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]

He was a fool. A stupid, stupid fool full of old tricks that didn't work. He's trembling, head to toe, blinking back tears as the monster's cold breath and colder words chill him to the core.

He can hear himself muttering in chant, "No. No, no, no, no mi hija. Not her. Not my daughter, no--"

It's not meant to be a distraction. But if it is, all the better. He sets his hand alight, pulling the flesh back off the bone and quickly pulling it free at the wrist. He throws it out to that blaster and grips it. And then, still holding the thing, summons his hand back to connect again. He turns the blaster in his hands, one skeletal and one whole, and points it.

But on his stomach like this, he can't just aim at that beast.

Voice quavering, he says, "I won't hurt my daughter. You either kill me for good or I'm blowing us both to hell."

[tsunderetornado]

Tatsumaki's able to sense danger, and she can sense it and that there's a presence here that doesn't belong here. The mental conference call is still active, and she can hear Hector talking from a distance even if she can't hear exactly what he's saying. She's keeping an eye on the situation from above.

/Hector. I know there's something there with you. Whatever it is, it can't hear whatever I'm saying like this./

She was keeping tabs on Orihime as well, but she felt she should let Hector know he wasn't alone.

/Give me the word and I'll rain down projectiles on it./

She was concerned that Orihime was getting too far ahead, though, so she signalled her friend.

/Something's wrong. I'm waiting on a response from Hector./

[leekspins]

Orihime stiffened at the mental contact, still staring at the pained face of the ghostly boy trying to reach out for her, mutely pleading. It wasn't real. She knew that. But there was still a part of her stubbornly refusing to recognize the danger, urging her to rush to his aid.

Was there something she was missing? Or was this really a trap meant to divide them? Hector should have been responding, right? Was he a hidden target? Was the ghost trying to isolate her to eliminate her and her powers?

She took a step back, and the ghost's face turned even more pale and lined with desperation. Guilt stabbed at her, almost keeping her rooted to the spot. But the core of spiritual wrongness wasn't here, it was back where Hector was. That's where she needed to be.

I'm sorry. If it's really you, I'm sorry.

She turned and ran.

* * * * *

Hector's threat produced a deep and throaty chuckle from the monster on top of him. He reached for the bazooka, then slammed his clawed hand down fiercely, trying to crush it. If he had to ruin Hector's arm again to do it, no loss to him.

"You think you have power in this situation. You don't."

He growled, annoyance staining his tone. The girl wasn't falling for the lure, and was heading back.

"Your friends are coming back. You told them, didn't you? Tsk." He inhaled sharply, and Hector would feel a sharp tugging meant to sever him from his physical body and literally rip his soul from his bones. "They'll be your first meal."

[unpocoloco]

He should've just shot. He should've just pulled the trigger. But maybe some part of him still hoped, still couldn't let go of life.

The claws slam down and he cries out but doesn't feel his bones shatter this time, maybe thanks to the flesh protecting them, but not for long. The monster's weight keeps pressing down as he desperately tries to grasp the splintering trigger.

He nearly misses Tatsumaki's words filling his head, but the second time around he definitely catches them, just as the monster points out his futility-- and worse.

"No! I--" What did it matter? Even without having tried he's pissed off this thing and put those in danger. His hands finally tug free and the canon is crushed. The Hollow's right. He does have no power. But that girl might.

It knows you're both coming. I can't get out of the way of it. If you can take a shot, please--

His thought process cuts as suddenly that ripping sensation starts. He can't think through it, can't speak nor scream. He merely chokes and trembles as his soul resists leaving. This monster's eaten plenty of souls and killed the living to get them but he's not quite either. Instead of a clean tug, his body flickers violently. Flesh rots and dissolves, bones grow haircracks and go straight to golden golden dust in other places. That inhale is tugging him up in pieces and he's watching it all. To dust-- the catch of this second chance. If he made nothing of his unlife then he left behind nothing at all. The final death of his kind gave way to no corpse. At least, he wouldn't if the monster just let him die. He knows that's not the case.

His glow gets brighter, enveloping him, and he swears for a second through the pain and horror that he can see himself going transparent. His eyes close.

[tsunderetornado]

Tatsumaki has never been the sort of person who can calm and reassure others with her words and kind temperament. Instead, the assurance she offers others is through her knowledge and power. And yet, it never feels like quite enough for her. Until she can destroy all of her enemies, it's not enough. So she strives for more and more power, all so she can live up to the words that have become her mantra.

"Hone your power to your fullest potential. Prevent losses like yours from happening to others."

It might have seemed like a harsh thing for a mage to say to an eleven year old girl who just lost her grandfather, but they were exactly what she needed. Some deal with grief through sadness. Some express it through grief and channeling it into outlets.

All of the monsters Tatsumaki fights are just that: an outlet. They just so happen to be an outlet that allows her to protect others in the process.

Incoming!

Seizing as many sharp rocks and branches as she can, the objects are promptly surrounded with the green light of Tatsumaki's Radiance before they come raining down on the vile presence lurking beside Hector.

[leekspins]

For a greasy ball of fur and lard, the monster is fast. The whistle of the projectiles pricks at his ears, and his claw closes quickly over his prey to drag him along as he lunges to the side, and again, and again, dodging the majority of the projectiles. A couple manage to embed themselves into the fur, but there's no blood, so it's hard to say if they just got lost in his shaggy hide or if they managed to dig in and strike true.

He's also not afraid to hold Hector up as a shield, doing whatever it takes to survive. He's not so proud that he won't take the coward's way out.

Even if he isn't horrifically injured from the attack, Tatsumaki managed to stop the creature from feeding on Hector's heart and transforming him into one of his minions. It would have been much worse if they had two monsters to worry about.

Meanwhile, Orihime is running as fast as she can, now more confident in her decision to turn back. Leafless branches snag and tug at her clothes and hair, and though she winces when her cheek gets raked, she isn't the slightest bit slowed down. She can feel the approach of other spiritual signatures, one that she recognizes intimately as Peter's. But the other two, she doesn't know at all. One doesn't even feel human. She just hopes that they belong to allies, and not to cohorts of the monster.

[unpocoloco]

He wishes it were the first time he'd been "shot". It's not. Hunters weren't all friendly. Most weren't, in fact. Unfortunately that didn't make this much easier.

It's dizzying, feeling his soul ripping up, feeling the remains of his body move, then strugle to reform, only to be stabbed through with sticks and stones just as his consciousness settles back in place. He always thought it was strange, being able to bleed when just a push of his magic could whisk his whole body away, but bleed he does, that slower flow of something post mortem. He looks down at his limply dangling body with a strange sort of detachment. There are scratches galore, holes in him left by stones, like the gnarly bullet wounds of a gun. A few smaller twigs have stabbed in and stuck there, the biggest one being a smaller branch through his middle. He grips it curiously and despite the pain and dizziness he hears himself laugh, quiet and cut through with coughs.

"That's ironic... You can actually die from all this...can't you? Ss...some m-monster..."

But his laughter quickly dies as he sees who's there now, before them. He looks stricken for a moment. Then, weakly and stupidly, still held by the monster, he waves a hand and puts on a grimace of a smile. "I-Imelda...! You look g-good... Hola, Peter... Pepita..."

[no_dejare_de_quererte]

Pepita comes to a halt several paces from the creature, haunches raised and teeth bared. A low growl rumbles from her throat, sending a warning that she's ready to attack at any moment. Imelda, meanwhile, takes that pause as a cue to slide off of the chimera's back, her sights set on the thing holding her husband like a shield.

Her... currently impaled husband who seems to think it's a good moment for flattery. It's a momentary distraction--an incredulous look thrown his way. "Now is not the time, Héctor."

The more important issue is the creature hiding behind him, and she gives the thing a careful study with a very cold look. "You can drop him now, or I can have Pepita take him back--and your arm with him. Your choice." She's going to murder this thing regardless, but not having Héctor in the way would be helpful.