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Ronan Hemond

"Don't take them away from me."

0 · 4,383 views · located in Up the Stairs

a character in “Re: Start”, as played by The_Queen

Description

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Ronan Hemond

▐ Species ; Light Bearer

▐ Age ; Twenty

▐ Gender ; Male

▐ Sexuality ; Undetermined

▐ Hex Codes ; #F2473F | #AF4035

▐ Face Claim ; Kaneki Ken | Tokyo Ghoul

▐ Portrayed by ; The_Queen
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Ronan was born with the intention to give away. His parents, who spoiled him rotten, gave him everything he could ever want. In truth, Ronan was a mistake. As the parents of the little girl who was supposed to bring light to the world, Ronan was a place holder after a furtive exercise in primitive behavior. Tall,, dark, brooding. He seems to be every teenage girl's dream. At least, until they get to know him. As a mercenary, he carries the scars of his past on his body. Whip marks, surgeries, stitches, bloodied knuckles, broken nose. The only reason others don't see all this is because Shoku fixes it.
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The Black Reaper

▐ The Inside
Ronan is many things, in the past he was a bit of a bully as an older brother, constantly picking on the little things his sister would do. In truth, it was because Ronan was jealous. His sister shined so brightly and in comparison, he was just a blight clinging to her for warmth. When Shoku took them, he played the role of the protector, constantly trying and failing to keep the only person he had left from being hurt. Shoku made it a game, taunting him, seeing how far he could go before Ronan would snap. A victim trapped within his own mind, Shoku uses a collar and medicine to suppress Ronan's true nature.
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▐ Brutish
Most know him as the Black Reaper or Shoku's Dog. Like many light bearers who find themselves under the care of Ira Shoku, Ronan lost his mind to the drug that keep him in line. On days where his sanity is in tact he can be found ghosting the halls or haunting the one space he can call his own. For the most part, Ronan seems to have free reign of the building although he is only allowed to leave should he have a mission or assignment.

▐ Thinks with his Fists
The drugs suppress his mind, his ability to think and thanks to this Shoku has him wrapped around his little finger. Ronan constantly flickers between a free mind and one that has been encased in a fog so thick that he wouldn't be able to take one step without Shoku's direction. He has become dependent on the need to be ordered around, dependent on the drugs that form the fuzziness so that he doesn't have nightmares when he sleeps.

▐ Psychotic
In theory only. In truth, Ronan is a lover and a fighter. He doesn't intentionally look to make trouble, trouble just seems to find him.
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ImageRonan, like many, came from a simple home. His parents didn't have much, but they did have each other. They worked for Ira Shoku and had birthed Ronan before realizing that their true destiny was to bear the child of prophecy. Ronan was spoiled rotten and when his little sister came around, he began to be a bit neglected, as was normal with the birth of a girl in any household. They doted on her, worried about her, fretted over every coo and cough. Ronan hated it, he hated the way they fawned over her big blue eyes and adorable little hands. He would pull her hair when they weren't looking, or make ugly faces so that she would cry. Loretta had unintentionally become his world, but for Ronan, it meant something far more sinister and ugly. The older brother would break her toys, he would push her when she was learning to walk and when that beautiful lotus blossom appeared on her stomach, well Ronan couldn't help but want to cut it off of her skin. He was a jealous little boy, but never before had Ronan realized the true burden that Loretta bore.
When his parents were killed and they were taken, he was full of so many regrets. He regretted not saying "I love you," to his family more often. He hated himself for every stupid gesture against his sister and began to try to protect her. Ronan would shield her from lashings, he would take the beating when they were being punished and would hold Loretta as she cried, promising her that he would be stronger, that he would get them out of there. Soon they were separated, each walking different paths towards destiny. Ronan saw Loretta less and less and he clung desperately to those memories, the ones where she smiled warmly, or forgave him for breaking her things, even when she shouldn't. She was always too gentle, but even something as simple as that began to be shunned from his mind as Shoku began Ronan's reprogramming.
They were not allowed interaction, what little he saw of Loretta he began to regret. She was kept under lock and key, hardly allowed any small freedoms. Shoku had taken everything from her, from them. Then, one day, when Ronan saw her face, he realized he no longer had any idea who she was. She was a shell, eyes wide and empty, body limp, hair gone, frame far too skinny. She stared at him, unseeing, unflinching at the monster he was becoming.
It was in that moment that Ronan too, broke.

So begins...

Ronan Hemond's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




"759, sleep," Hime ordered. The child crumpled, going to sleep right then and there. She would have hit her head on the floor had Damian not been there to catch her. "The power level is off the charts," Hime murmured, judging something on her screen. "I'm almost afraid that it's too much." What was left of the practice targets were nothing more than a bubbling mass. "Excuse me, Hime?" Ally interrupted, not pleased with her friend being looked at as nothing more than a tool. "Are you going to fix her vocal chords?" Hime considered this, it was clear that she had been having this debate for a while. "I would like to," Hime admitted, "in fact I think this whole, treating Yui like a tool thing is preposterous, but Mayumi said it's necessary." It seemed that Hime too, had taken a liking to the little one they all knew and loved.

"I think we should fix her vocals," Leo came striding in, "language deprivation could lead to her lashing out." Hime didn't need a second thought, she approved of the surgery right then and there. "Alright, let's go introduce her to her team." Hime turned around, the child was still asleep. "759, wake up," her eyes opened slowly. "Come," Hime held out her hand, the child moving to take it. They walked to the room the others were training in, entering quickly to watch the end of Xavier's pounding Aria into the ground. "Still got it," Ally murmured, leaning on the wall to watch the bowl below them. Once they were done with drills, Hime called out to the trainer, waving to Xavier to make him stop.

Ren keeled over, breathing hard. He had never gone through training and now, being pushed to his physical limits, he was exhausted. "You all know who you're charged with protecting," Xavier said, making them stand in line. Hime walked down the stairs slowly, the Subject at her side, struggling to keep up. Even with the leg braces, it was too early to be walking. The muscular atrophy alone should have kept her in bed, but Mayumi had insisted on beginning training right away, which Hime had approved of. They needed to make a dent in Shoku's forces, two more of their bases had been raided, although they were lucky that no one had been taken captive. They were being pressed for time, they needed to make a move on the war front and having an elite team of light bearers was the best way to go about it.

"Everyone, you are familiar with Subject 759," Ren looked up, his eyes sparkling as he saw her coming around the corner. Her hair was so long it brushed the floor and her eyes the same color as the ocean that surrounded them. Ren was enthralled with her, even if she more than likely did not recognize him. Her eyes lifted for but a moment, meeting his and Ren's heart raced. "Why do we have to protect the weakling?" Ronan growled, arms crossed. Hime snapped her fingers, playing back the video she had taken earlier in training on the screen near the wall. Ronan's jaw dropped, he tried not to look impressed, but ultimately failed. "As combatants you will be on the front lines," Hime began to explain, pacing the length of the floor.

"Your job will be to protect 759 at any and all costs," Hime was giving them unspoken permission to kill those who posed a threat. "However, you will also be tasked with removing civilians without injury, as 759 will not be able to distinguish between what is a threat and what is not." She would destroy everything in her path, including those who were supposed to protect her, should they get in her way.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




Drills were boring. All of this was boring. Aria knew why she lost. It was because she wasn't good enough, it was because she was too stupid to be able to defeat Xavier. How long until she was worthy? How long until she could be finally proud of the person she was? The idol was internalizing the defeat and attributing it to her self worth, as she usually did. She was too blinded by frustration and misery to realize that the real reason she lost was because Xavier had studied all of their abilities and fighting styles with obsessive attention in order to be able to take advantage of their weak points whenever he needed to. If Aria wanted to get stronger, she was going to have to learn how to study the opponent and learn their patterns.

Before she could challenge Xavier a second time, the session was ended and people entered the practice room. Hime was here, and the husk formerly known as Yui was there as well, still learning how to walk, evidently. Aria scoffed and turned up her nose. Protect her? Hah! "She could kill all of us without a second thought. What do you mean protect her?" Mindless as she was, she would have none of Yui's morals to hold her back. She was a perfect weapon. At the top of her potential she was unstoppable, even someone stupid like Aria knew that. Ren looked as if he was in love, but Ronan needed a bit of proof before he was willing to accept that she was powerful. Evidently, the bull was impressed by the display. Honestly, even just calling her 759 was weird. Not that she was attached to the name Yui, but, well, numbers were hard to remember.

Hah, so really their job was to be protecting random civilians? What a boring job! She would rather slit her throat than deal with this. Aria just wanted to strike out on her own - teaming up with people was really bothersome and tiring. What a waste of time! "Who the hell would be a threat to her, anyways?" Especially with the Black Reaper here, there was no one she could think of that was a threat. Hime gave her a testy smile, one that showed she wouldn't put up with disobedience. "Sanctum created something strange. They call it a light-binding chain, made from their experiments on the Matriarch. I trust you're aware of the danger that poses."

The light-binding chain bound the will of the bearer to the chain's wielder. Their bodies would no longer begin to them in any sense of the word. "And we know this how?" Aria snorted, clearly in disbelief. Light-binding chain sounded like a thing from fairy tales! "Because Damian told us." Xavier added, crossing his arms. "He told us a lot of things that may happen." That's right, because he was the new Oracle now. Now that they had him, who needed Mizu around anyways, right? Her sister was so easily replaced! No wonder Aria hated them all. "Hah." She huffed, looking away.

She walked right up to the Subject, deciding something spontaneously. "I don't care who you are, kid." Aria snapped. "I'm calling you Loretta from now on." Would the bull notice? Would he get it?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




"Sanctum isn't the only threat," Xavier added. "Yu-er-759 basically has a target on her back." He crossed his arms, cocking a hip to stare at his ragtag team. Did Hime really expect that they would be prepared to fight against the enemy? "Plus, 759 has a major weakness, she can't cover her backside." They were all impressed by the sheer amount of raw power the weapon possessed, it surely was nothing to sniff at, but it wasn't perfect, she was far from it. The Subject sneaked a glance around the room, wondering why the people before her were so loud. They were each varying shades of color. One with white hair, one with black hair, and one with gray hair. Who were they? Should she recognize them? The Subject attempted to think back, to place faces to names but could think of none. In fact, everyone here was entirely unfamiliar.

Not that it mattered, attachments would only get in the way of her purpose, the one with the lab coat had told her that yesterday. Giving them names would only make her feel something towards them. The Subject was their subordinate, she was to follow their orders, nothing more. A tool, an extension of them. What would happen once her purpose was served? The child did not know, nor did she care. Her knees wobbled, the one holding her hand caught her, easing her to the ground. The one with the gray hair was acting strange, was she referring to her? The Subject didn't understand, what was a Loretta? "I think that face means she doesn't like it," Damian snickered, attempting to pry into that empty head.

"Don't use that name," Ronan suddenly growled. "That isn't Loretta, Loretta is dead. My sister... I killed her. Whatever this thing is, it isn't her." He turned towards Aria threateningly. "You can call it whatever you want, just not that." Even crazed as he was, it seemed that Ronan still had one thing that was important to him. "We can just call her the Queen," Ren suggested, "since that's what she is?" Xavier shook his head. "No, why don't we just call her Yui?" Hime crossed her arms, it was clear that she was nervous about what Mayumi would think of this conversation. "Just don't tell my sister," Hime winked. "Is that okay, Yui?" The child blinked slowly, the others would take that as a yes.

"Up," Hime ordered and the child rose. "Your living arrangements will remain the same for the time being. However, you will all be taking meals together now. I want as much interaction as a team as possible, just like any other Freedom Fighter unit in Tokyo." Hime smiled, "go to Damian," the child remained by Hime's side. "He's that one," the Subject moved towards him, taking his hand. "Let's go eat lunch," Xavier yawned, stretching. "I'm starving," he led them to another room, this one just as able to withstand an attempted attack as the training room. Lunch was there already, a family style dinner with piping hot trays in the center and plates set for each of them.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




So they rejected the name Loretta? But why the hell did these freaks think that Yui was a more appropriate name? That couldn't be farther from the truth! "You morons, you think this is Yui? Yui's dead!" She aimed a finger right at Ren, shooting him a venomous glare. Not that she cared about Yui or anything, not after the fish had crossed her. "And it's all this asshole's fault." No, she wasn't going to call the Subject Yui. That was out of the question. "Yui was vibrant, not an empty husk." But if she wouldn't call her Yui, and Loretta was out of the picture, what else was there? "I'm calling you Husk." She decided, turning up her nose with a petty scowl. "Not that you care anyways, you mindless thing."

Wasn't protecting Yui's free will Mizuki's primary goal? She had tried so hard in order to do that, and yet these Freedom Fighters couldn't have cared less in the first place. They looked more than happy to just use her as the mindless weapon she now was. Not that Aria really cared about the tug-of-war for the Light Seed anyways. Sure, she hated Shoku, but those weren't personal reasons. And hell, he was taking care of Mizu now anyways. But the Freedom Fighters? They were more than happy to replace Mizu for Damian and use anything they could as a tool. She hated Xavier too, for always acting so superior. She hated Damian for stealing away Mizuki's role and importance. She hated Ally for... well, she couldn't think of a reason but there had to be one! She hated Ronan for prompting the hole power obsession in the first place! She hated Ren because he was a creep that didn't care about his role in this mess.

And she hated herself too, for how far she had fallen.

And now it was Lunch time. They were supposed to try to act and play nice with each other? Hah, screw that! What a waste of time! Aria was on edge, she hated being here. She hated being trapped with people she despised. She hated being stuck under the sea, away from the sky in which she belonged. So she stood up the moment Damian began talking. "Just because we're technically working together doesn't mean I'm obligated to play nice. I'll go eat somewhere else." As she stalked off, she tasted a bit of the food. Recognizing Damian's food, Aria decided to dump it in the trash out of pettiness and childish rebellion. A symbolic act to show she didn't want to be friends with anyone here.

After some wandering in the halls she found herself in a strange room that had a window at the top through which she could hope to see the water's surface, and hopefully, the sky too. Instead it was just a murky blurry blue that couldn't quite be made out. "I miss the sky." She whispered longingly as she lay there on her back, tummy rumbling, arm stretched out in a vain attempt to reach the impossible. "I miss when my mind wasn't..." Wasn't what? A mess of thoughts that always spun around and around in circles with no end in sight? At least when she was fighting the ceaseless spiral would stop, at least when she was sedated she was given peace of mind. But being awake, without combat or sedation? Her mind tortured her far more than Shoku ever could.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




"Is that really what you think?" Damian frowned, catching a glimpse of Aria's thoughts. "That we're replacing Mizuki? That we're happy Yui is like this? Whose fault do you think this is?" His fists shook as he balled them up, wishing that he could punch Aria without consequence. How stupid could she be? "If you hadn't gone off on your own, maybe things would be different." No one attempted to follow her, although a guard would bring Aria back to her room if she continued to act out. The others sat around the table, passing around food, eating, even sharing a few laughs. "I'll feed you," Ren offered, lifting up a fork as the Subject sat there, staring lifelessly at the table. "759, eat," Xavier tried, but it seemed that the child did not know what to do. Damian cut up the chicken into tiny squares, allowing Ren to feed his obsession by feeding their little Queen.

"Open," he instructed, "Good, now chew and swallow." He was all too happy to give the instructions, to have her so close. "What are we going to do about Aria?" Ally whispered, clearly terrified of the person their friend had become. "I don't know," Xavier ran a hand through his hair. "I've never seen her like this," he had never known an Aria that had such a thirst for blood. "Maybe this is her true self? That idol personality was all a sham." He grinned, wiggling his fingers, "she tricked us all so that we wouldn't think twice about her leading fans home and sucking their blood." Ally shivered at the thought. "It's because she's lost something," Ronan shrugged, putting down his chopsticks. "I see it all the time with prisoners, they turn a corner, push them past the point of no return and physical pain no longer matters to them."

Ronan had tortured enough people to know. He could recall those wonderful screams, the pleasurable feeling of whipping a blood tail across someone's back to keep them inline. Ronan sighed, leaning his cheek on his fist, reminiscing in the memories of the job he hadn't been able to do for a while thanks to the fact that he was trapped here. "It's boring down here, I need something to do." Ronan stirred the food on his plate, "I could always pencil you in for more training." Xavier suggested, grinning like a madman. To compete with Ronan, one of the strongest light bearers-well, Xavier thought he could learn more from him than anything. "I just want to leave the room," Damian pat Ronan's shoulder reassuringly. "Once you're off isolation, you'll be able to participate in community service too."

They finished their meal together, a bit closer than before. Mayumi was waiting for them outside, "Did she eat?" She inquired and Damian nodded. "Yeah, but she threw it right up." Mayumi nodded, having expected that to happen. "I think Ren fed her too much too." Damian scratched the back of his head, he probably should have monitored that situation a bit better. "I'm taking her now. She'll be back in her room for you to prepare her for bed. 759, come," the child stepped away from Damian, walking forward. This was the one... the one in the lab coat that she could vaguely recall from that morning. "We're going to fix your voice now, but you probably won't remember this conversation." The child walked alongside her, wobbling ever so slightly.

"You shouldn't push her so much," Doctor Medicus said as they entered the operating theater. "Arms up," Mayumi instructed, stripping the Subject of her clothing. "Especially on the first day. Running and food?" He shook his head, "Her body needs time to adjust." Mayumi's eyes narrowed, "We don't have time to coddle her!" She snapped, then straightened. "The surface needs our help."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




Why didn't these numbskulls get it, anyways? They didn't understand anything. If they just let her finish the fight against Shoku in the first place, they could all be living in peace right now. All they had to do was trust her! Was that really so hard to believe? But because Yui and Xavier came to stop her, she can out of energy before she could finish the tidal wave that would kill off half of New Tokyo, Shoku included. All because they didn't trust she had the ability to finish it all. And now they were blaming her for things, is that really how it was? Why not just betray everyone here, then? Why not just strike out and join her own team once they reached the surface? It wasn't as if anyone else would look out for her - all she had now was herself.

Her phone went off. It was an encrypted call that could not be traced or monitored in any way. Aria went to a bathroom to take it, curious as to who it was and why they were using the highest security line. At least in the bathroom there was no microphone to overhear. "Who is this?" The voice greeting her was both familiar and friendly. "Don't worry, it's just me. Minako! Thanks to our alliance, we're being kept updated on everything." Ah, that made sense. But why was she getting a call now then? "Do you have something you want?" The idol almost barked it out like a command. She could hear Mina's charming grin through the line. "If you're not happy there, you should come and join us instead. Deliver Yui here, we'll find a way to bring back her mind and memories."

Aria might be stupid, but she wasn't that dumb. She knew Sanctum wanted the Subject for a chance to use the light-binding chain to tie her down to their will. Wasn't that everyone's goal? But even so... was there a reason to bother trying to impede on this plan? It wasn't like she owed the Freedom Fighters anything. Even out of the crazies, she fit in the least here. She had familial ties with Shoku's team, and at least Sanctum wasn't complicit in letting Mizu die. Why should she serve the Freedom Fighters over them, anyways? They would have to give her a real good reason to stay loyal if they really wanted her to stick around.

She needed to be strong. She needed to be powerful. Having a conscience, having guilt... feeling bad - that was all what weak people did. To be strong, she would continue down this path to the end, no matter the consequence. "Give me a reason to cooperate and maybe I'll help." Minako's smile was almost infectious even though there was no video call. "We won't try to control you. You can fly free, you can murder anyone. You won't have to obey anyone else's rules but your own." Ah, now, that was how to make a tempting appeal. It wasn't like the Freedom Fighters had any leverage on her or anything. Her sister was safe on the surface, far from the Hikari Sisters's power to hurt now.

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




"Yui, wake up," Ally whispered, rousing the Subject from her rest. She sat up, blinking slowly and looking around. Where was she? Who were these people? "I'm Ally, remember? That's Damian, we're you're care-takers." Ally's smile was polite, yet nervous, as though she were afraid that one wrong thing and her neck would be snapped. "You're Yui, remember?" Slowly, she shook her head. Ally sighed, but she would not give up. "It's bath time, I'm gonna put you in the tub, alright?" Another slow nod from the Subject. Ally stripped the child of her pajamas and placed her in the basin of warm salt water, scrubbing the Subject down to ensure that she was squeaky clean. "Are we doing another attempt at breakfast?" Ally inquired as she pat the child dry and dressed her in her uniform. "No, Mayumi says to just use the tube."

They would run a can of formula over an hour and perhaps try solids again that evening. "What's the schedule looking like today?" Damian brought it up on a holo screen. It may as well have been gibberish for the Subject could not read. "Check up, Debrief Meeting, training, community service, the usual." Damian shrugged, it looked like it was going to be a normal day. The door slid open behind them, Mayumi entering with Leo. "We're here for the check up," they retapped the tube to the side of the Subject's face, ensuring that it was secure. It was uncomfortable, 759 did not enjoy the sensation of being able to taste the plastic whenever she swallowed, however it was beyond her control to protest. She was not given the order, therefore, she could not speak out against it.

"State your name and purpose." The Subject blinked slowly, reciting word for word, what Mayumi had told her the first day. "Subject 759," her voice was hoarse and scratchy, it flickered in and out. "Don't push it," Leo placed a hand on the Subject's shoulder, prompting a flinch in response. Mayumi charted her light bearing mark, noting that it looked somewhat like a yin and yang, the way the darkness and light flowed throughout it, a merge of power, a battle to see which side would win. "We'll do some filtering tonight," Mayumi announced, removing her gloves. "We need to train hard today, their first mission is tomorrow." Damian nodded, buttoning up the button's on 759's shirt. "Ronan and Ren seem prepared to listen, but Aria is unwilling." Mayumi nodded, she had been expecting that. "I'll talk to her," Leo suggested, "if it doesn't work then she'll have to sit out."

They couldn't send an unwilling soldier into the battle field, that would be suicide. "Ar-" the Subject coughed. "You were not given permission to speak," Mayumi said strictly and 759's eyes became downcast. "Don't be so hard on her," Leo whispered. "She's just a kid," he picked up his hollow and marched out, Mayumi throwing one last glance over her shoulder before following him. As soon as they were gone, the child slumped over. "Ah, Yui!" Ally lifted her up, setting the girl on her feet. "You were trying to say Aria weren't you? It's okay, you can speak freely with us." But the Subject did not open her mouth again, perhaps out of fear of being punished, or maybe she simply could not recall what she had wanted to say.

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




It was tomorrow. And the day after this was the first scheduled time for this new 'team' to head out to war. She was of course lightly disciplined for taking her phone out without permission. As for Aria, she didn't see what the big problem was. Why were they restricting all of her freedoms? Did they just hate her, or something? Well good, because the feeling was returned twofold! "I won't apologize for having a phone, for fuck's sake." Aria snapped at Ally, who had been lecturing her on why prisoners weren't allowed phones normally without supervision. "Especially you, you have a history with, um, traitorism." Ally said quietly, yet firmly. "If you keep limiting my freedom, I'll eventually snap." It was not a threat, but a promise. "Even if I'm inhibited, I'm sure no one wants to see that."

Ally was chosen for this unwanted duty because she was the one Aria was the least hostile with. While the girl perceived a personal slight from everyone else, she didn't really for Ally. Sure, there was the usual snappy attitude and she wasn't exactly friendly, but she wasn't slinging insults or walking away either. "The mission is tomorrow. I know how much you want to get out from the Undersea." They all knew it was unnatural for a flier like Aria to be trapped in the ocean. It made her skittish and more anxious than normal. It made her head spin more and more as the self-hating monster took over her mind. She needed to get out of here. She needed to fly again. What she wouldn't kill to be able to fly again. "And let me guess, you're here to tell me to get along and make friends and frolic in the rainbow flowers?"

The dreamweaver stared back at her, unamused. "No, no one expects that." She murmured, gaze calm and steady. "But you're expected to show that you won't just attack the rest of the team once you're on the surface. If you can't show that we can trust you, we won't give you freedom because you'll be a risk." Hah. Didn't these idiots know how to get loyalty? You need to have some sort of leverage to use against them! "Remember how Shoku controls his Enforcers?" Aria grinned sardonically, tapping her fingers on the desk. "Fear. He makes them bow to his will using fear. Fear that he'll take something away from them, or that he'll hurt them. Why aren't you using that on me, huh?" Did they really think they could pretend to be the good guys?

After the display Xavier and Yui showed that ruined everything and made ending the war quickly impossible, Aria knew she wouldn't trust anyone again. She hardened her heart to protect it from ever being in pain by being betrayed by people she loved and trusted. At least Xavier was here so she could torment him about it... but Yui was dead, and that was even more shameful because she was able to avoid culpability by becoming a husk. Yui was never coming back. "Fine." Ally stood up and Aria realized with some humor that the heiress was now taller than she was. "If you don't behave, I'll put you to sleep and won't wake you up until the next outing." Before Aria could laugh about how she would love to get some sleep, Ally continued. "And in the dream, I'll force you to watch TV shows that you used to watch with Yui on repeat, over and over again." Now that sounded very unappealing. "Heh. Don't worry, soon you'll learn, once you run out of patience you'll learn to torture me into obedience."

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




The subject was in the middle of combat training when it struck. Her body stiffened and she fell forward, Xavier transporting quickly so that her head did not hit the floor. "759, what's wrong?" Xavier asked, shaking her lightly. The child shook her head, attempting to rise, but her legs shook and she fell forward once more, face strung up in pain. "Speak," Xavier commanded, hating himself for sounding so harsh. "H-head," she winced, the sound making it feel as though her mind was going to explode. "Damian!" Xavier called, realizing that this child more than likely could not remember what pain felt like. An unfamiliar sensation, no wonder it had caused her to fall over. Damian rushed down the stairs from the viewing deck, turning the child gently to face him. "Headache?" The Subject nodded, her blank eyes filled with pain.

Damian tapped her forehead, attempting to see what was causing the pain. There were a few types of headaches and knowing Yui, she would normally experience one when a memory was trying to pop up. Damian closed his eyes, catching a glimpse of something awful. He gasped, backing up, his head spinning. "What? What is it?" Xavier inquired, holding the child steady, who had passed out. "She's still in there," Damian whispered, his expression full of hope. "Dormant, but she's there." Xavier grabbed Damian by the front of his shirt, pulling him close. "You can't tell a soul, if Mayumi gets word of this, she won't be happy." Damian swallowed hard, nodding. Unfortunately for them, Mayumi had picked up the whole thing, having saw on the security feed that something strange was happening.

"What's going on?" Mayumi inquired, rushing over with a first aid kit. "She passed out from a headache, I think this body just doesn't understand pain." Mayu nodded, pursing her lips in concern. "I'll give her two acetaminophen through the tube," she murmured, crushing it up and using a syringe to push it through the NG tube. "759 wake up," the child slowly rose, eyes opening. "Xavier, work on reaction times with her," Mayumi sighed, shaking her head. "I have work to do, Aria's continuing in her unruly act." It would seem that she would be in need of some disciplining if they were to keep her in line. "You're not going to torture her, are you?" Damian inquired, clearly concerned. Mayumi shook her head, "No, not physically at least." It was hard to tell if she was kidding or not.

"759, back straight, let's go again." They sparred, the Subject attacking relentlessly, she still had a major weakness, her inability to cover her back. Xavier transported behind her, wrapping an arm around her throat to which she responded by butting her head back into his, making him release her. He stepped back, leaving himself open to an attack, which the Subject took advantage of, the tip of a blood sword pressing against his jugular. "Alright, you win," Xavier put his hands up in defeat. "Now go take two laps and when you're done, drink a cup of water." The Subject took off, sprinting around the gym. Xavier sat down on the ground, breathing hard. "She's faster than Yui," he said quietly, "better at fighting, much better at evaluating enemies and listens to commands without hesitation. I can hardly look at her," Xavier admitted, scrubbing a hand over his face, "without seeing my failure to protect her."

"It's not just you," Damian whispered. "I should have done something sooner, I should have protested her going with you that day." But he hadn't, instead, he had just allowed them to leave. "If you had, then Ari would be dead. Her heart would have exploded, the idiot seems to blame everyone but herself for her failure."

"Did anyone explain to her that she would have died before completing the attack?" Damian inquired, causing the other boy to shrug. "No, but I doubt she'd listen." He sighed, 759 returning with a cup of water. "You have school now," Damian said, "take my hand so you don't get lost." The Subject reached out, allowing him to take her hand. He pried the empty cup from her other hand, "You forgot to tell her to throw the cup out." Damian said to Xavier, which led to a quick skirmish of 759 attempting to keep the cup and the others attempting to get it from her to throw it out. "Drop it!" Xavier at last commanded, the crushed plastic cup falling to the floor. Damian sighed, shaking his head while he retook her hand. "Now we're gonna be late."

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




A new visitor had come to join in on the fun. Mayumi Hikari, the younger and more ruthless of the sisters had come to say hello. "Mayumi!" Ally started, seeming almost surprised at the interruption. "It's okay, really, I can handle this. You don't have to-" But Mayumi took a chair and sat down across from Aria, elbows on the table, hands supporting her head, smile eerie and threatening. "Run along, Ally. Don't worry, I won't do anything excessive." Ally hesitated, looking at Aria for some reason with obvious worry, but then scurried off, leaving the room to the two that remained. "So you finally came. Are you going to kill me yet? Do you regret letting me live?" Had she caused enough trouble to warrant death? Because really, she just wanted to die. She didn't want to be Aria anymore. She didn't want the myriad of painful emotions constantly spinning in her mind.

"Unfortunately for you, I think leaving you alive is a better punishment." If they were going to talk about punishments, Aria had a lot to say on the matter. She growled furiously, eyes deep with hatred as sharp as a knife. Everyone was really going to test her patience, weren't they? "I'm not the only one at fault for what happened to Yui, y'know." She was speaking rationally here. "Xavier brought her with him to meet me. Yui herself wanted it. Neither Damian, Leo, or Ally tried to stop her." They were all complicit in the betrayal, in the tragedy. "Ren, for corrupting her. Ronan, for capturing her. No one is innocent." Well, one person was. Mizuki had nothing to do with it, she had been fighting her hardest against this fate the entire time.

But in the end it was all for nothing and her power to weave fate was stripped from her.

It wasn't that Aria didn't blame herself - she did! Why else did she hate herself so much? But the problem was no one else was accepting any sort of blame. They betray her and then expect her to take all the burden of the guilt? Hell no, that wasn't how it worked! They were more than happy to do exactly what Shoku wanted to do - use the Light Seed as a weapon of war. "This isn't about guilt." Mayumi interrupted her thoughts with a smirk. "This is about obedience. You will obey, because you have no choice but to toe the line here." Hah. Okay, fine. Aria was interested to see just what hold Mayumi had over her that could force her to play nice.

A series of photos were taken out of her bag. And they were all of one person. Mizuki asleep in the hospital. Mizuki being given pills. Mizuki talking to Haruka. Mizuki working on learning to walk. Mizuki playing a video game. So many images it was almost as if someone was stalking her. "We have someone with regular contact with her in the hospital that can... do certain things to her if we see fit." Mayumi was grinning from ear to ear like the demon she was and Aria fell silent, nothing but pure hate seething out of her every pore. "So how about this. Act up again, or our contact might have to do something to your dear sister's medicine."

Disgusting. Disgusting. If anything her hatred against the Freedom Fighters only grew stronger. Her desire to kill them all and blow them up and send them to Shoku to torture into mindlessness was overflowing. But even more than that was the sudden terror that they would follow through on the threat. So Aria said nothing at all, simply staring before her. Words wouldn't even form on her tongue. "Good. Learn your place, there's a war to fight that doesn't have time for your silly emotions." Mayumi stood up and walked away, satisfied at a job well done.

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




Damian sighed, holding a bucket underneath the Subject's mouth as he rubbed her back in small circles. The poor child didn't understand what was happening to her body, the food coming right up the same hole it had gone down. Why were the others able to consume these strange substances, but when she was fed, her body revolted? Ren was clearly remorseful, apologizing over and over again, each time her breath hitched in her throat and more of that stuff came up. Ronan laughed, watching as though it were some sort of sick show. Unfortunately, Aria arrived right around then, just as the Subject finished. "Drink water," Damian ordered, pushing a glass towards her with a few Alkaseltzer in it for relief. With shaking hands she reached forward, drinking it slowly, not trusting the drink to stay down.

Damian wiped around her mouth, wishing he could go with them and see to it that Yui's body was not harmed. "Alright team, let's move out." Xavier announced, rising from the table once Aria was done eating, if she had even eaten at all. "759, you're going to go with Xavier now." Damian sighed, passing the torch. "I'll guide her," Ren volunteered, taking Yui's hand. Was it Damian's imagination, or did Yui's shoulders relax ever so slightly? They walked together, guarded by a group of FF guards in case the prisoners acted up. Xavier was in the lead, with a guard bringing up the rear, keeping them in line as he led them to the elevator. They would not have access to their powers until the mission began on the surface, just in case. Xavier also had the ability to turn them off should they act up. "Alright crew, sit down and strap in." They sat in a circle in the submarine so that Xavier could brief them on the situation.

"We're headed to Okinawa, there's a camp of prisoners there and a lab that Shoku's been using to experiment on light bearers on." Those who were not sent to Roppongi or executed publicly were shipped off to Okinawa, the little islands at the bottom of Japan. "We'll be liberating them today," Xavier went on to explain the population, how to distinguish between friend and foe and stressed that they should do their best to keep from injuring the other light bearers. "We'll be evacuating them into a plane, I'm not sure what'll happen after that but more than likely they'll be smuggled out of Japan." Okinawa was a large set of islands, they were going to one of the smaller ones, surrounded by ocean and nearly impossible to get to if you did not have a boat or plane. Or in their case, a submarine.

"Subject 759, up the ladder," Xavier ordered as soon as they arrived. She climbed up, pushing the hatch open to catch her first glimpse of the world. 759 jumped out, wading in the water as she made her way towards shore, wind whipping her hair, the electronic heaters in the suite whirring to life. "Come on, everyone out," Xavier beckoned them all, hoping to the stars that their first mission was a success. The Subject glanced around the deserted beach with slight confusion. Why did the air sting her lungs? What were these strange white flakes that flit towards the ground in abundance? Her cheeks felt strange and a shiver passed through her body. She could not allow that again, the Subject was not given permission to shiver.

"We'll trek through the jungle, the prison is about a mile from the beach." Xavier informed them, pointing to the overgrown path. "It's a frozen jungle, so watch your step."

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




Walking? Seriously? Hah, what a waste of time! Why walk through the jungle if you have Aria on the team? Now that she was finally on the surface - and starving too, because she refused to eat Damian's cooking - what else could she do but fly? And heck, these outfits had radars anyways so even if she flew they would know where she would go. Actually, it wold be good to get a bird's eye view since it'd be easy to get lost in a deep jungle, far from civilization like this. So Aria created a cloud before enveloping them with invisibility, lifting up herself, the Husk, and Ronan. Because she hated Xavier and Ren extra, they would have to walk, there was no way in hell she would let them fly with her.

Up, up, into the sky they went, above the frozen canopy of the jungle, up to freedom and the sky and the endless blue that was the air around them. Ah, now this was what living was, wasn't it? She wasn't going to waste time talking, if they wanted to know what she was doing, wasn't it obvious? This was the fastest way to do things! "Aria!" Xavier barked into the intercom. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Aria decided to mute and ignore him, setting their course for the prison. They were cloaked by the air reflecting light away from them so that to outside eyes, they were invisible. Life was a lot more fun if she was allowed to do things like this on a regular basis. Why did she have to live in the Undersea? She was like a fish out of water... or a bird out of air! It was just cruelty.

Ignoring anything the Bull may be saying, ignoring even dumb little Husky here, Aria continued their rapid pace through the sky until one mile later, they were at the prison. Honestly, though, there was nothing to fear here. Aria was powerful, she could finish the mission all on her own. Still refusing to speak a word to anyone, she powered up air in her fists before sending them as long range artillery blasts to take out the prison's anti-air turrets before it noticed they existed via heat signatures. Once that was clear, Aria lowered the clouds so they would have the cover of the trees to protect them from stray fire. Trusting Ronan to guard the Husk - a job Aria couldn't care less about - Aria flew right into the fray, using hardened air around her as shields from the hail of bullets from the prison guards before blowing them up with another air explosion.

This was perfect! This was magnificent! And it was also doing her job - like this she was the main target, all the enemies had no choice but to open fire on her, which left them free for the others to jump in and strike. She tore apart everyone, light bearers and guards alike because in her mind, everyone was an enemy. No one was above the spear of vengeance. She created a spear of air, hardened and as sharp as real steel. "Hyah!" She yelled, stabbing it through the warden's chest before landing on his dying body, licking up the blood. Didn't that taste good? Maybe she really became like a dog after all. More guards exited the barracks, so Aria conjured up more air spears and fired them off as if they were her own bullets.

"You idiots should just regret being born!" Aria cackled as she slaughtered everything in her path. "Don't get in my way! Or, actually, please do, so I can kill more!" Bullets aimed at her? She could blow them away with wind. Bombs? Launch them back at whoever threw them! Nothing could stop her. And they thought she would lose to Shoku, how delusional were they? "Stop killing the light bearers if you don't want anything to happen." Mayumi hissed into her headset viciously. "Orders are to protect light bearers. Do not forget this." Okay, fine. She would just be extra brutal in executing guards then. The next Enforcer she saw, she pulled off his limbs, stabbed through his eyes, removed his tongue and stripped him naked to be doused in ice cold water in the snow, flayed his sin off using air whips before finally letting him die by being lit on fire.

The screams were wonderful. They quieted the screams inside her own head.

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




The wind stung her eyes and cheeks. The Subject did not understand how she was moving like this, how they were above the ground. She stood stock still, not afraid per say, but not relaxed either. "Idiot," Ronan hissed, "they're going to punish you." The cloud departed, the three of them delivered to the ground. Xavier and Ren were already there, Ren panting and out of breath, Xavier furious that Aria had gone off on her own. When would she learn her lesson? "Aria!" Xavier barked, cutting off her abilities shortly after arriving. "You are out of line! Go help evacuate the prisoners!" Ronan and Ren were backing the Subject up, watching her rear as a halo of blood swords formed around her. "Get the prisoners out, now!" Xavier could not tell how many swords were in that halo, he only knew that the attack was going to devastate whoever was left. "Ren, Ronan, take cover!" The swords shot out in all directions, skewering the guards that were left standing.

The prisoners ran out of the jail, shouting for joy, some crying over those Aria had intentionally slaughtered. It was a good thing that Xavier had the ability to transport, otherwise he would have gotten here much too late to stop her. The sound of a bullet rang across the courtyard, Ronan leaped into action, using a blood tail to try and catch it, but the bullet went right through, hitting the Subject in the arm. Luckily it had been thrown off course and rather than taking her arm off, the bullet had simply nicked her, breaking through the fabric of her battle suit. The Subject turned, raising her arm, lifting two fingers in mock of a gun and shooting a bullet of blood at the person that had shot her. She wobbled slightly, looking pail after having used up so much of her plasma.

"Yui!" Ren caught her quickly. "Behind you!" Ren turned, locking in on his target. Suddenly he moved, his form blurry as though he were zipping through at a hundred miles an hour. The real Ren had not moved, rather, he was staying in one place, cradling his little Queen while Ronan picked off the stragglers. Xavier grabbed Aria by the front of her suit, "What was that?" He hissed, "You disobeyed orders, used your abilities before being allowed to, and killed light bearers." He shoved her towards the doors that were now wide open. Had Aria forgotten that Xavier could transport? Did she really think she could beat him? It seemed that Aria was going to need the crap beaten out of her again. "Come on," he grabbed Aria by the back of her battle suit and transported them to the beach. He would return for the other three once he had proved his point.

"Do it Aria, save Japan. Kill Ira Shoku, show me that big tidal wave you were going to make." He turned her abilities back on, crossing his arms. "What are you waiting for? You're going to be a hero of justice aren't you? Killing all of us, killing any match for Mizuki's heart." Xavier beckoned to the ocean, "it's waiting for you. Show me that storm, show me that you're the most powerful light bearer because who needs a team when you can go off on your own!" Ronan and Ren emerged from the jungle, Ronan carrying the Subject in his arms, who Ren had managed to order to go to sleep.

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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




Xavier wanted her to do it? Fine, but what was the point of doing it here? "There's no point in making the tsunami here." She spat, pulling herself away from Xavier. If she was to make the ocean devour New Tokyo, she was going to have to be in New Tokyo to do it. Out in Okinawa, it was utterly meaningless. As for justice, being a hero, what did that matter? As for Mizu's heart, she already succeeded in her transplant, didn't she? "I gave up on justice when you all stopped me from ending this war." And yet they were pretending to be the good guys, even now, even using what used to be their friend as a tool for war! Despicable! Hypocrites! "I represent revenge now. I'll destroy all who cross me."

And who was the one that first got in her way that created this entire mess to begin with? Who else but Xavier right here and now! Spears of air formed around her. He told her that she had too much flair last time, so this time she would fight more carefully. Xavier was good at taking advantage of openings, so if she made sure she didn't have any, wasn't she guaranteed to win? In terms of brute force, Ari could annihilate anyone. Except Husky, of course. "If you never tried to stop me, Yui wouldn't have died, Xavier. Did you know that?" He went for an attack so she swung her spears defensively to parry his kick. She then counter attacked with a lash from an air whip which would have struck him across the back if he hadn't suddenly been behind her. "You shouldn't have gone on your rampage to begin with." He wasn't listening. Why was he always pinning it all on her?

No one here is innocent! Everyone here had a part to play in Yui's death! "Stop pretending you're innocent! If you never let her come to stop me with you, she would still be herself!" A tornado whirled around them. While Aria was perfectly good at keeping her balance, Xavier would be off balance since he wouldn't get to fully control his movements anymore as he zipped around the place. "If you never reacted so rashly-" Aria launched herself at him, clawing at his throat with hardened air around her knuckles like knives. He blocked with his arm and kicked to push her off of him. "If I did nothing, Mizu would have died! Shoku would've never let us find a heart to save her!" Why didn't he understand yet? Ending the war fast was the only thing she could do!

Now that she was in the air, now that she was back in her element, she felt stronger. Naturally she lost before - that was because she was in the Undersea! That was her worst place to fight! But now, she was in charge. "We could still send her to your dad. Did you forget he works for Shoku?" Xavier retorted, trying to rebalance himself in the storm. "We still had other options." Why was he being so evasive? "That's not the point I'm trying to make!" Aria created several balls of condensed air, firing them all at Xavier in sequence in giant sweeping explosions, rocking the sea in waves and ripples. "You share responsibility in this! Don't pretend I'm the only one at fault!" She created three dragons of air and launched them at Xavier. She even added more fuel to the tornado to make it harder for him to orient.

And then there was a sharp pain deep in her skull, right between the eyes. Suddenly she couldn't move, as if her limbic system refused to follow her mind's commands. The wind mage fell limp, dropping into the ocean's tides, unable to do anything but sink below the surface. It's not like she ever learned to swim or anything.

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




She had done it, she had overused her power. Xavier transported to the ground, allowing Aria to fall to the water with a smack of satisfaction. "Idiot," he whispered, "Don't you think I feel responsible too?" Xavier whirled around, wiping the blood off of the side of his mouth. "759," her eyes snapped open, "come," she strode across the sand, Ronan smirking, Ren eager to see what sort of punishment would befall Aria. "Go get her," without hesitation, the child dove underneath the icy surface of the ocean. The water was strange, it was harder to move in. She kicked, sending herself further below the surface. The water was crystal blue, the Subject was able to see directly to the bottom, where her subordinate was laying lifelessly in the sand. Her blood was screaming, the child could tell, but she couldn't understand why.

Not everyone had ena to breathe below the water with. The Subject grabbed onto her wrist, dragging her back to the surface, where Xavier was waiting. "Good girl," he praised, realizing that it was likely no one had ever bothered to make the child learn the difference between right and wrong. "Head back to the submarine," she nodded, wading across the water in order to trek back towards their vessel. Xavier carried Aria into the submarine, where the others were waiting. "Why would you send her after that idiot?" Ren growled, wrapping 759 in a towel. "We should leave her here! She jeopardized the whole mission! Even Ronan listened better than she did!" Xavier placed a hand on both Ren and Ronan's heads. "Good boys," he said, "now sit down and strap in." Ronan touched the top of his head in confusion, wondering what that was supposed to be.

Xavier bundled Aria in a blanket, strapping her down to a stretcher for security. He inhibited her of course, using not only the chip in her body, but an actual collar as well. He handed out snacks for recovery, taking in their injuries and shooting off a message to Mayumi to have a medic ready. The Subject's arm was still dripping, her blood sizzling through the battle suit. "You all did really well out there, I'm proud of each of you." Xavier said, taking a seat across from them. Ronan crossed his arms, closing his jaw angrily around the straw of a juice box. They would have real food once they returned, but for now it was sandwiches, juice boxes, and little bags of chips. "Oh no, you're tube," it was dangling by a thread, it must have gotten pulled out when they were mid battle.

"Don't move," he yanked the tube out of her nose the rest of the way, the Subject not so much as flinching. Xavier tossed it and handed her an apple juice. "You lost a lot of blood, you're gonna need some of this to replenish." They arrived soon after, Mayumi waiting to take the Subject to her room. She cleaned the bullet wound and made Damian hold her head in order to put a new tube down her nose, making sure to lubricate the end. "I'm going to put it down, you're going to keep swallowing until I say done." It was uncomfortable, but the Subject said nothing, only following the orders given to her. "She doesn't like it," Damian said quietly, but Mayumi was nearly done, already taping the tube in place. Damian began a feed almost immediately while Mayumi hung a bag of blood to transfuse into the child.

The Doc and Leo were taking care of the others, Ren and Ronan both having minimal injuries and Xavier suffering from nothing more than lacerations thanks to Aria's wind.

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




Were they overwhelmed? No. Had Xavier completely expected Haruka to revolt? Yes, yes he had. Now that Kenshiro's daughter was fixed there was no reason for him to continue leaking information to the Freedom Fighters and as such, that bridge had been burned. Natsuo, however, still believed in freedom; he saw the truth that went on behind the walls of the Roppongi building, he knew what happened in Okinawa. "Should we give in?" Ren asked, his tone light. He knew that he wouldn't be punished by Shoku for this, if he simply walked away with his hands in the air. "Give up?" Xavier sniffed, "are you forgetting what's at stake?" Ren's brow furrowed, recalling his Queen, who was no doubt currently napping deep below the ocean. His heart quickened, if he gave up, he would be leaving her behind.

"Alright, I have an idea on how to distract them." Ren's fingers curled into a fist, heads began to explode in the audience, false bodies dropping to the floor. To perform such a massive illusion was impressive, but Ren wasn't done yet. The crowd parted as a tiny girl with white ear feathers walked between them, her blue eyes painted with life. She was infuriated, face screwed up in anger, signature blood sword by her side. "Haruka," Xavier placed his hand on Ren's shoulder, ready to transport them. It was the perfect distraction, immaculately done. "What you're doing isn't right," it looked like Yui, it sounded like Yui, but Xavier knew that his little buddy no longer had that emotional capacity. His heart ached in his chest, but there was no time to mourn. Xavier had to be the fearless leader of the Tokyo Freedom Fighters.

"Let them go!" That was it! An illusion of more heads exploding went off and in the chaos, Xavier grabbed Ren by the shoulder and transported them behind Haruka Shoku. He uncapped the needle, jabbing it right into her neck and plunging the contents down quickly. Ren sent one more wave into the crowd, the mass hysteria enough to cover up their escape. It was enough for Xavier to transport back to the stage, using a pair of wire cutters to release their chains. "Go, go, go!" Xavier called, beckoning them all into a circle.

"Aria, Ronan, let's go!" Ren ran in between them, grabbing both of their hands; Xavier then lifted Haruka and transported them all to the dock where their submarine was waiting, breathing hard. Ren too, had strained his abilities, magnifying them as best as he could. That third wave had really tired him out. "I'm impressed," Xavier grinned, having to arrange them all in the submarine. He inhibited Haruka as soon as they began their descent, ensuring that Ronan and Aria were settled in. Aria likely would have passed out by now, the injection wearing off and Ronan was slowly returning to his senses. With Haruka asleep, he had control of himself once more.

The other ten light bearers were in another submarine, being taken to the underground base for the time being until they could recover from being tortured. It was going to be full down there, but Xavier believed that the more, the merrier. "Everyone, report to the medical bay," Xavier said, lifting up Haruka's body and depositing her on a stretcher. Ren refused medical attention, he had gotten out unscathed and just wanted something to fill his grumbling stomach. As such, the boy was escorted back to his room in the prison ward, where a surprise was waiting.

Ally was in his room, along with his favorite light bearer. "Yui," his eyes lit up and he wrapped his arms around her quickly. "A reward," Ally said quietly, "for your loyalty. You two can spend ten minutes together," Ren took a step back, watching as Ally turned on the privacy curtain. As soon as she was gone, Ren grinned, "come with me." He led her to the traditional seating on the floor and opened up a picture book. "Sit," Ren ordered and Yui sat, not so much as questioning his intentions. Ren reached over to a book and opened it up, making miniature illusions pop from the page as he read aloud. When Ally returned ten minutes later, she was quite surprised to see what they had been up to. Was it her imagination or for a moment, had she spotted a sparkle in the Subject's eyes?

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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




There were many things that the Subject did not understand, however, it was not her place to question them. "That plan is ridiculous," Xavier growled slamming a fist against the table. Hime regarded him calmly, "even if it sounds rather preposterous, I think it's the best chance we have at stopping him." The Subject did not understand her Commander's anger, only that if he was upset, it must have been due to her not following orders. She racked her short memories, attempting to recall a period in which she had disobeyed. However, the Subject could not find one. What was she at fault for then? Why was her Commander so angry? "Is it because you do not trust Ronan?" Xavier ground his teeth, he could not bring himself to say it aloud. Of course he didn't trust Ronan! The boy was barely trustworthy!

It had been almost a month since their little team had been formed and since Raven had been rescued. The team had gone on many more missions, having plenty of success, as well as yielding a few failures. Those were the ones where Shoku predicted where they would strike and was ready for them. "Ronan could betray us at any minute, he's shown us again and again where his loyalties lay. Plus, he's bat-shit crazy!" The boy was no longer on chemo, he was free of the isolation restrictions and was allowed visitors, most of who were Light Bearers that wanted to challenge the beast to a rematch after having lost to him previously. Xavier didn't understand what Damian saw in him, what any girl saw in him really.

The Subject stared calmly ahead of her, she was not given permission to speak, therefore she would not give her input. "759, what do you think?" Hime at last inquired, giving the girl her blessing. 759 leaned forward ever so slightly. "Ronan has proved to be loyal when given the right incentive. I trust him to cover my faults," Hime nodded, that was enough evidence for her. "We'll tell the others the plan then," Xavier was not happy about this, he knew with 100% certainty that Aria and Ren wouldn't be either. "Let's go over it one more time," Mayumi rose. She gathered the team, bringing them into the meeting room where a holograph of the Roppongi building was playing. "You've all been exceptional when it comes to missions and we're very proud." Ren claimed his spot next to the Subject, beaming at the praise.

"We at last have our final plans to take out Ira Shoku," Hime rose, clearing her throat. "It's a very difficult mission and a lot of things hang in the balance, so we're relying on all of you to be in the right place at the right time." With that out of the way, Hime continued. "Ronan and Aria will be escorting the Subject and Xavier to the Roppongi building. Xavier will appear beat up, the story is that you two escaped and returned with the Subject and the head of the Tokyo branch to appease Ira. The inhibitors placed on the Subject will be fake." The woman took a sip of water before continuing. "Ren will use an illusion to disguise himself as an Enforcer, that night, once everyone is asleep, he will take the keys and release Xavier and the Subject. We will be on standby, Aria, we'll need you to open the door to allow our soldiers inside."

Hime blew up an image of the back entrance, the maintenance elevator. "We'll be having a quiet takeover. Our people will slip inside, knock out the Enforcers and then it will be up to the Subject to eliminate Ira Shoku. By then they'll no doubt will have realized what is going on. You'll all need to be on guard. Once Ira Shoku is dead, the others should give up right away." Why fight when their leader was dead? "Are there any objections?"

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




That night, 759 was ordered to go to sleep. The child closed her eyes, expecting it to come easily as it always did, however tonight, there was no darkness that pulled her under. The lights closed, the room was dark, but sleep would not come. The child could not disobey orders... and yet, her eyes seemed to open on their own. 759 glanced around the empty room, the space where the tank had once been was now where a cabinet full of medical equipment was. Connected to her was the pump that filled her with food while she slept via the tube in her nose. 759 felt... strange. This wasn't allowed, she could not stand up, not without permission. She would be punished, this was not good, she did not like pain. Pain was now something that the child could recognize, something that Damian had taught her. 759 stood upright, knowing that she couldn't go far. She placed her hand against the glass wall, staring at the other cells whose lights were still on.

Knowing that she was doing something wrong... made her heart race. The Subject lay back down and closed her eyes, sleep coming easily. "759, wake up." Her eyes opened up slowly, revealing Damian and Ally, who were here to prepare her. They went through the morning ritual of bathing the child, dressing her in a simple frock and snapping the fake inhibitor around her throat. "Someone will deliver your final battle suit when it's time." Ally said excitedly, clearly eager for it to at last be used. The Subject had been practicing in it in order to grow used to the weight. This material was tougher, reinforced where it mattered most and with a few fancy controls to sweeten the deal. For Ronan it meant snack pockets, for Aria it meant extra weapon holders, Ren had just wanted a place to keep a book.

"It's going to be scary," Damian warned. "There might be a lot of pain, but you're strong. You got that?" The Subject gave a curt nod. "Yes Sir," she saluted and Damian sighed. "You don't have to be so formal," he gave her a quick hug. "Let's go to breakfast, the others are probably waiting," by now, the child could consume small amounts of liquid and soft foods by mouth. They were still working on getting her to feed herself. "Go ahead, sit down," Ally pulled out the chair and allowed the child to sit down, pushing it in so that the bowl was right underneath her nose. Xavier came a few minutes later with Ren and Ronan, the two boys taking their places. Xavier had been beaten up that morning by another light bearer to make it look real, his uniform torn in several places. He too, was wearing a fake inhibitor.

"I assume Aria is still refusing to eat with us?" Xavier inquired, noting her empty spot. He dug into breakfast, they had to leave soon and couldn't afford to waste time waiting for Aria to refuse to dine with them. "Nervous?"

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Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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[❝In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be.❞

【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#50A6C2 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #388E8E】

|| Never Enough|| The Greatest Showman ||




Ren fed her slowly today, taking extra care to not spill on the prison frock the girl was wearing. The others had gone outside to beat each other up while Ally and Damian supervised, making sure no one crossed the line and went too far. "Hey," Ren said quietly, "let's run away." Ren grabbed her wrist, tugging her out of her seat and drawing her face close to his chest. "We can take over the world, you and I. The King and Queen, no one could stop us." He placed the child back in her seat, glancing outside to ensure that no one had overheard him. "They're just using us, they don't care about our health or safety. They're not really our friends." Ren shook his head, going quiet for a moment. "What do you say?"

"Unfortunately, you do not have authority to give change my directive. My orders are already set." Ren sighed, shaking his head. "You don't have to fight for them," he brushed his hand against her cheek, the child seeming to lean into his warmth. Ally looked back over her shoulder, spotting the strangely intimate moment. Ren was dangerous, it was stupid of her to leave the Subject alone with him. "Hey you two, ready to go?" Ally scooted in between them, wiping up around the Subject's mouth. "759, Mayumi wants to see you for something really quick," the alert had just popped up on her holo. No doubt Mayumi wanted to do some fine tuning. "Ren, you can join the others out there if you're done."

"Allyana," Ren said seriously, stopping her in her tracks. "When the war ends, what happens to us?" Ally blinked, having never thought about it. "When the war ends, we find a new normal." She closed the door behind her, leading 759 to a separate room where Mayumi was waiting. "You wanted to see us?" The door slammed shut behind them, causing Ally to jump. The child didn't so much as flinch, staring steadily at the floor where Mayumi was seated. "Just the Subject please, you may wait outside." Ally nodded, feeling a tiny bit of anxiety in leaving her there. Mayumi did not seem happy, but for what reason, Ally had no idea. As soon as the lock clicked shut behind her, Mayumi rose, playing back the security feed from 759's cell.

"You got up in the middle of the night, why?" Busted, 759's chest constricted. What punishment would she receive for disobeying a command? "I could not sleep," 759 replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "You did not have permission Subject 759," Mayumi came close, grasping one of the child's wrists. She hated having to do this, but knew discipline was necessary, especially to keep her powers in check. She had to know who the authoritative figures were if they wanted to keep her from rampaging. Mayumi used an old fashioned method, placing the Subject over her knee and using something that looked like a paddle to punish her. "Do not do it again." Mayumi wiped a spot on the Subject's neck with an alcohol swab, quickly injecting her. "This is an enhancer, once your abilities have been released it will activate. Since you are a living amplifier, every light bearer around you should be able to feel the effects."

The door handle jiggled, Ally returned to take the Subject to her mission. They went to the exit terminal before Ally realized that they had forgotten something important. "Your shoes!" Xavier was waiting for them, there was no time to run and grab the shoes for the mission. "Just, try to keep your feet warm." They were around the corner now, Damian was waiting for them. He knelt down, giving the child a quick hug. "Good luck... Yui," Ally too, hugged her, the two of them walking her to the awaiting submarine. "Glad you could make it," Xavier joked, placing a hand on the child's head to ruffle her hair. "Go on inside, Ren and Ronan are already there." She clambered up the ladder, Ally looked up to wave and realized she could see up the frock.

The older girl had seen the Subject nude plenty of times, but for some reason, Ally looked away. Not before noticing the faint bruises forming on her thighs.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aria Matsuri Character Portrait: Yui Character Portrait: Mizuki Matsuri Character Portrait: Ronan Hemond Character Portrait: Ren
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❝I'm listening but there's no sound, all buried in dust?❞


【ɗιαƖσgΟ…Ρ” cσƖσя:#762D73 β™™ тнσυgΠ½Ρ‚ cσƖσя #BF3B3B】

|| Just Drive || In This Moment ||




Raven rushed at top speed to the hospital. She knew that Ira Shoku would just love to get his hands on het before the big battle. Was she safe? Why wasn't shr answering her phone? The HIVE leader blew past the lobby, the secretary, making a beeline for Mizu's room; hoping against hope that all was fine. But no one was there, it was empty. Fear thrummed down her spine - this wasn't the plan. But then someone was behind her. The nurse in charge of her. She was one of Mayumi's agents. "If you're looking for Mizuki, her brother came to pick her up. They've gone on a walk."

Natsuo. What was he doing? What was he planning? Raven was quick to dial his phone instead and this time she got an answer. "Natsuo, what the hell are you doing?" She growled into the holo. "You know what Shoku will do to her." Natsuo gave her a peace sign and he shifted the screen to show Mizu, sitting peacefully in the back seat of the car. "I know. That's why I came to take her. We'll be waiting outside of Tokyo until Hime tells us it's safe to return." So they were deserting? Raven's expression softened slightly, the anger gone. "What about Kenshiro?"

There was a pregnant pause. "Um, Dad... he's too scared of what Shoku would do to ever betray him." Mizu said with a shiver, looking cold. It was a normal side effect of her anti rejection drugs. "Be careful." Natsuo warned bleakly. "Dad seems meek, but he's your father's right hand for a reason. Back when Mom was alive, no one could outsmart him." Fifteen years ago during the first light bearer rebellion, Ken was the brain behind Shoku's victory. Even though he was an old eagle, his wings may still yet be strong. Even with Hazuki dead, the old eagle's tactics may still hold strong. "Yeah, I know." Raven ended the call with a sigh of relief. Well, time to call Xavier and let him know

....

Five people marching up the to the gate that gave way to the Roppongi Building. Aria, Ren, Xavier, Ren as an enforcer and Husky were here to fulfill their side of the plan. "Tell Shoku we're here. We've got the Subject and the Branch Leader." Aria barked to the enforcers on watch. She tugged Xavier along roughly, allowing Ronan to handle Husky. "We broke free, Father." She explained when Ken arrived to greet them. He smiled, gentle and kind. "Just as I expected." He said, inviting them in, shutting the doors behind them. "Exactly what I figured Mayumi would do. I'm sorry, child, but this is for your own good." He snapped his fingers and then his enforcers injected all five of them before anyone could react. As Aria struggled against the dozens of hands holding them down, she saw father's regretful smile. "Please have something better up your sleeve, Mayumi." Ken whispered as if speaking to an old friend. "But you could never beat me in chess, could you?"