[IC] Always Enemies ((FMN && Gilgamesh))

[Gilgamesh]

Adrian hesitated to tell her what she wanted. The consequences of what could happen first came to mind and Alexis' anger if he told anyone, but he pressed on regardless. Feeling the problem growing ever larger within the confines of his own head, he had to get this out. "I suppose I can tell her... Maybe actually trust her." Despite this, Adrian shifted uncomfortably at the thought of telling her anything. He was warned about trusting and getting close to others, but there was a nagging thought in the back of his head. He almost found it silly to consider his own rival the very person deserving of his trust, but right now, it seemed like a good idea.

"...I went to see...my sister, Barakiel. You might've heard about her. I went to watch her fight and she took down Shifter, but Silvermist and Glorious teamed up to take her down. It was... difficult to watch."

Dillon nodded her head, "Nice to meet you, Josh. Yeah, I know. Adrian isn't much of a talker either." For a brief moment she watched him walk away before turning to continue her work on her armor.

[RadioActivity]

Lydia listened carefully, registering a small shock of surprise when he said that his sister was at the school. "Your sister? So power runs in your family then." Lydia looked up at him, surprised. "I kind of wish I'd went yesterday then..." she thought a moment, before looking over at him. "Shifter? Let's see.. oh. Your sister is the number three ranked Junior hero, then. That's impressive. You must be really proud of her." She smiled, stretching a bit. "The heroes' fights are really different than the villains' fights... they want us to be able to fight laterally... or something... and they're not as vicious. I don't know. But if she's your sister, I have no doubt she'll rise to the top."

[Gilgamesh]

"I am proud of her," Adrian breathed easier now. It felt like a weight had been momentarily lifted off his shoulders. "I am proud of her, but I don't want her to be successful. I mean," he corrected upon realizing how that sounded. "I want her to do well, but if she reaches the number one ranked spot she'll be able to take the exit exam. Meaning that the person I'm suppose to protect and care for, instead is to be my enemy who I must destroy. It certainly doesn't help that she doesn't like or trust me."

[RadioActivity]

"I could see how that would be a problem." Lydia nodded. "We just have to graduate for sure then. I mean, if your sister fights anything like you, I don't want to fight two of you." She gave him a small smile. "And I don't know about your situation, yours and your sister's, but I can't imagine that she dislikes or distrusts you. When you were upset about the two heroes tagteaming her... it sounded to me like you didn't trust her to be able to take care of herself in the arena. Which is clearly not the case. She's number three. She's taken her share of damage and knows what she's doing." Lydia reached for her waterbottle. "I'm kind of envious. I always wondered what it was like to have a brother or sister. Or to be wanted. Although, you make it sound like having a sibling is pretty tough."

[Gilgamesh]

Adrian hesitated to tell her more, "We aren't exactly alike. Believe me, she dislikes and distrusts me. Guess it sort of runs in the family or something."

"Do I really distrust her to protect herself?" he inquired to himself, but shook the thought from his head, deciding the now was more important. Although he found himself impressed that Lydia could give him something to ponder on.

"Maybe I do distrust her, but it's also my job to protect her, I made a promise. Just standing there as Alexis was assaulted... it stirred something within me." Adrian's eyes scanned her again upon hearing her say 'to be wanted.'

[i ]"I want you,"[/i] he thought, yet he couldn't find the courage to actually speak the words. He didn't even know if she felt the same, which discouraged his possible advances. Not to mention he wasn't sure if the way he wanted her was the way she was speaking of. [i]"Christ. Come on, Adrian. Control yourself here."[/I ]

"It's not great having a sibling. Always worrying about their well-being gets tiresome, but worst of all she doesn't even worry about me."

[RadioActivity]

"I always imagined that nice happy little family scenario. A mom that stays at home and cooks and cares about her kids, and a dad that works too much and comes home and tells us he loves us, and a snotty little brother or sister who acts like they're better than me but still cares. I used to think this little brother I never had looked up to me, but we still got in fights all the time because he felt like he had to prove it. I'd act like I hated him but still beat up anyone who hurt him. I haven't thought about this childish memory for years. Since I got my powers and entered high school. Decided I wanted to carve out my name on the plane of existence, my way... Kind of embarrassing to talk about but you embarrassed yourself plenty last night." Lydia thought absently a moment before smirking a bit. "You should have seen my mom's face when that high school recruitment rep came to our house. 'My little girl has powers?...' She looked like she'd been cold-clocked. She didn't even know, even though I'd had them for five years."

[Gilgamesh]

"I saw that very image a few times in my father's universe," he replied to the image Lydia painted for him. "Yet I never experienced it," he said, but left it at that as he suddenly felt both uncomfortable and bad. Here was Lydia, his very rival, opening up to him, but he couldn't find it within himself to really open up.

Adrian shifted in the jacuzzi, "Listen, the very reason no knows Barakiel is my sister is because our powers are drastically different. She is capable of manipulating lightning and summon lances without speaking a word. We'd both prefer to keep the entire school in the dark, otherwise others might use it against us, and who knows how that'll make her look as a hero. Don't make me regret telling you, Lydia. "

Adrian rose from the jacuzzi and stepped out, deciding that he was growing more uncomfortable the longer he sat there, but he stopped and looked at her, "By the way, about what I said about your eyes and getting in a jacuzzi more often...I meant it," Adrian then proceeded to grab a towel and walk away.

[RadioActivity]

"Don't worry, Adrian, your secret is safe with me." Lydia stretched a bit. "I don't even have anyone to tell, and I can understand how tough it would be..." She tipped her head back, watching him get out of the jacuzzi. Moment lost. Sort of. Agh... His words brought a blush across her face and she turned her face towards the far wall, letting him leave without stopping him. Smooth as fuck, Adrian. Completely smooth. I am absolute putty for hearing stuff like that. Lydia closed her eyes, getting lost in her thoughts. Ughhh, I am gonna make a mistake here. He's a stepping stone on my path to victory. You don't fantasize about the stepping stones. She got out of the jacuzzi as well, deciding she'd go take a nap or something. Maybe he's right. Maybe I do need to find a dick.

The next morning, Lydia was sleeping soundly in her bed when she felt something sliding up her leg. She sat up with a start, kicking and screaming at it. The sound echoed through the room and she froze when she realized the whole room was filled with thick, creeping vines that trailed along the ground and up the walls, and wrapped around her bedframe... and was currently trying to wrap around her leg. She kicked at it before stumbling to her feet. She tried to get into her closet to get dressed but the vines had sealed it shut. She was wearing a skimpy sleep tanktop and her shortest, comfiest sleep shorts. If anyone makes a comment about my sleepwear, I'll kill them. She made it to the bedroom door and threw it open, stumbling into the hallway. "What the fuck is going on?" she yelled down the hall, hoping someone would hear her. The whole hallway, probably most of the house, even, was covered in these creeping vines that moved slowly, inching up the walls and onto the counters and threaded their way delicately around barstools. "This better not be someone's idea of a fucking joke."

[Gilgamesh]

Adrian's eyes shot open as he felt something beginning to constrict his arms, legs, and chest. He looked down to see a series of vines wrapped around his body. Slowly one inched up the side of his neck and over it, "What in the hell?"

"Arcesso duo digladio!" he summoned, two broadswords appeared, and he telekinetically cut the vines in half as he ripped and pushed them off of him. He tossed the vines to the side as he gripped one of the swords, cut the vines that were attached to his door, and telekinetically cut away at a few that dared to approach him. He had to pry the door open and away from the vines that attached themselves to it from the outside. "Are we under attack?"

Adrian stepped into the hallway to see Lydia looking mighty fine. "I don't know if she looks better in swimwear or sleepwear. Either way, this is a nice wake up call. Well, aside from nearly getting strangled by some fuckin' vines, of course." Adrian shook his head, regaining control of his eyes and removing the thoughts from his head, approached her and asked, "What the hell is happening?"

"What the fuck is going on?" Dillon heard someone say and she steadily sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked about her room and noticed it was the same as she went to sleep. "What's goin' on?" she thought as she stretched and rose from her bed. She walked out the door and was immediately greeted by the sight of of vines curving and arcing across the hallway.

Whoa!" she exclaimed, flabbergasted. "What is that?!"

"Dillon!" she turned her head to see Adrian who happened to notice her come out of her room, and motioned his head for her to come to him.

She ran over to him, "What's going on?" she asked carefully, unsure if she even wanted an answer.

[RadioActivity]

Lydia shook her head, scowling. "I have no fucking idea what's going on... I don't think we're under attack... These things might have tried to molest me but I'm not sure there's any intent... Where the hell is Willow? Did this thing get him?" She tugged her top down, suddenly awkward about it. "These vines locked me out of my closet... I swear if this is someone's idea of a joke, I'm going to kill someone. This is so stupidly embarrassing..." she looked at Dillon's room. "Why the hell are YOU so lucky that you don't have any vines molesting you while you sleep?" She stormed off down the hallway, heading towards where where the vines seemed to be coming from. They all seemed to be coming from the same room, and Lydia peered in. "I think this is where it's coming from?" she yanked at the door and ripped it off the hinges. The room was knee deep in vines covering everything, and all the vines seemed to becoming from a deeply asleep Willow, who was drenched in sweat and whimpering.

Lydia stormed in but the vines rose up and stopped her from entering. "Oof! WILLOW!" she yelled through the door. "WILLOW GET YOUR STUPID ASS UP. I AM BASICALLY NAKED IN THE HALL!" She pounded her fists against the vines. "URGH." She looked over at Adrian. "Adrian, you have swords, cut these things down."

[Gilgamesh]

"I-I don't know," Dillon replied as she shrugged to Lydia's question

"The damn things tried to practically strangle me in my sleep," interjected Adrian before Lydia stormed off toward seemingly the originating place of the vines. "Willow did this? Was he trying to kill me?"

Adrian and Dillon trailed behind Lydia as she removed the door by the hinges, much to Dillon's surprise. "Holy shit," she said, stepping back. "That's some serious strength."

"Behold the power that is Steelia."

Lydia pounded on the vines protecting Willow, yet he seemed to be in a deep slumber. "He did this when he was asleep? I wonder what else he can do if he was awake..."

"Adrian, you have swords, cut these down," Lydia said to him.

Complying, Adrian said, "Arcesso duo digladio." Adrian tossed Lydia the sword in his hand so that she may also chop away at the vines in case anymore formed. He then began chopping away at the rest of the vines with the other two swords he summoned.

[RadioActivity]

Lydia hacked at the vines that came out from the bottom of the door, angrily wondering what was going on. She grunted and panted. "What the fuck, Willow?" She said, annoyed. "Why is he doing this?"

Finally Adrian managed to hack through and Lydia ran and jumped into it, landing on her knees. "I feel like I'm in a den of snakes!" Lydia shuddered, but she ran over to Willow who was sleeping in the center, shuddering and sweating in fear.

Lydia punched him in the face and he awoke with a start, the vines beginning to retreat towards his body, the ones that weren't cut crawling back onto themselves. He sat up, taking deep breaths, the sweat shining on his skin. "I... I'm sorry." He murmured. "I... I was having a bad dream..." the vines crawled back and receded against him, eventually disappearing, all but the ones they'd cut.

"A bad dream? Don't be such a little bitch." Lydia said angry. "I just ran across the house almost naked because you were having a little nightmare?"

"I... it was about the villain matches..." he pulled his phone out. "I... it was about..." he hesitated, before staring at his phone. "Her... her photo's gone." He choked back a sob. "I didn't delete it. I didn't delete it." He threw his phone, and curled up in a ball.

"Willow, what the fuck are you saying?" Lydia scowled. "Stop talking nonsense. Man up." Lydia suddenly gasped as Willow's vines suddenly slammed into her, slamming her into the wall.

"You never listen to me!" Willow was clearly upset and out of control. The wall began cracking. "I swear to god, she came here! She came here last night, I," he choked.

"I don't even know what you're talking about." Steelia muttered, writhing under the vines. "Who did?"

[Gilgamesh]

Adrian leaned against the wall as he watched Willow attempt to explain what had happened. Dillon stood a ways back, but still inside the room.

"He did all this because of a bad dream? I have to wonder what he'll do in an actual fight. He had a nightmare about the junior matches? Tsk. The kid is afraid of his own damn shadow."

"So it was about her!" thought Dillon. "Oh, Willow. We should've told them sooner, maybe then you wouldn't be like this... She came here?" Something within Dillon stirred, something that made her sick to know such a monstrous beast might've gotten into the mansion somehow.

Just then, Willow assaulted Lydia and Adrian's sword was lifted and he swung it again in a flash. He cut down the vine constricting Lydia to the wall. Adrian's eyes then slid over to Willow, and the swords honed in on him like missiles, ready to be fired. "Wrong move, kid."

"No!" Dillon called out as she attempted to stop Adrian. "He's just frustrated! And scared!"

[RadioActivity]

Willow stopped moving before turning his head to stare at Adrian, shaking. "If she came here, if she can do this... go ahead and kill me. I'd rather be stabbed. I don't want to be killed by her."

"Adrian, it's okay," Lydia rubbed at her throat. "I've known Willow for years... he'd never act like this without a reason. Willow, what's wrong with you?" She brushed some hair out of her face. She looked down at herself. "Willow, calm yourself down. I'm gonna get dressed. Once you're calm, I want to know all about whoever you're talking about... because if they're making you want to die and freak out..."

Willow let out a small choking sob. "I don't know, I don't remember..." he shook his head. "I had a picture of one of the junior villains, she... I don't know why I took it. I don't remember her name. It's all gone. She must have come somehow and taken it. My picture is gone and her name is missing from my data but I know... I didn't make her up."

"So someone, a junior villain, came into your room last night, and deleted a picture off your phone?" Lydia raised an eyebrow. "How, Willow? No doors were opened. No one came in. Your window's sealed... your door was locked."

"... I don't know." Willow said, miserably. "I don't remember."

[Gilgamesh]

Adrian shook his head disapprovingly, "Regardless, if you can't control your powers even in your sleep, how can I trust you to do so on a battlefield?"

"Adrian, give him a chance, he's just really freaked out. We didn't see what he saw," Dillon said as she walked over to the phone and picked it up. "He's right. Void's picture is gone."

"I gave him a chance simply by staying in the same house as him, but then his vines infiltrated my room, constricted me, and then he hurled Lydia across the room. The exit exam is far worse than any of the matches, but if he can't handle a dream, then why should I expect I trust him as an ally when things are real?" Adrian turned to the door before looking over his shoulder and saying, "Get a grip, kid. It's time to man up."

"Adrian..." Dillon said, and for the first time Adrian heard a hint of anger in her voice. "Don't you think we should be more focused on the fact that a lunatic just snuck into the secured mansion we're staying in?"

"Yeah, we should. I'll see if Benjamin knows anything he isn't telling us," that's when Adrian remembered how sketchy it was that Benjamin invited them to his house. "But why would a junior villain sneak into a manion just to delete a picture? Well, maybe there's something else around here we're missing..."

Adrian then proceeded to make his way to Benjamin's room.

[RadioActivity]

Lydia went to her room and put some clothes on. She didn't understand what had happened, but she knew that something was seriously wrong with Willow. She decided to go check up on Adrian. She supposed she felt flattered that he'd helped protect her when WIllow had gone off the deep end. She pressed her face against the cool wood of her closet door, blushing a bit. So embarrassing. I could have taken care of myself... Why did he have to come save me? ... Still though. He looked so cute, all angry like that. Defending me. She went and looked for Adrian, wondering where he'd disappeared to.

Willow took a deep breath. "Thank you, Dillon," he murmured. "Thank you for defending me... I... I just got so frustrated. They wouldn't listen to me." He shook his head. "I... I don't know. Void?" he questioned. "That must have been her. I wonder if she came through my dreams..." He buried his face in his hands. "I feel like I'm not safe anymore... If they can come to attack me in the dead of night, I'm never going to be safe again."

[Gilgamesh]

Outside Benjamin's room, Adrian.

Adrian made his way to Benjamin's room that was a floor above his own, and knocked on Benjamin's large, golden door, "This is a bit much," he thought, but then he looked about the mansion. "Then again, everything here is a bit much." Adrian then glanced at a nearby clock hung on the wall and noted the time.

He attempted to turn the handle on the door, but the door was locked. After a few moments no one came to answer the door, and Adrian beat upon the door again, harder and faster now. "Where's Lydia when you need her?"

Just then, a handsome and well-muscled man in his underwear peaked our from behind the door, "Yes?"

"Where's Benjamin?" asked Adrian.

The man opened the door further for Adrian to come in. Adrian walked into the well-lavished and expensive room and to the left laid a sleeping Benjamin in his California king sized bed with nine other nude men and women. Adrian walked to the bed and nudge him once, and Benjamin only stirred slightly. Adrian pushed him even harder and Benjamin's eyes fluttered open.

"Adrian," he said groggily. "Sorry, but I think you're a little late for the party, but we can restart if ya want."

"Someone infiltrated your mansion."

"...Is that, like, a metaphor or something? 'Cause I mainly do all the infiltrating," he said with wink and chuckle as he sat up.

"No, someone snuck into where we sleep and deleted a picture."

Benjamin suddenly perked up upon Adrian's words, but he quickly relaxed again when Adrian said they only deleted a picture.

Benjamin waved away his concern, "I'm sorry chap, but if all they did was delete a picture, I fail to see an issue. Maybe it's a nude pic? Those are everywhere..."

"Are you serious? You don't see a problem here? The issue is that someone was able to somehow come into where one of us sleeps, and could've done any number of things to us, but didn't. We were vulnerable, all of us. Including your... prostitutes."

"Adrian, please! Have a little tact! They're escorts!"

"My dorm room may have been small and far less...gold at S.U.P.E.S., but at least I knew when someone came in and I could properly defend myself."

"Listen, I'm sure this is just a process of being number one. Besides, there are a plethora of super powered teens who have powers to sneak around, and then use them just to delete a picture for any number of reasons. This doesn't seem like anything to worry about."

Willow's room, Dillon and Willow.

"You're welcome," said Dillon and she sat down next to Willow on his bed. "Listen, we need to keep calm. Especially now or else we'll end up tearing one another apart. Through your dreams? Are you sure? If so, I don't even know how we could combat that..."

[RadioActivity]

Willow shook his head. "I don't know... I don't have any honest idea how it happened. My door was locked, my windows were locked. I slept all night, but I had horrendous dreams... I can't imagine any other way they got in..." he murmured. He looked over at her, his hesitation and fear showing on his face. He studied her, entirely, his eyes looking over her scarlet hair, seeming to absorb her vibrancy and kindness. He debated to himself a moment before sighing. "Sorry. I... I was just acting ridiculous. I can't even remember the dream I had. Maybe I deleted the picture. I don't know... It's all so... hazy now." He shook his head. "All of it... I ... I had a nightmare and I made a fool of myself." He looked away. "Thank you, though... so much... for..." he hesitated. "Everything. But I don't even remember what I'm upset about anymore... so..." He looked over at her. "I need to take a shower and then clean up the vines you guys cut."

Lydia didn't see Adrian anywhere on the first floor, and she looked up the stairs to the second floor. I don't see him anywhere... She frowned to herself. The second story is Benjamin's floor and I don't know if I even want to go up there. I don't even know what's going on up there. She picked up a bagel from the kitchen. But if Willow's scared out of his mind like that, something's wrong. I've known him for... he's been my sidekick for almost three and a half years now. She realized this with a start. That's an awful long time to know someone, considering I didn't even know he was a plant manipulator. She looked at one of the vines lying on the kitchen floor. Or even his real name. He's always just kind of been there, upbeat, saying we'd work together and we'd take on whatever came our way. I thought he was a real nut. I never imagined he could have been number one. But if he can do all this in his sleep, he must have been holding back, this whole time.

That was startling to her, that thought. Is it really possible that Willow could have been graduated already? Someone with this much power, what was he doing on the bottom? Even more than that, why isn't he a hero? She hopped on the kitchen counter, her dark wash blue jeans sliding smoothly over the countertop, crossing her legs at the ankles. He could probably be a hero with this power. What's he doing fucking around as a sidekick? She took a bite of her bagel, chewing it absentmindedly. She ended up lying down on the counter, holding the bagel above her face, taking periodic bites while she stared at the ceiling and thought about the possibility Willow might have been telling the truth. If they had been broken into in the night, if Willow had really seen something scary at the games, and she had really come into their house, then Lydia owed him a huge apology. And Willow didn't make a habit of lying. The thought of having to apologize put an annoyed pout on her face.

[Gilgamesh]

Benjamin's room, Adrian and Benjamin

"Well, could you tell me if there are any possible points of entry?"

"They're all over this magnificent mansion!"

"I mean ones we can't find on our own."

"Nope. What? You think I have a secret passage somewhere? HA! Well, actually, that's not a bad idea..."

"This is pointless," exasperated Adrian. "Forget it. We'll do something on our own about it."

"Have fun!"

Adrian walked out of Benjamin's room and descended the stairs to the kitchen.

Willow's room, Dillon and Willow

"Oh, right," she said before standing up from the bed. "I should probably go."

With a wave bye Dillon walked out of Willow's room and into the hallway, "Fudge," she thought. "This will be even worse than the last exit exam. Not only do we have to worry about what goes on in the arena, but where we sleep. I don't even know how we begin to take measures to protect ourselves in our dreams..." Dillon sighed, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Adrian descend the steps, and ran after him.

"Hey!"

Adrian abruptly stopped and looked at her, "Yeah?"

"Where'd you go?"

"I went to talk with Benjamin," he said as continued walking towards the kitchen and she waked alongside him.

"About what happened?"

"That is correct. Strangely enough, he wasn't overly worried about it."

"I think you need to apologize to Willow."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yes, like that."

"No, I mean, what?"

"Well, he had just been through something obviously traumatic, but you only berated him for his lack of control. It was pretty insensitive."

"It was also the truth. I stated it and he knows where we stand. Either he gets over it or allows it to get to him. Either way, I don't care as long as I win the exit exam."

"Why are you like this? I think it would alleviate some tension in the house."

"Look, while you're busy discussing feelings, I'll be doing something productive and useful. Like checking to make sure nothing like this happens again."

Dillon stopped following him and stormed off in the opposite direction.

Adrian walked into the kitchen to be greated by the sight of Lydia on the counter. "Enjoying your bagel?" he asked.

[RadioActivity]

Lydia looked over at him, before swallowing her bite, letting her arm fall against the counter. "No. Actually, I kind of feel like a dick. I mean, Willow's been with me for like, three and a half years, and I treated him like shit. I don't really understand why he freaked out like that, but I should trust him by now." She sat up, crossing her legs. "He's always matched me. For three and a half years, he matched me rank for rank. Isn't that weird?" She looked at her bagel before taking a bite. She was silent a moment. "I should have trusted him more in the three years I know him... I guess I've got to apologize to him, but... I'm just... annoyed." She frowned to herself. "... Adrian, he seems pretty solidly strong for a sidekick... I don't know. I guess I don't know what I'm thinking. I guess I'm wondering why he's a sidekick. I kind of thought they became sidekicks and stuff when they couldn't be heroes."