Re: I am the Evil, Part Three

[Seth Vicens]

Seth was about to chase after Hayden, when he slowly started to realize what was happening in the town around him, as Heartless ran rampant, going mad, while a massive creature in the sky had made itself now more clear than ever, as it shot down a craft. Seth’s mouth was agape as it sunk in that he had failed to acknowledge everything that was happening around him. Even still, he noticed that more had arrived, evidently ready to fight the Heartless. He wasn’t sure what he could do exactly, but he knew he had to do something, and since he had already made several bad decisions recently…

As Hayden tried his hardest to tear Amadeo apart, crystals would form together behind the Seeker. Glass from the ruined station would form together into a platform as Seth reformed. The young man, almost overcome by fear, yet not backing down, looked at the fallen Amadeo, knowing that there was no possible way that he could stand against the armored man as he was now. “You’ve already won, haven’t you done enough?” Seth would be absolutely slaughtered if he attempted to engage in combat, but he also knew that his words might not reach through. Amadeo was doomed, and Seth was essentially helpless, but he refused to back down, especially after digging himself this deep of a hole.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Crack
CRACK.

There was an explosion of blood as the liquid was forced free from its home as Amadeo's body gave under the force Hayden exerting. The bones cracked and broke, the skin and sinew tore, and the world leader's body was torn asunder. It lay ripped in twain as Hayden dropped it thusly, roaring in unrestrained wild triumph at the skies. It was only partly feral. The savagery was augmented by Hayden's own personal triumph. He did not eat Amadeo's heart. He killed him as planned. The craving was still strong, still there, but it was subsiding... for now.

Hayden's form reverted immediately afterwards, and his psyche was restored. Well, almost. Such a fractured mind becoming even more so left a few pieces out of place, but it was nothing beyond what was expected. Those pieces would then restitch themselves in place, and while he was shaken from his traditional firm and calm posturing for an instance afterwards, he regained the composure he could as he basked in the gore. Only two more remained and as soon as the name of his next target would have hit his tongue for him to shout in affirmation, did another voice come.

In front of the ruined train station, the Foreteller of Blades turned his head over his shoulder, the mask letting in some light against his eyes. The strange ichor color lent themselves to a more menacing appearance than Hayden intentionally projected, as did the length of the eerily silent moments it took Hayden to turn around and face his accuser. Hayden's eyes burned into seths. "Opia," he said under his breath, relishing the level of relatively regained sanity as he slowly approached Seth.

Hayden raised a hand and clenched it into a fist, and the Heartless stopped fighting. Instead, they went back to being stoic and waiting, and the tension in Twilight Town wound itself back tight and taut. "No," Hayden replied flatly. He was taking in the kenopsia of the ruined train station, bathing in it as his object had been achieved. "Sonder will enlighten you with its presence one day," he told Seth. "All who see what I reap are riddled with kuebiko, but that is only because they don't truly reconcile a simple fact. There is no such thing as a random occurrence. Cause and effect." He walked towards Seth, and would would walk by Seth at the same pace. "When you next feel as though you must ask any one if they have done enough, ask first what they are doing."

[Seth Vicens]

Seth watched in absolute terror as he witnessed Amadeo be rendered into merely a cloud of blood over a mound of flesh. Seth was taken slightly by surprise as blood was flickered onto his face. Raising his hand, he would slowly touch it, to exam its warmth. Involuntarily, he would not even notice himself licking the blood from his lips as it ran down his face. This action would be completed while Hayden was preoccupied. Something deep within Seth’s mind would stir, as back at the mansion, both of Seth’s Aspects would shudder, but for reasons even they would not know.

The young man was mainly frozen in terror. If he could have done something like that to the mayor of this world, what could he have done to him at the earlier fight? It was a thought that would plague him, as he realized that he was nowhere near strong enough to actually fight a competent battle… yet, he found that he had lasted longer than the others, which made him wonder if he could actually get even stronger than he was presently. Stronger… Strong enough to help.

“Who are you? What have you done?” Seth asked, in as calm a voice as he possibly could, as Hayden passed him by, making hardly an effort to move. Seth had so many questions, but those were the only two he could actually bring himself to ask at this point. He would move his head only, turning to that he could see the man as he would walk by.

[Seeker of Retribution]

Hayden walked by Seth, not breaking stride as he replied to the young man. "I am the Foreteller of Blades," he replied coldly. "And I have almost finished saving the worlds." He took a few more steps before he turned on his heel, and began advancing back towards Seth. He walked the same slow, plodding pace but this time traveled directly for the young man. "You know what? I like the front you've put up," the Foreteller chuckled darkly.

He would start to circle Seth like a shark. "There are only a handful of people this brave," Hayden told him. "But that is because bravery often leads to sacrifice. There are others who think themselves brave- like the computer girl who tried to stop me earlier. But the fact is, they aren't brave. That's sheer stupidity. The ability to throw your life away despite being aware of the stakes and facts that would tell you to not is not survival. It is unintelligent madness." He stopped, right before Seth's face, and turned. Once more the opia of looking into the young man's eyes gripped him.

"So what is this? Is this bravery? Is it... arrogance? Is it insanity, or stupidity?" He leaned back from Seth. "What?"

[Seth Vicens]

Seth’s heart would skip a beat as Hayden would turn back towards him. Even still, he stood his ground, taking in Hayden’s words as he would speak. In particular, his speech on bravery was one that Seth would think he would not soon be forgetting. Bravery often leads to sacrifice… Those words would forever be etched into his mind, as he stood here, face to face with someone who would appear to be unstoppable with an army at his command. And yet… Seth had felt a rush of adrenaline as he had broken free of Hayden’s magic.

Once again, Seth's heart would skip a beat, but this time as Hayden mentioned Axis. Seth didn't know why, but that particular comment got to him, and now he wasn't even sure if she would be there by the time he returned... IF he returned. Placing those thoughts into a corner of his mind, he would contemplate his answer with great thought. What really was this? Why was he standing before this man who had demonstrated the ability to tear someone in two? He was most definitely not being properly brave by the standard definition, but he would not rule out that he was extremely stupid.

Hayden would wait several seconds before words would emerge from Seth’s mouth. “This is fear.” Honesty was in the first words that Seth would speak to Hayden's face. Deep down, Seth knew it to be true. He was absolutely terrified, but he had to know what it was that was happening, and thus he flung himself into the center lines. “Fear makes everybody act rashly… Makes them do things they wouldn’t do in a normal situation.” Seth would stare back towards Hayden, still unmoving, almost defiantly.

Hayden was right, on almost all accounts. Bravery was stupid, insane and arrogant. But fear... Accepting fear was what kept Seth going as he was now. “Even one such as you must have your fears.” He had already accepted that he was scared of what stood before him, but he would refuse to back down now. He made his bed, he will lie in it.

[Raziel]

The spell that had practically turned the Nobody into a statue faded, making his once stiff limbs go limp at his sides. As he came to, he almost fell back into unconsciousness, not from being frozen in time, but the pain that he was just now realizing. The force of being struck in the stomach and flung against a tree left his fragile body in disarray. There was a ringing in his ears that seemed to block out all other sounds, and that voice. That familiar voice he could hear again, apologizing over and over again. Not since his departure from Castle Oblivion had he heard the girl's voice. Raziel was distracted from his agony for the briefest of moments, before another pang brought him back to reality. Rolling away from the tree trunk, he positioned himself on his back, wrapping his arms around his throbbing abdomen. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as the pain in his dreams as the dark claws dug into his chest. Nothing could ever compare to that. As absent-minded as he was, he certain about that, and there was no questioning it.

Shutting his crimson eyes tightly, and gritting his teeth, he made the attempt to move before laying right back down. He couldn't do it. The pain was too much. So he did the only thing he could do and that was to lay there, and listen to the odd sounds involuntarily passing through his lips with each throb. The soft whimpers would carry throughout the forest, and hopefully grab someone's attention. If anyone needed a potion or healing spell, it was Raziel.

[Lore Moogle]

[Event]

Near the entrance of the Mansion, where the forest met the courtyard, there was the sound of fluttering in the wind. Trapped between the branches was an old sheet of paper, beaten and battered from its flight on the wind, and its current struggle against the thorn bush. A silver heart symbol was at the top of the page with the words, "2nd Report" following after. In faded script, it read...

"My master and I are not alone. There are others, entire organizations of Keybearers fighting to protect the Realm of Light. Many of these “Keyblade Unions” exist, but there are five that hold the most influence and power. The Unicornis is one such union, the same one that my master belongs to, and the one I shall be joining. I know little of the other unions, and my master has been reluctant to tell. So far, I have received only vague answers, or my questions have been brushed off entirely. I wonder why. What does my master have to hide? Perhaps, it is for my own good not to know."

[Seeker of Retribution]

"Fear," Hayden tasted the word, titling his head back towards the sky. "The root of all fear is... what? Pain? Suffering? Cessation of Existence? Death? Or is it change?" He almost cackled but muffled his laugh. "If fear is what compels you to stand before me, knowing that you face something akin to destruction when compared to yourself... I wish for more people to be afraid. I wish that more people could feel something as noble as fear." With a wave of his hand, Hayden banished the Heartless on the world's surface. They slunk back into the shadows, retreating back to whence they came.

"I don't know what I'm afraid of," Hayden said as he stepped back into a portal. The dark corridor peeled open as Hayden stepped back into it. "But that's because I still have choices to make before we find out if that is an issue."

Topic Exit

[Three]

"You will be my eyes and ears... There's a contact I have on another world, I want you to go meet him up."

Those were Three's orders and of course, he used the best of his abilities to do just that. However, what he was introduced to wasn't at all what it seemed. Not a meeting place, but a battleground. A deep sigh came from the masked man's airway in the equipment and he shook his head in seeming disapproval. All of these people and yet they seriously accomplished nothing. They weren't able to save much of anyone, nor did they stop the threat that revealed itself and ripped that poor kid in half. A damn shame, really, but that's what people get for incompetence it seems. What was he doing the entire time? Oh, hiding it out, because after all, he was the eyes and ears, not the sword and shield. That was a job for Ysl'Dae and Schwartz, not him. Either way, he became relevant after the fighting and stood among a stable rooftop, cell-phone in his hand.

"Hey, Goldie-Locks, you might want to come and check this out. Found quite the business venture for you. I sent my coordinates and everything, so do you think you can make a rush trip?" Three spoke to his Queen rather colloquially. While he waited for her, which he could hear the starting up of ship engines, he took the opportunity to explain everything that he observed. From the destruction of the town, to the flooding of it, the possible generated death toll and more importantly, the empowered people who attempted to fight Mr. Clockwork (Hayden). The last person who he thought able to utilize time so well was Himeiji, now there was the more dangerous, male version of her. Perfect.

♪You did well, Three, I'm closing in on your location soon. How did the meeting with our client go, if it happened at all?♪ The Queen asked on the other end.

"It didn't happen, but I reckon they're more than likely still around... I hope. Even in the case of if they're not, then that's fine. We have a bigger fish to fry. Anyways, I'll catch you on the other side, Darkson. I have some more observing to do." The Third Wing stated and hung up the phone. After he slipped it into his pockets, the man made his way down the building and walked down a specific path. He wanted to find the injured and disheveled people, who were able to survive up until the aftermath of everything. Looks like there was an open government seat and he was certain that the fastest way to be trusted, was to gain the trust of those who were wronged...

[Marigold Darkson]

The Queen took no longer than a couple of hours to arrive. She sat quietly in the command chair of the Lancelot, Himeiji and Ysl'Dae joined at both of her sides. The samurai had been polishing her blade, not a single sound coming from her other than the occasional click whenever she sheathed the blade. Ysl had been sleeping, snoring rather loudly, but it was something anyone who worked under her was used to. The sharp, golden eyes that peered upon the world as it came into had one thing in their sights. Conquest. Now, the word sounded rather ominous and let's be honest, a word like conquest usually meant that the person who was attempting to gain control would say, "It's my way or the high way." But in the case of Marigold Darkson, this applied to the fact that the leader who attempted to bring the people together, only strengthened their resolve to resent his tenure. After all, that's what Three told her.

Once more, the Lancelot touched down on stable, untouched land and she started her trek into the town, joined by Himeiji and Ysl'Dae. The clock tower that she saw from before no longer stood, meaning that anything below it must have been destroyed and out of commission for the time being. There was an excess of flooding and water damage, along with the fumes of smoke and other forms of debris that wafted through the stained air. Clearly an explosion took place, because what else would cause such destruction? Marigold thought of an earthquake, but there wasn't too many signs of one that warranted such suspicion. Either way, she tallied up the possible cost of destruction, along with reconstruction totals and knew it was going to be astronomical in the eyes of the people who lived in the once beautiful town.

A thought hit her. What of the contact she inquired about earlier? Hopefully the man caught sight of her ship and hitched a ride. Knowing that he more than likely did so, she expected him by her side, by the time she went to go greet the poor, defeated people.

"Himeiji, see anything?" The Queen asked, while she reapplied lipstick to her full, sultry lips. Her masked assassin nodded her head and pointed in the direction of where they have been heading. No doubt, it was going to be a mess seeing the people all battered and hopeless. But then again... That was why she was there, to give people a light to believe in. Even if it weren't necessarily the right light, she knew how to manage large quantities of people quite nicely.

[Professor Velox]

*Because it's taken two weeks*

It seemed as though they reached a clearing where it lacked heartless in the forest. Suddenly, Shirou felt Serenae go limp beneath him and they both toppled into the ground. Shirou quickly got up, brushing the dirt and leaves off of him before checking on Serenae. Her eyes were closed and she was panting heavily. Shirou pressed the back of his hand to her forward and found that it was abnormally hot. It seemed as though Serenae had come down with a fever suddenly and fell unconscious.

"I'm not sure what happened, but it looks like she passed out from a fever," Shirou said, looking at Tsumiko. He propped her against a tree. "There aren't any heartless nearby, so she should be fine. But we have to hurry before Hayden has a chance to hurt anybody, and taking Serenae as she is now will only endanger all of us, her included."

Shirou then went to grab Tsumiko's hand and would resume running towards the mansion.

[Tsumiko]

The sound of something falling behind her had Tsumiko skidding to a stop and looking to see what had happened. Serenae was being attended to by Shirou, who had his hand against her forehead. Quickly joining him at her side, she cast a concerned gaze at her as the mage was set against a tree. Surveying the area, she assured herself that there were indeed no heartless nearby. It still didn't sit right with the songstress to just leaving her there, though.

"Are you sure it's sa-AH!" Tsumiko didn't even get to finish her train of thought as her hand was nabbed and she was being dragged away. Shirou had started off towards the manor once again, leaving the woman to follow without any further complaints.

[Three]

The man with midnight-blue hair continued through the streets, where he spoke and helped everyone he possible could, but did so under the Darkson name. He dropped in Marigold's name every so often, as well as a brief description of what she looked like when inquired. This would help sow the seeds of trust, while the Queen made her way to the world. With a smile and optimistic attitude, Three made sure to gain favor with a lot of the townspeople. The young man worked diligently and fast, eventually meeting up with his Queen in the washed up Sandlot, where a good majority of people, who were able to hang onto anything, if survive, had gathered. The perfect place for all of them to make their subtle announcement.

"Queen Marigold, Lady Emeraldis and..." He started off very formal at first, bowed to both Marigold and Ysl'Dae, but when he got to Himeiji, he merely stared deep into her odd mask and smirked. "You." Three said simply, then chuckled lightly at his own disrespect towards his superior. However, after that, the man immediately turned his attention back to Mari.. "Here's the deal, I've been going around and spreading your name very subtly and with a good amount of injured and disgusted people. Apparently, their mayor figured it a good idea to use a spell to flood the entirety of the town, to put out fires that were created in a large explosion. This explosion also knocked down the clock tower and destroyed the train station at the same time. A lot of people have died, obviously, but then something interesting happened. A group of rather talented, yet troupe fitting figures appeared and attempted to fight some... Overbearing fellow... This fellow, ripped the mayor in half and managed to escape. Everyone else is either unconscious or out in hiding." The man easily gave his report and was rather succinct with it. There were a lot more details he refrained from, but he knew for sure that Marigold wanted to get straight to work with whatever she had planned for the people of this town.

[Marigold Darkson]

Marigold eventually met up with L'Ombra, who had managed to hitch a ride on her ship. The man's presence was welcomed by her, but the rest of her partners were wary of him. They didn't trust him right off the bat, but seeing has Himeiji too, wore a mask, he wouldn't be able to tell through the emotions on her face. Ysl'Dae, though she were concerned over the intentions of the man, didn't have any visible change to the rest of her facial features when he joined them. This just went to show how well the group was able to adapt to uncomfortable situations. Their travels brought them through streets and boulevards, eventually to the Sandlot, where Three would meet them up. Along their there, however, people often looked up at her and whispered, wondering, "is that her...?" And, "she must be the one who that man spoke of..." The townspeople have seemingly been made aware of her image and presence. Was that all Three's doing? They were going to find out in that same moment, actually.

Her informant easily explained what was going on, but her ears perked up over the sound of "talented figures." She remembered her encounter with the Heartless Queen Ophelia some time back. That was a woman of definite talent and that allowed Mari to realize back then, that if she were to ever encounter these individuals, that she should attempt to recruit them and use them to fit her needs. However, with the prospect of them being unconscious, along with the fact that her younger sister Celia were around, that gave her quite the few ideas. The Queen went over to Himeiji and whispered softly into her ear. The masked assassin turned her gaze up to her Queen and nodded, ignoring the disrespect given to her by her subordinate, but she'd deal with him later. After that, she was off to accomplish her mission.

"While she's away... Three, show me the rest of the battlefield, would you?" The woman asked and the man nodded with a simple smile. They would be taken farther into the town and eventually to where the fight had ensued. A miraculously bloody sight, that had the halved body of the former mayor, along with one of the aforementioned unconscious figures. Himeiji had her work cut out for her, literally. Though, Marigold would take any risks concerning the clean up of this grisly aftermath and decided on taking matters into her own hands. Before anyone else had the luxury of showing up, the queen unleashed her abilities...

Blood dripped from her hands in large quantities, creating two large pools of the crimson liquid. The blood moved and squirmed as if it were alive and quickly shot over to the bodies. Each and every piece was covered by her substance and she took great measures to make sure that the whole body, wouldn't be trifled with or wake up. Her blood bore deep into the head and heart of the unconscious woman and killed her then and there, before it froze to absolute zero and encased her entirely. The two halves of the mayor weren't a problem, he were already dead. His halves were frozen as a whole and set aside the other bloodsicle for later transportation. Two bloody and cold coffins, ready for the mad scientist back at home...

---

Himeiji's Side:

The woman asked around town, her masked and intimidating appearance garnered her information that was rather intriguing. Himeiji went under the guise that she was apart of a police force that looked out for those responsible for the deaths of the townspeople, plus the ensuing chaos that occurred afterwards. She asked if there were any place that outlaws could hide and she was met with some information that recurred often. There was a forest that a lot of the kids stayed out of, because of a supposed haunted manor. Should anyone want to desperately escape, they'd hide there, was what she were told. Given that she WAS supposed to be on a hunt, she wouldn't deny these sightings just yet. Plus, a forest was the perfect place to have someone hidden... Especially if they were important. Without missing a beat, the samurai went about her own devices and quickly traversed the rest of the town. She reached the forested area at some point and started moving about.

Her movements were silent, much like if she were some sort of ghost. Himeiji traveled quickly and eventually made it to a clearing in the forest. The masked woman looked around ever so predator-like. Her eyes eventually spied upon a girl who was unconscious. She gave her a couple look overs, before the assassin approached her body and quickly unsheathed her blade. The metal shined brightly in the dim breaks of light, that shined through the forest. Much like a small spotlight, it was only Himeiji and the unconscious girl at this point. Without hesitation, the young woman placed a foot upon the shoulder of the girl and propped her up, blade pulled back at the ready. The steel struck true and drove itself forward into the chest of the girl, stabbing through and piercing her heart. Hime twisted her blade several times, before she pulled it out and stabbed lower into her lower abdominal area, to pierce one of her kidneys and pulled out the blade once again, to stab it cleanly through the young girl's neck.

When the deed was done, the samurai flicked her blade clean of the blood, sheathed it, then went over to pick up the body. She utilized her power over Nothingness, to destroy the surrounding aspects of space around her, namely gravity, so she could rise up through the forest and fly off to the Lancelot, where she'd put the dead body in cold storage...

[Seeker of Carnage]

L'Ombra would wait until the ship got low, dropping off and rolling on the ground. Once he regained his balance, he'd converge with Marigold and company as soon as she finished dealing with Axis' body. He would make sure his scimitar was in one hand and his pistol was in the other. Smiling, he removed his mask and crushed it, planning on utilizing a much better one. Noticing the companions, he neared Marigold while holstering his weapons. He was completely naked with his changelang out. " Oh, dear. So much chaos, right M'Lady? You should've seen the fires that punk started. A more accurate description would be that the sweet nectar I supplied the Mafia was taken in one swift blow. Suddenly all the drug houses were taken out, and Del Ray's factory was collapsed. Little did anyone know, my elixir is quite... Well." Spawning some of it, L'Ombra tossed it into the air, unholstered his gun and fired at it. A burst of fire released from the impact, consuming the potion. Smiling back at those who stuck around, he'd keep up with the Queen.

"So, it got out of control. Kid blew up the clocktower and cut off the Terrace from this area in terms of safe travel. Lots. And lots. Of people died, more so from the fires than the idiocracy the Mayor upheld. So what'r'you gonna do Marigold? Everyone's near the area you picked me up from. So I suggest...Take advantage of terror and act as a graceful presence. You can take hold of this world and rebuild, and then no on will question since their Mayor is dead, a terrible being destroyed even more of the world, more specifically that incredible burst of power he showed." L'Ombra kept a conniving grin on his face, using his hands during his speech to emphasize on certain subjects. "And I know who bombed the world before. He was an issue for the mob and he wasn't too secretive with his name. Decided to yell it out one day when the mob was following them after they shot him. Use that, hunt him down, and make him pay. Winning even more favor." L'Ombra clapped his hands together, then did a joking jazz hand routine. "Queen Marigold, Ruler of the Skies and the End of Terror! How's that sound?"

[Professor Velox]

Shirou was able to sense people who were in the immediate vicinity. There were two very powerful people fighting, and Shirou had a feeling one of them was the masked man. And then, one of them stopped completely. Deceased. Gone. And then the other person disappeared. And then the deceased person disappeared as well after somebody else appeared next to it. What the hell was happening? Shirou didn't recognize any of these people and he cursed himself for not knowing. When he burst from within the forest in front of the mansion, there was very little left.

"We're...we're too late," he said to Tsumiko.

[Raziel]

Resting for a bit, the Nobody felt like he had a little more energy as he sat up back against the tree. He may have even dozed off for a bit. There were others in the forest. Friend or foe? Raziel didn't want to find out, especially in his condition. This world was proving to be far too dangerous for him, and he should have left when he had the chance before. Still wincing from the pain, he extended his hand, and focused.  

I don't want to be here anymore. I want to leave. he thought.

A flicker of ivory appeared in the darkness before a portal appeared into the Realm of Nothingness. Raziel used the tree to support himself to stand before limping through the portal. Maybe he could find a place to rest or heal his wounds somewhere safer.

[Topic Exit]

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko wasn't nearly as keen on sensing things as her companion was. Running towards the mansion, she had no idea what it was he was picking up on, still with the idea that they'd be able to make it in time to help stopped the masked man that was wrecking havoc on the world. It had already seen enough destruction, from the little she seen of the world. Subconsciously, the grip she had on the hand in hers, as it lead her through the forest, tightened.

Stepping into the clearing that stood before the mansion's gates, Tsumiko was horrified by the sight she seen. The mansion, the surrounding forest, most anything nearby was reduced to little more than rubble. Her breath hitched in her chest as she looked at the destruction, hearing Shirou's words. Her only reaction was a soft exhale and a couple steps forward.

“Was he... Why? How- ...How could someone think this kind of destruction is okay? How could someone justify killing another? And for what? What reason was there to do this?” the songstress began asking herself a slew of questions, speaking quietly. She just... couldn't understand. That frustration began to well tears in the corner of her eyes.

[Marigold Darkson]

Marigold had been conscious of everything around her, as the explanation of L'Ombra went on. She had several things to add to the whole thing, but decided that it was best for her to save her comments until the end. Marigold, Ysl'Dae and Three all took their turns "listening" in a way, but actively looked around the place. Every piece of destruction was another tally to total the cost of what they'd have to bring, in order to reconstruct the city. A shake of the head showed the disapproval that came from Marigold. Not necessarily to what L'Ombra was telling her, but to how reckless people could be.

"Total incompetence... How can a leader let their town suffer like this, cause death to their own people? The state this place is in, is more than likely an accurate representation of their foundation... Flooded, broken and destroyed. How pitiful." Her thoughts about the former leader were rather harsh. See, from where the Queen came from, incompetent leaders were the norm. People who sought only to use and corrupt others, in order to get what they wanted, regardless of the consequences. She wasn't necessarily saying this was how this leader was, but he was neglectful and foolish, just like the rest of them back on her homeworld. That is why she rose up in power and put an end to those leaders. Took their lands and showed her version of leadership, which ironically was a lot better than the others, for Marigold thought of herself as a tyrant to some degree.

Her mind eventually came back to the task at hand and by that time, their associate had finished his explanation. Good thing she was able to listen and think about irrelevant people without missing much of anything. A light chuckle of amusement escaped her lips when she was given the title "Ruler of the Skies and End of Terror." Something like that didn't quite fit with her. The woman was fine with just being called "Queen," for anything else would be too gaudy for her. She figured it was about finally time to bring up the things that concerned her, the man being one of them.

"First of all, Mr. Ombra, put some clothes on. You're in the presence of royalty and I will not have you parading around naked when in my company. Secondly, refrain from causing a ruckus when in this area and when I am here. I'm trying to serve as a presence of hope for these people and I can't have riff-raff disrupting that image of me. Third..." Marigold took a slight pause, because of the return of Himeiji. The Queen pointed towards the other two frozen bodies, which the assassin nodded towards and went to go retrieve them. She picked them up and was off just like that. "Third, you are indeed correct, finding the one who did this and having a public execution would in fact gain favor with the rest of the people. That was an excellent idea you came up with, but before that can happen, I require all information you have on the culprit responsible. Oh and lastly, I'd much rather be preferred to be called 'Queen Marigold,' rather than anything else. Keeps it short and sweet." And just like that, she brought up all the points she wanted to get out the way. The Darkson then turned her attention back over to Three, who was more than likely taking in all of the information as well.

"Three, I'm going to need you to make some calls. Try to get into contact with Florenthal or Kaine and see if they can get some ships with basic building resources over here. Also, try to see if you can draw up some plans for a better, more practical town layout. That clock tower was an eyesore, after all." Just like that, the young woman openly admitted to having a disdain to clock towers.

[Three]

Three, in his head, was judging the situation for what it was. Their contact was some naked, masked freak, who looked crazier than the three of them combined. Of course, he didn't voice this observation, nor did it show on his face. He just listened to what the guy had to say, but assessed the damage and losses. These people were broken down much like their town, but since they were just people it wouldn't be too hard for them to build them back up. The man thought about how easy it would be for Marigold to take advantage of everything. Literally, the reputation of the last mayor had dropped down to none and died, along with him. The townsfolk would no doubt want to accept any rule that seemed more befitting for them, but they'd do it cautiously. That would mean the Darkson's would have to really play their cards right... That also meant he'd have even more work to do.

A light groan escaped his lips and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe the mess this all totaled up to, but was generally pleased that there was a larger, profitable result to be had after the hard part was settled. Plus, the planning process already seemed to be underway between the man known as L'Ombra and Marigold. Find the perpetrator of these crimes and bring him to justice in front of the people. Interestingly enough, such a barbaric thing would work out, because despite how advanced and civil humans became, Three always knew that they had the primal urge to enjoy spectacles which involved the death and misfortune of others, who have wronged them. A small chuckle came to his lips at that thought, just because of how true it was. Sentient beings, no matter how "great" and "powerful" they were, all shared that shred of humanity that could easily be exploited. At any point, their conversation was done and Mari had given Three his new objective.

"On it. Give me a minute." He said casually, then pulled out his phone. The man walked off from the rest of the group some ways and started to place a few calls. Talking to the others was definitely going to be fun.

[Seeker of Carnage]

L'Ombra chuckled, touching the ground and allowing instilling part of his life into it to grow some plants. From the ground sprouted leaves and vines that'd entangle L'Ombra's body and remove itself from the ground. He was now wearing a plant-based jumpsuit. Distant steps could be heard, and L'Ombra instantly turned to see it was Sparrow and Havelock, making the assassin tremble for just a moment. Now that Del Ray was gone, he could actually have allies he could trust and that were loyal. Enablers for his manipulative nature, and he smiled towards the Queen. "Oh, my Queen! Here's a treat. On my reputation, I can ensure you that the shadows have become deadlier with the appearance of two dear friends. Havelock, did you bring my mask?" the jet black-haired man smiled, approaching L'Ombra and embracing him. Noticing that he was near nude with not the strongest of materials, he made a space. "Oi! That crevice of your's moist from the heat of battle?" L'Ombra sighed, trying to refrain from vulgar language. Getting closer to the man, he made a quite quip back to him.

"Moist as a lake, Havelock. Now please keep quiet. You know how authority doesn't like your vulgarity." To which Havelock would respond with an equally quite response, "Okay, Mum. I'll make sure to keep my dicks and dongs to me-self." Rolling his eyes and chuckling, L'Ombra took a mask from the man's hand and placed it on his face. It shifted to his face, identical to Sparrow's mask. The quiet second man approached L'Ombra and nodded. "So you decided to use a jester's mask? I can see through it." L'Ombra placed a hand on Sparrow's shoulder, shaking his head. "How are you going to use your eyes as an example? You're the lightning bound by the thunder of explosion. Mister Zeus the Sniper." Sparrow didn't laugh, clearly an opposite to Havelock. Turning back to Marigold, he looked at her while focusing the ocular pieces of his mask. "I apologize, I didn't realize that they'd take advantage of Del Ray leaving. Which, by the way, Del Ray will send people after the kid too. So we'll need to counter him, but he'll be recuperating for a while so not an immediate issue. As for the kid."

L'Ombra tried recalling all the intel he had been given as he was almost given the job to kill him, so he needed to take in every detail about the kid. "I should note, easy to find. The kid is loud and reckless. His name, if I recall correctly, is Darius Fetch. I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a new name once people start attacking him. However, seeing as children were among the fatalities, well. That's a gold mine, Queen Marigold. No, that's unfathomable treasures for these citizens." L'Ombra was an opportunist, and using this opportunity to get revenge on the kid for ruining one business venture. It gave him sustained luxury, and now he needed to re-establish connections in other worlds. Havelock messed around with a dagger, nodding towards Marigold while Sparrow bowed. "You idiot. Show some respect, L'Ombra feels she deserves it." Havelock sighed before bowing as well. L'Ombra looked at the two, his superiority over them showing in his eyes. The eyes of a demon, darkness lurking within.

L'Ombra thought that the reckless nature of people was the perfect opportunity to rise in power, to rise and spread his roots further. "My Queen, I don't think this is the best place to continue discussions. Besides, I need to repair a few things and...well...get proper clothes. Also, I need to get my allies up to speed. I apologize for Havelock's disrespect. Sparrow is much more obedient. If you need a run-down of their abilities, I shall give them. Oh, before I forget, Darius has a bit of flame in him. As in, he scorched Del Ray's men dead. Completely charred their bones. He robbed a smithy midday and took down a whole unit of guards. He. Is. Dangerous. Well, he might be, to incompetent beings like mere mobsters and this world's pitiful guard." L'Ombra was curious as to what additions would be made to the world, raising a brow and having an idea of his own. "Would it be possible to include a sort of outpost for a certain trio to operate at, fully to your disposal?" Havelock rose a finger to interject, but the two struck stares at him with their scary masks that made him put that finger down and keep quiet. "Havelock, you just should keep quiet around her." "Fair enough."

[Professor Velox]

Out of the corner of Shirou's eye, he spotted a piece of paper stuck on a tree branch, fluttering in the faint wind. He walked over and picked it up, quickly reading it. It seemed as though it was some journal entry written by somebody. He wondered if it was from somebody who had been here today or a remnant from the mansion that had been destroyed. He walked over to Tsumiko and said, "It seems like this was a fruitless effort. Sorry for all...this" He gestured towards the destruction. "I live in the Underworld, so if you ever need help, feel free to come by and visit. Tell Serenae the same thing when she wakes up." And without another word, Shirou disappeared.

*The Events of Marigold's post happened after Shirou left, even though I posted after*

[Tsumiko]

Tsumiko took in a deep breath to calm herself, crying wasn't going to solve anything. She reached up a hand to wipe away her tears and turned to look at Shirou as he wandered away to pick something up. The little piece of paper had gotten stuck in a fallen tree branch. It reminded her a little of the slip of paper she had found in the white castle. She really did need to find out the name of that place...

After skimming over the page, Shirou came back over to her and apologized for the sight. She shook her head in response, a flashed him a shaky smile. “No, there's no need for you t apologize, Shirou. You did what you could to prevent this. We were just a few moments to late, that's all. But I'll pass along the message. Till next we meet,” she said in a placid tone. The songstress waved to him as he disappeared, and sighed when he was gone. Sure, there wasn't much else they could have done. They tried the best they could. Tsumiko just wished there could have been more done to prevent it...

With a final glance at the mansion's ruins, she turned away and returned to the forest. Slow steps carried her into the green, making to return to where the sleeping Serenae should have been. After arriving, her heart skipped a beat to see that the woman was gone. Maybe she woke up and returned home? No, she would have came to find them... Right? Then what was this... red on the tree? Did someone..? No. No, she's fine. She just left... That's what the songstress chose to believe, casting a worried glance around the forest as she made way to the town. The heartless seemed to have gone now, most likely with the departure of the masked man. If he was truly gone, or still lurking in the shadows, the songstress couldn't really say. It just seemed to have calmed significantly.

She wasn't going in any one direction specifically, but helped those she came across who needed it. Healing, comforting, assisting the people caught in the havoc, Tsumiko did what little she could. There wasn't much she could do the buildings and the like, but pushed aside rubble to clear a path of sorts in a few areas. She sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow. She was taking a break in the shade of a building, leaning against the wall as she looked up to the sky. All this destruction, and it was still a beautiful sight. Even though the tower was destroyed, a pity that, the station plaza still the best place to see the sky. And with where it was positioned, she'd be able to better grasp the damage.

With her next destination in mind, Tsumiko pushed off the wall with a quiet huff and started walking. It didn't take her too long to get to Station Heights from her location, nor did it take long to scale the hill leading to the plaza. Upon reaching the top, she wandered further to see that there was a group of several people assembled. Among them was, “Mari-chan..?” Tsumiko asked herself, not quiet sure enough to be positive. She was pretty sure that it was the snowy haired queen, however, as she took slow steps over. She didn't want to interrupt, on the other hand. So if it seemed like the woman was busy, she would wait where she stood her Marigold to finish her business.

[Marigold Darkson]

Marigold watched as L'Ombra, the assassin who was revealed to be the same man who she had spoken to before, seemed to have more company join him. It was always so enjoyable to meet others, after all, she was in the process of building an army and needed to see every single individual involved with her, as to ascertain where their loyalties lied. The queen took it upon herself to watch the three and pulled out one of her signature, all-black cigarettes. She took the stick in-between her crimson-red lips and used her lighter for once to light up the commodity. Mari looked as if she were about to fall flat on her bum, but suddenly materialized a chair made out of her own blood right beneath her. It was high and showed her dominance above even the mighty L'Ombra himself, who he himself exerted a form of command over the rest of his motley crew. With a cross of her legs, she watched as the three bowed to her. A sight that amused her greatly, as shown by the smile she wore on her lips.

Her eyes flashed for a moment and showed off a deadly look that she hadn't actually worn around the man at first. This was his induction into the army, finally. Just from that look alone, he expected out the man and his group absolute loyalty. Of course, if they needed a demonstration of why she required their full cooperation, she'd be obliged to give it. However, just by how easy they seemed to submit to someone like the masked leader, she hadn't a doubt in her mind that they'd listen regardless of who gave them their orders. Well, all except one of them, the one who played with the knife and seemed to dally. Either case, she listened to what any and all of them had to say regarding the situation of finding the boy. L was most definitely right, he could have likely used a different name, but that wouldn't change anything if he still kept up the appearance. Nonetheless, she'd have someone send for him. Dead or alive if need be.

Soon enough, however, the concern of privacy was brought up by the new assassin. A low chuckle escaped her lips and with a snap of her fingers, the blood that made up the chair legs had dug into the ground and traveled underground. Once they arrived at any openings such as alleyways or entrances, the blood spiked and rose up quickly. This effectively choked off any obvious ways to the group and made their little area a bit more private to speak in. Also, Tsumiko had just managed to enter in time before she was closed off from the rest of the people.

"Now, now... I'd rather get all of these details out the way as soon as possible. Now, the normal townsfolk won't be able to come in and eavesdrop, unlike our silver-blue haired songstress over there." Marigold said, as she looked directly over to Tsumiko. Unlike the way how she peered at L'Ombra and his two peers, her gaze towards the woman was much softer and lenient. There were bound to be more people to come eventually, but if they were others already associated with her, then she figured why not. "Here's the deal. I will be remodeling the city much to my liking very soon. You will have a place of operations, yes, but don't expect it to be anything extravagant. It'll be hidden in plain sight where you three will be able to work with the resources and leisure I'll provide you with. However, I want you to report to me daily and never leave out any details. The more the better." She explained easily and shifted positions in her chair. "Secondly, you will also be reporting to my associate, Three, who is busy with a phone call. He will be your superior and will handle giving you missions I charge him with. These missions will be marked with a specific seal and signature that you'll take note of immediately, as a form of authenticity. Lastly, whether or not these missions take you different worlds, I expect you all to work professionally. You are under my banner now and there are certain experiences we keep when we deal with the public. Other 'businesses' will be handled at our discretion. Marigold spoke with a matter-of-factly tone and showed that she had already had a plan for all of them. "You are all free to speak your mind on the matter, though, I will ask you all to think before you do speak." The queen added and with that, she returned to smoking her cigarette.

She was very much aware that Tsumiko was still there, however, this was a matter that she didn't want the young woman to get involved with. Gwain would more than likely give her an ear full, if he had found out the songstress wanted to tag along or had heard something she shouldn't have.

Around this time, Himeiji had returned. She easily passed through one of the blood walls, but stayed by it's entrance and merely peered at the rest of the group, through the eye holes in her mask.

[Three]

"Yes, yes, of course. Given the situation, Two, I believe she is indeed giving you free reign to utilize the Master Oracle Unit, to lock on and get our coordinates. Send them as fast as you can." Three had said, showing that his conversation with the woman had quickly drawn to a close. Afterwards, he hung up the phone and slipped the device back into his pocket. A steady sigh left his lips and he sauntered over to the queen without as much worry as he initially had. That was when he was introduced to the sight of L'Ombra and his band of teammates, who in turn were going to become his "teammates." He had a few choice words for all of them, which bordered on the more rude side, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He merely forced a smile to the three, before his gaze turned up towards the snow-white haired woman. "Queen Marigold, Two has confirmed that two ships worth of goods will be arriving to our location within the next few hours. Might I suggest I start planning how to handle the mess?" Three asked, waiting for a reply from the woman.

His eyes only happened to wander over one of the blood covered entrances, to see a woman with silver-blue hair and eyes of the same color hue. A light sound escaped the man's lips, as he checked her out subtly. A large bust, curvaceous figure and a rather cute face, were the features that stuck out just as much as the color of her hair. He rose an eyebrow at the young woman and smirked. Three used a hand to clean up his hair a bit and he put on his best smile. The man wanted to make sure that the girl would be able to see his charm from where he stood.

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