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Full Circle (Razgriz x Candira)

The boy was not in charge, but he was understudy of the man who was and thus gained his importance in that manner; though this would not be known to the Gurren Brigade till a bit later. The boy then turned to the rest of the villagers and spoke, "Everyone, please show these angels some respect. They traveled with a Face God, and are likely here on a divine mission." Just then a man came running through the crowd, stopping to pant before speaking, "Rossiu! Rossiu! Trouble!"

The boy, now known to be Rossiu, cocked his head in confusion before asking "What's the matter?" The man, still with his hands on his knees, looked up and replied "There's been a birth at Ukome's home!" Rossiu's expression brightened at the news, clearly elated at the seemingly improving fortune, "Really? That's great! We're were just about to lead these angels to the high priest! He'll want to speak with them!" "If this kid calls me an angel one more time......" were Exodus and Kamina's simultaneous thoughts, clearly getting peeved. The man just shook his head and continued, "No, it was a birth of a girl......and two boys!"

Rossiu's face fell considerably, turning into almost a look of horrified surprise; there was an impeccable silence in the air after this declaration. Exodus tensed noticeably, not liking the feeling of the current atmosphere. "You feel it also, huh, big guy?" he heard Kamina ask; this was just answered with a cursory nod from Exodus. Something was rotten here, and it sure as hell wasn't them. "Everyone, please make sure these angels are comfortable. I must go speak with the high priest on this matter." With that Rossiu left them; the Gurren Brigade then followed the villagers to a sizable fire pit to warm up and were served a form of gruel that was supposed to be high in nutrients.

"Man, where's the meat at? A good meal always needs meat!" Kamina then mumbled as he ate the strange mush; he wasn't ungrateful, but this would hardly fill his belly. He then looked over at Boota and said, "Hey you, chop off your butt again and give us some meat!" The little pig-mole immediately disappeared behind Simon. Exodus didn't even touch his food; his eyes darted back and forth, his body tensed up even more so than before. He occasionally shot annoyed glares at Yoko for pushing him out of the transport for what he felt was no reason whatsoever; however, it was only few, just to get across to her that he wasn't particularly happy about that little stunt. Moreover, it was something about this place that made him nervous, and it showed in his body language. It wasn't the lack of meat or electricity that made him uneasy; it had to do with that Gunman in the antechamber.
 
Ron sighed and looked at Kamina. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe this is a feast for these people?" Simon's eyes widened in reaction to this idea and Yoko seemed to have thought of this for the first time as well, though neither of them had complained.

"Really...At least in our village we had pigmoles..." Simon looked down with new appreciation.

At Rossiu's leaving, however, Yoko and Simon became uneasy. She frowned as he left. The two of them got the feeling that something not-quite-right was happening here. Simon finished quickly enough and started to look around, Ron going with him. Yoko in the mean time finished eating and just sat down, wondering what was going on here.
 
"What? Men need meat, plain and simple. Ain't that right, Exodus?" Exodus hadn't even touched his food; he wasn't really all that hungry. He should probably eat, but he didn't really feel like it. He watched as Ron and Simon left; he then heard Kamina ask after a few moments of silence, "Exodus? You alright?" Exodus just agave Kamina a blank look and replied, "Yeah, meat, sure good for the body" before returning to look at the ground, his arms crossed in front of him. Kamina cocked his head; that was a bit of a late response. "What the heck is going through his mind?"

Exodus didn't know it, but he'd developed a small subconscious phobia of dimly-lit spaces. It also served to remind him of the screams he'd heard, all the failed test subjects howling in pain and agony from the various bases they visited after that. This place was serving to re-awaken all of that; maybe it was due to the darkness. Perhaps the mention of 'holy' rang a moniker of the Beastmen's fastidious loyalty to the 'Spiral King'. Whatever the reason was, this place was making him edgy; he didn't like being edgy. Little did he know that he would soon find out what was making him so edgy about this place.

"Hello, you must be the angels that came down from the heavens with the Face God." a soft-spoken voice then said, breaking the small cycle of thoughts Exodus had. He looked to his left to see an elderly gentleman holding a strange book. "You must be the High Priest that kid was talking about" Kamina then spoke up, to which the elderly gentleman nodded. He then noticed that Exodus' food was largely untouched. "I'm sorry, was the food not to your liking?" Exodus just shook his head, "No, that's not it; I'm not all that hungry to be honest." This man.......That's where the bad vibes were coming from; something this man was doing didn't sit right with him. Exodus watched him intently, gazing at him like a predator to its prey.

(Feel free to take over the role of the priest if it will help you in your post; I just had nothing more to add).
 
Yoko frowned as the priest came in and She watched Exodus stiffen up a great deal. He looked highly uncomfortable, and Kamina wasn't so looking so comfortable either. Yoko came toward Exodus and put a hand on his shoulder, not really looking at him. "Thank you for the meal, sir. It was nice of you, but would you mind telling us what's going on here?" She'd bet that something about this place reminded Exodus of his past, and Kamina too. She just hoped neither of them did anything stupid.
 
Exodus glanced over when he felt a hand on his shoulder; it was Yoko. Did she think he would attack this man or something? His instincts may have made him more defensive, but he wasn't violent towards humans - for the most part. Still, her touch was oddly comforting; she would feel his tension dwindle slightly, but not a whole lot. The priest cocked his head slightly at Yoko and replied,"You're most certainly welcome, but as to 'going on here', there's nothing really going on. Just trying to survive day-to-day." "Bullshit" Exodus and Kamina thought at the same time, unknowingly feeling the same way towards this man.

Kamina, however, would prove to be more forward about his thoughts; he was instantly in the priest's face, "Now I know what's making me edgy.....It's you. I don't know what it is you're up to, but I bet it involves that Gunman in the pond." The priest paused momentarily, "Gunman? You mean the Totem? Well, yes, our life is centered around it; it is a holy relic, depicting the Face Gods themselves." Exodus just snorted, "You think those are Gods? No, they are machines. Machines used by humans and Beastmen alike as tools of war and destruction. If they were a God of any kind, they would a God of death, not life and its principles." The priest then paused at Exodus' commentary and said, "You are mistaken; it is not a machine. It is a relic that was found here when this village was first colonized and built. But I do have a favor of you, young lady." He then procured a robe and held it out to Yoko, "Young Rossiu informed me of your rather risque outfit, and I can see now he was not lying. If you would be so kind as to put this on, it would make everything a lot easier."

He then turned to Kamina and said rather bluntly, as if he missed Kamina's rather direct confrontation, "We will be holding the Holy Ascension ceremony soon. You may join us if you wish, but please try to keep yourselves in check. For the people's sake; we merely want a peaceful life." The priest then turned and walked away; Kamina just grimaced and said, "I don't like that guy. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way." Exodus nodded, "I agree; this place makes my skin crawl. Something is definitely not right here."
 
Yoko frowned and took the robe. She sincerely doubted that "everything" would be easier if she wore this, but she wasn't here to upset people, and it wasn't that big of a favor to ask. Besides, it wasn't as if they'd be staying long. So as he left, she sighed and slipped into robe, pulling it down over her head, the hood catching there. She flipped it down and pulled her hair out, frowning at the way she looked and their comments. But both of them had a point. Something wasn't quite right here.

"You know, guys, I don't particularly like being told how to live either, but we're not from around here. Even if we don't like it we have to respect it. Besides, we'll be leaving soon anyway." She looked around her, uncomfortable herself in the dim caverns. "But I gotta say--the sooner we leave, the better."
 
(Lol, me thinks Exodus is going to be a tad PO'd)
"You wouldn't be saying that if they were aiding the Beastmen. They could be treated as 'angels' also; these people don't have a fucking clue." Exodus replied coolly, reminding her that some things were not acceptable. To him, that was a very real possibility; hell, they worshiped the Gunmen as Gods. His face cringed at the thought of those monsters being revered; the only fate they deserved was a violent death. Kamina just replied, "Well, we're not going to find out what's going on by standing here. Let's go see what this 'Holy Ascension' ceremony's all about." He then looked over at Yoko and groaned, "Ah, man, all the good stuff's covered up. What a drag." Exodus then bopped Kamina on the head, "You can ogle her all you like when we leave. Let's go get this over with." Kamina just rubbed the bump on his head as Exodus marched off, grumbling "I know he's had a rough time, but he needs to learn to relax." Exodus heard his comment but ignored it; he would relax when Adiane, Genome, and the rest of the Beastmen were marinating in their own blood.

Soon, the group reached a chamber; the entire population was slowly arriving there. When the chamber was filled, it looked like just over fifty people. The priest and Rossiu stood just behind a table where a vase full of straws was sitting; Exodus felt a knot grow in his stomach. Exodus soon felt sick to his stomach; the tension in the air was absolutely palpable and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His body stiffened even more than when the Priest first greeted them; the Priest's voice then echoed throughout the chamber, "Everyone, due to the births that have occurred on this day, the population of this village has exceeded the maximum of fifty. So now, the time has come for our Gods, our Divine Entities, to select two people to ascend to the heavens above."

Exodus froze, as did Kamina; what the hell was he talking about? Heavens? Did he mean the surface? Or were they going to kill them? Either way was certain death, so it didn't really matter. A man with three infants approached, wrapped in blankets to keep them warm, approached the man. Exodus recognized that this was the father of the three children that were born; what was he doing here? Exodus' expression turned to one of horrified disgust at the realization, his knuckles blanching as his hands clenched and his teeth ground against each other, "They wouldn't dare...." How could they?

The man then spoke, "Please, High Priest, these children, they were born only today! Isn't there any way they can be exempt from this?" The Priest just smiled and replied, "Fret not, my friend. This ceremony is a joyous one; today two people will ascend to the heavens. The Gods will choose two to release from the physical tyranny of this realm, and be blessed in the holiest of lights!" The man looked like he was about to cry as he said, "Then for myself, my wife and my children, I draw." He then took five sticks from the vase and covered the bottoms with a free hand, his expression one of fear, welled-up sadness and anxiety. Ironic considering Exodus was crying; though it was not sadness, but disgust and absolute fury at the priest.

Though Yoko would not likely understand his emotional state; he had failed to mention during his grand reveal of his past that he was unable to conceive children and had found out after trying with Harbinger. He looked like he was going to blow a gasket; his body shook as he watched children and adults alike continue to draw straws. This was how he treated his people? As nothing more than numbers, hidden behind this facade of religion? "That bastard......." Exodus growled, his eyes beginning to shift from brown to gold; if he thought he was going to get away with this, he was SORELY mistaken.
 
Yoko frowned, not willing to argue his point, since he had a good one. Still, it was no excuse to be an ass about it. She walked over to Kamina and blinked at his comment. "Hey, there are plenty of other good things about me," she said. "Including my face, thank you." She crossed her arms and let Exodus bop Kamina. That said, she still walked between the two of them a bit closer to Kamina. She nodded at Kamina's comment as they made their way over. Ron and Simon had already arrived, so the little group joined them. Despite the small number of people, it didn't seem as though there was much space left in the chamber.

Yoko frowned, not sure what this was all about but even she got a bad feeling about all this. Exodus looked almost like he was going to throw up and Kamina definitely tensed. She put her hand on Kamina's shoulder as if to reassure him and did the same for Exodus, though she knew at this point it probably wouldn't do much to help.

She stiffened as the priest mentioned the heavens and immediately she wanted to know what was happening. Her grip tightened on both of the men as Simon and Ron watched in shock. As Exodus began to shake in rage, Yoko tugged on Kamina and pointed out that it didn't look like Exodus could hold back. She stepped in front of him, shocked at the way his eyes were changing colors, but she let that go when she saw the rage.

"Exodus...stop," she said softly. Her voice was oddly reminiscent of Harbringer's as she spoke and her own golden eyes stared at him. "I won't say that this isn't awful and it is definitely wrong, but what good will you losing your temper do?" She held his shoulders and frowned, tears in the corners of her eyes as everyone drew their straws. She was obviously upset as well. "If you want to stop him, use your words. Fighting him won't do any good."
 
Exodus tensed even more when Yoko stepped in front of him; he glared right at her, their golden eyes meeting each other with his looking as if he was going to just smack her aside and give the priest the pounding he so righteously deserved. However, he paused as Yoko spoke, seeing the wetness prick the corners of her eyes; for a few moments, he saw Harbinger in her. She spoke like her, acted like her....it was like she was an exact copy. And it was most likely that which allowed her wisdom to penetrate the thick shroud of hatred for the priest. No, fighting wouldn't resolve anything, not here. He began to visually relax a little, his powerful body slowly ceasing to shake from the disgust and anger he felt towards the priest; eventually, he calmed down enough to where he wouldn't lose control.

He then took a deep breath, the normal brown of his eyes having returned; he was still plenty mad, but at least there'd be less of a chance of him beating the priest to death. "Oh, I've got some words for him........and the rest of these idiots." With that he moved past Yoko and pushed his way through the crowd just as the last two drew their straws; not that it was all that hard to begin with. "What the heck's he up to now?" Kamina said, scratching his head. "PRIEST! HOW DARE YOU, YOU MONSTER!" he bellowed, making most of the people jump with how loud he was. "What is it now?" "Don't try to play it off like nothing's wrong!" Exodus shouted back, the hurt and anger prevalent in his voice, as he then put his face only inches from the priest's, "You would send children to the surface? To the so-called 'heavens'? You heartless bastard......" He then turned and faced the crowd, his powerful voice projecting to all of them, "And to all of you.........How can you sit there and let this happen? You're just as bad......No, you're even worse than him! Worse because you're allowing him to choose those who cannot defend themselves to be sent to their deaths! The surface is no heaven, and it is no place for infants! Even if they aren't selected, the thought that you would include them is just wrong!"

He then held his arms wide open, to show the extensive scarring of battles that he had to endure, "If a child is sent unprotected to the surface, this is the best that they have to look forward to! Is that what you want? To have the best possible outcome our future be pain and misery? Do you want to them to unnecessarily suffer the cruelty of the surface world?" Tears flowed down his face as he continued, his arms falling down to his sides and his hands clenching slightly, "Have you people no heart? No shame? No sympathy, no sorrow? Newborn life is something to cherish, not just offer away to appease some God!"

He then pointed to the man, "I would kill to be able to have children like him. To be able to raise a family with the woman I loved! But, my time on the surface robbed me of that! I now exist without the hope to bear offspring and the woman I loved dead at the hands of genocidal beasts! Beasts that you would claim to be Angels! He then pointed to the priest, "And for you......for you all to allow this monster to choose your offspring to be sent into that world......is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE! What God forces you to do this? Not any God any sane person would follow!"

Kamina just watched as Exodus called out the people on their beliefs; he got that look of getting the crap kicked out of him again. While he didn't know what trying to raise a family would feel like, he had a good idea that trying and finding out that you couldn't was probably one of the worst things anyone could go through. "Jeez, no wonder he looked like he was going to lose it; how come he didn't tell us? That's an ugly can of worms if I've ever seen it. Though I think the Priest just needs a good ass-kicking, myself."
 
Yoko watched, eyes wide as he revealed that little secret. She felt herself tearing up as he told his story and she froze, not knowing what to do. She felt his outrage and his pain and his sorrow. She couldn't imagine that kind of pain...wanting something so badly with a woman that he obviously loved, but finding out that it would never happen. She turned to Kamina has he started to speak.

"He still doesn't trust us...not with that kind of pain...then again, would you trust someone with that?" she asked, frowning. "I don't know for sure what he means by sending them to heaven, but sending anyone up to the surface unprepared is just another way of slaughtering them," she said. "To send a child is unthinkable, even without having been in Exodus' shoes."

She frowned and looked at Kamina, feeling even more ridiculous in her robe. She could understand why some people might be uncomfortable with her like this, but she was getting fed up with being accommodating. People did what they had to do, but this just seemed barbaric. The priest stepped forward and frowned.

"Outsiders have no place questioning our beliefs! This is the way our community functions and in order to survive, our people must do as the holy book commands! Those with the red markings must leave for the surface." Then, two small children identified as Gimmi and Darry announced cheerfully that they were the winners of the draw.

Yoko's heart broke and she gasped stepping forward. "You don't understand what you're doing by sending these children to the surface! It's far from a paradise up there. You don't realize how dangerous it really is! If you send them up there, they'll die!"

Murmurs spread through the crowd, and now that she and Exodus had insulted and questioned their faith, many were up in arms against the two of them. But many were questioning it as well--and always had. Just then, the ground began to shake and a gunman broke through the chamber. Things just kept getting better and better.
 
Exodus glared at the priest as he told him that the people would only survive by following the holy book; and when the children - Gimmi and Darri from what they called each other - were the ones who were 'selected' for going to 'Heaven', Exodus felt like he was going to go berserk. "I notice you didn't take a straw for yourself, Priest. Are you above your own God? Do you get some special privilege that no one else gets?"

Exodus turned in surprise to see that Yoko had joined him in front of the crowd; Kamina would prove to join as well, grabbing the priest by his robes and putting his face only inches from the priest's, "I think you need a good asskicking, pal. Maybe getting beaten will knock some sense into you!" Exodus noticed the hostility from the group and tensed, stepping slightly in front of Yoko as if to shield her from anything they might try. Before anyone could do anything, however, they felt the ground shake as a Gunman descended from the giant hole in the ceiling, creating a small tidal wave as it landed in the pont. It looked to the left to see the Gurren and the Lagann sitting in the pond. "Ah, the Gurren....I finally found you."

Exodus just growled, his hands thrusting into the heavy gauntlets hanging on his belt; he then slammed them together once they were on, causing a bright flash and a loud whirring sound to emit from them as his Spiral Energy poured into the gauntlets, priming them for action. "Finally, some ass I get to kick! Kamina! Simon! Let's take him down!" he bellowed; Kamina nodded and turned to Simon, "Simon! Let's go!" Exodus then ran forward to deal with this newcomer, who turned and replied, "And Exodus is here as well......Fortune smiles upon me today."

Exodus just shouted as he neared the enemy, "You will not have me, monster! Not as anything else but your enemy!" The people would get a first-person view of the point Exodus and Yoko were trying to make. As he neared the pond, the Gunman pulled out a hammer from his back and swung it down; Exodus leapt to the side and used the arm to run up to the Gunman's face. He leapt again and hit his charged gauntlets on the gigantic metal beast; a series of fireballs racked the surface as Exodus landed blow after blow on it.

The village people then started shouting at Exodus, condemning him for harming their Face God and the Angel inside. He ignored them, focused on trying to take out this enemy. After jumping from the mech to the land on a wall and vault to another position, the beast used its hand to literally swat Exodus from the air; he rocketed towards Yoko, crashing into the wall above and to the right of her before falling to land hard. "Damn it....." he growled as he struggled to get up. The Gunman just laughed; Kamina and Simon, however, suddenly rammed him with Gurren Lagann, Kamina shouting, "Try fighting us, you bastard!" The Gunman boomed out a reply, "You think you can win against me!? Foolish naked ape!"
 
Yoko put an arm in front of her face to block flying debris and then started herding people out of the room. She watched carefully as the gunman moved, listening to every word. So it was looking for Exodus and Gurren Lagann, was it? Well to hell with that. She wasn't going to let anyone have them. When Exodus was launched into the wall just above her, she gracefully dodged out of the way and threw off the ridiculous cloak so she could move. "Get down!" she yelled, more to the remaining villagers than to Exodus. She pulled out her rifle and started firing electromagnetic pulses at the bastard followed by real shells.

"You okay, Exodus?" She meant physically, but she knew he was far from ok mentally.
 
Exodus rose, some of the loose debris on his powerful body falling off before being shaken off entirely. The impact hurt like hell, but he was a hard bastard that took worse hits before. "I'm alright, but this bastard won't be so fucking lucky!" he said, the intensity of the warrior very much alive in his voice. Before Exodus could try to get back into the fight, however, he found his path blocked by the villagers. "Stop! We're not going to let you harm the Face God anymore!" Exodus just growled and replied, "Are you fucking stupid?! That 'God' will kill you!" before trying to push his way past them.

However, several of the villagers grabbed hold of him and refused to let go; while he could use his superior strength to simply knock them aside, he couldn't risk hurting them. That would make him no better than the Beastmen; he wasn't a savage. He used precision and did everything in his power to minimize human casualties. Luckily for him, Kamina and Simon seemed to be even matched so far against this newcomer, because it looked like he'd be sitting this one out. "Goddammit" he grumbled, pissed that he was forced to stay out of the fight.
 
While the villagers were busy caging in Exodus, Yoko took the opportunity to help out Kamina and Simon in the Gurren Lagann. Her excellent marksmanship managed to put several large holes into the visitor who was causing all the ruckus. And then the others started to notice her role in all of this as well. Shocked by her outfit and outraged by her opposition to the "face gods" they formed a ring around her as well until she was basically back to back with Exodus as they watched the fight. Powerless to help because of the living barricade, Yoko cursed under her breath and turned to Exodus to see if he was alright.

"Sorry I didn't help out earlier, but you have to take the openings when you can...Are you okay?"
 
Exodus saw Yoko's shots; she moved just like Harbinger. And her accuracy.....he didn't know if even Harbinger could shoot that well. Exodus silently shared Yoko's sentiments, as they were now both forced to sit this one out. "Yeah, I'm alright; it'll take a lot more than a few hard knocks to put me down" he replied to her question of his well-being, watching the enemy Gunman with fercious intensity; the villagers were lucky he still gave a damn about human lives. The primal side of his mind screamed at him to just bash these villagers and go for the Gunman; his human side, however, calmed him and reminded him that he would be dishonoring Sovereign and Harbinger by succumbing to his violent rage.

The Gunman's armor was pierced and the bullets had hit a few internal systems; nothing to stop it dead in its tracks, but enough to slow down the mech quite a bit. "Damn you, you human slut! How dare you do that to me!" the Gunman bellowed as it tried to compensate for its movements to fight Gurren Lagann, who was pummeling it hard; one of the villagers then said, "See, lady! You angered the Face God!" Exodus just shot back, "Oh, stuff it, you spineless fuck!" his anger and aggravation getting the better of him for a moment.

This made several of the villagers jump, but quickly tighten their hold on him. Exodus glared at each of them, his body showing Yoko that he was trying to hold back his urge to just start pummeling his way through and getting back into the fight. His body trembled as his fury grew, aggravated that this thing was supported by these sheep. "Looks like it's up to you, Kamina, Simon." he uttered through gritted teeth.
 
Yoko rolled her eyes at the insults hurled at her. As if that was the first time she'd ever been taunted by a beastman. She had faith that Kamina and Simon would take care of the situation--especially since she'd taken such great care to weaken it. Let the villagers rant and rage. She'd done her part, and whether or not they were grateful, she knew her conscience would be clear.

Still, she had to admit that listening to Exodus defend her was gratifying. She'd thank him later on. For the time being, however, she had a duty to hold him back. "Oh, let go of him, already! Look at your gods! Watch them fighting! Does it look like they're going to protect you? One of them has to lose, and it's sure as hell not gonna be mine!"
 
"The fate of the Gods is not in your hands, woman!" "If the Gods want to fight, then one must have done something to upset the other!" the villagers rebutted her statements, completely missing the point Yoko was trying to make. Had to give them credit for their steadfastness in their faith, as aggravating as it was. When Yoko mentioned one of them having to lose, they noticeably focused their attention on her; Exodus just snapped at them, pulling at the people restraining him, "Try anything and I won't hesitate to break you like twigs!" This made them back off more, but refused to heed Yoko and release Exodus. He felt an unusually strong need to defend her, but he couldn't explain why.

Kamina and Simon were winning in their fight against the enemy Gunman; Yoko's shots into the mech's armor damaged it enough to where its mobility was highly limited. However, right as Gurren Lagann was about to land a potentially final blow, it spun around and tried to use its extreme weight to crush it. "Hahaha! Gurren Lagann! I will break you like a chicken bone and be rewarded by our Lord Genome!" And as much as Kamina tried to throw him off, this guy was really heavy. "Gah, get off, fatass! This is such a lame way to fight! Be a man and fight us like you're supposed to!"

However, they would get some unexpected assistance; the large Totem Gunman came to life and charged the enemy Gunman. One of its long, relatively thin arms crashed into the side of it and knocked it off Gurren Lagann. Another arm slammed the enemy again, knocking it into the hole that the Totem made by leaving. The walls around it cracked and shattered, exposing a seemingly-infinite abyss; a final blow sent the enemy Gunman down the cavernous trench, screaming as its form vanished into the endless darkness.
 
What made these people cling to their faith like this was beyond her, but if she ever found out the reason behind it, Yoko would steer clear of it. She really shouldn't judge their ways, but it was impossible not to when their laws expelled children from their ranks because of some need to control fit a decree handed down by a priest. The bastard was probably just trying to control the population. It was a necessary evil--but children?! It was barbaric.

Yoko would ponder it later, however, since they were starting to turn on her. She had no choice but to fight. And as much as she wanted things to end peacefully, and as much as she wanted to be tolerant and fair, she couldn't let them keep on like this. So without hesitation she used her gun as an intimidation device to keep them all away from her. And that was all she could do for the time being. She'd be overrun if she tried to help Exodus.

But then, the crowd was hushed by the appearance of the totem that guarded them all. Yoko gasped and muttered. "What the? Who's that?"
 
As the fight finished, the villagers and everyone else looked on at the Totem, wondering what made it come to life like that. Kamina just laughed, "Whew, that bastard was tough! Even with Yoko's shot's he didn't go down! So, Priest, why did you help us? And where did you learn to pilot a Gunman like that?" Exodus cocked his head in confusion, distracted for a moment by his words; until the mouth opened up and the Priest himself was seen sitting inside.

"I don't know, I just did what I thought you were doing; this village needs protection, and I couldn't sit idly by and let my people potentially die. The Gods would have been very displeased if I had let that happen." the Priest then said; this caused a loud round of cheering to erupt from the villagers. "What a bunch of sheep" Exodus thought bitterly to himself; he then barked, "You can all let go of me now!" That got them off him; he brushed his muscular arms, as if wiping the stupidity off his flesh.

The Priest then put the Totem back in the hole that it created; it was a perfect fit and would prevent anyone from haphazardly falling and suffering the same fate as the enemy Gunman. The Priest then came back ashore and, once everyone from Team Gurren was gathered, said, "I thank you for your assistance, but now I must ask you to leave. Your presence only upsets the balance we have here." Kamina looked positively pissed, "Balance? You call sending children to their death balance? I'll show you balance." Before he could do anything, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.

"That's enough, Kamina. Beating him to an inch of his life will accomplish nothing; if he believes this is what his people must do, there is nothing we can do to change it." Exodus then said, a complete turnaround from the short time he gave his little speech. "But... Kamina started to say, but Exodus just added, "We will take our leave, Priest; like my friend here, I don't like what you're doing at all. It sickens me to the very core of my being, but you're so set that it would be impossible to convince you otherwise; I know a losing fight when I see one. But we'll be taking Gimmi and Darri with us, if it's all the same to you."

The Priest nodded, "Very well, I'll send them along as soon as they've gotten their things together." He then turned and walked away; Kamina then turned to Exodus and said, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, we're trying to find a General and if they're as tough as you say they are, then being with us isn't the best place for them." Exodus just shook his head, "That may be true, but if they're alone up there, then a slow death is guaranteed." That was what he said on the outside and it was true but there was more to his reasoning that he kep to himself. He couldn't be a real father, ever; at least this way he could find solace in helping three younglings - Simon, Gimmi and Darri - attain a brighter future and not have to endure what he did.
 
Yoko frowned and holstered her gun as the crowd backed away. Oh, so it was okay when HE fought the "gods." Assholes. Sighing, she watched as Kamina got all worked up and she headed toward him, only to see Exodus stop him. She gasped as he pulled a 180 on all of them. No way was he on board with any of this. But maybe her logic had seeped in. Relief coursed through her, and she figured that Gimmi and Darri were better off with them.

She came to Kamina's side and smiled at him softly. "I think it's for the best if they come with us," she said softly. Maybe she'd spend more time riding with Kamina in any case.

((What about Rossiu?))
 
Exodus glared as the Priest left; to think he would continue on with this barbaric tradition was absolutely disgusting Kamina was a bit surprised when Yoko sided with Exodus in bringing the kids with them; maybe they were right. They WERE Team Gurren after all, and they could handle protecting the two little children. "Alright, well, let's get ready to go. So, when we get back up top, who's going where?" It was obvious that Exodus would sit in the transport truck, since he was far too big to fit in with Kamina in Gurren or with Simon and Ron in Lagann. That left the question of where Yoko and the kids would go; Exodus just shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever makes the journey the most comfortable."

Just then a voice spoke up, "Um, excuse me if it's not too much trouble, would it be alright if I came along as well? To be honest, I've been curious as to what Heaven looks like." Several heads turned to see it was Rossiu and Exodus felt the muscles around his eye twitch at the mention of 'Heaven'; before he could say anything, Kamina spoke up to voice his sentiments, "Why should we?" Rossiu looked a bit taken aback before he replied, "Well, I've kind of been Gimmi and Darri's caretakers before they were chosen, and I'd like to come along with them." Exodus then spat venomously, "Some caretaker, just sending his charges to their deaths. You should be ashamed to even call yourself that."

Rossiu's face fell, clearly stricken deep by Exodus' words. As he should be, for they were ones spoken from the deepest recesses of his soul; the boy then said, "I realize now it's not a kind tradition. Many families have been torn apart because of it, but it gives people hope. You have to understand; the Gods have always watched over us, and we suffered no ill will of their doing. If it would help my case, then let me come along, to atone for the mistakes I've made. I will help ensure the safety of Gimmi and Darri, even if it means my life." Exodus looked upon him, his hallowed features didn't even so much as twitch as the boy tried to fight to join them. Exodus then spoke, "We'll see how well that holds up when you face the Beastmen yourself, but fine, as long as everyone else agrees with it."
 
Yoko sighed. She'd let Kamina and Exodus decide on this one, but it might be nice for those kids to have someone around who they'd known all their lives. Despite their age, the shock of the surface might be a bit difficult to handle without someone they could surely rely on. And it would be a nice back up plan in case the four of them couldn't take care of Gimme and Darri after all. She mentioned these things casually, but didn't throw her weight behind anyone's side--just pointing out the benefits.

With that, she let the two of them decide and hung back with Ron and Simon. "Whatever works for you guys works for me," Yoko said, addressing the others. The children would fit in the transport with Exodus. Rossiu could ride with Simon and Yoko would ride with Kamina.
 
When the travel arrangements were finally figured out, it was decided that Rossiu and Gimmi and Darri would ride with Exodus, Ron would ride with Simon and Yoko would ride with Kamina. Exodus wouldn't really mind the company; besides he saw ot as an opportunity for him to see if he would have been good father material by testing how gentle he could be around children. Maybe having Gimmi and Darri near him would help bring him out of his shell a little, and not be so hard-set in shutting everyone out.

When it was nearly time for them to go - as they still had to wait for the children to show up - Exodus looked at Yoko and asked, "Hey, Yoko, mind if we talk for a minute?" He motioned with his head to a slightly secluded spot where they could have some privacy.
 
Yoko helped Ron with a few adjustments to the transporter and created more seating room for the kids. Once they were finished, she waited with the others. She stood there with her arms behind her head, stretching a bit before Exodus asked her to come aside. Blinking, she nodded. "Uh, sure..."

She followed after him and put her hands on her hips as they reached the little spot. "What's up?"
 
Exodus turned around and looked Yoko dead in the eyes; he then took a deep breath and said, "Look, I know this is going to sound weird.....but I just wanted to say........Thanks. For calming me down earlier; if you hadn't, I would've done something regrettable. And I also wanted to apologize; I know I'm a bit scattered right now, emotionally speaking. But, if I should ever get out of hand, to the point where you can't reign me back in........I ask you, Yoko, to not hesitate to put a bullet in my head."

In truth, he had reached that point before; several times in fact and it was only extreme exhaustion that managed to break that savage, near-feral mentality. But he also had a feeling at some point that he would become unreachable while in that state of mind; it was like the animal side of him was slowly taking over. Even now, his appearance would seem a bit off to Yoko; what Exodus didn't know was that utilizing the Blood Rage had several detrimental effects, one of which was the 'surfacing' of the animal DNA used in his creation.
 
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