Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Full Circle (Razgriz x Candira)

Well, this was a start, at least. Still, he was expecting her to chew him out at some point, so he just took a deep breath as she came to the door. He wasn't sure how this was going to go, but all he could do was hope for the best. When she opened up the door and asked if he wanted to come in, he nodded and said softly, "That would be nice. I'd prefer this be private." It would be clear to anyone that Exodus had some stuff to get off his chest.
 
Well, he looked calm...that was a start. She stepped aside as he told her he wanted this conversation to be private, and closed the door behind him as he entered. Her room was small and very much like one you might find in a barracks. There was a small bed that was just big enough for her toss and turn on without falling immediately, a pole hanging across the ceiling that she'd fashioned into a drying rack or a place to hang various things, a small chest that held all of her worldly possessions, and a small writing table with a canvas folding chair. No art adorned the walls--Yoko had no time for such things--and no books filled her area. But there were papers on the desk that she'd written on. And she was able to read. She wanted to learn more, but she wondered if she ever would.

In any case, She returned to her bed and had a seat, looking up at Exodus. "Is everything okay?" she asked. Simple question--but sort of loaded. She wasn't sure what else to say.
 
Exodus looked around as he entered Yoko's room; it was smaller than he imagined it would be. But enough for just one person to live in. Consistent with other dwellings he'd seen during his travels, it was relatively barren, save for a few items. But he didn't come here to look at her room, he came here to talk.

Giving a sigh, he looked at Yoko and said forthcomingly, "No, it isn't alright. The way I lashed out, that was unacceptable. I came here to hopefully bury the hatchet. I don't expect my coming here to apologize to immediately resolve all the issues, but I hope it's at least a good step forward."

Taking another deep breath, he continued "The truth is, Yoko.....as I've told you, I've been on my own for a while now. It's hard for me to interact with others, let alone accept help. Every time I've gotten close to someone, they've died. That's why I act hostile, why I push others away. I've come to accept you all as brothers and sisters, something I can call a family. The sad part is, it's that sense of trust that reminds me of what it's done to others. And I don't want anyone else to die, I'm sick of seeing people die because of me."
 
Well, an apology was going in the right direction. Her previously dead-pan expression softened considerably as he told her his problem. It didn't mean that he was entirely forgiven--he'd said some pretty awful things. But that didn't mean that he should be punished either. The fact that he was telling her that he trusted her (in a nutshell) and cared about her (implicitly) helped his case a lot--as did his trust and care for everyone else in Litner.

"Well you're right. It was entirely uncalled for," she said. "But you are apologizing, so I guess I can't hold it against you. It helps to know what your problem is, too." She frowned and watched his face. He thought that people died because of him. How much of that was true was questionable, but he believed that it was the case, so she wouldn't belittle his concerns.

"Look, I know it's hard to adjust to our way of life, but sticking together is sort of what keeps us alive. Having a support system and people who accept you is something to cherish, not something to throw away because you're afraid." She stood up and came toward him, taking his hand. "I realize that you've been given a lot of cause to be afraid in the past--and that must have been awful--but you have to realize that we're not those people you lost. Now isn't then. No matter how similar it may be."

The redhead looked up into his eyes and frowned. "I can't imagine what you've been through, Exodus, but living on the surface is sort of hazard in and of itself. Unless you find someone to fight with you and watch your back, you're not going to make it far. But you should know that everyone here is family in one way or another. I'd risk my life for any one of them, including you. But we're also fighting for ourselves and our right to be here. Our right to just go on living." It was important that she let him know that. She believed that he needed to know it all.
 
Exodus was cognizant of why the rebels fought; he'd interacted with plenty of them during his time as a Trio member. However, they fought for another reason besides survival; after Harbinger had discovered that they were once humans, they slaughtered the Beastmen to make sure that no other humans had to endure the torture and experimentation that they had to deal with.

Being a Goldeneye, Exodus and his squad-mates were tested harder, longer, and more often at the research facility; they were the ones who were fated to lead the Beastman forces after all. But Exodus couldn't tell her that, not yet. "All in due time, be patient." He knew that once he did reveal this, all of his 'problems' would make much more sense.

But Yoko was right about one thing; she had no idea what he'd endured. And frankly, if she was worried and hurt, he couldn't fathom how she would react to the tales of torture, trial-and-error experimentation, all the fucked-up shit Adiane had had done to make 'perfect soldiers'. Still, this wasn't the time or place to reveal any of that.

He looked back down into Yoko's eyes, the turmoil of his mind surfacing through them as he said, "I know what you're saying, Yoko. And believe me, I feel the same way. I'd gladly lay down my life to ensure the safety of everyone here, the safety of all the humans who are fighting back. I just...need to adjust, is all. Learn that not everyone is out to get me. So, again, I'm sorry for my actions and words. But if it's alright with you, I would like to come along on hunting missions and combat patrols. You know, to get back into the swing of things."
 
Yoko had no idea what seemed to be causing him so much pain, but she didn't much care what it was--just that he was hurting. She squeezed his hand in hers and smiled softly. "Well...I guess I'll forgive you this time, but I can't speak for Kamina," she said with a shrug. "But try not to throw back how we feel about you into our faces, okay? It's kind of hard to deal with on top of all the other stuff that happens here."

She paused to consider his request about hunting and combat, and went back and forth on it in her head for a moment.

"Tell you what. You can go hunting with me and Kamina, or either one of us really, but I want you to wait a little while longer before you go into combat patrols. Train here if you want, but I'm just not comfortable taking you out into combat--especially if you're still stuck in the mentality of the lone wolf." She put her arms around him and gave him a hug, unable to stand that look in his eyes anymore.

"Just be careful, okay? It's hard for us to adjust to you too. It almost feels like yesterday when we brought you here and you were on the brink of death."
 
Exodus couldn't help but chuckle when she mentioned the uncertainty; Kamina had knocked him on his ass, but that was also deserved. He had let himself succumb to his defensive, self-reliant nature. "Yeah, I think Kamina might be a little harder to sway. But hopefully, he'll be somewhat forgiving once I told him what I told you." Exodus then paused when Yoko told him she was uncomfortable about him going on combat patrols; he was about to calmly try to reason with her and say he was fine when she embraced him.

It was time to shut up, he realized. Exodus just stood there, frozen in uncertainty. Slowly, he returned the embrace, his somewhat-thin arms reaching around her back. He just gave a small smile as he said, "Was I really that bad? I remember feeling like shit, but I didn't have a mirror. But, don't worry, I'll try to be more careful." He emphasized 'try', because he wanted to let Yoko know that it would still take some time to let his guard down, but he would put his best efforts into it.
 
Yoko felt much better after his assurances that he would try to be better about taking care of himself. That was enough for now. Baby steps, she reminded herself. She froze a little herself when his arms wrapped around her as well. She hadn't really expected him to return her embrace. But it made her smile that he would, even though he probably had no idea what to do now. After a moment, she let him go and looked up at him with a smile.

"Then that's all I can ask. And yes, you were horrible when we found you," she teased. "But you're not nearly as scary now," she teased again. Chuckling, she put her hand on his shoulder. "Be careful and take it slow. Honestly? What's the rush? It's not like you have some place to be." That said, her stomach began to grumble. "And that's my cue to go get dinner."

She combed her hair quickly and pulled her hair up easily, heading toward her door. "Coming with?" she asked.
 
Exodus had to admit, Yoko knew how to make him feel better. Maybe Harbinger's spirit found her way into Yoko's body. Even though he knew that wasn't the case, it helped him to entertain the thought. "The journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step" he heard the quote play in his mind, words of wisdom from an elder of one of the few villages that offered the Trio sanctuary.

Exodus could definitely go for something to eat; that little exercise regiment he did made him hungrier than usual, but that was because he gave his other deer as an attempt to get Kamina and Yoko off his back. And he knew just how well that worked. "Yeah, food sounds good" he said with a nod as he followed Yoko out the door.

*three weeks later*

Lyos was definitely in the worst shape of his life; untreated bullet holes and stab wounds festered, they gave him only the minimum amount of food needed to survive, and he was often too weak to stand. And even still, his resolve proved to be as strong as it was. They couldn't get another word out of him despite his name, rank, and commanding officer. And still, no Beastman patrols came anywhere near Littner.

During the downtime from the interrogations, Kamina and Exodus trained; it had taken some convincing, but Kamina finally did forgive Exodus for his harsh words. He even commented on Exodus' seemingly natural combat ability; Exodus explained that CQC was his specialty, and preferred to solve combat scenarios at close range.

Exodus was now at about 70-75% strength; his form had now taken on considerable muscle, though he was still a bit thinner than he once was. Still, his height of six feet, eight inches made him quite the oddity around Littner. But, that would come back with due time.

He grew strong enough over the three-weekperiod to where he went on a few hunting duties with either Yoko or Kamina, or in one instance both. He had shown them at that time how he caught those two deer when they chastised him the first time three weeks ago; again, not the smartest move in the book, for it promptly earned him a smack on the back of the head. However, Kamina was fairly impressed that Exodus could wrestle a deer like that.

On this very day, Exodus had decided to finally go see this mechanic everyone talked about. Getting some directions, along with wary glances, he found his way to the machine shop. "Hello? I'm looking for a Leeron Littner?" Exodus called into the busy shop; pretty soon, the weirdest-looking man he'd ever seen appeared from behind a Gunman.

"Oh, hello, dear! It's so nice of you to finally visit! But please, everyone here just calls me Ron!" Ron said cheerfully as he came forward. Exodus just gave a small nod, "Right. Simon told me you were the one that fixed my gauntlets." Ron's hands went to his cheeks, "Oh, that's right! I bet you're wondering how they are! Well, ol' Ronnie toiled and toiled, but I got them fixed for you! Be right back!" He then dashed off to some back part; Exodus just chuckled. He'd met a few oddball characters in his travels, but this guy seemed on a whole other level. Still, he was nice enough.

As Ron came back with the gauntlets on a small cart, Exodus couldn't believe it; his gauntlets shined like new. "Holy....." Exodus said; Ron gave an effeminate giggle as he replied, "You like? Well, don't just gawk, as beautiful as they are! Try them on!" Exodus picked up the semi-heavy gauntlets and put them on over his broad hands; they felt lighter than normal. "Hmm, these feel...different. Lighter."

Ron nodded, "Well, of course! I had to use a different alloy to repair the damage; they were almost at the irreparable stage, I'll tell you. I still don't see why you had to use such a heavy casing, that must have been horrible for your posture! But anyways, I also made some modifications that should allow the knuckle spikes to be driven forward with greater force and less energy. But tell me, who made these? The concept is ingenious!" Exodus looked at Ron and said, "They were my design. I used some spare Gunman parts to make these."

Ron looked at Exodus in shock; Exodus just chuckled and said, "You'll catch less flies with your mouth closed." Ron seemed to snap back to reality as he said with a sheepish grin, "I'm so sorry, but I didn't expect you to be the mastermind of these beautiful weapons! How did you come up with a from-scratch design?"

Their discussion soon turned from just Exodus' stroke of genius to the actual mechanisms of the devices, then turned even further as to how it could be implemented in some of the Gunmen.
 
Exodus continued to amaze Yoko and the others as he continued to improve. His hunting skills were idiotic, but incredibly impressive. It didn't mean she approved, however, and he was made keenly aware of that fact. But she was glad to see that he was much better. At the end of the three weeks, he looked a little thin for his height, but very much like his old self--or so she imagined. His hair was getting a bit shaggy though.

She'd just gotten back from a patrol when she caught sight of the man in question. He was talking to Ron about the gauntlets...or so she assumed, considering they were thoroughly examining them and their lips were moving quickly. No doubt Ron was figuring out all about those gauntlets. At this point she wondered if they'd stop if she just left them. It was doubtful.

So she sauntered up with a grin and waved. "Hello boys. Whatcha talking about?"
 
Exodus and Ron looked up to see Yoko walking towards; Ron smiled and said to, "Hello, my dear! We were talking about these impressive pieces of machinery! But, you won't believe this, but Exodus himself made these gauntlets! I have to say, his engineering know-how is quite impressive!"

Exodus just chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, "Ah, come on, Ron. You're giving me too much credit. Someone with your level of skill, you could have made these too. It's just an improvised impact fuse driven by concentrating Spiral Energy into a singular point. " Ron turned back and said, "Yes, I could have, but to make something you need an idea. And that's what you had: the idea."

Ron then said, "Well, you wanna see how well they work? See if they're like how they used to be?" Exodus normally would have agreed in a heartbeat, but with Yoko so close by, he didn't want to make her worry about him any more than she had to. Plus, these things were normally used as a temporary means of defense. Still, one or two test punches shouldn't hurt him all that bad.

Ron seemed to anticipate Exodus' concerns, "Oh, and more thing: don't worry about the energy draw. I've increased their efficiency 120%, you can basically use them as primary weapons now. But don't go punching Gunmen any more, OK?" He then turned to Yoko and said, "How about you stay and watch, my dear? I'm sure you'll find the show to be quite impressive."
 
Their technical babble sort of left her out of the loop but she got that they were stroking each other's egos. Well, at least they weren't fighting. She smiled and took a seat on a nearby counter. "Well okay. I'll bite." She tilted her head as she watched them, encouraging Exodus to do it. "It's better to try it out here and now so we know if there's anything to adjust or fix." She nodded and looked at him.
 
Exodus got that Yoko wanted him to try it; relaxing and contracting his fingers a few times, he quickly got re-acclimated to the feeling of wearing them. The cold metal, the fluidity of movement in the fingers, it was all there. The only noticeable difference was that they were significantly lighter. That would take some getting used to. "It's going to take some time to get used to wearing these again, they feel like they're going to come right off." he then said aloud as he punched the air a few times, trying to see if they would actually fly off. The detonator didn't off, because they operated on physical contact. Ron just chuckled, "Yes, I imagined they were much heavier than now. Honestly, I tried to pick one of them one day and I almost threw out my back!"

After giving Ron and Yoko a short demonstration by performing some martial arts maneuvers to see if they would stay on, he decided it was time to see how well Ron had restored them.

"Mind if we go outside? This shop might get a bit....messy."

"Yes, that would be best. I've set up a small training thing for you: not much, some extra Gunmen armor plates lined standing up, to see how they work. Follow me, please"

"But I thought...."

"That's different, you're being supervised here. Carefully controlled conditions and what have you. Now come along."

Exodus followed Ron through a back entrance; there they were, some fairly beat up armor plates, just like Ron said. About an inch thick each, three were lined up back-to-back, braced by a rather large boulder. "Well, the moment of truth" Exodus said. He slowly walked up to the plates and took up a combat stance. Placing his left gauntlet-covered hand on the plates to steady himself, he took a deep breath as he cocked his right hand back and clenched it. Feeling the familiar prick in his fingertips, the gauntlet started to glow a bright shade of blue. It was only a soft glow, like a minor haze.

As he prepared to drive his fist into the plates, an image of Adiane suddenly appeared on the foremost plate. "You fucking..." he growled as his right hand clenched tighter; the soft glow then turned to a violent, pulsing, flame-like haze. "AAAAH! DIE!" he roared as his right hand drove full-force into the plates; the spikes went forward with such momentum that the plates shattered, the boulder exploded, and the remaining energy created a rather loud sonic boom. After that little display, Exodus fell to a knee, panting slightly. Ron, however, watched in a weird mix of awe and fear at the spectacle before exclaiming, "Wow! That was incredible, Exodus!"

"Hey is everything alright!? What the hell was that explosion?" they all heard Kamina say, Exodus stood back and turned around. Rubbing the back of his head, he grinned meekly and said, "Heh, sorry about that. I was testing the gauntlets Ron fixed for me, and I think they work quite well." Kamina saw the fragments of metal and stone and grinned as he replied, "Good thing you're on our side."
 
Yoko watched with interest as Exodus readied himself for a try out. For as much as he denied he went around punching gunmen, it certainly looked as though he had done it before. Not to mention that he could easily punch through one. The demonstration, stunned her for a moment. Both impressed at his strength and worried about his mental state, she couldn't really decide which one to be first. Awe won out. "No way..." She murmured. He'd not only practically destroyed the metal from the gunman, but he'd caused the rock behind it to explode from the impact. It looked like it took a lot out of him, though, which brought her back to concern, which she managed to mask somehow.

Had she heard him right? He'd yelled "die" at the top of his lungs, and rage had filled his face and voice as he'd launched his attack on that innocent rock. Something about the gauntlets or the situation had flipped a switch in him, and she wasn't sure she'd liked what she'd seen. Who or what was he so angry at? The beastmen?

She merely applauded with Ron, looking impressed. Kamina came running and she had to chuckle. "Well, I guess I can't be afraid you'll break anymore. Even if you are a little skinny. And you need to train with your weapons. I still don't feel right about bringing you into combat yet, but you're on your way." She smiled and got off the counter, hands on her hips.
 
Exodus chuckled, "It'll take a lot more than this to break me, Yoko. Though I'll definitely take it easier than that; still need to get used to actually using it." In truth, the draw was far less than it normally would have been for an attack that powerful, but just the act of having energy drained from him like that kind of wore him out. However, it only took a few moments for him to recover completely. In truth, it would be best if he stayed out of combat and just trained to build himself back to 100%.

But, he knew deep down that it wasn't the real scenario. He would eventually enter a battle at less than full power, and be forced to use his own combat expertise and tactics to survive. "Hey, Yoko. We gotta get going, I think if we push hard enough, we can make ol' Lyos crack today. If not, then we'll get rid of him." They had tried for the good part of a month to crack this guy; Kamina knew Lyos knew something, something that even if they had captured a substitute, that they would never know. But it wasn't only that that kept them here; the truth was their group was large and was taking a while to prepare for possible mobilization.

Exodus smiled as he removed the gauntlets and flexed his fingers. "Oh, yeah. You guys are still interrogating him? Mind if I come along? I think I might be able to beat some sense into him." Kamina looked at Yoko as he said, "I'd like to, Exodus, but I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Besides, what're you gonna do? Fight him?" "Perhaps, depends if he talks or not." The thing about Thymilph's soldiers were that they were honorable above all else; Thymilph's method of leadership was unique in that respect.
 
"I guess you're not afraid of being found anymore, huh?" Yoko was pushing it a little, but she wasn't really mad at Exodus. She was just pissed that she couldn't rip that foul-mouth bastard to shreds with her own hands. And at the same time, she hated seeing him like that. Suffering and disgusting. She didn't take a lot of pleasure in torturing him. It was good to know that he deserved every blow he got, but she only attacked when provoked.

"Whatever. I don't care if you go or not. Maybe Exodus'll get him to talk. Honestly? It's worth a shot since we haven't been able to get anything out of him."
 
Exodus grinned; probably a little more creepily than he should have, but hey, this was a reunion of sorts. "I was only afraid because I felt I had no one to help me. Now that I have some good friends, I can afford to stick my neck out here and there." he teased back at her. "Well, I guess that settles it, then. Shall we?" Kamina said shortly; he then led the way to the interrogation room.

Lyos was looking about as pathetic as one could; though strangely, his powerful, muscular form had barely degenerated despite the long imprisonment. His long hair was ratted and ragged, as was the thick mane coming from his masculine jawline, his eyes were sunken, and sores covered his body.

He looked up from a sitting position and gave a toothy grin, "Ah, back again? What'll it be this time? Whipping? Stabbing? I swear, you're the most pathetic bunch of fucking cowards I've ever met." Ah, how refreshing it was to see his civil tongue still intact. Kamina just smiled as he then put on his signature shades, "Oh no, my friend. For making it this far, we have a little treat for you. Someone special is eager to meet you." Kamina was just trying to play it up, to see what Lyos' reaction would be.

Lyos definitely looked intrigued, but then reverted to a straight face as he shot back, "Ha! What possible pathetic excuse for a human could you possibly send in that would get me to talk?" Kamina just gave a motion with his hand; Exodus stepped forward and said, "Adjugant Lieutenant Lyos. You look like hammered shit." The manner in which Exodus said it would be a dead giveaway that he and Lyos had some history. Lyos' eyes widened in surprise; Exodus just chuckled, "Oh, come now, old friend. Why the surprise?"

Lyos smiled in return, "Adiane's been looking for you, you worthless sack of shit." Exodus just laughed as he neared the cage; it wasn't long before only inches separated Exodus and Lyos. "Really, Lyos? You're still using that tired insult? What's it been, almost a year-and-a-half now and you still haven't come up with anything better?" Lyos snarled, "You arrogant little...." but Exodus cut him off by grabbing Lyos' jaw-mane and pulling it sharply, causing his face to slam into the bars of the cage. This made Kamina laugh and shout, "Nice one!" Lyos clutched his face in apparent agony, and Exodus' tone grew more serious, "I hear you've been giving these people nothing but trouble. I suggest you cooperate, before I have to 'convince' you to."

Lyos snarled again, "Let me out of this cage, and we'll see if you can convince me." Exodus looked around the room; it was plenty big for hand-to-hand combat. He then grinned maniacally, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Kamina, how about I let our friend out for some exercise?" Kamina stood there, stunned for a moment; but he then realized this was a man's way of solving it. "Alright, but if you don't mind, we're going to keep some guns trained on him. Open the cage. And you, Lyos......No funny business. Yoko, keep your rifle trained on him. Any attempt to escape, put him down."
 
Right from the get-go, Yoko picked up on something that didn't sit right with her. Hadn't Exodus told them that he'd only heard of the generals? Yet he knew this dirt bag? She frowned, catching that the two had some serious history. Why would Exodus lie about this? And what the hell did Adiane have to do with anything? Before Kamina gave his permission, Yoko had her gun trained on their prisoner.

"Oh, I don't need an excuse for this one," she said, her eyes empty as she stared at him. Whatever Exodus was hiding, she was sure it was for good reason, and it was clear that these two had never been on the same side. That was enough for her to know for now. Nothing more was necessary.
 
As Lyos was let out of the cage, he stretched his powerful form; he was slightly taller than Exodus, and much more muscled. "I'm going to take pleasure in breaking you. I should be Adiane's lieutenant, and when I bring you back to her, she'll reward me with a position by her side!" Exodus then slid off the gauntlets he was wearing; if he was going to do this, he would do it like a man. "Tell you what, let's make a deal. If I beat you, you answer the questions you are asked." "And when I emerge victorious?" Exodus smiled, "You can have me, lock, stock and barrel." Kamina started to protest, but Exodus cut him off, "Hey, I got this. It'll be fine, trust me."

Lyos just grinned evilly, "Sounds like a fair deal to me. Let's get started then." Exodus and Lyos both took up combat stances; this was going to be a brutal fight. Lyos charged in first, trying to use his superior mass to tackle Exodus down. Exodus waited until the last possible second to sidestep the charge; he then grabbed Lyos' hair to wrench him back before driving a knee into his back. Lyos gasped in obvious pain before planting his feet firmly and twisting himself to catch Exodus with a rather rapid right hook, knocking him back and rendering him dazed. Lyos then charged again, this time catching Exodus and slamming him into the ground.

He then tried to reach for Exodus' throat to choke him; however, his hands were stopped by Exodus' own clamping the wrists. The two wrestled with each other; Lyos' heavy form was pinned on top of Exodus, the latter trying to prevent the brute's hands from reaching his throat. They both stared into each other's eyes, burning with the hatred to kill, but the knowledge they couldn't. As the Beastman's hands inched closer, Exodus threw the wrists to the side, causing Lyos to fall forward slightly. This was enough to allow Exodus to land a half-power punch to the throat, making Lyos choke. He then landed another blow into Lyos' solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him before Exodus bent a leg impossibly far back to kick with the heel into Lyos' nose.

Lyos fell off Exodus but rose quickly, giving Exodus time to recover himself. Lyos and Exodus paused momentarily, waiting for the other to make their next move. Lyos' impatience would prove to be his undoing, as he charged again to try and land a powerful punch into Exodus' face. Exodus ducked the blow, giving him a clear shot at Lyos' ribcage, which he took. Focusing the momentum he had, he drove a full-power fist into it; a sickening series of cracks was heard throughout the room. Lyos' doubled over in agony, clutching his side with a massive hand. Exodus,however, didn't see fit to give him time to rest; he gave a loud battle cry as his other hand soon rose into Lyos' skull, connecting with such force that it sent the Beastman flying to the side of the cage, denting the heavy-duty bars noticeably.

Lyos' tried to rise, his body failing him as Exodus strolled closer. "Give up, you bastard? I can do this all day, it's what I was made for." Exodus growled; Lyos responded by lunging at him, which was met with a sandwich consisting of his head between the cage and Exodus' heavy hand. The bars dented even further, and small rivers of blood made their ways down the lengths. Lyos fell on his face, breathing hard and bleeding badly; the will to fight was gone, he had lost. However, Exodus was far from done with him, turning Lyos over and straddling him to pummel him relentlessly. The blood soon flowed from open cuts on Lyos' face, staining the tops of Exodus' hands. "Give up?" Exodus asked after each blow; it was bout ten punches in that Lyos finally choked out "P..please, no more. You win. A..as per our deal, I..I'll reveal what I know." Exodus just smiled as he gave Lyos a courtesy punch, "That's for all the insults."
 
Yoko was deeply unsettled by what she saw. Sure, beastmen--especially this one-- deserved all they got coming back to them, but watching it was another thing entirely. And the way Exodus was fighting--she'd never seen him like this--so angry. And he was bending reinforced bars! What in the world was going on? She watched the fight, simultaneously cheering him on and trying not to shy away from him. She wanted so much to be on his side, but uncertainty about his past and his connection to this man held her back.

In the end, Exodus managed to get the bastard to talk. She would have to figure out what was going on after they questioned Lyos. "Good work," she said cautiously. Then she looked down at Lyos and crossed her arms. She'd wait for Kamina to ask the first set. For now, she just liked seeing a defeated foe.
 
Kamina strolled up and patted Exodus on the back, "Alright, pal. Take a breather, we don't you to kill this guy....yet." Exodus stood back up, going to lean against the iron cage to rest a bit. He was panting ever so slightly as Kamina started to interrogate him. "Alright, why don't you start by telling us about this General Thymilph of yours." "Thymilph.....is a proud warrior. He possesses a warrior's code of honor, something that he teaches to all his troops. He is also ruthless, yet cautious and shrewd. You would do well to be extremely careful around him; his appearance belies a very skilled tactician." "What kind of firepower should we expect? Where is he stationed at now?" "He stays in his fortress, a massive Gunman called the Dai-Gunzan. It can be found by a massive volcano, to the east of here. It's not there yet, but it will be. If you leave soon enough, you can catch him."

Kamina was a bit stunned by Lyos' forthcomingness; this made him suspect a trap. "How do I know what you're telling us isn't lies?" "Thymilph always treated me like garbage, just because I wasn't Viral's rank. That little shit, I always hated him. He's heard of my capture by now, and won't send anyone to look for me. That's not his style; he views those who can't defend themselves as expendable. And besides, your friend Exodus kicked my ass pretty good, so in honor of the deal we made, I'm helping you."
 
Yoko stood back and watched carefully. "He said Thymilph has a warrior's code that he teaches his men. What's in this code?" She was curious for a number of reasons, really. Chief among them being that she was trying her best to keep her calm and find out more about the personality of their enemy. "And if you hate Thymilph so much, tell us what he's really like."
 
"The code is complex, teaches all the warriors how to live, how to kill, all that good stuff. He teaches us the quickest ways to kill humans, so that they don't suffer. We do what we are told, that is the bottom line. Disobedience is rewarded with death."

Lyos chuckled, "What he's really like? In truth, he spends most of his down-time, which he has a lot of in the east, talking to that whore Adiane. They claim to only respect each other, but I know better. He even took some 'personal trips' to go see her in person. Each time it's the same; Viral assumes command of the forces and Thymilph disappears for a few days. He comes back looking ragged and smelling to high hell. Hahaha. The truth is, in battle he is ruthless. He won't stop fighting until either him, his opponent, or both are dead. All the Generals are the same way; especially Adiane."

Exodus then stood over him with a knowing grin and said, "You said he talks a lot to Adiane. Any idea what about?" "Not really, but one person she always asks about is you. I think you have an admirer, Exodus." Exodus then grabbed Lyos by the throat and pinned him against the dented cage, "Oh yeah? What does she ask?" Lyos grinned, "The same old shit. If he's seen you, where you might be. To be honest, I think ol' Genome's been riding her ass. She sounds scared." "You don't say. But, you're saying that Adiane and Thymilph have a close relationship, right? What might happen if I should, say, kill Thymilph and show Adiane his head?" Lyos chuckled, "Oh, man, that would piss her off. You might as well sign your death warrant, 'cause she'll come gunning for you." Exodus grinned even wider, "Good."

Lyos could feel the blood pooling his lungs, making it difficult to breathe; he didn't want to die in such a disgraceful matter. The pain from his broken bones only compounded the issue. "Please, Exodus. K...kill me quickly, show m..me mercy. I...I beg you!" Exodus then tightened his grip, "Is there anything else we should know?" Lyos shook his head weakly, causing Exodus to say fiercely "Then your usefulness has ended. Burn forever." before Exodus crushed Lyos' neck with one hand, severing the connecting between the spine and the brain. Lyos' form went limp; Exodus had gotten what he needed. The objective was clear: kill Thymilph and it would destabilize Adiane, hopefully enough that she would screw up and give him the opportunity to kill her.
 
Yoko turned her head as Exodus killed Lyos. "We didn't get much out of him," she said softly. "We need someone higher up..."

And then she turned back to Exodus. "Or you could tell us what you've been hiding all along." Her face was sad and full of disappointment. "What do you know that you're not telling us?" Her voice wasn't harsh or commanding, but probing, and full of what seemed to be hurt. "Just forget it. I'm gone."

That said, she left the interrogation room and headed off to guard duty, occupying a tower with only one other person.
 
Exodus' back was turned, so he couldn't see the expression on Yoko's face; he could, however, hear the obvious hurt in her voice. It killed him that he couldn't tell her what he was; he felt that it would shatter the fragile trust he had managed to build. As she told him she was leaving, the disappointment in her voice cut through him like a knife. Emotions really sucked sometimes.

He wanted to chase after her, but something held him back. Instead, he waited until Yoko had left, then grabbed his gauntlets and made his own way out not too long after. As soon as he was outside, he saw that it was still pretty early in the day. He then felt someone grab his shoulder; the voice that followed confirmed it as Kamina, "Well, Exodus, what exactly have you been hiding?" It was this that made Exodus decide that he should tell them his story; if they wanted to get rid of him, then that was their choice. It wasn't like he'd stop them; he was a freak of nature. It just meant for him that he failed to avenge his comrades.

"Kamina, is there someplace we can discuss this in private? I want to tell you and Yoko something, Simon should probably come too." Kamina nodded as he replied, "Yeah, come to my room. It's fairly big, enough to accommodate the four of us. I'll go talk to Yoko and Simon. You just....reflect. See you later." Kamina then left to go see Simon first, telling him to meet him at his room later. He then went to go see Yoko; he could tell she was hurting. "Yoko, you mind if we talk for a second?" he said as he found and made his way up the tower.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom