Chapter 89 - A different Direction
Haaaaaahhhhhh…
This feeling…
The liberation swelling within him like a gushing stream of water. The feeling of finally releasing something after caging it for so long. Nico couldn't help the pleased moan that escaped his lips, his head held backwards while his eyes closed. DEMON OVERDRIVE had long since been deactivated, happened when he finished his regeneration. Now, his demonic energy would be taking a back seat for the time being, now he had to begin his reconnection with his beastly side. The side that he had been forced to live with for many years of his life.
Still though, this pleasure…
This elation that spread through him from deep within his being.
It honestly confounded him how this was possible.
He had thought the feeling would have lessened when he first released his inner beast when he fought that Demon Prince, however that train of thought instantly died out when he once again began using THAT power. The power of the sleeping beast that was now stirring within his being, roused from the drawing of its power from one that it didn't expect to do for some time. He could feel the power flowing through his blood stream, power that almost felt as elated as he felt right now at the fact that he was using it again so soon. Part of him couldn't help but quip on how there was a song called that which was a Collab between multiple celebrities.
Now though, he had to end this fight. These assholes would not be harming anyone else, not his comrades or anybody. Not if he had something to say about it, and THAT was something he intended to showcase to those fuckers.
He felt IT snap to attention, readying itself to strike like vipers beside him. Raising his right bracer, Nico accessed the Void Storage and pulled out what he wanted from it: his Mask. He didn't really get it himself, but for some reason whenever he put his Mask on he always got this feeling of empowerment from it, like it made him feel safer than any piece of equipment that he possessed. This time though, it had a different feel. Nothing to be ashamed of, it didn't feel like he was trying to hide anything right now. No, instead it felt more like he was adopting his true nature, displaying it proudly to the world.
Raising it to his face, Nico quickly donned the Mask while IT reached out towards Rebellion, wrapping around its handle and lifting it off the ground. To the observers, however, it would look like it was levitating of its own accord, floating over to its true master to be used in however he saw fit. However, Nico saw no need for Rebellion right now, not with IT now out onto the battlefield. IT was a one-weapon army all on its own, practically, something that Nico felt honestly kind of proud for.
After all, he did make it that way for a reason.
Once his Mask was securely fastened onto his face, Nico blinked several times with his lone left eye. He had spent a fair amount of time in his armour, so suddenly seeing with two eyes again had made his head ache slightly. It didn't take him long to get used to this depth perception shifting though, since he'd had experience doing this so many times in the past. Afterwards, he reached out with his right hand and grasped Rebellion's hilt. He felt the Devil Arm tremble in his grip, before he sheathed it onto his back.
Rattling of indignation travelled across his back, making Nico roll his lone left eye. "Oh, don't you start. I have to get in contact with my power again, and I've been using you for a fair amount of time already. Know when to take a break." He told the semi sentient weapon. The rattling didn't cease though, and it felt like he was going to have to discipline the Devil Arm for a moment until it finally settled down. That made him heave a sigh of relief behind his Mask, his lone eye closed. 'Good grief, handling temperamental Devil Arms can be a pain in the ass sometimes…'
'Though in their eyes, you're their master, so it comes with the responsibility to discipline them when needed. They do not follow a weak master, Nico. I must admit however, it seems that something has changed in you…'
'Hey Biko… sorry if I worried you just then. I honestly can't believe I'm saying this, but HE is responsible for pulling me back, if it weren't for HIM, I'd probably have been swallowed by my madness. You know how bad that would be, not just for myself but everything and everyone around me.' Nico thought to his Demon Persona, shuddering slightly. He honestly didn't like how HE had been the one to pull him out of the madness. In essence, Nico and HIM were one in the same, so it stood to reason that it was Nico's own mind that pulled itself out of the madness, so it wasn't like he had help in this matter. He can still say that he had dealt with this issue on his lonesome, though in reality he hated how he had to have help from HIM of all people.
A hum of understanding came from Biko.
'Yes, I too am a little vexed at how he handled your situation. However, I do agree that his methods produced the desired result, you seem to have lifted one of your burdens from your shoulders. Wait, no… that's not quite right, you seem to have adjusted it slightly, so it is more comfortable to you.'
The teen nodded his head in agreement with the Demon Persona he held inside his being. His mental issues were FAR from solved, none of that stuff was over by any sense of the word. However, the one thing that did change was that he'd remembered what he fought with the most: resolve. The resolve to do what he had to do to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. He remembered what his adoptive mother told him so long ago, when he was still training under her, something he had admonished himself for forgetting. 'Even when I'm the Agent I am now, she's still taking me to school…' the teen couldn't help but think to himself, placing his right hand over his smirking lips to hide a chuckle.
Mentally, Nico swore to give the woman he called adoptive mother a call, see how she was doing.
His eyes then hardened when he noticed the Ghouls having gotten to their senses once more, having been dazed by his initial assault. It looked like their talk will have to wait, he had some trash to take out. That was a unanimous thought between the two aspects as Biko closed the mental link between them to let Nico have the reins. All the while, he would do what he usually did: look through Nico's senses to watch the show, see how the fight goes.
He would not lie and say he didn't want to see those Ghouls get their comeuppance for putting Nico through what they did.
Looking to the side, Nico noticed the dust cloud and saw how thick it was. His eye narrowed as he sniffed the air, smelling several scents on the other side. 'Looks like the dust will take a while to clear. That's good, I don't even have to worry about witnesses, especially since this power doesn't use any of my SP, Mana or demonic energy. Thus, people who sense SP or Mana can't pick up this thing's presence.' He thought to himself, clutching his fingerless gloved hands while glancing over to the enemy…
Both of whom had done a joint attack while he wasn't looking if their strained efforts to push back IT, which automatically blocked their Kagunes, was any indication.
"Yeah… you don goofed on that one."
(Play OST - My Darkest Days - Still Worth Fighting For)
THWACK, THWACK
That was the sole thing Nico stated while he felt IT thwack the two Ghouls away. He even noticed how they had several chunks missing from their arms respectively, along with deep gashes on their Kagune. His power must have got in a few attacks of its own while blocking their own. The teen couldn't hold himself back anymore as he bent his upper body forwards, lowering his arms so they hung in front of him. His legs bent and spread apart, before he took a mighty dash forwards with his power enhancing his speed.
STOMP, STOMP, STOMP!
His form practically blurred across the battleground after his opponents with his feet making stomping sounds all the way, J Greil quickly acting first by forming a Shield with his Koukaku. Good thing he did too, for a large indentation formed in its centre just as he put it in front of him, saving his gut from being speared through. Unfortunately for him however, Nico's strike combined with the fact that he was still airborne meant that he was sent flying even further.
He would have been sent over the edge and down into the hue-filled depths below, probably to be devoured by the demons down there, if he hadn't reformed his Kagune into a claw at the last moment, stabbing it into the cobblestone floor to halt his movement till he was pressed right up against the fence that stood between him and a lethal doom.
While J Greil got his bearings, Nico switched his focus towards Hol Horse, who'd already manifested his abnormal Ukaku Kagune to pepper him with a Volley of Shards. The teen's hidden weapon swiftly reacted, however, slicing through the Shards that would have hit him otherwise while leaving the ones that wouldn't alone. His eye glanced down at his Armour Module, which was flashing a bright red colour to show that it was still disabled. He doubted he'd be putting it on for the rest of the battle.
Oh well, nothing he couldn't make up for.
Taking a step, Nico dashed towards Hol Horse, catching the man off guard. He failed to raise his Pistol sections in time, and Nico managed to get a good strike in the form of an uppercut-like fist into his Solar Plexus. Hol Horse definitely felt it if the way he reflexively gasped while coughing up saliva was any indication. Nico twisted and went into a roundhouse kick, knocking him to the ground before he kicked him in the side, sending him sliding across the cobblestone ground.
Not stopping there, Nico ran towards him as the man rolled back to his feet in time to throw a kick. However, Nico sidestepped it and swiftly countered. He did so by throwing his right arm around the man's neck while placing his hips in front of his abdomen. Nico then kicked the man's remaining foot to knock him completely off balance, then performed a CQC Hip throw, throwing Hol Horse to the ground beneath him. The man's body collided hard with the ground making him gasp in surprise, however that didn't last very long thanks to him barely rolling out of the way in time to dodge a heel to his face.
Rolling to his feet, Hol Horse charged once again towards Nico, now seeing nothing but red. He had no other desire than to tear the kid in half limb from fucking limb, piss on his corpse then devour him. This affected him even to the point where he'd forgotten about his Kagune, too angry to think about using it at the moment. Rage became all he could acknowledge at this point, and Nico knew it. Thus, he used that to his advantage. Nico noticed the man throwing a punch to his face, and quickly reacted by forming his left hand into a claw position, then deflected the blow with his opposite hand. Nico then thrusted his left one forth, ramming his hand into Hol Horse's face, right into his eyes.
"Gaaaaaah! Damn brat!"
Hol Horse screamed like a Banshee before attempting to blindly throw a punch, forgetting that his Kagune had turned it into an organic Pistol-like shape. However, Nico tilted his head to the side, avoiding it while reaching for Hol Horse's head. He grasped onto it and viciously kneed him in the face. He followed through with a low sweep kick, dodging a blindly thrown kick to where his head once was, too. Hol Horse lost balance and was knocked into the air. Nico didn't let up though as he continued his sweeping spin, into a rising back kick into the man's back, said Gunslinger crying out as he felt his Spine cracking from the force of the blow. Twisting a full circle, Nico grabbed him by the head, lifted him higher into the air and brought him to the ground, hard.
Cue spitting blood from Hol Horse.
Like before, Nico remembered what Helen had taught him, his mind deciding to revisit everything he'd learned from his mentor about close combat. If he was going to reconnect with THAT side of him, then Nico would have to know his stuff thoroughly, to decide his limits on what he could use IT for and what not.
Strikes were classified as 'unarmed individual hitting techniques'. They employed the use of the hands, elbows, knees, feet, and, in some instances, other parts of the body as personal weapons. Every Spec Ops Agent must know how to execute strikes quickly, decisively and effectively lest they suffer an injury that puts them at a severe disadvantage. They must also know how to counter strikes from an opponent, defence is also an essential factor when entering a close combat situation.
Quickly, Nico set himself back into his basic warrior stance, the stance he used mostly for his close combat encounters. His arms were held in front of his chest, with his right arm in front of his left. When Agents deliver a punch, rapid retraction of the fist was considered highly important. Once the hand has made contact with the target, the Agent must quickly return to the basic warrior stance. Rapid retraction did a section of 3 things: the first it does was to return the hand and arm to the protection afforded by the basic warrior stance. Second, it prevents the opponent from being able to grab the hand or arm, thereby avoiding any counter. Lastly, it permits the hand and arm to be "chambered" or "re-cocked" in preparation for delivering a subsequent punch.
Good thing he did too, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to raise his right arm to block the Kagune claw that tried to spear him from J Greil. Said Ghoul followed up with a kick that Nico dodged by pivoting on his left foot, spinning into a low sweep kick that knocked the Ghoul off his feet. He then grabbed the man by his foot before he could fall, applied his other side's strength to throw him down to the ground behind him from over his head. He didn't stop there either, for Nico swiftly had THAT grab him by the Kagune, wrapping around it so he could lift J Greil and use his body as a shield to block several Gunslinger bullets to his person by Hol Horse.
"Agh! Shit! Hey fucker, learn to aim, goddamnit!"
"Hey, he moved you in the way!"
Nico remembered something else about these two, and that was this: Hol Horse was the ranged specialist, he wasn't someone who could deal with close combat very well. Whenever he was forced into one in the past when they'd known each other, Nico saw how he'd tense up his muscles and try to tank the blows. His Ghoul Physiology helped in this regard, but when against someone like him, that was when this measure falls on its face.
J Greil had a similar problem, only it was reverse. He EXCELLED at close combat, he thrived off it. His Koukaku Kagune being what it was showed this, however his ranged capabilities were lacking. Not only that, but the man favoured it so much that it became his go to weapon, not bothering to train in anything else. A Koukaku was robust and difficult to wield, so it would be easy to assume that his skill with it was commendable, but since that was all he had, it made it easier for someone as versatile in combat like Nico to pull the wool over his eyes. Hence how he had just used him as a shield against Hol Horse. Now the two were separated again, making them fair game.
Using their own tactics against them, whereas they covered each other well when they were apart their combat ability dropped…
Oh, how satisfying.
'Let's see how they like it!' Nico thought, grinning behind his Mask as his eye shined with glee. Tossing the damaged J Greil aside, Nico blurred forwards and launched a twisting left leg kick to Hol Horse's gut. The legs were the body's most powerful weapons because they use the largest muscle groups to generate a strike. In addition, they were less prone to injury. The feet were the preferred choice for striking because they would be protected by boots. Agents have to use their feet, heels, and knees to execute kicks, knee strikes, and stomps.
This time though, the gunslinger Ghoul anticipated it and, learning from his mistakes in their previous bout, manipulated his Kagune's Tail. It lunged forth, wrapping around his leg and holding it in place for him, blocking the leg from hitting its intended target. Hol Horse smirked, smug at the fact that he'd gotten one up on Nico, however that fell when, instead of being surprised, Nico simply hopped into the air, stomping on his unguarded left right leg with his own right leg. This elected a pained grunt from the man at the force applied, forcing him onto one knee. Afterwards, Nico placed his hands on the ground to flip away, kicking Hol Horse in the Chin with his now free left leg.
Flipping backwards, Nico got to his feet and assumed the basic warrior stance again. His hidden weapon slashed upwards, carving 2 gashes across Hol Horse's Ukaku Wings before he could properly recover, making him hiss in pain. The man tried to turn tail and run at that moment, something Nico predicted he would do. Thus, he dashed straight for his unprotected back to land a decisive blow against his Kakuhou. However, his eye narrowed when his eyes detected something in his muscle movement, something that saved him in the end when Hol Horse, surprisingly, leaned backwards with his right leg outstretched. His boot would have made contact with his forehead, had Nico not raised a hand and caught the limb in time.
What Nico just used was called 'Telegraphing', Telegraphing a strike occurs when body movements inform the opponent of the intention to launch an attack. Staying relaxed helps to reduce telegraphing. Since Hol Horse's composure had been thrown off by Nico's earlier attacks, it helped him get a better read on his movements. Often, an untrained fighter telegraphs his or her intention to attack by drawing their hands back in view of their opponent, changing facial expression, tensing neck muscles, or twitching. These movements, however small, immediately indicate an attack will be delivered. If the opponent was a trained fighter, he or she may be able to evade or counter the attack. If the opponent was an untrained fighter, he or she may still be able to minimize the effect of an attack. Hol Horse was of the latter category, at least in close combat. He had to rely on surprise attacks to catch his enemy off guard, score a hit then use the brief interval to get some distance and pepper them with projectiles.
If he could see Nico's sinister grin, then Hol Horse would have had nightmares about it for years on end. It was just that scary, especially with the way his eye glowed a sinister red not unlike the eyes of the more demonic of the Cultists or the Enthralled. The teen had his hidden weapon raise itself overhead… and then thwack the man right in the jewels with the force of a sledgehammer. This resulted in electing a high-pitched squeal from him as he tried to cover his groin from the hidden weapon's attacks. Though, that failed since it just went for more important areas like his face, Nico holding him up, so he would end up being its thwacking back for a few moments before he threw the older man away.
Everywhere across all dimensions, every male suddenly held their groins no matter their situation, feeling like one of their own just had a horrible injury dealt to him.
Something interesting of note, something that Nico vividly remembered throughout the entire fight while he prepared his next move. His fighting style when using unarmed combat like this, well, it wasn't something specifically taught, not completely anyways. His adoptive mother may have instructed him on close combat, but the teen had taken it a step further afterwards, resulting in a special style that utilised a mix of Militia techniques and various other techniques from martial arts disciplines, meant to make his body as dangerous as it possibly could. Most of his techniques were the lethal kind cause, you know, he was meant to kill things. But, there were a small number of nonlethal ones there when he wanted to use CQC as a means of proving a point.
The Multi-Fist was what he named his fighting style, as a reference to the different techniques and militia movements incorporated within the style itself.
Nico then jumped towards him, flipping through the air and coming down on an overhead heel kick to the man's chest. Hol Horse, while still covering his groin and muttering curses so foul that not even a hundred soaps would wash it out, barely noticed it in time. He had his Kagune react to the imminent threat to his person (and fear for his groin's safety) by wrapping it around him, forming a protective barrier to block his attack. Nico's leg impacted it, and after a couple seconds it bounced off the Kagune. Nico would have bee disappointed that his attack failed, but it did leave a foot sized indentation in it, showcasing the power that Nico had put into it. If he had put in a little more, then perhaps he could have smashed right through it.
Something the teen noticed in his mind as he fell backwards. 'Looks like my inner beast really does need to sharpen its fangs. Like HE said. If this was back when I first fought those two, that kick would have shattered that Kagune…' He thought with a disapproving frown behind his Mask. This was something that Nico could say was similar to muscle atrophy. It was basically when muscles waste away inside the body, leaving their basic functions nigh useless. The main reason for muscle wasting is a lack of physical activity and considering how Nico hadn't been using his inner beast like this for a long ass time, then it would only be natural to think that it felt weaker than what it was before. Though, unlike muscle atrophy Nico knew one good way to get the inner beast's strength back to optimal capacity.
He'll have to ponder that later though.
The reason: Something he detected from his enemy, putting every instinct and cell in his body on high alert. His lone eye narrowed as Hol Horse reformed his Kagune back to its original form while standing upright. The man glared at him with pure hate shining in his eyes like flames, taking his quivering hands away from his crotch. Though he had to do this slowly, wincing at the air currents that brushed against the damaged organ. Nico mentally smirked at this, while some might consider it disrespectful to smash a man's neither regions like he did, Nico would counter with how he was a Spec Ops Agent, and they would have to do all they could just to survive. The strong live, and the weak die. That was their world, the law of the jungle.
Maybe he was pulling out his inner Raven by mentioning that, but still.
Didn't make it any less true.
Though there was no sound, Nico didn't need any. He felt his hidden weapon shift into place, rearing itself behind him like a Panther prepping to pounce on their prey. It may be hidden to all five senses, but to its wielder, he was an exception. He could feel everything it did, he could touch it, he could do whatever he wanted with it. The teenage Spec Ops Agent kept his lone eye fixed onto Hol Horse who readied his Ukaku, growling like a feral animal. The man looked like he had been one step away from losing control over himself and going on one big blood frenzy, though. Nico remained silent however, staring blankly towards his opponent as he flexed his hands, setting his fingers in a claw-like stance. He flicked his wrists, emitting another audible crack sound.
Yeah, that little habit…
He had to grimace as he remembered that, sneaking a glance towards his hands while in their claw position. He'd thought he'd gotten rid of that habit long ago, but since he was doing it now… it seemed that thanks to him falling back into using his hidden weapon once again brought it out from deep within his psyche. That was what he theorized anyways.
Not important, he'd think about it later.
Raising a foot, Nico stepped towards Hol Horse, intending on plunging his hands into his chest and ripping out his entire ribcage, maybe even use those pieces as spikes to turn him into a pincushion. He didn't care if he killed him or not from that. The guy would heal from it, he was a Ghoul. Not like he couldn't come out from that. That was another thing about him, in the past Nico operated with much more brutality than he did today. Mostly, that had been to do with the girls influence on him, but still. The fact that he was slipping into that mindset…
No, he had to do this. He hadn't realized it, but the longer he fought with this power, the more he began to realize something, something that Nico couldn't believe he had forgotten.
He had to re-establish contact with his other side, to sharpen his fangs back to what they once were.
Just when he made to launch the first attack however…
"Hi-hi-hidy ho!"
To Nico's surprise, the male heard the sound of a man's voice behind him, filled with hysteria and smug glee. The familiar shape of J Greil's shadow suddenly appeared from practically nowhere, and now loomed overhead, shaped into a pose that looked like what one would be in just before an aerial roundhouse kick. He must have taken the time to recover from his previous wounds and waited for the perfect opportunity to launch a sneak attack on him. A sneak attack that the man felt wouldn't be stopped in time by either Nico himself or his hidden weapon. That was the sole thing that Nico's brain could come up with, his battle instincts agreeing with that assumption. Part of him noticed that Hol Horse had this smug smirk on his face for a moment, meaning that he'd been aware of it for an unknown time period.
However, if he thought the teen would be too shocked at his return to the battle, he'd be sorely mistaken. In this state, even the teen couldn't properly measure his reaction time, but what the male DID know, was that it didn't hesitate to respond. Nico's eyes shrunk back to their original size as his instincts reacted swiftly, and the familiar sensation of his hidden weapon whipping forth was felt from their connection point to the back of his waist. J Greil's strike, plus his weapon, closed in on each other to trade blows, to either repel each other or one would overpower the other…
"Oh no you don't!'
WHAM!
That is, until the arrival of a third party changed everything. Another figure, one distinctly smaller and slimmer, like a woman, flew through the air like a bullet train. She seemed so fast that Hol Horse's Ukaku Shards seemed as slow as a turtle in comparison. With a loud war cry, the womanly figure slammed into J Greil with a drop kick with a level of force that cause rippling waves to expand outwards through the air, a low BOOM sound accompanying it. It hit the target straight in the face with the sickening sound of bones cracking under the sudden strain.
Proof of how much force was packed behind the blow, huh?
"Guaaaah!"
"!"
Nevertheless, Nico gasped in surprise, not expecting the sudden change in the situation as he twirled behind him to the source. J Greil, screaming in pain all the while, got sent flying away from him and the feminine figure, bouncing across the cobblestone floor and hitting one of the toppled iron cages. A resounding CRASH sound echoed through the entire Dungeon at the man's impact, as well as a painful resounding "Oof!" that came from the man's lips.
As for the cause, the teen saw the feminine figure land in a crouch beside him, kneeling on one leg before she stood tall and proud, like a warrior who had just survived an ambush from the enemy. The male's eyes shook as he realised who it was: the brown hair, the leafy bow, the eyes that shone with power and pride in herself… yep, no doubt as to who the heck this was.
Part of him projected her form in his hallucination, making him grimace under his breath as he shook his head. The illusion faded away, and when he looked back at her he'd seen this, electing a sigh of relief from the male. He didn't want those eyes to be what she would stare at him with when they reunited, no way in hell. Or did he want her to call him… what she did back in the hallucination.
Call him paranoid, but that was what he feared.
He knew he had issues, damnit!
Still though the amount of joy he felt at seeing his comrade alive and well couldn't really be measured. Call him whatever you wish, but Nico greatly valued those he could trust, and right now IF (and perhaps Neptune) could relate to him in a way. All three of them had powers that made them outcasts from humanity. In a sense, the three were more monstrous than anyone could have realised. He almost couldn't believe it, true he had been looking for her ever since arriving in this Dungeon, but to see her so soon after his mental breakdown…
"IF?!"
'Argh! That smarts…!'
The brunette known as IF grimaced as she clutched her fist, wincing as her nerves detected a slight aching in her feet from enhancing them with Biomass for that hit, one that quickly got mended by her regeneration, as well as from impacting that Ghoul's face. Still, the pain for that brief moment felt more than a little mind-jarring, to the point where all her rational thoughts got focused solely on the fact that her attack freaking HURT. Hurt like all hell, she might add. The healing couldn't have come at a quicker time in her opinion.
Still though, if she enhanced her body with Biomass, then she could deal more damage to her Ghoulish foes. That theory looked like it had been confirmed, plus her BOW enhanced ears told her there were bones cracking underneath the surface of that guy's skin, which meant one thing: While slashing, piercing and stabbing attacks may not work on Ghouls quite yet, blunt attacks do the job much better. Ghoul Skin problem half-solved.
It had been something IF had ben wanting to investigate for a while now, ever since she first woke up in that goddess forsaken Cell. The possibility that blunt force trauma could be a much better way of striking Ghouls than her bladed weapons. If their Skin was resistant to being cut, then weapons like hammers, maces etc could be a possible substitute since they don't strike with sharp edges but with the force of their impacts.
Standing tall from her surprise attack, IF patted her hands on her coat, cleaning it of the figurative dust that may have stained her coat. This didn't last very long before she looked up, her BOW enhanced eyes gazing through the dust cloud. Thanks to the cloud not being s thick as past ones, her eyes were able to pierce it like a blade through flesh. They shone like searchlights with how much rage-filled venom she felt inside her gut.
'Asshole. But DAMN that felt MUCH more satisfying than I expected…' she thought to herself. After she had left the Chamber of Suffering to see what the commotion was with Stefan, she saw two things she had NOT expected to see: a dust cloud preventing her from looking into the source (it was way thicker than the one she was peering through right now), and two girls surrounded by a barrier. She'd noticed they were Tekken and MAGES., before she asked for a quick recap of what had been going on. In the end: all she got was that Nico was fighting against two Ghouls and were told not to intervene.
Well, Nico never said IF couldn't intervene, now did he?
After that, she'd charged though the dust and the rest was history.
"IF?!"
Turning to see the shocked look on Nico's face, a look that was mostly hindered by his Mask, the brunette offered a smirk as she gave him a light wave. "Yo, Nico. What took you? I was almost about to call you." She remarked cheekily as she felt her Biomass ripple beneath her skin. A habit that she recently discovered while she had been ripping Cultists in half with either her bare hands or one of her mutated weapons. She'd even got some ideas for new mutations based of everything she's been assimilating around here and couldn't wait to try them out on Nico in the near future, either.
The teen, hearing her voice again like that, just couldn't help himself and at that moment… he grasped her to pull her into an embrace.
"Wh-Wha?! H-Hey, Nico, what gives?!" The brunette couldn't help but stutter. Her face literally went red at the close contact, and her words came out as near incoherent babbling. Under normal circumstances, IF felt like she would have only gained a minor tinge of pink at the contact with the male but considering everything that had been happening lately, what with her realising that she was beginning to see Nico in a whole new light compared to before, it made for a much bigger reaction. Her mind couldn't help but focus in on the muscles the male sported, the way they wrapped around her body and pressed her against them. To make matters worse, her mind began conjuring images of those muscles… but without anything to conceal them. Her mind showed her images of the two of them, bare of any clothing, her straddling him with her hands pinning him to the bed by his shoulders, as their lips engaged in a battle of dominance, of where she would win and then claim… 'Wh-whoa girl, h-h-h-hold your freaking horses!' she screamed inside her mind. If her blush was pink before, it became like a tomato when those images came.
The fact that she found herself liking those images VERY much didn't help matters.
"Girl…" Nico began, unaware of what his actions were doing to his comrade. In his mind, all he could think about was the relief flooding his system like a rush of adrenaline. Honestly, that was the best description his mind could come up with at the moment, since all he could focus on was the comfort hugging the brunette gave him. Reflexively, he tightened his grip around her, unknowingly pulling her against him and giving her a better feel of his combat-oriented body. "You have NO idea how glad I am to see you."
'G-Goddamnit, what the hell?!' IF could only think as she did her best to calm her raging heartbeat. It didn't help that her instincts were acting up, either. They were more animalistic thanks to her transformation into a BOW, meaning that aside from combat, they urged her to find a suitable… 'mate' to breed with. It hadn't been happening till she was taken to this Dungeon however; the brunette having discovered this while she was butchering her foes and bathing in their delicious blood.
Geez, the mentality of a BOW really affected her head, huh?
Despite her embarrassment, IF's hormone-filled body refused to obey her mind's commands and remained rooted in place, enjoying the hug that the teen was giving her. It was like her body had a will of its own at this point, something she didn't want to think about for the moment in favour of trying to figure a way out of this situation. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't think of one, as despite her state of being, IF (much to her dismay) didn't necessarily…. Mind, being hugged by the guy she may be harbouring romantic feelings for. It felt… good, really good, being hugged like this, the warmth of physical contact, contact that she'd went without ever since they started this journey.
Thus, her body remained frozen in place as she enjoyed this little moment… If Neptune hears about this, IF would take away any and all her Pudding's for an entire year. Consequences be damned!
Finally, after what felt like an eternity to the brown-haired woman, Nico pulled away from her with an expression that would look perfect on the face of a certain Nurse-In-Training: big and happy grin, eyes shining like lighthouses, and an air of pure innocence about him. It was one of the most honest expressions he'd ever shown her, and it somehow made IF's heart skip a beat.
An expression that shifted into confusion and concern when he noticed how red her face was. "Huh? IF, why's your face red? You got hit by a stray fire attack or something?" he asked her, tilting his head sideways not unlike said Nurse-In-Training.
'G-Guh! That face! That adorable expression…' the brunette thought, trying her best to keep herself from losing it and just jumping him right then and there. If it were one of those random strippers or male prostitutes then she'd have no problem do said actions, but this was Nico in front of her right now. Someone whom she had actual connections to, despite their uncertain nature. That alone seemed to rein her in… somewhat, anyways. The images of them doing perverted acts refused to leave her mind as she tried her best to calm down. It didn't work so well, as one could imagine. "I-I'm fine, really. Just, surprised is all." She lied, and if he could see through her poor attempt at masking her feelings right then (which she didn't doubt knowing him) he didn't say anything about it. For that, she couldn't help but be grateful, considering how potentially awkward it would have been for him to ask her why she was REALLY like this. She'd rather NOT have to say how him hugging her made her begin fantasizing about them getting it on.
Hoping to find something to bring the conversation away from her, IF's eyes glanced about quickly, searching for that one topic change. It took her a second or two, but soon enough the brunette DID find something of interest… and not the good kind, either. "Hang on." She began, her eyes widening then narrowing into slits a second later. "I noticed just now… but where are those two you were fighting?" she asked him, looking around for any signs of the two Ghouls.
Nico, now that she mentioned it, quickly snapped into reality as the revelation dawned on him. Quickly he searched the area visually, too, before resorting to his Holomap and Motion Tracker. None of them showed any signs of Ghoul activity. Desperately hoping that this wasn't happening, he called on his demonic senses, see if they could pick anything up, but in the end, they too got diddly squat. 'Wh-What…?! But They were just…!'
'Nico, they made use of some sort of Teleport Spell while you two were distracted.'
Oh god fucking damnit, that was the best thing Nico could think that could sum up his feelings well right now. His earlier euphoria had long since evaporated, leaving him with a sense of bitterness, annoyance, frustration and disappointment. The first battle he had on his road to reconnecting with his other side, and the enemy flees right when it was getting good? Well, in reality Nico should have expected this, as when the going to truly tough those two opted to flee to fight another day. They may be Ghouls, but they were also cowards at heart, favouring survival above anything else. With an irritated scowl behind his Mask, Nico spoke up. "Looks like they fled while we were distracted."
Annoyance flashed through her eyes at that. "Ugh, yeah, looks like. If you hadn't…" she gave an audible sigh, holding the side of her head. She would have lectured him more, but her hormones played a part in calming her down. Plus, it wasn't like she didn't get no payback at all with that kick she did, so she felt a little better about herself. "Nevermind, the important thing is that you're here. Though you didn't come alone…" she remarked, glancing at him then towards the area where Tekken and MAGES. were located. The Dust cloud had dispersed, allowing them to see the Barrier the Mad Magician had erected earlier slowly come apart, vanishing out of existence. She then turned back to the male, her eyes hardening into a super stern visage. "Plus, you and I have some catching up to do, and boy do we have a lot to talk about."
"Yeah…" Nico replied, nodding as the two of them shifted on their heels and made their way over to the others. Nico's hidden weapon had long since receded into him, his other side copying his hidden weapon's mannerisms by his will. He'd take off the Mask next chapter. "Yeah we do."
Chapter end
Now for a Special Event, hope you like!
Special Event - Skillet
"Hey look guys, look who I've found on YouTube!"
Neptune barged into the living room of Compa's house, holding her Ipod with an excited grin on her face. They had been busy resting after a hard quest nearly gone wrong, with IF and Nico on the Sofa while Compa had sat in the teen's lap, leaning backwards while fast asleep, her head resting on his shoulder (much to his shock, confusion and a little enjoyment. What, having someone like Compa sitting on your lap was a cosy experience)
However, the moment that the bubbly preteen made her entrance, Compa's eyes flew open in startled awareness, jumping off her comfy seat on Nico's lap as she flailed herself about in mid air, before falling flat on her face. Nico himself and IF groaned in annoyance, they had just been having a nice nap and the resident preteen just had to ruin it, didn't she?
"Ugh, what is it, Nep? It better be good..." the brunette moaned in annoyance, rubbing some of the sleep out of her eyes. She didn't notice how Nico flushed slightly at the sight, the teen finding the sight kind of adorable.
Neptune, ignoring their states of being for the moment, showed them her Ipod which had the picture of a Band on it with a list of tracks. "Just found this awesome band on YouTube while searching for something to do. Ya'know, cause a Bored Nep is a boring Nep!" she proclaimed with a thumbs up and her tongue sticking out cutely, even after such a quest the preteen still acted like she as on a sugar rush.
"Music, huh?" Nico muttered wearily, as he shifted his form on the sofa before looking up at Neptune. "Well, I guess- uhhhh, Neptune, what are you doing?" Before he could finish his sentence, the teen noticed a large amount of white and purple in his vision, and looked up to see that while he had been distracted, Neptune had sat on his lap in the reverse cowgirl position, with her back leaning against his chest. Not that he found much wrong with this position given what the preteen had done in the past, but still I was the principle of the matter.
Not losing any f her cheeriness since the start of this Special Event, Neptune grinned as she shifted her head to face him, allowing her to see the beaming if a little jealousy, shining within her liliac orbs. "What, just sitting on my Hubby's lap, its only natural for married couples ya'know." she explained, ignoring the pointed stare she received from a jealous Compa. She'd just been in that position too, Goddess darnit! Why'd Nep-Nep have to ruin it?! That was what she had been thinking in her mind at that moment.
"Aaaaanyways..." Nico began before the girls would get into their usual antics. He could see somewhat how IF made a point to not look at them at this moment for some reason, but didn't think too much of it considering his situation. Like Compa, Neptune sitting on his lap felt really nice and cosy. He could only hope that is secret love for hugs didn't get discovered by these girls, cause that would be even more embarrassing. Clearing his throat to get them to pay attention, the teen spoke with slightly flushed cheeks. "What's this band you found, Neptune?"
Grinning, Neptune held up the Ipod, "It's a band called Skillet! Apparently, they follow the awesome me and they've been making some quite interesting tracks." She explained, though she didn't notice the spark of realisation that crossed over Nico's light blue orbs. "Here's one I like the mot." she manipulated thhe Ipod after bringing it back to her, before pressing play on one of their tracks.
SKILLET - Hero
I'm just a step away
I'm just a breath away
Losin' my faith today
(Fallin' off the edge today)
I am just a man
Not superhuman
(I'm not superhuman)
Someone save me from the hate
It's just another war
Just another family torn
(Falling from my faith today)
Just a step from the edge
Just another day in the world we live
I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero (save me now)
I need a hero to save my life
A hero'll save me (just in time)
I've gotta fight today
To live another day
Speakin' my mind today
(My voice will be heard today)
I've gotta make a stand
But I am just a man
(I'm not superhuman)
My voice will be heard today
It's just another war
Just another family torn
(My voice will be heard today)
It's just another kill
The countdown begins to destroy ourselves
I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero (save me now)
I need a hero to save my life
A hero'll save me (just in time)
I need a hero to save my life
I need a hero just in time
Save me just in time
Save me just in time
Who's gonna fight for what's right
Who's gonna help us survive
We're in the fight of our lives
(And we're not ready to die)
Who's gonna fight for the weak
Who's gonna make 'em believe
I've got a hero (I've got a hero)
Livin' in me
I'm gonna fight for what's right
Today I'm speaking my mind
And if it kills me tonight
(I will be ready to die)
A hero's not afraid to give his life
A hero's gonna save me just in time
I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero (save me now)
I need a hero to save my life
A hero'll save me (just in time)
I need a hero
Who's gonna fight for what's right
Who's gonna help us survive
I need a hero
Who's gonna fight for the weak
Who's gonna make 'em believe
I need a hero
I need a hero
A hero's gonna save me just in time
The song finished, fading into black silence, and soon enough the Party showed their reactions, IF being the first one as she shifted on her seat. She wouldn't admit it, but she'd been swaying her head to the beat of that song. "Now THAT was a song that one can listen to for hours on end." she complimented. "It even made ME sway my head to the beat, and that's not something that happens often."
Compa nodded, completely agreeing with the brunette both in her words and how she felt about the song. It just seemed so much like Neptune to like a sing about heroes. She did consider herself a heroine after all. Nevertheless, She too had heard of Skillet, and while she didn't really listen to most of their tracks, she did admit to liking some of them. "Hey, Nep-Nep, that isn't the only hit single they made, you know. There's this one, too." She said, walking over to the preteen and pressing a few times on her Ipod's screen. In the end, a new song of Skillet's began playing:
SKILLET - FEEL INVINCIBLE
Target on my back lone survivor lasts
They got me in their sights
No surrender no
Trigger fingers go
Living the dangerous life
Hey, hey, hey everyday when I wake
I'm trying to get up, they're knocking me down
Chewing me up, spitting me out
Hey, hey, hey when I need to be saved
You're making me strong, you're making me stand
Never will fall, never will end
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Nothing could stop me tonight
You make me feel invincible
Earthquake, powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song, raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
Who can touch me 'cause I'm (I'm made of fire)
Who can stop me tonight (I'm hard wired)
You make me feel invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
Here we go againi will not give in
I've got a reason to fight
Every day we choose
We might win or lose
This is the dangerous life
Hey, hey, hey everyday when I wake
They say that I'm gone; they say that they've won
The bell has been rung, it's over and done
Hey, hey, hey when I need to be saved
They counting me out, but this is my round
(You in my corner look at me now)
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Nothing could stop me tonight
You make me feel invincible
Earthquake, powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song, raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
Who can touch me 'cause I'm (I'm made of fire)
Who can stop me tonight (I'm hard wired)
You make me feel invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
You make me feel invincible
You make me feel invincible
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Not gonna stop, invincible
You make me feel invincible
Earthquake, powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song, raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
You make me feel invincible
Earthquake, powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song, raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
Who can touch me 'cause I'm (I'm made of fire)
Who can stop me tonight (I'm hard wired)
You make me feel invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
Once again, the song vanished, as everyone looked to Compa who shuffled on the spot a Little nervously. "Um... well, I just like this cause it gives me a boost in courage. It just gets you so... uurrrrrgh! Just hearing the lyrics, don't you think?" she tried to reply through her embarrassed blushing. That exclamation though,during that moment she had held up her muscles and tried flexing them like a masculine bodybuilder. Though, that was her true opinion on the matter considering what they go through every day. Having songs that could boost one's confidence up a notch would be a must for their activities, especially before particularly daunting Quests.
Nico nodded to himself, knowing that Compa would say something like that. Honestly, he could see why Compa liked that particular song, especially when he recalled that time they went out together like they did back when they were kids. She always did live a rather sheltered life as a civilian, and growing up in this environment made the sudden change from safety to danger quite a heavy burden for her. She wasn't a fighter like him or the others, so the pressure of so many life-or-death situations would of course weigh heavily on her. Having tracks that boosted her confidence like that one would of course help lighten the load.
"Well, its a good song, and honestly I think I might turn into a fan of this band." IF admitted, crossing her legs with one over the other. She then held her hand out, and Neptune gave her the Ipod to allow her to shift through the band's songs. "Though, honestly this one holds a bit of... a personal note for me, so this one is my favourite out of the tracks this band has." IF told them, before pressing play.
SKILLET - Monster
The secret side of me, I never let you see
I keep it caged but I can't control it
So stay away from me, the beast is ugly
I feel the rage and I just can't hold it
It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls
It comes awake and I can't control it
Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head
Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
My secret side I keep hid under lock and key
I keep it caged but I can't control it
'Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up, break me down
Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
It's hiding in the dark, it's teeth are razor sharp
There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart
No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream
Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I've gotta lose control, here's something radical
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster
This time, when the song finished, IF didn't wait to see their reactions as she began explaining what this song held for her. "Well, I'll be truthful, in the past I never saw this band as anything much, but when I first turned into a BOW..." IF shifted uncomfortably, grimacing o herself. She honestly didn't like admitting this, for it was an extreme moment of weakness for her. Not in her character at all, but then again this was fanfiction, so character relations can be different from canon. Just look at all the harem fics out there. "... I was in the shit. I felt like a horrible person, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere anymore, like I was the very monster that I have been hunting my entire life. Of course, that's changed since its not as bad as I thought it'd be, but back then it... rattled me more than I'd care to admit. Then, I found this song while looking for something to cheer me up, and well... it just, spoke to me." IF explained, sheepishly chuckling at the end. It wasn't something she liked admitting, true enough, but these guys were her friends, they'd been through hell and back together, so if she couldn't trust them then who else could she trust?
Looking over to Neptune, IF gave a small grin. "Well, I guess you have good taste in music, Nep, surprising coming from you." she remarked as she crossed her arms. "So, you don't just think of pudding all the time."
"Hey! This super duper protag isn't that one dimensional! I think about other things too, like being a super heroine outshining other versions of me in fanfiction, or when Nicky will lemme ride him through the night!"
"N-Neptune!"
Compa, despite the flash of indignation at the thought of Neptune taking Nico's virginity, something she'd come close to doing several times now, couldn't help but chuckle as the preteen once more caused Nico's face to redden like a cherry. She didn't like the ide of Neptune popping his cherry (as his nurse, that was her responsibility!) The atmosphere turning easy going like this felt like just what they needed as Neptune once again caused a commotion between them. She always did have that knack for making things light hearted even when they were as dire as the other chapters.
Wait... what?
"Y-You guys, could you quiet down? Dinner's almost ready, i'll have it finished in 10 minutes."
"Yaaaaaaay, Compa's Cooking is the bomb!"
"Hmph. #smirk# Well, ill say yeah to that, Nep. Comp's cooking is unrivalled."
'... This will be like that lazy ninja at that hidden village says: troublesome...'
