Ashes and Echoes[Closed]

Head Admin Posts : 1380 Join date : 2013-09-05

Kirkka, Olivia, and Nathan are all walking up a flight of stairs on the way to Nathan's home.

"What? No! I'm not going to do that, Nathan. Dumbass."

"Aww, come on! It'll be fun! I won't even take pictures, how about that?"

"No."

"You're way more boring than you used to be, you know."

"I would never do what you are proposing! So stop suggesting it."

"You'll come around. Won't she?"

"..."

"I'll kill you if you even try."

"What!? I didn't even suggest anything!"

"I know that look. I've seen it a thousand times. Just open the damn door so we can go inside."

Nathan swipes his scroll over the door lock, and a green light flashes three times, signalling its unlocking. "Bah. Maybe we just need to work our way up to that."

"Just open the door and close your mouth." Kirkka pushes Nathan toward the door, making him either open it or have his face smashed into it. He decided the former was the better of the two options, and stepped inside, followed by the others. Olivia immediately walks to a chair, sitting down and pulling her Scroll out. Kirkka looks around, frowning at the insane mess everywhere. "How... Nathan, how do you even own this much crap? And why? Do you wear different clothes every day?"

"Pff! No! ... not everyday. Look, All I'm saying is you just do it once. Once! You can even skip giving me a birthday present this year!"

Kirkka stares at him with an unamused expression, almost like she wants to kick him in the face. But somehow, she managed to restrain herself.

Olivia just sighs in her chair, tapping on the screen of her scroll a few times. "Vhere is Sacha? Is he here already?"

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Kirkka moves her hand up to her forehead. "I told him to meet us here, and gave him the code to get in. Doesn't look like he is here yet, though." She passes Nathan, glaring at him as she does, and steps into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for something that passes as a drink.

"I wonder if Sacha can convince you!" Nathan says, passing the kitchen entrance and heading into the adjacent room. However, he stops in the doorway, pausing for a few seconds.

"He can't, I promise you."

"Um... yeah, I believe that. Come here. Now." Nathan's voice is different than usually, having much heavier tone than normal. He then hurried into the room, and his voice is heard from inside.

Kirkka rolls her eyes and walks into the room after Nathan, expecting some ridiculous ploy by him. Olivia stood and followed her quietly, still looking at her scroll until she makes it inside, seeing the scene before her with Kirkka and Nathan just in front of her. She flips the light switch behind her up, illuminating the room.

"Sacha, man, you alive!?" Nathan hurriedly asks as he looks at his teammate across the room.

Posts : 960 Join date : 2013-09-13 Age : 38

Had Nathan waited, he would have his answer as his teammate was illuminated. His arms and legs were gone, chunks of flesh and bone scattered about the chair he sat in testament to the fact they were ground away, the char marks making it clear the wound was cauterized on the way down to keep him from bleeding out too quickly. It was hard to tell from his expression how quickly or slowly he had died, as his jaw hung loose. Broken, in seventeen places. His teeth all lie on the ground in front of him.

Sacha wore only a pair of shorts. But his chest bore a message, carved into his flesh. A number. Three bloody numerals.

527

"Five hundred and twenty-seven. The number of people who died in Astus Fortuna because of this team."

He appeared in front of them, standing off to the side. Reaper's hood was down, his face clearly visible, as he glared at the three survivors of Team KYNS. Before they could move, or react, three more Frumentarii had blinked in, Scire Pacem in gun mode and leveled at the three.

"... You know. In case memory had slipped from @&#$ing mind... Six years is ever a long time... isn't it?"

Head Admin Posts : 1380 Join date : 2013-09-05

Olivia had her guns halfway out of their holsters as the scene rapidly unfolded around her, but caught herself and released them as they became outnumbered. Had Kirkka given the word, she believed she would have been able to down one of them instantly, evening the fight. But Kirkka didn't flinch as her expression darkened with Reaper revealing himself. He thinks we'd forget? Forget how we were betrayed and were forced to take the blame? Kirkka had taken a step forward, at the same time Nathan backed up slightly, shifting their positions automatically to prepare for a fight.

"We've not forgotten. I see you still believe that it was our fault and not our... benefactor." Kirkka speaks monotonously, until she refers to the group that originally convinced them to go on their mission. "Whatever makes you all seem more superior to us, I suppose? Come to finish us... off..?" Her eyes flicker over her fallen teammate, and the numbers carved into his chest before returning to face Reaper. Five twenty seven... it was five hundred and twenty eight I thou- I.. see. "No... not yet. You can't do that yet, can you?"

Nathan's stance is somewhat aggressive, but he knows better than to act in such a situation. Olivia is looking around at the various intruders, waiting for the order. All three members seem to have their wits about them, even after seeing their friend and teammate in that state. Still, they are fighting to maintain control of themselves, visible by signs of unease and anger. Kirkka has more experience in dealing with her emotions, and has revealed next to nothing that she didn't wish to, however.

Posts : 960 Join date : 2013-09-13 Age : 38

Nonus smiled. "No. Killing you all now wouldn't do at all. Despite what some of our number would think...

Sheaf pulled her hood and mask down and approached Nathan, jabbing the pointy end of her Scire Pacem just deep enough into his side to pierce his coat and shirt, and barely break skin. "I believe you owe me an arm..."

"Not now," Reaper scolded, looking at Kirkka. "No matter how you push off the blame, the fact remains that you took out that life support system... You killed five hundred of my people... My charges... My support..."

As he spoke, Nonus began breathing deeper, until he launched himself at Kirkka, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her at Sacha. Four more Frumentarii appeared, physically restraining the other two survivors of Team KYNS.

"MY #$&@ING SON." Reaper was right on her, pressing her face into Sacha's chest. "... And so my first step... was to take a member of your 'family' from you... The first..."

=====

An explosion. Screams of terror, shock, and pain. A car has just exploded on a busy street. The number of victims is carefully recorded by a figure in a long coat and hood, before the observer vanishes.

=====

"... You... Your team of murderers... were just a tool... Taking one of you first... that's just personal..."

The explosion on the street below could be heard, as Nonus throws Kirkka back to her comrades.

"... No. If your 'friend' was the first... What do you think is coming?"

Another explosion. The building shakes.

A cold, cruel smile crossed Nonus's face as his eyes went from Kirkka, to Nathan, to Olivia. "... Release them and depart. I want to see how the years have treated the remains of Team KYNS... Or is just... K(ay) (wh)Y (en)N now?"

Per their leader's orders, the other Frumentarii depart. Leaving Nonus alone, with the Huntsmen.

"... Come. Avenge your friend. ... Or try, at any rate..."

Head Admin Posts : 1380 Join date : 2013-09-05

Kirkka did not resist, allowing herself to be dragged around. Her expression at first was blank, but when she was thrown back toward Olivia and Nathan, a mix of anger and terror could be easily seen, even if it was partially hidden. She stands slowly, not responding to Nonus's questions. Instead, she watches as the others all take their leave, her eyes passing over her two remaining teammates before returning to the Reaper.

”I see. So you cannot find the one who caused this whole mess either. Well, if we are tools...” She shifts into a combat stance, her staff being separated into two parts, one held defensively, the other ready to strike. Her face changes, revealing a wealth of anger and rage. ”Then we will serve our purpose!” A cone of freezing dust flies out from Kirkka's staff directed as Nonus, making it difficult to see Nathan and Olivia's actions, as 6 rounds erupt from the twin pistols in Olivia's hands, followed by Nathan charging Nonus just after the dust blast. His sword is finishing its transformation as he makes a wide sweep at Nonus's stomach.

Posts : 960 Join date : 2013-09-13 Age : 38

Reaper didn't stick around for the dust blast, flickering and vanishing as Olivia's shots passed through the air.

He didn't remain hidden for long, as a hair-thin lance of light pierced the wall from another room, rapidly expanding into a beam a foot in diameter that passed dangerously close to Nathan's head before dissipating. It was followed by a second, a third, a seventh. Each flaring to life and fading rapidly, as Nonus fired into the room. Sacha's already bloody torso was grazed by several shots, sending burnt bits of skin and congealed blood flying throughout the room, only for the dead huntsman and a good chunk of the wall to go flying when Nonus kicked in the wall.

He didn't remain, however, vanishing again before re-appearing behind Nathan, his foot flashing forth with the augmented strength and speed of his low profile power armor with intent to kick the sharpshooter in the back.