Full Circle (Razgriz x Candira)

Exodus pulled back, shiny streams running down his taut cheeks as Harbinger tried to assure him that there was someone out there for him besides her. And while it was true that she loved him, he felt that a good reason they connected so easily was that they both shared the near same history of horrific survival; he shook his head, "They won't be like you, Harbinger. They may be close, but they'll never be you. No one could replace you." These were extremely honest words; she was one of a kind. Sure Yoko had a lot in common with her, but she wasn't Harbinger.

"I've been trying, but everytime I do, I see your face and I get a painful reminder of what I've lost." he then replied in a slightly quivering voice; the tears finally stopped but he still felt miserable inside. He held her closer, his arms holding onto her as if his life depended on it; it was like she was the only thread holding him afloat in the sea of despair that clouded his mind. "I'll keep trying, though, Harbinger....for you, I'll keep trying." It was here he saw her image beginning to fade; his mind was sobering up. "Wh....No, Harbinger, don't leave.....Please, I can't see you go again....." he then whimpered out, trying to hold onto her as if she were there.
 
(sorry about the double post, it's the only way I could get my intended post to stick. Don't have an idea of what's going on here)
 
Harbringer watched Exodus and shook her head. "It's not about finding someone to replace me, Exodus. It's about finding someone who makes you happy." She smiled and kissed his cheek softly before she began to fade away as he started to panic. "I can't stay, baby. But I'll always be with you in your heart when you need me the most." She smiled and then began to fade away, tears of her own sparkling in her eyes as she disappeared, leaving him all alone there.

Her message was clear: find a way to be happy. The notion was a simple one--but so very difficult to put into practice.
 
Exodus watched as Harbinger faded; it was then that he was snapped back into reality. He brought a hand to his face, feeling the dampness of his tears soaking into the skin. He fell to his knees, then hunched over to have his hands touching the wooden surface. He'd imagined it? His logical side had been telling him that, but it was taking the rest of his brain a while to process it. But still....he felt her, everything she did, everything she said, every touch, every syllable......it was like she was right in front of him. Her words still bounced around in his head. "It's about finding someone who makes you happy"' "I'll always be with you in your heart when you need me the most"

Exodus just sat up, his head bowed as he muttered, "You were the one that made me happy; I don't really feel that way about anyone else." He then clutched his heart, muttering again, "Harbinger.....Know in my heart of hearts that I loved you."

It was at this he felt a hand on his shoulder; he turned to see the resort owner looking at him. "My dear man, you seem absolutely heart-broken." Exodus nodded, wiping his eyes, "Yeah, I lost someone near and dear to me; it's still difficult trying to accept she's gone." The woman nodded in understanding, "Well, is there anything I can do to help you feel better? Would you like some....female company?" Exodus paused; maybe this would be good practice to help him open up to another, try to find someone who was right for him. "Maybe it would help me, so yes, I'll take that offer." he then replied.

The hot springs owner then grabbed his hand gently and led him back inside, "Well, that's nice to hear; some of my girls were heart-broken; they're not used to having someone reject them like that. But hopefully this will help make amends." When they would arrive inside the bathhouse, Exodus would find two of the bunny-girls waiting for him to help him relax; he was blissfully unaware of the nefarious plot about to unfold and the danger Yoko and Darri were in.
 
((Aww...you're breakin' my heart sweetie.))

As soon as Exodus was ready for a bath, he was swarmed by four nearly naked bunny girls. Two of them slipped their arms through his, asking him if he'd like a massage, and two peeked over his shoulders on either side of his head. They rubbed his back and shoulders, complimenting him left and right. If he told them to, they would tone it down a bit, but this was the only way that they knew how to act to do their job.



Yoko was washing Darri's hair, both of them back in their little swim suits. The little girl giggled and told Yoko stories. Yoko smiled and told Darri to cover her eyes. She rinsed Darri's hair and then toweled it dry, wrapping it up for a few moments. "There you go. We'll comb it out later, kay?" And with that, Darri started to get back into the water. Yoko washed her hair much faster, and toweled it so it was mostly dry before she combed it out and got back into the nice bath. It felt so good.

"Mmmm, isn't this nice, Darri?"
 
(Yeah, feelin' pretty bad for Exodus right now.)
Exodus' jumped in surprise a little when the bunny girls swarmed him; when the owner mentioned female company, he wasn't expecting their to be such a large turnout. He was then led to a very pleasant-looking room, one that actually calmed him down. "I was going to go with two, but after seeing how miserable you were, I figured a couple more wouldn't hurt." the hot springs owner explained; Exodus converyed his thanks to the woman and let the bunny girls do their thing. The woman then left; the girls could handle it from here, she had other matters to attend to. It was going to take some effort to get him to relax; his body was still tensed, twitching as the women caressed his skin, but loosening up little by little. He was also starting to feel slightly aroused, their sizable chests pressing into his body whenever they came near him. He felt very much ashamed; but, the absence of a woman's touch did things to a man, especially when the woman in question was someone that he 'had fun with' on a regular basis and was the sole object of his loving, undivided attention.
Rossiu didn't join in the festivities or the springs themselves; he found this place too weird and unsettling. He wanted to try and find Exodus and talk to him, but he saw him acting strangely, talking to someone even though there wasn't anyone there. Rossiu knew Exodus was having some problems and decided to leave him alone. He couldn't really find anything suspicious about the hot springs on the inside, so he was scouting the outside to see if there was any clue as to what this place was really about.
Kamina and Simon, meanwhile, had given up for now; Kamina's rationale was that sometimes a tactical retreat was needed to rethink a strategy. He then wondered over and stood up on a rock, looking to the moon with an awestruck yet determined expression. "Simon, look up there......One day that's where we'll go. Hell, we'll even go beyond that. I can feel it; once we win this crazy war......." He then struck his classic pose, raising a finger to the sky and saying, "Man will travel the stars and we will be free!" He then turned and looked at Simon, "Ain't that right?" Simon nodded, unable to help but feeling inspired by his words, "That's right; we have to win, Bro. And with you, there's no way we can lose." Kamina chuckled, "It's not just me, Simon; it's all of us. You, me, Yoko, Exodus, all of Littner.....our drills will pierce through the oppression of the Beastmen and show them the power of humans."
 
The bunny girls worked on his muscles, cooing compliments into his ears as they guided him towards the baths where the other men were. If they could guide him there with some heavy drinks, they hoped his friends could get him into a peaceful state of mind.
 
Exodus walked with the bunny girls, a towel around his waist as he was led to the hot springs to relax, unknowingly about to be horribly duped. As he finally approached the how waters, he saw Kamina, Gimmi and Simon all relaxing. "Hey guys" Exodus commented calmly, removing his towel and stepping into the water. He had to admit, it did feel nice; though his scars twinged a little as the heated liquid washed over them, causing him to grimace slightly before his massive form was fully submerged. They were always a little sensitive to heat, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Just then, Gimmi jumped on Exodus, exclaiming as he hugged the big lug tightly, "Big Brother!" Exodus just chuckled, saying with a slight smile as he patted the young boy on the head, "Good to see you too, Gimmi. You seem to be enjoying this place" Exodus felt himself relax even more and it showed in his demeanor; it was the biggest truth to say that Exodus had a very large soft spot in his heart for children. They were so innocent, it was adorable.

Gimmi nodded fervently, exclaiming as he pointed to the top of the rock wall separating the baths, "I made Simon go up there! He flew! Like a bird!" Exodus laughed; Simon, however, seemed a tad ashamed. But that disappeared when he saw the reward his little flight had given him. "Yeah, he got me good, but I did ask for it" Simon then commented, smiling in a goofy fashion. Kamina just replied, "Yeah, I didn't get to see anything" A sly smile then crossed his face, "Hey, Exodus......bet you can't knock a hole in that wall." Simon started to protest "Bro!" but Exodus just shrugged and said rather flatly, "Not without my gauntlets I can't. Sorry, no naked women for you" At this Simon had to stifle a laugh at Exodus figuring out his intent; Kamina's eye twitched and he looked around. He then noticed a very tall tree and he, rather loudly, exclaimed "Well, that's no big deal! I'm Kamina, leader of Team Gurren, and I'll never give up!" It wasn't long before he took for the tree, starting to climb it.
 
Once Exodus was settled in, the bunny girls grinned and reported their findings back to the bathhouse owner.

((sorry--had no idea what else to do..))
 
('Tis fine)
The bathhouse owner smiled devilishly as her girls informed him that Exodus was now relaxed; this was the time to strike. "The redhead will make an excellent plaything for our Lord; the child will be the best, as she can be groomed as she grows up to become a slave, willing to serve him and only him." She then walked into another room; this one housed the controls for the house itself and everyone was going to see that it wasn't all what they thought it was. She smiled as knobs and dials were turned, levers were pulled and wheels were spun, "Now, let's see how they like our little oasis now." With that, a small, card-sized panel was flipped up to reveal a switch. The woman in the sedge hat smiled ever wider as a finger flicked the switch up.

Meanwhile, Exodus just watched as Kamina climbed the tree; Simon had a look of worry on his face, "Bro! Don't!" but Exodus just said, "Don't about it, Simon, he can do it. He's got some drive, I'll give him that." Kamina continued to climb; after a few minutes, he finally reached the top of the wall, exclaiming, "Yes! I did it! There is no wall that will stand before me! And now, I gaze down......." but he was cut off as a giant wall of iron bars crashed down in front of him, knocking him off the wall and making him plunge into the waters below. Exodus and Simon were shaken from the force of the crash; Kamina stood up, exclaiming loudly at the same time as Simon and Exodus, "What the hell?!" Soon enough, their side of the bath was tipped over, causing them to be flooded out of the bath and down a slope. The cascade of water carried them down to the base of the mountain where the bathhouse resided; the churning splash caused them to be saved, but bruised a bit. They stirred from their dazed state, Exodus grumbling after coughing up some water, "God damn.....Everyone alright?" "I..I'll get back to you on that" was Simon's response.

Just as they landed, the bathhouse started to rumble; Rossiu was thrown off as well, but his descent was not as steep as the others, so he would be fine. He gave a grunt as he landed, looking up to see the bathhouse literally shaking. "W...what's going on? Rossiu stuttered out, his eyes widening as the bathhouse seemed to rise up from its base. At this he fled, limping a little as he made his way into the surrounding forest.

Kamina, Simon and Exodus were speechless; it was Exodus who finally stated, "It's a Gunman!" He felt pissed that they were able to deceive him, but that didn't mean he wasn't ready for a fight. However, as the Gunman rose more and more, it was becoming evident that this was much larger than an ordinary one. "Son of a....." Exodus grumbled; they had to find Gurren Lagann. So the trio turned and ran, "What the hell, Exodus? I thought Gunman and Beastman couldn't work at night!" It was at this the bathhouse owner appeared, transforming into a humanoid fox-like creature as she sat on top of the gigantic machine, "Hahahahahaha! Normally, that's the case, you foolish ape! But my species of Beastmen is nocturnal!"
 
Yoko and Darri had been enjoying the bath a bit longer in their suits when the water drained from their side and thick black bars dropped down and surrounded them. Yoko let out a shocked "What the--?" but she was cut off as Darri let out a terrified little wail. She held the little girl close, shielding her protectively as the cage was hoisted up and their trap was revealed for what it truly was.

She was still surprised, confused, and disoriented because of the now swinging cage, but she could see Kamina and the others being chased by what appeared to be real bunny girls. After she managed to calm Darri a bit she stood up and a bright light was shown into the cage, revealing that the two women in the group had been captured. The cage swung a bit more, causing the blinded redhead and little Darri to scream a bit and fall over as the large gun man began to move.
 
Exodus turned at the waist as he ran, seeing the hordes of bunny girls - ACTUAL bunny girls - chasing them. "Filthy fucking Beastmen......" Exodus growled; he was pissed enough to where he would gladly take them on. Plus, it would buy Kamina and Simon some time to get to the Gurren and Lagann so that they could combine; that is, if they could find it. Then, out of the blue, Ron appeared, being as resourceful and timely as ever. "Over here, I have them all ready for you!" he called out; Exodus cried out, "Kamina! You and Simon go! I'll hold them off!" "I need to kill something ugly" he then added as an afterthought. Kamina just nodded; if anyone could win in a one-to-one fight against Beastmen, it was Exodus. Exodus dug in his heel and spun around to face his assailants; he went to reach for his gauntlets, but found they weren't there. He remembered that he was forced to surrender them. "Damn it!" he growled, his fists clenching in preparation for combat.

Just as Simon got into Lagann, Kamina called out for the combination to combine; however, as he leapt forward, he face-planted into the dirt. "Bro! Over there!" Simon shouted, pointing to some rabbit-shaped Gunmen carrying off Gurren. "Son of a......." Kamina grumbled; Exodus was busy dealing with the rabbit women and looking up he could see that Yoko, Darri and......Gimmi?! Well, at least he was in the cage in a somewhat safe area; the bathhouse Gunman seemed to just keep moving towards them. "Yoko! We'll get you out of there!" he said; he then hopped in, pulling Ron into Lagann with him as he then said to Simon, "Simon! Get us up the face of that Gunman!" "But, Bro, what about...." "He'll be fine! Move!" With Simon took off in Lagann, the owner of the bathhouse cackling maniacally as she gave chase to the tiny, human-sized machine, "You honestly think that little thing can save you? Hahahaha!"
 
Yoko noticed Gimmi and told him to hang onto the little girl as she regained her stance and a fierce anger took her over. "Okay, that is IT!" she growled, reaching around her, her rifle suddenly materializing. Even the children were asking themselves "Where the hell was she keeping that?"

"I have had enough. How dare you use a delicious meal and a hot bath--a girl's two most precious things--as a trap!?" With that, she shot the chain that was linking the cage to the gunman and stood perfectly still, only bouncing a bit as the cage dropped and burst open. She looked back at Gimmi and Darri to ask if they were alright. Not a scratch.

"Stay close, you two. We're getting out."
 
Kamina and Simon ran from the bathhouse Gunman, trying to find a way to get up into a small window on its side where they could enter. Or, rather, one of them could; one needed to stay behind to pilot the Lagann and get the other close to it. It was ultimately decided that Kamina would go; he stood up, waiting for Simon to maneuver the tiny mech in the right spot. "Come on......just a little more......there!" Kamina exclaimed as he jumped, landing just below the window on some rough parts of the Gunman's underbelly. He then climbed up; just as he was about to reach the window, it burst open, revealing the old man from before. Kamina blinked; the old man just smiled and pulled him inside, clearly intent on helping him for whatever reason.

Exodus, meanwhile, was still fighting the horde of bunny women that surrounded him; several laid dead in pools of their own blood, but more still remained. Even though he was sober, it was taking a while for his body to fully process the alcohol he'd consumed, which meant he was still a tad sluggish. This was evidenced from the large number of shallow slash marks over his arms and torso; his eyes were their characteristic golden hue, his teeth bared and his left eye closed from a slash that nearly blinded him there, his breathing still somewhat heavy from the extra exertion he needed to perform. Seems like he'd have more scars to add to his collection. "Bring it on, you filthy Beastman sluts!" he then bellowed out, charging them with the intent to break them in half.

Yoko and the kids wouldn't get far before they found themselves blocked by medium-sized figures in robes; it was three of them, their faces hidden from view. It wasn't long before they charged, their robes being tossed aside to reveal their true form: humanoid toad creatures armed with polearms. "Get her!" the frontmost one shouted, charging headlong with his two comrades to try and get them for their Lord.
 
Yoko didn't hesitate a moment to fire shots into the charging figures, knocking them down instantly, but more and more continued to appear. Just when she was about to be overtaken, three women came out of nowhere, in the same sort of bathing clothes as Yoko, using martial arts and guns of their own to take out the remaining frog men.

A tall, busty blonde straightened up and smiled. "Hey, alright there?"

"Thanks for firing that shot before--you freed us too," a younger woman with black hair said.

A shy, but tall, pretty girl in glasses nodded at Yoko and the girls. "I'm glad we'll have allies on our way out."

"I'm glad too," Yoko said with a sigh of relief. "I'm Yoko, and these two are Gimmi and Darri," she said, gesturing to them.

"Nice to meet you, we're the Black Siblings. Big brother went off somewhere to take care of something, but we think he'll be coming along soon."
 
Kamina was busy dealing with his own horde of bunny girls and toad guards; it wasn't long, however, before he eventually caught up with Yoko. "Yoko! Kamina is...." he then cut off when saw that she wasn't alone. "Hey, weren't you the ones with that blond-haired loudmouth? Kittan, right? Aren't you his sisters?" he then said, pointing a finger at the three girls. Before they could respond, more guards appeared behind them. "For crying out loud, how many of them are there?" he shouted; picking up a pipe from a piece of destroyed plumbing, he led a charge to find the central control room and shut this machine down.

On the outside, it was eventually down to Exodus and one last bunny; many of the lacerations had been deepened by successive cuts. Penetration wounds pocked his powerful forearms, but overall his condition was still exceptionally good. His golden hues glared at the last one, who seemed a tad afraid after watching so many of her allies fall before this increasingly-savage brute. Her eyes wide with fear, Exodus glaring at her with pure, unbridled hatred, fury and aggression. There was definitely something....off.....about Exodus; one might not be able to put their finger on it at a casual glance, but even with the Blood Rage active it was strange how he acted and looked. It was more.....primal, more like the things he hated so much.

Simon and Ron were busy trying to run, the bathhouse Gunman quickly gaining on them. "Oh man, oh man!" Simon shouted exasperated, working his arms as fast as he could to keep the stubby-limbed mech ahead of the giant machine's crushing feet. A few times, the foot came crashing down right behind them. Eventually they were boxed in; some rocks came down and buried them enough to where they couldn't move. "Bahahahah! Looks like this is the end for you, human!" the fox-woman gleefully shouted; the bathhouse lifted one of its massive feet up, preparing to stomp Ron and Simon clear out of existence.
 
Yoko blinked as Kamina called her name, spinning around quickly with rifle in hand. She might have blushed at his appearance if he hadn't switched gears so quickly to focus on the other girls with her. All of them nodded at Kamina's memory and swooned over him a bit before the group got back on track, the guards catching up.

With Kamina's fierce and somehow comical leadership, they managed to make it to the control room where the Black siblings successfully shut down the core. Outside, Simon and Ron were saved and the inn keeper would be forced to eat her words.

As far as the frightened bunny girl, the two main instincts of an animal--fight or flight--were warring with each other. She'd seen what the monster could do, and she had no desire to die. But she had no doubt that he would come after her if she ran. She was afraid of the man before her...but the way his eyes glowed...the way he was glaring at her now...he was definitely not human.
 
The fox woman was about to send the foot hurtling on top of the small Gunman; she shouted, "Pathetic apes! DIE!" However, an explosion rocked the Gunman, stopping it in mid-stomp. Simon had been cowering waiting for the inevitable; after a few minutes, he looked up, seeing the gigantic metal foot just inches from where Lagann was trapped. "W..wow, that was a close one.....eh-he-he" he then said breathlessly, relieved that danger was gone for the moment. He then moved, slowly shifting the rock from around Lagann and eventually freeing the small machine. He then realized Kamina might be in trouble and went after him, intent on rescuing his bro.

In the main control room, the fox woman was furious. "What the hell is going on!? Status report!" she then shouted, her voice blaring over the intercoms. Just then a video feed of a badly beaten up toad Beastman came alive, his voice clearly panicked as he explained, "Mi..Mistress! They've broken out! The core room's....Blegh!" before being cut off as Kamina swung a steel pipe into the back of the animal's head. "Useless! I have to do everything myself!" she then growled, heading out to confront them personally.

By this time the core room was thoroughly destroyed; pipes bent, wires sparked, holes everywhere. They certainly did a lot of damage. Kamina just chuckled and laid the section of pipe on his shoulder, "Well, looks like that's that. Now to find......." He couldn't finish his sentence, as soon more bunny girls seemed to appear out of nowhere, long claws being pointed at his throat. "What the......" Kamina stated, frozen momentarily.

The fox woman then made herself present; to all, her appearance was no longer that of a respectable-looking elder, but an actual fox that wore too much eyeshadow. "Guh! Man, you're ugly!" Kamina blurted out. The fox woman's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but somehow kept her composure, "Think of me what you will, but this has gone on long enough....We don't need men here, now just surrender or face divine execution in the name of Our Lord."

It was at this point Kamina lost it; he then shouted out as his fists went into a fury "That's it! I've had it! A man can only take so much!" sending his armed captors flying. "Simon!" he then cried out; as if to give him a sense of perfect timing, Lagann busted through the floor and stood at the ready. "Quick, everyone in!" Kamina shouted; it was a bit of struggle, but the brain-like covering closed over them, albeit uncomfortably tight. Simon then had the Gunman rocket up out of the ceiling and into the air. "Bro! Over there! It's Gurren!" Simon pointed out, seeing the larger Gunman waving at them.

"Kamina, you were right. I wanted to fight, and it moved." Rossiu's voice then played over the intercom; Kamina just said in reply, "Not bad, kid! Simon, do it!" Simon's hands flew over the controls, causing the limbs of the Lagann to retract until it was a head-shaped drill; Simon then shouted, "Lagann Impact!" Lagann then seemed to home in on Gurren, impaling it on the top and creating the seemingly indestructible Gurren Lagann. Kamina slipped down the drill and into Gurren's cockpit, his naked form resting just in front of Rossiu. "Sh..should I get out?" Rossiu stammered out; Kamina however just replied gruffly, "No, there's no time!"

Kamina then put the mech's hand to the giant sunglasses on its face, tearing them from its front and raising them high into the air. "A man's wrath......" he then forced Gurren Lagann into the air, the sunglasses over his head as he added "slashes through you with explosive force!" The glasses then cut through the bathhouse Gunman, slicing it in two and causing the mechanical behemoth to explode.

Exodus had just dealt with the last of the bunny girls; a ring of horrifically mangled bodies surrounded him, evidenced further of his trials by the large number of bleeding slash marks and spilled enemy blood all over his exposed upper body. The scars of his past seemed to gleam a little, as if his aggression was making them shine somehow. His broad, toned chest rose and fell dramatically, his breathing heavy and shuttering with insatiable rage; this wasn't enough. His body shook from levels of adrenaline and endorphins that would kill a normal man; this wasn't enough. He needed...nigh, CRAVED....more, if only to quell the murderous urges coursing through his body. His powerful hands clenched hard enough to blanch his knuckles, his nails - a bit longer and much sharper than before, forming what could be considered a set of claws of his own - cutting into the heels of his hands and drawing blood, adding to the amount dripping on the ground from his other wounds.

His entire body was incredibly tense-looking, a dark and admittedly very sinister aura hung over him, creating a very palpable sense of danger; he was so far focused staring into the ground that most everything else just kind of fell by the wayside. His heart pounded in his ears, beating like an intense war drum. The pupils had narrowed into slits, his canines were more pronounced, and his muscle tone......it would seem to anyone who looked upon him that he was even larger than normal. Something was not right with him, anyone who happened to look at him would see that.

The intense wind at his back, however, seemed to be enough to snap him momentarily out of staring at that indiscernible spot on the ground. At the very least it made him turn around, the blast ruffling his shaggy black hair as his golden hues gazed upon the destroyed wreckage; he still wasn't relaxed at all, however, as his intense gaze now shifted to the smoldering pile of scrap that was the bathhouse. "Looks like it's done" he then commented in a surprisingly calm tone. He didn't say a word as the Gurren Lagann stood next to him, the crew watching as the enemy fortress crumbled on top of itself. Several objects flew toward them; Kamina's sword - wrapped in the cape of his father - flew past Exodus' head, and his gauntlets landed right next to his feet. None of this made him even flinch; instead, he just stared intently at the smoldering pile of wreckage. "Yeah! We did it!" Kamina exclaimed loudly, clearly ecstatic over their victory.
 
Yoko and the Black Siblings had been instrumental in destroying the core of the giant gunman that was the hot springs. Surprisingly, Gimmi and Darri played a hand as well, helping where they could to wreak havoc. The women instinctively formed a ring around the children as more attackers fought their way into the room. Enemies were quickly dispatched, only for the fox woman to appear...followed almost instantly by Lagann.

Before anyone could really get a handle of the situation, everyone was squeezed into Lagann, nearly naked bodies crammed up against one another as the little gunman shot up into the sky and out of the situation they'd been in. Before the real battle started, the woman and children managed to get out so that Simon had room. The protected each other as the fight raged on before them. And finally when the huge gunman was destroyed, everyone cheered, including Yoko.

She became so excited that she jumped for joy, quite literally, and then lost her top in mid air, realizing only too late what had happened. Anyone who'd been even remotely aware of their surroundings got quite a show, indeed. Embarrassed, Yoko screamed and quickly covered herself before running off.
 
(Remember how I said Viral was going to be kind of a dick?)

Kamina and Simon - along with near everyone else - caught the sight of Yoko's top falling off; everything seemed to slow down as her ample, bouncing breasts were revealed for all to take in, Exodus being the sole exception. "Good morning, sunshine" Kamina said out loud as Yoko ran off, her face as red as a tomato and screaming from embarrassment. Exodus, despite having heard the screams and cringing from the noise thanks to his oddly enhanced hearing, was only made fully aware of the situation when the thin piece of fabric had floated down in front of his face. A hand reached down to pick up the fabric, his - now longer and sharper - nails thankfully positioned so that they wouldn't rip it.

Just then, Simon noticed a bright flash; a pretty large feat considering the sun completely overshadowed the horizon in that particular direction. "What was that?" Simon then asked aloud; Kamina then added, "What was wh..." but never finished his sentence. Moments later, a titanic explosion erupted next to Gurren Lagann, scattering the bodies of everyone present. And because Simon and Kamina were on the outside when it hit, their own mech fell over, thankfully not landing on anyone. Near everyone was face down in the hard earth; Kamina then stirred first, groaning as he sat up, "What the hell......" Exodus and Simon too managed to push themselves up. The fabric had floated away from him in the explosion, landing next to wherever Yoko was.

Just then they all looked up to see a strange - yet very familiar-looking - Gunman, its pilot standing on its head staring down at them with malicious intent. The pilot too, was very familiar looking; his voice then rang out, calm yet filled with the desire to kill, "Hello again, filthy naked apes". The light cast over him, revealing the head of short blond hair and mouth of jagged shark teeth that belonged only to Viral. Kamina then cocked his head in confusion before replying, "Uh.....Who are you?" Viral nearly fell off his Gunman from the shock; he then clenched his large, hair-covered hands and shouted, "Are you kidding me?! You and I fought, you stupid blue-haired ape!" Kamina tried to think back; he then replied, "Nope, not ringing any bells" Viral looked like he was going to pop a gasket; but Simon then added, "Um, Bro.......that's Viral, the guy you told me used a cleaver" Kamina then snapped his finger, "That's right!" Viral just slapped his forehead, "These apes are absolutely moronic; they deserved to be exterminated"

Just then, a rather strange growl was heard; Viral turned his head and saw Exodus glaring at him, his thick clawed finger scraping and scratching the hard earth. "Viral" Exodus uttered before making that strange, deep-throated growl again. Viral face then broke into a smile as he said, "Ah, Exodus......nice to see that you're here too. Thymilph will be pleased." At this Exodus stood up, his body seeming to ripple and shutter as his rage threatened to overtake him completely. Viral then noticed the two kids and commented, "Oh, now isn't that a nice sight.....You've taken some snot-nosed brats under your wing. Maybe I should kill them first" Exodus shot over in front of them, his bulked form acting as a shield; like hell he was going to let this bastard anywhere near them. Little did he realize that he would soon become a danger to them himself.

Viral just laughed, "Just as I thought.........You truly are pathetic, Exodus" Exodus then replied, his body shaking even more, "Think of me what you will.......but try to lay a finger on them, and I will fucking break you" Viral then added, his grin becoming more sinister as he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't even see why you try, Exodus; I mean, just because you couldn't have kids with that bitch Harbinger doesn't mean you take these little bastards as your own" "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?!?!" Exodus bellowed, his eyes wide with unimaginable fury. Gimmi huddled next to Darri, suddenly afraid of his 'Big Brother'.

Viral knew it would just take a little more, unaware of what he was getting himself into. "You heard me.......Harbinger died because you were too pathetic to save her, and now you're using these little bundles of misery to compensate for her loss. The fact is......" but he never finished his sentence as Exodus let out a horrific-sounding, resonating roar. Kamina and Simon covered their ears, looking on as Exodus just seemed to lose control. Exodus' body then did something rather strange; all the wounds on his body closed up instantly, but the scars from the Silver Fire seemed to glow a bright red. Now Viral had done it, and he was going to face the wrath of Savage Exodus.

Exodus then launched forward, creating a small blastback as he hurtled toward Viral. "W...hat the....." Viral stammered before a right hand caught him in the jaw, sending him flying back and skidding on his feet. Viral then seemed to produce the cleaver he;d used against Kamina from his robe, saying "I can easily take you!" From there it would be a fast-paced battle; explosions erupting from the ground, sending dirt and loose bits of rock raining down on Kamina and group as Exodus' hyperenhanced strength and brutality drove him to put 100% of his power into every blow he tried to land on Viral. It took all of Viral's agility and speed not to let Exodus in too close; he knew what this brute was capable of, but it seemed that as the fight wore on, Exodus was getting faster, stronger and more vicious. He certainly wasn't expecting that.

(Lol, I suggest they back away as FAR as possible)
 
((Oh, Hell. Well this won't end well.))

Yoko snatched the fabric out of the air as her top was blown back to her. She had it back on in the blink of an eye. Instantly, her attention was on Gimmi and Darri who were still with the Black siblings. The redhead found her clothes soon enough and quickly redressed before she slipped on her sunglasses and got her gun. She ran out toward her friends, just in time to see Exodus spring into action. She'd never seen him so full of rage before, but if the stories he told had any truth to them, Team Gurren had better haul themselves out of there and fast.

"Let's get out of here! Exodus can handle it!"
 
Kamina turned as Yoko yelled at them to run; well, she didn't have to tell him. And judging by how big some of the craters Exodus was leaving behind with his bare hands, Kamina could see why she wanted them to leave. "Yeah, that might be best" Kamina then said as he scooped Gimmi and Darri, who seemed scared and confused as to why Exodus was acting so strangely. "Come on, people! This place isn't safe right now!" Who knows if it ever would be safe; Exodus seemed extremely different. This wasn't just anger, it was like something snapped. It was like he'd degenerated into something primal; regardless they needed to get the hell out.

Viral seemed to be keeping pace with Exodus in terms of speed; however, the lieutenant then sank his cleaver into Exodus' arm, causing the muscled man to emit a loud howl-shriek of agony as the heavy sharp blade cut to the bone. Exodus' claws then raked Viral's front, leaving a trio of diagonally oriented deep gashes from his hip to his shoulder and causing the lieutenant to sputter at the flash of intense pain. The metallic scent of spilled blood only seemed to fuel Exodus further, the catlike pupils of his eyes focused with a soul-shattering intensity on his target. Viral had tried to back away; however, a clawed hand gripped the front of his robes. Now he was royally fucked; Exodus quite literally made a tomahawk-throw arc over his shoulder and slammed Viral onto the ground, cracking the earth beneath from the force of the impact and sending the sound wave rocketing across the barren expanse.
 
Yoko looked back over her shoulder as she ran with everyone, only to see Viral go flying--quite literally. Exodus was out of control, and there would be no quelling this side of him until he was finished with Viral, that much she was sure of. And if they didn't have to fight, all the better. Exodus would win--of that she had no fear or doubts. The only thing left to do was get the hell away from here. She took Simon's hand and dragged him along with her as Kamina handled the kids and Ron and the girls ran on their own.
 
(Oh, if only it were that easy, my dear Yoko, hehehe)
Viral was taking a pounding; he was getting tossed around like a ragdoll as Exodus' powerful fists punished his body. As Exodus' fury grew, so did his power it seemed; it was lucky that Viral was an exceptionally tough son-of-a-bitch, else he would be long since dead by now. That wasn't to say that he didn't land some good blows on Exodus with his cleaver and claws; it was just that they were so minimal to him that they didn't even seem to faze him. After having about a third of a second to recover from a particularly brutal barrage, Viral gazed up just in time to see the Trio's sole survivor hurtling toward him; that split second, however, seemed like a minute to him. He then felt Exodus knee him in the guy before he cracked Viral up the jaw with a powerful uppercut, sending the lieutenant flying a considerable distance into the air once more; Exodus leaped after him, his fists raised above his head, clearly intending to piledrive Viral right back down.

Which he did do; except now Viral fly like a brick right down in front where Team Gurren and company were trying to flee. Kamina skid to a halt as Viral crashed right in front of, exclaiming "Holy crap!" It wasn't soon after that he noticed a shadow; looking back and up, he saw Exodus hurtling from his leap back down to where they were. "Ah, shit! Move, move, move!" he yelled out, trying to get everyone away from 'the action'. Luckily everyone managed to get out before Exodus landed; his fists crashed so hard into Viral it was like a bomb went off, sending small bits of rocky debris raining down on everyone.

Exodus' massive form then lifted Viral's near-lifeless corpse up above the ground; murderous eyes gazed upon the lieutenant, heavy snarling breaths and grunts left his mouth as his insatiable fury continued to cloud his mind. The lieutenant was easily in the worst shape of his life; open wounds spilled copious amounts of blood, his arms hung limply at his sides, the Beastman's jaw hung from his mouth, clearly broken along with a multitude of other bones in his body. Exodus then bellowed and spun, hurtling Viral back toward his Gunman; the Lieutenant's form went clear through the 'face' of Enkidu, the momentum of the collision causing the machine to actually fall over onto its back. Exodus then climbed out of the impressive divet he made and lumbered over, his stride slowly increasing to where it might become a full sprint, to where Viral lay, intending to finish him.

Viral, however, had other plans; he weakly stirred, groaning at the pain from his numerous injuries. He then weakly reached for a small button on his console, having had the fortune (for him, anyway) to land right in the pilot seat. A forefinger weakly pressed it; this was a 'return-to-base' automated response system in case the pilot was too injured not to be able to do it himself. Enkidu jumped back up into its feet, causing Exodus to leap back and stare up at his potential new adversary. He then watched in surprise as the thing turned and ran off, carrying his target with it; Exodus then clenched his hands, threw his chest out and roared after it, his drawn-out primal cry reverberating across the desolate landscape for all to hear. He then just stood there, his body shaking, his breaths coming out as feral snorts and grunts.

His nostrils then caught wind of new arrivals; well, technically they were already there, but he was noticing them for the first time. He then spun around with lightning speed to face Team Gurren, letting everyone see the animal he'd become. Those deep-gold predatory hues with the narrowed slits for pupils gazed upon each person, his powerful chest rising and falling dramatically as the unsatisfied bloodlust continued to course through him. His body was crouched and tensed, those lethal-looking nails raised out in front and to the sides of him. Kamina gulped; surely Exodus didn't think of them as the enemy now? "A..alright, Exodus, you won.......he's gone, Viral's gone....you can stop being a crazy bastard now" Kamina then said, hoping to reach through to Exodus. The look in his eyes told Kamina that he wasn't listening, for the look communicated one thought and one thought only.....


Kill........
 
They'd seen the whole thing, watching from start to finish. Kamina and Simon were atleast still in Gurren Lagann--they would have a fighting chance--oh, and Rossiu too. But the women and children were in plain sight. Yoko wouldn't like--he scared the shit out of her. She'd never seen Exodus like this before--so primal and ruthless. She'd nearly killed Viral right in front of Gimmi and Darri, who were both trembling with fresh fear as Exodus stared them all down.

Very gently, she pushed the boy and girl behind her, the Black sisters closing ranks around them as well. But they could still see their big brother, and they both knew that something was horribly wrong with him. As soon as the exchange between Kamina and Exodus was finished, Darri started to cry. Yoko's face took on a rather pained expression--sympathetic for the girl--but she stood her ground, rifle at the ready.

It was about the time Darri started to cry that the image of Harbringer appeared beside her, a bit frightened herself. "Exodus..." she seemed to say.
 
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