I walked out of the elevator while stretching my back, and swiping the sweat from my face. It didn't take me long when I met someone from the team, that one being Dakota, who was leaning against the wall. I blinked when I saw a necklace with a tooth on it, huh... that's neat.
Seems like she is on guard duty, "Hey Dakota, you look bored." She glanced at me, an eyebrow arched in confusion, okay?
"Everyone is busy working the Abnormalities right now. Rober getting shit done with Red, Amelia dealing with the Funeral, Gonzales speaking with the damn skull... the usual." She shrugged, and I blinked when I heard that, Rober's working Red?
"Punishing Bird has breached, please deal with it as you always have!"
Malkuth said through our comms, and while I wanted to question my previous orders, but this took priority.
My eyes moved towards the small white bird that had his eyes zeroed on Dakota, who just sighed. I gave her a side glance at how little she reacted and... the bird just started pecking Dakota, who simply took it in stride.
...
Okay then, I whistled, and Punishing Bird stopped and turned to see me. I swear his eyes shone, and he perched on my shoulder and started chirping proudly while occasionally jabbing a wing towards Dakota, "You sure are lively, little guy." I scratched the top of his head with one finger, the small avian seemed to like it.
Dakota scoffed, "Now you have an Abnormality pet, this doesn't even surprise me anymore." She sounded fake, she obviously didn't mean any offense by her words.
"So... Rober is working Red. Malkuth, please explain why you called me to work her." I voiced my complaint, Dakota blinked at me like I suggested a heresy.
It took a moment but the comms worked and...
"Umm... I didn't, was about to ask you why... well, you are here."
Malkuth's voice caught me off-guard, and I glanced at Dakota, who seemed to be looking at me like I went crazy, "Pretty sure I heard your voice, right after working Justine." Dakota gave me this... awkward stare when I said that unfamiliar name.
But I heard Malkuth's sigh on the other end.
"Of course, you gave the 'Knight' a name... wait, did you just say you worked her AND then I asked you to work Red?"
"Yeah." I nodded once, not getting what was happening.
"She means that what you are saying makes no sense. The Blessing of... The KNIGHT prevents you from doing anything other than Repression work, it's like being in a constant combative state." My eyes snapped to my right, where I had come from, to see both Ryn and Gregor walking towards us.
I blinked at that, "First, I feel none of that, second... what are YOU doing here?" Ryn's scowl deepened.
"If what I heard is right? Same as you... getting wrong information." She didn't sound happy, which is fair, I'm not hap-
I suddenly gave Ryn a wide-eyed stare, "Did you just say information?" Ryn's eyes widened too, Gregor trembled in place and Dakota's eyes narrowed.
"Everyone pay attention! Yesod may have played us with his control over information, and we have to make sure he isn't doing... the same I did, all of you have to go back-"
Suddenly I felt this... odd sense of unease, which I quite couldn't understand. Yet in the back of my mind, I yearned to know what it was.
"To gain an understanding of what is incomprehensible, they dream, staring."
THE FRUIT OF UNDERSTANDING
All of us in the hallway glanced towards the black organ with a 'ball' in the middle, filled with purple glowing runes. Its mere presence was trying to harm us, that much was certain, but I barely felt it... which means it can do something else.
Which also means we should deal with it, like right the fuck now!
Butterflies pulled out Solemn Penitence, I grabbed it, the cross/gun feeling just right in my hand. I took aim and fired just at the same time Dakota opened fire, both bullets going through the pile of black flesh like it was... well, flesh.
Ryn acted quickly and when the fleshy stump started dragging itself towards us, she was already filling the damn thing with holes at an incredible speed. It was over quickly...
Except for one little detail.
"No time to rest team! Yesod is already having a Meltdown, he planned this in advance... the elevator is unusable right now, he filled it with that black tar material"
Well I don't fucking care, Beth is down there. I ran towards the elevator and tried to force the door open with some success, Dakota came running behind me and started helping, "Come on, you piece of sh-" She didn't get to finish her words since we managed to yank the door open, but it was true.
The elevator was covered in 'roots', the same kind of tentacles Malkuth used before. This thing is not going down.
"Fuck's sake Yesod..." Mumbled Ryn, but I stared at the floor of the elevator for a few seconds before pulling out the Woodsman's Axe (Logging), rearing it back and slamming down with all I had. It went through the elevator floor, leaving a big enough gap for me to grab.
"Ryn, Dakota, help me pull this aside." I grabbed one side of the gap and started pulling, the metal bending slowly but surely. Dakota and Ryn quickly started following my example, and in a short time, we had a big enough hole so that people could fit through.
I glanced at the bird on my shoulder, "Ready to punish some bastards?" I asked, and Punishing Bird chirped excitedly, good boy.
Gregor was behind us, but I was too busy jumping down the elevator to care, slammed the edge of my axe to slow my fall, but midway through it... an ominous glow of purple assaulted my eyes.
"All Abnormalities in Information and Training have breached..."
Malkuth trailed off, and I frowned, fuck. Slowing my fall then, I yanked the axe free and landed on my feet that... well didn't hurt, surprisingly enough, not that I cared.
I was already prying open the door towards Information, "Come on, come on..." I growled while slowly opening these stupid elevator doors. Fucks sake, why do these need doors in the elevators and the entrances?
Dakota landed next to me and ran towards the door, helping me pry the damn thing open. Once we did, I saw Beth trying her best to not die to a 'Lock with a stupid eye' and the damn Woodsman again, she was on her last legs too.
My veins bulged, and when I was about to dash in like a complete wild animal, I saw a flash of black and the 'Lock' lost its chainsaw... I recognized that move.
Something blue with an armor had moved in front of the Woodsman and parried a heavy blow from his axe with RIDICULOUS skill. The metal giant seemed confused when he was pushed back by a small and thin black blade.
Justine was standing in front of an utterly confused Beth, now wearing armor on her arms and chest, yet her face hadn't changed at all. Her swords flying around her body and one grasped firmly on her right hand, "I believe it to be dishonorable to band together against one opponent... so I'll make it fair for you."
Dakota jabbed me in the ribs, "You fucking madman, you did it again..." She growled with a happy grin, Beth glanced behind and gave me an exasperated, tired and happy smile.
"Ummm... Big and Will be Bad Wolf is moving towards Information. I'm sorry, but my team has its hands full Suppressing Firebird and Yang..."
I think this on- fuck it, I don't have time to remember her.
Malkuth's voice reached our comms again.
"For fu- any other surprises!?"
Malkuth almost cursed, that's... new.
"If Yang is out... then Yin is out too..."
Netzach drawled, and I felt like Malkuth was ready to give him a piece of her mind, but didn't because of our situation. Malkuth took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Dakota, Amelia, go support Safety, Gonzales, Gregor support Training, Rober you need to keep Red busy before she realizes the wolf is out, Ryn and Trigger give a piece of your mind to Yesod so that I can then give him a piece of MY mind!"
...
"I like this bossy side of her..." Mumbled Dakota, and she patted me on the back while moving like a red bullet. I glanced at the bird perched on my shoulder and pointed with my index finger at the lock-eye robot.
Punishing Bird chirped at me, I had only one response, "Punish." I swear the little avian beamed, turned red and flew towards the poor robot that was looking at it's chainsaw with his single wide eye, I almost pity the bastard... almost.
Justine was dealing easily enough with the Woodsman, it was almost laughable how she was parrying his massive blows with slight tilts of her sword. She wasn't even using the floating ones.
Gregor fumbled for a moment before moving towards where he was told, then from the door he was about to open... a BIG cobalt wolf who was full of scars and has glowing blue menacing eyes burst through, just to end up getting Ryn's sword stuck in his eye. He didn't seem bothered by it.
I moved quickly, my veins no longer bulging, and grabbed Beth in my arms before moving towards Justine's containment chamber. Beth was tired and looking at me with a small smile, "Took you long enough..." Too long... that's true.
Opening the chamber I laid her against the wall, Yesod is most likely in the main room so that regenerator is a no-go. The elevator isn't working right now so Control is out too, this place is the safest one, "Just rest here, we'll take care of the rest." I replied with a smile.
A VERY angry smile.
She must have been too tired to notice, so I closed the door behind me and looked at the fight between the Wolf and Ryn...
Time to get to work then, I grabbed my axe with both arms and dashed towards the Wolf, aiming to decapitate him. Almost as if he saw me coming, the big wolf nimbly jumped back as my axe carved the metallic floor with ease, "You look... miffed." Commented Ryn wearily.
I glanced once at Justine's chamber, where I had let Beth rest at, "Miffed? No." I glared at the Wolf, who seemed to enjoy my anger.
"I'm fucking livid."