Hey! I didn't give much thought to it but can you believe the year is almost over? Like, wow. I remember when it was just June and now we're in November!
What should've been a normal business day for folks in the area of Ravia became a disastrous 48 hours. The police had no clue where to start their investigation nor did they have any leads, all that was known was that within the last couple of days there's been an increase in reports of crime occurring in the streets of Ravia. At first it started in the slums and quickly spread to the main business district. Now, all of Ravia was affected, which prompted the committee responsible for the conference to take safety measures in fear that the attacks were no coincidence. The nearby Tower Bridge Unit was disturbed by these developments and decided to investigate the situation in addition to their plans to finding Azule, mostly because they hated the thought of being inactive in a situation that can be prevented. Vandalism. Kidnappings. And, the most heinous of all-murder. Ravia went from a low crime rate city to a nightmare haven as tourists were targeted during the attacks, as well as business owners. In the span of these few days, nobody was safe.
"Still, I don't approve of someone so young like you being in a place like this. Gambling is a terrible thing!" Doctor Sinclair scolded; Azule had a blank expression, mostly because he thought that why should she be lecturing him when she's also here. The doctor's face twitched a little with some veins sprouting, "For your information, I'm here with my colleagues. Well, I told them I was against coming but they dragged me here."
"I-I never asked…!"
Dr. Sinclair chuckled, "Your face is easy to read. Anyways, what are you doing in Ravia? Don't you have school?"
"W-well uh, some things came up and I'm here with my parents."
"O-oh...I don't see them anywhere with you. Do they know you're here?"
"NO!" he shouted out of instinct, apologizing immediately.
"It'd be a shame if a certain blabbermouth of a doctor told them…? I'm sure they would be surprised to know about your adventures at a casino in a foreign country." she teased with a smug grin, noticing the opportunity to make an escape after having been pressured into joining with her colleagues and bored out of her mind, which was a good thing she ran into Azule, her favorite high school friend.
"Doc...please don't!" Azule pleaded using his hands to indicate to her to lower her tone before someone notices their conversation despite the loud environment.
"I don't know, how will you make it up to me?"
"If we leave will you promise not to tell? At least you'll allow me that."
Dr. Sinclair chuckles watching him react to her unreasonable demands, finding it adorable that he was getting so worked up. "Fine by me. But, what about your friend over there?" she asked, pointing to Spyke, who was currently on a win streak of 5 games and attracting a crowd.
Azule chuckled, "He'll probably be fine…"
After leaving the casino to go by a nearby restaurant where Azule was treating the doctor to a meal to buy her silence, the pair caught up on how things had been since their last encounter. To dodge the obvious question about why she left so suddenly to do her research in Ravia, Azule instead asked about what she'd been up to and what plans she had, hoping to spend a day hanging out with her-though the idea was a little strange since she was his physician and double his age, at the very least it would look strange to see two varying ages together at a place like the park.
"If you should know, I have been appointed the leader of the medical team in charge of the conference…" she said, going into detail about how she was recommended by a trusted colleague, who vouched for her to get a position. After impressing the organizers, she was appointed leader of the staff and would be in charge of overseeing the health of the visitors as well as part of the first aid unit. Azule was super surprised to learn she had skills in first responding, to which the doctor joked that she was more than just a surgeon and physician-she worked hard to provide as much support as possible. Ever since her failures in her career, she branched out further and finally, thanks to this opportunity, she was taking a step in the right direction. "There's also some big money in for me, so I couldn't just refuse the offer." she said, pinching her fingers together mimicking the action of rubbing two coins together. After some time passes of a light conversation with Azule filling her in on what he'd been up to while she was away, he felt anxious get a certain question off his chest now that he had the opportunity.
"I know it's a little rude to ask this when it's only been a few minutes but…"
Dr. Sinclair tilts her head to the side with a melancholy smile saddened eyes-as if she already read his mind, "You want to know about the progress of the research and if there's a cure. Your eyes shine a different light that it's too easy to read you…"
His shifty eyes glance elsewhere as he holds his arm nervously-almost unprepared to receive an answer from her, "Is there...hope for me?" he asked in a concerned tone, almost like a frightened child about to confront his biggest fears. Even though he had a smile able to put anyone's mind at ease, the sight of him hit her emotions differently since she knew what he was battling, and how valiantly he'd been hanging on, probably pinning his hopes that she could pull off a miracle. She knew that he must be petrified at the thought that in the coming years, maybe less like just a few months, or even a few weeks, he could perish from the complications of his heart.
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath; she knew this day would come, after all. "The situation with your heart is unlike anything I've ever seen. I've dealt with the strangest of diseases, but this one boggles me. It isn't hereditary, so no worries there, but the situation is bizarre." indeed, Azule's situation was unlike anything she'd ever seen. The rare condition Azule had was a type of heart disease that triggered heart attacks and strokes via psychological trauma. Due to the overbearing physical and mental torture he endured as a child, he was able to cope by shutting his mind off. Unfortunately, that created a strange trigger that whenever those memories would return, his anxiety would be so intense that it overworked his heart to the degree of an attack happening. At first, she thought it to be some strange case of coronary artery disease or chronic heart problems that related to dangerously high blood pressure linked with post traumatic stress disorder. As such, she treated with the medication for those symptoms in hopes that in the meantime she could devise something capable of curing him of a unique strand that could possible save millions who might face the tamer version of what he went through, however, it proved to be rather difficult. "Since your case is unique because of you involuntarily triggering it, the most I could offer would therapy along with your current medication. However, I've heard that the side effects are becoming a problem…"
"Luckily, it's not so bad, but it's because I've been playing around with the dosage, which I probably shouldn't. I don't want to accidentally overdose…" he said with a shiver, having thought about it at one point, but when he looked up at the doctor and saw her emotionless response to his comment, he knew he might have overstepped his bounds.
"I never want to hear you speak like that again. Don't joke about those matters or ever make light of them, understand?"
"Y-yes…"
"Alright. Unfortunately, I don't have a cure. It'll take a drastic amount of time for me to do further research, hence why I came here since this nation is making leaps and bounds in the medical world. Your case will have many factors that attribute to it, but I'd start with going to therapy and lightening the load on your medication."
Azule's eyes dulled to hear that there was no success, his hopes crushed by the reality; Dr. Sinclair can sense his despair and lifts a finger to change the outlook for him, "That's not all, though. I was in the lab and we did make a breakthrough. We've found that the pairing of certain medications help to create a stronger balance within your system. So, if you would like, I can give you a prescription to go along with the therapy you should receive. This new dosage should eliminate those side effects as well. Problem is, it'll be slow acting so the side effects might become more severe in the earlier stages, but after a while it should mellow down and become non-existent. From there, you'll just need to monitor your heart health and try to remain calm."
"So aside from that new dosage, I'm stuck with this condition until I die? At this rate, am I going to die soon?"
"If you take the new prescription and maybe attend therapy for at least a couple months-not mandatory, but if you need it, take it. I don't think your life will be in danger under this new dosage, but there is still the risk that everything could worsen if you don't take them for even a day. Be on the mark and follow the prescription."
"It's a gamble..." he muttered, processing that he must follow the new routine for every waking day or risk sever consequences if he missed even a single day. Was it worth making such a leap when he had already conquered one medication already? The upside was that while he could have less worry and eradicate the side effects, the drawback was that he had to take it daily and add it to his routine and never miss it for even a spell. "Well, whatever it takes. Every day is precious and I'm grateful." Azule's sincere tone hit the doctor with a terrible chill, one as frosty as a tundra though the environment matched a sauna. For a kid his age to have such a mindset was heartbreaking as it was mind numbing-he'd been through so much that this is what he arrived at, knowing that he couldn't take his life for granted-an admirable feat for a child. "Thank you, doctor. I'll continue to live my best life. I won't allow a single regret to exist!" he beamed with lively eyes, though she could see her reflection in his irises, she also saw the pain hidden under the blue. He was hoping more than anything, that she could deliver a miracle cure or treatment. But, this would have to do until that fated day.
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up." she said, placing her hands on his shoulders with a determined look. If he refused to let this news defeat him, then she wouldn't allow herself to settle for anything less than defeating the impossible-almost as though the words she spoke were meant for her more so than him. Her grip releases and she sighed, looked up and then closing her eyes. She vowed that she would continue to uncover more about his condition and beat it. She wanted to see him without that burden on his shoulders, and hopefully erase the failures of her past. After their talk, Dr. Sinclair explained that she would do further blood testing on the samples she had and hypothesize some more-suspecting that his condition was heavily linked to his blood pressure for some reason and needed to strike from there. She just needed one major clue to solve this problem. Led by the young inkling, they return to the casino where they go their separate ways; she returns to her colleagues and doubles down that she will beat this battle by his side, flexing her arm while doing so. Azule returns to Spyke's side where a crowd had gathered to watch him continue his crazy win streak. He's now won 9 games in a row and was nearing his 10th victory, however, he was in a pinch and many murmurs filled with questions to whether he could make the impossible 10th win against the best dealer in the casino. But once Azule showed up, a fire lit in his eyes once again and he went for broke and gambled all his winnings on this lofty game. What followed was the most unbelievable result ever seen in the casino as even the guards keeping post were interested to see how the game ended. A turnaround for the ages, Spyke became the richest winner to ever play in the building, striking it big with his 10th victory and potting in his earnings with more than tripled from what he had before. A jackpot victory that would forever be talked about, Spyke knew he would get an earful from Annie later but it was all for the sake of their future children. He knew it would be tough to make ends meet with their shop, and at this point, he would do anything to keep them happy. For him, that's what it means to be a father, though Azule slightly disagreed with the idea of gambling away money for greed, he appreciated the sincerity of Spyke's reason. There was no greed in that Urchin's heart anymore. He changed his ways for the better. To celebrate Spyke's success, he decides that their first purchase should be a meal at a tavern he frequents with Annie. This time around, he'd be going to as a treat for Azule as thanks for being with him for his life changing fortune. Several dishes were ordered and Spyke told the other regulars of his achievements, welcoming them to join him next time when he would only play for fun and not risk it all. Azule was delighted to make new friends, becoming a center of attention himself with many of Spyke's acquaintances wanting to know about him and why he was visiting Ravia at such a time in the year where their weather was on the brutal end. After almost a couple hours pass, the two head out mostly due to Spyke knowing Annie would be upset if he was out too late without any company. As they walk the calmer streets and observe the nightlights illuminating the city, Spyke couldn't quell his excitement about fatherhood.
"Everything just feels better, you know?" he said leading the way for Azule; they were heading back to the hotel to drop off Azule since his parents wanted him to come back soon. "Honestly, I can't express how happy I am that you came into my life. I mean, I understand it might be a strange thing to say to a person somewhat responsible for me looking like this!" alluding to the loss of his limbs at the hands of Sky, "But, if it wasn't for your kindness. Your willingness to get your hands dirty and fulfill my requests, I don't think I could ever turn my life around. Really, I can speak so clearly now that I can't comprehend why I ever talked the way I did prior!"
Azule found the old Spyke nostalgic and couldn't help but give a laugh after grinning at the thought of Spyke's transformation, "I kinda miss that though..."
Spyke gave a chuckle and smiled at the inkling, "You know, Annie and I have been thinking of names for the kids for quite a while. We've wanted to pick names meaningful to us that can also carry on our love to them. And lately we've also been thinking…" he stops his chair and looks down at his lap, prompting Azule to stop as well and wonder what was wrong. Why so suddenly? "Azule, I want you to be there for my kids, the same way you were there for me."
Azule didn't know where Spyke was coming from but nods, "Yeah, I'd like to come and visit here more often. I'd also love to meet them too!"
Spyke shakes his head with the biggest smile, "I don't only mean it in that way. I mean, I want you to be a guardian for them. You could think of them as your little siblings or niece and nephew. After all, the way I owe you all the miracles that have occurred in my life, I see you as more of a brother than..." he stops, a crestfallen expression appearing as he remembered his past, clenching the armrests of his chair.
"Uh...Spyke?" Azule holds out his hand to tap him and see if he was fine. It was the first time he ever saw the urchin look so serious and distant, as though it'd weighed heavily on his mind for months.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean to get all sentimental like that. I just really appreciate the deeds you did for me. If it wasn't for you, none of this would be possible. You changed my life for the better, and I'll never forget it."
Even if he was being told so, never did the young inkling imagine that his actions could affect someone so greatly. At the time, he didn't think much of what he was doing as a transporter, only that he was satisfying his ego by helping Spyke out of pity and guilt for what Sky did, but now that looked back at that time, he understood the magnitude of his actions, and how it could impact someone like Spyke. At first, it must've been Spyke's way of being spiteful to him by making him do illegal deeds in hopes that the young inkling would get in trouble or meet a worse fate, but after seeing how proficient he was and how cooperative he was, Spyke must've realized that Azule was genuine about helping him, and in turn an unlikely friendship was forged. And now, these many months later, what was meant to be a form of punishment instead became the catalyst for one's rebirth. Once Azule pieced that together, he couldn't help but feel his knees weaken at how that chain reaction set off a crazy result-a grown adult was essentially asking him to be the third parent of his children. A monumental request, Azule accepted with biggest smile possible. After doing so, Azule immediately remembered why he was even in Ravia in the first place. A hollow feeling in his chest settled in as that remainder came, the entire time he'd been here he was getting too comfortable and forgetting his objective. He needed to snap out of it and remember his resolve had to ironclad if he'd make it out alive.
"Spyke...I think you should leave Ravia in the coming days."
"Why?"
"I...I just have a strange feeling that it's not a good idea to stay here with the Ravia Conference happening."
"Oh, that! Well, I've never been here during the conference but this place is usually safe. Although, I'm hearing a lot of reports of incidents lately."
"A-all the more reason-"
"I can't leave here, Azule. I have a business to run. Besides, I'm done running away. I've made my peace with my mistakes. Whatever awaits me, I'll face it! I can't be a good father if I'm a coward." He concentrates ahead, his thoughts distant with narrowing eyes; "I'm prepared for the worst."
His resolve was too strong for Azule to argue against and instead, the first year inkling could only place his trust in the urchin despite worrying greatly for their safety. Even if they were outside the danger zone of the hotel where the attack should be centered on, he was concerned that they would somehow get dragged into the chaos simply because of their association with him. The last thing he'd ever want is for them to be put in harm because of him. Even though she claimed it was a sacrifice made out of her love for Cobalt, Azule still felt responsible for Tangie losing his arm with the belief that if he never told her about Cobalt's situation, and if he never went to Ikayumu, perhaps she'd still have both her arms. Though, he would constantly be reminded of what she'd likely said if she was reading his thoughts. "I'd rather lose an arm and feel bliss than have both and be miserable." or something along that line, with her contagious smile as bright sun as a bonus.
In a new location thanks to the efforts of his squad raiding the place, Kida and his reborn urchins occupied an office complex that sat in the heart of slums, an area that wasn't observed much by the higher ups of Ravia and Squirabia, which gave them a blanket to do as they please without the authorities hunting them down. Under the orders of Kida, the urchins went rampant and left their mark on Ravia, terrorizing the streets, citizens and tourists alike; all done to spread the rhetoric of fear about Ixia, announcing all atrocities in their name to help spread the word. At the same time, it was also meant to help Kida sniff out his target's location. One by one, he receives reports from his subordinates and grunts, who noted that there was a disruption in their operations. Apparently, a group of inklings dressed in red and white were intercepting them when they were about to continue their attacks, noting that cops didn't arrive in time since these mysterious individuals were showing up as though they were vigilantes. Kida and his delegates took interest in these developments since they stayed at the hideout waiting for the right time to head out and strike first, but if someone was thwarting their efforts, that was enough for them to get involved. Ueru was eager to get into action but had to be calmed down by Ghary, who was reluctant to have anyone go and confront their enemy since there was still no word from Rogue about their other assignment-the true purpose they were in Ravia for, that so happened to align with Kida's personal goal. As they await further word from their grunts, a shriek is heard from nearby-Cameron's senses sharpen as he can feel a hostile presence approaching them at considerable speed, likely the group of enemies mentioned earlier. Spear assumes a battle stance as well, ready to protect his boss; Ghary also assumes a battle stance with Ueru, though a little nervous about getting into a battle with an opponent strong (and reckless) enough to storm into their hideout and confront them. Kida remains relaxed as he reveals the pair of guns hidden at his waist. The shrieks grow as they're followed by a thud on the pavement and banging on the nearby walls, the sight and scent of blood abundant as the enemy was likely creating a trail of defeated grunts in their wake.
"They're coming…!" Cameron shouts readily, gripping the hilt of his blade ready to unsheathe his blade; Kida and others anticipate their entrance based on how badly the sounds are becoming, soon their enemy would show themselves.
A window breaks on their flank, a body crashing in that belonged to the urchins. Glass covers the body writhing and squirming in the pool of shards, screaming in agony as the pieces glue them like sprinkles on ice cream. Four inklings enter simultaneously all dressed in red and white-sure to keep their faces hidden by their caps, though Kida already catches a glance of them and gives an order. He wants Spear and Cameron close to him and Ueru on the offensive; as such, they follow through and battle begins. Ueru sprints to his preferred target, marking Duke of the Tower Bridge unit as his prey-noting that he had the scent of someone powerful and worth testing his might against. Duke didn't like the idea of raising his hand against a kid, but he could see the malice in his hypnotized eyes blinded by the lust for blood and he had no choice but to defend himself. The other members find themselves in difficult positions as well, their goal to have Kida surrounded and interrogated are put on hold as Cameron unsheathes his blade and Spear points his spear at them prepared to lunge. Ghary also fired a warning shot at their feet to let them know this would end with them suffering a casualty. However, the Tower Bridge Unit didn't hesitate. Lance matches Spear, Landon takes Cameron, and Abby targets Ghary. Four battles ensue promptly as any hope to prevent fighting is lost with Duke and Ueru's battle. With bodies of grunts scattered everywhere, Kida goes over to observe the wounded grunt and finds a surprising result.
"You think you can march into our turf and pick a fight?" Ueru shouts, after narrowly avoiding a close shot from Duke that would've knocked him out, returning the favor with kick to his gut that sends him staggering a little-followed by a series of palm strikes to his chest to send him back a little more. None of the Tower Bridge members break their silence, instead using the flashy red and white to threaten the instincts of their opponents. The urchins old their own bring the fight to the skilled soldiers, but soon learn quickly that they were beyond the fights they've underwent before. Cameron felt it the most as he clashed with the captain Landon. Despite having the advantage with a whole blade in his possession to the unarmed Landon, somehow the fight was still in Landon's favor after he lands a dozen painful strikes to different parts of Cameron's body in such a quick succession that he was already out of breath. Spear and Lance was also a neck and neck battle as both sides fought with the same weapon and traded paint as the tips of their weapons create sparks each time they clash. Abby closes the space between her and Ghary, who fires a shot in an attempt to slow her down, his intentions clear that he would prefer to avoid fighting an opponent in close-quarters-combat where having a gun would mean nothing, arriving at that mindset thanks to his test shots proving ineffective based on her sharp reactions and increasing pace. The most he can do is defend. The other battles pick up and it starts with Ueru once begins landing solid hits on a defending Duke who is forced to simply block them due to the lightning speed of Ueru's hands and feet. Cameron and Landon were still at it with the captain swift hands acting as a sword guiding the blade of Cameron away with each strike and plenty of force to send the swordsman off balance but at the same time, Cameron took an aggressive approach and corrected his stance and added more strength to his swing lifted his body more to add some mobility, able to even the circumstances and put some pressure on Landon as well. A pair of critical hits land for Lance and Spear on each other, who feel an unspeakable pain crash their abdomen as their weapons draw blood like a needle, bringing both fighters down to one knee grimacing in pain. Abby finally reaches Ghary and weaves around his bullets, disarming him with a karate chop to his wrist and sweeping his feet. As he crashes to the floor, he's met by her boot pressing against his neck and the same gun he was using now pointed at his forehead. This continues for a few more minutes when...
"Stop!" Kida yells, after feeling the pulse of the body along with making a deduction and on command, his men halt their attack. Ueru was close to delivering a critical hit on Duke, though it likely wouldn't have been enough to stop him. Cameron almost had Landon's head, but likewise, Landon had a gun pressed on Cameron's chest ready to blow it to bits. Abby had Ghary a millisecond away from death with her foot pressed on his neck cutting off his supply of oxygen. Lance and Spear were already worn down from the continuous cuts and scratches they endured, with both suffering a wound on their abdomen. Likewise, Landon orders the others to absolve from battle, noticing now to be the perfect time since it looked as though an understanding could be reached.
Landon looks over Kida, "Have you noticed?"
"That you didn't kill my men? You've wounded this one but they're far from being at death's door. My guess is the others are the same way, no?"
"Correct. We didn't come here to kill, though we'd like a few questions answered as to why you are committing these crimes."
A massive grin appears on Kida face as he raises his chin-aware of their identity, "It's not your jurisdiction. If the Squirabians learned that an elite force of Inkopolis was here with involvement in incidents, there would be quite the consequences for your superiors. You're here for another reason, aren't you? I don't see it a coincidence that you lot are here at the same time."
"What are you insinuating!?" Lance yelled, hushed by Landon who raises his hand.
Landon's glare sharpens, "Answer my question! You've harmed a number of innocent people!"
Kida puts his hands in his pockets, "If you're so eager to know, then let's have a seat and get to know each other, shall we?"
Landon relaxes and accepts his proposal, signaling for the others to join him. Little do they know that as they began their discussion with weapons put away, a third party watches from a distance carefully aware of their surroundings and of the scattered unconscious bodies that covered the ground like dispersed plants. Her appearance there was already much of a suicide mission, but the pride of a Sororia wouldn't let her shy away from such an opportunity to show her toughness in front her family, especially her father. She clenches a pistol tightly, narrowing her gaze around the corner at the group of people congregating about something. She found it astonishing how quickly they went from battling to having a discussion, and though she wanted to get closer for a better listen, encroaching could very well spell her death. A different type of opponent from what she knew, one wrong move was all it took. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she scans her surroundings again before getting low to reduce the noise made from her movement, crouching until she found another spot to hide behind that was much closer to the hideout.
"Are you sure about this, Santiago?" Mario asked with a questionable expression painted on his face, concerned and skeptical at the current plan.
"It's fine Mario, I trust her. She believes in her strengths and swore that she'll only scout and gather information. After all, now that we've tracked down the suspected people after her friend, I'm sure she wants to study them as much as possible to be ready to defend her friend. That attitude she definitely inherited me."
"E-even so, she's still a child. If this is indeed that same unit the old man warned us about, leaving a high school student to brave the scene might be risky."
"Have some faith in her. You know better than anyone what she's capable of, don't you."
"You're her father and yet you're behaving like this…"
After several visits from fellow clients and colleagues, Santiago and the others learned that the crimes caused recently weren't from their own, noting that there were people wearing outfits with a logo resembling an urchin that was responsible and that they were careful not to intrude on their turf and spark a war, which meant the mastermind had to be someone experienced. Right away, Violet was suspicious once they mentioned urchins, and so, urging her father and uncle to track them down, they arrived here expecting to bring some details for the others but with the appearance of this new group, Violet connected the dots and quickly identified them from the data Azule's siblings gave. That alone was enough to change her mind. Before, she was just looking to confirm their hideout for a reference, but if the unit that was after her captain's head was also here, it made sense to scout them further and know what her squad is up against, though she didn't have much worry since he'd be safe with his parents. However, the serious mood turned an awkward moment while watching from the shadows as the two parties went from nearly killing each other to having to try being civilized. She was tempted to laugh at how foolish both sides look, but given how proximal her location to the enemy, that wouldn't be a wise decision. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, it all comes down to what she thought to be the right choice. Should she stay and attempt to eavesdrop and collect some more information? The idea of knowing what the enemy is planning directly was enticing, but so was the thought of staying alive. Shaking her head furiously with a confused look, she called it quits and makes her retreat.
"Is that all you got?" Sigmund taunts with a chuckle dodging Han's attacks.
Han keeps his silence and does his best to drain the energy out of Sigmund, aware that in a head to head battle he stood no chance beating a tank like him. Instead, he had another plan. The entire time he kept his awareness of his surroundings, trusting the information his apprentices gave him prior to their journey there, where they warned him that two skilled members of the resistance were always keeping watch. Of the two, they noted that there was one who looked less hostile than her counterpart, and he so happened to cross paths with the very hostile one. The fight becomes boring for Sigmund as he's stuck being on the offensive for an opponent prioritizing an all-out defense, which irritated him greatly since was hungry to fight a worthy opponent like one of the royal guards. But each time he tried to provoke Han, it failed miserably as the ninja just kept his space. Even in an attempt to drag Roujou or Ayumi into the mix, it didn't work as they followed their sensei's orders and kept out of it. Each time Sigmund worked on closing the distance between them, Han extended it and did everything in his power to call more attention from using the environment; Sigmund didn't notice his plan only because he was so absorbed in battle he didn't pay attention to his surroundings, or else he would know why what follows was all according to plan. Just as he's about to finally get the jump on Han, who looked too relaxed for some reason, Sigmund once again reveals the same rock he fired earlier and pops it in the air, prepared to launch it at Han. With enough force, he could rip his face off with a direct hit. But as the rock fell into the palm of his hands, he felt his wrist being clenched by someone of considerable strength.
"Faye…!" he squealed with a mix of fright and surprise since his partner was on par with him for strength.
"What are you doing!? I can hear you making a ruckus from my post. Are you trying to get us busted?"
"N-no! I was just handling these intruders. They claim that they mean no trouble but I recognize them from Porter's observations. They're working with the queen."
Faye's guard went up as she heard that, but she took a glance at the trio for a minute and allowed her judgment to speak for her, "I can tell you're working for the enemy, but at the very least you don't agree with her ideals."
"What? Faye, they're the enemy!"
"Sigmund, there's more to this fight than picking a side. At the very least, he must have his reason for working with her and for coming this far. Use your head for a moment, will you? If they meant hostility, all three could attack you and dispose of you. They were holding back."
"I could still taken them!"
Faye shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders with a sigh, expressing her apologies for her partner's behavior. She inquired why the trio would march into this territory while working for the queen, convinced that they had to have some reason for making such a risky move. Han responded that he wanted to work alongside the resistance and pass on the information he gathered from being in the queen's alliance. Even then, Faye was skeptical of the reasoning and found it highly suspicious that an ally of the queen-a direct threat-came all this way just to switch sides. She wanted to question them a bit more but she knew that they would probably feed her the same answers. It was clear they wanted an audience with their captain and the king, but she wouldn't simply allow it.
Faye shakes her head, "Unfortunately, our captain isn't here right now."
A total lie.
Han and his students look to one another and give a nod, then holding their hands together and bowing their heads, "We understand. Then, please pass this message on for him. We seek to destroy our alliance with the queen and will help the resistance in any way possible." making an exit afterwards. A sudden annoying appearance a few flies buzz around Faye as they make their disappearance, swatting away and watching them make their departure. Even though she sensed no hostility from them, her instincts warned her that accepting them now would be an unfavorable move and rather, she should seek word with her captain and make a decision there. Either way, the 3rd Leg was aware that this wasn't the last of those ninjas and that they would likely return once more.
"Follow me…" Shiva whispered holding Fuchsia's wrist and guiding her through the inner paths of Ravia to the secret location where he retainers had been holed up ever since arriving in Ravia. They chose to avoid staying at the hotel for the conference out of worry they would be under surveillance, so instead they chose this place as their base until the day of the conference where they would make their appearance. After a few dark turns through some alleys, they arrive at a building where Reluna stood at the entrance and greeted the pair, noting that the other two were upstairs. Entering the building, Shiva leads them up stairs where sure enough the other two retainers are there protecting the family heirlooms. Fuchsia immediately felt her knees weak upon viewing the shining gauntlets considered to be a valuable treasure to the Octavio family, almost feeling them buckle and having to will herself to keep her balance. After all those years of training, sure enough, she was about to enter the battlefield if they were on display here. She didn't ask any questions, just following her sister's trail instead. "A family treasure, these gauntlets are made with the finest technology we have to offer. In the wrong hands, they can prove to be weapons of mass murder, but, they're in your hands now." Shiva said handing them to her little sister; Fuchsia could barely utter a response under the crushing weight of the pressure in the room, even the retainers who usually kept a friendly look with her wore an intimidating face watching her receive the gauntlet-knowing that their precious younger princess would have to dirty her hands in this battle, something they wished they could've avoided.
"Wh-what about you, Shiva?" Fuchsia asked holding the gauntlets in her hands before putting them away; "I'm aware we're fighting in battle-but, where is your weapon? Surely you won't use a gun…?"
Shiva's silence was as haunting as her gaze. Never before had Fuchsia seen her sister look so drained, the stress she must've endured weighing on her shoulders even now. Despite Ciri and Vaairie's opposition for Shiva to answer, she raised her hand to silence them and asked her sister to take a seat, "As you know, the gauntlets are a treasure of our family and have been passed down for generations. They're never meant to be used as part of the treaty made with Inkopolis, which stripped our nation of old technology and banned the use of such a weapon because of its capabilities. However, there was another weapon that contained further power-a weapon so strong it was thought to become mass produced before being hidden away for its features. The second family heirloom, and the one that serves as proof of the next Octarian leader. Father may wear a crown and have his wasabi beats, but that's only because he refused to use our ancient tech and expose us to Inkopolis. He placed our greatest weapons in hiding to ensure that we could inherit them and know what to do when the time came." she holds out her hand, revealing a huge ball the size of a basketball; "This is the Octorb, the greatest treasure of our family, and the weapon I'll be using."
Though she got the gist of why they were being used now: Inkopolis wanted the powerful technology Octaria possessed but couldn't find the weapons or replicate it themselves so instead barred them from ever being used. In turn, the disparity in the population led to the foundation of a new civilization built on the ruins of the old one with new technology developed and the minds of the world poured into it. She still couldn't help but ask, "Octorb…?" with the greatest of confusion as to how an orb would be used as a weapon. When she asked further about what the orb could do, Shiva brushed it aside and said she would see for herself. Though the conference neared, it felt far from happening as yet with many cogs still needed to turn before the big day. On the princesses' end, they acquired their main weapons for the war ahead and were ready to return to their alliance and continue the plan, and around that same time, the group of Cap'n Cuttlefish, Netifla, and the Royale duo were discussing ahead of time preparation for the conference. Though the pair were due to escort the politician and special guest, Azule wouldn't be allowed entrance since he served no purpose. As such, they needed a way to sneak him in and keep watch. A plan devised thanks to the scouting they did earlier, Cap'n Cuttlefish took the information gathered by the Royale's and combined it with what he knew of the layout of the hotel. Azule was nimble enough that he could use his squid form to sneak in through the air ducts, and then all he would need to do is crawl around until he infiltrated and find a way to blend in. All of this was to occur right before the conference begins and would help in giving them eyes inside the conference room, in the halls, and outside the building where the Sororias would have them covered. Once the day of the conference arrives, there is no turning back on what they are about to do.
