Y.Z. Act IV [PG-16]

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"It's okay, Solomon, we came here expecting as much." Sid sighed as he guided the woman beside him up to the other man. Evaline looked at Solomon with worried eyes, despite the fact that she seemed to be in an even worse condition. "Is there any way of you sneaking away from the King at any point? Perhaps in the night? What I have to share isn't something for the ears of everyone… Actually, she has matters to discuss with you as well…"

"Solomon, are you really okay here? Shouldn't you leave?" Evaline interjected, rather disheartened from the whole experience. "Surely he isn't treating you well! You could come with us now!"

"Now now, Princess. Calm down, you know it's bad for your health if you get too worked up." Sid grabbed hold of her to calm her down

---

"Oh, you know, I was out sampling the lollipop and gumdrop trees in the magical fairy land of make believe…" Soren replied sarcastically with a smile, trying to at least lighten up the mood a little bit as he ran a hand through his hair in disarray. Where was RAY? She was late, and there was little chance it was on purpose. Had she been found? Although, he feared when the synthetic girl made her appearance, the others, particularly Natalija, wouldn't be too pleased. RAY wasn't exactly the most charming of people, let alone the fact that she was partially responsible for the events in Meredy. "In all seriousness, let's just say the quiet little Miki we met a while ago saved my life through some extraordinary means. Let's also say I was in the custody of the enemy for a short while." Of course, he'd probably get questions over this later, but for now it was the best reply he could give without getting into too much detail. He wouldn't mention it to them yet, but he'd been getting a nagging feeling ever since Pethalamine had disappeared, as if it was a premonition of things to come.

Aya, on the other hand, was confused. She still had very little idea what was going on, but she knew she was responsible for Pethalamine's disappearance and would probably be strictly punished for it. If only she hadn't left her alone, then maybe none of this would have happened. She sat in her seat, staring at the ground with disappointed and scared eyes, as if she was on death row. The organization wasn't one to kill those who made mistakes, but she could be stripped of her ranks or worse, which would mean she wouldn't have her education funded anymore. If that were the case, she'd be forced to get remedial work to barely get by in life, but she didn't want that!

Her thoughts were interrupted as the figure that was her leader opened the door and stepped in. Her eyes glanced at Soren for but a moment, glancing away and then back at him again as if she was shocked by his presence. She'd have to talk to him later about what happened. Her eyes then wandered to Aya as she pushed white bangs out from in front of her eyes. "What occurred today was something that none of us could have prevented, is what I'd like to say, and is what I feel, but unfortunately the other executives feel a degree of blame is to be placed on you, Aya. I'm sorry I didn't consider the fact that Exeri would invade our own community…" The girl seemed saddened, shaken up as if she had been scolded in whatever meeting she had been involved in. Perhaps her position of power wasn't as great as Soren had originally given her credit for. "As a result, you'll need to be punished. But, I pulled some strings and had your punishment softened. Instead of demotion and abolishment from the organization, the consensus was that you should escort our guests back to the surface and aid them in the task we have for them."

"Er… sorry?" Soren perked up at the thought of going back up to the surface again. It seemed like they were only being used to accomplish some goal. Luckily, it wasn't as shallow as he assumed it was going to be. Or, at least, it didn't seem that way.

"We want to send you back to the surface. As the only surface dwellers that know about this world, you are the only ones with the knowledge to convince the upper leaders of this world and the threat Exeri presents. Now that they're aware that you are all down here, as well, it's important we get you out of their grasp as well." Miki sighed as she took a seat beside Aya, looking rather fatigued. It was no doubt something had gone wrong. "As you heard, Aya will be going with you. But I as well will come, for the sake of meeting with a boy who might be rather helpful for our cause. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so gather anything you need in the meantime. I've had security increased throughout the city, so you should have nothing to worry about, I'd hope."

Aya was out of it. She was going… to the surface? To where she was born? Her homeland?
 
Solomon looked up, a wry, bemused smile twisting his lips, "Can I get away? Sure can, right now, tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, anytime I want, Piper can't stop me." He leaned back a little, his smile growing sturdier with confidence. It was just a front. He wanted to crumple into a helpless ball on the ground. The glorious, golden chance! Exactly what he'd been waiting for, for so many years! "But I can't go with you anymore." Solomon stood, pushing the sleeve of his pristine black suit back to examine the hands on his silver watch, "I've left Carn before, about a decade ago, but if I cross the borders without the King's permission now, I run the risk of having my company getting a royal kick in the ass." He chuckled half-heartedly, "Literally. Anyway, Piper treats me the same as he used to, most of the time, so it's not like I'm suffering. Well, compared to the other advisors…" He trailed off, thinking of some other occurrences. But the memory that their fates hadn't been solely Piper's fault snapped Solomon back to the matter at hand as he avoided his thoughts. Patting Evaline on the head, as if he were still fourteen and she, seven, he strolled past her and her guard, looking up and around at the ceiling.

"I'll be fine though." He stated vaguely, "There's no need for you to worry." He turned again to face Sid, "I can pull political strings for you unless Piper decides to blocks them, but he won't. He never really notices. The only problem is, I can't help you outside of Carn. A friend of mine can, however, if you're interested in roping in Beta for your cause. He should be arriving at my home in about half an hour. I have to meet him there, and if you'd like to accompany me, you may. He'll be here all week, so please drop by at your leisure if now is not convenient."


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Dimitri didn't get it at first, but as soon as it hit him that Soren was just kidding around, a tentative smile graced Dimitri's face. He wasn't sure if he should laugh or brush it off, but he chose the latter, "Well I guess what matters is that you're in one piece." He said, awkwardly trying to fish out of his memory as to how he acted the last time he was under moderately normal circumstances with Soren. He realized with amusement that he'd pretty much never been in a normal environment with him. But apparently now, such was life. Unfortunately, he was a little too worried to be amused to the point where he would be able to go back to normal. Otherwise, he probably would've tried to cheer up Aya, who looked quite apprehensive as to her fate. Otherwise, he probably would've given Miki a cheerful greeting, perhaps to also try to lighten the mood. Instead, he listened quietly and attentively, resisting the urge to interrupt the once strange girl who had ridden beside him on his skyboard. "Wait a second," Dimitri interjected, his brow furrowed in displeasure, "What about Pethalamine? She's down here, isn't she? I want to look for her- maybe try to save her or something. We can't just…" He trailed off, slumping into a seat. Leave her behind? But isn't that technically exactly what they'd done to Soren? And Soren didn't even seem to notice. A pang of guilt hit Dimitri square in the cheek and he shut up.

"Right," Natalija scoffed, finding the whole fiasco rather comical, "You, who couldn't protect Pethalamine in your own home base, will protect us in our territory. Right, I'll put my stock in that. But hey, I'm not against going back up. Means less time lugging this baby around." She patted the wooden box slung across her shoulder like a messenger bag, "When are we leaving?"

"Uh, and I need my skyboard… before we go." Dimitri mentioned sheepishly, knowing that it was a stupid request in such a time of crisis. But it was the only real thing he actually owned nowadays, so he wasn't exactly keen on the idea of leaving it in a world that might not be accessible later on.

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White lilies popped out of the ground nearly everywhere, swaying in the gentle breeze as a dark figure strolled down the cobblestone path. Behind him, a quaint little home stood silently, the small build suggesting a once tight fit for the family that lived inside it. But ask anyone in town, and they would tell you that the family who lived there was the happiest around- and the traces remained. An aging picnic table on a porch leading into the backyard, a swinging bench, a hammock and swing hanging from the large trees protecting the house from outsiders. It wasn't big, but it had all the necessities of a dream home. The inside, deafeningly quiet and empty, was just as simple as the exterior. Plain pastel papered walls, soft carpet and hardwood flooring, homey furnishings, and a fire place that had obviously been used many times during it's prime. Hardly the place where you would think a genius boy who ended up losing the race to the top would have grown up. Hardly the place where you'd think an agent of Exeri lived his life, carefree and unhindered. Hardly the place where you'd think to find a wealthy man's orphan. Hardly the place where you'd think she'd blossomed into the leader of a resistance movement. But it was here where everything… everything began.

Holding a bouquet of hibiscus flowers, Giles Orlando Aliot stood as lonely as his home, at least five miles away from the nearest town. How things had spiraled out of control like this, he'd been unable to grasp. Then again, that was why he'd lost his title as a prodigy. Because there were things that he still couldn't understand. He laid the bouquet down between two granite plaques, brushing roots, twigs and dirt off of the glossy black surface that read off the names of his parents: Orlando James Aliot, and Lillian Reira Aliot. Kneeling on one knee for just a moment, Giles read the dates, the names, the details of each before standing again. Looking around himself, he found he much preferred this scene of calm peace. Just a light, cool breeze that felt good on your face- that made the grass and flowers rustle in an orchestra of soothing sound. Nothing to see but home, and miles of nature. Where had he lost all that? Perhaps when he went to the crowded, plugged up cities for University?

Giles turned back down the path he'd came. The path that lead directly north from the back door to the two plaques that held a memory of his parent for as long as this land remained untouched.

Just a little longer now, and his last stretch of freedom would be gone, no thanks to that little punk. He'd better not have forgotten his promise already, Giles thought, lighting a cigarette and peering up at the dimming sky, where the first signs of stars were beginning to glow.


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"Ah…" Serge hesitated. Tealia. Were those bandages…? No, that couldn't be right. Anyone not in the barriers had been utterly annihilated, hadn't they? It wasn't like a bomb or anything. "I see." He followed up with a cheerful smile that he only put half of his honesty in, "Well I don't know Flazure as well as Rosalynne does, so I can't help you out, but I hope you don't mind if I accompany you. I'm not sure I should let my little sister walk around town on her own- I haven't been very good about that lately, but better late then never. Uh, shall we go to… wherever you want to go?"
 
"Well, the truth is, I don't think there is a whole lot that can be done politically." Sid muttered quietly, so that only the three could hear. "As for the reasoning, I'd rather present it before both you and your friend. However, before I meet with you both, I should probably take the Princess to get cleaned up and rested, so perhaps in the morning tomorrow?" Evaline nodded in agreement, though she was more distracted by Solomon. Had he been lying about how he was being treated? He was definitely still keeping something from her... Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by the nostalgic feeling of having her head patted by him. It had been a very long time since that last happened, before she was sent to Tealia at least. But how long ago was that? She had lost track of time a long while ago. After all, what use was time when you were held essentially captive in a castle?

---

Soren understood where Dimitri was trying to come from. It didn't make sense for them to just leave Pethalamine behind, but on the other hand what could they really do about it? They knew little to nothing about this land, it's people, it's science. They'd have to waste time learning all of these things if they wanted to save her themselves, so it was only natural that to save her quickly, they themselves would not be sent to do it. Besides, if someone was good enough to snatch up Pethalamine, that would mean they must be strong. That, or they were really smart with how they went about catching her. For all they knew, they could have gotten her with some strange technology they'd never seen or heard of due to it's underground origins.

"You, who couldn't protect Pethalamine in your own home base, will protect us in our territory." Natalija spoke up in a manner that was to be expected of her, although it had a much more severe effect than usual. Aya, who was already distressed enough about her whole failure, took the girl's words personally and began to cry quietly to herself. Although, it didn't become apparent until Natalija finished her selfish little rant, and Aya rose from her seat and left the room, probably to go off finish crying somewhere.

Soren rose from his seat shortly after. He needed to find RAY, and it wouldn't hurt to check on the girl at the same time. Before he left, however, he gave Natalija a rather annoyed glare. Would she ever learn to consider the feelings of others? He sighed, and left the room.

"Well, Dimitri, you have until the morning to get it, and if you haven't gotten it, it should be in the holding room downstairs..." Miki explained, trying to dodge the sudden tension. It was unfortunate that Aya had a rather low self-esteem. She was a strong person otherwise...

---

"I'm sorry to trouble you!" Hailey exclaimed as she bowed to Serge suddenly. "I promise I'll have my escort repay you when we find her!" The small girl looked deep in thought for a moment before finally speaking again. "I think she said that if we got separated, to meet her at the entrance to the town. But, I can't remember where we came in and I've become a little disoriented as to my location... If you could just help me get there, I'd be ever so greatful!"

---

How long had it been now? A great number of years, that much was certain, since he had been locked up in this ridiculous prison in Telfin. The extremely thin man had committed no crime other than not being a Skill and living with his beloved in that city, but they stripped him of his freedom and exiled his lover. Ex-Lieutenant Ashton Tappen was in no condition to do much of anything in the near future. His once red hair had grown long and untamed, his unfed, thin ,thirty eight year old body draped in nothing but a common rag to keep himself warm in the cold, dark cell. He wasn't even sure why he tried so hard to stay alive anymore. It was quite obvious he'd never be freed to see Auricia, and with what his ears had caught about Alta and Meredy, it seemed likely he'd die in that cell through supernatural means before he died of hunger or old age.

---

"KI, I have something I'd like to ask of you." The shadowy man spoke to his synthetic human assistant as he browsed through Giles' record of the last day or two. Both that bogey and RAY were now reported as missing, which meant he was doing something he shouldn't be. Of course, KI would have nothing to say against what her master was about to ask of her. She was loyal, through and through. After all, she was just a machine. "I'd like you to work alongside Mr. Giles for a little while. Remind him what his job is supposed to be, would you?"

"Yes master." The blue haired synthetic spoke in reply.
 
"Mmmm! This is pretty damn good."

Solomon's brow furrowed, but the blinding light that was burning his eyelids prevented him from opening his eyes. What the heck. Who gave the maids permission to open his curtains before he'd woken up? Who-…. Who the heck was speaking? Solomon bolted upright, his tousled blonde hair flying away as he came face to face with Levi sitting at the end of his King sized bed. Dirty boots on his perfect silk sheets and comforter! Eating a parfait like it was his own home! Solomon sighed, letting his head fall back onto his pillow, "Go away." Solomon groaned, his voice muffled by the soft object beneath his head. He was in no mood for Levi's antics. Not after a disaster like yesterday. He just wanted to sleep the day away, not get out of bed all day. A red flag flew up in the back of Solomon's head, telling him that he was forgetting something extremely important- but who cared? He was exhausted. After he'd gotten home last night, there had been another huge pile of pointless things to sign and sift through. All the transportation that had burst into activity after people began moving around in search of a safer place to live was overloading his company. Airships were flown in for repairs and out of the hangar within hours. Solomon wouldn't be surprised if he'd have to go in himself and start doing some extra handiwork himself soon.

"Nope!" Levi replied cheerfully to Solomon's lifeless command, "I intent to enjoy my parfait, and bother you for the next week or so. Dieter has already started to move, and it'll take him about a week to get here. Once he's here, I'll go ahead and run along, but for the time being… RISE AND SHIIIINE SOLOMON THE SOL SHINE OF THE WORLD, RISE AND- oof!" A pillow slammed square into Levi's face as Solomon grumbled about waking up early, dragging himself out of bed to get dressed.

The red flag waved again, and Solomon realized what he'd forgotten. Crap, Evaline and her guard guy was coming today!

"Levi!" Solomon grabbed the man in question by the collar, "Go downstairs and wait for Evaline. She'll be here soon with some guy to talk about protecting Carn from a potential attack. I know you're busy with helping your skill friend, but I need you to talk to Rasch and some other businessmen if the guy wants to get other countries in on this too." Solomon snapped his fingers and a fresh set of clothes was by his side in less than a minute, "I can't leave Carn, so you have to do this for me. I'm going to take a shower- don't say or do anything stupid. Treat it like a transaction, Levi. A transaction. I'll invest some more in your bank if you'll just do this one thing right for me." With that, Solomon disappeared behind a door.

Levi, baffled as he sat on the edge of the luxurious bed with his spoon halfway to his mouth said nothing during the entire tirade. "… Okay!" He called at the tightly shut door, "… Whatever!"

He stuck the spoon in his mouth and scrambled off the bed, handing the half-eaten dessert to a maid before bursting out the door to Solomon's room. He slid down the banister, propelling himself along by means of wionus, and before one could even blink, he was sitting on the railing on the first floor, sighing with impatience. "He's acting like I'm late but they're not even here yet!" Who was coming? Levi wasn't sure. Why were they coming? Levi wasn't sure. But hey, it was important to Solomon, which meant the person coming was important, and the reason they were coming was also of importance. Probably.


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Natalija dampened, her haughty attitude sliding off like a glove as she watched Aya leave, "I-I wasn't talking about you! I was talking about-…." Natalija trailed off, flushing when Soren glared at her. It wasn't as if he knew Aya at all, and yet here he was acting like she'd just committed a huge sin! Oohh how infuriating to be thrown into a stereotype like that! She actually didn't mind Aya, even if… it was true that she thought that, as a bodyguard, the girl was useless. But she'd done a lot to help Natalija, and really? She had a good sense of fashion, which was more than enough to leave Natalija simmering in her own annoyance at picking the wrong words.

"Nice." Dimitri commented off-handedly.

"SHUT UP!" Natalija screeched as Dimitri pretended not to notice, paying attention to Miki now as he plastered on a faded smile.

"Oh thanks, I'll go get it now. I'm not going anywhere, so nobody'll see it, hopefully." Dimitri replied, looking over to the guide who had brought Natalija and Soren to the room, "So uh, where is this holding room…?"

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"Uh…" Serge leaned back in surprise, "Sure, no problem." Who the heck bowed these days? "The entrance… um. Well like I said, I'm not really sure where that is since I haven't been wandering around Flazure much. Rosalynne, you know where it is, right…?" Serge asked, uncomfortable with Hailey's excitement and expectations.

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"Mary, I'm closing up," A man with ruby red hair announced as he turned a sign hanging in the doorway over, "Put up the chairs, would you?" He appeared no older than twenty-two, though his actual age was probably debatable. His frame was thin and angular, a scrunchy plaid monochrome scarf around his neck, while a long gray t-shirt fit loosely around his torso. A pair of distressed black jeans stuffed into the tops of his black military boots made this rather trendy look drop his age another handful of years, and the signature eyepatch was still stretched around his head. Dieter Glynn Isidior was different. His personality was different, his appearance was different, and he was just… different. Considerably calmer, the lack of any real sources of blood or gore to excite him had dulled his once impatient and sadistic attitude. After all, common bar brawls, which happened a lot at the Bloody Mary, were pretty damn boring. And besides, it would be a bad influence on the little teenage girl who helped him out. He'd picked her up simply on a whim when he was first shut up in Telfin, before all hell had broken loose with Auricia. A toddler at the time, she'd since grown into quite the young lady. A surprise, considering her legal guardian had once been a demon.

"Okay, coming!" The sound of light feet pattered across the ceiling before Mary herself appeared, stumbling down the stairs as fast as her feet could go. She was thirteen, well trained in the ways of the world, but was still lovable and sweet. Her brown hair was pulled into two twintails on either side of her head, softly curled to sit in front of her shoulders. Of course, she was the one who did her own hair. Her eyes were huge, innocent and green with a button nose and a cheerful smile on her face. Dieter watched her rather unsympathetically as she missed a few steps and fought to regain her balance. He lit a cigarette and sighed as he moved past the gate that kept customers from wandering into Dieter's territory.

"Walk slower, you're gonna trip and break something." Dieter hung his apron on a coat rack behind the bar, dumping his rag in the sink.

"Kay." Mary replied, pulling chairs up onto the tables.

"I'm gonna be gone tonight."

"Kay!"

"I might not come back."

"Kay~"

"Ever."

Mary dropped the stool that had been in her hands, not even flinching at the fact that it had fallen on her toes. The red marks on her feet disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. "Why?" She demanded in a defeated little soprano trill.

Dieter smiled and motioned her over to the bar. Mary skillfully jumped atop the counter and spun around so that her feet sat in the stainless steel sink. "I'm gonna bust Uncle Ash outta jail." He whispered, smirking as Mary's face lit up in excitement.

"No way!"

One couldn't be completely pure when raised by Dieter. "Take me with you!!" Mary squealed, "I can help! You know I can! And I can hold transformations for a long long time, so it won't be a problem, so take me with you!"

"Well what about the bar?" Dieter asked, motioning to the polished cherry oak structure, "You wanna shut it down?"

"I wanna go with you." Mary replied, ignoring the questions Dieter had asked. She knew it was his way of trying to make her stay.

"Not on the breakout. But we'll run past the bar, and you can come with us then, if all goes well." Dieter replied, not pressing the subject. "Either way, go upstairs for now, and lock all the doors and windows. I'm pretty sure you'll be getting some visitors if operation Get Outta This Bird Coop fails. Come on, go." He shooed Mary off, without giving her any details. She saw it as an adventure. Just another way to end an endless life. Dieter agreed. What an adventure it would be. But he knew now that this particular escapade meant something to Auricia. To Ashton. Dieter blew out a lungful of smoke, tugging at his hand. He couldn't fail. A self-confident grin passed his lips. One that hadn't graced his face since the days of killing and murdering en masse. Even if it failed, oh Dieter would have his fricking fun tonight whether the anal officials of Telfin wanted him to or not.
 
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"Back up to our world, huh?" Soren played with the idea in his mind for a little while before stepping outside of the big building for some fresh air. Surely it was a good thing that they were going back up, but would there even be anything waiting for them up there? What he had seen of Meredy - a ghost town - was disheartening to say the least, but there was a chance of anyone surviving? And, what if Exeri launched another attack on the world? What was there reason for doing so? There were too many questions that needed answering. Hands in his pockets, he wandered over to a large fountain in front of the building before taking a seat. The water caught the golden light the now-setting sun cast, which created a beautiful sight indeed. A light mist was cast off onto his wings, which ruffled slightly at the unusually chilly feeling. Would everything really be okay? Pethalamine's disappearance was troubling, but he hadn't known her enough to be truly upset. Did that make him a bad person?

The sound of footsteps to his side caught Soren's attention, although he didn't turn to look. "The rest of the people you've been with are probably thinking similar things, you know." RAY's voice, undoubtedly, spoke as the synthetic girl came into view, looking rather depressed. It was probable that she was having regrets about leaving Giles alone, which was why she had taken so long to catch up to him. Her blue eyes were sparkling in the shining light as she sat down beside whom was apparently her new master, long red hair blowing gently in the breeze behind her. Her small body was clad in a simple black dress with a white lace wrapped around the middle of her torso. She wore simple, petite boots and a headset seemed to be mounted on her head almost permanently, most likely for communication between her and Exeri. Was it still active?

It took Soren a moment to respond to what she said as he formulated his response. "Yeah, I know. They aren't just my concerns, they're everyone's." But still, it didn't make the answers come any easier. He had to figure out a way to ascertain what had happened to his family, first of all. While it didn't seem like it way down there, the surface was a total mess right now, which meant it would be hard to locate people even if they were alive...

---

When Rosalynne didn't respond to Serge's inquiry, Hailey took it upon herself to answer for the intentional mute. The lost girl couldn't help but wonder about what happened to these two she had found on her little adventure of misdirection. She wasn't going to ask, of course, since that would be rude, but she had the right to wonder. "I don't think she knows where it is, actually. She's been leading me around aimlessly thus far... I apologize for being a burden!" She bowed again, apparently troubled by the fact that she was causing them trouble.

"Ah! Hailey! There you are!" The voice of Kay wrang over the crowd as the young, brown haired women gently grabbed the small wrist of the girl she was supposed to be accompanying. "Man, I was so freaking terrified that I had lost you!" The girl had her shoulderlength hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a pair of jeans and a black halter-top. She looked exhausted. "If I didn't find you, Sid would have... ugh, I don't even want to think about it- Aren't you two the Davies children?" She suddenly changed the track of her conversation when she noticed Serge and Rosalynne. She had been the one who had saved their household from Exeri's last attack, so that's how they were acquainted provided the kids had any recollection of that day. The girl looked... out of it? Like she had no will to live. It wasn't surprising, considering what were probably her circumstances at the time...

---

"Um... excuse me? Is Solomon around here anywhere?" The essentially-former Princess Evaline inquired on the first floor of the place they had been directed to. Her filthy attire from the day before discarded, she was now clad in the strangest things for royalty to wear - a pair of blue jeans and a white blouse, her hair brushed back straight with her bangs parted to one side. She at least looked... better than the day before. Sid walked up behind her, still clad in the same suit from the day before. This was becoming a hassle. And would they even believe him?

OOC: RAY
 
Fwooooo….

Dieter let out a lungful of smoke, having taken the deepest drag he could manage before he finished his last pack in Telfin. Hopefully. Dropping the butt onto the cobblestone and crushing it with the toe of his textured boots, the ruby haired man took a swig of soda and let the bottle clatter to the floor. Lovely- gotta catch their attention first.

"Who's there?!" A gruff voice called, enticing Dieter to stroll out of the alleyway as if it weren't half past ten. Nobody had any business down in the prison at this hour, but the loose stride that Dieter used to stumble over to the two guards gave him the look of an average Friday night drunkard. Good. Let them think what they wanted. Let them think as much as they want, so long as they didn't act. "Ugh." The guard curled his lip at the strong smell of alcohol that Dieter constantly carried on himself, despite having never drank regularly, "Go home sir, this is no place fo-" The rest of the man's sentence was replaced with a sickening crunch and a disgusting squelch. Then another two matching sounds, coming from his companion. Ohhhhh yes. A demented smile curled onto the bartender's lips. It had been far too long since he'd gotten his fair share of blood. Pulling the knives out of the two men's head, Dieter chuckled to himself, the touches of insanity washing off of Dieter's face as he calmed down. Time to raise the roof.

"Loooo~sers." Dieter taunted at the dead bodies before spitting on the ground beside them. Gripping his left hand in his right, he dug his fingers into his own skin- harder, tighter, pulling with all the strength in his right arm. Crack! Dieter took a deep breath. There went the bones. One quick flick of the wrist- there went the skin and flesh. "Good. Now let's see if it still works..." The dismembered hand reformed itself into a gun, and Dieter smirked, waving it around before biting the barrel between his teeth to open the door with his remaining hand. "Pardon the intrusion." He muttered, amused as he closed the door behind him and slunk through the dark halls. The forearm of Dieter's now amputated left arm reformed itself into another gun, the trigger pulled by refiguring the upper part of his arm. Goodness knows it was a good thing he wasn't wearing his T-shirt, but rather a loose black, longsleeved top. "Good morning!" Dieter trilled, catching the attention of a guard and putting a bullet through his heart. "Or maybe not~!" He continued his carefree commentary, peering into various cells before something that was to be expected happened.

"There's the bell!" Dieter laughed, waving his gun at the bells ringing throughout the corridors. He turned to look at an inmate, grinning as the glint of madness returned to his eyes, "Sorry, but you're not who I'm looking for."

The old Dieter would've put holes through the man without a second thought. But this Dieter put holes in all the padlocks. Would the inmates run? Leave? Riot? Psh. As if Dieter cared. They could do whatever they wanted. He strolled deeper into the prison, putting bullet holes in padlocks and guards and just about everything, really. At one point, he met a rather valiant guard who sank a knife just inches away from his heart. Well it would've been game over, but unfortunately the little green horn missed. Dropping his gun, Dieter pulled off his eye patch, and watched in satisfaction as the blood that poured from his monstrous eye pierced straight though the other man's eye. It was like a one-man show, except the prisoners freed along the way were causing a bit of a ruckus too. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Dieter called, peering like an innocent schoolgirl into the different holding cells. Where was that pesky human?

"Low and behold, it's my old friend Ashton! Fancy seeing you here, huh?" Dieter snickered, putting a bullet through the locks on the human's cell and kicking the door open. He seemed to calm down at the sight of his target as he finally took the time to look over his shoulders, no longer shooting bullets left and right. Rather, he looked just as calm as he usually did behind the bar at the Bloody Mary. "Aaaalrighty then. Time to bust out of this chicken coop. Ah-" Dieter held up a finger, though that finger ended up somehow being his middle finger, "Not just this coop, for the record." He waved his hand around, "All'a Telfin. Oh and let me tell you somethin', your opinions mean just as much as they always have." Dieter tapped the place where his old collar had been, pointing out that it was no longer there, "Nothing. So we're bustin' out whether you like it or not. Damn, you human's age fast, don'tcha? And what's with your clothes?" Dieter pulled off his plaid scarf and draped it onto Ashton's head as he stepped back into the hall, "I'll get Mary to grab you some clothes." Dieter smirked as he shot another round of bullets down the hall, "Riot time, riot time~" He sang as he reattached his hand and lifted the skinny man with ease by the waist. "Keep your hands and feet off the ground, don't let your face eat pavement and we're good." He pointed his finger down the hall and a blaze of fionus erupted. It was now a race against the flames- except Dieter was the one igniting them as he went, and some of the flames didn't keep due to the fact that there was little in the prison to burn. But bodies made for good fuel and there was a good amount of those, whether it was from the rush to get out after being freed, or guards being killed and/or trampled in the process.

It wasn't hard to get out. There was so much chaos, Dieter only put bullets through about five or ten people before slinking back into the alleyways that he knew like the back of his hand. Through the inside workings of buildings, Dieter saluted to his friends, all mongrels or conmen who gave one look at Ashton and laughed. They'd have to find a new place to drink, they laughed as Dieter strolled through at a swift pace. "You've missed quite a bit Lieutenant," Dieter stated, unlocking a door and throwing it open to find an empty bar.

Dropping Ashton to the floor without much care for the aging man, Dieter called up the stairs, "Decided to take the inroads Mary! Get me three changes of clothes and get ready to split!"

"You're back already?!" The girlish voice trilled as quick footsteps sounded across the second floor, "O-Okay, I'll be right there!"

Dieter opened the refridgerator, pulling out a small container of pasta and a small glass bottle of milk. "That's all we have time for if you're planning on getting food in you before we get out of here. Mary!!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!! Should I bring my white blouse or my green one?!"

"WHO CAR…." Dieter heaved a heavy sigh, before calling back up the stairs, "THE GREEN ONE."

Flipping the tab of a grape soda can, Dieter leaned against the counter, examining his bloody shirt in silence. Eh. He wasn't too fond of silence. "Hope y'don't mind me busting your butt out of that place." Dieter commented, looking over at Ashton. He'd known it was the Lieutenant on the spot. Human had that distinct smell about them that stuck no matter where they went. Dieter took a sip. The smell that wouldn't wash off no matter how long they stayed with skills.

"Okay I'm ready!" Dressed in shorts held up by suspenders and a somewhat frilly green blouse, Mary thundered down the stairs with a messenger bag slung across her shoulders and a change of clothes in the nook of her arm.

"Good!" Dieter trashed his soda and unlocked the front door, "We're taking the high road out."

"Oooooh, good idea!" Mary clapped her hands before handing Ashton the change of clothes without giving him any instructions, "I already put the deed to the shop in Nanny's desk drawer, so she'll figure out what to do with it. All our money is in here too!" Mary tapped her bag.


---


"You have awfully high-maintenance friends Erik." Two men who were completely identical in appearance, right down to the silver rimmed glasses framing their dark red eyes stood in the shadow of Telfin's looming walls. One was smirking in the shimmering moonlight, his hands in the pocket of his suit. As Dieter might put it, he had the scent of a human. "Breaking out of Telfin isn't exactly an order we usually fulfill. I was thinking more… political bribes? Something that wouldn't involve me standing here at an ungodly hour past bedtime anyway."

But the one who did not smell human had no expression at all. He folded his arms, replying indifferently to his companion's comment, "That's the price of dying, Rasch."


----


Serge knit his eyebrows together as he stared at Rosalynne, a little annoyed, a little disappointed. She was taking it hard, which was understandable, but she was making it hard for everyone around her. But he'd been doing just the same until about an hour or two ago. He turned his gaze away from his little sister, who wouldn't even say a word at the fact that their mother was coming back. Not even a word. Serge tightened his jaw, before looking back at Hailey, "You're not a burden. I'm sorry my sister hasn't been much help- I'm sure she didn't mean to lead you around without any destination in mind for too long." Serge sighed, "Let's go back to the chur-"

"Ah, Hailey!"

Serge froze, throwing a dirty glare over his shoulder at the approaching woman. As soon as she inquired as to whether he and Rosalynne were Reid and Adela's children, he let out an irritated, "Tch!" Last person he wanted to see. A stranger to remind him of that night. "We're leaving Rosalynne." He announced harshly without acknowledging Kay. He grabbed his younger sister's hand and tugged her in the opposite direction that Kay had come from. It was unfair to Kay, but she was the one who'd saved him. It wasn't fair that he was still alive. And it was her fault. She didn't understand anything. Not that he understood much either. Why was he feeling such animosity towards… everyone all of a sudden? Like, in an instant, it felt like it was everyone else's fault. Serge tightened his grip on Rosalynne, his thoughts spiraling out of control.

---

A young butler who definitely hadn't been in the industry for long brightened at the sight of guests, flashing a refreshing smile, "The master is currently still in bed, but if you'd wait just a moment, I shall go wake him-"

"No need!" Levi hopped off of his perch on the banister, sliding up beside Evaline and draping an arm on her shoulder, "I've already done the honors of waking Sol from his beauty sleep. He is currently in the middle of his morning ritual of showering and doing whatever it is he's been doing to his hair for the past thirty years, so if you'd like to have a seat while we wait for Solomon to get prettied up, we can take a stop at the nearest coffee shop, or maybe we can take a stroll in his garde- OOF!" Levi twisted around and landed face first into the marble floor with his butt in the air.

"My sincerest apologies!" The butler smiled as brightly as ever, despite the fact that his white gloved hand was clenched into a fist that had just punched the lights out of an unsuspecting Levi, "I was sure I'd gotten rid of every last pest in this humble abode! I must be sure to be more diligent in my duties."

"Stop making a fuss!"

Levi turned his head towards the staircase and the butler snapped to attention. So much for doing whatever he'd been doing to his hair for the past thirty years. His damp blonde hair stuck to his face in places and stood up in others, but in front of such company as a guard he'd never met, and Evaline, he didn't see much point in getting fancy. "Sorry about that." Solomon sighed, looking over at Levi and adjusting the cuffs on his black formal shirt, "I've asked Dean to punch Levi whenever he does something uncouth, you see." Brushing off his fine, pressed black slacks, Solomon motioned for Evaline and Sid to follow him.

"Come on Levi, stop making a fool of yourself." Solomon commented, strolling past his rosy-haired partner in business and crime without making any effort to help the man up.

"Who are these people anyway?" Levi asked, getting up as if nothing had happened and straightening his shirt as he followed Solomon into the adjacent room.

Following the blonde into the library, Levi slid into a seat before even the man who lead the troupe, treating the place like his own home. Which Levi considered to be one of his many homes anyway. Solomon himself sat down in a leather arm chair to Levi's right just as another servant placed a pitcher of water and glass teacups down on the table, and laced his fingers together on top of his crossed legs. "So, like I said yesterday, this is my… friend, who can help your cause."

Levi sat up, "Business it is!" He pulled his goggles off and set them down in his lap, painting an amiable smile onto his face, "Apologies for earlier- it's a bad habit. Hopefully we can go ahead and move right past that. I haven't heard much, but I'm all ears whenever you'd like to begin ma'am-" Levi looked pointedly at Sid, acknowledging his presence for the first time, "and sir."
 
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"Eeeeh? We're taking this thing? Isn't this an artifact of the ancient Earth?" Aya exclaimed in protest the next morning, having stumbled upon the site of their propulsion to the surface. Having been warped ahead of time with Miki in order to deal with preparations, the girl had been provided with a first look at their method of transportation. Definitely from an era long before the existence of the upper world, the wall-wards pointed, black aircraft complete with two cockpits for the pilots and a cargo bay for where they assumingly would be cramped into. Upon closer examination, she found the code SR-71 etched onto the bottom of the jet plane in red paint. She wasn't sure, but maybe this was an ancient military aircraft that had been upgraded using modern technology, as apparent by the engines which seemingly took the main source of energy these days, terra crystals. A small glass chamber was hooked up to the engine, a large green crystal sparkling from within. These crystals had so much energy in them, yet nobody knew where they came from. It was one of their world's mysteries.

Miki was off talking to the two that would act as their pilots for their great ascent, her eyes wandering to Aya ever so often to make sure she was okay. Was it really best to take that girl along to the surface? Considering her physical condition, along with her mental one, it seemed like a lot could go wrong. The executives of the UWPC just wanted her out of their hair, that much was for sure, especially since they still didn't trust her due to being tested on by Exeri.

It wasn't long after that the others started to arrive, the first, curiously enough, being Soren and a young girl of some sort. A young girl that was clearly synthetic based on the irremovable headset on her head. This synthetic girl quickly found herself subject to examination from Aya, whom wanted to check if everything if everything was in order, much to RAY's dislike. "Er... could you please stop?" The synthetic asked out of irritation, not having expected anyone in her new master's group to know a thing about synthetics. Soren was sharply asked where he'd gotten here, to which he only shrugged as RAY went to hide behind the boy in order to avoid being subject to more ridicule.

"I just kind of stumbled into her, I guess."


---


Hailey panicked at the sudden outburst by Serge as he attempted to lead his little sister away, and the girl grabbed onto his other hand in an attempt to make him stay. What did they have against Kay? She wasn't a bad person or anything. If she was, her mother wouldn't have let her go with her. "Wait! Please at least stay until I can find you a suitable payment as a thank you!" Kay watched with her eyes focused on the boy and girl. She had an idea what kind of thoughts were going through that boy's head, and she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Yet, at the same time the fact that they were bumming around, taking their lives for granted was kind of irritating. People died, it happens all the time, and people still move on. She knew they were just kids, but... still...


---


Completely changed into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that hung off his ridiculously thin Ashton came back into sight. He had been grateful to Dieter for what he had done, but hadn't been able to muster words throughout the whole ordeal. The sunlight burned his eyes for the first time in twenty years, and for once he could smell fresh air. It was ironic that the one who bailed him out had been the one Skill that had shown him the most aggression back in his youth... Well, he supposed he was still young, just not as young as he used to be. He ran a hand through his long, crimson hair as he confronted the Skill. "I guess I owe you thanks for once." Ah, when was the last time he used his voice? It seemed so deep now. However, he wasn't delayed when it came to speaking his mind, cutting to the need-to-know almost right after. "Who's... the girl?" He pointed to Mary, before stating his next question - the most important question - right after. "And do you have any idea where Auricia is?"
 
"……" Natalija had as of yet, adamantly ignored RAY's presence in its entirety. As soon as she'd taken the effort to introduce herself to the random, out-of-nowhere newcomer, Natalija had then ceased all conversation. It was obvious that Natalija wasn't about the bite any bait, and it would take her awhile to get used to this…. This… apparently fake human being, which was a seriously creepy idea in itself, suddenly shoving herself into the party. Well it's not like Natalija was about to chase her out, since the more to do the fighting, world-saving, and general dirty work the better, but… If she turned out anything like Pethalamine….

The kidnapped girl in question however, was exactly what had hindered Dimitri's sunny attitude from shining through to RAY. In a way, he felt like Soren was trying to replace Pethalamine with her. Of course, he trusted that Soren wouldn't do such a thing, but somehow he couldn't get that though out of his head whenever her looked at the girl. This isn't to say that he wanted her to know that he was comparing her to someone else, and so he was naturally very polite and cordial…. But the idea that they were leaving Pethalamine behind… was eating away at him. He looked over his shoulder, wanting to turn around and go looking for her. He'd been assured that by going back aboveground, they'd garner the attention of Exeri and they'd come sniffing around eventually, but sitting around and waiting… doing nothing. That was no better than exactly what Pethalamine had criticized him for earlier. All he could do was apologize. Say he was sorry. Never able to take action. Shifting his skyboard higher on to his shoulder, he listened to Soren's brief explanation half-heartedly. He didn't even want to know anymore, really. He didn't really care. "So does anyone know where we're going first?"


--

Serge felt someone grab onto his hand, and he turned around with an irritated look on his face. The expression softened when Hailey declared that she wanted to thank him, and he narrowed an eye in confusion, "What- Are you serious? I haven't done anything for you but get you more lost than before. There's nothing to thank me for." He loosened his pull away from Hailey and sighed, repeating his point without realizing he'd already said it, "I didn't actually do anything."

--

"Ah?" Dieter looked over his shoulder with his good eye, "Oh. Uh. Yeah sure, you're welcome."

Mary pouted, clasping her hands together under her chin, "You don't remember me Uncle Ash???"

"That's the little girl I picked up in the gutters when we first got transferred to this chicken coup." Dieter interjected, "She was still a toddler around the time you got locked up. She says she remembers you, but she doesn't, so don't worry about it." He opened the door to his bar, poking his head out without much care. Ah, well, it seemed as if they had yet to identify him. It would be hard, since Dieter had abused his mutation permit that allowed him to hide the scars on his face by walking around town as a stranger for the better half of the last twenty years. Or more like, another skill that was supposed to live a clean lifestyle. The Dieter that strolled out of the Bloody Mary was a man who had never stepped foot outside of his bar. They'd have to find a patron to identify him, and even then, the thugs around the area probably wouldn't be too keen on showing officials around. All perfectly planned for this day. "Auri-chii? What," Dieter laughed, "You think I busted you out for your sake? Course I know where she is, idiot. We're headed there soon as we get the frick outta here."

Tugging on the messenger bag slung across her shoulders, Mary filled Ashton in on the details, ignoring Dieter's earlier jab about how she probably didn't remember Ashton, "Uncle Erik is waiting for us outside the walls. We'll stop by one of his houses in Tealia, before we go to where Aunty Auricia is."


---


"Oh look, here they come." Rasch put a hand to his brow, narrowing his eyes to get a better view of the three dashing towards the duo, "Better get a move on then."

As soon as they neared, a soft smile crossed the once emotionless twin who had chosen to keep his lips sealed for the last ten minutes. Erik tilted his head forward towards the escapees, "Welcome back, Lieutenant."

"Yeah well something like that." Dieter huffed, folding his arms as Mary launched herself at Erik and gave him a bear hug which he seemed to not even notice, "Let's get outta here before those pansies get the balls to step out of their precious walls." He bent back and pulled off his eyepatch, shape-shifting on the spot before any of his blood hit the ground. With sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, Dieter shook his head and shivered, "Feels gross to be in someone else's face."

"Looked gross too." Mary commented, hiding behind Erik and emerging as a younger version of herself, save for the fact that her hair was also blonde.

"You set?" Rasch asked, looking at his watch, "Our airship is ready to leave whenever."

Dieter glared over at Rasch, his nose twitching for a second before he let his arms drop to his sides, "You must be the real Rasch."

Erik ushered Dieter and Ashton towards the edge of the land allocated for Telfin, a small airship concealed past the edge of the mesa that Telfin sat upon. "We'll discuss that later, Dieter."
 
"That... was ridiculous..." Soren grumbled, sprawled out on the grass nearby their landing location, the sound of the jet engines winding down being heard in the background. They had landed exactly where Miki had told them they would when Dimitri inquired: the town of Selance on the very edge of Tealia, which was essentially Tealia's connection with Flazure, with the Phoenix and Wyvern nation buried in the surface of the ground underneath the floating continent. Soren himself had only been there once - a quiet country town with dirt roads, many farms, one main street, and a bustling air port that exchanged supplies and people with the nation below. However, the pilots of this aircraft had chosen to avoid the air port entirely, landing in a grassy field just outside the town. Though, the rationale made sense, considering the jetplane was utilizing a fuel long lost to the upper world that the undergrounders seemed to refer to as 'Lumera'.

The flight up itself was nothing to scoff at. Going so fast up a narrow crack in the crust in an ancient flying machine was unnerving enough without the added stress of almost running out of fuel. Even RAY seemed physically dazed as she tripped around in an attempt to regain movement in her artificial legs. On the other hand, Miki seemed completely fine as she almost instantly began walking towards the town, silently beckoning the others to follow. Aya was following, her eyes dashing back and forth at everything. This was the world she was born into, yet it all looked so unfamiliar! Soren watched her from a distance as she basically drooled over everything. He put his right hand into his pocket before beginning to follow as well, RAY trailing behind without saying much. She had committed crimes in this world, and she felt guilty for it, after all. Even so, she got the weirdest feeling she was being watched.

"You'd best not get too intimate with her, that Aya girl..." A voice echoed in Soren's mind, his plufael speaking. When he inquired as to why, he received no answer.

"Hey! Wait a sec. Where are we even going?" Aya finally inquired, the question having been weighing on Soren as well. They were at this town, so now what?

After a minute of silence, as if she was prone to long pauses, Miki spoke. "We have business in Alta, we'll leave when the next airship does..."

Soren sweatdropped. Alta was gone. Would airships even go there? If they had enough fuel, they'd probably be there already.
 
Ironically, the person who seemed most affected by the ride up the disconcerting tunnel to the surface was none other than the person who was most accustomed to spinning around in the air on his sky board. Stumbling around and seeing lots of spots, Dimitri was having trouble standing up straight, let alone figuring out where they were. It wasn't as if he'd ever really gone anywhere other than Alta and Tealia that one time, since he really wasn't supposed to be up here. Had they just.. sped right past the Underneath? Well he didn't have time to ponder that. It seemed like any thought floating up to his conciousness dropped away all at once to make room for the fact that he was really dizzy. Natalija herself seemed a little off-register when she stepped off, her knees buckling as she tried her best to still look refined.

"W-What a horrible…" Natalija managed to choke out, putting a hand to her forehead and pushing back her bangs to feel the nice breeze tickling the grass around them, "… contraption…"

"No kidding." Dimitri coughed, slapping his face and picking up his skyboard, still wobbly, "I never thought I'd say I hated flying." He began to follow after the rest of the group, shaking his head and trying to fix his center of balance.

"W-Wait a second!" Natalija called, not getting up as she summoned Minke, holding him close as she whispered something in the little white bunny's ear, "Hurry up okay?"

Minke let out a squeak before disappearing into a pool of a gloopy black substance that opened up in front of Natalija. As soon as he was gone, she let out a long sigh, shivering before dragging herself to her feet. "S-So… How are we supposed to get to Alta if… Alta doesn't even exist anymore?" She asked, feeling no energy to be sarcastic or crude as she struggled to keep up. The others seemed fine, but that was because they were healthier than she was- they had a stronger composition. But she, who often skipped meals and never really exercised, was not exactly cut out for things like high velocity jet rides.


----


"Ouch." Giles flinched, moving back as an irritated Garrett shoved the alcohol swab onto the bleeding bruise beside his partner's mouth, "I said ouch!" Giles barked, swatting Garrett away as he scrambled off to a safe distance, grumbling in annoyance as he glared at his reflection in the mirror. He'd been slugged a good one on the corner of his mouth, but otherwise went seemingly unpunished for letting Soren and RAY go. It was torture that he wasn't locked up right now, and he was sure that he'd rather be shut up in punishment, than out here, anticipating his sure-fire demise. Having to guess when and where they'd pull the real punishment. … But thinking about it more wouldn't change the fact that Giles had somehow postponed the repercussions of letting one of the most important resources go. Pulling the clips out of his hair that were pinning the black locks away from his face, Giles stood up, "It'll heal on it's own, so leave it alone."

If things had been the way they'd been before, Garrett probably would've tutted his tongue and continued to harass Giles over letting him clean up the wound. But Garrett had been very careful around Giles as of late. After the loss of RAY, she'd been promptly replaced by another synthetic. KI was her name, or something like that. She was… different from RAY, to say the least, and Garrett could tell that Giles was having a hard time warming up to her. It was hard to tell if he was even trying.

"Let me guess, I don't have any missions."

Garrett smiled wryly, "Who'd trust you with missions?"

Giles scoffed, glancing over at KI, the synthetic that was now under his jurisdiction. He sat back down. "That's true."
 
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