, the Holy Grail of their journey in Nowhere had slipped out and was being chased by the most notable individual from the group, Jasper the Bear. Already a klutz by nature, the ridiculous expression she wore on her face and the even greater tangles her legs created intrigued the observer. A foolish slobbery smile. Singing drowsily. Tilting unconditionally sideways and eventually falling flat on oneself. Such behavior was easily recognizable as a drunkard's, a dead drunken woman. This turned his smile from a light to a playful one and several possibilities crossed his mind, yet he put them away for later when all would become calm and peaceful.
It is said that God watches over those who fall victim to alcohol. Well, God probably got some popcorn and 3D glasses on, because the scene was hilarious. The white-haired girl desperately did her best at keeping her footing steady, yet tripped and kissed the ground. This was taken of notice by the Grizzly and, albeit he approached to merely take the List, he stopped, pitying his sister bear. He gave her a handkerchief as a token of his kindheartedness, but did not help her thoroughly, for he considered it an unwise decision, due to their current situation. A little piece of comedy never hurt anyone, apart from Bear.
This humorous moment a small breath of fresh air for those, who had witnessed it, yet it was not without its additional profits. The tall man had changed his location, moving further and further away from the captives. It drove him closer to Pinky and blocked the five entrances on one end of the cave. To balance this out, it also left Leila and her 'master' stranded, as well as a free route for escape from the entrance on the other end of the cave. If they were to bale it out of there, only Hakuren, Leon, Mado and Ace would be capable of reaching safety first, whilst Jasper, who would slow them down, Harper, whose whereabouts were at an unknown depth in the lake, and the List would stay behind. As much as he would hate to admit it, saving his own skin wasn't an option this time around.

Everything happened slightly too fast for Leon to follow and, under the net, he squirmed in annoyance. Annoyed at what exactly, he didn’t really know. The net was annoying, tangled around his arms and legs making him quickly realize that flailing didn’t really help. The newcomers were also annoying. The caves’ wet ground was particularly annoying, especially the fact that his pants were getting dirty. That didn’t really sit well with the dark-haired young man and he hissed in anger, squirming despite the logic of no movement allowing his escape. He simmered in his own anger under the net, glaring at the newcomers mostly for the fact that his clothes were now dirty. When they overpowered those humans, Leon would be sure to demand and make them clean his beloved pants. Designer and mud never went well together, it was practically an atrocity.

Those thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sudden weightlessness on his back. There was nothing there, especially nothing tangled around his arms or legs. He sprang up, only to face Ace, the girl who’d yanked the net off of Mado, Leon and Hakuren. He was almost tempted to go fist-bump her as a thank you but instead, she turned to give the other humans a glare. Well, the humans that were still there. His glare was icy-cold, capable of freezing fire as he said, “Look at this mess you’ve made.” He punctuated every word, indicating towards the others and himself as proof. “Can’t you act like civilized human beings?” He demanded, before his attention was shifted towards the cave’s entrance, where he witnessed the Living List simply floating along in a breeze and Harper tackling the girl with the pipe into the water. He was about to tear after the list in an effort to get it but he saw that Jasper was handling that particular activity so he turned towards Hakuren, who seemed to have been hit yet again.

Leon winced, feeling a bit bad for the guy. There was a prominent wound on his head and blood seeped down the side of his face, but Leon couldn’t deny that Hakuren made it look artistic, somehow, in the weirdest sense. He inclined his head towards the young man and waved a hand to attract his attention, careful not to attract unwanted attention. He felt almost woozy with the amount of people in one place – this was why he didn’t like crowds. Crowds were confusing. At least at parties, he wasn’t forced to work together and interact with them all at the same time. He didn’t even know what he was doing anymore – every single action seemed out of place, unexpected or confusing. Leon had absolutely no idea what he himself was thinking anymore; he had no set course upon which to act and that disoriented him. So he did look slightly confused as he motioned towards Hakuren. He pranced over a few rocks and scrunched up his nose in distaste, hating the mud. At least his earrings were spotless.

“I hope you’re not demented or anything but we need to take down those dudes.” He whispered, hoping the girl’s pole hadn’t knocked all of Hakuren’s sense out of the boy’s cranium. That would’ve been a horrible waste, Leon mused to himself.

A sigh of a questionable kind escaped Hakuren as he sat amidst the piles of rocks. Leon approached, unfazed by much of what was happening around them and made his suggestion. Pushing himself in order to stand on his two legs, it was as if the psychology student saw being made to rise abruptly as a small, irritating matter. Taking one step forward towards Mado, the trios were now closely together. He looked at her and whispered words only the three of them could hear.
"Mado-chan, retrieve the list, will you? Cut anything as much as you like, just not the paper. And Leo," he glanced sideways at his partner in crime, a small line of red going down his temple. "wrestling isn't a good idea right now. Just follow my lead."
Taking one step back, he looked at them both, hands in his pockets, relaxed, as if he had met up with friends and had not a care in the world. But behind this farce of inactivity lied a hidden agenda. Once assured that the stones beneath his feat were just the right base he desired, Hakuren bent his knees only a little bit, presumably about to crouch, yet sprang sideways, towards Luke and Leila.
At a high speed he raced, using the information he had gathered about the terrain in his advantage. Not once did he quiver. Not once did he trip. It was either his precise memory brought into action or the fact that the cocktail of hormones, served after the first blow to the head, had set the body on an auto survival mode. Chances were it was both, with a pinch of the madness that dwells within each of us. How insane the lad was on the inside could not determined quite easily, but it could certainly be said by examining his appearance. A young man racing at full speed, with blood splattered on his head and shoulders, still dripping as he moved. The slight grin, which grew with every fleeting moment, was the cherry on top.
Drops of crimson stained the cave's floor as the youngster headed forwards like a torpedo. His course appeared determined, not a thing could divert him from his path. However, just as he neared his target, suddenly he took a sharp turn to the side, where the man's hand was occupied with holding Leila's handcuffs. Once establishing his new position, he jumped backwards, in order to use a stone to thrust himself forwards and landed where the hooded's back initially faced. Once more he made a sharp turn, yet made sure to leap and jump further away, for he would now be facing the pipe's side and getting hit once more would lead to disastrous consequences. At all times, he made sure to keep his green-blue eyes on his opponent, in order to head-dodge and evade the metal weapon. Soon enough, he completed a full circle around the stranger and began another and another, this time even faster and gradually shortened the distance between them. This logically made not much sense at first, yet had plenty of reasoning behind the curtain.

In the short time Hakuren had lived in this current life, there were many things he had experienced. Joy, sadness, curiosity, pain. The pleasures almost always weighed as much as the hardships. An inevitable element of his growing up was the common lawless street. Despite never having one defined home, in which he belonged, there had been many alleys, streets, lanes and the like, which he had crisscrossed and examined with the curiosity of a cat. It was impossible for him to not learn that the old phrase "curiosity kills the cat" was not simply a figure of speech. In his younger years, he had gotten caught and beaten several times, yet each time he found himself rising and becoming stronger. For better or for worse "stronger" was not directly used in the literal sense of the world. Of course, his body inevitably toughened a bit, but he did not earn nicely formed sweaty muscles, a gigantic back or plates. Apparently, the boy's body was never built for it. Instead, his legs became powerful enough to sustain a time-consuming run, in other words, his stamina rose and so did his speed and agility. Between fight and flight, he had always chosen flight, knowing that he could never knock out someone with just one punch, unless it was some miracle. This decision enhanced his hips, tights and feet enough to save his life many times when he got on the nerves of the wrong crowd. The occasional obstacles lying around, such as boxes, trashcans, benches, sleeping people, bottles, and basically trash, had increased his ability in judging his surroundings quickly for the purpose of maneuvering or utilizing the said items against his pursuers. It had been amusing to see how people flared and yelled at him, once he reached a place they could not reach. He had had to bare a good amount of beat when he began venturing out into the dangerous areas, but it was all well worth it.

The situation at hand did not offer any specific objects, other than stones perhaps, yet kicking them would be hard and bending to grab one would be far too pricy. Thus the lad in the midnight green coat did the best thing he could. Confuse the opponent. The stranger had Leila in his grasp, which limited his movements significantly. Furthermore, he had to keep track of Hakuren's consistent shifting, which undoubtedly would make one's head slightly dizzy after awhile. If he did not pay attention when the youngster headed for the back, there would automatically be an opening, which Hakuren attempted to take a couple of times, yet failed (?). Regardless of his misses, he kept on circling the man, coming closer and then backing away, in order to avoid the pipe and kicks that got sent his way. There was no need to hurry. He had all the time in the world.

She watched through the net, as if watching a television, all the commotion with great interest, before losing her interest. It was good and all but it wasn't that exciting as she'd thought. It was like watching someone else struggle through a net, which, coincidentally, was what she was under at the moment. A fleeting thought of how people view others through the television went through her mind, something about being so detached from them one can laugh at a tragedy or hope for that one woman to die because she was annoying. Perhaps she could have spouted some sort of poetry or some foppish comment about one's relation to the TV, but the medication she always took wasn't exactly friendly to philosophy. Mado didn't even know what foppish means.

"Ah."

Some woman took the net off them. Who was she and what was she doing here? Was she in the New People greeting thing they had much much earlier when Mado still had her shoes?

Her train of thoughts was broken as Haku came up to her, getting uncomfortably close.

"Mado-chan, retrieve the list, will you? Cut anything as much as you like, just not the paper."

The list? The last person who had it was that man over there, who had simply watched Jasper fall down.

"Did you hear that, miss?" The gentleman stood up and dusted himself off. He was visibly annoyed at being trapped under a net. "We get to cut them up."

He gave a wide grin. "Ladies first?"

She took out the old wooden handle in her(Leon's) jacket's pocket, giving it a spin using the ring attached to the pommel. With a flick of her wrists, a rather disproportionally large blade came out of the handle. Mado held it diagonally towards the ground, feeling its weight in her hand. It was the rather ordinary looking cleaver some members of the group would recognize; the same blade she had picked out from the Shakespearean. However, it was far from ordinary; being a weapon designed to fight monsters, it had, by its own accord, survived the huge squid's attack and the ship's subsequent destruction, and returned to her pocket in a more compact form. Of course, seeing as there were nothing it could be useful for up until this point, it lay in her pocket unused.

Mado sighed and threw the blade towards Sacha. It zoomed by just mere inches from his neck, before slamming into the wall with excessive force, sending bits of debris flying.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Did I miss?"

With her left hand holding her kitchen knife, she held up her right, as the cleaver flew right back into her hand.

"Next time, I'll take your head."

"No no, you need to take the list from him." The gentleman whispered in her ear. "Make him an offer he can't refuse."

"Give me the list and your head comes off."

She rushed towards Sacha, flinging aside the huge cleaver. Instead of flying off to nowhere, it orbited around Mado and curved towards him from the left, as she swung her knife from the right.

The water suddenly started to bubble and Sacha quickly moved back in time for the boy to heave himself out of the pool closely followed by ???. He grabbed on to her arms and gently lifted the girl out as she panted for air, quickly taking out the list and showing it to her before stashing it back in his pocket. Before he could suggest that they retreat something whizzed past him, narrowly missing and instead embedded itself inside the stone cave wall.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Did I miss?"

He spun around quickly, stepping in front of their leader who was still gasping for breath to face the brown haired girl who had thrown the… meat cleaver? Why was this girl throwing around meat cleavers? She had another knife in her left hand as well.

"Next time, I'll take your head."

Of all the types of people this group of humans could have, they had a psychotic knife wielder murderer. Great.

Discreetly he pressed the folded list into ???’s hands, not once taking his eyes off the girl. As he crouched slowly in anticipation for another attack.

"Give me the list and your head comes off."

Give her the list AND his head comes off? Well then.

Sure enough the girl dashed towards him, throwing the cleaver that curved towards him (great, it was a magical cleaver. Just his luck.) preparing to slash at him from the right. With the pond behind he had no choice but to lunge at the girl, tackling her and throwing her back with enough force to throw her back a few meters. He felt slightly sorry for doing so as she was quite a bit smaller than him, but judging by the fact that she was actively trying to take his head off felt a lot less guilt than he usually would have.
Sacha gestured at ??? who was still behind him to try to give the signal to leave now they had what they wanted. He didn’t want to spend any more time dealing with these people than he had to especially if there ended up being more than one person off their figurative rocker.

They had the list, the living list.

Sacha pressed it into her hands and for a moment she simply stared. They had to leave, NOW. Time didn't matter in Nowhere, it didn't matter to them anymore either, but the word "now" repeated inside her head, over and over again. She gave Sacha a nod and was just about to turn the other way when something sailed past them and embedded itself into the mossy cave wall. It was cleaver. ??? turned to look at the now free humans then at the knife stuck to the wall. Yes, they had to leave.

"Give me the list and your head comes off."

No, they weren't going to hand over the list. "No, but perhaps you'd like to join us for cakes and tea in the future?" There was no malice in her voice and if anything, she was sincere. They didn't mean any harm after all, they simply needed the list for reasons. What those reasons were, well, they were blurry, but she'd try to remember, later.

The girl with the knives approached Sacha and ??? who had caught her breath by then held up her pipe. However before she could aim for Mado's head her friend tackled the knife wielding girl and sent the cleaver clattering to the ground. ??? picked it up and looked at her reflection, it was shiny. "Luke, Gary, Sacha...let's go." She didn't want to risk them losing the list and didn't see the point of staying any longer.

"Uh, yeah, I've kinda got my hands full at the moment." Luke looked chipper, despite the serious look in his eyes. Hakuren was proving to be annoying, even with his bleeding head he was still pretty speedy. He ran around Luke in circles, throwing kicks and punches every time he saw an opening. Luke managed to avoid most, but at one point a kick caught him in the side and he released Leila. There wasn't any reason to keep her hostage anymore, he winced and staggered back before chuckling. "Ouch, you've got quick feet but I really don't want to hit you again. So why don't you let us leave and we'll invite you guys to a dinner with death next time?" Luke gave Hakuren and Leon a smile, his eyes always focusing on them. "Really, we're friends." He placed a hand of Leila's shoulder and pushed her towards the running Hakuren, hoping they'd collide.

They didn't have time for this...or maybe they had all the time in the world.

Luke dashed out of the circle the moment he had pushed Leila at Hakuren then spun around so he had his back against a rock. It wouldn't be wise if he looked away from his enemies after all. "Well, catch you next time, I guess?" He looked to Gary then to Sacha and ???. Everyone was accounted for. "Gargar, let's just go." He called out, hoping his friend would start waving her pole around. They had the list now, it was time to leave.

Welp, who knew any of the new humans could run this fast? So far the challenger was able to evade most of her swings, although Pinky (unknowingly named so by Mr. Philosophy Pants) took pride in the fact that at the very least, she managed to graze Ace every now and then. Not enough to stop her from her running, but eh… Who cared? It wasn’t as if she wanted to fight in the first place.

Ei, her hair is almost the same color as Vicky’s!

Gary readied herself and was almost about to swing the pole yet again, only to have her gaze redirected to something … bouncy. Goddamn, look at them bewbs! Hers weren’t even close to that size. (Wait, what the hell was she doing having thoughts about some random girl’s boobies?) Gary stiffened and held a hand to her head. It wasn’t anything romantic, that was for sure; the pink-haired lass was pretty sure that she made that observation out of something. Something what, though? Jealousy? (Nope.) Anger? (Now why would she be angry at them bewbies?) What? She felt clammy all of a sudden. Just… Why…? What? “You know, it’s just that Leon-“

Wait.

Oh my freaking hellamacaroni-

Leon!

“I can’t believe I forgot my own boyfriend!” Gary squeaked, turning pale as her hand flew up to cover her mouth to subdue the horrified gasp that came from within. W-well. Play it cool, Gargar. It’s not as if Leon’s gonna know that he flew out your mind for a few seconds- OMG WHO WAS SHE KIDDING she forgot all about her pretty little Leon- Auuuuuugh!

Leon!
(No, not the guy with the feet-ers, duh. Her Leon wouldn’t be caught dead with those things dangling from anywhere on his body.) …. On second thought…. Gary whipped around to search for the guy with the feet-ers. He did look familiar, so what if he was…!? I mean, they had the same hair color, body build-

“Aw hell no, that’s not Leon. At least, not my Leon,” She muttered as Ace flew past her, yanked the net up and set her captive friends free. Welp. Looks like the cats were truly out of their bags now.

Forgetting that a certain philosopher might want to donk her on the head as revenge, Gary stayed in her position, still fueled by an adrenaline rush that didn’t come from anything that was happening around her. Instead, as her friends ran around getting semi-beheaded/almost drowning/tandem attacked, she was frozen in her spot, wondering how she was able to forget someone so important. Well, she was kinda busy, so that was a reason but… “Ayyyy, never mind! I’m too busy to think about this!” She shrieked and hopped up. She swerved around to look at Ace, an admiring expression on her face that was most obviously directed at her opponent’s speediness (and not other parts of her body specifically the chest area, the past was past!). “We still gonna fight?” Gary chirped and was about to add something more to her statement if not for the whoosh of steel through the air, and then the shrieking noise of metal embedding in stone. It came from her blind side, so she turned around only to see Sacchin- SACCHIN!- facing off with some killer hybrid human with two knives (well one was a butcher knife). God, these people were crazy!

She was about to rush to Sacchin’s aid, but ??? was more than capable to handle the situation. Instead, she redirected her efforts to Luke, who was now cornered. “See ya later!” Gary waved at Ace before slipping past the other girl, effectively swinging her pole around to intimidate the humans from closing in on her and Luke. “Oi, you ever heard of personal space? No? Then clear off, people! Hey Luke, piggyback ride, okay!?” She swung her staff again for good measure, then tugged at the tall male’s sleeve to get his attention.