Genesis Crisis IC

Bunker

"Yeah." Alina responded to Rise's comment about making more memories. "I'd like that." She tried not to think about the future too much though. Right now, they didn't even know if they had one, and it was better not to plan for something that didn't exist.

When Rise began her speech, Alina fell silent, listening to the words. They were rough, unpolished, but the message rang true in them, and she couldn't help but smile at the young woman sitting across the table from her. Maybe the future still had a little bit of hope left for it after all.

She found herself getting drawn into the melodic sound of Rise's voice, and when it was over, Alina could only sit there and stare at her, wondering where that had come from...

"Normally, people applaud after a performance." Alina said softly. "But applause seems so petty compared to that..."

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Yeah?" Lisa asked, looking in Snow's direction. "Who the hell are you to act like you know anything about me?"

She glared at him, her eyes burning, as if they could pierce through him. "Feeling sorry for people doesn't help anyone. Take that from someone who knows."

"You want to tell me how wrong I am?" She asked coldly. "Do it after you've been strapped down and watched someone you love violated. And do you know where your Raidon was the whole time? Standing there, watching it happen, with that cold, uncaring look on his face."

----------------------------------------------------------------

"I suppose it's probably made to handle a lot of weight then." Keynes responded when she told him what the cable was. "It might be useful for something." He said as he slid it across the desk beside the jar of crystals.

Keynes didn't let anything show on his face when Kokonoe snatched the book from his hand and snapped at him. Obviously, it wasn't something she wanted to talk about, but he couldn't help but notice that she seemed lost in thought while looking down at it.

"Yeah, I'm done..." He said, turning towards the door. As he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob, Keynes paused though. "I know I don't have a right to say anything, but the Kokonoe I used to know wasn't the type to dwell on fairy tales. She could make anything she dreamed her reality." Without waiting for a response, he stepped through the door, closing it behind him, and leaving only silence. Damn, but he'd gone and fucked everything up all over again...

----------------------------------------------------------------

Lizzy twisted into a punch, rocketing the bag backwards as Jax spoke to her. She'd noticed his presence several moment before, but until he spoke, she'd seen no reason to break her concentration to converse with him.

"I don't believe in weapons." She said, reaching out to catch the bag with her open hand as it swung back towards her. "They only bring suffering."

Not entirely sure how to address the man standing before her, Lizzy cocked her head to the side, as if trying to figure out who he was. After a moment, she held out her free hand for him to shake. "Elizabeth LeGrange." She said, choosing to give her own name in hopes that he'd do the same.

On the train

She stood up and followed him to one of the crates. To her surprise it was full of weapons. It hadn't even entered her mind that they might be trying to bring more weapons to the capital after the recent uprisings.

Arya nodded and moved closer to the crate, surveying its contents. Finally she selected to knives, small enough to conceal easily, but big enough that they would give her an advantage in any hand-to-hand combat encounter.

Then she moved on the next crate and undid the lid. It contained several other boxes and her face lit up when she opened one of them. It contained a bow, but not the old fashioned kind, no it was a compound bow with a double chord, release and stabilization and sighting system. She picked it up carefully, weighing it one hand and nodded satisfied.

At the bottom of the crate, she found a bag of arrows and upon closer examination, they revealed to be carbon fiber with an adamantine tip.

Arya turned around and smiled at Raidon. "This will do," she said and strapped the arrows and bow around her shoulder and on her back.

"How close do you think we are?" she asked and moved over to him to take his hand.

___________________________________________

Bunker

Snow looked at Lisa calmly, not even blinking when she regarded him with an ice cold stare. When she finished, he pulled out another cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag.

"Let's get one thing clear. I haven't worked for the military in over a decade," he said and his voice had a dark undertone. "Not since they kicked me out and told me to piss off."

There was another pause while Snow blew grey smoke in the air. "I read your file. I know you have a sister and I worked for the military police long enough to know what happens when you pull a stunt like you did," Snow finally said when his voice sounded normal again. "It's okay to be angry, but do you want to let your team down when they need you? When they're countin' on you to have their backs?" he shook his head. "No, you need to get this out of your system. Otherwise more people will die and I sure as hell don't want to be one of them."

He didn't know if he trusted her, if he trusted any of them. Probably not completely, but he still believed, after what he had seen from them, that there was a mutual goal they were all working towards. Not all of them would die for each other, but some were pretty close to that. All to well did he know what it felt like to see someone he cared about get hurt, but he wasn't about to recount that to Lisa. She needed to find her own way to deal with the pain and the guilt.

"Oh and if you want to hate someone, hate on the job, not the person. Seriously, if Raidon hadn't done it, they would've found someone else," Snow shrugged and took one last drag on his cigarette before putting it out. "Compared to other scumbags I've known, Raidon isn't so bad. Sometimes we don't have a choice but to follow the orders we're given. And at least he followed the rules."

___________________________________________

Bunker

James didn't know how long he'd been sitting outside, but eventually he stood up. He touched his cheek, surprised to find the tears and sighed. It almost felt the more he thought about it, the more he was falling apart.

So don't think about it, idiot, he thought to himself and made his way back inside. He walked aimlessly around for a few seconds. Jax, Alex and Lizzy were in the trainings room, but he didn't feel like joining them, so he walked into the kitchen.

The kitchen, despite being military style, had a calming effect, something that reminded him of home even though he hadn't been home in years.

"You should be out there training to clear your head and get your act together," he said to himself. Physical training had never brought him the emotional release that it seemed to provide most guys with. Shaking his head to clear it, he grabbed the kettle and began to fill it with water.

Bunker

"I know it was his job dammit..." Lisa closed her eyes as images of her sister's plight danced through her mind, causing her to shiver involuntarily. "And I don't need to be reminded that it was my fault." She continued. "I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. Don't pretend that there are any rules when it comes to torture though." Her voice rose, gaining strength again with her anger. "There isn't any dignity either. Maybe that's where I got it wrong." She said bitterly. "I overestimated him. I though Raidon had enough pride in himself to deal with me personally, not through someone who had nothing to do with it. Even if there were any rules, bringing an innocent into the mix breaks all of them."

She pushed herself to her feet, no longer wanting any part of this conversation. "You say I need to get this out of my system, but it's not that easy to let go. I honestly don't want to let it go. That's my penance..."

Bunker

"Hey, hey wait a second," Snow got up after Lisa and grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving. He looked at her wrist and then into her eyes and then dropped his hand from the hold.

"You're an idiot if you make the same mistakes I did. You'll see how it breaks you down slowly, you'll end up in the gutter," he said huskily. "Trust me on this, Lisa. I've been on both sides. The one where the person you love gets killed and the one where I was the person killing a loved one," he shook his head and tried to keep his eyes from become dark with anger and sadness.

"You're young and well, pretty I guess. You have your life ahead of you and you're throwing it away because you feel the need to pay eternally for your mistake. You alone can't judge if you deserve that," his husky voice was calm, but he couldn't keep every emotion from it. It was too easy to recognize himself in her situation.

"Maybe, before you become bitter and shut out the people around you for good because your hate for Chief of Police and the need to feel punished are growing too strong, I suggest you find your sister and talk to her when all this is done. Just think about it, she may not see things the same way and sometimes the people that love us, have a way of helping us let go even if we don't want to."

And with those words, he finally looked away from her eyes and pulled out another cigarette. He turned around and stared off into the distance. "Sometimes it all starts with being the bigger person," Snow shrugged and took a drag from his cigarette.

Bunker

The relief of the weight coming off of Alex's chest was a good feeling, as he could actually breathe without feeling crushed. His eyes glanced over at Jax when he said he was glad he understood with an strange expression that questioned the means he did it.

"Ya, I'm not going to do anything like that in battle after that." Alex replied jokingly, as he grabbed his shoulders and loosened up his stiff arms before he noticed there was someone else the room. It wasn't anyone he knew that well, she must of showed up during the last battle, but Jax was already talking to her like they were friends.

For the time being, Alex just observed their conversation, as he began to lift the bench again now with a lighter weight to see how the discussion went.

"Hurt people?" Alex wondered, as he was confused why a training member of the army would hate weapons so much. These people could probably kill someone just as easily with their bare hands.

Army Squad

"It was a joint effort sir." Aera stated quickly, picking up Lancar's mumble almost immediately. If Lancar could see Aera's expression in this darkness, she would look steeled and serious at the moment, but tense at the same time.

"As a squad we all have our parts, and if I didn't jump the gun with my convictions then I might of been able to save you all." Aera stated more quietly and regretfully this time. She didn't disagree with what she said, but causing conflict like that made her hypocritical... Since she was preaching about not attacking and then attacked the ensigns..

At the same time Daemond reached out a grabbed Aera shoulder tightly, while he nodded in agreement. His face same exhausted just from purely remembering that event, and even though Aera said it was a joint effort, Daemond knew that it was mainly his fault.

"Really? I was the idiot that decided to investigate the roof top that was being cut open..." Daemond muttered, as the contents of what was in the storage flowed through his mind yet again, as he said "By the way, since we're all being sent to be executed anyways.. do you want to hear the contents of that place?"

Bunker

"You don't have to say that.." Rise said, looking away with embarrassment. She was glad to know that it had come out well, however. With any luck, it really might work the way she'd hoped.

"Well, I should get started on dinner then," the brunette said, standing up. "If you could get it ready then, I'd appreciate it. I don't want it aired until Legion starts its revolution tomorrow though."

Rise left the room, heading into the kitchen to get to work. She saw James out of the corner of her eye and greeted him, but stopped short, however, when she realized something seemed off. His whole aura seemed off, and his eyes appeared red, as though he'd been crying.

"James.. are you all right?" she asked softly, dinner quite forgotten as she sank into the chair beside him with a worried look.

--------------------

Jax brightened up at Lisa's words. Yes, he could definitely appreciate her logic, and when she reached her hand out, he shook it firmly.

"Jackson Mathis. You can call me Jax," he said warmly. "Want to trade moves? I saw a couple good combos there I wouldn't mind picking up."

For some people, they might find it odd, but Jax was truly feeling pumped up meeting someone with a similar fighting technique. He could definitely use a workout buddy, and gender mattered little to him in matters of combat.

--------------------

Kokonoe sat in silence for some time after Keynes had left before she gave a small, humorless laugh.

"The Kokonoe you know was living in a fairytale," she whispered, removing her lab coat and holding it in her hands. At one time, when she'd donned this garb, she felt as though she could do anything. The world was an opportunity waiting to be grasped, and she would do more than anyone before her had. And she wouldn't have to do it alone; against all odds, she'd found someone who loved her despite her shortcomings.

Yes.. she'd had her own fairytale life that crumbled apart only too soon. The researcher learned the hard way that you didn't get to have the career of your dreams and a fulfilling relationship too. In fact, pursuing your life-long ambition wasn't even guaranteed to get you the satisfaction you'd imagined.

--------------------

Train

Raidon was glad to see that Arya was able to obtain weapons that suited her, though he had to admit that he didn't particularly like the idea of her having to fight. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that..

"Very close," he said, feeling the train begin to slow. He quickly pulled her close, feeling it would be best to exit the train before it came to a stop. With a quick motion of his hand, the world around them vanished, replaced with a strange, unearthly plane of existence. To anyone not used to it, they might lose track of what was up, down, forward, or back, but Raidon was no stranger to the astral plane. In the split second he had, he made a decisive leap forward with Arya in hand, and as the world dissolved around them back into reality, they found themselves at the end of the train platform in Caltha, unnoticed by the crowd standing where the train was slowing to a stop.

"Best to keep moving," Raidon said quietly, still holding onto Arya. "Do you know somewhere we can stay?"

--------------------

Army Squad

It was encouraging to see that despite their circumstances, the squad was still strong. Lancar wished it didn't have to end this way, but he was at least happy to know that if he died, it would be knowing that there were people who he could call his real family.

The pain of Colt's death was still fresh in his mind, but the lieutenant did feel a spark of curiosity for the first time at the mention of the contents of the warehouses. If they were going to die for that, they might as well have the knowledge of it.

"What did you see?" Lancar asked, leaning forward unconsciously.

Bunker

"I'd feel bad if I didn't." Alina said, giving Rise a warm smile as she took the vocoder back from the girl. "It'll be ready before dinner is." She continued teasingly. "But I'll set it on a timer to air tomorrow morning."

As Rise ducked out of the room to go prepare dinner, Alina slid the vocoder back onto the desk and cycled through a few screens, making mild adjustments to the audio so it would be more clear and have more body when broadcast over the secure network. It didn't take much effort to prepare the track though, and only a few minutes after she started, Alina was done.

She let the message play through on the screen one more time before she was satisfied, and then she switched off the controls before stepping back out into the hall.

"What to do until dinner..." She contemplated to herself.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A pleasure Jax." Lizzy responded, gripping his hand a little more tightly than he probably expected. "I'd love to get a little exercise." She continued, giving him a smile. "Let me finish my warmup first though. I'm a bit stiff after yesterday."

Her eyes traveled up his arm, which was still covered in gashes, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Actually, from the look of things, so are you. Want me to patch you up first so you don't have any trouble keeping up with me?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lisa allowed Snow to grip her wrist only for a moment before pulling it away. She didn't lash out at him this time. Instead, she only backed away until her shoulders pressed against the concrete wall behind her. "Who besides me can be the judge?" She asked weakly before disappearing through the door beside her.

Did she really want an answer to that question? Was she okay with not feeling like this was all her fault? No, if she'd wanted an answer, she would have stayed to hear his response. Instead, she had bolted, and now she would live with that, just like she lived with her sister's life being turned upside down. That wouldn't make her let the others down though. She couldn't let anyone else down. It wasn't in her to do so...

Bunker

James looked up for only a second when Rise entered and ran his sleeve over his eyes when he heard the concern in her voice.

He wasn't sure if he was embarrassed that she found him in this unsettled state of mind or if he was relieved that he had the chance to talk about what he felt.

"I hardly know," he said and avoided to look at her. "I'm glad you're okay though."

There was a pause that turned into silence while his fingers kept a tight grip around the tea cup. "You know…I killed him," he finally said, unsure where to start. "Pale Rider, I mean." There was a tone of insecurity in his voice that had never been there before.

----------------------------------------------------------

Snow let her go. It didn't look like she really understood what he tried to say and he shrugged. This was as far as he was willing to go to help her. Slowly he finished his cigarette and then headed back inside as well.

Their room was empty and it looked like Lizzy had decided to go into the trainings room to get some exercise. When he left the room, still wondering if he should go join her, he saw Alina exiting into the hallway.

"You seem to be in a better mood than this morning, Alina," he commented.

____________________________________________

Caltha

Arya gripped his hand tightly when the world around them vanished. She tried to keep her focus on Raidon, because if she looked anywhere else it would just make her dizzy. Once she had solid ground under her feet again, she relaxed slightly.

She nodded in agreement and they began to move away from the train station. "I know a place near here where I grew up," she said and gestured to the right. "The apartment complexes is largely abandoned because of vandalism and some of the attics and basements are also unused."

They began moving again and after a few corners the neglected state of the streets and houses around them became apparent. "It is not the nicest neighborhood, but at least no one will ask questions," she explained, sounding almost apologetic.

Bunker

Jax grinned at Lizzie's firm handshake. In his mind, you could tell a person's character by his handshake - and a firm one was always trustworthy.

Although he was excited at the prospect of some sparring, her mention of his wounds from the previous day was reason for pause. Although Alina had done a fine job at stitching them up, healing them completely would be the best move to ensure he could fight at his optimal.

"Yeah, if you don't mind," the Red Rider said gratefully, taking a seat to allow Lizzie to work.

--------------------

"Thanks," Rise said, smiling gently at his relief at seeing her well. She wasn't quite sure whhat else to say though, and for a few moments they sat in awkward silence. After a while, James finally spoke up, and Rise immediately understood what the issue was.

"You did what you had to do," she said quietly, putting a hand on his arm. "I know that doesn't make taking a life easier, but it's the truth. He could have killed thousands of people if left alone. I myself.."

She trailed off, shuddering slightly at the memory of the curse the Pale Rider had inflicted on her.

"I probably wouldn't have made it if you hadn't ended things then," Rise whispered, her hand squeezing tighter on his arm. "You saved me."

--------------------

Caltha

Raidon was surprised to hear that Arya had actually grown up in the capital, but that was a trivial matter at the moment. Arya seemed almost apologetic at their possible accomodations - always so thoughtful - but Raidon was hardly bothered by that.

"Lead the way," he said simply, nodding to her.

Bunker

Lizzy rolled her eyes as Jax took a seat next to her. "I wouldn't have asked if I minded." She said as she pressed glowing hands over one of his arms and slowly slid them down, easing away the scars as she traveled to his fingers. Regarding the other person in the room as she took Jax's other arm, she nodded towards Alex.

"That your usual training partner?" She asked as the warm glow of her fingers traveled across more wounds.

Satisfied with her work on his arms, she moved to his back, letting out a low whistle. "This is pretty good combat stitching. It probably still burns when you bend over though, doesn't it?" She lightly traced a few of the stitches before pressing her fingers to the base of the wound and working her way up, mending what she could.

Sweat glistened on her forehead as she passed over the wound several times, and she sat down with a sigh. "That's all I can do for it right now. It goes pretty deep, and I'm still running on empty after last night."

As Jax turned around, she gave him a weak smile. "Now that the warmup is over, how about that spar?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alina was slightly surprised by Snow's appearance, as she hadn't been expecting anyone else in the hallway, but company wasn't exactly unwelcome. "Yes, I suppose I am." She responded, giving him a smile. "Someone reminded me that we still have a lot to hope for, even if we don't know what the future holds."

Still smiling, she waved her hand down the hall, indicating that he could walk with her if he liked. "Is the woman you brought with you doing alright? She didn't look very well last night." She asked as they made their way down the hall, eventually coming to the gym.

Perhaps there was no need for him to answer though. As she turned the corner into the gym, the first thing Alina saw was Jax pinned to the floor with Lizzy wrapped around him from behind, in what appeared to be a submission hold. Unable to resist the slight upward tick at the corner of her mouth, just the hint of a smile, she raised an eyebrow at the scene. "My, you work quickly Jax, but don't you normally do things like this in private?" She asked.

Bunker

James glanced at her hand on his arm and then he closed his eyes, trying to bear with the uneasiness in her soft voice. "You're right, I wanted to save you," he admitted. "And I'm glad I did."

"It's just… in all that we've been through, he wasn't the first to die by my hands," he replied softly and covered his eyes as if feeling ashamed of what he was about to admit. "This time it was different though. I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill him, I almost enjoyed seeing him suffer endlessly for all the pain he inflicted on the people….and on you."

James bit his lip and looked up, searching for Rise's eyes. Was she going to hate him for admitting to that? "I knew this adventure would change us," he said, his voice almost breaking down. "But I'm afraid I'll change into something worse. I don't want to become the kind of person that enjoys killing, no matter how much that person deserves it."

There was a fear in his eyes, a deep uncertainty. At the same time he felt relieved of having someone he trusted here that he could talk to.

-----------------------------------------------

Bunker

He shrugged and followed her when she waved him along. It was not like he had anything better to do. Before he could answer her question, they entered the gym.

Snow stopped at the scene in front of him and couldn't help but chuckle. The hold Lizzy had Jax under didn't look particularly comfortable and he was glad that it was Jax instead of him who had to suffer under it.

"No, I'd say Lizzy is doing alright," he finally commented on Alina's previous question. Crossing his arms, he leaned against he wall with an amused expression on his face. Maybe watching this would be entertaining.

_____________________________________________

Caltha

Arya took his hand and they continued down the street. A few corners later there were hardly any people on the street anymore. Traffic been frequent at the train station in comparison to this abandoned area now.

Eventually Arya lead him into a small alleyway that led to the back of one of the apartment complexes. The back door was unlocked and broken and Arya entered carefully and quietly. She looked around, but no one was in sight.

"Just like I thought, it is still abandoned," she said, looking at Raidon with a smile. Pulling him gently along, they walked down the dirty hallway and headed up the stairs to the second floor. "Okay, this should be it," she said and opened the third door on the left side.

The small apartment was abandoned, just like the rest of the building seemed. A few pieces of furniture had been left behind, covered in dust. She walked across the room to the next door, but it was empty as well.

With a slight shrug she returned to Raidon and stepped close. "It does not look like anyone has been here in years, so we should be relatively safe," she said and sat down on the ground with her back to the wall.

Bunker

Jax watched as Lizzie began to heal his arms, the flesh knitting itself together and the scars fading as the magic began to work. When she indicated a training partner, he looked around for someone before finally realizing she meant Alex.

"No, this is a first-time thing," Jax commented, smiling. "Actually, he's more of the heart of this operation."

When she moved to his back, the Red Rider had to smile at the mention of the stitching work. Just one more thing to add to the former Army commander's list of expertise.

"Yeah, it does. It's much better now though," he said, standing up and bending and stretching to test it out. "Thanks a lot."

Despite sounding weak and exhausted, Lizzie was still eager for a chance at sparring. Never one to turn down such an offer, Jax nodded eagerly.

--------------------

Rise understood James' feelings about all this. She hated having to fight others and hurt them just as much as anyone else. But when he admitted his feelings about killing the Pale Rider - the desire to do it, the pleasure behind it - she was quite taken aback.

Still, this was James. She knew him by now. And his words were more telling than he realized.

"If you can still feel guilty about it, no matter how you felt in the moment, then there's no way you could become like that," Rise reasoned, feeling relieved to see the fear and uncertainty. "You were upset and lost control to your emotions. It happens. But as long as you don't lose that fear of becoming someone heartless, then you'll be okay."

Rise hoped that somehow James would understand what she meant. Standing up, she headed over to the counter before smiling sweetly back at him.

"Now, you mind giving me a hand with dinner?" she asked. "I could use someone to set the table."

--------------------

The next few moments were a confusing blur for Jax. They'd exchanged a few blows before Lizzie had suddenly disappeared from view, taking his feet out from below him and quickly pinning him as he landed on the ground. Before he could struggle, he saw Snow and Alina enter the gym before pausing to survey them.

"Well, I was eager for a good spar," Jax replied innocently, a fire of excitement in his eyes. "But why would I spar in private? There wouldn't be enough room to maneuver properly."

Using amazing lower back muscle, Jax brought up his legs and used his arms to flip himself heels-over-head. As Lizzie hit the ground, pinned beneath his weight, her hold on his neck released, and he quickly rolled off of her with a kick to gain some distance before retaking his stance, fists upraised.

"Whew, you're really good," the Red Rider said after a few moments, grinning.

--------------------

Caltha

As the two of them walked, Raidon had been worried that he might be recognized. But this didn't seem to be the case - apparently, the time since his fall from grace had changed him more than he thought.

Arya led them to an abandoned apartment complex, moving through the dirty and dilapidated rooms until they reached the third door on the left side of the second floor. As with the rest of the building, the small apartment was abandoned, sparsely populated by a few pieces of dusty furniture. Raidon surveyed it with some distaste, but they weren't here to vacation anyway.

"It'll do," the former chief said finally moving over to sit beside Arya. He opened up the bag that Cecilia had prepared for them and removed some food for their dinner.

"Best keep up our strength," he said, handing some over to Arya.

Bunker

Alina couldn't help but laugh at Snow's response, and she joined him against the wall, surveying Jax and Lizzy as they tumbled across the mat in the center of the gym. "Looks like you're right. She seems to be doing quite well."

Lizzy had only briefly noticed the arrival of Alina and Snow when Jax suddenly twisted from her grip, throwing her over him and landing on top. All the air rushed from her lungs, and she was forced to let go, driving an elbow into his ribs to push him off of her so she could breathe.

After a quick inhale, she rolled in the opposite direction, rising to one knee, but keeping her eyes on her opponent. "Of course." She responded, somewhat breathlessly. "I have to be the best, since I'm the instructor. You're not too bad yourself though." Without moving her arms, she pushed herself the rest of the way to her feet with her kneeling leg, pivoting to put that foot behind her.

Her fingers stretched outward before curling back towards her in a signal for him to continue. "This time, you attack."

Bunker

She was shocked, James could see it in her eyes and he averted his gaze to the table. He couldn't even blame her for reacting that way. It was like a mirror of his own feelings.

For a second he was convinced she would stand up and move away from him, but then her words caught him by surprise. He looked up, actually looking hopeful. Maybe she was right. Nonsense, of course Rise was right. As long as that fear was still within him, he would never change completely. And if he did, he had good friends now that would remind him of who he was.

His face lit up and he gifted Rise with a smile. "You're right. I was so confused and overwhelmed with all that had happened, I couldn't think clearly," he said, sounding almost like his old self again. "Thanks for reminding me."

James drank the rest of his tea. "Sure, I'll help," he said and got up. When he rounded the table to walk over to the cupboard where the plates were, he caught sight of Rise's sweet and bright smile. Completely distracted he stared at her for a couple seconds, losing track of where he walked. Instantly he stumbled over a chair and was just able to catch himself on the counter. Blushing slightly, he gave Rise a nervous smile and began to set the table.

---------------------------------------

"Of course she is," Snow said not without a little pride in his voice. He kept his eyes on Lizzy, watching her every move with a rather dedicated and soft expression.

"Jax isn't so bad either," he admitted after watching the two of them spar for a couple minutes. "A little stiff on the defensive side, but still good." For a second he drew his eyes away from Lizzy to glance at Alina who seemed almost as fixated on the two fighters as he was.

___________________________________________

Caltha

"Right," she agreed and took the food. Arya at slowly and after she was finally done, she leaned against Raidon. Feeling his warm muscular body so close made her feel safe.

"From here it is not too far to the city center," she said quietly into the silence for the sake of saying something. She let her head sink down on his shoulder and pulled her knees up.

After a while, she looked up into his handsome face. "Samael…" Arya asked hesitantly. "Would you kiss me again? I still cannot believe all this is real." She felt a little silly asking her question, but her eyes were burning with desire and searched Raidon's eyes and she squeezed his hand gently.

Bunker

Soon enough Jax and Lizzy began sparring with each other, as Alex sat up straight watching the two intensely.  The speed and dexterity each of the two had were amazing, but Lizzy seemed to gain the upper hand, as she pinned Jax down to the ground in a stunning and quick display of strength.

“Wow…” Alex muttered, as he was memorized from the combat between two amazing combatants.  But he was broken from his gaze when he noticed Alina and Snow both walk into the room and began talking to each other about the spar.

This whole battle reminded Alex of the days he used to spar with the master, and how easily he would get beat.  In fact, he felt kind of guilty that he hadn’t been training on his own fighting style during all this time.  Sure, battle was one thing, but during the chaos it didn’t allow the fighter to assess how they could improve like a friendly spar.

“If there’s anyone I would want to spar with it would be Alina…” Alex thought to himself, as he glanced over her, thinking how well she fought with that rapier during combat, the quick movement and stabs that interesting style creates.  Though, asking her randomly to spar with him seemed rather weird since it wasn’t just their fists.


"Would you like to spar, I think it would be good practice." Alex asked Alina politely, as he grabbed a few wooden swords from the side of the training room so they didn't have to clash with real blades, as he continued to say "Is this fine?  I know it won't have the same feel as your weapon."


Army Squad (Daemond)

“Well, what I saw was a bunch of females that were robots…” Daemond muttered, as he pondered what would be a good word for them, as he continued to say “Androids maybe?  It had hair and human features but most of it was robotic…”

Alex took a few moments, leaving the rest to ponder those words in the darkness.  But he got chills, as he envisioned more about the robots… they seemed to have numerous blades on them and had various weaponry that Daemond couldn’t even hope to comprehend….

“They were all heavily armed with all sorts of weaponry an blades that I couldn’t really identify.”  Daemond stated, as he tried to compare the weapons he saw on the robots, but he didn’t notice anything he could relate.

“But the scariest part was that the amount of them was the size of an army… and that wasn’t even all of them.” Daemond stated clear, as he looked at everyone else, showing that’s all he could say for the time being.

Bunker

Jax panted slightly, but he looked like he was having a great time as he bounced on the balls of his feet, watching Lizzie closely. Although he was eager, he certainly wasn't stupid.

"I feel like you've used that phrase too many times for comfort," the Red Rider said, smirking. "But.."

Jax began to circle around, fists raised as his eyes moved around Lizzie for an opening.

"I can't back down from a challenge!" he declared, making a sudden rush in.

--------------------

Rise turned to ask James a question when she saw him suddenly trip on one of the chairs and nearly drop the plates. She couldn't helpp but giggle slightly before turning back to the sink. James was a bit clutzy and spacey, but he was undeniably sweet.

With the table set and the food heating, Rise suggested to James that they head to the gym where most of the others seemed to be convening. Jax and Lizzie were already going at it, and Alex managed to ask Alina for a few rounds of sword-play, to which she agreed. Those participating - particularly Jax - seemed to be enjoying themselves, and even those watching found the sparring entertaining to watch. Rise couldn't help but notice the absence of Lisa, Kokonoe, and Keynes, but they probably had their reasons for being away.

The dinner was ready before long, and Rise called everything to a stop so they could head to the kitchen and eat.

"Well, this will probably be our last dinner like this," Rise said quietly as she took her seat. "Maybe we should have a toast?"

--------------------

Caltha

Raidon looked up fromhis food, blinking in surprise at Arya's request. When they'd kissed the first time.. it had just been so spontaneous and unprepared. But thinking about it now brought a blush to his cheeks.

"I..uh," he muttered, swallowing thickly. She was looking at him so expectantly that it hardly seemed possible to refuse.. not that he wanted to refuse, really.

Heart hammering, Raidon leaned in close, hesitating for a moment before allowing their lips to brush together. The sensation stirred those intense feelings inside him once more, and he quickly pressed their lips together more firmly, cupping her cheek with one hand as the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her into him.

--------------------

Army Squad

Lancar wasn't sure what to make of Daemond's story at all. Female androids? A small army of weaponized robots?

Whatever the extract truth was, the lieutenant certainly felt unsettled by this news. Why did the Army need these? Why were they keeping them so secret as to risk the lives of their soldiers?

"What are we dealing with here?" he muttered, looking off into the darkness.

After some time, they could feel the vehicle pull to a halt. Were they at the capital already?

Before they knew it, the doors had been thrown open and the five of them were dragged out of the vehicle and down some corridors till they reached a special prison block. All five were tossed in together, with no beds or amenities to be seen.

"Make yourselves comfortable," Lymond said, smirking. "Execution is at dusk tomorrow."

Cash and Carrie followed him out of the room, expressionless, leaving the five alone to contemplate their fate.

Caltha

She could see his hesitation and the slight blush on his cheeks when Raidon leaned it. Finally his lips touched hers and the kiss quickly became more intense. Arya felt herself being pulled towards Raidon and wrapped her arm around his neck.

Before she knew it, she found herself in his lap, gazing into his grey eyes. The warm sensation of the passionate kiss was overwhelming and she ran her hand through his hair.

Yes, she never wanted to leave him again. This felt more right than anything had in a long time. And Arya knew she did not want to lose this feeling, the happiness and fiery passion that caused her heart to double its pace.

In this moment she wished it would never end. However, of course it would when they eventually had to pull apart for air. Her hand touched his cheek gently and she smiled at him while she leaned back against his muscular chest.

___________________________________________

Bunker

Feeling slightly embarrassed that he was still so easily distracted by Rise, James finished setting the table. At least she didn't comment on it and he couldn't help but grin himself when she giggled. Even though unplanned it had lightened the mood.

Willingly, he followed her to the gym, watching Lizzy and Jax spar while Alex and Alina exchanged a few combinations with their blades. He had to admit, it was quite entertaining and a good distraction.

Eventually dinner was ready and they all sat down in the kitchen. James handed Rise some plates, helping he distribute the food.

"What about the others?" he asked before anyone could propose a toast. They had become kind of like a big family and it felt odd if some of them were not here.

----------------------------------------------

He wasn't watching alone for long when Alina accepted Alex's challenge, because Rise and James arrived to join him. Finally dinner was ready and Snow waited in the door for Lizzy to follow.

Putting an arm lightly around her shoulder, he whispered huskily in her ear. "And here I thought you were going to take it easy today, love." His voice was playful and if he was still a little concerned about her well being, he didn't quite show it.

Sitting down next to Lizzy, he put a hand on her knee while he waited for someone to react to Rise's suggestion.

Bunker

The atmosphere was quite ripe with everyone here for their final dinner like it was for some fancy family holiday. It reminded him of his old family for a bit, but over these past events Alex felt closer to these people than ever before like they were family as well and when Kokonoe, Keynes, and Lisa came in... everyone else seemed to lighten up as the rest of the old family was here.

Alex's body compelled him to speak at this point, to light the fire of this dinner with some sort of toast. Though, something inside of him seemed to hold him back, he didn't let it stop him as he pushed through all his feelings of self-pity, as a mixture of random emotions he couldn't describe rushed through him mind.

"Everybody, if I could have your attention please." Alex said audibly among the little idle chatter that lurked around the room just enough for everyone to hear, as he glanced around to make sure everyone was looking at him. The stares from everyone were paralyzing at first, but at the same time invigorating, as Alex gave a calm and warm smile to everyone before he began.

"It's been an crazy journey for all of us, and even though some had joined the group later then others, I can say with absolute certainly that everyone has fought their hardest." Alex glanced over at the earlier members of their group like Rise and Keynes, and his eyes drifted over to people like Jax, Alina, and Kokonoe afterwards.

"Though even through all this I consider all close enough to be like family, and I know that we'll give the army, legion, or anyone who opposes us a run for their money." Alex stated confidently, as his mind naturally went over the many talents of everyone here

"Everyone here fights hard and does a lot for their time" Alex stated, as he smiled and continued to say jokingly gesturing towards the bruises on his body from his spar with Alina, "Some I've experienced first hand."

"But in the end, everyone here has each others backs, and if that's not something our enemies should fear, they're blind." Alex closed his speech, as he tightened his hand into a fist confidently.

Being proud of the speech that he had just said. The entire room seemed to lighten up to him, but after the moment of glory faded from his mind, the stress of all that sappy crap he just said flooded his mind as he he let go of an embarrassed smile.

"So ya, cheers." Alex said casually, as he grabbed his drink and held it out to the rest of the folks that he had grown to know and love over all these years.

Army Squad

The darkness that seemed to surround the cell seemed to suffocate the group, as they all sat there contemplating what was going to happen in this strange and blackened world.  Only Aera seemed to be not influenced by the darkness, as her eyes peaking up at the know it all voice of Lymond.

"I really don't like him..." Aera stated bluntly with a viscous scowl on her face.  It's not that her mind didn't grasp the intensity of the situation, but something about that man really just made her direct all her rage at him.  It actually felt good in a sense to insult the man, man was a bad word actually, insect.

"If we somehow get out of this execution, I'm gunning for him first." Aera stated, as she crossed her arms like nothing was going to change her mind until her ears caught wind of a slight chuckle in the background.

"This is probably the most emotional I've ever seen you Aera." Daemond said casually, as Aera being openly spiteful kind of made him chuckle.  Almost like, she was the light in the darkness, which was funny considering her impairment of being blind.

Daemond quickly reached out and patted her on the shoulder like he wanted to congratulate her about something, but Aera just looked at him like he had the plague on him.  She didn't know why Daemond was so easy-going about their situation, but it's not like she could say anything.

"It's a good thing though, better we spend our time hating that spineless loser then wallowing in self-pity." Daemond stated with growing confidence, as he looked around at the rest of the group, "After all, I'm pretty sure we're all going to do the same once we get out."

Bunker

Lizzy gave Snow a teasing smile when he whispered to her about taking it easy, and she gave him a playful jab in the ribs. "This was taking it easy. You should see what I do on a normal day." She quipped back as he sat down next to her.

Keynes seemed lost in thought as he joined the group, and he didn't actually register what was going on until Alex stood up to speak. Lisa also seemed somewhat preoccupied, but she kept casting darting glances at Snow, as if she expected him to say something she didn't want to hear.

"Cheers."

Will and Alina responded in unison, both tipping back their drinks. The later looked a little worse for wear, mainly because of the darker shade in her hair where it was damp with sweat, but she also have a few scrapes across one arm, and a slight cut on one cheek from her bout with Alex.

"Ugh..." Will pulled a face as he sat his glass back on the table. "Typical Alex. You talked for so long the booze got warm." He said jokingly.

Alina spewed a little of her drink over the rim of her glass as she was taken by a fit of giggles, and Keynes reached across the table, snatching the glass out of her hand. "If you think Will's funny, you've already had too much. Let me help you with that." He said as he tilted the glass back and emptied it, leaving Alina staring at him, mouth open and no words coming out.

Bunker

Rise smiled at Alex, happy to see that he was acting more like the guy she'd become best friends with at university. It was especially typical to see him fizzle out at the last moment, finishing up with a very anticlimatic phrase that made it hard not to giggle.

"Cheers!" she said in reply to the toast, raising her glass as the others did likewise.

Meanwhile, Jax raised an eyebrow in surprise as Alina spewed her drink in response to Will's snarking, finding it very unlike her, but rather amusing nonetheless. Her mouth agape as Keynes drained her glass was a nice touch, causing Rise to break down in a fit of giggles. Jax merely shook his head, watching Alina with a wry smile on his face.

"Idiots," Kokonoe mumbled, shaking her head as she downed her glass. Even that brought some laughs and grins. Even though it might be their last meal together, even though they'd gone through terrible experiences and lost precious things, this still hadn't changed. They still felt like a big, happy family.

"Everything's going to change tomorrow," Rise couldn't help but think, surveying them all. Alex.. Will.. James.. Lisa.. Jax.. Alina.. Kokonoe.. Keynes.. Snow.. and Lizzie. They'd all come together for this purpose. And she was sure that whatever might happen, they'd make it through stronger than ever.

--------------------

Caltha

It took a few moments for Raidon to regain his breath after Arya pulled away. For some time, they simply gazed into each other's eyes, unwilling to break the moment. Eventually, however, there was little choice.

"Sleep," Raidon whispered quietly, running a hand through Arya's silky hair. "We'll need our rest for tomorrow."

There was no bed, so the former chief allowed Arya to sleep against him. He was no stranger to sleeping sitting up, so it would pose no problem for him, even if it wasn't ideal.

As he watched the gentle rise and fall of her body, Raidon could feel his mind sifting through all possibilities for the following day, but he cut the thoughts short. He wouldn't allow it to end like this.. not after he'd finally found the answer.

--------------------

Aera's uncharacteristic loathing of Lymond managed to bring a ghost of a smile to Lancar's face, and he certainly appreciated Daemond's optimism. After all.. Colt had believed they'd make it through this. Giving into despair would mean turning his back on Colt's dying beliefs.

"Yeah.. we'll make it out of this somehow," Lancar agreed, nodding to Daemond. "As long as we don't give up, there's always a chance."

Day XX

Spoiler:

"Now then-"

A man spoke. He was wearing a strange mask, like a clown or some bizarre stage performer. He never spoke his own name, though people called him Pierrot. Of course, there are not many who say his name to begin with. He is the leader of a secret coalition, one that writhes in the darkest corners of Kaddath. That name must not be spoken carelessly if one values their life. One must never imagine what face lies beneath that mask if one values their life.

That man now began to speak to the one before him in this secret room of darkness, or could it be called an altar?

"Now then. Why don't I make an announcement? Of the ending of a grand experiment, of the culmination of profound cognisance, and the start of a new era. One and only one reigns supreme in this world. However, something that surpasses even his formidable power is going to descend upon the capital, upon the city protected by the High General's impossible reign. It is worthy of the greatest applause! For now, everyone's tragedies shall soon meet their end. And in that hour, we will take our place at the great seat of power."

There was laughter in the man's voice. The one he spoke to was silent.

But only for a moment. The one who had never spoken a word before spoke softly into the darkness.

"That may be the case, and it may also not be the case."

There was a moment's pause, a moment of stagnation, before the masked one's lips curled into a sneer. Then with dramatic grandeur, he threw up his arms to the unseen heavens above.

"Now applaud! The Riders are spent, their messages delivered. The final act closes, and the curtain descends."

The man stood from the sofa, his smile as wide as the arms extended wide to an unseen crowd.

"Everything is about to end."

Bunker

Thwip... Bang!

Lisa exhaled as she lowered her bow to her side, and raised her hand towards the target. The shaft that had been buried there only seconds before twitched and then pulled free, flying in reverse until her fingers closed around it. Taking a deep breath, she raised her bow and repositioned the arrow, firing again.

Thwip... Bang!

Again she held out her hand for the arrow, and after a few seconds of wiggling in place, it broke from the target and returned to her grasp.

"Cool trick." Will's gruff voice drifted from the doorway, and alarmed by his sudden arrival, she turned in his direction.

"Relax. It's just me." He said, holding up his hands, as if trying to say he wouldn't hurt her.

Lisa let out a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding onto and leaned against the wall. "Sorry, you scared me."

Will raised an eyebrow at her but didn't move from where he was standing. "You were off somewhere else I guess." He commented. "I've been standing here for the last five minutes."

"Yeah, you could say that..." Lisa replied weakly.

"Well, whatever is on your mind can't be good, judging from the face you were pulling a second ago." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, unable to give a verbal response, and Will shrugged. "I'm not big on heart-to-heart talks anyway." He said, disappearing around the corner.

For several minutes, Lisa just stood there, staring at the place where he'd been standing, and then she finally shook her head again, this time trying to clear it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lizzy's eyes slowly drifted open, and she was vaguely aware of Snow's firm body against her back. One of his arms was thrown over her shoulder, and she reached out to grasp his hand in front of her. After gently rubbing her thumbs over the back of it for a few seconds, she pulled it towards her face and rested his palm against her cheek for a moment before twisting her head to plant a soft kiss in the middle of it.

"Today's it..." She said absently, not caring if he was awake or not to hear it. It was more for herself anyway.

Caltha

Arya had quickly gone to sleep last night, feeling safe in Raidon's arms. Her body was curled up and her head rested against his chest. She slept soundly for most of the night and when light finally crept into the room, she began to stir.

Feeling a little stiff from staying in such a curled up position all night, she sat up and straightened her back. Looking over to Raidon, she gave him a warm smile. "Were you able to get any sleep?" she asked a little concerned.

___________________________________________

Bunker

James entered the bunker with wet hair and sweat glistening on his forehead. He had woken up early after a restful sleep and decided to go for a short run to clear his head. Sitting down, he stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Talking to Rise yesterday had really helped. When he closed his eyes he could still picture her sweet smile and then felt his cheeks blush a little at his embarrassing reaction. Thankfully she had not noticed.

He got up, took a shower and dressed and then headed out of the room and towards the kitchen.

----------------------------------------------

Bunker

Snow sighed contently when Lizzy grabbed his hand and moved closer to her, his hot breath caressing her neck. He wasn't quite awake yet, but he could feel Lizzy's soft body against his skin.

Moving his hands up her back, he gently massaged her shoulders and neck while he planted a few soft kisses on her skin. "Morning, love," he said and pushed himself up, supporting his head with his hand while he looked at her. It was still dim in the room, but he could see her beautiful features.

"Shall we get going?" he asked after watching her for a few minutes.

Bunker

Jax sighed as he toweled off his close-cropped silver hair, staring into the mirror as he did so. The early morning workout had definitely helped him wake up and work out some stress at the upcoming events, but he still found himself preoccupied. Since Rise's confession, he found himself wondering some things he hadn't really considered.

"I wonder what kind of men Alina prefers?" he thought, narrowing his eyebrows critically. As he analyzed his appearance, Jax had to admit that although he was probably good-looking by most standards and obviously in excellent shape, he was too rough and uncultured for someone as poised and sophisticated as Alina.

"Ugh, this is stupid," the Red Rider muttered, tossing the towel on the rack. This kind of thing was exactly why he never bothered with women before. Still.. Rise did mention that he should tell her while he had a chance.

No.. no, he had far more important things to be considering at the moment. Today's events would decide the course of Kaddath's future.

"Miki.." he whispered, pulling out the familiar ribbon and letting it lace gently through his fingers. "I won't fail this time. I swear it."

Clenching the ribbon tightly and bring it to his heart for a moment, Jax imagined the sweet, innocent face of his little sister, and it brought warmth and strength to his spirit. Nodding to himself, he tucked the ribbon away and headed to the kitchen to meet the others.

--------------------

Rise finished her breakfast preparations, tucking a lock of loose hair behind her ear. It was hard to imagine this was it.. their final meal, their final day. It hadn't been easy, but these days together had been the most fulfilling of her life.

As she turned, she caught sight of her reflection on one of the glasses and sighed, gazing at the way her hair was kept.

Jane..

Her fingers reached up, touching the elegantly styled locks. She would make things right for Jane, so she could look back on the memory of her without any regrets.

"That's why.." she whispered, undoing the hair and putting it into her usual style. "Today, I have to be me and only me."

Smiling, she turned off the stove and carried the trays to the table, all set and prepared. Just then, James entered, followed by Jax.

"Morning, boys," Rise said pleasantly, taking a seat. "Dig in! You have to be nice and full for today."

Jax smiled, both grateful but also a bit grave, and nodded as he took his seat. Kokonoe arrived a short bit later, seeming rather unsettled, though no one dared to ask about it.

--------------------

Caltha

Raidon had been up a bit before Arya, but he had no desire to disturb her, and thus sat quite still. Eventually, she came around, looking beautiful even just having woken up from a lackluster sleep in a broken-down apartment.

"Yes.. a sufficient amount," he replied, gazing out the window. It was a rather grey, overcast day. The air seemed incredibly still outside, like the calm before a storm.

"How appropriate," he thought, eyes narrowed. Well, it would do no good to unnerve his companion. Turning back to Arya, he indicated the bag of supplies.

"Shall we eat? We don't know when Legion may make a move. We can't count on being able to eat later," he said, thinking ahead as usual.

--------------------

"Have a good sleep?" came a rather annoying voice from nearby. Lancar sat up, feeling a bit stiff. He only had a moment to notice that he and Aera had managed to sleep somewhat embarrassingly close before catching sight of Lymond, watching over them.

"What do you want?" the lieutenant answered moodily, scowling up at Lymond. "Don't you have small children to be eating?"

"Sir.." Xennox cautioned, apparently already awake. But Lancar took no notice of the warnings. It didn't matter much at this point.

"Oh, I just wanted an opportunity to say goodbye before you part ways with your heads," the captain replied with ghastly cheerfulness. "It just wouldn't be the same otherwise, you see."

Feeling quite irritated, Lancar made a rather rude hand gesture - quite uncommon for him - but Lymond was too busy gloating to be much bothered by it.

"I expect you'll be just as lively either way," the captain continued, moving over unexpectedly to Mitchell. "You've been about as good as a corpse since that loser friend of yours got a one-way ticket to an unexpected retirement."

Mitchell did not respond as usual, though.. it might have been Lancar's imagination that the ensign's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the fingers twitching just faintly.

"Well, enjoy your last few hours. I know I will," Lymond finished, fixing them with a wicked grin before laughing and exiting the room.

"Ass," the lieutenant muttered, grinding his teeth before turning and looking to see if Aera and Daemond were still asleep, or if he'd have to round them.

Bunker

Alex woke up earlier today, as his mind seemed rather light even though this would be their final moments at this place.  They had various memories here, some more fond then others, but overall he was going to miss the time they spent here before this big day…

“Maybe I should do some morning exercises to calm my head.” Alex thought to himself, as he quickly pushed himself off his bed nimbly, but the sudden soreness in his arms and the lingering smell of delicious breakfast convinced him that it could wait.

Alex quickly got ready for the day and walked into the kitchen to see Rise cooking and a few other members already eating at the table in a bittersweet manner.  They all seemed pretty happy, but the tension in the air was pretty obvious.

“The food smells great Rise!” Alex stated in a friendly tone, as he walked over to the table, his silverware and plate already set.  He reached out and plunged his fork into some of the food to put onto his plate with him looking to his left to see Jax eating some food, but his expression seem distant.

“That workout might not of been the best idea, I’m a little sore now.” Alex said to Jax with a slight chuckle but at the same time he added a hidden jab to remind him of all the 'weight' he put on him.

Caltha

Aera’s mind didn’t want to get up this morning, the cold cell and the scum that threw them in here wasn’t an appealing reality to come back to. But, Aera couldn’t help but listen in to the conversation between Lancar and Lymond, as a light smile came across her sleeping face.

She opened her eyes once Lymond had left, as her mind noticed how close she was to Lancar because of how easily she could hear his breathing. Her face turned slightly red, but she continued to remain with the same light expression as before.

“I’ve never heard you talk like that before.” Aera said with a light laugh, as jabbed Daemond in the gut to wake him up, as the ensign looked at her with annoyed expression getting up in a much slower and unenthusiastic way.

“Though, you probably weren’t too far from the truth.” Aera continued to say with a light shrug without a hint of joking.

“Joking aside, we only have a few hours left… has anyone thought of anything yet?” Daemond cut in with a drowsy and troubled reply, as he rubbed his eyes. It’s not that he wanted to bring everyone down, but they needed to do something….