lucetilogs | Revenge is a dish that is best served now.

Entry tags:

Revenge is a dish that is best served now.

Who: A shifted Pao-Lin (

lightningbride), Kotetsu (

wildkotetsu), Barnaby (

mindgooshed), and Kazooie (

talontrot).
What: A case of mistaken identity...sort of.
When: Evening of May 5th.
Where: Starting near CH1, possibly moving to the forest...? IDK.
Summary: Pao-Lin mistakes Kotetsu for a killer, and goes after him in order to bring him to justice. Fortunately, some Big Damn Heroes are here to intervene and save Kotetsu from an undeserved fate, complete with a (1) Heroic Sacrifice. It's like canon all over again! Except without the happy ending.
Rating: High PG-13 for violence (including some bloody death scenes), overall angst, and language.

[Pao-Lin is making her way back to the forest bordering Luceti, unease screaming bloody murder in her mind. She'd been hoping to find a place to stay in town, but she doesn't feel comfortable in the innocent-looking village. Not when so many people apparently know her -- the real her, not her Hero identity -- and not when she's being told, once again, that there are things she should remember but doesn't.

Then there's the conflicting information she's learned about Luceti. She doesn't know who to believe in this situation. The people of Luceti have the advantage of numbers corroborating their claims, but Maverick (sadly and ironically enough) makes more sense to her. Or is it just that she wants his version to make more sense, because it makes things so much simpler for her? Because it makes her feel better about being an unwitting survivor?

...whatever. Pao-Lin had known from the start that this wasn't going to be an easy path for her. Obviously she'd underestimated just how difficult it was going to be; that's a mistake she won't make again. And it's not like this is necessarily a difficult suckerpunch to dodge. She'll just do a little more research over the next few days, see how things stack up, and go from there. Easier said than done, certainly, but it's a place to start.

As preoccupied and tired as she is, Pao-Lin almost doesn't notice the distinctive lanky form of a certain veteran Hero in the darkness, heading down the path to one of the apartment buildings in town. When she does recognize Kotetsu, however, she just stops and stares for a moment, her limbs going numb and her mouth going dry.

He's here.

The memories of her last night in Sternbild flash before her eyes.

...no. It's here.

And she fights the urge to just run and hide.

But...already?

That bastard Maverick. Thought it'd be fucking funny to sic one of those sons-of-bitches on her right from the starting line, did he? As if she needs more reasons to doubt that his little proposition was a legitimate chance for redemption. What's he playing at here? She's pretty sure this isn't him giving her a freebie. Is he seriously going to derive entertainment from watching her get beat down so soon after recovering?

...heh. Like I actually need to ask that question.

With that, Pao-Lin shakes off her shock and steels herself, clearing her mind for the obvious task before her. Her thumb flicks up to nudge the katana ever so slightly from its sheath as she quickly -- yet quietly -- treads over to the thing wearing Kotetsu's face. She's nowhere near as ready as she'd been hoping to face one of these androids again, but she'd be a fool to pass up a golden opportunity like this. It doesn't seem to be aware of her presence yet, so maybe she can catch it by surprise and cut it down before it can get a chance to attack...]

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[As soon as Barnaby had snatched Kotetsu up and sprinted for safety, Pao-Lin had sheathed her sword and taken off after him. She's a fast girl, with more staying power than one might think, but Barnaby has longer strides and his Hundred Power helping him out. So she'd eventually fallen behind as he darted into the forest with Kotetsu.

That's okay, though. She has a good enough idea of where he went that she feels comfortable shifting slowing down a little and taking a slightly roundabout route in the name of stealth. Still, she keeps her steps quick and light as she continues to catch up.

When she's within range but still hopefully far enough away to remain undetected, Pao-Lin stops by a tree trunk and peers around it. She's managed to put herself in a position for a clear shot at Barnaby's back, and her timing is pretty damn good too, since he just picked up Kotetsu in his arms for his trademark princess carry. If she aims carefully, she might be able to get the both of them at the same time -- talk about killing two birds with one stone. But at the very least, Pao-Lin needs to deal with Barnaby, since unlike Kotetsu he's still able to fight. If her initial strike doesn't finish the both of them off, she should be able to easily follow up for the finishing blows.

So she quietly and carefully pads up behind him, her hand readied on her sword. At very nearly the last moment, she surges forward, unsheathes her blade in one quick motion, and stabs into Barnaby's heart, right through the hole her lightning burned in his jacket.]

[ .. stupid.

what an absolutely stupid mistake.

barnaby shouldn't have wasted time here, he shouldn't have stopped. he should have taken kotetsu straight to the clinic and put as much distance between they and pao-lin as possible.

at first it's as if time as stopped. there's no pain, only pressure, the impossibly sharp blade piercing him so cleanly and easily that he feels no pain, only a sick sort of pushing where something should not be. barnaby's body jerks, and he stands completely still for a split second before crumpling, his knees hitting the ground hard.

but even now he keeps his grip on kotetsu strong, prioritizing his partner because he can't think past that one objective. something burns in his chest and barnaby doubles over, gagging, coughing, bright blood spattering kotetsu's collar, and it's as his head drops that he sees the end of the blade, sharp and bloody, protruding from the front of his chest. ]

Edited 2012-05-07 19:31 (UTC)

[Kotetsu feels it - a warm spray against the top of his shirt, and he dazedly looks at the top of the sword impaled through Barnaby's chest. A flood of shock and fear, dulled by his ability to think, to even see things clearly, fills him. When he looks at Bunny, paler, his amber eyes are full of panic; what can he do? He's got to do something. He's - he's been hurt, hurt worse than him now -

How can I]

Bunny...?!

[hoarse and desperate; this has to be imaginary. This has to be some sort of hallucination. It can't be real. No, no, please don't do this to him; to him or Bunny. This isn't right. This is all wrong - it's got to be fake.]

[There'd been no doubt in her mind that she could manage that fatal strike. Never had the path to victory felt as clear as it did in the moment before she ran him through.

But the moment metal meets flesh (flesh...was it possible to really recreate that on a metal skeleton with wires and circuits embedded in it?), Pao-Lin is again filled with sickening dismay and dread. Bile rises in her throat, hot and acidic. Her grip loosens on her weapon, and Barnaby falls forward with it still stuck in his chest.

This...this should be a righteous triumph.

Instead it feels like the most heinous crime.

Why?

With a snarl, Pao-Lin stomps a foot forward. She grasps the hilt of the sword again, and twists it as she sends a burst of lightning through the metal. In trying to compensate for her doubts, she's become a bit crueler than usual.

(But it can't possibly be "cruel" if it's done to heartless robots...)]

[ barnaby doesn't even have time to react, to move, to think, but when she twists the blade the pain sets in, awful and wrenching and almost impossibly horrible. and when the lightning hits..

the sound of his own raw visceral scream is in his ears but barnaby doesn't remember choosing to scream, he doesn't remember anything at all past this awful moment. is he screaming? is that really his voice? what a horrific sound. and then the lightning is gone and his head is spinning, everything sounds fuzzy and his world turns black around the edges as his body crumples forward against his partner's. ]

Ko.. Kotet...

[No, nononono—]

Bunny—!!

[It's frantic, strangled, as he forces himself to move; he wraps his hand around the nape of Bunny's neck and clings. He hasn't been this scared in a while, and a dull, sharp pain in his torso is overshadowed by what weighs down his heart. He can barely keep himself on his elbow, shaking at the effort, combing back Barnaby's bangs as his eyes flicker to the wound, to his face-]

Please don't... [it's a choppy request, his breathing stunted] Bunny, hang on—please, don't. We...

[... can't do anything. He can barely move.

Tears stream down his face. Moving is too hard now and he's lost too much blood, but he doesn't care if he dies. Collapsing, the arm around Bunny hugs him close. They're both going to die, and there's nothing he can do, and it's all his goddamn fault because he wasn't good enough-]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry—

Goddammit-

[He's failed Pao-lin, and he's failed Barnaby.

Bunny didn't deserve this. None of them did.

Goddammit.

Goddammit.]

[The first thing Kazooie hears is the screaming.

Late-night runs are not unusual for her, and with Pao-Lin missing, she'd been keeping an eye out for her buddy more than usual - the Malnosso-guys kidnapped people at random, of course, and it could have easily been her. And of course - Kazooie is a hero. Screaming at night? That is something she can't ignore, not on good conscience.

She knew the Malnosso could do things, grotesque things that she could hardly even fathom, much less expect - and in a world where nothing ever becomes truly horrifying, would Kazooie ever expect something like this?

But she cannot deny what she sees when she sprints into the clearing. She cannot deny that it has happened, no matter how terrifyingly incomprehensible.

That's Pao-Lin, she thinks numbly, staring down her friend - or what should be her friend, what looks like her friend with a blade stabbed through someone's chest. There's blood everywhere, and the air stinks of burnt flesh, and there are two people on the ground bleeding.

That's Pao-Lin and she just hurt somebody.

Pao-Lin wouldn't do this. Couldn't do this. This isn't like her - this isn't like a Hero. No Hero would kill someone so brutally, so grotesquely -]

Pao-Lin! Stop! What the heck are you doing -?!

[Even as Kazooie is yelling, anger and fear turning her normally-shrill voice even higher, she's closing the distance between them. Her talons leave furrows in the dirt as she swerves heavily towards the prone figures on the ground, trying to get a better look at who they are. She doesn't know them well - she talked to one of them, and he said he was a Hero too, didn't he? The dark-haired one.

This isn't fair. This isn't right.]

You're a Hero! Why are you doing this?!

[She doesn't want to fight Pao-Lin, but... but if Pao-Lin is going to do this, then she has to be stopped.

She has to be.]

[At the sound of yet another unfamiliar voice calling her by name, Pao-Lin glances up -- and does a double take.

It's a bird. A big, red, cartoon bird.

What the hell?!

Pao-Lin places a foot on Barnaby's back so she can more easily pull out her blade. She swiftly snaps it to the side to shake off the blood before pointing it at Kazooie with a glower.]

Who are you?!

[ there's not much time left, barnaby knows - right now all that stands between him and death is what's left of his NEXT power, which is fading fast; a blow like this would have killed him almost immediately had his hundred power not been activated, but the brutal accuracy of the wound overcomes even that. he has precious seconds - not nearly long enough, a minute at most.

not enough. no time to say what he wants to say, what he should say. ]

Ko--

[ but he can't talk anyway, the blood is choking him, blocking his throat, his lungs feel tight, constricted, and anything he might have said dies on his tongue.

i'm sorry, kotetsu.

all he can do is collapse into a shuddering heap once the blade is drawn from his body, flung down against kotetsu like a sack of grain, useless and fading. at the very least he is able to tip his chin up to look into his partner's stricken face, but even that is a feat of strength. his green eyes are glassy, glazed, and he finds that he isn't afraid, he's too shocked to be afraid, but he's so deeply, incredibly sorry. if he'd been faster, if he hadn't been so stupid..

all of this. all of it is his fault. ]

[Whatever they're talking about, whatever's going on outside of his small bubble of panic, Kotetsu's not really aware of it.

He knows what's coming - feels the blood pouring out across his stomach. Barnaby won't last much longer. No one can help them, not now. Bunny's face is a blur in his vision, and he's trying desperately to hold until consciousness, but he's breathless and paralyzed. His hands are numb; they might as well not exist anymore. The firm grip he has on his partner's body loosens and his arm swags, dead-weight, on the other's shoulder.

It's not much longer that his eyes roll back, eyelids sliding shut against his will. He can't stay awake anymore; that last thing he sees is a flash of blonde and red flashing to night colors as his head falls back against the grass.

It would be the last blurry image of his partner he'd get to see for a painfully long while.]

Edited 2012-05-09 05:30 (UTC)

[Kazooie sees the others slump - either they're dead or dying, she doesn't know which. They don't disappear like dead things at home do; they just lie there and bleed and bleed and bleed -

Red. So much red. Fresh and wet, and everywhere, somehow more ominous and almost sick against the cheerfully-fake red of her own feathers.

Her green eyes are wide and snapping like coals.]

I'm Kazooie.

[She says it with a kind of cold calmness as she appraises the situation. Pao-Lin doesn't remember me. Pao-Lin is taller and older and angrier.

The Malnosso did something to her. She's dangerous now.

She has to be stopped.]

I'm your friend. But I'm a hero too, and I'm not gonna sit here and let you hurt people.

Not without a fight!

[She narrows her eyes, her wings trembling only very slightly at the edges.]

You're not giving me a choice, Pao-Lin!

[Pao-Lin has no idea what Kazooie is babbling about (friend? Hero? Yeah, right), but quite frankly at the moment she doesn't care. All that matters at the moment is that Kazooie is clearly an obstacle in her way -- one that comes with much less uncomfortable baggage than the two slumped over in a bloody heap not a few feet away. It does make her a bit uneasy that she has to confront Kazooie before she can truly check if she's finished things, but at least both Barnaby and Kotetsu look like they're in no shape to even stand, and surely a cartoon bird, as strange as the sight is, can't be that much of a challenge.

(but why was the job so easy, it shouldn't have been that easy --)

With that in mind, the once-chatty girl spares no words as she rushes Kazooie with an electrically-charged blade.]

[If that's how she's gonna play, then Kazooie will do the same - there's no time for words or messing around. There's only fighting - anger, boiling hot, as red as the blood that stains the dirt around the two slumped at Pao-Lin's feet.

Kazooie swerves hard, both getting away from those bodies - she doesn't want them to get hurt any more than they already have been - before turning to face her opponent. The sharp edge of her beak looks much less comedic when she turns it forward, but what might be especially strange is the fact she stops and spews one of her trademark Eggs.

Right now she's feeling Pao-Lin out - putting off the actual painful strikes in favour of distracting her and getting an idea of what those Hero powers of hers actually do. It's just a plain Blue Egg right now, intended more to distract and confound - this Pao-Lin doesn't remember Kazooie, so she won't expect it, and if Kazooie sets a precedent now that her attacks are all like this weak pittance of a blow, so much the better.

She'll take Pao-Lin by surprise.

... Why is this like a Snarebear's jaws twisting in her gut? Why does this hurt so much to do?

She once fought someone who masqueraded using her friend's face. Isn't this the same? Isn't this like a dumb robot version of Pao-Lin, somebody who walks and talks like her but isn't real?

... Except Kazooie knows she is real, on some level, and that it's not Pao-Lin's fault, it's the Malnosso's - but it doesn't stop her from being angry that she won't listen. Angry that she won't understand, that she won't stop hurting people when she's better than that...!

... And, the most infuriating of all - Pao-Lin forgot her. Pao-Lin, her friend, forgot who Kazooie even was. Forgot how important Kazooie was to her.

...

Forgot how important she was to Kazooie.

It's not something she can ever forgive the Malnosso for taking away from her, even for a brief moment. And right now, she uses this rage to forget how much it hurts to decide to attack her friend.]

[Pao-Lin dodges that Blue Egg without even batting an eye. Yeah, as weird as this confrontation is, she doesn't think it'll take long. She lashes out with her sword again, flinging out bolts of white-blue lightning in Kazooie's direction.]

[Lightning, huh?

Kazooie shifts the set of her beak and veers hard. The bolt lances past her - it reminds her of one of Gruntilda's attacks, actually - and sets the air to crackling. Her feathers stand on end.

But she's already setting up the next move. Her eyes, narrowed to slits, focus on the hilt of Pao-Lin's katana.

Then she spits out another volley of Blue Eggs, intended to spray flechette-like across Pao-Lin's abdomen - it won't hurt much, but it might displace her sword so Kazooie can get in close.]

[She rushes to the side to dodge it -- only to slam side-first into a tree she hadn't noticed.

WHAM!

It's that, moreso than Kazooie's attack, that stuns her for a few valuable moments. And since she impacted her sword arm in the process, she's dropped her weapon.]

[A few seconds, precious and short.

It wasn't what Kazooie expected, but it works well enough for her purposes. Taking the opportunity, she leaps forward - it's a surprising distance for such a small bird - and drives her beak hard into Pao-Lin's side.

As she does, she feels the softness of Pao-Lin's body, and the organic sensation which is so different from attacking the enemies at home. It makes Kazooie feel sick, but she can't back down now.]

[More breath is stolen from Pao-Lin's body as Kazooie's beak stabs into her side. With her eyes tearing and heart hammering from the pain, she stumbles forward slightly. But she manages to recover enough to lash out with a crackling hand, blasting her lightning at full voltage.]

[This close, it can't not hit.

Pain sears through Kazooie's body - real, raw pain, as her Filial wings are scorched by the electricity running through her feathers. She lets out a shrill scream, some strange cross of the primordial agonized cry of a bird and the more sapient anguish and rage that she possesses.

It hurts. It hurts in more ways than just the pain. It hurts like when Mingy Jongo, in the garb of Mumbo Jumbo, first struck her. It hurts like being betrayed.

Kazooie pushes through the agony to get up close for another attempt to strike at Pao-Lin's arm. The razor edge of her beak tip, however, is all misaimed from the pain of the blow. Chances are, she won't hit what she's aiming at.]

[Kazooie's actually somewhat close, but as distracted as she is, it's easy for Pao-Lin to just spin and let the attack roll off her. She whirls around with a kick to Kazooie's side, hoping to put some distance between them. She probably could've just grabbed Kazooie and electrocuted her out of commission, but Pao-Lin's grown to like (for a certain loose, sardonic definition of the term) the physical finality afforded to her by the katana, and she can't get at her sword if Kazooie is in her space.]

[Kazooie, of course, knows where Pao-Lin is trying to go - it's incredibly obvious - but dizziness and pain afforded from losing a Honeycomb or so of health from the shock and subsequent kick to the side makes her unable to just chase.]

No...! Pao-Lin, you can't...

[It's futile, asking her to stop, but Kazooie does it anyway - a rare admission of weakness, as she tries desperately to do something.

She launches a flaming Fire Egg in Pao-Lin's direction from her stance, doubled-over as she is. It's too low to hit anything important, but the fire might serve as a distraction until Kazooie can get her bearings from the attack.]

[Though the flaming projectile takes Pao-Lin by surprise, it's another easy dodge for her. She dives away from it and towards the sword nearby. In one smooth motion, she hits the ground in a roll, snaps her sword up, and then makes a run for Kazooie, swinging bolts of electricity as she does so. A non-lethal plan for dealing with her current opponent is starting to form in her brain as well, but first she needs to get close to Kazooie again and hold onto her sword this time.]

[The Egg skitters uselessly to the ground, bursting into flickering embers that catch on the grass, setting it alight. There's not enough tinder in the area to, thankfully, make too large of a fire, but the flames provide a flickering backdrop to their fight - shadows dancing maniacally across the trunks of the trees, and the tang of smoke mixing with the blood in the air...

Kazooie feints to the side, managing to avoid the first few bolts as they leave scorch marks in the grass and on the dirt. The last one catches her outstretched wing as she banks hard, and she grimaces but doesn't stop as she brings her wings to bear in a spiralling Wing Whack.

Disproportionate cartoon force and a surprisingly-large reach combine to make an attack that would knock the wind out of an ordinary person... Of course, Pao-Lin is not an ordinary person.]

[No, she's not, but she's more ordinary than some of the other denizens of Luceti. When Pao-Lin gets smacked in the chest with the attack, she's half-stumbling backwards, half-doubling over as she coughs to try and catch her breath. Somewhat blindly, she swings out with her charged blade, hoping to stave off Kazooie taking advantage of her moment of weakness.]

[The sword sparks and crackles, the blade flipping out to glance off Kazooie's chest - it's enough to make her stagger back, squawking in frustration and pain as she swerves to avoid the point.

Feinting to the side, Kazooie tries to lash out in retaliation, stabbing at Pao-lin's arm again with her beak. In the process, this puts her frighteningly close to Pao-lin's swing...]

Revenge is a dish that is best served now.

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