A Dive Into the Dark
Kuro's eyes opened back to the darkness that ran on forever. His resting consciousness had returned him to the barren mindscape. He waved his hands and displaced the low-hanging fog around him. Unlike his previous visit, which hurt like a headache from Hell, this was as simple as waking up from a dream or a nap.
Despite not feeling any kind of lingering fatigue or discomfort in this place, the habit of waking up and rubbing his face still felt natural.
His hands rubbing against his eyelids as he let out a short sigh of content. His body didn't ache, and his mind felt clear. He took deep chested sighs that relaxed him greatly. The benefits of a good, comfortable rest. Particularly one followed by such a strenuous workout.
He ran his fingers down his chest, feeling the light scratches that were scored all across his chest from Jessie's nails. His fingertips traced the deeper grooves tenderly, feeling them beginning to scab over.
Her nails had left noticeable marks along his pectorals. Whether intentional or an accident, it didn't matter to Kuro. She used him as a scratching post while she enjoyed him. And because of that, a smile formed on his face.
His thoughts lingered on what Jessie told him prior to their acts of intimacy. Pulling his hands away and staring into his palms. It was different to use his hands for something so soft and so sweet. These fists of his that could destroy bones and break bodies could also hold someone so tightly and tenderly.
His fingers curled and flexed, recalling the way he made Jessie feel so desired and wanted under his touch. Just the thought of her moans makes his blood rush. Images of her on top of him and beneath him flashing in his head, the heat of her lips on his own was echoing and made his skin feel so hot.
Rolling his wrists around, Kuro began staring at his darkened knuckles. He swiftly recalled the damage he had inflicted with his hands, with his blades, and more recently, with his bullets. Images of the blood of his enemy being spilled across his steel and wetting the ground beneath his feet, and the sensation of his own blood being spent in the name of another's safety.
The duality of one's hands, to be used for pleasure or for pain.
Tonight, you're not just a soldier; I'm not just a renegade… You're a man, and I'm a woman… and let's just live in that truth for a little while.
That truth that they shared together that night, and a smirk sneaking across his face when they continued to relish in that truth well into the morning hours, was as simple as it can ever be. Even for a short time. She was a woman, and he was a man.
And she treated him as such. He wasn't Kuro the Heartless, he was Kuro the Man. Truly, a human experience.
He let his hands fall to his chest, and his eyes stared up into the nothing sky. As he leveled his breathing, he could hear the humming of the light near him. His ears listened to the noise that came off of the ray of light with great focus. It sounded so similar. Trying to recall where he has heard it before. After mimicking the pitch of the note under his breath, it came to him immediately.
It was the same kind of hum he recalled radiating off of Xion's Keyblade, it was a kind of innate and powerful force that he felt rattled the floor near the base of the beam and made his ears vibrate when he was getting too close. The strength of the Heart.
The glimmering shine of his beam of bright light was illuminating the space around him, fading against the once impending and unrelenting darkness and having it trail gently into said darkness.
The ray was beckoning him to approach it once again.
He rises up from his laid-down position onto his hands and knees. His forearms and down to his finger tips were cloaked in the dense ebony fog that creeped along the floor of his mind.
Kuro rested back on his feet and on his knees, his eyes turning towards the beam of light and his gentle breaths echoing throughout the chamber. He rose to his feet and stared into the cylinder of his heart's light.
Kuro's eyes are then drawn to an unfamiliar floating glimmer of red that floats along the dark and beyond the light.
Kuro, cautiously moving around the beam to avoid its scorching heat, approached the glimmering red light.
It's a Heart, once again presented in the form of a large crystalline shape. Glimmering and pulsing in a slow thumping beat, and at the height of its heartbeats, it was brightly glowing against the veil of darkness that surrounded it. Kuro approaches the heart, the glow of his orange eyes reflecting off the surface of the vibrant colored heart. Staring back at him.
He traces his finger along the surface, entranced by its light, when the heart begins to spider web crack from the slightest bit of force placed upon it.
For a brief moment, Kuro sees a gaunt face with white hair and pitch black eyes, eyes fueled with fury before the heart bursts into dozens of shards and pieces. Frollo's death rattle echoes in the barren air.
The shattered heart crashes into the ground as though it were drawn into the floor by a vacuum.
The broken pieces of glass sank deep into the fog and disappeared out of his sight. The fog bursts up in a sudden gust when the glass hits the floor, reaching Kuro's knees and dispersing a great deal of the smoke that has gathered around the floor. The ground beneath him is still this unseen pitch and continues to be hidden beneath the dense black clouds.
Kuro's eyes watched the dense smoke settle, still hiding the floor beneath his feet. The floor then hums as the beam of light did, a red pulse blooming from where the heart crashed and illuminated the surface beneath the fog. Spreading out in a vibrant ring.
Desire, Lust, and Venereal Satisfaction. The human desire to seek Intimacy for personal pleasure.
The beam of light began to glow once again, the humming calling for Kuro's attention. So, his attention was pulled to the light.
The images that pass along the surface of the light reflect images of such a desire.
Esmerelda, her eyes half-lidded with a sly, desired look in her stare had shifted and moved her hips on the festival stage. Her thin waist dipping up and down with her legs bare and on display, emphasizing her sexuality and her attractive body for all to see.
Jessie appeared in the light, her hands pressed against his chest and her eyes holding a lecherous look. Her moans of pleasure echoing out into the room as they enjoyed one another. Her whispered desires made his skin goose bump and his voice rattle.
Once the images passed, the light plumed, a ring of blinding light shot up and trailed along the beam towards the heavens. Just as before.
Kuro's eyes shifted to the floor, his arms folding over one another as he stood steadfast in the light. He ground his heels into the floor as he began to make connections in his head.
The Loves and Desires of being human seem to be having an effect on him. The floor felt more stable, and the light was able to be approached a step closer than before.
"Friendship, that love made the beam of light glow bright. And made it easier to approach." Kuro slams his heel into the floor and feels it go unbuckled, and the smoke is undisturbed by his stomp. He crouched and ran a hand over the ground hidden beneath the fog. "Lust, the human desire that made the floor beneath me tremble. Swallowing the shards of glass into the fog, made it feel more stable…"
Kuro's eyes returned to the beam, and his squinted stare into the cylinder of undisturbed light would blind anyone else. But he had grown accustomed to the ray of his personal light. He dug his heel further into the ground, shaking his head.
"What does it mean?" Kuro wondered aloud, only for nothing to respond in turn. Expecting such an answer, he jumped up onto his feet and shut his eyes. "Alright. Something to ask DiZ about when I get back to Twilight Town. Ok, let's wake up."
Spreading out his arms, he fell into the smoke once again, ready to return to the waking world.
Midgar
Jessie's Quarters
He awoke with a tender hand curled around his cheek, lightly scratching along his face, a weight on his chest, and the other hand currently knotted in his silver hair. Her nails dug against his scalp.
Kuro peeled his eyes open and glanced down his torso, where he found Jessie had been using him as a pillow at some point during the morning.
Her soft cheek rested against his scratched chest when she must have fallen asleep, listening to his mellow, beating heart.
Their combined body heat made them both hotter and their bodies stickier than they already were with their damp, sweaty bodies stuck together in the airless room.
Kuro turned his head and stared at her, brushing a few loose strands of her hazel hair behind her ear and admiring her soft, thin face. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest now, she is beautiful.
Her thick eyelashes flicker every so often, and she shifts in her sleep.
Her peach-shaded skin was so tempting to touch again. Kuro gently traced along her jawline and rubbed her chin between his thumb and index finger to chase that feeling.
The sun that lingers on her face makes her skin glow in the morning light. Her freckles peppered along her cheeks were darling, and her lips rested in a truly beautiful smile. Unburdened by the pain of yesterday. Her gentle breaths make her chest inflate with every huff. Her eyes gently ease open, meeting his stare as he continues to gently stroke her face.
"Mornin'." She whispers as she pulls her hand out of his hair and caresses him along the cheek. Kuro doesn't fight the smile that comes when her fingers tickle his face, a serene sigh following shortly after.
"Hey." He rumbles back, his voice grumbling and gravelly when he speaks to her. That morning voice making his already low voice sound even more raspy and guttural. Which in turn, made her heart beat rapidly and her cheeks flush. "How'd you sleep?"
"What sleep I got…" She gently said as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his own. Savoring the feeling of their lips together. Her warm mouth coaxed a moan out of him while she trailed her hand down across his chest. Her fingertips felt the claw marks she left on his torso.
The deeper gouges were still healing and stung slightly, but Kuro enjoyed the kiss too much to care. "Was some of the best I've gotten in a long time… Sorry about the claw marks. Must've gotten a little rough."
"It's alright." Kuro took his hand over hers and held it tightly. Brushing his thumb over her knuckles and rubbing them gently. "It was fun…"
"It was fun." Jessie gave him one more peck on the cheek and rose up from her bed, fishing for her underwear off of the floor and quickly donning them. Kuro's half-lidded eyes follow the sway of her hips as she adjusts the panties. The sharp intake of breath from behind her as she bent over made her turn her sights back towards Kuro. His enamored eyes on her made her body hot and her cheeks rosy. She saw his lips break into an easy smile, an effortless expression of joy. A pleasant sight that she knew would become too easy to get accustomed to. She could feel her heart begin to steel, and her breathing began to slow. This couldn't be a routine. Not with the life she has. Not with the life he is going to live. She waved him off, rolling her eyes playfully. Attempting to make this plain and simple. "Hey now, don't be looking at me like that."
"Like what?" Kuro asked, rising up onto his elbow and leaning on it. Her words came out in a hushy, bashful tone. Cocking his head in curiosity, she walks over and sits on the bed beside him. Her eyes meet his as she cups his chin and brushes her thumb from side to side. Around the bend of his jaw.
"Like you are so happy to be here." Jessie noted with a now disconnected tone, her jaw clenching and her eyes pulling to a close. Her heart aches as she prepares to ruin this moment. For both of their sakes. "That's dangerous, you know? For you."
"But I am happy to be here?" Kuro noted with a hint of confusion, only to see her shake her head and let out a sigh. "Dangerous? Jessie, I don't understand-"
"Some advice, Kuro? In this line of work… Don't go falling in love, not now." Jessie spoke gently, with a short sigh and a sullen expression on her face. Her somber eyes are growing colder, and her voice is chilling as well. She saw his eyes squint in doubt and worry, his breathing becoming unsettled by her words. She held his hand, giving him a tight squeeze. Making a note to remember how tender his hands can be. "People like us don't get to just love and live, Kuro. Because it can get taken away so quickly. That's why we fight, Kuro. So when you're done fighting, you can look for that love that's gonna stay when it's time."
Kuro opened his mouth to speak, only for her to bring her thumb to his mouth to silence him, her fingers scratching at the gray stubble on his cheek. Her eyes softened and she glistened in the peeking sun through the blinds of her motel room. She shook her head. Her eyes glanced down at his hands as they rested against his lap.
"Last night was very fun. Thank you. For that. It's good to feel like a real person every now and again… But that was last night. Today, I'm back to being a renegade. It's what I am." She watches his hands curl into fists, his orange-hued eyes hardening, and his eyes losing their gentleness. She felt his jaw shift under her touch, and his breathing got heavier and more pointed. She didn't allow her face to reflect the pain in her heart. "You should go back to being what you are, too. It's for the best. I promise."
Kuro lets out an uneasy breath at the idea of being what he is as Jessie gets up off of the bed and walks over to the closet off to her right, opening the wood-slatted door and combing through the clothing hanging along the bar. Her eyes focused on finding the perfect fit for Kuro. Kuro remained in bed, processing Jessie's words.
"Why don't you go take a shower, Sunset? I'll get you some fresh clothes to replace the outfit you got trashed yesterday." Jessie nudged her chin towards the bathroom door, her eyes still focused on the closet. "Don't worry, I promise you'll be given something fashionable for when you come out."
Kuro sat there in the bed, staring at the morning light that snuck in through the window, running along the mattress and settling on Jessie's bare legs. He couldn't ponder in bed all day, though. It was time to get to work.
Kuro got up and walked along toward the bathroom. Just as he reached the door, he stopped just before the threshold, taking a lasting stare at Jessie. She focused on staring into the intention of her heart. I wondered if she was as rigid and cold as she attempted to be.
The light that cut into the room faded into the darkness, and Jessie's pale skin dimmed into a shaded silhouette, her heart a slowly beating yet vibrant shade of pink. That rose-colored pulse echoed throughout her whole being as it did several hours ago, her eyes still fixed on the closet and not wanting to look at him. Her hands silently combed through the clothes without another word.
Kuro did not want to press the conversation on, particularly since it seemed she was mentally set in her ways and didn't want to discuss it further. He wondered briefly why someone would not listen clearly to what their heart wanted—those feelings of desire she held now and earlier—and say something that they clearly didn't believe themselves. Why wouldn't they listen to what their hearts want?
He trailed his fingers along the doorframe, imagining it was her cheek, before he let his shoulders fall, turning his sights to the bathroom and walking on in. He was told not to fall in love, and if that is what she wanted, then he would listen.
He turned on the shower and let the hot water flow down his frame, his hands resting against the tile wall as he enjoyed the warmth.
The water was continually raised to higher and higher temperatures until it couldn't go any hotter and would be scalding to typical people. Kuro relished the excessive heat. Night after night of cold nights in a pitch-black room and splashing lukewarm water on his face and neck to keep some measure of grooming, he would take advantage of this kind of heat. He let his fingers trail through his hair, combing out the knots and smoothing out his locks. Recalling the tenderness of her touch briefly and dashing it away with a head shake. He had to not think that way. He had to ignore that kind of foreign feeling.
"Don't fall in love." Kuro had whispered aloud to reprimand himself for thinking of her like that again. He spent a few minutes wondering if those feelings of desire, those pink pulses in her system, were love. Maybe a form of it. At the very least.
He looked down the drain, watching days worth of ebony soot, flaky charcoal-shaded ash, gunshot residue, and old blood swirling down the drain. He thought briefly: What did that feeling feel like? To be in love. To be devoted to. Would his own aura be pink?
A thundering ache echoed in his chest. Could a Heartless love? Could he be capable of loving another person? He already cared about people; would love be such a big jump for him?
Kuro's head shifted up to receive a steam of water, the heat spreading across his face. He let out a deep chest breath through his nose, feeling his body tremble with the breath. Jessie wouldn't want him to be fixated on what could be.
He was to go back to what he was. She was right about that. There is no use in pretending. She was a just woman last night, now she's a freedom fighter. He was a just man last night, now he's a -
An image of yellow eyes against black ink appeared in his mind.
His eyes shot open, and he found himself staring down at the drain beneath his feet. Clear water is spilling down it. It was time to get out. He shook his head, letting out an unsteady breath. He was a Heartless, after all. He needed to lean into that. He had a night where he could pretend to be a person, but the sun rose as it always does, and it was time to lay that moment to rest.
He focused his attention on the current situation.
Which was to get dressed and get ready to go get Biggs and Wedge from the Upper Section of Sector Seven. Kuro got out of the shower and dried himself off. The towel became sopping wet and was promptly tossed onto the tile floor and cast aside.
Kuro walks out of the motel room, his still damp hair sticking along his shoulders, as Jessie lays out the last piece of clothing for him on the ransacked bed and turns to him. She flashes him a smile, her eyes regaining that playful shine to them that she had.
She walked over to her dresser, grabbing a stack of clothing, and headed into the bathroom. She slowed her step to take one lasting glance over him before crossing the threshold.
"No more naked time for you. It's my turn in the shower. No peeking!" She said this just as she shut the door. Leaving Kuro alone in the bedroom. He hears the water turn on, and she is humming a song in the shower. Enjoying the heat just as he did.
Deciding that it was time to clothe himself before Jessie walked back out, he began to comb through the pile of garments and find some underwear and bottoms first.
Kuro put on the boxer briefs and slipped onto a pair of black canvas cargo pants. The slip of the single white belt, with a gunmetal gray Avalanche Jolly Roger buckle to fasten. Kuro's hands fiddled with the long-sleeve white compression shirt, getting a feel for the material before he put it on. It was so soft—softer than bedding sheets.
The last piece of attire was a plain, dirty brown vest. Not unlike Barrett's own vest that he wore. Kuro liked to have imagined for a brief moment that it did belong to Barret at some point. Back when he was a skinnier, shorter Barret.
The Heartless threw it on, his fingers adjusting and straightening the lapel of this new vest.
Make me proud, kid. With this, you earn your stripes.
Kuro solemnly nodded, his eyes shut, as he tugged on the vest and let out a short sigh. He has earned his stripes. He had successfully joined Avalanche. He did and will continue to make Barret proud.
He grabbed a roll of fresh white hand wraps that were gathered on the dresser top and began to rewrap them around his hands. Sitting on the edge of the bed and beginning by looping his thumb. Just as Barret taught him. He would wait patiently for Jessie to get out of the shower and prepare for the mission of the day. Operation: Get Biggs and Wedge and head back to Traverse Town. For now, he listened with great joy as Jessie's hum soon turned into a song, one that he was delighted and privileged to listen to.
She had such a beautiful singing voice. It was angelic, with years of experience shining through with every note, and if he was even just a little bit tired, he was sure she could serenade him right back to sleep.
Midgar
Sector 7 - Seventh Heaven
"Good morning, Avalanche! How are we doing on this fine day?" Jessie pushed open the saloon doors to the bar, that smile of hers shining brighter than the overhead bulbs and rivaling the sun itself as she approached the bar with her head held high and a spring to her step. She adjusted her shoulder pauldron by tugging on the strap and straightening her shirt.
She felt great, and the world was going to hear about it. Her arms rest along the bar counter as she leans in towards Tifa. Who was busy wiping down said countertops with a wet, soapy rag. She shot a glance up as soon as a pair of elbow pads crossed her sights. "Morning, Tiffs."
"Morning, Jessie." Tifa's lips curled to a smile, her eyes glancing towards the silver-haired stranger as he meandered over to the jukebox in the corner of the bar. She glanced back at Jessie, raising a pair of eyebrows in question. Jessie saw her eyes, noticed that she was glances over at Kuro, and held off a reaction for a second too long and tried to keep as blank a stare and as flat a face as possible. Which told Tifa everything she wanted to know. Kuro was oblivious, his hands tracing over the edges of the machine before his fingers circled the buttons as he stared into the record holding tray. His lips pulled into a serene and excited smile. Tifa, with a coy smile on her face, nodded towards Jessie. "Sleep well, I'm guessing?"
"Enough." Jessie grinned, shrugging her shoulders and brushing some loose hair behind her ear. Her cheeks got rosier the more Tifa stared at her. She had to divert the conversation immediately. "H-How did you-"
"I didn't. Thanks to you." Tifa smirked as she leaned in close and dropped her voice to a whisper. Her eyes shone with mischievous energy. "Someone was too busy keeping the entire Sector up until three in the morning. Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"You hush now." Jessie smacked Tifa's arm playfully, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she averted her eyes to the countertop. She made a mental note that next time, she would have to halt her moans to not disturb the neighborhood. Then the idea of a next time made her heart palpitate. She swore she could burn her freckles off of her nose with the heat that rose on her face. "Stop it… Any word on Biggs and Wedge?"
"We were hoping-" A quick rushing of tiny feet down the stairs interrupted Tifa and Marlene was seen running behind the counter, dressed in her typical pink dress and yellow bow. Giving a hug to Tifa along her waist as she passed.
"Good morning, Marlene!" Tifa says as she watches the child crawl under the countertop and flip up, rushing over to the jukebox. Her soft giggles echo throughout the room. "What song are we playing today?"
"I don't know! I don't know! Let me see!" Marlene answered when she approached the music machine, her hands folding behind her back as she stood beside Kuro. Who keeps eyeing the jukebox with intense interest. This machine was a substantial upgrade to the record player back on Traverse Town. They had dozens and dozens of records, and it was shiny and loud as well. He was so transfixed that he didn't even register that there was a human being beside him at the moment who also wanted to see the jukebox. "Morning, Kuro."
Kuro was stirred out of his fixation, turning to the left and seeing the young girl. Kuro, with an amused chuckle, slowly sank onto a knee to get eye level with the child.
"Good morning, Marlene." Kuro said it with a warm smile on his face. He glances at the jukebox and then back to her. "Did you want to use this?"
"Yes! Thank you!" She walked over as Kuro took a quick step back, and she stood on her tiptoes to try and see the selection of records that they could choose from. Her eyes narrowed as she was deep in thought. Her tongue peeked out between her lips as she pondered. She had a huge decision to make. "What kind of music do you like, Kuro?"
"Oh, all kinds." Kuro rolled his eyes as he snickered to himself, 'all kinds' being a stand-in for, 'two records he listened to on repeat every day back in Traverse Town.' He nudged his chin towards the machine and tapped her on the shoulder with his fingers. Getting her attention. "What kind of music do you like?"
Tifa kept an eye on the two as they interacted; Kuro seemed so interested, and his smile reflected such innocence. She heard a heavier set of steps and turned to see Barret cross through the door and walk behind the counter. A new, unbroken pair of dark glasses adorned his face as he too kept an eye on Kuro and Marlene. His brow furrowed as he stood and watched.
"I like the kind with lots of trumpets." Marlene said, patting on the machine and trying to find a specific song. Her short stature is not even tall enough to peek at the selection that was listed behind the glass screen. "Do you like music with trumpets?"
"I do! I love trumpet music. Can I help you out?" Kuro asked her, and when she nodded yes, he gently scooped Marlene up into his arms and let her look down into the machine to get a better view of all the records. Her giggles were high-pitched and grated Kuro's ear for a second before he realized how contagious her laughter was and joined her with his own. "That better? Now, which song has the best trumpets?"
"Thanks! I like… A-113. Daddy likes that song." She tapped on the glass and left a few smudges against it. Kuro nodded, and with his free hand, he began to punch in the code to that specific song.
"Alright then. Let's hear it." Kuro mumbled as the record was lifted from the lineup and placed in the appropriate position.
Then the machine whirred to life, the lights started flickering, and the music started playing. The sounds of wind instruments were introduced first, starting at a low frequency before they heightened into a triumphant rising rhythm, and the trumpets soon followed.
Kuro placed Marlene down before she heard the creak of the floorboards beneath a heavy boot, and it caught her attention. With a wide grin, she bolted off towards the bar as he flipped over the bar flap and scooped her up into his arms.
~ You gotta accentuate the positive ~
~ Eliminate the negative ~
Barret's eyes glanced over Marlene before turning over to Kuro. Who offered a friendly smile to the leader and a nod of acknowledgement. Barret glanced back at Marlene, who gave him a beaming grin as well.
~ And latch on to the affirmative ~
~ Don't mess with Mr. In-between ~
Barret thought about what he saw yesterday at the Reactor, and was about to have a word with Kuro about his association with such a familiar look, with those yellow eyes and his body turning a shade of midnight sky black.
~ You've got to spread joy up to the maximum ~
~ Bring gloom down to the minimum ~
However, Kuro dealt with Marlene with a gentle approach that he had never seen in Kuro before. And wordlessly helped her find the song she wanted to listen to that morning without question.
So, as far as Barret was concerned, Kuro had truly earned his spot in Avalanche. He had gotten the Marlene Seal of Approval.
~ Have faith or pandemonium's ~
~ Liable to walk upon the scene ~
"Kuro, looking good. Might I say, that old vest of mine still holds up." Barret said with a smirk, nodding his head towards the Heartless. Kuro shrugged with a glow to his cheeks. his hands retracting to his pockets as he attempted to downplay the shot of pride he felt in that compliment.
Jessie, upon finishing her soft words with Tifa, approached Kuro and pulled him towards the door. Kuro was being tugged around without any hesitation or fight. He gets dragged to the door, and Jessie's hand is immediately pulled to her side as she finds it lingering along his collar and wanting to stay there. The heat that radiated off his throat was tempting. She shook away the blush on her cheek and sighed with discontent.
"Bad news, Sunset. They are going to have extra security and guards all over Sector 7. So, we can't just walk into a train and get up there. We will have to wait until the trains stop running for the day. So, our ETD is currently TBD which is totally BS, IMO. FML." Jessie explained with a dissatisfied laugh and a shake of her head, clenching her fists to ease her stress. Tapping her closed fist against her forehead with total irritation. She was beyond aggravated by the circumstances. She growled into her wrist and composed herself. "I will need to secure some transport for us and call on a favor. So sorry."
"It's alright, Jessie. You'll figure it out. I trust you." Kuro shrugged, giving her a quick smile before it fell to a neutral scowl. Kuro's eyes, ironically, darted to the dart board that hung up on the wall behind her. His focus was drawn to the darts that were sticking out of the ringed board. He saw that there was a scoreboard beside the dartboard, and his eyes became alive with excitement. Lips curled to a wide, beaming grim. "I know how we can have some fun in the meantime."
His husky voice oozed with a devious kind of energy, enough so that it made Jessie quake in her boots and her heart begin to race. She felt a shiver go up her spine as she replayed what he did with his mouth a few hours ago and wondered if he would do that thing with his tongue-
"How do you play this game?" Kuro walked over, pulled the darts out of the corkboard, and flashed Jessie an enthusiastic grin. He shakes the hand with the red fletchings before preparing to hand her off the blue-tipped ones. "Best two out of three?"
Jessie's face deflated at the question, and she resolved to just laugh off the dirty thoughts in her head and promptly kick his ass at darts. Which she did three times in a row.
Midgar
The Corkscrew Tunnel
Kuro had never ridden on a motorcycle before. He actually hasn't ridden on anything, ever. Unless one would want to count those two seconds he spent on the back of the dragon Heartless back in Hollow Bastion before tearing its wing from its body, and he wouldn't want to count those seconds.
So, the idea of riding through empty train tunnels on a two-wheeled machine with Jessie at the helm sounded exhilarating to him. Especially since, as he quickly discovered, Jessie enjoyed riding these motorbikes at dangerously high speeds.
Even the least imprecise and improper turn of the bars could end with them going over the handlebars and dragging along the cement into a chunky red paste.
Jessie's quick turn around to find a way to get to Upper Sector Seven took only a few hours, and all it cost was her trading out some clean water filters for the motorcycle and a gun with some bullets for the fuel. After that, the mission was back on track and as simple as it could be.
Get Wedge and Biggs and head on back to Seventh Heaven for Barret, Marlene and Tifa.
They had to wait until the last train was sent out for the evening, and the stations that they had passed were clear of any civilians. They had to wait for the cover of night before trekking out on the tracks and blasting off down through the tunnels on the motorcycle. Their engine echoed down the trail in a reverberation that rattled Kuro down to his bones.
The tunnel lights and the metallic signs indicating platform names and station numbers were an illegible blur at such irresponsible speeds as Jessie had the both of them rushing down the concrete cavern at a high velocity.
Kuro's silver hair was caught in the updraft of the motorcycle's intense speed, blowing in the wind as Jessie bears right, crossing over the track line, and they came out of the tunnel to the open skies of Midgar. The overhanging lights of the towering skyscrapers and the glistening windows that caught the city streetlights were mesmerizing. Shining brighter than any star. The smell of industry was thick in the air, and the twinkling starlight overhead was outmatched by the foreign and flickering neon lights of the metropolis.
"So, Biggs and Wedge are with your mom because you guys had to leave Midgar and land in Traverse Town." Kuro asked aloud, his hands resting along her waist and locked together. As to not fall off and tumble into the ground when she dipped and leaned into the waving tracks of the train tunnels. "They are just waiting for us there now?"
"Correct! Since we don't have any cells in the Upper Sector to give them safe transport, we need to go get them ourselves." Jessie noted as she revved the engine and threw her shoulders back. The front wheel rising off of the ground, and the bike picking up a tremendous amount of speed. Kuro tightened his hold on Jessie as she laughed into the night sky. "Woo-hoo!"
The ride continued with a brief interlude of silence, with Jessie keeping her eyes peeled for any SHINRA guard as Kuro's eyes stayed focused on the night. Totally enamored by the thousands of lights that littered the sky above him. Jessie glanced over at Kuro with a look of regret on her face, then turned her eyes back on the tunnel ahead.
"Thanks for helping me, Kuro. I really appreciate it." Jessie said it with a sullen undertone, one that Kuro picked up on immediately. Her voice fell flat, having lost its spunk and jovial cadence. "More than you know…"
"Happy to help, Jess." Kuro said surely, patting her along the stomach for assurance with an awkward grin breaking across his face. "Anything to help out Avalanche."
Jessie chewed on her bottom lip before letting out an anxious sigh and expunging herself of her worries. She was leading Kuro directly into the line of fire; the least she could be was honest.
"Just so you are aware, I'm not just going plateside for Wedge and Biggs… there is something else that is bothering me." Jessie said aloud, shooting a glance over her shoulder towards Kuro. Who watched her intensely. There is a pleading regret in her eyes, and her words came out just loud enough to not be silenced by the roar of the motorcycle engine. "Kuro, can I be honest with you?"
"Of course." Kuro shouted over the engine just to make sure that she heard him properly. "What do you need to be honest about?"
"Look, you saw the way the reactor went up, right? It was huge, yeah?" Jessie inquired, her eyes glistening and reflecting the tunnel lights as they sped past them. Illuminating their tenderness with every quick flash of light. "Like, way big?"
"It shook the foundation of the whole Sector, if that's what you're saying. Because the bomb had some kind of reaction with the mako in it. Right?" Kuro asked, wondering what exactly she was trying to be honest about. She had already told him what had happened.
"Yeah… that was wishful thinking, Kuro. Deep down, I know it was my fault. Before you say, 'No, it wasn't.' I did use a more powerful blasting agent than the directions called for." Jessie admitted to the fact that she intended to do as much damage as possible with the explosive. "It had nothing to do with the mako. I lied about the bomb and I put you in danger. I put Barret in danger. All those innocent people… I'm sorry I lied, Kuro. It's all my fault that Sector One… I'm sorry."
Kuro's shoulders slouched in response, and his hands lost their grip for a moment in astonishment before they resettled their position along her abdomen to stay safe. He felt his jaw clench before he resettled his breathing.
Jessie lied to him and did not tell him the entire truth concerning the bomb he was responsible for detonating. A truth that he felt he would have been open-minded about and would not have judged her for it. He pulled his cheek away from her back and spoke.
"Why would you not tell me, Jessie?" Kuro asked with this innocence, which made her feel worse than she already did. Her hands were squeezing the bike's handlebars tighter, nervously. "Why didn't you trust me?"
"I didn't want you to think of me as… I don't know!" She felt her cheeks flush, her breathing got heavier, and her body trembled from not just the cold air they were speeding through but the anxiety of telling Kuro how badly she screwed things up. She let out a short breath and attempted to relax herself before speaking again. "I messed up so bad and I didn't want you to think of me as a bad person because I put you and everyone in harm's way."
"I couldn't think of you as a bad person." Kuro stated it with sincerity. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes glancing over her shoulders as he thought of how she knowingly wanted to have a bigger explosion.
His left hand shifted from holding her waist to resting along her left shoulder pauldron. His right hand gripped the seat beneath him, feeling the vibration of the motorcycle's engine rumbling against the seat. Her increase of the blasting charge of the explosion felt like him using Big Marie, the Bourdon Bell of Notre Dame, to kill the monstrous Heartless. An ill-measured charge to secure maximum damage. Although he damned a whole planet to death, she shook up an entire Sector of a metropolis and sent it into chaos.
Clearly, he currently held the position of'most royally messed up' between the both of them, but he didn't need to tell her that. Not right now. "Jessie, I've been in harm's way since I've… been around. And you using a bigger blasting agent wasn't going to get me any less shot or have me kill less people. I wouldn't have changed a thing."
"I guess… but just got my own sanity, I'm planning on using a weaker blasting agent next time." Jessie admitted, her eyes returning to the train tracks. The bike's wheels bounced along the tops of wooden boards. "Next time we have a mission, I'll let you know what to expect from me. I won't lie."
"Next time," Kuro tapped his hand against her abdomen, letting out a short chuckle. "You don't have to be afraid of what I think. I already think you're great. You can't change that."
"With you, Kuro, I won't be afraid." She smiled softly. The support from Kuro was unconditional, and he truly meant that he would be there to help her. Her heart is lifted by his words, and she has to sidestep the tenderness she felt in her. Focus on the mission at hand. "Alright! With all this mushy stuff out of the way, it's time to get to work! An ID scan is coming up! Ready?"
Jessie smirked as they passed through the red laser beams that scanned the fake IDs that Jessie had procured for them. However, as the red lights passed over the two Avalanche members, the lights shimmered with this flashing blue, and then the red dissipated completely. There is an alarm that blares that they quickly drive past, booming through the tunnels in an echoing, deafening sound. It was soon muzzled by the engine's revving and distance as Kuro spoke again.
"What happened?" Kuro asked, his right hand reaching down to his waistband and drawing the Quicksilver pistol. He unlatched the safety and steadied his grip on the gun. "Jessie?"
"I think the IDs must've gotten reshuffled and reissued due to the recent bombing. Damn it to Hell! We got flagged! Get ready!" Jessie shouted, revving the engine of her cycle and tearing down the tunnel tracks. A pair of bikes jump off of the side of the tunnel walls, diving onto the train tracks in pursuit of the two Avalanche members. One of the biking guards rolled up right beside Kuro and Jessie, the back passenger guardsman pulling their submachine gun and tugging on the bolt to chamber a round.
"Under the orders of SHINRA, pull over now, and we won't be forced-" The driver began to shout, only to be interrupted.
"Eat shit!" Jessie roared in response, sticking out her tongue and nudging her bike against their own. Kuro snickered at her harsh language, firing off two shots onto the gunman's cheek, one shot embedding itself in the exit wound's cheek guard and the other ricocheted off of the inner lining of the helm in quick and deadly bounces. Which, in turn, scrambled the man's skull into a mush of bone shards and ever-flowing blood held loosely together by a helmet.
The gunman slouched over and leaned hard into the driver. The added weight pulled the bike to begin clashing against Jessie's bike. The front quarter of the SHINRA cycle begins to sandwich Jessie's leg between her bike and theirs. Her pain was sharp and immediate, and her cries sent a pulse of aggression through Kuro's body.
"No! You! Don't!" Kuro lifted his right leg and stomped his boot onto the body of the opposing motorcycle. The kick rockets the bike into the nearby wall, and the engine flames meet the now-busted open gas tank to create a sudden inferno that causes the bike to explode. The sudden fireball fades into the distance as Jessie rounds a bend, being pursued by the second motorcycle guard team. The gunman, taking aim, begins to fire off bursts of controlled machine gun fire towards the two Avalanche members.
Jessie, through some quick maneuvering, weaves through the columns of the two parallel tracks, evading the hail of bullets and letting them crash into the pillars and metal wall fencing separating them. The shots that smashed against the pillars littered the floor with chunks of blown-apart concrete.
Kuro's thighs squeeze the bike seat tight as his free hand grabs hold of her pauldron and steadys his stance to fire off three shots towards the SHINRA guards.
The first shot hit the body of the cycle and lodged itself into the plate. The other two were shot into the wall, small clouds of debris bursting with every shot. As soon as they exited the tunnel and were back under the star-filled skies and the distant stadium lights slowly drifting across the barren air, a trio of SHINRA bikes came crashing down onto the tracks to join their comrades in their pursuit. Kuro growled out in frustration at the more guards chasing after them. Jessie cast a glance over her shoulder and could only laugh in response to the sight.
"Isn't this so exciting?" Jessie hollered with great joy as she leaned to the left and dipped the motorcyle close to the ground. Kuro's free hand gripping the back bar as his right arm was straightened. He fired off a pair of shots towards one bike full of the pursuing attackers. Both of them missed their marks and crashed into the concrete walls beside them. Kuro's teeth gnashed together before he fully processed what exactly he heard Jessie say. Brow furrowed in utter confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Kuro shouted as he fired off a shot, and his bullet crashed into the faceplate of the driver and sent the now unmanned bike crashing into the curved tunnel wall and exploding into a small ball of flames with its passenger unable to grab the handlebars in time. Their screams echoing down the tunnel.
"Pursued by villains, a young couple thrust together by fate race through the neon-stained night…" Jessie sang with a low and dramatic tone, one that made Kuro's eyes roll as he felt a laugh roll up his throat. Even in dire circumstances, Jessie could find some joy. Somewhere in this chaos.
"You're ridiculous!" Kuro chuckled with a strained shouting voice as he fired off the last shot in his Quicksilver's magazine. The slide landed back, the chamber cleared and smoke seeping out of the barrel tip and the action. He shoves the empty gun into his waistband, flexing out his hand and summoning his blade to his hand. The dense cloud of purple and black dust trailed behind the cycle, the SHINRA cycle that was speeding behind them got caught in the cloud.
The driver's lungs filled with smoke as his eyes got irritated by the smoke.
"Can't see! I can't see!" The driver shouted as they were now driving blind; his arms rose to rub his eyes, which caused the bike to immediately spiral out of control. "Grab the handles! Rael! Rael, grab the-"
The cycle slid out from beneath them as the handlebars quickly made a 180 degree spin and immediately spiked them into the ground. The driver is crushed by the overturned vehicle as it rolls forward atop them. The gunner's body was launched forward and tumbled viciously against the ground.
Their body skipped across the surface as a stone is skipped over water, and they eventually ragdolled lifelessly against the tunnel's concrete floor. Rolling to a sliding stop atop the train tracks. The cracking of their bones and the breaking of their armor against the ground made Kuro's skin crawl. It sounded like a bag of dice being thrown around carelessly.
Only kept from being splayed around like a popped bag of mushy red was the suit holding together the loose blood and bone underneath the plates of armor. Kuro's arm fell to his side, his stare voided at just how quickly that went horrible for those two guards.
"Well," Kuro shrugged. They made their way out of the covered tunnel and back out into the open air. His waving silver hair covered his peripherals until he shook his head to let it all fall over his left shoulder. "That was convenient. Out of bullets here, Jessie!"
Jessie grunted in return, the bike picking up speed on the straightaway as the remaining two bikes continued to pursue after them. Trying to get out of their lines of sight as fast as possible.
They pass by a stationary cycle resting along the wall of the train track, with its rider posted up beside it. Their bright blue eyes followed the two Avalanche members as they raced through the tunnel. Then the bike chased after them. Their speed combined with the constant calls for support off of the blue-eyed rider's radio meant that they were not just fast, but they were dangerous.
"Magnificent." The man spoke in high regard as he combed back the long blonde hair from resting along his shining silver shoulder pauldrons and let them rest along the back of his neck. His fingers raked over the shaved sides of his head until he looped and trailed his fingers around to his jawline towards his pursed lips and proceeded to blow a kiss of respect after the two Avalanche members. His gloved hands then fastened his deep navy blue leather jacket down with a few banded straps, gearing up to saddle up onto his ride. Revving up the engine in his sleek blood-red motorcycle. He turns the dial on his walkie-talkie, a look of pure adrenaline and excitement breaking across his face. "Hello, hello! Soldier Third Class is en route along the Sector Seven train line leading to the upper district in pursuit. I repeat-"
"Soldier Third Class enroute along the Sector Seven train line leading to the upper district." The pursuing Shinra Guards clicked the radio off, and the gunmen pulled back the bolts of their weapons and loaded live rounds into the chamber. The duo of bikes sped up to continue their pursuit. One right behind Kuro and Jessie, the other pulling up on their left side.
Kuro's eyes pulled to a squint as he settled the grip of his blade in his right hand and prepared to make them regret crossing paths with them.
"We have a SOLIDER inbound." The driver notified their gunman, who took aim with their submachine gun and began to fire off shots. Kuro's left hand flexed and called his canine shield to his hand. The wall of gunfire was blocked by the shield as the rapid fire vibrated throughout his arm. The bullets ricocheted off the buckler, and as soon as the magazine ran empty, Kuro rotated his hips and brought the blade down into a heavy swing. The blade cleaves through the man below the backplate of his armor, through his waist, and crashes into the seat of the motorcycle. The hilt digging into the leather cushion. Using a stiff boot, Kuro launches the busted bike into the wall, the motorcycle bursting into flames when the oil meets the flames of the exhaust.
Kuro hears Jessie yell, his eyes darting forward, and the twin headlights of a bike are speeding towards them. The tunnel glints off of the blade of its rider as they barreled towards Jessie and Kuro.
With a quick reaction, the opposing blades meet in a thundering crash, the sparks illuminating the dim shadows as a pair of wrathful orange eyes meets a pair of beaming blue.
The cycle zooms past them before spinning in a dime without losing any momentum and leaning off towards the left.
Kuro expected him to drag against the concrete wall as the others had. However, with a pull of the handlebars, he began to ride along the wall of the tunnel. The machine's speed and inertia are not slowing down as the biker is shot up into the air and begins to glide along the night skies. The biker shifts their attention towards the last guardsman motorcycle, nose diving into them with precision and intended malice.
The SHINRA guard bike is smashed into pieces on impact, the explosion as a result of the collision catapulting the crimson motorcycle back into the air, the blonde biker rising in his seat with a jovial smile across his face.
He holds triumphantly in hand a sword as he sails across the sky as if he were on a majestic Pegasus, with his hair blowing in the wind while charging into battle with a warrior's ferocity in his eyes and childish whimsy across his face.
"Who the Hell is that?" Kuro's eyes focus on the currently diving motorcycle before it lands onto the tracks without any issues. The bike spins out in quick burnout circles while still driving ahead, before being reared back as one would pull the reins of a bucking bronco to keep it under heel.
"'Too quick for the eye, you cross him, you die!'" The arrogant stare of the Blonde Biker met Kuro's surprised glare. Kuro's jaw drops, having never seen anything quite like this. Jessie stares over her shoulder, seeing the man's leather attire, blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. Which reminds her of a similar looking mercenary she knows.
"He kinda looks like a SOLDIER…" Jessie murmured with a raised brow as the biker pulled up alongside the two of them. His left hand is on the handle, and his right is holding his short sword loosely in his hand.
"Now… Mind if I cut in? I've been looking for a new dance partner!" The blonde-haired biker swung his sword out, a shimmering glimmer radiating off of the blade and casting off waves of energy that sent these thin bodies of light through the air towards a nearby bridge. As soon as they made contact with the structure, the glowing white compounded together and exploded into a massive explosion of reds and oranges. The cobblestone and metal came crashing down behind Jessie's cycle, blocking the path behind them with a newly formed wall of rubble and debris.
Which left the next open stretch of train track alone for just the two bikes to ride together. Kuro's eyes followed the destruction that lay behind them, while Jessie's eyes were fixed on the rider in front of them.
"Too stunned to speak? That's fine. Your words, I can take them or leave them. I will, however, ask for a race. Just one." The blonde-haired pursuer requested that their motorcycle pull up right beside Jessie's. Their blonde hair was billowing in the updraft from their speed.
"Are you seriously challenging us? To a race?" Kuro's befuddled expression caught the SOLDIER's prideful stare. The Heartless shook his head. "After we just-"
"Oh, I most certainly am." The biker stated, eyebrows waving in a suggestive manner. "What's wrong? Afraid of a little competition?"
"Sir, if you noticed… We are kind of busy here!" Kuro gestured with his free hand behind him, the splotches and remains of the men he had killed still fresh in his mind and smeared against the concrete floor. "You can't be serious."
"Ah, so terribly sorry! Your words fail to reach my ears, sluggish and slow as they are."Roche rolls his eyes, his shoulders loosening and his back bending, leaning against back far enough that his shoulders nearly brush against the back end of his leather seat. Totally relaxed about the situation at hand.
"Your armor… those eyes. Are you some kind of SOLDIER?" Jessie's voice found itself having to start roaring over the two engines. The Blonde Biker's smile only grew, dipping his chin in a wide nod and a soft laugh.
"The lady's curiosity has been piqued by mine own appearance! You are correct! My name is Roche, SOLDIER Third Class," Roche gave a two-finger salute, the Avalanche members not returning the gesture. "But you may address me by the more accurate appellation: Speed Demon!"
The red motorcycle engine roared as its rider shared their moniker, coughing up flames from the exhaust pipes as if to verbally punctuate the, 'More accurate appellation'.
"What do you want, Roche?" Kuro inquired, his thumb brushing over the leather straps along his blade's handle as he stared daggers at this SOLDIER. "Here to get revenge for your men?"
"I do sincerely apologize, old sport!" Roche shouted, patting a hand over his ear as he kept his eyes focused on Jessie. "My ears are but attuned to the fairer sex's voice! I'll be addressing her!"
"Oh barf," Jessie rolled her eyes, her tongue sitting uncomfortably in her mouth at this man's sense of entitlement and his general bravado. "This guy is the worst."
"Surely you jest! However, with your speed and his brawn, this may very well be the contest I've been waiting for! A true test of my skills as a professional Motorcyclist!" Roche boasted, revving up his engine and speeding in ahead. Exhaust fumes trail behind him as his sword's tip drags along the concrete and leaves flashes of bright sparks as it catches along the floor. "Give me a challenge, you conniving knave!"
"This guy really is something else." Kuro muttered, choking up on his sword and tapping Jessie along her shoulder with his other hand. Giving her a squeeze of assurance as he smiles wickedly. "Well, then, if he's asking for it, let's not disappoint him, Jess. Let's kick his ass!"
"On it!" Jessie revved her cycle and began her pursuit of Roche. Ready to engage in this mechanical jousting match.
Roche spins along his front wheel like a top, his sword's crackling with blue-white gradient bolts of energy, the sword's swipes sending pulsing waves of light towards the Avalanche cycle.
Jessie dipped and dodged out of the way of the slashes of energy. Kuro summoned his staff. The gem in the center of the two wings glows a vibrant red, with a small bout of flame flickering between the two wing tips.
"Burn! Burn! Burn!" With a few pointed swings of his staff, a series of three balls of fire were shot out towards the biker. Roche leaned out of the way of the first two, only to quickly pull on his brakes, lean forward onto his front wheel, and begin to spin on it with a quick corkscrew.
He used the treads on his back wheel to parry the fireball, smothering it and leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake. The smoke gets into the Avalanche members' eyes and down their throats.
"Goddamn it!" Kuro shouted as he coughed, his jaw going slack when he saw the back half of Roche's cycle begin to spark with energy. It was as if there were an electrical current building on the back of his ride.
Roche slammed the wheel into the ground, a wave of crackling energy casting out in a flowing wave towards the bike. Kuro felt Jessie quickly turn towards the right to avoid the wave and resettled her hold of the bike as their back tire began to wobble as it unsteadily returned to its form. With each zigzag to the left and to the right nearly bucking Kuro off and onto the tracks, he then grabbed a hold of Jessie's shoulder to steady himself in the seat.
Jessie's quick maneuvering is leaving them unbalanced as she dips and drives out of the way out of the beams of light that are sent out of Roche's swings. Jessie expertly dodges out of the way of the bolts of energy, the turning lean of the wheels nearly dragging them across the tracks.
Kuro sees Roche prepare another wave from the sword, the Heartless' staff swinging out first and calling out for a bolt of lightning. He was hoping to send the machine into a state of haywire, much like the Sweepe. Roche's eyes dart to the skies as dark clouds gather above, and as a lightning bolt is brought down, Roche's sword is turned towards the heavens.
The bolt of lighting is pulled to the sword's tip as a lighting rod would pull, avoiding the metal of the motorcycle.
Roche watches the pair work together, his lips pulled into a respectful smile.
"Not bad. You have promise, my fair lady, and the gentleman riding behind you is well suited to be your defender." Roche bowed his head and extended out his sword at arm's length, bending his shoulders forward in a show of respect. "But! One cannot simply ride one's bike! Nay! One must unlock its true potential and become one with the machine! Like this-"
Kuro didn't wait for him to make the first move, dismissing his staff and jabbing Roche across the cheek with his left hand as he spoke. As the knuckles made contact, he flexed out his right hand to call his sword while making a swinging motion to attempt to cut through his throat. Roche parried the attack swiftly, using the opening to slash across Kuro's shoulder and cut down into the back fork of their cycle. Nearly hitting their tire.
Kuro ignores the blow, following the blow with a back swing that cuts across Roche's pauldron, leaving a noticeable divot in its metal curve. Kuro stabbed forward, Roche's sword's crossguard smashing into the cheek of his blade and nearly knocking it out of the Heartless' hand.
"We don't have all night for this. How about you just give up? Leave us alone." The Heartless asked as he resettled the grip he had of his sword in his hand, glaring at the SOLDIER as they pulled alongside Jessie once more. Kuro swung in an overhead chop, being blocked by the swiping guard of Roche's own blade. Steel on steel crashed down to the hilts, each contending to dominate over the other. Roche let out an explosive bout of laughter, oh so enjoying the excitement of such intense competition. Kuro's teeth are barred as he follows it up with three additional swings, each met with a guarding parry from Roche. The Heartless' fight to the death is a mere game in the eyes of the Biker. And it infuriated him to no end.
Kuro's strikes come out in thundering swipes, attempting to outmuscle and cleave through the sword and drive his blade into the rider.
"Don't be absurd! As if I could ever grow tired of your company! Naughty, naughty boy! Until one of our flames is forever extinguished, our dance will never end!" Roche sped off ahead, his bike's treads catching the edge where the tunnel floor meets the curved wall, and began to ride up the wall once again. Rocketing into the air and summoning several quick waves of light towards them. Kuro's aggression skyrockets as he is forced to hold on tight as Jessie weaves through the beams of shot-out light. Threading through the shimmering slashes as they close the distance and get close to Roche. His laughter was echoing down the tracks. "Burn for me! Come on! Let's push it past the red line!"
"Goddamn it! This shit stops now! Jessie, take me right beside him!" Kuro shouts, easing up onto the flats of his boots as he crouches along the back seat of the motorcycle. A hand on her shoulder to keep himself balanced. As soon as she is neck and neck with Roche's cycle, Kuro jumps across to the front of his motorcycle.
Roche's jaw drops in total shock as the weight of a lunging body comes crashing down onto the front of his bike, immediately reacting by taking his sword to swipe it across Kuro's shins.
"You are quite the daredevil, old sport! I salute your audacity!" Roche compliments, his sword swinging out to hopefully disconnect the Heartless' feet from his legs. As he pulls his arm back, Kuro slams his heel onto Roche's wrist and knocks the sword out of his hand, thudding the weapon against the concrete. His eyes watching it disappear into the blur behind him.
Kuro, fury resting in his eyes, decides it would be crueler to destroy the object of this man's affections than to deal the killing blow. With his heels planted in the back half of the front fork, he drives his sword down into the machine with a stab.
Kuro's blade sinks into the front suspension and cuts into the leading wheel with the first slice, the rotor bending under the weight of the second chop and causing the cycle to sputter and lose speed immediately. A third swipe tore through the front fork and left it into two different, busted-up and jagged pieces of metal. Kuro immediately jumped to avoid the unenthused grab from Roche and landed on the back of Jessie's bike. Slipping back behind the hazel-eyed biker.
The Blonde Biker's body jumbled and bounced to the new rhythm of his now-broken motorcycle, his hands begrudgingly pulling off of the handlebars as his elbows shifted to rest along the windshield and levers to begin pouting in defeat. His lips curled into a disappointed but respected scowl.
He was disappointed that their race had come to an abrupt end, yet he respected that he lost to such a worthy pair of competitors.
"Well, well, well! I do believe this round belongs to you. Perhaps next time we can keep it just between the two of us." Roche shouted as his competition continued on ahead, nodding his head towards the Heartless with a smirk. "I did have to ward off an offense while being defensive! Bear that in mind, old sport! I am not as privileged as to have my own driver as you do!"
"Don't count on it!" Kuro shouted, teeth barred, as he stared daggers at the Blonde Biker. However, where he felt the rise of rage in his chest, Roche felt the warmth of high regard and respect plume in his own.
"Oh! But I will! Until we meet again, my friend!" Roche spoke with high praise and admiration, his bike eventually slowing to a complete and busted stop as the Avalanche members rolled out of his sight and around the bend. His heel slammed against the kickstand, and he quickly dismounted from his steed and inspected the damage. The suspension was shot, the rim was dented to an acute angle, the wheel was popped and torn from the sword chop, and the front fork was bent out of shape from the second blade slash.
His hand gently caressed the side of the engine, whispering gentle whispers of flattery and applause to his vessel. The warmth of pride in his words nearly warmed up the metal. She had served him well, and he made a point to handle her gently as if to reassure the machine that he would not abandon her along the edge of the tracks like she was nothing. She was his, and she would be taken care of.
Roche switched his radio on and tuned it to the proper frequency, his eyes focused entirely on his machine. "Command, this is SOLDIER Third Class, Roche. Suspects are currently broken off and heading down the path leading towards the Third Sector. I repeat, The Third Sector. Prepare a welcoming party to meet them at the end of the first initial platform of Sector Three to cut them off."
Roche had lied to SHINRA, of course, immediately switching off his radio so that he couldn't hear their complaints when morning rolls around and the pair of criminals haven't arrived at the station yet.
He grabbed hold of the handlebars and began his trek. With a slow and steady jaunt, he walked her off of the tracks and down a nearby exit ramp. He would have to repair her the next time that he met those two Avalanche members.
A soft prayer in his heart echoed out that they have and will continue to evade SHINRA forces until such a day arrives. After all, he couldn't challenge them to a follow-up race if they were killed or arrested before then.
Kuro's eyes scanned the path behind him, anticipating perhaps another fleet of motorcycles or maybe even Roche willing that bike of his back to proper form to continue the pursuit. But, after two weaving bends, it appears that the coast is clear. They were no longer in a high-speed pursuit. Kuro's chest untightened, and his breathing returned to normal. His anger is subsiding.
"That should be the last of them! Come on! Let's get you home!" Kuro shouted as he dismissed his blade and resettled his hands to interlock around her waist. His broad chest pressed against her back as he held on tightly. The intensity of their high-speed chase made both their bodies hot and their adrenaline was spiked. Their hearts thumping hard in their chests.
He glances up at the night sky for a moment, admiring the streaks of starlight as they rode on into the tunnel. They were trying to settle the rapid beating of both their hearts as they approached the Upper Sector's first platform.
As much as he would say it was a team effort in dealing with the SOLDIER and the SHINRA guards, it wouldn't have been at all possible had Jessie not been such a diligent and capable, not to mention badass, driver. She definitely was the workhorse of this mission, and Kuro leaned in and tapped his chin on her shoulder to get her attention so he could properly thank her. "Great driving, Jessie. Good job keeping us safe."
"No biggie! Next time, you can drive." Jessie said with a wicked grin, her laugh echoing out through the vacant tunnel. A mischievous thought was echoing in her head. "I'd like to see if you can handle these tight curves, with me riding you next time."
"I think I'll just let you drive, Jessie." Kuro said, before letting out a short laugh and nodding his head. He felt his jaw clench, and he squeezed her gently. "I would feel safer on the bike if I had you driving."
Jessie felt her heart thump harder than typical in her chest. She felt the need to take a sudden breath, feeling it taken away from her.
"Huh… I might… be falling after all." Jessie's usually teasing voice spoke so gently, her eyes half-lidded in this short and sweet moment. The world around them was a blur, and the roar of the cycle seemed to have become silent as they spoke. The words she said made his heart sink into his stomach, and his palms felt clammy.
Falling after all?
Kuro's hands twitched along her abdomen in shock, a sensation she immediately felt. She then took a hand off the handlebar and tapped against his knuckles to startle him. He jolted in his spot, and she laughed hard at his reaction. Her nose was wrinkling, and her dry mouth was wheezing from the constant air that was being blasted in her face. "Psyche! Got cha!"
"Very funny, Jess." Kuro murmured with an unimpressed sneer as he leaned back a little on the back end of the motorcycle. Letting his shoulder relax and his head rest on her shoulder. He glanced up ahead and saw a train platform in the distance. An empty, lifted stop along the edge of the tracks. Similar to the one that they hopped onto when they got to the Slums. "That our stop up ahead?"
"Aww… would you look at that?" Jessie's eyes focused on the platform of the Upper Section 7 as they quickly approached. She reached down with the same hand that scared him and squeezed his hand gently, her smile fading into a sullen expression. The realization that she was actually going home was setting in. However, she wasn't going home alone. A thought that eased her spirit. She dragged her fingertips between the ridges of his hands before she tapped her digits along his knuckles, needing some reassurance that he was there with her now. Feeling him firm and confident against her, he assured her that she wouldn't be heading home alone. With a heavy heart, she spoke again. "It's the end of the line…"