All the Sallies on Fire [Open]

[Drake Pathos]

Zooming through a warped space, Darius had slammed through a bright light. A distorted image of Twilight Town came before him. Faster and faster it neared, the image proportioning itself more and more until it became normal. Another flash of light, and Darius was suddenly in a dark forest. To those within, a bright light illuminated the forest, a spaghettified image of Darius shaping into a normal Darius. He gasped for air, stumbling about until he found his bearings. Again, he had been warped through space. He needed the damn mages to fix him. As he fell against tree, he felt his body slide into a sitting position. Panting, he held a hand to his chest and saw Wildheart was nearby, sticking in the ground. Darius' trembling hands took hold of his pen and notepad. After steadying, the boy made an orb of wind containing fire to illuminate what was around him. He assumed he was within Twilight Town, however he was outside of the city portion. Standing up, he retrieved and sheathed his blade before sketching whatever he saw around him. He made sure it was separate from the map of Twilight Town's general area, nor knowing the lengths to draw for a proper addition.

For hours Darius walked around, sketching the forest. Those hours did not see the mark glowing or giving him any sort of feeling, however it seemed endless as he walked around. He even made a trail of holes in the ground to signal where he has gone. Only twice he ran into his symbols. As he finally reached what he did not know as the center of the forest, Darius collapsed. He needed to rest, for most of his stamina was torn away by the mark sending him through space. It was seemingly random, and so was the timing. Being sent through space in such a way in such little time had probably wore him down. Looking at his mark, he noticed that it was red now instead of the engraving it appeared to be. It must have had a random activation time, but a set time for it to recover its gusto. "God...damn...I'm going to fucking kill those mobsters." He was concerned about Terra, as well as Tsumiko. He wasn't concerned for the boy, he would be fine as long as the other two were. He hoped they'd leave the castle safely, at least one of the two. It was alarming that he was forced to leave them without proper guidance over architecture as well as him being deprived of looking for any differences in structure.

[Seeker of Retribution]

He had been surveying Twilight Town for a while, now, getting a feel of everything. Before he began what he needed to do, he wanted to completely survey the landscape. Were there any positions in the town that could be fortified? Where were the choke points? What was the density of the population? These questions and more lead him to wander the town after his information gathering earlier that day. He had bluffed at the beginning of his escapades about being from the forest, but he had not found a way to breach the walls of Twilight Town until he visited the market district.

There, at the very edge of the town, was a large crack in the wall. It sat there somewhat innocently, ignorantly, not wholly aware of the void that it was. Of course it wasn't aware- it was just a hole in a wall, not a talking doorknob. Though, really, that second item was more than a little bit of an oddity. It made a person reevaluate their entire belief structure.

He had visited the whole a few times, but had only ventured into the woods once. He didn't find his way through, if there were a way to go at all, and abandoned the investigation. However he did so return in order to better examine the area. Because of the natural lack of light and the density of the large trees, it was a good place to entrap his prey once he began his hunt. He wanted to examine the validity of this assertion by conduction an... interview, if it could be so called. While he admittedly had felt less motivated to avoid unneeded causalities than in his previous incarnation, wanton destruction wasn't something he was deliberately aiming to do.

It was as he walked through these woods again that he felt the heart of another around with an intense acuity. No, definitely last time he was here there was no other. Instinctively he turned towards the source of the feeling, his ichor eyes focusing as they flooded the dark, dim light of the forest. He could feel the person now, his senses pulsing. However dim the light may be shining this was indeed still thick shadow and Hayden as a result could feel the individual who walked his dark web.

The approach was slow, and then he increased his pace. Not too fast, not too eager. He was stalking, but not hunting. This was to sate curiosity. The odds of his target already in the forest were low, so very likely it was just somethings else. Not a bird, or a bug, but a somebody of some sort. Something of decent size. Something, he could tell, had mana coursing through it. Hayden moved towards the center of the forest, passing a strange symbol along the way. He only slowed to examine it before he kept walking. This symbol did not seem to exude magic, and so it was not important.

Hayden's walk slowed as he approached a figure that lay collapsed and moving on the ground. He stopped short of the young man, about a dozen feet away or so, and stood in a shadow. His eyes shone in the dim light as he stood in a neutral stance, examining the person before him. If he hadn't spoken as he started to approach, he may have appeared as a reaper come to claim its harvest. "Are you alright?" The concern in his voice was off-brand, but it appeared as potent as the original product. He moved to the young man's side and knelt, offering to help him up with an extended hand.

[Drake Pathos]

In pain and bound by exhaustion, the fiery boy had awaited either his recovery or someone to come along. There was a lot of work to do, what with the mob running around and extorting people as well as infecting the city's best with their drugs. It was aggravating to know he was unable to really do anything at the moment, however the time for him would come. He thought of the things he could make, however he lacked the material to actually make them. The big plan was to destroy their drug facility, no matter the location. If he was going to bomb it, he would need something big and voluminous. He thought of finding a way to harness his wildfire into a device, but if he was going to obtain the means either someone would need to sponsor him or he would need to journey to distant lands. Hearing steps from afar, Darius jolted his head in the direction of the sound's origin.

When he looked upon the figure coming to him, he was shocked and frightened at first. The man had not had the appearance of someone kind, at first. But it was because of all the darkness around him, eventually using one hand to shift the orb to illuminate the man before him. Anger filled Darius' face, washing away the giddy or joking nature. "No, I'm not alright. I need to visit some bastards." Darius groaned as he took the hand and lifted himself up gently. Stumbling, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder to stabilize. "I'm gonna kick some ass, right quick. Oi, if you live 'round here what be y'name? Name's Fetch." Darius coughed a little bit as the illuminating orb had been restored of its brilliance. Due to his collapse, it had began decreasing in value. Holding a hand to his abdominal area, the pyro wrapped it around and groaned. "Magic...is a terrible thing at times. 'Specially when it shoves you through a hole repeatedly." Darius was unaware of who the man was, but any help out of the forest was fine.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden noted the young man's accent and spunk. Despite his injuries, he had a fire to him that would have been admirable if Hayden hadn't personally snuffed out similar fires before. Yet, he was not a threat, though he was unique to the others in this world. The young boy had what appeared to be an orb. It emitted a faint light that intensified slightly as he stood with Hayden's help. "I'm Hayden," came the name. "Glad to make your acquaintance, Fetch."

The following sentence surprised Hayden somewhat. There was an implication that the young man was a traveler, but just because he had described something pretty close to a corridor of some kind didn't mean he had come from off world. Hayden did his best to keep the young man standing, his sense of curiosity from earlier compelling him to ask a question. "From what I'm getting, somebody really messed you up and then shoved you through... a magic... tunnel, I guess." If Hayden didn't know that magic existed, or even if Hayden knew magic was real but very little of it, what he would have just said would have sounded crazy.

"So what, or who, happened to you Fetch?"

[Drake Pathos]

Darius spit away from the two before speaking their name. The mob was their name to him, as well as scum. As well as dirty bastards being vampiric against the community and drugging them into comatose, death-like-but-not-quite-there states. They were the bile that he saw back in his homeworld, however Twilight Town was supposed to be his home now. If he had to ruin that bit just to save them, he would. Destruction over extended and possibly failed justice was much better. It was not the smart choice, however it was more effective than waiting for some judge to have greasy money in his hand under the table while he banged a hammer in the name of innocence with his jack-off arm. Darius' orb flared for a moment, as the wildfire within represented itself as the emotion in his mind. It easily fed off the anger and intense feelings the boy had, that was what made him a dangerous wilderness to bond to. He didn't know where their factory was, but taking out drug houses would be almost as effective.

"The mob. Their mercenary mages put this damn mark on my hand that keeps sending me through the so-called tunnels." Darius shook his marked hand furiously, almost shedding a tear in frustration. "It sent me to this castle of ivory. Great but simple architecture. Had to fight some vile beast of black with new-found friends and I was...torn from them. If I knew what the fuck this thing was, I'd be keepin' to m'self." Darius removed his sword from the sheath to use as a walking stick while he recovered. He was furious indeed over the fact that the opportunities given to him could just as easily be taken away. While the mark was inactive, it was certainly dangerous to go prancing about without haste. "Nice t'meet you Hi-Den. Now, I wouldn't mind finding my way out of the forest." Darius smiled mockingly, for there was no happiness in him right now. He felt bad about his past, but he'd need to keep his nature about him if he were to accomplish anything. Use his recklessness for good, to cure the town of their issue. Little did he know, the mob would have some damage done within.

[Seeker of Retribution]

"The mob?" Hayden's first question was not his last, though it was his shortest. He had been observing the worlds for a while, but he didn't recall that name. It might not have been a name at all but a placeholder title of sorts, and maybe he did know who the boy spoke of but not by his name for them.

"I'm really good at Magic," Hayden said earnestly. "Its not a skill I often parade, but I'm actually so good at it that I can break down the composition of a spell when it occurs. The thing is... it has to actually be happening. I can't see them on cool down. I can't know anything until it transports you again." It wasn't a lot, but it may have meant something the kid. "Sorry... about you, and your friends."

He was feigning the sincerity, of course. He personally didn't care as much as he pretended, but a person with what amounted to a star-shard-like "curse" sitting in their hand proved an interesting subject to behold. As the boy attempted to use his sword to maintain his balance, Hayden offered his shoulder. "Just lean on me, we'll go faster this way."

[Drake Pathos]

Darius chuckled when he realized the man didn't even know what a mob was. It was a simple comparison to bandits and gangs, just bigger and badder normally. He waved a hand at the man when he offered him his shoulder and just continued on. "Oi, I need no helpin's from another. I'm a growing boy." Darius was slowly recovering his stamina as the two walked through the forest. Holding out his hand, he showed the man the mark. It was red, but now it had rare spots of black. "Well, I guess you'll get your wish pretty soon. Also no need for the boo-hoo's no one fuckin' means those. Just hope for the best and it'll come...no need for another's hope." Spitting to the ground next to him, he felt the heat of his orb brush against his face. For wind trapping heat, it still couldn't control the wild of his wildfire. "So, Hi-Den, you want to make some fireworks? Sparkle a little fairy dust on good ol' gunpowder, stuff it in a can, and watch the world just fuckin' light up? I got a building to blow and nothing to lose." Darius made a snarling face as he stared ahead. He was determined to get what he wanted. Determined to put the madness of corruption to an end. No mayor would do that or sacrifice themselves in such a way, only a reckless inferno could.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden still wasn't sure what to make of the kid, but an idea struck him as he spoke. An explosion? Something that big and impressive would most certainly cause a distraction for the town, and allow Hayden to more easily begin his assault during the confusion that ensued. Everybody would be looking at the building-bombing suspects... if this went off perfectly, Hayden could kill Amadeo and it would be completely blamable on whoever destroyed that property. That was a long shot- the mayor wouldn't die so easily, but it was also entirely possible that with his guard down or attention drawn elsewhere he wouldn't see Hayden coming.

This assumed the kid didn't get caught. Hayden nodded in confirmation at Darius, before asking, "Are you sure you're up to it right now? You can scarcely stand on your own. Seems like something we should plan on a bit more, because I have no idea where we would be going or exactly what we would be doing. The only thing I know so far is 'blow it sky high'."

[Drake Pathos]

Darius could feel some energy returning back to him, however it wasn't enough to be ready for such an attack. He smirked, looking away as he thought on how the man was right. If he planted the bomb, he'd need to limp away and it would go off before then. But maybe it was better that way, however the job wouldn't be done. No, he'd need to continue on with this dangerous path. Infernos are more effective than glove-slaps any day, and he was set on becoming a sun. In a world so cold, there needed to be a light that melted away the ice. Sometimes that heat needed to collapse things too rooted with such ice. "You're right, so I recommend we continue moving forward. Look, there's a light ahead." Darius pointed to a distant gleam, which grew as they walked further. Darius pondered on the things he would need to accomplish his goals, thinking about the weapon Terra had. Hesitantly, he turned his head to Hayden. "Hi-Den. A keyblade. Y'know what it is? You gots all that fiery pyre-y in you...rell-lah-tivaully speaking. Should know a thing or two right?" Darius stretched out a little as his muscles began feeling out the control being regained.

Slowly, the boy started walking normally, however not HIS kind of normal with all the energy and fire. Darius still considered the idea of a weapon with great, mystical potential. A key to every lock as well as a vicious sword and a nice bit of weightlessness to boot. But there was...another feeling to the keyblade. Despite his reckless nature, Darius was still of the light. Some sort of tingling feeling crawled up in his heart, and it was presumably the feeling of touching something of similar property. A construct...of light. However, the boy didn't identify this as light. Simply, he was a craft savant who thought of it as "good" and his "good" was misplaced. To him, obtaining such a thing wasn't too farfetched. If he could gather more information, and maybe possibly hunt down its properties, he could craft something similar. "I want one. I want to take hold of the blade and use it to enact my goals. It seems so versatile, so magnificent and mystical. I have to have one. I touched one, and it felt great. It felt...I don't know how to explain it."

Darius looked at his hand and shifted his fingers around as if he was disappointed for not having one in his hand. Returning Wildheart to its sheath, he patted the hilt. "Don't worry babe, you're still my first and only." Walking ahead, Darius wondered if it was going to be the exit into the city or something else, however he doubted the forest led anywhere but the whole in the ground. It all depends on where the man led him.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden looked over to the young man, his eyes flat and curious. "A Keyblade," Hayden restated aloud as he thought about it. "Yeah. There are Keyblade Unions all over the Worlds, though most of them are pretty secretive. I have contacts with a few of them." That wasn't entirely untrue. Hayden had contacts in the other unions before he vanished two years ago. The contacts he had since then had dried up. Keyblade Unions weren't exactly low or high profile. They more obvious on trafficked worlds like Traverse Town, and some even kept outposts there- not that they made them obvious.

Hayden was relieved that the boy's pace had returned to normal, and began to walk just ahead of him, leading him back to the way they had come. If the boy had just warped into the forest, odds are that he didn't know the path back out. Hayden remembered his own steps well, and easily retraced them with the young man in tow. "The Keyblade itself dates back a long time, all the back to a terrible war. They say it has the power to open all doors and locks, though I doubt that's the full extent of its power. They aren't exactly easy to come by," he explained. He punctuated with, "and they tend to be picky of their wielders."

Hayden walked a little bit more before asking, "How did you hear about the Keyblade? Usually the Unions are hush-hush about what they do, exactly. Its actually really easy for people to just confuse them for stylized weapons even when they see them in action, I guess it was through a story of sorts." He didn't want to press too hard. This information was important, because there might be somebody worth recruiting to his goal. He imagined a new union- The Blades reborn without the corruption of Nobility. The thought was juicy as the pair began to approach the hole in the wall of Twilight Town. "There," Hayden indicated. "We're almost in."

[Drake Pathos]

Darius was surprised to here that unions exist across the worlds, however he hadn't traveled enough to notice them. Wondering if he could ever wield one, he decided to privy further. "Unions? I'd like to see one, one day. Soon, preferrably. However if there was a war, that kind of power was probably the trebuchet or the Helena, depending on where the focus was." Darius whipped out his notepad, flipping through his artistically crafted drawings and beginning to sketch what he remembered seeing, retracing his steps, as well as his current path. It allowed him to detail a general area of where he walked, as well as making a path back into the mapped city he has which will be indicated by a symbol. As soon as they approached the whole, Darius flipped to the city map he had from living there and made sure to detail everything around on the other side so that there was note of its existence.

"As for it being picky, I'm a persuasive lad. You just gotta be gentle, play add a little foreplay and romanticism and shazam. Instantly begging for you, mate." He chuckled, clearly joking but his humored state was just a distracted one from the goal being delayed. "Stylized? Hah. Those people don't understand great craft then. It felt amazing in a way I can't explain...beyond appearance. I'm a bit knowledgeable of the syntho-sizin'. As for where I heard it, I met someone in that place from before. Demonstrated its qualities and really put out the pizzazz of function. I can use that to break down any defense. I can overcome any wall, and I can be the inescapable inferno of real progress the good of the worlds need. No need for those noble fucks to come in with politics just to look good. Nah, I mean real good. Don't need some slimy bloke of business tryna' steal the goal and fiddle with it." Darius spit beside him, making sure his breeches were pulled up."I just hope keyblades don't choose stingy pussies for all of their wielders."

[Seeker of Retribution]

"The Keyblade is not a weapon of light or mercy," Hayden explained as the two approached the hole in the wall. He stopped as he approached, placing his hand upon the stone and leaning against it, both inviting Darius to move through the entrance first but baiting him to stay just a moment more with the promise of exposition. "It is, and always has been, a weapon of war. Since nobody outside of the Unions typically has that knowledge, people who acquire it and aren't a member of them like to pretend it is something benevolent. Keyblade Wielders have caused worse destruction than the Heartless, in my own opinion," Hayden claimed.

He drew on a wealth of experience from this, though he knew it was an exaggeration. In actuality, the Heartless have existed for a long time but their advance was countered by the sheer volume of Keyblade Chosen. They very seldom had method to access the Realm of Light and the wielders of yore often crushed them as though they were mere pests, if not by skill or power than sheer numbers. "In some cases, Keybladers are politicians. The unions have bizarre rules sometimes that cover people in red tape." Hayden shrugged. "I don't know. Keybladers and politicians both are corruptible. I'm sure they both have a share of shitty people."

[Drake Pathos]

Darius tilted his head in confusion as the man began to shed light on the nature of keyblades. It was disappointing to hear they weren't as heroic as he had hoped, however he intended on using atrocious methods without a keyblade. Looking away but remaining in the entrance, he entered a moment of deep thought before the man spoke again. He looked at his right hand, swirling fire in it and wondering if everything he knew was a lie. He realized he was ignorant to the details of magic and the worlds, however he had a basic knowledge that even then could be proven wrong. When the man said keybladers were politicians, Darius darted his eyes into Hayden's. "I will not let any bloody Union control me. I am the Sun. If I take a damn keyblade, I'll take the damn keyblade. No fuckin' politician priss is gonna stop me. I want it because of its potential and so I can study it. I want it so I can do my part in explore the nature of these mysterious things. There are probably secrets even this pansy Union doesn't understand."

Gripping his hands, he made an adamant pose to reinforce his words. "If I can map a bloody city, design this fuckin' beaut, and draw like the autistic, I can damn well become my own person with my own key. War is destruction, and necessary. But the idiots think it's all about direct army-to-army wars. I'm here to tell you it's so much more. Politics versus anti-politics." Now wildly interested in the Unions controlling such a rare item, Darius decided he wanted to bring the key to the people. To make mistakes, destroy things, in the name of those being drugged into manipulation by the mob and whatever politician they have tied to them. "So, where do you stand with the politicians? The heartle-whatevers might be vicious like you imply. Nothing's worse than keeping salvation from the people, making them crave it rather than comfortably having it handed to them. Damn politicians always thing they can bait people into wars and not be punished. Lead me to the nearest bloke and I'll make sure they know. I'll make sure they all know. In fact..." Darius scribbled a note down. "Meet me 'ere, somewhere in the clocktower. If you feel a little radical, I'll be requirin' some tools."

Looking down at his mark, it was almost completely black. Which meant that within the same time period between the two teleportations would have to pass right after it reactivates. "I'd make up your mind, mate. Looks like this thing's ready to blow within a half hour or so. Maybe less. Might need a little pixie dust from your fairy pouch of wonders." Satirically mocking magic, Darius wiggled his fingers when he mentioned a fairy pouch.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden stood with his arms crossed, analyzing the young man before him. In the course of their conversation, he made a few key mental notes of the kid.

First: Darius was a true believer in his cause. He had an idea, a general goal, and an imperfect method to achieve it. Hitches in the plan be damned, this kid wanted to blow up something. What was that cause? Based on what he could tell, it was little better than anarchy. Hayden used similar methodology with a different end result, and much to his credit he was right: anarchy never lasts, and neither does order.

Second: Darius was an extremist. He was willing to do just about anything in his pursuit of the goals and ideas he had laid out, with an alarming amount of reckless abandoned. This, it occurred to Hayden, could offer him an advantage. Nobody but his Heartless family had seen his true face, and only one person from the Realm of Light knew he was a Heartless. For at least a short amount of time, Darius, if fingered for this, could be the "true" Foreteller of Blades.

Third: Darius had a plan but not context in which in enact it. While Hayden acknowledged the potential loss of innocents, Darius had thus far regarded any one with power they didn't share- the unions, the politicians, and likely even the nobility-  as being inherently evil. This worked out for Hayden's scapegoat idea, as somewhat unfortunately Hayden did not know the identity of Magi's agents, and it was safer to burn the slate clean then let Magi destroy the worlds.

"I'm in," Hayden confirmed. He literally had nothing to lose. He was a ghost in this town, and he had just found the perfect patsy. If Darius wanted to be an extremist... Hayden could give him the notoriety to do whatever he wanted with fear and awe at his back, and distract the worlds at large from Hayden's own machinations. "Go on ahead, I'll see what I can bring."

[Drake Pathos]

Darius was indeed reckless, and he knew that the extreme nature of his plans would have a lasting effect, even if negative on himself. He knew nothing, only jumped on the opportunity to squash something once and for all. Now that he thought of it, he would do the same to the bandits of his home world eventually. If anything, he could eliminate the big bad's simply by setting them up for extreme destruction. Smiling with a devilish intent, he nodded towards Hayden. "I have an idea. But, we'll see how this goes and maybe then I'll share it. Things are going to be very bright, very soon. All to cut the strings those fucks have on this world." I must cut the snake's head off. Darius dashed off, his body mostly recovered from the teleportation. His mark wasn't fully recovered, but soon it would be and hopefully he could pull off the bombings before then. On his way over to the clocktower, he took a detour to scan for signs of mob activity.

A few buildings could be spotted with them emptying out bodies, which made a total of 4 known buildings. Deciding to put off on the rendezvous until he could find the factory, he followed a few mobsters rolling large boxes through the alley. They sounded empty, which meant they were going to refuel before returning back to the drug houses or finding new ones. It explained why so many places were lifeless despite all the outdoor energy. As he followed them, an enforcer and his lackeys came out of nowhere with their fists clenched. "So, you wanna snoop 'round our business, huh? Been a real pain in the ass, knew the damn hoogely-boogely wouldn't do no good." Darius spit in the man's face, stunning him for a moment from shock. "You fuckin' know it, mate. I'll kick your ass and fuck your bitch - your business is burning!" When the enforcer grabbed brass knuckles and lunged at Darius, he jumped up and brought his heel down on the man's head. Smashing the enforcer into the ground, there was enough force to crack his skull open. Blood traced out the lines of the brick road, and the other three accompanying the man had pulled guns. "You know, the last few blokes to do that ended up on Barby."

Darius used a double lariat to take out two, grabbing the other's gun and crushing it so that if it fired, it would explode. When the third tried to run, Darius whipped his head backwards and laughed. Unsheathing his sword, he tossed it into the man's backside. Walking on over, he didn't stop as he removed the blade. Sheathing it, he continued his stride in the direction of the men with the large boxes. Looking at a large building with translucent fumes breathing out of it, he made a mark on his map before heading off. Damn, this is going to fuckin' exciting. Darius eventually saw the clocktower come into site. Entering its insides, he climb up and into an area where someone would manage the gears. A platform allowed him to rest inside, sitting down and resting on his hands. Nodding his head to and fro, the boy hummed a giddy tune. The wildfire would soon be the sun he claims to be, and it would strike down bright and glorious, destructive justice on those the mayor could not stop.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden was only gone for a moment, once Darius was out of site. Sparing the details, a quick jaunt through the Land of Dragons yielded Hayden with two large packs full of various kinds of explosives. Powders, liquids, and even gases kept in small metal containers.

His journey was as uneventful as it was quick. Within a twenty minutes, he had handily retrieved the materials and was ready to bring them back to his... patsy? Partner? Whatever he would be to Hayden, it would be expendable. He would need to play this just right, without exposing himself. It didn't really matter in the long run, but it bought more time.

He had gotten one other thing while he was out too. He went back to the home base of the blades, that empty hall now ripe with decay both organiz and structural (and in only such a short time), and retrieved one of the masks they wore. A copy of his own mask, to be precise. Sure, it didn't make Keyblade Armor but it was hidden on Hayden's person. Moreover, he had been further prepared. Scraps of black armor, tatters of thick, read cloth, prepared leather belts... all of these, including the mask, would survive the ensuing explosion even in shredded form.

All of these would be dropped off at a specific location, and the fires of the explosion would char them to make the ploy believable. A mad bomber boy, and the broken armor of a political fugitive scattered around him. The implications were obvious. Even if he protested, Darius would be the perfect framejob.

Then, if he was arrested, it would be time to sit back and watch. Darius was being randomly warped around the worlds. That jail cell wouldn't hold him for long. Hayden exited a portal hidden at the base of the clock tower, dropping the bag with the scraps of clothing off in a bush right outside the train-station doors.

He took the other bag, and ascended the clock tower quickly, leaping from platform to platform with the precision and silence of a cat. He landed near Darius, who lay on his back humming, and smiled as he called out. "I'm a little early," he spoke. "But I have a pack full of explosive material here. Armageddon in a sack."

[Drake Pathos]

It was time. Now that he was brought the material he needed, it was time to work a little magic beyond mystic. Taking the materials given to him, and a few scraps he would collect from the smithy shops, the boy would begin to develop a design he's had in his head. A sphere of sorts, one that collected the fire that came from Darius. The first of his products, the OGF-Nitro line. Tinkering and tottering around with mechanics, gears, and such, the wild one truly crafted something that could be compared to those of the dwarven crafts. It was still silver in appearance, but a touch of paint would allow a deep red sheen. The little savant turned to show his creation, a grenade or pack of sorts that had fore seems. The sphere was made up of four plates and core, releasing slight amounts of fire. "Well, hot-damn-sir. We are going to light it up like fuckin' dyn-o-mite." Tossing the grenade into the air repeatedly, he would build a few more of the Nitro Chargers as he would come to call it.

Taking the explosives given to him, he would form a temporary cluster to take down the clocktower. "My big beaut. I will miss you, former oasis lover that has cradled me since my arrival. Hi-Den. My only request is that by the time you hear a boom along with several others, you dip as fast as you can. It's timed to blow. Or you could leave now." Summoning a pyre from his body, part of it was absorbed into each of the Nitro Chargers. enhancing their capability. Harmlessly releasing flames, he would try to charge them as best he could, before running off and descending. Once he exited the tower with the bag of explosives, he would make way to the first drug house. Bit by bit, the explosives would be laid down with a makeshift timer. Running through the streets, the boy had to make way. Using his Wild Trance, it would give him the OOMPH he needed to move around, bouncing between drug houses before the mobsters could even realize what was going on. Having only less than a minute left, Darius launched himself into the air with great might, jumping high enough to toss the remaining explosives with his Nitro Charger loaded in it into the second story window of the factory he located.

Making his way back, Darius ran past the smith he was banned from and eventually was being chased by Mobsters. Revealing his blade, he gripped once and let the fire soak into his face, impressing a smudge mark where the flesh warped from heat. Then, within, he felt something burn even brighter than the Heart of Ember. Something more furious and righteous, yet it made him feel sorrow at the same time. His conscious. it spoke to him. You have the will to change things. You can alter everything around you with the fire within...yet you destroy the happiness of others to make a point against nobles. Darius wondered what he had done. If the path of fire really meant destroying civilizations and bringing down the clocktower. The symbol of the world he was in had been a massive clocktower that oversaw the depths below known as the trainstation. Not only that, several drug houses and the factory itself would wreak havoc all over the city.

Like the boy he was, he was already second-guessing himself and knew he needed to stop whatever was coming. As the boy was ready to make his way for the clocktower, the biggest of all the booms, he realized that the minute he had was up. BOOM! And all over town, buildings began collapsing in the wake of the exploding pyres, consumed by flammable chemicals mixing with whatever IEDs the boy had brewed in such short time. Massive clouds of bright, wildfire took over the buildings around the foci. People began running and screaming already, and the finale wasn't even at hand. Already, fire had surrounded many small areas of Twilight Town, creating a chain effect by igniting anything explosive or flammable possibly contained within homes. As it was wildfire, it spread in high volumes with haste. Eating away at the beauty of his home, he knew that the grave mistakes he was making throughout life were too much. Panicking, Darius just collapsed, overlooking the town on the slant he walked on. Screams of terror could be heard all around, children and adults alike.

Even groups of children came from the depths of the alleys, burning alive. Their clothes pasted to their skin via flames and their skin morphing, shifting. It warped to a degree where they looked to be abominations. The boy, in all of his spunk and excitement, was now full of anxiety and panic. Sweat formed little waterfalls from his pores, and tears began to well. But while he was thinking about his mistakes, the families below thought about what they did to have destruction brought upon them. As the explosions continued to spawn, the craftsman curled up in a ball and closed his eyes. He didn't realize the collateral damage he'd bring. The factory finally lit up, which created a massive explosion due to the amount of product it had within. The ground rattled from its destruction, and now the boy's heart rattled with regret and pain. He was repeating what caused his exile before. Looking down at the mark, he noticed that it was completely black instead of red, meaning he couldn't even pay for his crimes.

The city was brighter than ever before, and now all that was left was the demise of the tower and those below it. He already saw blood and cauterization mixing together, his fire infecting the people near the explosions at the time. For someone who was so ready to make change, he put little thought into it and expected himself to be cherished for ending the drug ring some silly mob started. He knew he'd have to act wildly at some point, but what he was doing now was possibly too much. Wait a minute...this...this is the test. This is what's letting me know if I have it or not. I need to...I need to look into the eyes of those burning and sacrificing themselves...and see it as a victory. See it as the failure of the police. Standing up, proud, Darius just yelled into the distance. "THIS! This is what is birthed from the failure of society! The governing powers thinking they can rule the minds and lives of those who burn today and those who survive! This is the police not stopping monstrosity, so monstrosity must destroy itself!" He made no sense. Literally the words he used were full of pseudo-importance so that he could plant a seed of justification into his mind and the minds of others.

However, he didn't doubt another exile and even a witch hunt of sorts was at hand. He wasn't just going to leave the world, no he was going to be hunted until he killed the pursuers or they killed him. So now, full of adrenaline and pumped up from his wild nature of denial and outer pride, Darius looked into the faces of those moving away from the buildings, either burning or not. The buildings across became consumed in flames, the brick breaking apart. This is all he wanted, for the evil to burn. All he wanted was for the suppliers and junkies and Sallies to burn. Smiling with a sudden thought, he yelled once more, "BEWARE THE GOLDEN SALLIES! We'll pilfer the rich, and spank them 'til their our bitch!" He laughed to himself, receding from reality and into this euphoria of denial and distractions. Thought on how he could grow a network of people to take on those that influence such erratic behavior. Those that stop at nothing to make a quick buck. Those that fail in protecting their city. Those claiming to be part of a higher echelon of society simply by morality, wealth or accomplishment. He was going to let those that burned remind the higher echelon that they were going to crumble.

And all that was left...was the downfall of the clocktower within moments of the already-flowing terror. And looking upon the great beaut, he saw a grandiose explosion of a cluster of Nitro Charges. Explosions rung throughout, and shrapnel and gears flew throughout the train station. When it wasn't explosive damage, it was collateral damage done purely by the wreckage of the tower. He assumed Hayden would escape, knowing that he said the explosion was timed. The tower would crumble under the might of the brilliant flames built by the hands of a lowly mortal. The boy unknowingly would take the fall for what was to follow, however he wouldn't care in the end. Hayden might explain it to him, he might not. What mattered in the end was results. He was going to accomplish the biggest thing in peasant history. Homeless, fundless, but one explosive turned into something so great. Along with the tower came the train station, its bits raining down and destroying the main area. Fire and shrapnel tore through the lands, a gust of brick and dirt forcing Darius to try and resist. He was forced into a tumble, and eventually he would turn to see that the gale reaction to the explosion forced him face to face with a building.

Smashing against the building, a large cloud of dust would shroud his landing. It was burning, and he was dazed by such an impact. However, thankfully the building had just caught fire and was only truly weakened so far by a boy flying through it. "Uuungh" The train station and tower would come down in a cocktail of crazy annihilation. The marker of Twilight Town was destroyed.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden sat within the clock tower for a bit as he watched Darius mix the explosives and some fire from his body. Hayden smiled as Darius gave him a warning, and called after him as he ran. "Don't worry so much about me," he called out after him. "Just do what needs to be done!" Hayden waited a few seconds more for the young man to be out of the clock tower and well out of sight, and then he descended the tower back to where his other pack lay. He threw it over his shoulder, and walked over to the railing that sat in front of the tower, and looked over the lower areas of Twilight Town. He could even see Sunset Hill in the distance, and smiled.

Now he played the waiting game. The kid was off his rocker. Fighting for "justice" when no such concept would be made partner to fire and flame... no. Destruction was only suited to vengeance and twisted ideals of that sort. Ideas that made people like him and Hayden animated. Hayden regretted the Death of the civilians that would undoubtedly occur. It would be a colossal waste, but ultimately it was... not exactly acceptable. Out of his hands now. He gave Darius the ability, but Darius was the one that used it. He wouldn't blame himself for the use of a gifted sword, even if he had some idea of the intent.

Hayden didn't have to wait for too much longer. Explosions rang out through the city, and only moments later the clock tower fell. Hayden could feel Darius' heart nearby, and he sought it out to find the boy buried among the rubble of societal collapse. He was conscious- this was surprising. "Well, I don't have too much time," he said as he sat the backpack down and opened it. "Covered in blood, pre-burned. Pure coincidence it is for me to have this stuff," he replied. "Well not pure. But still, chance nonetheless." He took the first object out from his pack- a white mask, exactly like the one he wasn't wearing at the moment.

The mask smelled like rot and death. He laid it next to Darius and began to throw the scraps of armor and cloth on and around his body while he lay there. In but a few seconds, he was done. "I'll catch you later, kid. See you soon," he taunted as he laid the materials out. Stepping into the dust and smoke, Hayden exited through a dark corridor to another, more hidden location within Twilight Town.

[Amadeo]

Amadeo heard the explosion before he smelled the smoke, or felt the tremor. He bolted, going full tilt away from the gate of the mansion. He had just come back from searching out what few leaders remained, and already things were going south. He darted around screaming civilians, his body a green and beige blur as he made his way past fire and debris, smoke and flame emanating from the clocktower as it crept down, a secondary explosion rocking the area around the station as the hour hand of the clock spiraled downwards like a massive saw blade, gouging a deep trench in station hill as it carved through the brick homes in its path like some vengeful hand of god.

No. There was no way. No coincidence could explain this. The foreteller had appeared. The rumors were true. If anyone who worked alongside the young Governor survived today, they would finally realize that he had been smart to believe in these rumors. However, that was not of the most importance.

He arrived mere seconds after the last of Hayden's corridor faded into nothing. Shit. The fire was both natural and magical, he could already see that much. The rubble was still alight, and the tracks...they were decimated. There was no way to get to sunset terrace now without going through the tram concourse. Though it would be a choice Amadeo knew he was going to regret, he had no choice. He had to use what magic he could to stop it. He had noticed the figure covered with the foretellers mask, and scraps of the cloth of the armor he had worn the last time he had seen him.

So, right before he made his snap decision, he tried to surround the boy with a corridor of fire, but when he looked for him again, he couldn't find him anywhere. Maybe it was for the best. But, as it stood, he still needed to put out the fires around him that had reduced the buildings around the clocktower to ash, and the tower and tracks around it to rubble. He felt all of his primary mana reserve leave him as what water was still in the air grew in proportion, and the rate at which it was growing shot up as more mana, this from his secondary reserves, left him. As all of the mana was spent, there was a twenty foot pillar of water surrounding amadeo. Within moments of being fully formed however, it came crashing down, dousing the flaming ashes of the buildings around him, and coming down like a drizzle on the buildings past that. As it hit the streets, the brick paving cracked, and the streets flooded. The rushing water swept up ashes, cracked pavement, and people in it. It was collateral damage, but it was the only way to put out this kind of fire. He had no idea how to absorb any of it, so he had to pick the lesser of two evils. At least this way, no matter how exhausted he was of mana, the townsfolk would be fairly safe afterwards. He had done what he could, and now he was standing, everything immediately around him drenched and muddy, struggling to understand how something like this could have happened.

(Waterza: 500 mp Main Mana Pool: Empty, Secondary Mana Pool (For Water,Fire, or Liquid Fire only): 175 mp)

[Drake Pathos]

It was all rot. The whole operation, and while Darius denied his fault, the people are really the ones that knew. The people would end up being the ones tormented and wounded and dead. The actions of the young weigh heavily on the people of Twilight Town. Before the wet finale, ash and ruin blanketed over most of the civilization established. The train station had been in ruin and chunks of the clocktower spread over a wide area. Not only that, but what secretly lied within the clocktower made it an even larger explosion. Shrapnel, bullets, metal, all of it reached as far as it could. The burning flesh of the civilians ranging from adult to child, the newborns freshly spawned now simply made into sacks of burnt meat. It was a good portion of the Twilight Town only due to the wild nature of the fire, however the time it had been given was enough for its substantial damage.

Regardless of its ashy nature, the bright flames had been quelled. Quelled in such a way that the fragile, glass-like buildings were torn away and anything loose on the ground would ride the intense waves of Waterza. This would have unforeseen effects as the tsunami had taken the lives of those trying to escape the burning areas. Towering buildings fell from all the pre-tsunami damage that had been done, as well as the pressure to top it off. Whether it was drowning, sediment impaling civilians or out-right having them crushed by such an insane choice of fire extinguishment, a large chunk of the population was taken out. However, it was no where near half the population, which was a more positive note. The catastrophic mortality rate was still nothing to scoff at.

Water tore away at everything the people once knew until it thinned out enough to end its tyranny. The flames might have extinguished, but the mass death would continue to live on in the hearts of those still living. As for Darius? His mark was beginning to take effect, and before the mayor could take him, he was spaghettified through a portal, sucking him in and pushing him over to whatever hell-hole that it leads to. Still, the mark has not been removed and still, he was condemned to being bound to nowhere. His map-making would constantly be interrupted until the mark was removed. The actions of Darius, the actions of Amadeo, it would then on become a symbol as to why teenagers should not rule worlds. The entitled brats of the sea of skies, of the worlds, should never take the reins in which civilization flows to. The brats always destroy the things people spend their lives on to create.

Someone spent their life trying to cultivated and breed the wonders of the world. All the worlds had that person, and that person had many of themselves. Blood, sweat, tears. All wasted because someone wanted to make a point. The point was needed, and it was made, yet there was no need for the destruction of everyone's life's work and the death of that everyone. It was an arrogant and ignorant move to bomb Twilight Town. It was a panicked and ignorant move to drown it in order to quell those flames. The man standing behind it all without having to do any of the actual planning? Whom only needed sparse manipulation? Hayden. The root of all evil, yet he didn't bomb Twilight Town. He killed no one, only the Mayor and the wild dog of endless inferno. The mayor, however, would hopefully be treated with the up-most karmic punishment.

Hopefully the teenage pretention is rewarded with the reckoning the young deserve. Heroes aren't born at the time of birth, nor are they born from inexperience. They are born from hard learning, from seeing death and destruction and reflecting upon it. Not causing it. Heroes can be born into the hearts that have been refurbished, so there was hope for Darius yet. However, if any heroism had a birthmark, his terrorism would be that. Each act would represent a birthmark impressed upon the content of his character. But by that time, if it happens, he will not be the child he is now. This is not the end. Inferno awaits.

[EXIT]

[Amadeo]

As he stood in the ashes of what was once the symbol of prosperity and peace in this town, Amadeo found himself seething with rage, even as he heard the first weeping of the survivors. He felt himself become surrounded by fire as he moved to the old mansion. There were a few people left there that worked with him on the political side of things. As the smell of smoke reached the Foyer of the mansion, more and more people came out. Governor, what in hell's name is going on?! We could see the smoke, and the water from here! One of the women yelled, earning her a death glare.

What survivors there are will need a new place. The clocktower was bombed. Rally up as many guards as you can and bring the civilians here. We're moving them all over to Sunset Terrace. This side of town is going to be uninhabitable for a while. He said, earning nods and swift reactions from the few people that were there. As everyone cleared out of the mansion, Amadeo's anger reached it's pinnacle. He had been forced to make a snap decision that had wasted lives. He would not forgive the people who did this. He was certain that the Foreteller was involved somehow. But more importantly, he had to find the bomber. He stormed up to the upper floors, changing from his current, burned outfit, into a crisper one.

It took them an hour to get all the civilians to the mansion. By that time, Amadeo was prepared for the anger at hand. Though, he was not prepared for that anger to be palpable. The moment he entered sight, he heard various accusations being slung at him. Which was understandable, more people died, and more destruction was caused because of him. However, when the crowd finally died down, and all went silent, he began to speak.

People of Twilight Town. I understand your hate, anger, and frustrations that you hold. They are held with good reason. Not only did I allow the destruction of the clocktower, your homes, and a majority of our Transit system to be destroyed, but in attempting to mitigate the damage, I simply caused more of it. This was not a hasty decision, nor is it one that I made without clear knowledge of the consequences. There is only one reason that I made this decision. That reason is that it was the only option available. The fire that decimated so much of our town was magical in nature. Fire, combined with wind that fed and fed the flames. Even with all my practice with the use of water magic, I do not possess the more subtle effects. In a choice between destroying more of this town, or losing all of it to the flame, I chose to bring a tidal wave down upon you. It is a choice I made with great regret. However, the death we face today will not go unpunished. From what evidence I found atop station plaza, I have reason to believe that The Foreteller of Blades, a man thought to have vanished, has returned. A figure was unconscious atop the station, wearing the same mask and scraps of the same armor as him. However, before I could move him somewhere to lock him up, some force pulled him away from this world. I will find him, and he will face charges. As he finished speaking, he heard murmurs break out across the room. Though he could not discern the type of murmurs, he knew he at least had their attention. A few moments after he finished speaking, he waved his hand in front of him, the landings of the staircase each becoming outlined with rectangles of flame, shimmers of Sunset Terrace appearing inside of each of them.

These portals will take everyone that walks through them to Sunset Terrace. I hope that it would be obvious that this side of our fair town is uninhabitable for the moment. While I understand that many of you may be hesitant and even scared of flame, I promise you, these portals will not harm you. They are of my creation, and they will remain open until every solitary survivor of this tragedy has crossed over. I know that today is the worst tragedy to face our world, but we are strong. We will come back from this, and I promise that when all is said and done, the people who committed this heinous crime will be brought to justice. As for myself, I will personally be helping the restoration movement to restore our fair town to its former glory. For now, however, I must take my leave. There is much evidence to look over, and very little time to do so. I hope that I can earn back the trust that I have dealt such a severe blow to. He said as he seemingly vanished, a literal cloud of dust puffing up from where he stood. In reality, he had simply ran, vaulting through an open window before making his way up to the clocktower again, through waist deep water. Yes, the people who did this would meet justice, and he would not be able to show either of them mercy.

[TOPIC EXIT]

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