Chapter 5 - A Race of Sorts (Sneaking In)

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Reese gave a fleeting smile. "That's the attitude. Alright then, a few more minutes of this..." he leaned back against the rail.

/What if she's too heavy for the wires? What if she rips them off the wall and gets electrocuted and dies a tragic painful death down in this cold creepy tunnel place and--/

Perish I do believe your voice is the most grating noise I've heard in my life. It's burning holes in my brain.

/It's a possibility! Then what are you going to do Reesie?! Then what?!/

She's not too heavy.

/How can you be so sure?!/

I just am.

/And why her anyway?! Alaxia can't weigh much more than her./

Stardust will get the job done right.

He straightened. "Jump time, darlings." He gripped the railing with one hand and held onto his hat with the other, and threw his legs over, then quickly let go and rolled onto the metal flooring of the underg round tunnel. He stood and turned to see who'd jumped off next...

[junkuroki]

ShadowFoxBlight~

Alaxia looked at Reese "Lets Go already, The other's are most likely ahead of us." Alaxia's eyes glowed with and anger. Alaixa looked at the wires
"Ill go first If no one will" She walked over and looked at her target.

Lamara What are u doing?

/ Child your slow and I'm moving this along/

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"Jump time, darlings." Reese announced before jumping off the platform that held them, careful not to let go of his bowler hat. That was her cue to jump as well seeing that no one was jumping off next. Pressing her left foot against the railing, she grabbed the bar—slightly lifted herself—and leaned to check the surface that would catch her.

Okay, here we go.

Stardust swung over the railings easily down to the metal floor. As soon as her feet touch the ground, the swift velocity of her jump pushed her to fall on her stomach. She sank both of her hands on the floor to pull herself up. Reese was standing a few feet away from her. She glanced back at the lift for the next one to follow.

[junkuroki]

GC~

After Jun chastised him for kissing her, he remained uncharacteristically quiet for the remainder of the trip to the hidden elevator. He marched rather ridiculously for a bit, so he could make perfect footprints in the snow. Once they got into the tunnel he stopped just because there was no snow to make footprints in. While they were following Reese Gone remained silent once more, this time for a completely different reason. Oh if anyone asked, he’d say he was contemplating the mysteries of the universe, but in reality he was imagining what the female members of his team would look like wearing only thongs and skimpy bras. He grinned.

Gone jumped over the railing and into the tunnel below. He looked up at Jun and Dan who still hadn’t jumped down. He kinda wished Jun wore a skirt.

“So, Reese boy, after we get to the top, how till we get to the warehouse?” Gone asked.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Reese blinked and chose to ignore the 'Reese boy' Gone had thrown into his question. He'll have to pay for that later. Along with everything else. "Depends on where in the city we come out of this place. I have no idea where we are, all I know is we're under the city. Can't see through roofs, Gone boy."

[junkuroki]

GC~

"Depends on where in the city we come out of this place. I have no idea where we are, all I know is we're under the city. Can't see through roofs, Gone boy."

Gone cocked his head to one side and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He knew he shouldn’t provoke his teammates what with all that new age stuff about karma and getting what you give but… It was so fun. Gone rubbed his hands together gleefully and was about to cackle evilly when he realised what he was doing. “Heh.” He muttered before turning to Reese.

Gone affected his most childish expression. “You mean you don’t have superpowers and x-ray vision? I thought for sure your hat was imbued with magical super abilities, or that it covered your evil megabrain! And you don’t have a nifty communicator, or a batmobile? I mean you just look like such a super-mutant-angsty-anti-hero, with the eyeliner and the leanness and the…uh_eyeliner. Why do you wear eyeliner anyway?” Gone babbled sarcastically, before lowering his voice to a mock conspiratorial whisper. “Are you a sally?”

[junkuroki]

Auria~

"Are you a sally?" Gone finished, his tone a whisper, with a hint of accusation that brought a seething anger into Reese.

/Oooh he brought up The Eyeliner. Clear the way, Reesie's gonna blowwww!!!/ Perish squealed gleefully.

Reese brought back his hand, before sending it into the side of Gone's jaw, a sick crack resounding. Before Gone had time to retaliate he grabbed him by the collar and shoved him into the side of the tunnel, into some wires that make a cracking sound above them, sparks falling.

"Look." he snarled, stepping closer. "I like my black clothes and eyeliner. And frankly, if that makes me a Sally in your eyes, then so be it. I'm a Sally. But unless you want this Sally to paste your wimpy ass, I suggest you shut the fvck up."

[junkuroki]

GC~

Before Gone could say ‘polka dotted trees’ he was decked and then shoved up against the wall. His jaw hurt like…. Well something that really hurt. Gone tried to grin as he realised he’d hit off on a nerve. He stored that information in the box labeled ‘How to piss people off’ in his mind.

"Look." Reese snarled. stepping closer.. "I like my black clothes and eyeliner. And frankly, if that makes me a Sally in your eyes, then so be it. I'm a Sally. But unless you want this Sally to paste your wimpy ass, I suggest you shut the @#%$ up."

Gone mumbled something, not being very coherent due to the fact that the side of his face was swelling up. But it sounded like. “Since you’re a sally, you’re a little too close for comfort.” Then he pulled off and wailed Reese right smack in the middle of his face. He felt his hand connect with nose cartridge, and hoped he’d at least given him a bloody nose if not broken it.

Gone mumbled again. “Yeesh, sensitive much? You’d think I’d said somethin’ about your mother.”

Gone glanced quickly about and saw Jun approaching. He cringed, slightly. She would get upset with him for sure. No more chocolate for him, he just knew it. He mumbled once again. “Kiss me better?”

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Gone mumbled something incoherent before sending his fist straight into the upper area of Reese's nose.

Light exploded in Reese's eyes. He stumbled backwards, blinking. His hands flew to his nose as he caught his balance. He felt wetness on his hands and looked down at them. Blood.

Reese's gaze raised back up to Gone.

/Reesie...Reesie please calm down.../ Perish's voice wavered nervously. All her childish enthusiasm was suddenly lost.

"Oh you little--" he growled before lunging for Gone. His hat flew from his head and fell soundlessly to the metal floor as he grabbed Gone's neck with both hands and slammed him back against the wall, strangling the man.

[junkuroki]

Lily~

Jun placed her arm on the railing and jumped off, curling herself into a ball-like position to minimise the impact as she rolled onto the floor.

As she stood up and approached the rest of her team, she noticed that there was something going on between Reese and Gone.

She had detected some tensions between them when they had been trudging through the snow fields, but this was way beyond tensions.

Just as she was going up to stop them, Reese threw a punch at Gone's jaw.

Jun cringed as she heard the crack that sounded when knuckle met jaw.

She cringed even more when Gone's fist retaliated by giving Reese a bloody nose.

Reese slammed Gone against the wall and strangled him.

Gone's face had started to turn blue from lack of oxygen.

This is getting out of hand. I have to stop them.

"I think that's quite enough, guys."

She stalked up to them and tried to pull Reese's hands from their stronghold around Gone's neck.

However, the force he exerted was much stronger than she could handle. And Gone didn't look like he could last much longer.

In an act of desperation, Jun cast a spell right off the bat.

"Ultima!" She shouted, taking care to reduce the forbidden magic to its minimum before she cast it upon Reese.

The smallish, dark-colored ball of Ultima hit him right at the back of his skull. Reese's legs suddenly gave way as he fell towards the floor, effectively releasing his hold around Gone's neck.

She turned to Gone. And she was not happy at all.

Grabbing his ear, she twisted it all the way to the widest possible angle.

"YOU! Look at what you made me do? Cast a spell on a teammate! When will you ever learn to shut up? Will there ever be a day when you act like you're actually twenty-three, instead of five years old? Uh uh, don't look at me that way. I know you started it."

She crouched down to look at Reese. His eyes were still closed.

She was irate.

"Now who's going to lead the way, you tell me?"

[junkuroki]

GC~

Gone gasped thankfully for sweet oxygen after Jun knocked Reese out. That girl had guts, and he admired her even more. She gave him chocolate and saved his life. The only thing better was a bacon double cheeseburger with a side of onion rings and a cold ginger ale. He shook his head, lack of oxygen had made him more half-witted than usual. He whimpered as Jun painfully twisted his ear.

"YOU! Look at what you made me do? Cast a spell on a teammate! When will you ever learn to shut up? Will there ever be a day when you act like you're actually twenty-three, instead of five years old?” Jun scolded him. He gave her his best ‘I’m a lovable puppy dog look’; half wishing he had a tail to wag hesitantly. “Uh uh, don't look at me that way. I know you started it. Now who's going to lead the way, you tell me?"

Gone whimpered and pointed to his swollen jaw, once again giving her a puppy dog look. This one said ‘I'm a helpless puppy, kiss me better.’

He looked at Reese. Yeesh, his underwear must ride up a lot. For him to be so uptight.

[junkuroki]

Spiffy Goddess of Death~

Xarin, quite content to be silent for the entire trip into Esthar, remained so as the fight between Reese and Gone continued. Only one thing gave away how he felt, and that was a small twitch in his right eye. The twitch said he was annoyed and that if someone didn't shape up and stop fighting, there'd be more than a blue-haired alchemist to worry about, ~Stupid, idiotic,*twitch* childish humans! Why in the *twitch* Nine Hells did I get stuck with them?!? Gods, for once, just let me kick both of them! Kick them until they don't move, then. . . ~

~However pleasant those imaginings are, we're going to have to jump soon, Human. Maybe after, though, I can help you live out these marvelous visions.~ Anubis purred, trying it's best to win Xarin over for once. The man cringed in pain, but kept his glare aimed at the combatants, not willing to let the demon take over.~ Come now, wouldn't it be wonderful to hear silence instead of Gone's yammering or Reese's ann oyed comebacks? I can help you bring silence, Human. We don't need them to get into Esthar, you just need me.~

~Stop tempting me!~ Xarin screamed in his mind, and jumped down to where Dan was standing, his visage frozen in a glare of annoyance and pain. Hopefuly no one would notice.

[junkuroki]

Fox~

Alaxia stood by a tree and watched. Alaxia Looked at Xarin eye still Glowing.

/Awww Alaxia look who it is/

Shut up Lamara, I will not let You interfere anymore.

/Sure you wont my dear/

Alaxia walked over to Xarin and Dan and watched the to men Show there real colors. Alaxia looked at Xarin "Can I speak to you or do you not have the heart to listen to me. And One more thing If I really Hated u why would I keep trying to ask forgiveness? Think of that." Alaxia Looked at him her eyes were no longer glowing.

/He will never forgive u, Ever/ Lamara hissed in Alaxia's ear

A tear ran down her face. She wiped it quickly hopefully Xarin or anyone wouldn't noticed.

I hate u Lamara..

[junkuroki]

Ani~

Stardust was straightening her jacket when she heard Gone mock Reese about his sexuality. She lifted her head just in time to witness Reese throw in a fit. It didn’t take long until Gone fought back sending a punch over Reese’s face and apparently worsened the heating brawl between them.

/Oh Hyne./ Diwata said, aghast as Reese started strangling Gone, cutting off his oxygen. Stardust’s lip parted slightly, not sure of what she was going to do. This was getting out of hand.

She started to head towards them. Her steps were sluggish at first but gradually became rapid when Jun ran up to them and tried to hold them back but to no avail.

"Ultima!" Jun finally shouted. "No..." Stardust said in a reflex as the dark ball of light hit Reese at the back of his skull rendering him unconscious thus releasing Gone from his clutches.

She hurried to where Jun was and kneeled beside Reese. She leaned down on him to see if his breathing was normal. It was.

"Now who's going to lead the way, you tell me?" She heard Jun say after blaming what she had done to Gone.

"For goodness sake Jun!" Stardust started, sounding vexed. "Of all the spells to knock him out, why Ultima? If you can't hold him back then you should've bothered turning around and ask someone for help! A water spell could've pry him away from Gone. Not like this."

She shot an angry look at Gone over her shoulder afterwards. "And you! Is it your hobby to be beaten up like this everytime?You should've kept your mouth shut. We're all about saving time here, not fooling around. And now because of your stupidity we're going to have to waste some more time!" She paused to take a deep breath then looked down on Reese. Her expression didn't change.

You tend to lash out without thinking. How violent...

"Now listen up." She lifted her head to address the others. Dan and Xarin were having a heart to heart talk at the middle of this upheaval. "I said listen up!" she yelled at Dan and Xarin to catch their attention. "Reese is outcold so we are going to wait for him to until he comes around. No heroic stunts and no idiotic agenda, we just wait."

/Let me just remind you that you're not their leader, young lady./

[junkuroki]

GC~

Gone sulked a bit after he felt Dan’s limit heal him, he’d really been hoping Jun would do it. But she was prolly too mad at him. As he listened to Stardust lecture him, he made little mocking shadow puppet. Time, time, time. He thought making the ‘puppets’ talk to each other. Once she had turned away, he threw his broken watch at her. Lecturing him like it was all his fault. How was he supposed to know Reese was sensitive about his make up?

“We can just slap him awake.” Gone said. “Or, we could use a water spell on him. Then we won’t be wasting any precious time, since apparently it’s going to run away with spoon once the cat meows and the Ex-Instructor jumps over the moon.”

Gone blinked. Even he was confused by what he just said. He shrugged.