Chapter 86 - The Reunion PT1
"Ohhhh… ah…. Ohhhhhh… man, that felt great."
"Ah, shut it, you! I only do this because you didn't let me kill that brown haired bimbo! Now look at what she's doing, going about ripping our bro's to shreds!"
"Since when did you care what those pathetic human cultists thought of you, my dear?"
"…. Good point."
"Anyways, her 'knight in shining armour' is nearby. Looks like he came faster than we expected. Probably due to those women he's got with him. I wonder how it would be if we aw him again, or if he'll remember us."
"Hah! That idiot?! Please, there's no way he could forget what with what happened and all."
"True, nonetheless, we must be off, we have to buy time for our mistress to prepare our little 'present' for those heroes."
"Hah, I love it when I get to use my Kagune! It's the best!"
"Better than me, my dear?"
"Fuck you!"
After over 20 minutes of navigating through the Halls of Agony Level 3, the trio finally came to the entrance to the Chambers of suffering. After so long, finally they were at their goal, or at least the gateway to it. If they thought they saw It all before, then thy were wrong. Turned out, this hellish place had a lot more in store for them.
"So, this is it…" Nico mused, eyeing the entrance to the place where IF was being held. His eyes glanced over the cobblestone walls the chamber possessed, the walls sinking into the depths below while reaching the top of the underground ceiling in height. There were squarish shaped holes that were sealed by iron railing dotted across the chamber, with all of them burning inside like they were the eyes of the Demon World itself. The entrance itself looked like an Archway, with the Symbol of Khorne proudly displayed in large size above it. Thing was, the whole symbol was dripping with blood, various lifeless corpses of men, women and even children strung up on pikes at each of the symbol's corner. "The Chamber of Suffering."
Tekken shuddered, cradling her arms in front of her stomach as she stared, transfixed, at the various corpses. Each corpse made her want to throw up more and more, what with how some were strung up more brutally than others. She swore she saw how one of them even had a pike going through their skull, and another with a pike through their stomach. Worst of all, there was one that looked to have iron pipes circling in and out of their entire bodies, dripping the most amount of blood compared to the others. Part of her wondered when she would get used to this sight enough that it wouldn't bother her as much. Though, the Martial Artists doubted she'd ever get used to something like this. She could freely admit this, but this place definitely fits the name. "Looks like. Pretty much fits the theme its going for." she tried to chuckle to ease the mood, only to fail and make the atmosphere even tenser.
MAGES. nodded her head, gazing upon the gory spectacle. Unlike Tekken, the Mad Magician looked considerably more composed than the Martial Artist. It was almost like she was immune to the disgusting horrors that she was witnessing at this moment, like she didn't give a damn in the least. However, if one looked at her carefully, they would see how she was tightening the grip on her Staff more than normal, with lines appearing on her face that suggested she was gritting her teeth. "Indeed." She spoke, before she began making her way inside. "I sense that there is conflict raging inside this Chamber. It is likely that the Wind Walker has already staged an escape attempt and is currently fighting off attempts to capture her."
'Yeah, that sounds just like her…' Nico couldn't help but think, biting back the urge to snort. Instead, he just gave a brief chuckle, pride and happiness swelling within his chest. It lifted his spirits, the possibility that IF had already started a breakout of her own, already wrecking the enemy's shit. As long as he'd known her, IF never liked it when she had to rely on others to get her out of sticky situations. She wasn't someone who just sat there like a dainty princess, a helpless maiden who'd fall right into the arms of a knight-in-shining armour. No, that was not her one bit. She may have a hidden cute side, something he admitted that he liked seeing sometimes, but on th whole she was more like him than anything. She was a Mercenary, a natural-born one in his opinion, and she kicked ass whenever she encountered those that needed it. Her being a BOW didn't change that part of her, something that Nico honestly admired and respected about her.
That she would start something like this only increased that respect he had for her.
Just then, he had a thought, a thought referring to the nature of not just her powers, but also his own. Something that he wanted to ask Biko about right the hell now. 'Say, Biko.' He began, sensing that he had his Demon Persona's attention. 'Would it be possible for me to use my demonic senses to pick up IF's location? At least, once we get inside, because something tells me the ambience of demonic energy in the atmosphere might throw me off.' He remembered how he had saved IF by making her a BOW, using a strain of the same virus that was injected into her beforehand, only altered with his own powers. It would stand to reason then, that he would have been able to sense her before had it not been for A: his condition and B: the demonic energy in abundance in the atmosphere. If this was possible, then it'd make locating her much easier.
'Hmmmm… I don't see why not. You're right though, the ambience of demonic power in the air will likely delay your senses for a time, but it should work. Your body is about… 85% restored from the use of your Berserker Mode, so it should not be long before you track her down. Mind you, your attempts will draw Demons and Cultists to your little group like moths to a flame, for they will feel you trying to reach out to her. It would be best that you only do it for brief moments before they lock onto your position.'
Nodding his head in accent to that, Nico promptly thanked his demon persona before cutting the link. The male blinked owlishly however, when he noticed two sets of eyes staring deeply into his own. Both Tekken and MAGES. eyes by the way. While hiding his sudden startled jolting, Nico still felt significantly uncomfortable with their stares. It was almost like they were trying to burn holes through his skull. A stare that he'd seen a few times in the past. Not a nice experience, seriously. "Uhhhh…. Is there something wrong with my face, Nico questioned, pointing to his face. His Armour's Helmet had opened up, allowing this to be possible.
Fortunately, that managed to snap the girls out of their staring routine, enough for Tekken to start speaking first as she shifted from one foot to another. "Well, um, I was just curious, but…" she began, only to get nervous and glance sideways at the end. She held her hands together in front of her, most likely a means to cope with her sudden anxiety Nico noticed. What was it that got her so anxious though? Soon enough, Nico got his answer after she seemed to regain her previous drive. "Why do you seem to space out every now and then?"
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
What?
Nico looked perplexed as he heard Tekken question him like that. It was a bit of a blunt way to ask a question like that, but honestly, he couldn't fault her for that. What he did notice was the question itself, and it made him tense abruptly. Fortunately, his armour hid his bodily reaction to that question as MAGES. picked up where Tekken had left off, unable to continue asking further without the assistance of that strange power. "What Tekken here MEANS to say…"
MAGES. glanced over to her friend, who chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of her head, a pinkish hue of embarrassment on her cheeks. The Mad Magician then looked back at the male in question, her gaze a mix of inquisitive and suspicious. More the former than the latter, though. "Is that you sometimes space out when you think nobody is looking. It happens at a regularity that it is almost concerning. You are 100% sure that these beasts have not injured your capacity for battle in any plausible way?" she questioned him. Part of Nico wondered if she would act all chuuni after that, but to his surprise she remained as stern as she had been since the start of this convo. Guess she found this to be quite the important topic, huh?
However, this definitely posed a problem for the male, he wasn't too sure about trusting them enough to tell them about Biko. That knowledge was different compared to that of the Devil Arms, as the Devil Arms was not as directly related to his abilities. Biko, however, was so intricately connected to him that it felt like he would be committing a crime to tell them of his existence. There was also the fact that it was deeply personal to him, way above the level that he was comfortable with sharing. He may be trying to change, to open the doors of his heart that were sealed away for so long, but right now he just couldn't allow this. It wasn't time yet, he wasn't ready for that to come out yet. If it was someone like IF, Compa or any of the girls he'd known for longer, then MAYBE he could have spoken about it, and even then he would have to ask Biko for permission, but in this case? Nope. Not happening, a big fat NOPE.
Fortunately for him, Nico was spared from having to answer that question. The reason? Just before he could open his mouth, the entire Chamber of Suffering seemed to tremble, and their ears detected the tell-tale sounds of explosions ringing throughout inside. "Eh?! Wha?!" Tekken exclaimed, flailing her arms about in sheer surprise. The rumblings took her completely by surprise, almost to the point where she lost her balance.
In leeway of identifying this newer event, MAGES. turned her attention away from the male (who did a hidden sigh of relief that the questioning had stopped, for now at least) and looked towards the Chamber's entrance. Her eyes narrowed intently after a few seconds. "It appears that there is a commotion within the chamber." She told them, staring deep into the entrance for wha felt like forever when it was really only a couple minutes. She then twisted on her heeled boots to look at the other two, her eyes alight with grave seriousness. "It seems as though there is internal strife within. It is likely that the wind walker has begun a crusade of her own, against these Demons."
'Yeah, you go IF!' Nico cheered in his mind. If this were any other situation, he'd be grinning like a demon right now. Not only had IF shown that she was someone who didn't need someone to rescue her like a certain princess rescued by a hero sword wielding guy who goes 'well, excuuuuuse me, princess!', as well as kicking ass and taking names, but she had also indirectly saved him from having to explain about Biko! His respect for her as a warrior and a comrade-in-arms went up through the roof at this information. Hell, in his mind a bunch of chibi versions of himself were doing breakdancing moves in joy. 'I knew you had it in you!'
'Be that as it may, while this is an interesting and highly desired development, it would be wise if we were to provide backup. As strong as young IF is, even she can be overwhelmed if given enough time. There is also the possibility to consider that the enemy has some unknown tricks up their sleeves.'
Biko's words succeeded in their intended task and brought Nico out of his celebratory trance. The male quickly closed his helmet back up, feeling the smooth interior of the plates resettle on his face to hide his rather sheepish expression. 'Y-Yeah, you're right… sorry, got a little carried away there.' Shaking his head, Nico began pacing forwards, heading towards the entrance while clenching his fists. With a SCHING! Out came his Plasma Claws. He'd be gutting a few more people, it seemed. "Let's get going then, the sooner we can rescue the target, the sooner we can blow this hellhole to kingdom come."
Both girls nodded, gripping their respective weapons while proceeding to follow him into the Chamber.
Or they would have… had it not been for something else to get in their way.
CRACKLE, CRACKLE, CRACKLE!
'!'
It happened without warning, but a split second beforehand, Nico's lone eye widened to an impossible degree when he sensed a quick burst of KI behind them. 'Oh shit!' he cursed, quickly grabbing his companions by their shoulders, gripping them firmly. Before the surprised girls could ask him what he was doing, Nico went and pushed the two girls away from him and the jumping into the air.
"Guh?!"
"Wha?!"
The startled girls quickly fell onto their backsides, MAGES. sliding across too the leftside of the staircase while Tekken did the same to the right, creating 2 audible THUMP sounds on the cobblestone staircase. But the teenage Spec Ops didn't care about that. What he DID care about, was that they were all able to barely avoid something large and pulsating red by the skin of their teeth as it slammed into the space where they once occupied.
BOOM!
Whatever just tried to blindside them, impacted the space where the once stood with gusto, causing a small smoke cloud to form from the impact. Nico, spinning through the air like a spinning top upside down, righted himself and landed just atop the archway on the Chamber of Suffering's entrance. Even afterwards though, the aftershocks from such an impact could still be heard as they echoed across the entire underground Dungeon.
'N-Nico…! This is…!'
'Yeah… I know…!'
Nico may have looked calm on the outside, even with his facial expression mostly concealed by his helmet. However, internally though? Now THAT was a COMPLETELY a different story. His inner beast became irritated and restless, shuddering and trembling within his very being. His breaths became slightly laboured as urges he had not needed to deal with before, ever since he first used THAT, came back to the surface. The male had almost forgotten what it was like, but this was most definitely one of those trigger events. He could barely restrain his instincts from going bat shit crazy while also suppressing IT from coming out through sheer necessity alone. Through all this however, his enhanced senses picked up two scents heading their way. Scents that sent everything inside and outside of him into a complete motionless state.
"Hooh… he got them and himself out the way of your sneak attack… looks like he's as agile as I remember."
"Tch, and such a freaking loser, still! He shoulda just let me fucking spear those useless broads!"
Several figures landed on top of the staircase, looking down towards the trio with varying expressions. One looked like they were thoughtful, while the other looked just plain out annoyed. The reddish hue and the countless torches illuminating the Halls of Agony Level 3 allowed them to see who these two figures were.
"Huh…?" Tekken mused, having been rubbing her backside while getting back to her feet, before her eyes settled onto the new arrivals and a confused frown escaped her lips. Tilting her head in confusion, the Martial Artist looked upon the two figures, noticing that both of them were masculine, but for the life of her she just couldn't think of if she'd seen them before. "Who are those guys? They seem kinda… odd?" she muttered under her breath. Looking upon them though, Tekken briefly saw a faint red wisp emerge from one of them, and a flashback of that one person in the West Wind Valley triggered itself in her mind. The next second, she began feeling the same sensations she got from that moment, shudders of dread crawling up her spine. 'Yet, these guys… they feel just like THAT guy…' she thought in slight panic.
'What… What is this sensation…?' MAGES. wondered, a pensive frown on her lips as she felt her blood curdling just from the sight of these two masculine figures. She didn't understand, just looking at them made her want to run screaming and hide in the deepest, darkest corner of Gamindustri while praying for her soul. The more she looked at those figures, the greater these sensations became. It was like she was looking at something that could very well cause her death without even batting an eyelash. With how low her Mana was, she didn't doubt it, but the confusing thing to her was that she got this feeling a lot already. Facing demons, psychotic cultists and abominations of life? She had that feeling from then all the time. So, why was it so overwhelming right now? At this moment? 'I feel like… I'm staring at something that I should be afraid of… over anything else…'
"Hey look, those broads seem paralysed! I wonder why that could be…? #chuckle#"
"Remember, those two may be strong, but they are merely humans. Mere appetisers for the main course…"
One masculine figure chuckled darkly, crouching over the Staircase's ledge while hanging his arms in front of him. The other just stood tall with his arms crossed over his chest. Both however regarded the two women with a mix of hunger and anticipation, something that caused the two girls to shudder, disturbed as all hell. But, that wasn't something that registered to them, nor to Nico either. For the moment his eye settled on those figured, everything seemed to stop. Time, his heart, sound, everything.
'N-No… it can't be…!'
As he looked upon the two, Nico felt some form of heat return to his system after his blood froze. However, to his body it may as well have been a raging furnace with how intense it was. His breathing, slow and deliberate, sounded like a broken record while his lone uncovered eye trembled violently. If his face was shown, then they would have seen just how utterly MORTIFIED the teen looked right now. Memories played back in his mind, memories that he had long forgotten due to how long ago it was, but they still played as clearly as the day they first formed in his mind.
He knew these two… he knew them VERY well.
Quicker than he had done anything before in his life, Nico acted without thinking, jumping from his perch on the archway before flying towards them like a bullet. Both figures smirked darkly at this, before flipping backwards a grand total of 20 metres, landing with a short slide to a halt while Nico took the place where they once stood. The male glared furiously at them, his shock being overcome by a fierce rage, fiercer than the infernal heat that filled this underground dungeon. It could even rival the rage of Khorne's bloodletters in its potency.
"N-Nico/DEATHSTROKE?!"
Glancing behind him, both Tekken and MAGES. flinched when they saw Nico's eye. It was sharper, slanted and with a diluted pupil. A tell-tale sign of both panic and anxiety. The two girls jaw dropped at the sight, as far as they'd known him the male hadn't shown emotions like this before, nor did he show them to this extent. Whoever those men were, they seemed to be people that Nico recognised… and that was NOT a good thing. Not this time, anyways. "You two, stay down there! I'll hold these fuckers off!" he yelled at them, his voice fierce and commanding. It lacked any of the previous kindness that it once possessed, replaced by a fierce desire. Almost like it was a voice of… pleading, to the girls.
"But, Nico we-!"
"STAY! THERE!" His words cut through Tekken's own like a hot knife through butter, shutting the girl up as she trembled with fear at how he raised his voice. The fact that it was distorted thanks to his Helmet only made it all the more menacing. "This isn't an enemy you two can handle! Let me take care of them, you two just hang fire for this one!"
A mocking laughter echoed from his opponents, making Nico turn back to the two masculine figures he was fighting. One of them was a bald-headed man in his mid to late 20's, wearing a sleeveless jacket that exposed his shoulders, pants and boots. The man was bald, with several areas on his face looking deformed. Also, there was one other deformity: both his hands were right hands. Exactly as how Nico remembered him, especially that disgusting leer he had on his features. He was the one that had made the disgusting laugher before.
As for the other one, he looked considerably more… human, compared to his colleague, however that though just made Nico snort at the irony. He looked more human, and yet neither of these men could be considered human at all, not even in the biological sense. The other man, well, he had that gunslinger vibe to him. He was a man of above-average height and sported a medium build, though to someone like Nico that could be just as good as a deception considering what this man was. From his back, the man had light, neck-length hair that flared slightly. His facial features also had dimples on both cheeks and one on his cleft chin. For attire, he wore mostly light-coloured clothes, with a dark undershirt and a wide-brimmed hat from which hang two long, thin, loose straps; and a loose, sleeveless top, as well as a type of poncho, hanging below his waist in a rectangle of fabric of mid-thigh length.
Compared to his… wild looking partner, this man had a strong serene calmness emanating from him. Like he knew he had the advantage over his enemy and thus, had no qualms with being the bad guy. Nico would believe that, considering who this man was and what these two represented.
"J Geil… Hol Horse…" Nico snarled angrily, feeling his inner beast rising to the surface. Though he kept a lid on it, Nico didn't know whether or not to unleash it on their asses. While it would no doubt be satisfying as all hell, he'd rather not risk having his secret side exposed like this.
He knew who these men were, he knew them VERY damn well. He'd hoped to never have to see them again after what they did the last time they'd met. Though, deep down he knew that would be a foolish hope. They were indeed connected in more ways than one, and THAT was something that sent shivers of annoyance through his spine. Almost making him shatter his teeth from clenching them so hard. It wasn't something Nico liked to think about, and for good reason.
Now that he thought about it, seeing these two here actually made a lot of sense, and if they were the ones who kidnapped IF to bring her here, then Nico wouldn't be surprised. They WOULD be the ones to get past Leanbox's security, they'd be pros at it. They've done it so many times in the past, they WERE professionals despite their demeanours, after all. Then there was the fact that they held a certain distinct advantage over their adversaries that very few possessed. Him being one of them.
"Ooooooh! He remembers us! That's just PERFECT, now we don't have to waste time giving any boring recaps!" J Geil cackled, putting his clawed hand over his mouth like a schoolgirl… honestly, that looked kind of sick. Nico shuddered at the sight, and even his armour couldn't hide his bodily reaction, that was how sick it made him. Hearing this guy, a deformed, grown man giggling like a little girl seemed so wrong on so many levels. What was worse? It reminded him of Neptune's giggling, and THAT made Nico want to just flip out on his ugly old ass.
Hol Horse chuckled, keeping himself relatively calm unlike his eccentric partner. "True, so how have you been It's been a while since we last met. When was it that we last crossed paths? Oh, wasn't it 3 years ago? Back at that Mechtro Factory with FALCON and CYBORG? Ah, the good times we had together…"
The man had little time to speak any more, for Nico had already closed the distance between them in a blur, his Plasma Claws swinging towards his head. Hol Horse ducked under him, spinning into a roundhouse kick to the male's back. However, Nico managed to twist around and block just in time but got blown back the opposite direction he came from as a result. Lowering his Plasma Claws, the teenage Spec Ops glowered at his enemy, his lone eye filled with enough venom to kill all four CPUs and still have some left to spare. "You DARE mention them again, and you'll wish you'd died all those years ago…"
Just hearing that man mention the names of two of his comrades pissed the male off to no end. They had NO RIGHT to even utter their names, not after what they did. Those scumbags, they did something 3 years ago that caused Nico to literally flip his lid, and it had some connection to his secret as well as his comrades in Team RAIL. Just thinking about what they did made him nearly lose it, nevermind seeing those ugly mugs of theirs again after all this time. Even after what happened, the Spec Ops Community couldn't track them down, like they just disappeared off the face of the earth.
To see them in a place like this…
"Say, I have an idea..." J Greil began as he began manifesting his Kagune. His eyes bulged while his Kakugan activated, eyes turning red and sclera turning black with veins spreading across his face. Red wisps of gas-like RC Cells escaped his shoulder while the Kagune manifested, taking on the shape of a crimson lance encroaching around his wrist, crimson RC Cells covering his arm for extra protection. The familiar crackling sounds sent shudders down Nico's spine, and not the pleasurable kind as a sense of familiarity overcame him. "Why don't we finish what we started 3 years ago? It's the perfect time, we can finally scratch that annoying-as-all-hell itch we couldn't scratch for all that time. Ah, my mouth's salivating just at the thought! C'mon, c'mon baby, lets get this on already!"
Hol Horse chuckled at his partner's antics. "Looks like you're ready to rumble. So impatient, just like when we stay the night together…" Nico shuddered once more, and if they could see his face then they would see how it contorted into disgust at the thought of those two... doing the deed. No offence against homosexuals, but Nico HATED these two with a fierce passion, more so than a certain guy with a duck-butt hairstyle did his older brother when he destroyed their family. The thought of them doing something like that just made him want too hurl. Nico knew though, that these two weren't homo's, but bisexual, as in they'd pretty much fucked anything that tickled their fancy. "Still…"
The blonde man hunched forwards as crackling sounds started emitting from his back. A small bubbly mass soon started growing from the base of his neck's nape, a mass that grew over several seconds. "I cannot say that I disagree, I have been meaning to find you again for a rematch, so I can finally sink my fangs into you, my sweet." He sneered, perversely licking his lips as his eyes glazed hungrily over Nico's form. Said teen did all he could to resist the urge to throw up at the notions he was implying.
Finally, his Kagune was fully formed, and Nico's experienced eyes told him that the Kagune had to be an Ukaku, despite the… extras. What did he mean by that? Well, it was a rather… complex looking Kagune, as it had 2 crow-like wings protruding from the nape of his neck, angled upwards before hanging downwards a lot like Biko's demonic wings. These were made purely from Ukaku flame, with each feather sharpened and dangling like fiery blades. Then, from his shoulders RC Cells forged shoulder pauldrons, then arm armour went down to his wrist to form a set of old-fashioned revolvers like the ones that cowboys used to use back in their western movies, over his hands. Lastly, from his upper and middle back, this sack-like structure that a long reptilian Tail-like appendage, its tip being a sharp and darker red stinger, protruded from.
Three things made the identity of his Kagune clear to him:
One, the most prominent of them was its wings. The Ukaku flames proved this.
Two, the Kagune's features revolved mostly around ranged combat, something Ukaku Kagune specialise in while Koukaku Kagune specialise in CQC. Deviation may occur, but they are rare, hence why this was a good reason for him to see it as an Ukaku.
The last one was that he'd fought this particular Kagune before.
Just seeing this Kagune however, made him recall the last time he'd fought against it, how difficult it had been. Nico's eyes trailed across its flaming wings, as well as the seemingly calm and serene tail. That Kagune was way more than it appeared, a hard lesson that Nico had learned first hand when he fought it last. It possessed abilities that made it's versatility a formidable force on the battlefield. Even allowed it to fight on par with THAT when things got really bad for him.
Two Kakugan eyes formed on Hol Horse as he regarded Nico with a sick grin. His senses told him that those brats that the kid was with earlier had sensed the release of their Kagunes, and like startled rabbits they chose to remain down the Stairs. Good, he didn't want them ruining their fun. "Now then…" Raising his Pistols, the Tail whipping the ground behind him while his smile looked like one that would make a slasher run for the hills. Coupled with his Kakugan… and yeah, the picture was enough. "Why don't we get started, my dear?"
Nico could only shudder as the two Ghouls charged.
"Guaaaah!"
A cultish screamed as IF speared him with a claw, assimilating his Biomass for her own. The woman moaned under her armour's Mask at the sensation of Biomass being added to her reserves, a feeling that she had been indulging in quite a lot since she first started her little feast when she broke out of her Cell. Yet, even so, she just couldn't find herself getting tired of the feeling, if a man found sex to be his greatest pleasure, this would be HER greatest pleasure. Though, the brunette wondered what it would be like to actually have sex with someone like that.
Now, to those of you who were wondering:
IF… wasn't a Virgin.
She'd had sex before, and usually it was to relieve stress after particularly gruelling missions that left her way too stressed for her usual methods of training to work on relieving her. She was a Mercenary, a wandering warrior, so it would stand to reason that she would need some form of stress relief to make sure she doesn't snap. There was also the fact that she was a woman, and as a woman she too had needs to attend to, it would be foolish of anyone to assume otherwise. Women have needs just as much as men do. It wasn't like she actively sought it out though, a lot unlike many Spec Ops Agents she knew of. She only did it when she needed the stress taken out of her body, usually paying visits to the Red-Light districts for her needs.
However, in the field of actual romantic relationships? Well, IF would be comparable to an innocent virgin in that regard.
She'd never formed any meaningful relationships with past partners. Despite some of them trying by making false promises, though in reality they only wanted sex and nothing more, she'd been able to tell who those were just by the way they looked at her. Most of the time though, it was just stress relief and it was with men who did that for a living in the Red-Light District. Even women needed their own needs tended to, you know. Not jut guys. Now, if the brunette Spec Ops Candidate had had sex before, then why did she look down on the perverts in the world? When she herself has had experience with that pleasure? Perhaps it was because of the fact that most guys wouldn't find someone who could kick their asses from one spot to kingdom come very attractive. Plus, like she said before, her body wasn't as 'feminine' as a lot of other girls she knew. Compa, the CPUs, and several other characters they'd met along the way for one.
Hypocritical? Maybe. But hey, she was a human back then, and humans usually have contradicting thoughts and beliefs. It wasn't an uncommon thing, and apparently it stemmed over to her BOW self as well. Ever since her ascension into a BOW, no ever since she first joined up with Nico and the others, IF hadn't had that much stress relief, if at all. She'd been too focused on the shitstorm that she'd been thrown into. Though, thanks to her being what she was, she no longer had that option for fear of infecting someone with her strain of the C Virus. THAT was one of the few cons with having this body, but in light of the events so far, it was a small price to pay.
Nevertheless, it was one of the reasons why IF felt so confused about her feelings towards a certain Spec Ops Agent.
Once the procedure finished, the woman looked about the area that she and Stefan, whom had just decapitated a Bloodletter with Ashbringer, were in. They had been killing these fuckers left and right in a constant struggle for survival. Ever since that Herald bit the dust, it seemed as though everything here was possessed by an instinctual murderous rage that would rear its ugly head whenever they were nearby. More so than normal. Part of her despaired that she was starting to get used to stuff like this happening, fighting Abnormal monsters, the stuff with Avenir, her being a BOW, and now all this. It started to shift into the norm for her life…
She didn't know what to feel about that.
After so many battles, the duo had retreated into the Chamber of Suffering, an infernal place consisting of only a steel platform, held in suspension above a pool of lava by four steel chains. Those Chains impaled the walls above them, leaving most of themselves hanging loosely yet still able to hold the steel platform just above the lava pool. The con about this was, that every now and then the steel platform would sometimes ignite into flames around specific sections, to try and burn them. The steel seemed to handle the intense heat, and the sections briefly glowed to signify them being about to become a sea of fames, so it wasn't too difficult to dodge.
However, that was only when they didn't have to fight against multiple enemies, cause it forced them to keep en eye out on their footing in case they were to be barbecued. The intervals for this were random after all, too unpredictable for them to not focus on it as much. In the beginning, IF had thought that her armour would have been able to resist it, however after the first few times she got caught within that fire, that soon proved to not be the case as the armour began to liquify after a few seconds from the legs upwards. It was able to reform afterwards though, but since then IF had made sure not to let those flames touch her armour.
"We've wiped the lot of them out from this infernal place." Stefan reported, heaving Ashbringer onto his shoulder. The man then walked over to her, the two having separated into different sections of the Platform to keep their fighting from affecting each other. Their tactics were to switch sections occasionally to keep the enemy on their toes just as they were, and when he sections were about to be set alight by the flames below, either IF or Stefan would grab and throw a couple unlucky Cultists into the fire. They usually died off from that, but the Demonic entities that they conjured apparently had immunity to the fires. Thus, leaving them with the old-fashioned tactic of physical beatdowns to fall back to for them. "Yet, even so…"
Even as they had defeated a major majority of the foes occupying this Chamber, something that both IF and Stefan could agree on, the man still had this troubled expression on his face. He could sense something was amiss, but what that was, he could not for the life of him figure out. Ashbringer reflected its master's emotions with its glow, showcasing that it too could tell something was wrong. Like, it had a sentience all of its own, and at this point, IF wouldn't be surprised if that thing DID have a conscience of its own.
The brunette nonetheless nodded alongside her comrade, eyes darting throughout the area. 'What is this sensation I'm feeling? Its like… like back then…' she thought, flashes to MS Mountain taking place within her mind. More specifically, when they had that surprise visitor that utterly crushed that Graverobber Necromorph. Then, her mind flashed back to when she fell unconscious, towards the last thing she could remember before doing so and waking up in this hellhole. Her eyes widened as a result, dread hitting her harder than Neptune in full HDD power. 'Wait… could it be…?'
"What? What is it, IF?" Stefan question, seeing how IF's face lit up in alarm. It was like she figured something out something only she could, and he hated being left in the dark about things. It was what got all those good men in his army killed. "Something happen?"
The brunette shook her head, but her troubled expression remained, she even bit her thumb nail to showcase her nervousness. "Nothing, but if its what I think, then we may be in deep trouble."
