The Lure of Bitter Revenge

[leekspins]

WHO: Orihime Inoue, Tatsumaki, Imelda Rivera, Hector Rivera, Peter Parker
WHAT: Orihime and Tatsumaki go on patrol trying to find Sora or the monster that turned him into a hollow. Unfortunately, they succeed, just as Grand Fisher planned.
WHEN: February 9th, 2019 - Evening
WHERE: Woods between Daybreak Academy and Soleil


Ever since receiving the bitter news about her brother's transformation, Orihime and Tatsumaki had been diligently searching the school grounds for signs of him, or the creature that forced his transformation. She was certain Sora was responsible for all of the accidents she'd survived. It left a nasty chill in her gut to think that her own brother was the one holding her down under the water, or pushing her down the stairs, or throwing a tuba...

...Actually that one was probably just a crazy accident, but even so, it was eerie. What was more, it seemed like he could kill her pretty easily if he truly wanted to do it. But with all of these accidents, it made her wonder...was there some small part of him trying to hold back? It gave her hope. And hope instilled her with determination.

Since searching the grounds had turned up nothing, she had to consider the possibility that the creatures were less eager to move about a place that was well guarded and filled with students and teachers that could fight back without hesitation. So they decided to try the woods.

She glanced at Tatsumaki as they walked together through the dark and snow-drenched trees, and the sight of her friend's serious face made her smile. They'd been through a lot together over the years, and as much as it made Orihime uneasy to ask anyone to risk their lives to save someone who'd lost his long ago, she was honestly really glad to have Tatsumaki with her.

And Hector, of course. He knew what her brother now looked like, and being able to easily see the dead, he might spot Sora if she couldn't. Of course, now that Sora was a Hollow, she wondered if that would be enough to finally make him visible to her eyes. She didn't know, and it was better to be safe about something like this.

Something pricked at her spiritual senses just before she heard a scared whistle, playing the same note. Three staccato shrills. Three long whistles. Then three more short ones. The signal for an S.O.S.?

Orihime drew up short, her body tense. She hadn't heard that whistle for a couple of nights now, and her heart almost burst with sheer relief. It was Peter's ghost twin! She'd been so worried when he disappeared, but he was calling out for help. Thank goodness he was okay!

Before she'd gone two steps in the direction of the call, however, she hung back. The spiritual signature of his presence was wrong. In fact, there was nothing familiar about it at all. It felt oily and rotten, much like Ginshu's presence had felt, and just like Uncle Ben's when he'd been a monster. Orihime frowned, her pulse quickening. They'd found one.

She shot a quick look at Tatsumaki and nodded once, thinking loudly. It knows I'm here. You can fly up and flank it while I have its attention. Then she looked at Hector and made a motion like she was punching numbers on an open cell phone. She'd promised Peter she wouldn't leave him out if they actually found something; she just hoped he was rested enough for what was to come. Once it seemed like they were prepared, she took a breath to steady herself...then ran forward.

"Ghost Monsieur! Is that you? Where are you?!"

It wasn't him. She knew it wasn't, but it was important to run recklessly and pretend to be suckered into the trap so she could strike first. Even so, there was still a small swell of hope inside of her that she'd find her ghostly friend alive(ish) and well.

Comments

[unpocoloco]

It had been a last minute attempt to convince her into letting him along, telling her that he might be able to see her brother if she can't, or at least recognize it's him if she could. It wasn't that he wanted to be here, but he knew he wasn't ever going to convince Orihime out of this. And, at the end of the day, she was right; this had to be dealt with. Trying to do this together at least gave Sora a chance.

By that evening, Ekkehardt had managed to piece his arm back together. To not only have it whole and back into its socket, but to be able to abandon this exhausting half form, finally, is a weighty relief. He's still worn, but his face already looks a bit more alive, and while his arm still faintly buzzes with those days of brokenness and disconnect, it is connected now and he finds he can still use it.

He'd gathered a crowbar soon after that and hooked it in his belt. Then, was that explosive thing that Ben had somehow gathered, left out around where they'd last faced that monster only a week ago. He'd hesitated, but it didn't burn his hand or anything to touch it like he thought it might-- not an undead repellent on the outside after all, but still something that could hurt that thing. Not a violent man but perhaps it was time to learn how to fight back.

The forest is eerie and while he's become accustomed to only ever seeing things in the dark, knowing what's out here brings it right back to primordial fear. He starts in alarm at the S.O.S call, but Orihime lights up. He's not sure that's a good thing. Her face soon reveals that it isn't. But they keep going and when she mimes for him to text peter, he nods seriously and immediately tugs out his phone, swapping the blaster into his jacket's inner pocket. It takes all his willpower to keep to his phone and not run after Orihime, but he manages.

Peter, it's Héctor. I'm with Orihime and her friend, Tatsumaki. We've found the monster, or one of them. If you're not healed, please stay where you are. If you are, which means you're going to come no matter what I say, please don't go alone or without letting anyone know. Remember it's targeting you. We have to stay alert. I hope I will see you when this is over. Take care, mijo.

[made_up_names]

"If you're not healed," as if he would pay the slightest attention to that caveat. Fortunately for everyone involved, though, after a week of rest Peter is right back up to his usual energetic self. Including all of his feverish work on the runes that had taken down Fisher the first time. When the text comes in, he immediately starts stuffing all of his notes and tools into a backpack, as well as the preliminary runes he'd been able to manufacture.

It's time to go. And maybe - maybe this time they can put an end to this for good.

I'm coming. You can't stop me.

Which is frankly kind of ominous so - after a moment, he sends another text.

I'm fine tho, I rested all week. Also it's not targeting me, we already know it's not, so can you please stop saying that, its creepy

There, that's more of a normal text from him. That leaves him with all of his stuff put together, ready to go ...

He hesitates a moment more though. Quite frankly he's not confident in his own rune abilities here. If he screws this up, this could be bad. But who else can help? Who else is magically powerful, has already faced one of these things, and would have good reason to care about Héctor?

... Oh. Oh boy. He really, really hates to do this, but if it's just his own pride at stake he'll take it okay. Peter reluctantly shoulders his backpack and rushes back to Lumiére to go knock on Imelda's door.

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

Peter is fortunate that Imelda happens to be in her room on this particular evening. She answers the door and seems immediately surprised to see that it's him--usually she doesn't know he's in Lumière until he's already neck deep in trouble. Which is why her gaze immediately flickers around the hall... Nothing appears to be on fire. So far.

"I wasn't expecting you. Is everything okay?"

[made_up_names]

Well. Technically he's already neck deep in trouble? Just not. Quite setting things on fire yet no. He definitely looks more alarmed and unhappy than guilty, which is a start.

He shakes his head, hard. "Orihime and Héctor need help," he says. "You know all those undead monsters? They're going after the thing that's making them."

And Imelda knows why that's dangerous to Héctor in particular. He hitches his backpack further up on his shoulders, casting his gaze down for a moment. "I know you're mad at him. And I know you're mad at me but - " He swallows a bit. "I know how to beat it, but I can't cast the spells I need to do it. Please."

That last word comes out as a soft plea.

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

Whatever she expects Peter to say, it isn't that. None of that, from the need for help to the plan to go after the thing making the undead monsters to Peter saying he has a way to beat it. There's surprise in her expression--and maybe a little fear, before it's covered over with her furrowing her brow and settling her jaw. He barely every finishes before Imelda is turning away from the door and grabbing her shoes.

"That man is an idiot, I swear," she fumes under her breath, but the anger in her tone doesn't quite match the urgency with which she's pulling those shoes on. "I don't know what possessed him to think he should be tackling something like that. He doesn't know the first thing about magic--" She clicks her tongue sharply, and Pepita comes running to hop onto her lap. In one fluid motion, she stands and scoops the cat into her arm.

"Where are we going? And what do you need?"

[made_up_names]

Good. She's coming, then, and that's the most important part. He should have looked askance at the cat under her arm, but he has since been informed about Pepita's alternate state okay.

Now that he knows he doesn't have to beg her to come along, Peter calms down a bit. For all he's a dumbass, he's clearly been in a crisis before. There's a telltale sense of forward momentum, just figuring out the next step and then going on from there. One step at a time. "He's trying to help me and Orihime," he says with another wince of guilt. "We were going to trap the thing together - I guess he found out." Which he can't really fault him for. Dude's looking out for his dumbass kids.

"Ben beat it with this rune weapon. It looked like a cannon - I took down the runes. They're kind of anti-undead, I think?" He gets out his notebook as they walk, showing her what he's researched.

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

She lets Pepita crawl her way up onto her shoulder as they go, taking the notebook in her free hands and looking it over. She'll ignore the defense of Héctor for now, if only because it's not the most important thing to deal with at the moment. The man is still dumb for throwing himself into something he barely understands, regardless of intention.

The notebook is given a look-over as they hurry down the hall, taking the stairs to the outside. "Runes aren't really my specialty, but I've seen enough of what my brothers get into--" She pauses in her words but not her movement, her brow furrowing.

"You're making a potato gun to fight this thing. A rune potato gun?"

[made_up_names]

Um. Well. Peter looks a bit embarrassed at that.

"Yes?" he says, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I've made them before. Potato guns, I mean."

And why not base it off a design he knows well? He thinks it'll work.

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

"It's crude, but... It'll work." At least well enough for what she imagines he'll need it for. A rune gun is not exactly difficult to make--you create a difference in energy pressure, and basic physics does the rest. The anti-undead inscription also looks right to her... That should be effective, so long as this thing is actually undead.

"What happened to the cannon that you copied these from?"

[made_up_names]

That's. Um. That's actually a really good question. There's a telltale flinch of Peter Parker guilt.

"I don't know," he admits. "I was so messed up by the fight I didn't go back until it was gone."

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

Oh good. A rune weapon just... somewhere out on the campus. Not that it would be impossible to make a rune weapon on the fly, but she has no idea how sophisticated this thing is... And he did call it a "cannon".

She sighs, just as she reaches the doors to the outside, pushing them open and waiting for Peter to move through. "It's not important right now, but we'll go look for it later."

Once outside and several feet from the building, Pepita leaps off of Imelda's shoulder, but it's not a gray tabby cat that hits the ground. The air seems to shimmer, as if looking through waves of heat. Neon bright colors spread from the tip of Pepita's nose, through her body, to the tip of her tail. In barely more than a blink of the eye, she grows several times larger, horns curling in through the fur behind her ears, her back legs morphing into an eagle's talons and her tail into a lizard's, while a pair of wings sprout and unfurl from her back.

Giant paws hit the ground with a thump, and then pad softly as she turns to the side. She crouches down, making a smaller distance for the two humans to climb up--which Imelda immediately does. She then turns and holds out her hand to help Peter up.

"Do you have everything you need to put that together? Aside from the spells?"

[made_up_names]

Holy shit. Peter stops dead for a moment, just staring. He'd known Pepita could transform, but. Uh. That's crazy. He's impressed, honestly.

"I - yeah," he says, still staring at Pepita's back. "It's in my backpack. I stuffed everything in there." And some parts are crumpled, but he really doesn't have time to deal with that right now. He wants to ask if he's really supposed to hop up, but. There's her hand. Carefully, carefully, he takes it, levering himself up onto Pepita's back.

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

Imelda grasps Peter's hand and pulls him up onto Pepita's back, where there's more than enough room for them to kneel comfortably. "Alright. Start putting it together, and I'll add whatever spells you need." So long as he can work and sit on a flying cat at the same time. Fortunately, Imelda gets the impression that he's not exactly scared of heights...

She waits for Peter to situate himself before continuing, "You never said where we were going. Do you know where they are?"

[made_up_names]

This is definitely one of the weirder things he's ever done. Climbed buildings? Oh yeah. Fought in the Outlands? For sure. Climbed up on top of a magical cat's back? Not so much. He situates himself as best he can, both a little freaked out and excited.

"Yeah, I do," he says. "I can definitely point it out to you."

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

"Alright." That seems good enough for her. She gives her familiar a pat on the back of her neck, and calls "Let's go, Pepita!" With a leap, the chimera takes to the air, her wings flapping in slow but powerful downbursts to gain altitude. The first few seconds is a little rocky, but the ride smooths out afterwards--enough to give them time to map out where to go and start assembling an anti-undead potato gun.