reparoni

Number 28 - The Fount of Freedom (HARD WIP)

whatever

Nat was, for lack of better words, fucking pissed. The lack of good sleep hadn't really help anything, her resting bitch face somehow looking even more irritated with dark eye bags. It had been two weeks since she had her encounter with Hemlock, and its been all she had been able to think about. The news about Tsubasa hadn't helped her either; it had turned her disdain of the system into full blown distrust. More importantly, she was convinced that Hemlock was a part of it. Natalia never liked that bitch anyways, and with how everything was aligning she couldn't help but suspect her. She turned towards her hand, smoke rising from her fingertips as her nightmares flashed before her eyes. It was strange, she turned herself into smoke all the time; even the first time she used her quirk she didn't really think much about it. However, seeing her arms vanish the way they did that day as she stood there helplessly, unable to return was something else. She hadn't felt nearly that helpless since the day she nearly died way back when. "Fucking bitch." She muttered under her breath, shuddering. Natalia glanced around the room. A good number of her students had left, and the teachers were panicking. She knew it was all a shit show, but this was starting to get ridiculous. She almost considered leaving herself, if it weren't for the fact that she had to figure out what that bitch did to her. Plus, there was no way in hell Dad would let her leave. Speaking of which, she made sure not to tell him anything about what happened. She couldn't trust the man with this - for all she knew, he was in on it as well. With all this talk about traitors, and with her recurring nightmares, she was starting to trust people less than she already did as the days went on. For all she knew, there could be more spies among them in this very classroom. She had to be weary of them all, even the innocent seeming ones. This Psyshock clown wasn't really helping with anything, and the idea that they were doing a sports festival despite all the crazy bullshit the past couple of weeks was completely absurd to her. What's worse, all these idiots seemed to have completely forgotten about it, getting swooped up in the excitement of said festival. Or maybe they were just trying to cope with it, not wanting to face the grim reality that the hands they were placed in might not be the best. Either way she couldn't help but scoff. "Worthless." She stood from her desk, slamming her hands on it. "You guys can go and waste precious time playing games or whatever the fuck you idiots are going to do. But I'm going to do their fucking job and get to the bottom of all this bullshit." She pointed a finger towards Psyshock as she spoke, before clenching her hand into a fist. "And when I find that little toxic bitch I'm gonna...!" She could feel herself losing composure, both her tempter and her body as parts of it violently started turning into smoke. She glanced around the room again, her body starting to form again, before letting out another scoff as she took her seat again, arms crossed as she leaned back on her chair.

Natalia walked up to the gate, her eyes unusually lite up with passion. Even though it was another test, Natalia found herself pumped; a feeling she wasn't used to. This emotion had been burning up inside her the entire time; she even bothered working on her costume, much to her father's joy, although she left a lot of it up to interpretation. She begrudgingly had to give credit where it was do - she was quite fond of her outfit. She didn't plan on using her costume much at all, even if it was very nice. However, this was a special occasion. Of course, she knew beating Yuuka wouldn't solve all of her problems - not even close - but it would be her first step on her journey for true justice. She wanted her outfit to be a symbol of that. Yuuka greeted the team, but Nat simply stared daggers at her back. Hemlock's faux humility wasn't going to get to her; she knew how all these hero types were. Egotistical, one way or another. She grit her teeth, glancing towards the briefcase. The others could focus on getting the case back, she thought to herself. The only thing she cared about was the women holding it. Around her waist were bottles she had ordered and filled with her own smoke to make makeshift smoke bombs. "You're going down, Hemlock!" Natalia bark, bitter venom coating her words as she followed behind Diana, smoke trailing behind each of her steps. She didn't have any weapons; her quick meant that fighting with her bare hands was the better alternative. As she got closer, Nat blew a small smoke cloud towards Yuuka's face in an attempt to disorient her for Diana's attack. The fight was on.

Cyanthrax turned towards Roy, who still looked absolutely furious. A wide grin stretched across his face as the man asked him the question. "Well, if this is anything like my version of this place... we're gonna meet up with a lady in a fancy hat, and she's going to tell us we're beating the shit out of each other for entertainment." He leaned in closer to Roy as he spoke, a trail of smoke leaving his mouth as he continued to speak. "See, all you had to do was ask! Even if fighting was more exciting." He exclaimed, turning around as he let out a cackle. "Now hurry the fuck up! The sooner we get this shit over with, the sooner I can get more drinks in me." . . . As Mauvache gave her speech, Cyan crossed his arms. Of course, even this wasn't anything like the Prana he knew - now they were defending the city instead of fighting each other? That seemed a lot less exciting, although from what it sounded like he was still getting paid to kick ass. He scoffed as she indirectly called him a hero, wondering exactly why he had been called here. The Mauv he knew summoned him specifically because he was villainous. Thinking about it, he still wasn't sure if this was even his Mauv, or if Mauv even had different versions. He had to make sure, at least to satiate his curiosity. "Heyyy, Mauv, 'member me?" He said, walking up to the screen. She raised an eyebrow. "Hm? I'm afraid I don't follow. Should I?" The demon frowned, crossing his arms. "Nothing? Not even a name, or where I'm from?" "Of course I know that. I brought you here. Did you not understand my explanation?" She responded. Cyan stood there, baffled for a moment, his mind taking a moment to think. It didn't seem like this was the Mauvache he knew. "So you're no- ah, forget it." He said, with an exasperated sigh, turning around. "Getting real tired of this multi dimensional bullshit." He muttered, before turning his head back towards Mauv. "Can ya tell me where the nearest bar is? I need a drink." "Why, that would be Tegur's Tavern, I can have someone direct you to it soon if you'd like." "Perfect! I'm assuming that shit is on the house? Considering you did drag my ass here without a dollar to my name." "Well, I do intend to pay you; you might as well ask him to put it on a tab for you. I'm certain he won't mind." "Not even a free fucking drink, huh? Well, as long as I can get my drink now..." He growled, crossing his arms. "At least Tegur is still there... even if it's my Tegur. Or however the fuck this works." Mauv simply gave the demon a mysterious smile, which only caused him more frustration and confusion. At this point, he didn't even want to try and figure out what that meant - he just wanted his damn drink.

EDIT: fuck dragons, crab is my friend now

Cyan found himself propelled backwards by a spout of water, which seemed to at least temporarily douse the flames surrounding his obsidian shell. The fish had managed to separate him from Roy, Cyan landing on the ground still very much on fire. With a groan, Cyan snapped his finger, the black substance around his body receding as the flames flickered away. Opening his mouth released an alarming amount of smoke, almost like there was a fire inside of him. Approaching him were the magic boys, a strange green circle appearing around him as the one with the silly hat spoke. He gave the hatted one a scowl, before turning to Masaru. "Eh? I said where we were! It's Prana, dumb ass! Or some bastardized version of it, anyways..." He said, clearly annoyed. "Why the fuck am I stuck here explaining shit, anyways! Isn't she suppose to do that!?" As he ranted, the mysterious man showed up out of thin air, seemingly annoyed that the two had started a fight. "Finally!" Not quite what he as looking for, but it was something. At least he knew that the Arena still existed; if that were the case, there were probably other similarities to his old new world as well. Which meant that, if this place wasn't a complete bastardization, there would be a bar at the Arena. He turned towards Masaru, his sword fading to smoke as he took some steps forwards. "Let's get the fuck out of here. We've got places to go and people to see." He cracked his knuckles, grinning. "More importantly, we've got drinks to drink! Bwahaha!" Whether anyone had followed him or not, Cyan marched on wards, scowling as he patrolled the streets. The lights were somehow more obnoxious than they were from the park, causing him to squint occasionally. The noise from the people walking around him wasn't helping, especially as he caught a few of them glancing at him, although most seemed to be busy with their own thing. He wasn't even sure if he was going the right way; even though his gut was telling him that he was, the whole city felt like an overwhelming maze. Still, Cyan was never one to distrust his guy. It had, after all, always served him well. Grumpily, he marched onward, determined to find the arena.

Wada waited for the beast to appear on the streets below, notably antsy about whatever creature they were about to fight. A combination of both fear and excitement rushed through him as he stared intently at the darkness, gripping harder on his mallet as he waited for something to happen. The anticipation was killing him; patience was never his strong suit, after all, and the howl wasn't helping. The fairy boy had heard many howls before, wolves being familiar creatures of the forest. This howl, however, was different - otherworldly, even. As the smoke enveloped the town, Wada raised his mallet to the sky, the mallet turning blue. Orange lights appeared from the fog; first a pair, and then suddenly more. From the fog emerged a rather eldritch looking wolf and, shortly after, two other ones appear behind it. His plan was simple; he was going to weaken the wolves by making them smaller. His wings fluttered as he took a step forward, gritting his teeth. Whatever plan his fellow Jaeger had, surely it would be made easier with smaller wolves. At the very least, he'd be able to deal with them better after he was done. "Let's do this!" He said, trying to stir himself with a makeshift sense of confidence.

"Hemlock?" Natalia muttered under her breath, snapping out of her half-hearing trance at the mention of the hero. So they were making them fight the teachers for the test it seemed. He had heard many names and miscellaneous things from her father about various heroes, and Hemlock was no exception. She knew that she had quit the hero business years ago due to the passing away of her partner. It was a sad story, no doubts about that - Natalia felt bad for her despite the contempt she held against her for her decision. While tragic, her quitting showed she wasn't cut for the job. Most of the clowns running around playing hero weren't; she presumed if something like what happened to poor Hemlock happened to them they'd turn tail and run away from their obligation. They were weak. For once, she felt motivated to participate in the class event, even willingly moving herself from the corner to group up with the others she was teaming up with. Still, she had been slow to move, catching up to the other three in the middle of their discussion. Rome Depot and Electrolyte were starting to try and think of a strategy. "Well, lucky for us, we have quite a collection of quirks." She said, crossing her arms. "As long as we keep Electrolyte safe from Twilex, this won't be a problem." She turned towards Yasha, before glancing over to Rei. Her quest to figure out what happened to Rei that day would have to be put on hold. This fight with Hemlock was more than just another test - this was personal.

Cyan grit his teeth as the pressure on his chest was increased. “I’d love to answer your stupid fucking questions, but first would you kindly...” Roy would suddenly feel his foot drop, splintering the tree that was behind the demon as it went through smoke. He would also feel someone grabbing the back of his collar. “...get the FUCK off me!” Cyanthrax rolled Roy over his shoulder, slamming him onto the ground. The demon brushed off his jacket, giving the boy a nasty glare. “As for your question, I know of a Morgan.” He eyed the boy up and down. “...I doubt it’s whoever the fuck you’re talking about, unless you’re looking for a bratty witch with a thing for skulls.” The demon crossed his arms, letting out a sigh. “Not like it matters. We’re all from different worlds, dumbass; none of the shit you’re talking about means anything to me. Or anyone else here. Couldn’t you tell at least something was up when you saw a talking fish?” He pointed towards Aduain, before moving his arms towards the trio of wizards. “Or how about the group of wizards casually talking about magic over there? Maybe...” He moved his hand towards Devin, tilting his head. “...well I have no idea what I’m looking at, but I doubt they have whatever the fuck that is from where you are.” He turned back towards Roy, crossing his arms. The grass surrounding Roy began to be singed by the heat emanating from his body as he balled his fists, getting a better grip. Before Cyan could react, Roy had pushed himself up into a handstand, driving both of his heels into the demon's chin. A small sonic boom was released from the sheer speed of his feet, echoing through the park as a loud crack to punctuate his hit. "An abomination made by those crazy bioalchemists. And I don't know what the fuck a wizard is, but what I can hear of their talk sounds a hell of a lot like the witches I've had to turn into pulp." He tilted his head back and forth, letting out a series of pops, before glancing back at the assembled group. "You know, after I'm done with you, I'm going to have to ask them, too. I'd much prefer you told me who the hell is in charge of what the hell is going on here. After my years in the cavalry, I never liked dealing with kids." Cyan picked himself up from the ground, cracking his knuckles. “You’re somehow dumber than you look - a fucking MIRACLE if you ask me!” A wicked grin stretched across his face, as he snapped his fingers. In front of him appeared flames and, from the flames, appeared a rapier that the demon caught with his left hand. “I can’t wait to make you bleed while you still can!” With inhuman speeds, the demon lunged forwards, leaving a trail of flame and smoke behind him. A hellish flame consumed his sword as the demon moved in, ready to impale his target. "Huh. Southpaw, then?" With a swift dip to his left, Roy narrowly dodged the lunge, before unleashing a flurry of blows tracing up Cyan's arm, ending with a solid palm strike to his chest. When it hit, a blast of hot air was released from between the two of them, turning all the grass within ten feet of them into ash that was instantly scattered. The demon, while seemingly uninjured, was launched back a good deal by this last attack. "Please tell me you can do more than light your stupid sword on fire. Toys like that are weak as hell." He pounded on his chest with both fists, a grin now overtaking his own face as well. "SHOW ME SOMETHING INTERESTING!" “HAH! YOU'RE REALLY GONNA TALK A HIT LIKE THAT!?” He screamed, slashing at the air in front of him. “I’ve been hit harder by a teenage girl, you runt!” Flames circled around Cyanthrax as his eyes narrowed. “You wanna see something interesting!? I’LL GIVE YOU INTERESTING!” He barked, flames coming from his mouth. He rocketed towards Roy once again at alarming speeds, this time propelled by flames from his feet. This time, however, as he got close to the man, he would disappear in smoke. Cyan slashed at Roy’s back as he appeared behind him, the tip of his blade ignited with a dark, demonic flame as it left a trail of smoke. A hint of a laugh escaped Roy's lips as his opponent disappeared in front of his eyes. He could hear him reappear behind him, but he was already moving accordingly. After all, this wasn't the first time the coward had used this trick. As Roy pivoted on his heel, digging his feet into the ground to stabilize him for his next attack, Aduain (and anyone else capable of observing Roy's aura) would see his whole body go dark, as it all was focused into the five tips of his fingers of his right hand. Even to those unable to see the mechanism by which Roy powered himself up would see a bright light shining from the hand, eclipsed by the man and the demon in the briefest fragment of time. "FIVE-FINGER" Roy lunged forward toward his opponent, taking no regard for self-preservation. He was the unstoppable force, not the well-reasoned, cautious one. "BUNKER BUSTER!" A black substance formed around Cyanthrax’s body, before he seemingly burst into hellfire. From within the fiery body that was now Cyanthrax came a light, waiting for the bastard to come near him. “LET’S BLOW THIS PLACE SKY HIGH, MOTHERFUCKER!” He was ready to nuke the place in hellfire, making sure Roy was as close to the explosion as possible.

Cyan took a moment to take in the scenery of what lied ahead of him. taking a few steps forwards. The more he looked at the city the more annoyed he was - annoying lights decorated the buildings even further what he could see from the park and, somehow, there were more buildings than he remembered. It almost made him think this wasn't the place he knew, but there were signs that it was Prana. The biggest one of them was the literal sign that had the words "Prana" on it. The others were talking among themselves; good, he wasn't in the mood to get social. As he started walking, however, he heard someone. "Hey mister uhhh...." Cyanthrax turned around, glaring at the fish that had been on top of the fountain. He was annoyed as the creature called him "Mister Purple". "The name's Cyanthrax. Now beat it." He barked, marching on forwards, hoping that would be enough to keep the fish away. He was wrong, as Aduain continued to ask questions. The demon let out an annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes as he stopped and turned towards the nuisance. "It's a big city, a pain in the ass to navigate. Almost as annoying as you. As for the bar..." He turned back towards the city, starting to make his way once again. "I need a couple of drinks. Especially if I'm going to have to deal with all of you from now on."

Great. Cyanthrax had woken up this morning, ready for his next fight of the day. He was just starting to really get into the rhythm of things too; even his watch was starting to become something familiar to him. And now he was standing there, a mug of ale in his hand, surrounded by a bunch of assholes he didn't recognize. Did he just get teleported to a random park? No, he didn't recognize this place. In fact, everything around him was... off. The buildings around him were just like the city, but different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Cyan knew this wasn't the place he had gotten used to. "Well isn't this just fucking peachy!" He shouted, taking a furious swing of his drink. Was this another one of Mauvache's games? Cyan started walking forward, seemingly not phased by being suddenly transported here. Of course he wasn't, he had done this song and dance before. Last time, however, he had found himself in the arena. This time, he was in the middle of nowhere. "This has to be some sort of sick fucking joke." He muttered, furrowing his brow. He turned his attention to the fish, who was playing on the fountain without a care in the world. Cyan simply scowled but, as he was about to rant at the creature, a girl spoke up. "Well, if any of you knew where we were. It's my first time being in some place so...um, this... bright?" "Eh?! What makes you think any of us know where we are!? We all clearly appeared out of nowhere here, obviously we're in the same situation." He said bitterly, turning back to the neon buildings around him. "I've probably got the best idea of what this hellhole is. It looks like Prana..." He squinted his eyes as he took in the bright lights of the city. "...but somehow more annoying than I remember it!" He said, tossing his mug aside in a fit of rage. Even thought this place was similar to where he had once been, he still felt lost just looking at it. And yet, something in his mind was urging him to go in the direction he was facing. Whether it was memories of how he navigated the city he knew, or something sort of guidance, he wasn't sure. Hell, it could have just been a gut feeling. "You fuckers can do whatever the hell you want. I'm gonna go find me some answers." He said, pointing towards where he was facing. "Hopefully they have a bar close by." He muttered to himself.

The next day Natalia was greeted by a substitute teacher; some mechanical looking clown called Dreadvolt. She didn't really care about whatever buffoonery he was going on about; she glanced over towards Rei. She seemed okay, or at least as okay as Fan Cam usually was. The exception being that she was wearing a scarf, probably to hide the bruises she got on her neck. Good - the less these idiots knew about what happened to her the better. She needed to know what villain had attacked her classmate and stop them; the last thing she needed was the circus brigade getting in her way. She'd have to talk to Rei about it later, somewhere more private than their homeroom classroom. Her attention was brought away from the girl and towards their new classmate Hoshino Rika. "Kaleidoscope" She muttered under her breath, assigning a nickname for the new girl once she saw what her quirk did, before turning her attention towards the roof of the classroom as she leaned back on her chair. The new girl didn't really strike her as anything phenomenal, just another well meaning, starry eyed sheep in the herd. At least she didn't seem annoying like some of these other jokers.

Needs No Introduction