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The Restless…

That was the funny thing about being dead. In life you got used to certain things; technology and modern inventions like firearms. They were a part of your life and you never once thought about how they worked. Now, with no machines and computers, they were all relying on their memories and the scrapes of trivia that they knew in order to reinvent the most basic of things. An automatic pistol would have been nice right about now, as would have a good cup of coffee…

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When the siren calls…; Hazuki intro: open to anyone
Topic Started: May 9 2009, 07:28 PM (991 Views)
Hazuki
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Just a step away from Hell...
Hazuki’s eyes left Wrath’s for a moment; just long enough to watch the masses of Sin takers shuffle away from the gates. They moved like those already dead and in a way they were. There was no hope for them, no retribution or light at the end of this perpetual darkness. All they would find was more horror, more pain and nothing but the glow of hellfire to light their way.

Hazuki would pity them if he didn’t hate them so much. They were a constant thorn in his side, a battle that was even harder to face than the sins and virtues alike. Too many times he had lost handfuls of his men to the addicting drug and once that first shot went into willing veins, it was all over.

Even so, the human side of him that was prone to vices like pride and vanity wanted to cheer, wanted to shout and yell for joy at the idea of his mission being achieved. The idea of a fair fight was pretty damn laughable but at least he had bartered this term of agreement. It meant that the hotel wasn’t about to get torn apart by a bunch of doped out fucking drug addicts and that was always a damn good thing. The threat was still there of course, having Wrath so close would still be affecting those locked away inside, but at least there was only one thing to worry about now, not two.

As the demon slid up next to him, Hazuki resisted the urge to shiver. He could feel the heat of the other burning against him like hellfire and somehow it made Hazuki feel cold. Frozen and isolated and abandoned. The cynical part of him wondered if this was his fate; to die alone in some pointless battle for reasons that only he could explain. There was no way that he could let the sin catch onto his thoughts though; if it knew, Hazuki was sure that it would find way to use his fears against him. So when the creature spoke, Hazuki remained impassive and put on a brave face as he said words he didn’t completely believe.

“You have no rules to play by,” Hazuki muttered. His head moved down, his eyes locking with the demon’s who was far too close for comfort. Even so, Hazuki moved in closer, stooping towards the smaller man so that he could hiss in his face. “And what makes you so sure that we’ll meet again; you’re not walking away from this.”

It was lie, a taunt of words to hopefully put the demon off his game. Physically that was completely untrue and Hazuki knew it. He also wasn’t fooling himself about the outcome of this fight. There was no way that he was going to win against Wrath, no matter how good he was at keeping his temper. The idea of a human going against a sin and coming out on top was just preposterous and downright bat-fuck mad.

Then again, maybe that was only the case because no one had actually tried before. Hazuki inwardly shrugged; he was here now, in this situation so he may as well bite the bullet and give it a damn good go.

With that, Hazuki closed his left hand around the sin’s right shoulder and slammed his forehead into the shorter man’s, head butting him with all his might. It was probably a futile action, but at least it would buy him time. His mind couldn’t help but wonder if a sin could be knocked unconscious though he gathered that now wasn’t going to be the time to find out.

Before Wrath could get free, Hazuki moved again, determined to get as much damaged in before the creature recovered. Once that happened Hazuki knew that he would be screwed so now was the time to try and even out the playing field. His hand moved to his right thigh and closed around one of the crossbow bolts; Hazuki yanked it out of the holster and spun it to adjust his grip. There was no time to aim, no time to try and inflict pain on the most vital of spots. All he could do was keep the fucker still and close enough to be able to make his move.

Drawing his arm back, Hazuki snarled as he slammed the heavy metal tipped wooden spike down into the bicep of Wrath’s left arm.

He felt it sink through flesh, all soft and pliable and something warm and sticky splashed across Hazuki’s hand. He knew that it had to be blood – what else could it be – but it still alarmed him. Sins, apparently, could bleed just like the rest of them. Who would have thought? Certainly not Hazuki and somehow the idea of these creatures sharing such common traits with human’s turned his stomach.

Wrenching the bolt, Hazuki gave it a forceful turn and shoved it further in. He could imagine what sort of hole it was making; the sharp crosshairs of the metal tip drilling into the man’s arm and that visual alone had him driving it forward once more. It hit something hard and snagged; bone.

Knowing that the creature would be raging, Hazuki used the ball of his left palm and slammed it into the man’s chest, right below the collar bone. A knee to the ribs and Wrath was stumbling backwards; Hazuki followed for a count of two steps, his hand somewhat unwilling to let go of the bolt buried into the pale flesh. The feel of such destruction in the palm of his hand was intoxicating.

Hazuki was panting already, his breath coming in short, shuddering gasps. Part of it was from the pain of his lungs, the feel of his ribs crying out in protest of all the movement. The blood in his throat didn’t help; it stopped breathing and infused everything with a metallic tang that his human brain couldn’t deal with. It made him want to retch, to double over and cradle his arms around his throbbing ribs and just let the sticky fluid drain from his mouth. Fuck, he would happy kneel and bleed to death from between his lips just to be rid of the stench and taste of it.

The other reason he couldn’t breathe was the anger. It was getting worse, building in him and escalating to the point where he was sure he was about to burst. If his ribs weren’t already broken then he just knew that the fury in the pit of his stomach would shatter them as it tried to force its way through. That serene memory of the beach was long gone, the sky and rolling waves fading into a bleak sea of grey ash highlighted by fire. It was all he could see, all he could feel and fuck it all to hell, it was all he wanted to see.

There was no way to describe the feeling of pure rage pumping through his veins and dictating his movements. It was all consuming; it gave him so much strength and yet took so much back. Like a possessive lover, it offered him the world and yet denied him all, simply so that he would stay within its embrace.

Hazuki felt like an animal, a feral cat ready to pounce and tear its prey apart.

All it took was that moment, that little ideal and mental image of himself to have Hazuki’s mind falling into turmoil. It wasn’t panicking, wasn’t even close to clarity or even desperation but it sure as hell was something. Whatever that spark was, it was enough to have Hazuki pulling in a huge breath and doing the last thing he ever would have thought possible.

Hazuki stepped backwards. First one step, then a second and then a third and fourth. Once there he moved in a slow semi-circle, keeping the distance between them as his feet crossed over each other. He would get so far and then switch directions, always making sure that his back was to the hotel and then he stood in the way of the sin and the humans inside the walls.

He wanted to draw the sin in, to get him going past that point of reason. Terrifying as that was it was Hazuki’s main plan. Anger clouded the mind and stole reason and judgement; if Hazuki could get the very epitome of anger into a fury then maybe he would stand a chance.

Of course, that was provided that he didn’t get killed in the meantime and that he could continue to keep his own rage in check. At least his people weren’t threatened anymore. It was a small consolation and took some of the burden of worry off his shoulders

Now it was just a matter of getting out of this at least semi-alive.
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Mao
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Pain exploded across Mao’s forehead as Hazuki attacked. He should have seen it coming. Should have heard it in the snide tone of Hazuki’s voice, or the way the man moved into his touch seconds before. But Mao had not been paying enough attention. All of his thoughts had been focused on how he was going to manipulate Hazuki into playing as his distraction. And that was proving to be one hell of a mistake on his end. The slam to his head was followed all too quickly by a burning in his left arm. The bolt sunk into flesh that was all too capable of bleeding, and then bit into the bone beyond. Wrath let a hiss of pain escape through his teeth as that metal tip was twisted and ripped through flesh.

The blow to the chest and ribs was enough to knock Mao off balance and have him stumbling backwards. Pain forced its way up through his core and saw him coughing a bit of blood up with it. The copper tang of it sat heavily on his tongue and stained his teeth red. His breaths were coming in short bursts that did nothing to alleviate the burning still coursing through his lungs. His arm was hanging at his side, the bolt buried deep into the bone there and making movement more than a little unpleasant. But the pain was something that Mao could use. He took a hold of it, looking up to lock eyes with the pacing Hazuki, as he shoved it down and into the waiting pit that was his vice.

Wrath consumed that pain and screamed for more. A sound mirrored by his shell of flesh and blood. It echoed off the walls of the broken buildings around the two men. He raged, and he hated. He let that power consume him and then threw it all outward. He gave in to Wrath like he hadn’t since taking up the mantle years ago. And all the while he watched his pacing prey move back and forth between him and the hotel inhabitants beyond. He wanted Hazuki to break under that anger. He wanted that cool, collected man to long for blood and violence. He needed to know that he wasn’t the only man in the world that this Sin held sway over. And in the end, he needed to know if this man was strong enough.

Mao grinned with a mouth stained crimson even in the low light and charged Hazuki. The man was on the very edge of toppling. Wrath could feel the rage seething just below the surface and he relished in it. He threw his left shoulder into the man’s middle just as he locked his left foot behind Hazuki’s right. Wrath swallowed the swell of pain that came as he jarred the bolt still embedded in his arm. He wanted the other man off center more than he was concerned about the arm at the moment.

His right hand came in to connect with ribs; once, twice, and then a third time. He spun his back to his opponent and launched his elbow up and at the already bruised area of his chest; then lifted himself into it, forcing his joint up against Hazuki’s straining lungs. He felt the push of air as the man was forced to exhale. Mao stepped out and spun once more as he bought his foot up to connect with the man’s stomach forcing him back and away from him. Once he had the space he needed, Mao reached up and ripped the bolt out of his arm. He didn’t flinch as pain raced up the limb. He brought that metal point up to his mouth and ran his tongue along it before hurling it at the ground in front of Hazuki’s feet.

“Come on old man. The fun is just getting started.” Mao reached his blood covered arm out and motioned Hazuki forward.
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Hazuki
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Just a step away from Hell...
Wrath’s scream threatened to freeze Hazuki on the spot. It was blood curdling; the thing of nightmares and Hazuki was too lost in the horror of it all to pay attention to the fact that the demonic little shit was charging at him. Wrath’s shoulder collided with his chest, knocking the feeble amount of air straight from his lungs and Hazuki knew that he was fucked. His mind went into overdrive, trying to be able to breathe while blow after blow assailed him; the kick was the final straw.

Stumbling backward, Hazuki’s hands pressed in against his chest and stomach as if he was trying to hold himself together. It felt like he was braking too, splitting right in half and spilling himself out over the ash covered ground. He didn’t remember much about his human death but he was sure that even it wasn’t as painful as this very moment.

One more gasp for air and Hazuki couldn’t keep his feet.

Hazuki landed in a half crouch, his right knee slamming into the pavement. His legs shook, his body convulsing as gravity threatened to take a hold. His hands come out to help keep his balance, his right hand arched as his fingers almost tore into the ground. Heavy; his head was feeling heavy and his body was lethargic.

He couldn’t stop coughing. The violent outburst made his whole body spasm and brought more and more blood to his lips. Hazuki could feel it dribbling down his chin, the wetness soaking into his shirt and causing it to stick to his chest. Vaguely he wondered if he was dying but brushed the thought off. He would not die out here, he was determined about that, and fuck, if the entire world was against him and he did at least he would go doing something right.

The bolt cluttering to the floor in front of him forced Hazuki to look up, the words the sin spat causing him to snarl slightly. He had promised the sin a fight, hadn’t he, and unlike the demons, Hazuki was one to keep his promises. All the way until the very end.

Standing was painful but he tried not to let it show. If he had thought that breathing was hard before it was ten times worse now. There was also no denying that he had at least one broken rib. In his mind he could almost feel the shards of shattered bone sinking into his flesh and pressing against each other. It was a grating, grinding sort of feeling and he could picture them moving together.

Looking at the bolt Hazuki decided that that had been wholly ineffective. It was time for a new method and now he was going to have to get creative.

Flicking his jacket back and out, Hazuki closed his hand around the hilt of the second sai. Moving slowly, partly due to pain and partly in hopes of intimidated the sin, Hazuki draw the weapon from the back of his belt. He spun it in his hand, the cooling blood of the sin making the movement easier. Catching the hilt, Hazuki held it in a defensive position, the blade running down the length of his forearm and the heavy blunt hilt protruding out between his thumb and curled index finger.

It was now or never and from the way the sin was looking at him, he wasn’t expecting Hazuki to be capable of much. Hazuki didn’t blame Wrath for his thoughts; he sure as hell didn’t feel only capable himself. Muttering a silent curse, Hazuki launched himself forward, using the sai as a distraction. Just like the first time he feigned the attack, only this time he ducked low and smashed the butt of the hilt into the middle of Wrath’s chest. As the demon gasped, Hazuki looped his left arm around under the right shoulder of the creature and pulled it close.

Holding him tightly, Hazuki yanked the sin around on his feet, trying to get the stockier body off balance. They spun once, the world blurring in front of Hazuki’s eyes and it wasn’t until he dragged Wrath around a second time that an idea came to him. Up until then he had been fighting blind.

It was a gamble, but he was willing to take it.

Still holding onto the man’s arm, Hazuki wrenched the limb upwards and again slammed his knee against flesh and bone. It put more space between them and Hazuki struggled to keep his grip on the sin’s wrist. The knee jab landed against the sin’s unprotected side and Hazuki put all his strength behind it; what comes around goes around and he even went back for a second hit.

With the man off balance, Hazuki again used the butt of the sai as his weapon, only this time he jabbed it right in between the shoulder blades. Keeping the diamond pressed there, Hazuki rushed them both forward, using the hilt of his weapon like a prod to drive Wrath on. They slammed into the large wire fence, Wrath going face first and Hazuki using the other’s body and a buffer. His lungs were still screaming out for him to be able to breath but there was no point in focusing on that now.

Lifting his left arm, Hazuki drove the flat of his forearm into the back of Wrath’s neck, pinning him to the fence. Hazuki took the moment for all it was worth and kept the creature’s arm pinned with his elbow. Drawing the sai backwards, Hazuki slammed the heavy, diamond shaped butt into the sin’s hand. It didn’t stab like the point would have and as far as Hazuki could tell there was no blood, but it still made the fence wobble and shake from the pure crushing force.
Edited by Hazuki, May 12 2009, 02:40 PM.
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Mao
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Wrath expected the attack, was all but begging for the human to drag himself up and off the ground to come at him again. He didn’t want the fight to end so quickly. And even as the trace of copper in his mouth fed his Vice in some small way, it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. The Sin that raged its way through his veins would never be satisfied. Mao had long since come to grips with that. All he could do is try and feed it on his terms, keep it complacent and sated so he could focus past the constant urge to create mayhem everywhere he went. Hazuki was the first human that had helped with that. The first real bit of fun Wrath had found since becoming Mao’s charge. And there was no way that it would end so soon. He planned to keep Hazuki alive to do this over and over again. Until he at last got bored that is.

When Hazuki crawled his way to his feet Mao all but cheered the man on. This was what he needed; this was what he’d been craving all these months while slumming around in the red light district. He had been waiting to meet this man. And he didn’t think Hazuki would be letting him down. He saw the slow movement and knew that it was pain that slowed the man down. Pain laced through his every movement as well. But he embraced it. He didn’t expect the other sai to appear, but in the end, no weapon would win this fight. It would be one man, or one demon that landed that final blow. Not the tool used.

But as well as that little thought sat with his conscious, it did nothing to numb the pain that Hazuki’s first hit inflicted. His breath hitched as his lungs fought against the very muscle that was intended to make them function. He stepped with Hazuki as he spun them around, to busy trying to draw a decent breath to be concerned with the direction they were facing. He jerked as Hazuki’s knee come up and felt ribs give way as both blows slammed into his unprotected chest. Wrath’s eyes fluttered close as that lung gave up the fight entirely and nausea rose up and almost overtook him. This was more than he had ever bargained for. And yet, it was exactly what he needed. Through the pain, he didn’t have to worry about holding onto his precious control any longer. In those brief moments of agony he was as free as he ever could be.

He stopped fighting for a moment and tried to blink though the pain that was quickly making his vision go black around the edges. That came back to bite him in the ass as he was rushed forward and into the fence that his minions had only recently stopped trying to tear down. The abrupt stop force what little oxygen he’d managed to keep in back out again. And his knees buckled under the sudden blow. The only thing keeping him upright was the fence on his front, and the man currently behind him, locking his arm in place. There was nowhere to go, and for the second time that evening Wrath wondered if he’d made a mistake in taking on this human. Maybe he should have thought a little be better about who he would pick to go up against in the future.

That thought was cut off by a blinding pain in his hand. He felt that tip come down with more strength then he would have thought possible from a human. And a wounded human at that. The fragile bones in the center of his hand strained and then snapped under the pressure and Mao’s head slumped against the cool metal of the fence. He let his body go limp as he fought with everything he had to keep himself conscious. He didn’t doubt that this man would kill him should he pass out. No one in Mid Heaven would pass up an opportunity to slay a helpless Sin. Not even his brethren would walk away from that chance. And Hazuki had more of a reason to hate him then any of them did.

He relaxed against the fence and tried to think, to plan past this moment. He could easily step out and force the man backwards, but that would risk dislocating the arm, something that Mao was not thrilled to test. Then the thought hit him. It was a gamble and a half, and he would probably pay for it with his life. But if it worked, it might be the first step he needed to take to get Hazuki moving the way he wanted him too. And that made it all worth it in the end. And really, what was the worst that could happen? He would die, cease to be, the only real escape from Mid Heaven. So he went still, only his breathing moving the two men against the fence. He let Hazuki hold the arm in place and quit struggling to free it.

“Okay Hazuki. You win.” The words were whispered out as he looked across the grounds at the hotel door, but he was certain the man would hear him. He could only hope that Hazuki had anything that resembled honor left from his previous life. “I’ll back off and leave if you’ll let me.”
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Hazuki
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Just a step away from Hell...
Maybe it was Hazuki’s underlying streak of paranoia, but the idea of him winning did not seem like a good thing. Wrath was playing at something and Hazuki was too fucked to actually give a damn. Still, he knew that he hadn’t won; how could he? A human against a sin? It made no sense.

Hazuki wanted to kill the man, wanted to sink the long blade deep into his throat, see the blood slip from him and fuck it, Hazuki would enjoy it. He hated all of the sins, despised them with a passion; one so deep that it had set him on his course and instigated the creation of his band of rebels. It was because of sins like Wrath that the human world was struggling and not just in the present. The demons inspired the want to kill, the want to hurt and wrong others. Without Wrath, without sin, a large chunk of all the cases he had worked to painstakingly on would never have come into fruition.

So tempting…

He could feel it welling up, getting stronger and stronger and Hazuki was sure that he was putting pressure on that damn blade. It would be so easy. There would hardly need to be any effort on his part. Just a single thrust of his hand, not even too much pressure, and the deadly point of the sai would sink through the tender skin of the sin’s neck. Simple as that and their troubles could be over; at least for a time.

So fucking easy and yet Hazuki’s hand remained exactly where it was. Poised and ready and yet not making any progress or taking any ground.

Hazuki cursed his honour; it was something he had never done before. If he didn’t have that, what would set him aside from those that he hated? If he killed mindlessly and without mercy then he was just as bad as his victim.

Swallowing roughly, Hazuki felt the tearing pain in his throat and tasted even more blood. He had to make his mind up quickly as he sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to stick this out much longer. His mind was starting to wander, his motor function slowing down to the point of alienation. That was it. Hazuki no longer felt like he was in his body. He was somewhere nearby, floating and watching the scene and laughing at the incompetence of his human self; snickering at the weakness.

In a way it killed him a bit inside; this decision should have been easy. It should have been so fucking clear cut that he didn’t even need to think about it. There never should have been the issue of wanting to kill the man before him, but for better or worse that part of him existed. Something ruthless and dark, sinister and demanding.

Justice corrupted or corruption justified by righteousness? Hazuki didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to look that deeply into his own soul; he was terrified of what he would find.

Stepping backwards, Hazuki let out a shaky sigh as he again fought the waves of hatred that washed over him. Now, after all the time that he had spent dangerously close to the sin, he almost felt strange without that heated, fuming presence surrounding him. It was like he could breathe again – not that he actually could – and yet was suffocated in the clean air all at the same time.

Hazuki put as much distance between himself and the sin as possible without leaving the gate too exposed. He held the sai at the ready, the point aimed at the man’s throat. There was none of that extended arm stuff that Hazuki remembered seeing in bad movies during his human life; training as a cop had got that stereotypically idiotic notion well and truly out of his head. It was a sure-fire way to go and get your arm broken while handing your opponent your weapon. And at the moment that little bit of steel was the only thing that had Hazuki in the position of power.

He kept his elbow drawn back, the weapon held up near his face; defensive and ready for a quick jab of the sharp tip if the occasion called for it. Hazuki’s fingers tightened their grip slightly, the slick remains of blood hindering the task. Subtly, he moved his fingers, looping them over the top of the moto, or forked base while he hooked his thumb underneath for support. It wasn’t the best grip to fight with but it wasn’t like he was going up against another blade. The hilt and diamond shaped tsukagashira ran along the length of his wrist, offering further support should he have to make a quick stab.

“You will leave,” Hazuki said. His voice was strained, scratchy and rough from the pain that ran from his throat to the very pit of his stomach. It sounded gravelly even to him, unrefined and like some demonic language being spat between parched lips. “Right now. You will go and you will not come back.” The words sounded stronger than he could have ever hoped. Sure, they trembled slightly with pain and seemed to stick in his throat like dry bread, but by the end of it, Hazuki almost believed that he maintained some form of command.

He was starting to get dizzy, starting to feel his body shutting down and most likely going into shock. As much as he hated to admit it, even he could see the way that his extended hand trembled; the light reflecting off the longest blade made the weakness all the more obvious. There was a sudden chill in the air that outweighed the heat of the fuming sin before him and pierced through his heavy jacket. It made him shiver and Hazuki pursed his lips together to keep from outright shuddering.

Still, he was expecting another attack and his braced himself and his weapon as the sin began to move.
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Mao
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It was funny. Mao wasn’t really sure how just yet. But it really was. The laugh that forced its way past his lips was a disturbing thing; tainted with his evil thoughts and gurgling in his own blood. He’d wanted a real fight and Hazuki had given him just that. And more surprisingly; the human had gotten up. Broken, bleeding and dying there on the street in front of the keeper of anger, and he’d pulled himself to his feet. If Mao had needed any more convincing that this human was the one he was looking for, that had put a stop to the thought. He stayed very still against that fence, using his good hand to hold himself upright while the other hung all but useless at his side. The man had faced him down, and while there had been a real chance that Mao could have killed him in an instant Hazuki had fought anyway. Overcome with anger and pain, he had stared the Sin in the eye and stood his ground. It was something that Mao could almost respect if he’d been capable of such emotions anymore.

He pushed himself away from the fence long enough to spin around and slide his back down it. He let his ass hit the ground and left his knees up to provide some form of pathetic protection for his battered and broken ribs. He could taste the blood pooling in the back of his throat and he almost gagged. Forcing it up and over his tongue he spat it onto the ground in front of him before looking up to watch Hazuki again. He didn’t think an attack would come now. Not when honor had forced the man to release the obviously broken Sin moments before. But one could never be too careful in this world. Betrayal came from every direction. Such a sad and retched little life they all shared. And Mao smiled again at the thought. He was worried about Hazuki betraying their momentary truce when he himself was plotting his own betrayal of the man that currently held his leash. The irony was amusing.

Mao forced his lungs to pull in the much needed oxygen. Each movement was excruciating and labored. He had dark spots forming along his peripheral vision. And he was sure that he looked like a madman sitting there on the ground bleeding and grinning up at his attacker. But he couldn’t help himself. The Sin that had been raging inside him for days, no weeks, was finally silent. It sat in that little part of his chest that it had carved out for itself; sated and content. There was no push to continue the fight. There was no rush to find someone, anyone to piss off and hurt. Mao’s mind was his own for the first time in a long time. And as irritating as the thought was, he had Hazuki to thank for it. Not that he figured the other man would want to know. And bringing it would probably get him killed for sure, just to prove a point.

So instead he just sat there relearning how to breathe past the pain; all the while with a grin on his face. Mao wasn’t sure that he had a soul left to take comfort from, but he had peace for the moment. That was good enough for him. He cocked his head to the side and looked Hazuki over. He didn’t think he’d done any permanent damage in their little spat. The man looked like shit, but he should live. He’d better fucking live. It wouldn’t do to push his little human this hard in order to test him only to have the asshole die hours later from blood loss, or something else equally ridiculous. He had plans that needed to be carried out and he had chosen Hazuki for the job. That little tidbit of information would wait for later. Wrath didn’t want his opponent turned pawn to guess the big punch line this early in the game.

“I hope you have someone in there that can put your sorry ass back together Hazuki.” Mao spit more blood out as even those few words caused it to bubble up in his throat and almost choke him. It was going to be a pain in the ass to get all the way back to the District and find someone he could con into setting the various broken bones he was sporting. He could hear the noisy ass questions already. Envy would be the worst; he was always the fucking worst. But it was a price he was still more than willing to pay, even as the adrenaline began to wear off leaving nothing but the throbbing aches in its place. He couldn’t help but wonder if Hazuki had enjoyed it as well.

“You have fun Hazuki?” The words were out of his mouth before Mao had time to swallow them. He wasn’t sure what in the hell had come over him. He was sitting with his back to the fucking hotel that housed enough humans to rip him to little bitty pieces and talking to one of his worst enemies like they were old friends. It was a surreal feeling for sure. But now that he’d asked the question, he really wanted to know the answer.

“Come on Hazuki, you can tell me. Give me this one thing. Just between the two of us.” Mao could feel the warmth of blood and saliva running from the corner of his mouth but didn’t bother to try and wipe it away. The result wasn’t worth the effort at the moment.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret of my own.” Mao smirked, though the action was marred briefly as he flinched in pain. “This is the most fun I’ve had since I got to this fucking place. And it figures it would be you that did it. Not Corruption, not the Virtues, not the other Sins, not even the Sin addicts. You Hazuki. I owe it all to you.”
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Hazuki
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Just a step away from Hell...
Hazuki could feel something different as the sin sunk to the ground. There wasn’t any anger washing over him; none that wasn’t his own at least. Fire still burnt within him, the fury still begging for release and yet it was suddenly easy to ignore it, to give into his will and honour and maintain his head. It was an alien feeling – worse still than that which the pain caused – and it took longer for Hazuki to come to grips with it then it honestly should have.

With that clarity came something else. It was something that he knew he shouldn’t feel and was one of those things that he kept secreted away. Yuusuke. He could sense his second in command just as strongly as he could the presence of Wrath who was sitting right in front of his eyes. Hazuki had no way to describe it, no way to rationalize out the overwhelming way that he could pick certain people’s presences out of a crowd, but Yuu was always the strongest. Right now Hazuki could feel him in the hotel, knew that he was getting things organized and he had never been so happy. At least someone else was taking control and keeping their heads and Hazuki just hoped that Yuusuke didn’t jump the gun and blow the whole place to smithereens. That was reserved for special moments. The time needed to replace all the charges and create the bombs would be staggering if that happened and it would leave them wide open for other attacks.

Wrath’s taunt about getting patched up also hit close to home, especially as Hazuki’s lungs screamed out in pain. With Wrath further away, Hazuki found that he could breathe easier – or at least try – but apparently his ribs had something else to say about that. The worst thing about that damn little jib was that there was no one within the resistance who could do shit about serious wounds; their last medic had given into Sin and last Hazuki knew, the guy was clawing at the garbage behind some strip joint. That left a handful of people who knew basic first aid like how to wrap a bandage and how to clean a cut. That was it. Not that Hazuki was overly worried about himself, but just from the sounds emitting from the hotel he knew that there would be a slue of minor causalities. While he tried not to think about it, he was almost certain that he had heard gunshots earlier; not a good sign. His men would need attention that would stretch beyond a few bumps and bruises and while Hazuki had faith in himself and his ability to soldier on and just deal, he didn’t share that confidence when it came to a bunch of panic ridden souls.

Hazuki blinked, not entirely sure he was hearing what he thought. Was the fucker asking if he had just had fun? “I’m not givin’ ya handouts,” Hazuki rasped out. His voice was all but completely gone, the words slurring as his mind got more and more distant. There was no way that he could be sure, but he was starting to think that he was swaying. The world was a much blurrier place and the fence behind Wrath seemed to be a living breathing entity. It pulsated with a life of its own, the diamond shaped wiring curling up tightly before shuddering out to engulf most of his vision.

Blurry. All blurry and Hazuki needed to lean on something before he collapsed.

“Be thankful that you are leaving with your pathetic excuse for a life. You’ll get nothing more from me.” Blurry. There was nothing in sight, nothing but that strangely moving fence that also gave shelter to his enemy and fucked if Hazuki was going to go anywhere near that. He’d rather run the risk of collapsing right then and there than have to be any closer to that twisted being.

Hazuki’s stomach, already twisting in a sickly manner, lurched at the words that followed. In that split second, blind rage consumed him, causing his veins to pulse faster and faster as his blood began to rush and boil. Not knowing what else to do to settle the rage, Hazuki forced in a deep, rattling breath. He felt the air rush down his parched throat and swell into his lungs and then there was nothing but pain. No anger, no sickness; just an overwhelming agony that saw him stumbling slightly and letting out a spray of foaming crimson. His vision dipped out of focus completely, blackness taking control and his grip on his weapon slackened as it dropped to rest against his leg.

Painful as it was, it did the trick and distracted his mind from the disgusting words the sin had muttered out. It was hard to describe how it made him feel and what it did to him, but Hazuki didn’t like it.

Dirty.

It made him feel dirty and disgusting. There was something perverse in those few sentences. Not in a sexual way and not even in a way that was filled with vicious intent. It was the truth in the words that were what really stung and they cut deep, all the way down to his very core and then beyond. He felt like he was going to throw up at the notion of him being the reason that Wrath was satisfied. Sure, he had descended the steps of the Grandeur and entered into this fight with that in mind but never in his wildest dreams would he have imaged that he would actually deliver on his words. They had been said to jeer the sin on, to get him distracted enough that he would forget about all the innocents within the crumbling walls of the hotel. All just a rouse for Hazuki to buy some goddamnned time.

But now he needed to be sick. Now the words were sinking in, the reality of the situation filling his soul with something dark. The feeling sat there, heavy and cancerous and right next to the agony of his ribs. Like a black smudge across a white wall, that feeling made itself at home and declared its intent to never move on. Hazuki knew that it would be with him always now, a twisted, churching little reminder of this battle and a gateway to what actually resided in his soul. And he was scared of it, scared of the fact that the fight had almost been fun, that he could have kept going into eternity if it wasn’t for his human weaknesses.

It terrified him.

“Get the fuck out of here before I change my mind.” Shaky legs carried him another step towards the gate, keeping up the ever pressing need to have himself between the sin and those he protected. Even so his burry eyes never once left the sitting figure. He was still expecting an attack, still worried of what was in the sin’s head.

Mustering up the last of his strength, Hazuki used his weapon as figurative prod, pointing it in the direction he knew the slums of the red light district to be. “Now!”
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Mao
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Mao stayed sitting for what felt like a small eternity. Every nerve in his body was screaming out at the injustices that had been rained down on them. He could smell blood and taste copper in his mouth. His lungs weren’t even trying to function as they should. His hand was a throbbing mass of pain. And yet Wrath was quiet. So silent that for a moment Mao was almost sure that he had to be dreaming. But the agony coursing through him was very real. As was the satisfied presence that was his vice. It almost scared him. Almost. But watching Hazuki try to play the hero while almost dead on his feet; dedicated to stopping Wrath’s attack on his precious hotel and town made Mao smile.

He reached out with one shaking hand and slowly, oh so slowly, pulled himself to a standing position. It would be a test of his own constitution to make it back across the city to the relative safety of the District. And he’d have to be careful along the way. A broken Sin made a prime target to lesser demons. And Mao wanted nothing more than to rest, heal and then come back to play with Hazuki again. He was actually beginning to like the man that stood so bravely in front of him. Catching a Sins attention was never a good thing for the human souls that wandered Mid Heaven. Most of the time it ended in suffering, and ultimately just true death for the human involved.

Mao took a few sluggish steps away from the fence, putting distance between himself and the still armed Hazuki. But he couldn’t help himself. He halted a few feet away and glanced over his shoulder at the older man.

“I owe you one Hazuki.” Mao grinned. “You’ll be seeing me soon enough. And then we’ll play again.”

With that Mao turned and headed down one of the many side streets that led him away from the sweeping lights of The Grandeur and back towards home.
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Hazuki
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Just a step away from Hell...
Hazuki shuddered as the sin spoke to him, his words again sinister and dirty. He felt used and wronged and it made his flesh crawl to see the way the creature looked at him. It was revolting.

He wanted to tell the creature not to come back, to aim his weapon at its throat and commend it again in a strong, resolved voice. But nothing happened. Hazuki opened his mouth to silence. The words formed in his mind never found their way to his lips and instead Hazuki merely coughed another glob of blood and saliva.

Seeing the sin shuffling down the alleyway was both a blessing and a curse. It had gone, Hazuki had won and his people lived to see another day. A blessing in its truest form. But the sin could barely walk, his feet shuffled against the ground and Hazuki could still hear its raspy breathing. He had caused that; that was what made it such a horror to see. He, in all his fury, had inflicted that pain on the creature and honour be damned, it probably would have been nicer of him to put the sin out of its misery.

Do unto others and all that shit that the light ones preached about.

As soon as Wrath was out of Hazuki’s limited sight, Hazuki turned his attention back to his home. It looked so far away, so unreachable and already he was mourning the loss of it. His feet shuffled forward, his rips far too painful to make walking easy and his oxygen starved lungs felt like they were about to burst; or collapse, Hazuki really couldn’t tell.

He made it to the fence and Hazuki was sure that he had been walking for hours. Miles and miles stretched into the few hundred meter perimeter and Hazuki knew one thing. It was perfectly clear, just like at the beginning of the night when he knew he would go down and face Wrath.

Hazuki knew that he wouldn’t make it.

Fingers knotted around the wire, clawing at the loops in a desperate attempt to keep himself upright. It was hot. The metal must have heated at the presence of the sin, but Hazuki paid it no attention. He couldn’t see for shit. It was like he was blinded by a cloth of dark crimson, the blood running from his mouth somehow impeding on his sight as well. Blackness danced around the corners of his eyes, occasionally giving into blinding spots of white every time he tried to breathe.

Another step closer to the gate, his fingers still clinging to the fence and Hazuki’s eyes rolled back in his head. Hazuki fell.
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Yuusuke
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Long way down
Yuu watched from the window of the second floor, his hand's attached to the triggers. He had ignored Tetsu the moment the came in. Why the fuck did the idiot think he needed guns?! Arm the people in the town...that was the idea. It was like he was the only one with enough foresight to see what would happen if Hazuki lost. Regardless, the former Sin addict was sufficiently ignored.

He couldn't look away. Yet, he couldn't flip the switches. Something told him that Hazuki could win...at this point it looked entirely possible. Over the next five minutes...Yuu observed wounds, that would kill any other man, inflicted on Hazuki and the Sin alike. Yuu actually found an odd attraction in watching, his body leaned out the window further with every swing...every bit of blood that came from either of them, every scream.

They were talking and Yuu was mindlessly reading their lips as his fingers tapped their messages in code. It meant nothing to him, but if anyone around (at least with a brain) knew the code...they would know every word the two men said. It was almost as he didn't blink through the carnage. Every few minutes nausea washed over him, that demon followed to which Yuu would expel it quickly, he needed to pay attention.

The demon hobbled away and Yuu stopped watching. Releasing the triggers he turned. Tetsu was still sitting there?! The idea of throttling the gear head crossed his mind only for a split second...then he was reminded. Hazuki.

He brushed against Tetsu and bolted for the door. The stairs didn't seem to exist, or at least he didn't see himself running down them. Only the heavy doors, which he pushed open was visible upon leaving that room. Yuusuke reached the gate and weaved out just in time to catch the falling leader. The sudden push knocked his glass and he stumbled back, promptly crushing the amber shades under his booted feet.

"O dii immortales, ubinam gentium sumus?" Yuu found himself mumbling while he picked up the unconscious leader. With a grunt, he made his way toward the Granduer, he needed to find someone to fix the man up...worse case scenario, Yuu would have to apply what he learned in first aid class ages ago
Edited by Yuusuke, May 13 2009, 03:42 PM.
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