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Post by Genesis on Jun 7, 2021 14:04:21 GMT -8
*There was an uncharacteristic silence from him for a few moments rather than a timely response. He was keeping his eyes on the one in front of them before eventually casting his gaze to Burai. Both his eyes and his voice would betray that he was thinking about something related to her, but not exactly what. He was good enough at least to keep that much under wraps. But he still would betray that he was feeling a sense of sympathy for the person that caused Burai's blood to boil once more.*
"Guess we're on our way to pick up the fool, then. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, but we can trust her without shadow of a doubt. She's a victim just like the rest of us."
*He would reach back and thrust his hand into his chest then. From it he would begin to pull a black shadow that steadily began to take on the silver hue that he was accustomed to, pulling it out in full before letting it acclimate and become the clone in full that would be left behind. Feint would be clueless where to meet up with them as he was too if not for the fact that he could just tail Hollow like he did. As for their mark being at a stadium in Electopia... there was only one that could be narrowed down to. That place was always the bastion of big things, wasn't it?*
"He likely picked the Melee Stadium. With the state of the Electopian Network I imagine he's been lacking much of an audience, so I believe we already have a good angle to approach from in order to retrive him without needing force. Just follow my lead. As for you..."
*He would cast a sidelong gaze back over to the muted woman. There was nothing to be done about things now, but he would make sure to etch it into his memory. His list of priorities was always there after all. And while he could do nothing about it now, he would make certain that he put a commitment to it in time. This would need to be rectified, either in a good manner or in the manner that they had promised to one another all those years ago.*
"...I'll be back for you. We'll see each other again."
*He could make a stop in Electopia to talk about his recently missed call, but it was fine to let that hang for a bit longer. He had the memo for the most part and it was on the to-do list for a while now anyway. He'd stay on task for now and wouldn't need to open a path for them to get to Electopia either. With their speed they could just make the trip through the Energy Stream that he was all too familiar with after his battle with QuickMan there and go from there, moving to the edge of the tower away from Fata as he made the jump off, quicker than the walk up and would handle the landing strategy as they would make their exit as the clone would then proceed to take the seat that Xion had planned on doing himself before things had escalated further.*
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Post by Warrior on Jun 8, 2021 12:03:19 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/U4Xclbh~png Having made her transit from NIA's Field Base, Feint waited for her superior officer to arrive before entering the Sky Tower.
She had a bit of history with this place, though she'd never actually stepped inside. This was her chosen base of operations when she recruited navis to investigate one of Gigamerica's deleted networks. Sky Tower was quite an anomaly: it existed in Yumland at the time, but when that deleted network was restored, it returned to its rightful place here, instead.
She had gone missing for a time after that whole ordeal. It was ultimately one of her many ploys to get NIA's recognition: by anonymously making a mess and then arriving to the scene to clean it up, her younger self thought that NIA would be thrilled to bring her back on board. Standing where she was now and looking back, she felt so dumb. This was when "The Colossus" was originally activated, by her very hands, and when she had finally made a mess too big for her to clean by herself.
The short of it was that her father got involved and had her detained immediately while Faith Nymphra went to go deal with the monstrosity she had unleashed: an encounter she was still scarred by to this day. Faith won in the end, and before The Colossus' existence was ever discovered to boot, but it pushed Cherish even further away from her goals of rejoining NIA.
Years had passed now and it felt silly to look back on, but recognition of a familiar place always brought back memories surrounding it, so unfortunately, her recollection of her past doings at Sky Tower would always haunt her any time she'd pass by it.
With her quick journey down memory lane coming to an end, she continued waiting on Grom to proceed into the tower where Burai and Xion would presumably be waiting.
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Post by Gaia on Jun 9, 2021 10:12:59 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/340189121500938240/728347473344725113/113~png
He found himself reconsidering Xion, recognizing that the power he emanated was not an indicator of his true intentions. He took another glance at the muted, feminine being, having yet to consider that she may not be here of her own accord. The implications of having orders to follow - they were not to go past her - but also not wanting any harm to befall them - informing them that they were in danger - set that in motion, now that he had a moment to reconsider.
There was a time when he would've considered such thoughts naivety. Given the grander powers at work, here, it did require a certain level of reconsideration to get behind whose side each individual was on. Burai scoffed, turning back just in time to watch the clone be birthed and for Xion to leap off the side.
That was something he still knew for certain. Dashing forward, Burai leaped off the tower with him, towards their next destination.
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Post by Zane on Jun 15, 2021 15:49:33 GMT -8
She wouldn't have to wait long to see Grom approaching the tower. His take left him further away from the tower which meant a little more travel time to it than Feint would have had as well as the preparations he had to make for the task at hand. He wasn't as personally invested in the location or the history behind it thanks to doing his job and his job at the time not being as prevalent as it was now. Their group only became more relevant recently in terms of taking action. That was all that was needed for a group to pick up steam however: that step called action.
"Not exactly fond memories of this place."
He wasn't exactly anyone special back then, which meant he was one of the ones dealing with the paperwork of that related... accident, as it were. Not to mention they had discovered something else that was on the Sky Tower after, which made him a bit perplexed on this location. After all because of the following investigation they had to discover the one who rested at the top of the tower. Thanks to this they had to largely abandon investigating the tower because he was a fairly aggressive keeper for those who were inside of the tower. If Xion and Burai would be waiting here, either they dealt with Ninetails or were in the process of doing so. Otherwise he was taken care of on the side by someone else which arguably wasn't bad news either.
"Let's go."
Climbing wouldn't be difficult for them now either after everything that had taken place in Gigamerica so far. Even the current guest at the top would take her own leave, looking back briefly before she seemingly just faded away as if she was never standing guard at all, leaving the rendezvous from here up to those that were left behind.
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Post by Warrior on Jul 3, 2021 10:40:01 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/U4Xclbh~png Needing nothing to say, Feint followed Grom into the tower to presumably meet Xion and Burai at the top without any distractions, but instead only found Xion's Clone, which her untrained eyes could only assume was really him. Several hours had passed by now, as they arrived immediately after the Le Mu encounter while Feint had written a report, submitted it, and traveled here all in the span of time that led Xion and Burai to where ever they were now.
Taking another look around, she noticed the tower remarkably empty and couldn't quite overlook the obvious absence among them as she approached the clone.
" Just you? "
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Post by Genesis on Jul 3, 2021 14:06:32 GMT -8
*The clone would hail her with a wave as she got closer, reading the mood flawlessly it might add. Well at least one of them managed to get through their dealings in a timely fashion. Unfortunately his end had been the one to find further complications, but if anything it at least had so far only appeared to be a minor setback. As long as the others came back out anyway. Now if they didn't then it would become a bit of a larger setback than a small one, but he'd choose to be optimistic in the fact that they had higher odds of coming back just fine than just not coming back at all. If only because the guard would've been more adamant about seeing them removed from the scene just as well if the goal was to get rid of them all. No reason to let them go at all or make them sit back and then tell them to get out of dodge.*
"There was a bit of a snag that slowed us down here, so while the others worked their way back slower than intended, we went to go deal with the other part of our team assembly."
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Post by Xypher on Jul 6, 2021 20:33:59 GMT -8
These portals rarely seemed to work in his favor. Despite being the third to enter the portal, he was the first to come out the other side. With that, however, came the realization that that being could be waiting for them upon their return. As he exited, he stepped forward, swords available and battle ready. He looked around quickly, both gathering while also suppressing his power.
"... How could I have been so foolish not to warn them before walking through casually? Idiot..."
He swore at himself, speaking under his breath.
Upon quick inspection, he didn't see, sense or feel the strange being anymore. The strange energy had disappeared. Instead, his gaze fell upon Xion at first.
"Getting Jumpy?"
"... Shove it."
All things considered, recent events had tested his mentality just as much as his battle sense. So much was happening so quickly, it was hard to keep up with at times. He pointed behind him and spoke.
"We found Jax. Warrior is carrying him. We'll heal him up once they arrive through the portal. Sorry it took so long."
When it came to Xion, he never knew what to believe. His knowledge was somewhat lacking, although he had Saved his life at least once, so that had to amount for something. He owed him, Merrill couldn't deny that.
But to his surprise, he recognized the woman with Xion: Feint.
"You are alive! Warrior didn't mention that!"
His tone one of surprise and relief. A small smile appeared on his face for a moment, and a weight felt lifted from his chest.
"Honestly, thank goodness. I thought Warrior had killed you..."
He looked down at his hands, thinking of that moment, replaying those few seconds in his head.
"I don't know whether to apologize or not. While I have more questions, I believe they'll have to wait, right?"
He couldn't hide the relief from his voice. At least someone had survived the ordeal. He let out a long sigh. He wouldn't totally be surprised if she ignored him, but he felt it necessary for his own sanity to speak on the matter.
He turned to face the last person with them was one he didn't recognize at all.
"My apologies. I don't think we've met..."
He bowed, as old habit's died hard with him. If he had been traveling with Feint, he guessed that they were all on the same sides at the moment.
He looked over Grom, then looked around at the other two.
"Pleased to meet you."
While waiting, he reflected on some things while preparing some healing life energy for Jax. He manipulated it in his hands, tossing it back and forth between his fingers and hands. He thought to himself while he waited on the others, or a response from those who were here already.
"So much fighting still to be had."
"As if you could escape it. Embrace it. Accept it."
"...Finding peace... Is difficult in this Life. It is not something many get to enjoy, and even fewer cherish."
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Post by Gaia on Jul 7, 2021 8:39:12 GMT -8
Joker.DB
The strangeness of the portal continuing, it spat Joker and Hollow out after Merrill. Joker glanced over the scene, first seeing Xion. He started a curt nod to the darkloid before he noticed the other two that had already gathered, the black mist naturally beginning to curl over his body as his offensive systems began to come online once again.
The second figure was one that Joker didn't recognize, but viewing his proximity with Feint, he could only guess that he was with the NIA, as well. He saw Merrill give a respectful bow, but he could not do the same. These two individuals had yet to be told his whole story, and he could not presume that they would be here to allow him to pass for his previous transgressions so easily.
Merrill obviously had interacted with this woman before, and had certain feelings regarding her safety. Joker could not bring himself to see her in that same light; she seemed amicable enough around Xion, and was apparently affiliated with Warrior enough to have almost been deleted by him, which only further confused his search parameters.
Even if they hadn't come here looking for him, it made sense to him that the law enforcement would do what they needed to do given the situation, and he would not be caught unaware. He held his hand out in front of him, leaving the fingers splayed as his power gathered, preparing to do what was necessary to keep himself safe.
"The last we met was on a battlefield, NIA operative. I don't want this to escalate any further, but I need certainty that this is a visit that will remain peaceful on your end."
Hollow.___
Hollow came out, third. Glancing around, he first noticed an entity that held Xion's face, like he once did, but was not Xion. He was too aware of his progeny to be fooled by this farce. He could create clones, however, and enough of Xion's information was here.
Then, he saw Feint, the woman he had met in Netopia while under the guise of Xion, and someone next to her that he guessed was either another NIA operative or a superior to Feint. Hollow, as he always had been, was a void of information within the Net; nothing given shape and intellect, and forced to seek out a purpose.
He turned as he felt the well of power within Joker intensify, and held out his own hand to interpose himself between Joker and the two NIA operatives. It was not out of a sense of wanting to protect them, but moreso out of the recognition that if they were with Xion, then they were important to whatever steps came next. "Calm yourself, and lower your offensive. I will not permit you to delay our progress any further with complications from your previous encounters.
"Besides. You may possess the force necessary to make her kneel, but it would only prove to strengthen her. Stand down." The flame under his robe intensified as he gave this last directive, black electricity arcing over his body to prove his point to Joker - even if this did provoke into a battle, Joker would be outnumbered.
He turned to look back at the new arrivals. "Feint. Our acquaintances have not properly been made. I am Hollow. You and your compatriot, I presume, intend to join us on our mission onwards?"
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Post by Zane on Jul 7, 2021 10:42:24 GMT -8
He certainly was quite casual, wasn't he? He didn't doubt the report, but seeing that Xion could be anything other than a future problem was certainly something. He was always with the worst sort of people and causing problems on their behalf, and more than earned the fear contributed to his name. While there wasn't a lot of authentic proof that he had caused any larger disasters, he was often found to be an accessory to one all the same. The Chaotic had peppered off more and more over the years, but one of their members was accountable for a much larger concern by his own stake in things. And as it just so happened, Merrill would bring up that exact member in question: Jax. They had all caused their fair share of problems, but quite some time ago he had done something he certainly shouldn't have. It would be his job to rectify that sooner rather than later, but not right now at least. Priorities were still a thing, and so they would be taken care of in terms of higher priority all the same.
"We haven't met in person, but I know of you, Merrill. I'm Grom, leader of the NIA on the Net's side."
And just as he was reminding himself that Xion was always associated with the troublemakers, he had to remind himself that Joker was in this assorted group as well. Hollow wasn't exactly as well known, but he at least sought to make that particular problem heel before they would be forced to do so themselves. While he did not care if they had to now or later, the choice ultimately was theirs to make. He would respond to their trepidation by confirming it should that be their call, his eyes going to Joker now.
"As I recall you placed yourself on that battlefield due to your own haphazard desires, much like you now prepare to defend yourself without us doing a thing to escalate matters yet again. That is fine and you will get away with it this time as well, but do keep these words in mind the next time you determine that to be the proper course of action: the third time is the charm."
When someone felt cornered it was only proper they acted out of that desperation. But if it was shown to be that was the only way that he was prone to behave, then just like with the cat he took down before, he would do the very same to this giant. Either way he would let Feint answer Hollow as while he directed his inquiry to both of them, it only made sense for her to answer.
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Post by Gaia on Jul 7, 2021 14:48:07 GMT -8
Joker.DB
Joker may have acted like a cornered rat, but his face was calm and his eyes were steady; not wild nor desperate, as the other may have considered him. The confirmation that this was the leader of the NIA did not make this seem like it would go any better for him, but he was incredibly surprised by the sudden action from Hollow. He had yet to see this passive being do anything with such certainty or resolve, and yet, he had moved forward before even Joker had time to process he was present.
He listened to the empty Navi's words, first, and then to that of the NIA's leader. It was true that he had put himself in the battlefield the first time, although haphazardly so was a different matter of debate. He had offered his help to Feint in dealing with Xion, and it was she who became the aggressor to him, first. Still, the data supported that, at least for now, this would not escalate further. He looked at Hollow from a sideways glance, turned his attention back to Feint and Grom, nodded, and lowered his hand. The black mist curling from his body subsided.
"Very well. I scarcely make the same mistake twice, and I assure you I will not make it a third time."
Hollow.___
As Joker stood down, the black lightning curling over Hollow's form also calmed down. It was a strange look he had, his front towards Joker, his arm held out, while his head was turned completely in the opposite direction to address Feint and Grom. He swiveled his body around to realign the two, keeping his head in one position as he turned to face them properly. He stepped away from the portal, giving Warrior and Lalonia space to get out once they could.
". . . "
Without anything to do to ensure that their next steps were followed through, Hollow's form was once again without purpose. At least Joker's rashness of action gave him something to focus his efforts towards for a moment.
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Post by Warrior on Jul 7, 2021 14:49:24 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/U4Xclbh~png Well if nothing else, everyone stepping out of the portal was relatively familiar to Feint: "Fairy Boy" was one of Rayner's besties and would never lose that title in her mind, then of course the giant -- whose thought processes were the epitome of binary thinking -- had his own scene with her back in Netopia that she was still moderately disappointed about, and lastly there was Hollow who was also in that scene with Joker, unbeknownst to her, but they also crossed paths at the center of the maze when Xion hopped on the bandwagon that she and Burai had been riding around on all day. There wasn't much to gleam from Hollow from that interaction though, so really it was just a name and a face to her now.
" ... "
As Joker gave his stance, her eyes sharpened and she opened her mouth to speak -- and you could just tell there was just a plethora of trash talk about to pour out of it -- but Grom's quicker response intervened instead, so she promptly closed her lips and let her superior officer do the talking until he was finished, turning to Merrill to respond to him instead in the mean time.
" My business is none of Warrior's, outside of a very few exceptions. If you thought he had what it takes to kill me, then you really missed a show today. He's nothing special. "
Needless to say, whatever question concerning the event that Merrill had would indeed have to wait for later. As Grom finished his response and Hollow's question remained unanswered, Feint figured that it was on her to elaborate on that for them.
" The other way around, actually. The short of it is that, surprise surprise, there's a new threat abound. It's inconvenient that it coincides with whatever else is going on right now, but it needs urgent attention nonetheless. "
Merrill was one of the Navis Feint had recruited during her last outing at Sky Tower, so he'd likely remember how poorly she was at giving mission statements or the like. Which was ironic, considering how well she could write them out, but off-script, the words never quite came as easily.
" Burai knows the details. The idea was that he and Xion would come recruiting you all, but it just so happens that there was a mishap along the way, so you get my distilled version instead. "
She turned to the Xion-clone then, still perceiving him as the real one but at least acquiring a sneaking suspicion about it by now.
" Pending any sugar-coating you wanted to add, of course. "
Warrior hadn't quite made it out of the portal yet, surprising as that was, but that was likely a good thing considering the inbound conflict he'd be having with Feint, at least if history was anything to go by. For now, that stage was Xion's.
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Post by Genesis on Jul 7, 2021 17:40:07 GMT -8
*He would work as the mediator for a bit of this now. It was easy before because it ended up with the three of them and he was someone who was easy to work with. Of course that was him saying so himself, so that didn't necessarily mean anything in that case. Feint and Burai were an absolute mess to work with if you were lacking in patience, hence him assigning himself the mediator already. Of which he would start with Joker here first to better assuage his concerns.*
"The NIA might be a pain, but they're only a pain if you're a pain. In short, let them do their job and if they botch it on their own, it's on them. Don't worry about it too much otherwise, Joker. At least not until they make the first move instead."
*A simple case of live and let live. If they botched the job it never said anything about them not taking care of it after the fact. And to be fair while they were up to some fairly dubious dealings, it ultimately would make life easier if they managed to be at least half-way successful in their end goal. He would just have to concern himself with them deciding to be too strict later on and as a result having to deal with them too. Next would be Merrill, who unfortunately was caught between being a good guy and stuck with a snappy girl.*
"And for you Merrill: don't let her always angry fool you. She's just as special as he is. Thanks for finding Jax for me."
*Which would normally sound fine but would be more of an insult than a compliment in this particular comparison for her and Warrior. Merrill had his genuinue gratitude as now he at least had one of his own back and hopefully in good shape eventually once the healing was taken care of. He'd have to make sure that he paid the debt back by at least keeping them afloat in the mess that got brought to their doorstep by someone else. Which, thinking of that someone else, he gave a rather frustrated hand wave at the mention of Burai's name.*
"No need to sugar up anything, go for broke. No point in lying about how much of a mess that adult kid has made. He can add his own sugar, spice, and everything nice to the details in defense of his actions later. At least it could be worse: we could be fighting each other in the face of the bigger picture. Again."
*Because sadly that was also just as commonplace as their new threats being inbound. Every time there was a new one there was just as much infighting to make up for it, only making the situation take that much longer. Whether or not they had matured past that or if they were also just more adult children however was up for debate. He was willing to bet a good portion of someone else's estate that it was the latter instead of the former.*
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Post by Xypher on Jul 7, 2021 20:39:47 GMT -8
Since Grom spoke first, he turned to face and give his full attention.
"Grom, Leader of the NIA net side, huh? Unfortunately, I can't say I know much about you... No offense!"
He waved his hands up in front of him, expressing the fact that he realized his words could have been taken as offensive.
"... But more and more people seemed to know more about me..."
He spoke quietly. While he wouldn't say, show or admit it, but the fact that others seemed to know "of him" and he knew even less and less it felt as time passed, troubled him.
But before he could continue, Joker and Hollow burst forth from the portal. He smiled to each of them, suddenly feeling completely confused as Joker acted aggressive towards Grom.
Even as Grom made his rebuttal, and tensions seemed to rise, Merrill hesitated to take any action, instead formulating a series of questions.
But before he had a chance to ask anything, or determine a mediation approach, Hollow seemed to defuse the situation.
But then, Feint spoke. Her dry wit and sharp tongue didn't phase him, as the few interactions they have had had allowed him to somewhat be prepared for such a response. He couldn't help but let the edges of his lips curl up slightly.
"Funny, I seem to remember the look on your face as his blast barreling down on your... Preoccupied form. Oddly enough, I would be curious to see a sparring, no holds barred match between the two of you."
Per usual, after their quip, Feint was all business as usual. His own gaze sharpened as she spoke. While she was somewhat bad at verbally explaining, he was able to understand the gist of what she was saying. But before he could expand and express his understanding, Xion spoke.
A rare grin escaped as he got the message. He nodded towards Xion.
"They both have some skills. I am glad that I could be of service and use my healing abilities to actually heal. I will do everything I can to restore Jax. Thank you from before for saving me from Rosso as well. I never got the chance to thank you."
Then, turning to the group as a whole, he addressed everyone.
So, to recap. Grom and the NIA, whom I assume Feint works with, are at odds about some event in the past, with Joker here. Based on what you just said, Feint, we have several little groups here, whom have all agreed to deal with the bigger threat at hand. One that no individual or group can face alone. Based on what I've been told since I ran into the various people here, This must be one terrifying threat of everyone is starting to work together, and trying to muster up such a strong force. Not counting Rosso's group? Especially with some of the tension here. This other person, Burai? along with Xion are recruiting us? I assume that this Burai is connected to this threat. Or caused it in some way, based on Xion's reaction."
He paused for a moment, letting all of the thoughts sink in. While his mind raced, with thoughts, two questions stuck out:
"Is the threat a winged creature? Or do we know what the threat is exactly that we must face?"
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Post by xoDeathy on Jul 9, 2021 4:37:35 GMT -8
Lalonia finally made her way back to the group as well. The trip was perilous and its hard to think that it will only get more difficult from here. There were newcomers now, none of which she had recognized. She simply walked over and stood next to Merrill.
She sighed, and prepared for Jax's arrival.
"The healing Jax requires will take a lot of energy out of me. I won't be able to use this often without rest, so hopefully we won't face further casualties."
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Post by Warrior on Jul 11, 2021 7:23:44 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/U4Xclbh~png Feint shrugged at Merrill's recap, or maybe it was at his question, it was difficult to tell by her demeanor. She seemed to brushed off his remark preceding it, instead responding directly to the important bits, starting with the summary.
" More or less. "
Maybe a little more "less" than "more" in terms of the details, but she nor Xion had exactly given all of the specifics, and she herself couldn't be bothered to do what Xion was originally supposed to concerning that. That is to say, everything in his recap was still perfectly accurate, though. Now, as for his query...
" I guess. But detachable, mechanical wings if so. It'll be better to just ask Burai for the specifics than either of us, honestly. "
And speaking of, Feint turned to Xion to ask him on his whereabouts, but almost on cue, Warrior had finally left the portal carrying Jax. His facial expression didn't betray any surprise as he scanned the faces present, resting on Feint and Xion by the end of it.
" You were quick. "
He had parted ways with them only just before coming to Sky Tower with the others, and it seemed they had already finished what they had set out to do on their detour.
" Shouldn't you be in Sharo? "
That was where their last conversation had ended, after all. Feint, of course, wasn't surprised to see Warrior here instead, given what she had gleaned in the ongoing conversation with the others. Warrior placed Jax down between Merrill and Lalonia as he responded to her, his tone not betraying any sort of hastiness like he had been up until now.
" I had something to deal with first. "
" Something more important than Faith-mommy-senpai-kun-chan? "
The mockery in her tone was childish to him, but his response was sharp and quick nonetheless, intending to end this game she always played with him right from the start.
" She's your sister, isn't she? What's your excuse? "
Feint rolled her eyes and nodded her head, proclaiming "she's not my sister" in the most non-verbal way possible. Realizing she was losing their trades this time, though, she ignored his question and gave her attention back to Xion so that they could move forward from here, the impatience in her own voice impossible to miss now.
" We've got your posse. Where to next? "
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