Huffing and puffing, Azule could feel his heart about to burst. His vision filled with a field of enemies, he identifies Spyke and Annie immediately by spotting the battered and bloodied bodies on the ground. His heart sinks. Spyke's covered in cuts and bruises and barely breathing, and he looks to be in terrible shape. He faces the next victim, his mouth dropping in disbelief as he views the horrible sight: Laid on the steps upside down with her belly slit and her eyes rolled over with her hands spread wide, Azule immediately lowered his head after seeing what became of Annie; desperately he prayed that she was still alive, that there was hope for him to save her and Spyke. He could only remember their faces from earlier, the light they had and the enthusiasm they carried. Even though their future was one of uncertainty they were willing to march into uncharted waters together. And Kida. That scum known as Kida, ripped it away from them and robbed them of a peaceful life. His breathing roughens-glare sharpening with fists clenched, emotions restrained. His head lowered, it felt like it was splitting, his teeth sinking into his gums under his emotionless face. His chest heavy, and blood on fire, he felt weightless in his legs. From an outsider's perspective like Lance, it was disturbing to watch. Even though Azule showed no emotion, he could feel the tension surrounding the child; everyone else in the Tower Bridge Unit felt regret in aligning themselves with Kida after witnessing the atrocities he committed. Angry that they allowed themselves to be forced into this situation, their hands were tied by the risk of causing trouble for Liandt and by extension their leader Garston.
"You came here alone." Kida raises his chin; "Mr. Wonderful came here all by himself! My fellow guests, isn't this great? This is the boy you need, isn't it? I found him for you." Extending a hand to Landon, disdainful in tone and manner. "Well go on, your prey is here!" None of them were amused by his mockery and Lance was ready to throw hands, only being constrained by the acknowledgment that the lesser action they take while in a foreign state, the better. "I wonder how you must feel, Azule. Do you regret it? Rue the day you became friends with Spyke and spur on this ludicrous change? If you just left him to rot like anyone else, maybe life would've been much kinder to that girl and for him too." the next thing Kida knew, he was knocked back and had huge red print on his face; looking above, he saw the beastly look in Azule's face as he targeted him from above with what looked like a fist carrying all his anger; his irises were gone with only white remaining, his hair sparked like a flame, glowing midnight blue and almost gave him the appearance of a will o wisp.
"Watch out!" Spear yells, blocking the attack in time to protect his boss, unfortunately for him, the punch he absorbed from Azule was so powerful it left a dent in his arms. A gust of wind blew furiously after the punch, and shocks the others who witnessed this all happen in the blink of an eye; At the moment, Spyke was so injured he couldn't tell what was happening, but deep down he felt the presence of a warm light-a familiar beam shining in his darkest moment. Someone was willing to fight for him, and even if it wasn't enough to make up for the damage done, it left him with a sliver of hope to know that he and Annie wasn't entirely alone in this situation. Spear observes the damage done to his arm and scoffed, Did this kid just leave a dent? He marveled, seeing that part of his forearm caved in permanently-and that was just from a punch. I'd hate to see your kicks. He thought in that instance with his forearm ringing in pain with a twitch. Azule crouches on the landing and maintains his focus on Kida. For him, Spear was only an obstacle in his way; his blue irises return, but his hair still flashes a fiery blue under his LARS cap, the tinges looking like embers from how brightly they glow especially when he raises his chin with a murderous glare. Spear on the other hand was emotionless watching the kid, and more so than anything, he didn't want to fight a child that strong. A waste of potential. "I don't know what kind of relationship you have with those people, but it's over kid. They're dead."
Whether it was the dull tone he used or the emotionless look he gave while doing so, Azule could feel it. He felt something in his head just snap in half, and before Spear could continue smearing the name of Spyke and Annie any further, Azule turned his rage toward the big bodied man instead. A massive strike met with the perfect defense, Spear didn't flinch absorbing the blunt force of the fist. Able to get a close look at the rabid eyes of the inkling, Spear sighs with disappointment, his dull gaze disguising his sinister intentions; Azule senses it at the last second, and dips, creating a space between them quickly. It was only for a moment, but he knew it the moment Spear went for a grapple that it would spell doom for him if he fell into his clutches. Kida notices the shift in Azule's posture and quickly took the opportunity to create more tension and double down on the insults. Unpleasant to hear, Azule had no choice but to tolerate it now that he came to his senses and quelled his anger; There's a wall in his way that's preventing him from ripping Kida's throat out. Spear and Azule stare each other down, the distance between them minimal yet massive, a considerable blow lurking in the near future; The Tower Bridge Unit watched on holding their breaths with each second passing by making it tougher to take action against Azule. A few seconds tick, and both fighters widen their stance before approaching one another, and in another second, Azule bursts with speed leaving a cloud of dust as he goes low in decision to use his low height to an advantage. If Spear was a tanky man who could take any powerful punch he threw, Azule figures the one vulnerable thing he should have is his legs. The bigger they are, the harder they fall was the belief, and now he could put it to the test. Spear recognizes the boy's intentions and meets him with a high boot, nearly kicking his head off. Azule felt the force of the kick but narrowly dodged the bottom of his boot and instead, headbutts his chin. Spear did his best to avoid a direct hit but clumsily failed to dodge it, but that wasn't enough to slow him as he brought down a chop that Azule had no choice but to dodge. Azule goes low again and does an acrobatic spin utilizing his legs for a kick with his hands as support, going up for a follow up kick to the chin to change the tide, but Spear was seasoned enough to read his movements. Spear's eyes are distant as his body stiffens once he makes some room between them, "You have the attitude of a warrior but your skill set is an amateur's." Spear analyzes, convinced that no matter how accurate his movement and sharp his mind, his body was much too young to make an impact; Azule knew he was right.
I can't even save my friend...Azule recalled, keeping his sights on Spear for even a slither of movement. Even if he was beyond the limits of rage, how could he express it in this situation? Kida's got both of them injured and in his possession like dolls ready to dispose, and he's here alone. Unlike before when he brought an entire force to rescue a friend from ruin and still fail, he couldn't gather a force to rescue his friends from the clutches of death. A helpless feeling, he couldn't help but have the same defeated thought creep in his mind yet again. I'm responsible for this. It's my fault that this happened…
Spear notices the mild change in his manner and seizes the opportunity-it was only a second but that was more than enough for Spear to take advantage of Azule's weak mental state and overwhelm the boy. Azule's sharpness decreased drastically as he barely held his own on a complete defensive struggle against the prowess of Spear. Catching the boy's arm and blocking several defensive striking attempts to break free, he squeezes his arms. Azule can feel his arm getting crushed, but thanks to the terrible pain he's endured, this was nothing more than a sting; Spear realized that when he locked eyes with the boy, feeling the hatred of the child from his eyes alone. It'd take much more to break his spirit. A violent punch to the gut sends Azule flying a little before crashing on the ground, and for a moment, he's struggling to breathe as a bad landing paired with the area he got gutted knocks the wind out of him, his head ringing to the point that he may have a concussion.
"His spirit doesn't weaken." Lance marveled after watching Azule, amazed that the kid managed to not only keep up with Spear but even stood his ground and showed no fear against such a dangerous opponent. "This is like watching a train run into a brick wall…"
"Quite admirable it is on his part, that other one is as disgraceful as it gets." Abby remarked, unimpressed by the fight mostly because she saw no interest in a man beating on a child.
One thing for sure among the Tower Bridge Unit that they could agree on despite their personal feelings toward the Royales was this: Liandt wasn't inaccurate in his belief that Azule was the culprit behind the assassination of the Prime Minister. Duke, Abby, Landon and most certainly Lance all witnessed the true colors of Azule. The eyes he showed Spear were nothing a child his age should have, a ferocity born from hate and suffering; if it wasn't for Spear being the durable man he is, no doubt his head would be gone if Azule landed a strike there. Just when the tense match looked to continue, a pair of shadows appear from nowhere and go to work on Azule, much to the dismay of Spear who could feel his spirit crush with just a little more. First it was a furious punch to the back of the head that knocks his hat off followed by a kick that sends him crashing with a thud. Mildly concussed he struggles to his feet and wobbles over to his hat, picking it up to wear with pride, much like the free flowing blood dripping down his face from an open cut he suffered on the landing.
"Cameron and Ueru, such a wonderful time to show up." Kida laughed, enjoying the added punishment to Azule. "I guess our contribution to Ixia proved useful?"
"It all worked as Rogue said. They had more than enough help to stir up chaos."
"What the-?" Lance clenches his teeth, restraining himself from expressing his outrage at the dirty move; Landon quickly warned him that none of them couldn't afford to raise a hand in a matter aside from retrieving Azule or else they played the risk of picking a fight against Kida and Ixia, potentially putting Liandt and especially Luke Garston at risk.
"This fool really challenged Spear?" Cameron said, ready to unsheathe his blade.
Ueru held up his hand, "I want a crack at him too."
"Cameron, Ueru...let's have our guests take a crack at him, shall we?" Kida chuckled in satisfaction at the disgust on their faces. From the moment he negotiated with them, he knew they weren't serious about capturing or killing Azule. Even now, they didn't have a skip in their step to go and retrieve the boy, as if they were waiting for the right moment to make a decision. If they waited too long, the boy would die, which made it all the more entertaining. Whether at his hands or another, Kida would get to see Azule suffer. After Landon declined to get involved, opting to take Azule after they were done with him, Spyke reminded them that if they waited too long, the boy might die from the severity of his injuries, which Landon accepted since his boss wanted him back dead or alive. "Very well. Spear, return to what you're doing. Cameron, Ueru, once Spear teaches him a lesson, you're welcome to let out your frustration on him since our lovely guests won't claim their prize until we finish."
A minor break that gave Azule enough time to catch his breath, once the big man approached him, he used the opportunity to blind him by throwing dirt in his face. Then landing a solid trio of hits before retreating a little to avoid the man's grapple. Spear cursed his name while wiping his face and vowed that the next time Azule tried something like that, he'd kill him on the spot regardless of the cuts he had. Right away, Azule's gaze turns to his friends; he had his emotions under control now but his hair still told that he was in Midnight mode. Cameron and Ueru are ready to step in and help Spear, but he refuses their assistance after that little action by Azule; he knew what the young inkling was up to and decided to play along since he knew there was no way Azule could break his defenses.
If only I had a little more power... Azule thought staring down Spear, counting the man's steps to him and anticipating the seconds it'd take for another strike to connect.
If only you had a little more power... Spear thought nearing Azule with a narrowing gaze lowering his chin.
...I could kick your ass! Azule charged, ready to fight him head on.
...You'd actually stand a chance! Spear thought, ready to intercept Azule.
The pair clash once again, and it all started with a spinning elbow from Azule, who avoided the initial grapple attempt from Spear; the big man eats the elbow and returns fire with a strike to the gut and proves effective. Azule reels for a moment in response to the brutal punch, but he has no time to control the damage and instead continues the offensive. If the legs wouldn't work and head was off limits, there was only one last place he could hope to prove efficient. But before Azule could make a change in his position, Spear's hands caught him like a net, the palm of his hand covering him like an umbrella. Spear catches Azule by the face and drives him into the ground, scraping him against the dirt road with all his power. Azule's hands dug into the ground desperately to stop, but Spear's power and speed disallowed him any opportunity to root his fingers. He couldn't even scream in agony since the dirt would occupy his mouth instead; a mixture of blood and dirt covers his face as Spear lets him go and instead pummels him with a series of strikes and swell his face a bit; after blackening his face with enough punches that the boy's blood covers his hands, he grabs him by the neck and hoists him like a chicken ready for slaughter. Azule struggles to free himself from Spear's grasp, his feet kicking an empty target just narrowly missing contact with Spear's body and arm. The more squirmed, the tougher it became to breath. At this rate, he'd soon fall to unconsciousness after already suffering a concussion just a few minutes earlier. His vision blurs as Spear tightens the grip around his throat, in a matter of seconds, he'd crush his windpipe; in response, Azule's eyes widen as the pain concentrates on the crushed area. Power leaves his body and the flow of oxygen to his head is cut off, his eyelids growing heavier by the second as he gasps for air. After having sunk his fingers into Spear's arms in hopes the pain would let him break free, he felt his grip weaken instead; slowly he fades to unconsciousness.
Don't give up! He screamed in his mind, knowing that if he shuts his eyes he'll never wake up, he could feel the presence of another that felt as if they were holding him from behind and preventing him from falling over. My head feels heavy... His mind whimpers, the temptation of shutting his eyes to take a rest too enticing.
Nearing the action is Luke Garston, who could sense that something was wrong based on the struggling grunts of Azule, who tried his best to break free."Is that...Royale?" Garston whispered, slowing down the closer he got to the action. Once he arrives close enough, indeed he confirms that Azule was the person struggling. He also spotted his team watching like spectators, and felt his blood boil at the thought that they'd allow this to occur. Prepared to interfere once he realized Azule didn't have much strength left before he passes out or worse-suffocates, he strengthens his resolve to not only raise his hands against these fiends, but to also raise his hands against his own squad. Before he can step in for the rescue, a thunderous shot cracks through the air and forces Spear to drop Azule, A figure swiftly catches him and slides away, creating a little cloud of dust. Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of a girl who held a semiconscious Azule in her arms. At first they were confused, but after seeing the gauntlets she wore, they realized who she was. Her gaze is intense as she glared at Spear, carrying a vicious look before looking down at Azule softly. Before they could react and approach the pair, Cameron is forced to go on the defensive the moment a black blade crosses him, nearly slicing him if his instincts were a millisecond shorter. For Ueru, if he was a second slower on protecting his head, it'd be mashed in, that much he could tell from the power placed in the falling leg drop of the lady with orange hair who wore a vengeful look at him; right away his eyes widen, much like Cameron does when he recognizes the pair who've made their sudden appearance. Kida felt the tightness in his chest, and in a second, he dodges another thunderous shot that this time aimed at him.
"Tch…" Violet expressed with annoyance, clicking her tongue after narrowly missing her mark. "I won't miss the next one."
Cobalt rises and with a piercing red gaze he looks to Cameron and everyone within his range, "The next person who dares lay a finger on my captain will answer to me." he said while pointing his blade at Kida, the deathly glare in his eyes sending shivers to the gangster.
All eyes turn to Fuchsia, who held her beloved in her arms. If it wasn't for the fact that she held him in her arms, she'd slaughter them-or at least she wore a vicious look that matched the extreme emotions she felt. On the way there, her heart sank at the thought that he'd run off to do something dangerous, and her worst fears are realized as she can hear his faint breath. A long gaze at her sleeping captain, gently stroking his blue hair covering part of his forehead, looking to his hand that he raises weakly, she saw his finger point in a direction, and when she looked, she almost gasped in horror. It only took a second for her to process why he rushed here in such urgency, and unfortunately he was too late. Clenching her fist on top of her chest, she grinds her teeth with a glare aimed at Kida, promising to pass judgment for what he did to Annie and Spyke; Cobalt and Tangie also get a look at their bodies, and both of them wore the same violent look as their octoling partner: this was personal. They didn't know who they were-at least they didn't remember that this was the same guy who once tried to kidnap-but they shared Azule's resolve to at least protect them. The Tower Bridge Unit weren't amused by the sight of children wearing such looks, but they still didn't have the stomach to raise their hands at them; Kida on the other hand was raring to go for a fight. The grounds are tense, the heat rising, and the bated breaths of both sides awaiting the first strike. Luke Garston watches intently how his unit responds, hoping desperately that they realize their error and turn against Kida and his urchins, but after a few seconds glancing at their posture, he knew the likelihood of them coming to their senses were unfavorable. As Landon prepares to join the battle, much to the dismay of Lance...
"Don't you dare raise a hand against these children!" Garston yells, emerging from his spot and into the shocking eyes of his unit, who felt frozen with fear and guilt to have been caught; Team Ravia and Kida's group alike were confused about who this man was, but in the case of the kids, they he couldn't be an enemy since he just vouched for them.
Landon steps forward unwillingly, "Why are you here?"
"Where are your manners? Did becoming a dog for Liandt make you forget to show me respect"
Landon shakes his head, "No sir…"
"Cease this nonsense at once!" he commands angrily in a tone a parent would give their child; "I learned about everything from the Head General. How could you?" he shakes his head; "Siding with an enemy? Performing illegal activities under a corrupted leader? I taught you better than that."
Abby steps forward with a lowered head-ashamed to be caught, "But, we're doing this for you…"
"You think I want this? Are you mad?" he scoffs; "You've screwed yourselves over! Liandt manipulated you all into doing his bidding under the illusion that it could benefit me. Your hopes were that I would never know and just receive it as some just reasoning...you planned to kill for me? I'd never accept such an injustice."
Duke looked disappointed by his commander's words, "But, that's how far we'd go for you. You meant everything to us, and to see you get robbed of your rightful position as Head General...if it was you who led our army instead of her, things would be so much better. You're a great leader who cares about every single soldier-"
"Everything happens for a reason. It was never my destiny to take command of such a force. I might have my differences to Lime Royale, but she's every bit as capable of a leader."
"General Garston, if we just capture that boy it'll all be over. We can just hand him over to Liandt and he can do as he pleases, besides, that child is the one who kill-"
"SHUT UP!" Garston raised; "I'm tired of that nonsense. You all are supposed to know the truth, huh? Then you know that what he did was nothing short of what any child with his capabilities and situation would do. He prevented further victims, and here you want to hand him over to the culprit responsible for letting a monster into such a powerful position in the first place? You're part of the problem. All you people ever do is act selfishly and mask behind something selfless. Your actions are no different from the algae eating scum of a politician."
"I'm sorry you feel that way..."
"But we've already gone too far to come back…"
Luke Garston goes into a battle stance, "I'll be bringing you back as prisoners for your crimes. You will be on trial along with Liandt and members of his faction, who played a hand in these activities."
Lance looks over at the Tower Bridge Unit, then to Luke Garston. He desperately believed in a future where Garston could lead the army, but his morals told him that dreams aren't always meant to be a reality. Even if he'll be punished regardless for his actions, it would be better to at least do what he truly believed to be the right thing, "And that means fighting beside my commander!" he shouts, joining by Garston's side and willing to fight his own brother and comrades; Landon and the others weren't surprised, but they were in this mess too deep to turn back now. Regardless, they sold their souls to the devil and would get a severe punishment and sink on the same ship with that devil. Garston looks over to Lance, thankful that at least one of his own had come to their senses, and disappointed that he'd have to fight against the others. Lined up alongside Cobalt, Tangie, and Violet covering them a little beyond, they prepare to face off against Spear, Cameron, Ueru, Landon, Duke, Abby, and a few members of the Urchins that accompanied their leader. As they readied for a fight, Fuchsia cradled Azule in her arms, hoping he'd wake up soon and terrified that he might slip into a coma like he did that dark day many months ago.