Angra Mainyu
Arc Two - Supremacy - Part Four
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Mumbling to himself in German, Schuldig brought a hand up to shield his eyes, looking for the familiar form of Farf in the growing crowd of early risers. Just what he needed. To baby-sit a demoness who could take more than adequate care of herself and one psycho. Okay, so the Irishman wasn't entirely insane, but he wouldn't be winning any Pulitzer Prizes anytime soon for his genius either.
Leaning against the brick wall of a storefront, the telepath dug a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. He hummed softly to himself, an old German lullaby he could vaguely remember his Mama singing, as he continued to scan the crowd. The temptation to create a little havoc with the general sheepdom was great, but then he'd probably miss Farf altogether, and dealing with a pissy Brad for his transgression didn't appeal to him at all.
//Here, Farfie, Farfie, Farfie,// Schuldig crowed in his best irritating mental voice, taking a drag on the clove cigarette. //Braddykins has a job for us to do.//
Good thing they were close to the Koneko too. No need to worry about catching a cab this early in the morning.
That mental voice slid up against the chaos that was his mind, making itself known by the sheer ease that it wiggled close. No mere stranger or curious telepath, the mental call came from someone who knew enough to tread lightly in a mind that was full of pitfalls and mudslides. Then there was his name, or rather one of the hundreds of nicknames that others gave him just because the name he chose for himself was just bloody hard to pronounce fully at times.
And since that one had to be near by or the message would be less clear, Farfarello looked around at the passing people, scanning for one who was taller with flame-red hair and a smart mouth. There, ahead of him, leaning against the wall with a clove in his mouth. Cutting easily around the people, he stalked over to Schuldig's side, one moon pale hand reaching out to brush his fingers lightly over the spill of flame-touched hair. There was something about redheads that reminded him of blood spilt.
//Am I a dog to be nipping at your heels now, Guilty One?// Farfarello replied. //Or did Braddums wake up alone and wanting company?//
--
The store sat closed, the light-up sign dimmed during the hours of non-business, to save power. That sign was being gazed upon by eyes of a brilliant amber, part of the puzzled look that had settled on the sunshine blonde's features as he tried to make sense of the building. For some reason it didn't look like the home of the four new Shinigami. Certainly they did live in a shoppe of sorts, and the name seemed familiar, but it appeared in the overall to be quite the bad cover for a set of assassins to live in. Brushing a hand through his unruly strands of long hair, Watari turned to glance at the bird-like bump on his shoulder, holding up a piece of paper with neatly typed directions to their new assignment on it. "Na, 003, does Koinu no Nekan ie sound like the place?" he inquired of his little friend.
For his part, 003 looked at the piece of paper for a long moment, seeming in deep consideration as he ruffled his plump, feathered self to be more comfortable. After extensive deliberation, the miniature owl reached a decision and began to nibble on the piece of paper offered to him. He was hungry and clearly Watari was offering him food, how could he decline his best friend?
With a slight irk, Watari withdrew his hand and examined the slightly nibbled paper. No damage seemed to be done, except the 003 drool that was half-smearing a few street numbers. Nothing key, since he had already factored in all the turns he would have had to take and had cut his time in half by simply flying straight towards the correct direction. That had been around four hours in the past, and his well-known lack of a sense of direction had lead him on a slight wild-Shinigami-chase around Tokyo in an attempt to find it.
One last look was given to the aptly named Koinu no Nekan ie before the Shinigami turned away from the pet casket supply store and started down the street. That made for his second strike on finding the building. The first, a bakery by the name of Kotori no Kashiki ie, had seemed promising save for the lack of assassins operating it. The little old man had been quite indignant when the blond had inquired where he 'stashed' the four cute guys who 'worked' for him, leading Watari to believe that maybe he had found the wrong place.
"Well, maybe it's... this way!"
Cheering up again, Watari pointed down the street and grinned as he started towards his new destination. On his shoulder, 003 clapped enthusiastically for his partner's decision and posed as triumphantly as a fat little owl could. They were off again, to explore the unknown and find the new Shinigami; who knew what could lay around the next corner?
--
Taking the stairs two at a time, his step lighter than most could ever hope to have, Omi reached the roof in record time. Slowed by caution, he carefully searched the area directly around him and the door, keeping alert for possible intruders or attackers that might have been placed for a planned attack's purpose. There seemed to be nothing, but that did nothing to lessen his care as he moved carefully towards the ledge to observe the street below.
Placing his quiver down, Omi knelt and stared at the scene stretched out on the street, sapphire eyes clouding in confusion as he attempted to comprehend what was going on. Not that there were many clues at the moment. Ken and Youji, he noted, had already made it downstairs and were halted at what appeared to be a pocket of fog, which might not have been noticeable with the Tokyo environs, but caught doubtless attention with the lack of accompanying pockets that would have come from the nearby bay. Catching the two assassins' hesitance to approaching the bubble, Omi could only assume that it was something to be considered dangerous, even in the slightest sense, until confirmation of what it was could be made.
With his headset placed carefully against his ear, Omi drew out an arrow and fit it in the bowstring, his eyes searching for a target. "What's going on down there?" he asked evenly, knowing his microphone would pick up the words with ease.
As he waited for a response, the sapphire-eyed youth looked around at surrounding buildings, for witnesses, or accomplices, to the situation. Catching a form dressed in which on the building opposite Koneko, he narrowed his eyes, trying to make out details. "There's a man on the roof opposite me," he continued, again directing his voice towards the headset's microphone. "Looks like he's watching you guys; I don't know if he's noticed me." Resting his compound bow comfortably in his hands, Omi drew back the arrow to a tight fit along the string and his hands, making sure the feathers were aligned properly should he decide to fire. For all purposes, he seemed relax, if wary; however, if things soured, he could and would have the string drawn back and loosed within a fraction of a second. Habit and training took over deliberation in an attack, something that had saved him countless times in the past. And, perhaps, it would again prove to be assistance that day, though he hoped that nothing so lethal would be needed to resolve what was going on.
--
Energy hit energy, the two very different forces hissing against each other. As the demon continued to hit the barrier with waves of energy, Tsuzuki had a couple of choices. To continue to feed it with his energy and protect the outside pedestrians or let the barrier go and use his energy for other things. At least he wasn't going to get tired out soon in using his own strength; Tsuzuki had a strong spiritual force that was a lot stronger than most people's. Probably it was one of the reasons that Muraki found him to be intriguing enough to pursue the Shinigami.
The barrier shattered as he let it go, the dispatched energy falling like a gentle shower of rain around them. Not even pausing, Tsuzuki reshaped his spiritual energy into a lash of energy, whipping it at the possessed girl in a jagged line through the air, stirring the motes up with its passage. Maybe he could engage the demon's attention, thus making it more vulnerable to the Reimaken. Or at least drive it away so that he and Hisoka can make a better plan to engage the possessed girl and free her, then he can use the Shikigami to make sure that the demon would not be returning at all. But for now, he refused to use the Twelve that watched him to harm an innocent. Even though he could use their strength in order to bring the demon down a notch or two.
Tsuzuki refused to get innocent blood on his hands ever again. Even if he had to work around his own instincts.
As her circumferencing energy succeeded easily in shattering the fog barrier, Aya's deep blue eyes swept over those gathered, easily looking through the burning off fog that fell in a light mist of energy about them. One... two... three... four... five... nearby. And she could sense other strong souls nearby, two possibly. Her head cocked to the side, unearthly powers sensing something else but what not many could be sure. Midnight blue peered curiously at each of those gathered, observing so very much in just a bare second of observation. The ripples of energy still waved out from her before it finally stopped, her attention coming back to rest on Tsuzuki.
So he wanted to play did he?
She'd show them that's all they were capable of doing with her. Playing.
Her sharp giggle cut through the air just as sharply as the whip that lashed at her in a jagged line, the girl's nimble form gone from her crouched position as the whip moved towards her, the long white dress she wore trailing in her wake. The girl moved fluidly through the air, discovering one advantage of having the sleeper deep inside partly awake even if very much repressed in her world little world. There was a plethora of raw powers now at her disposable... at least to a degree. The dark haired girl seemed to almost fly through the air before she came to perch atop a phone booth on the edge of the sidewalk, putting a bit more distance between herself and the Shinigami attacking her. "Is that all you have to impress a lady?" she said sweetly, batting her lashes as she stayed perched atop the stand, peering down at the dark haired male.
It truly did figure that in a situation of such chaos and pain... the demonic being was indeed in its element of entertainment.
Moving out of the way and staying out of the way as Hisoka had directed, easily realizing the more experienced Shinigami's expertise on this matter was far more than his own, Ran continued just looking over the happenings and trying to deduce something which he could do to aid. There was really nothing... More than a bit of unease moved through the redhead as the barrier had locked down around them, leaving Ran locked away from his team, unarmed, trapped with a demon, and with no true knowledge of the skills he possessed and how to control those to aid Weiß's guides. It was an odd sense of ... uselessness that flickered through the leader of Weiß for a moment but he quickly shoved it aside, knowing enough of needed mindsets in a chaotic stressful situation to know that feelings such as that would just lead to true uselessness. The battle lost even before it begun in ones mind.
As the barrier holding him enclosed in a situation he was truly unsure of his use shattered like sparkles of dust, he couldn't help but be a bit relieved even it meant the demon with his sister's form was overpowering them. And with frightening ease. The girl's movement through the air with such ease were noted but his attention was held by something far more... pressing.
Two things a bit more pressing really.
The channels of energy pulsing towards himself and Hisoka at a fast rate, both rippling out dangerously from the demon's last position. There was the demoness' own chaotic energy which seemed to have its own soundless roar. Something that was familiar. Something like what had been the last thing Ran had felt... and heard in the very depths of his soul... rushing towards him before the last moments of his life. With that chaotic maddening energy she had sent out was something else... it was invisible but a powerful force, which had the appearance of a pane of glass that had been shattered and blown outwards, the little shards of glass reflecting bits of the light which had once been shining brightly through the window.
And it was headed directly for Hisoka, and himself just a few feet away from the jade-eyed Shinigami. Moving with his usual grace and speed, looking hardly as if he were scrambling away from the danger lest it kill him... again... Ran came to a halt nearby where Ken and Youji were standing. Glancing back, his hand tightened into a fist as he caught sight of the younger male, still very much in the path of the reflected Reimaken and seeming unable to escape it. He felt his stomach clench tightly, memories surging... already his three teammates had been killed trying to help his sister... now another was going to be harmed when he had ceded to Ran's wishes to not harm the girl's physical body because of her relation to him.
His hand trembled as he watched it approach Hisoka, willing it strongly to stop... not wanting another to be harmed trying to protect his sister. It seemed like such a futile desire but something seemed to start to form before just his eyes, a thin shimmering barrier before the boy that was formed of Hisoka's own will to fight. Ran's own slowly rising Shinigami specialty powers making themselves known as they were needed.
Footnotes:
Translations:
Koneko no Sume ie - kitten in the many people house (rough; flowershoppe)
Koinu no Nekan ie - puppy in the casket house (pet caskets 'r us)
Kotori no Kashiki ie - little bird in the cake box house (bakery)
Again, as promised, another chapter. The last one for this moment, but more is coming. This arc is completely finished, and we're a third into the next one.
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