[BitPR²] Mortal World IV

[Kuroimaken]

"What's the point? Best case scenario, you tell us where Misaki is and we STILL don't reach her in time because we took the time to chat. Worst case, we tell you and you would STILL stall us.

So give us one good reason why we should bother, instead of leaving immediately."

[Frozen_Feet]

"If you leave now, the troops surrounding you will immediately close in for the kill", Mr. Akiyama notes. "I'm not here to stall you. I'm here to stall them. Misaki remains outside of your reach in either case. So, again: where is the Abomination?"

[Kuroimaken]

"From where I'm standing, that's bad news for them.

And I don't believe you about Misaki being out of our reach. From what the kid told me, this looks just about right.

You have something I want. I have something you want. Neither one of us has reason to trust each other.

So let's run a bit of quid pro quo to break the trust stalemate. You tell me why you want to know about Naito's whereabouts so badly, and I don't start the festivities early by pulling one bullet through three hearts over there, there, and there.

Seriously, they need to learn to hide better."

[Frozen_Feet]

"The answer to that should be obvious. My clan created it. We know how it is supposed to function. It is not functioning correctly. It is my responsibility to eliminate the threat it presents to everyone, one way or another. It should be easy to guess why I don't want a feral AI running around."

[Kuroimaken]

"The 'feral AI' you're talking about is gone. The child whose life you turned to Hell has a long way to recovery and finding his own path in life.

Naito-kun is safe now. Better. And from what little I've been told about what the AI did to his inner self, you Akiyamas have some sick, twisted programmers that should be rotting in prison.

We have no intention of handing Naito over, nor loosing him on you, even though you probably deserve it."

[Frozen_Feet]

"You are right those programmers were a twisted bunch. That's why we killed them", Mr. Akiyama notes dryly. "But as for this 'child' you speak of, you are either ignorant of some things or have an odd definition of 'better'. It has been continuously attacking my men, exhibiting extreme and unusual cruelty. Its deeds speak of extreme hatred and a twisted mind. Hatred, on a level it should not be able to feel in the first place."

"I have only your word on the AI being gone. As for not loosing it on us, forgive me if I can't take you seriously on that account." The latter sentence drips of venom.

[Kuroimaken]

"Oh, right. I forgot the Anderson name isn't 'clear' yet.

Have to say, old Satomi Moto got us good with that one, but that's not something I'll bother discussing with you." He doesn't spare a glance in Yoshiro's direction. The Moto heir's word could come a long way towards solving that particular misunderstanding, but that'd mean Misaki would be chased by the Akiyamas in addition to the Motos, and they weren't in a position to take both.

"It is rather unfortunate that your creation would turn on you, isn't it? If only you hadn't made it to be a vicious monstrosity. Once we broke that leash, Frankenstein's monster turning on its creator would have been a very obvious move. What you've faced was the result of your own recklessness, nothing more and nothing less.

Rehabilitating Naito-kun has not been an easy task so far, and it probably won't be for a very long time... but I'd still rather take our chances with him in our care than with you. Say we, hypothetically, told you where he is. What would you do then?"

______________________________

[Izumo-Taisha]

((Long overdue. Sorry about that.))

Shaiya throws her hands up in defeat.

"Ugh. You boys and your stoicism. Fine, let's get back. But you two will get some rest the very INSTANT you hand over that stupid rock, you understand?"

The woman calls upon a Shikigami - which Katsuo recognizes as the flying manta ray he'd seen Shinji employ on more than one occasion - and points to its back.

"We're heading back to the Izumo branch, and from there you'll take a Tsuchigumo back to Ikari."

[Frozen_Feet]

"This has nothing to do with your clan and everything to do with the Abomination killing and mutilating my men. Since you fail to grasp the signifigance of it, let me give you some perspective: we could've killed it when it was a mere infant. We didn't - we gave it up for adoption. When it came looking for us post-activation, after we had joined Der Zerreißen Himmel Entwicklung, we gave it a rank, equipment and an environment for it fulfill its programmed mission. In short, we treated it as one of us. It should have no reason to hate us." Mr. Akiyama leans forth a bit. "And now, instead of killing it, you're treating it as one of you. But tell me - if we presume the AI is gone or harmless - unless it was you who ordered it to attack us, why is it acting the way it is?"

[Kuroimaken]

"I am not failing to grasp the significance of it, I am merely noting the irony. Which would've been obvious to you by now if you had only started to think of Naito-kun as a living, thinking, feeling being, rather than a tool.

But perhaps I should be more specific regarding some details that you might not be aware of.

During his period as Alpha-1, Naito's self was tortured - repeatedly and mercilessly - inside his own inner world. We don't have any real idea why Alpha-1 did that. The Kuzunoha theorized that it needed to make the other side submit in order to access its powers. Nonetheless, it happened. I wouldn't blame the boy for his emotions being completely out of whack when he emerged from the experience. We've been trying to help him in that regard, but it's been an uphill battle.

We didn't order Naito to massacre your troops. He did it on his own, out of anguish. Do you know why he turned to us so readily once we had rescued his consciousness? He didn't have to fight for us. Considering how much he's suffered, he might have even preferred to have vanished from existence altogether - I'm sure he wanted that at some point, too.

So, do you know why he stood by our side?"

[Dorizzit]

[Izumo-Taisha]

Naito...is Naito smiling? Without any trace of sadism or self-deprecation? No. Definitely not. Must have been seeing things.

"I'll consider it."

Naito waits for Katsuo to start moving, then follows along behind him.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Tokyo safehouse]

Mr. Akiyama taps the side of his mask in frustration. "You didn't listen to what I said. You didn't listen to half what you just said yourself, for that matter. You just admitted to not knowing why the Abomination works as it does. Well, let's presume there was a 'boy', or consciousness separate from the AI, to begin with. There shouldn't have been, but I can believe that much."

"But based on your own description, what or whoever was there before activation, it isn't there anymore. It's been broken and mutilated to suit the AI. It is as much an iteration of it as a copy on a floppy disk would be. Whatever torture it has suffered, it is now avenging on people who had no part in it, and only treated it decently up till now." Mr. Akiyama stands up.

"If you fail to see how that's unacceptable and dangerous, that's on you. If you're not going to be more use to me in this matter, I will take my leave." If Yoshiro wants to have his say, now would be the time.

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Safehouse)

If Akiyama is wearing a commlink, he soon gets an earful when Kato learns he is on site. He may want to turn that off.

Yoshiro, on the other hand, clenches his remaining hand, taking the exchange in. "...I am sure you already know the answer to that, Mr. Akiyama. But I have one for you... is my mother still in control of the Moto Clan?"

[Izumo, Japan]
(Izumo-Taisha)

Katsuo quietly follows, head stirring and his gaze off-center. It's clear he's thinking through a lot right now...

[Frozen_Feet]

[Tokyo safehouse]

Mr. Akiyama is wearing a commlink, yes. He kept it on precisely so he'd know when his so-called allies notice he's present. He reaches and presses the side of his mask, speaking to the communicator. "Not now."

Hmmm. There's something strange in how he weighs his words. As if they're more intended to answer Yoshiro than Kato. Not that Yoshiro gets a chance to ask for clarification, because at the same instant Mr. Akiyama's own shadow swallows him, leaving only two people in the room.

Two people, and a mundane flashbang rolling on the floor. Yoshiro and Margrave have about a second before it goes off.

[Kuroimaken]

[Tokyo Safehouse]

The instant Akiyama disappears, Margrave is rushing to get Yoshiro out of the room in Hirenkyaku.

Really, the man said he was stalling the troops. It was extraordinarily obvious that the second he went away, the troops would move in. He even said so himself.

No reason to wait for the flashbang.

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Safehouse)

Yoshiro winces, struggling a bit as his sight returns to him. "For pities' sake, I am not a bag of potatoes! Put me down! ARGH!" For Margrave, it isn't that much of a problem.

"Hold on! I need to talk to him, still! Follow him, if you're going to carry me!" Some people just don't appreciate help.

[Cote d'Azur, France]

"You could say that. I had much time in solitude, and part of some kido involves somatic motions. The fluidity of motion is valuable." Momoka has little more to say, really, just dancing in silence.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Tokyo, Japan]

Mr. Akiyama didn't go far. He's hiding on the roof a high-rise building just a city block away, occasionally peeking down from his vantage point to see how things are progressing. "Standing by and awaiting orders", he speaks to his communicator. He's expecting that now they now he's here, his nominal allies won't let his just leave the scene, so he's going put up a pretense of helpfulness. With some luck, Kato's goons will be competent enough to capture either Yoshiro or Margrave - and possibly get worn out enough for Mr. Akiyama to snatch the prize from their hands and dispose of them. But for now, he just has to wait for them to make their move.

[Kuroimaken]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Safehouse)

Yoshiro winces, struggling a bit as his sight returns to him. "For pities' sake, I am not a bag of potatoes! Put me down! ARGH!" For Margrave, it isn't that much of a problem.

"Hold on! I need to talk to him, still! Follow him, if you're going to carry me!" Some people just don't appreciate help.

[Cote d'Azur, France]

"You could say that. I had much time in solitude, and part of some kido involves somatic motions. The fluidity of motion is valuable." Momoka has little more to say, really, just dancing in silence.

[Tokyo - Running from the Safehouse]

"Not gonna happen. I gotta keep you safe and there's no telling what those goons are gonna do if they get their hands on you.

We're playing in their home turf too... we need someplace to hide you till I can lose them before we can resume our search. Ideas?"

_________________________

[Cote D'Azur, France]

"Guess I'll just have to teach you to dance for fun when we're done changing the world, then." Setsurou whispers into her ear.

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Safehouse)

"Find. Akiyama!" Well now he's just being stubborn.

[Cote d'Azur, France]

Momoka sighs as Setsurou says this. It's hard to tell the energy behind it, but it's not strictly negative. Just sort of... tired, really. She's quiet until the song ends, at which her hands part from Setsurou's, and as does her body as she steps away, looking out into the sunset. "...we should report back." Pause.

"...thank you." The words themselves are not complicated, but the emotions behind them are. She is thanking Setsurou for more than a dance, truly.

[Kuroimaken]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Safehouse)

"Find. Akiyama!" Well now he's just being stubborn.

[Cote d'Azur, France]

Momoka sighs as Setsurou says this. It's hard to tell the energy behind it, but it's not strictly negative. Just sort of... tired, really. She's quiet until the song ends, at which her hands part from Setsurou's, and as does her body as she steps away, looking out into the sunset. "...we should report back." Pause.

"...thank you." The words themselves are not complicated, but the emotions behind them are. She is thanking Setsurou for more than a dance, truly.

[Tokyo, Japan]

"Thinking a hostage situation? I suppose it could work."

Of course that's not what Yoshiro went for. But in this desperate situation, it works nonetheless. They need some distance first, though.

For the time being, Margrave focuses on dashing back and forth between buildings so their opponents have some cover between themselves and can't get a clear shot. Yoshiro will see him reach for Gintou and whisper an incantation - in Russian, of all languages. The Gintou spreads out thin and vanishes. His limited spiritual perception can feel traces of both his and Margrave's spiritual pressure left behind and heading off in different directions - a chaff of sorts. It remains to be seen how effective it will be.

[Cote D'Azur, France]

"Anytime, Momo." He reaches for her head and lightly strokes it with a smile. "Better make some plans for AFTER you're done. I want to see you a happy woman by the time this is all over."

[strawberryman]

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Safehouse)

Normally it might be easy to ignore the mooks creating a perimeter around Margrave. But these are no ordinary mooks. These are Moto assassins. Clad in tactical armor built to also withstand spiritual assault and wielding rifles fused with quincy arts to fire reishi bullets, they are roughly a dozen in number, and avoiding Margrave directly like the plague, peppering him (and Yoshiro mostly due to his movement) with bullets, and throwing flashbangs and smoke grenades when they draw near. They're attempting to corall Margrave towards the entrance of the building...

"Just get me to him, dammit!" The response makes it fairly obvious that Margrave hit it head on. But there's not exactly time to discuss this.

[Cote d'Azur, France]

"...I don't make a habit of promising things I cannot guarantee. Not to you. But I will try." With a sigh, Momoka pulls out the Senkaimon key and opens the gate, walking through without another word.

[Kuroimaken]

[Tokyo- The Chase]

Margrave knows the feeling of being hunted down better than anyone. Half the tactics they're employing are military in nature, but adapted to spiritual combat. The Quincy is a veteran, and has taught those selfsame tactics for years. Under normal circumstances, he might've been able to shake them off somehow. But he had someone he needed to carry with him, whose protection was paramount, and he also had another person to track down, with time running short.

He fully expects an ambush inside the building proper, which is why instead of slowing down, he actually speeds up, coffin-first, to barrel his way through while leaving a few Ginto capsules behind. A doorway made for a narrow passage, so he hoped he didn't underestimate their knowledge of the home ground nearly as badly as he thought he did and that they might slow down a bit to at least set off his traps at a distance. He knew there was next to zero chance they'd actually fall for them.

________________________

[Cote D'Azur]

"Dinner's on me when we get back." Setsurou replied before vanishing.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Tokyo]

Mr. Akiyama sees Margrave and Yoshiro barge into the building. He can't see much from his vantage point, so he decides to circle around, in case the two will soon come out from the other side. He keeps his distance to avoid getting on the way of the Moto Assassins, as he hasn't been ordered to do anything else yet.

[Draken]

[Tokyo - Von Geister Manor]

It is rather calm in the house following Momoka's departure, and the guest is off doing her own thing, so Von Geister goes check on his daughter. Apparently she just came back from a trip to that little town they were based in a few months back.

He knocks on the door as a demonstration of respect. And then before an answer is given, he just opens it as an assertion of fatherly authority.

That would be Argos narrating the events. He's been watching a lot of tv lately.

[Kuroimaken]

[Ikari - Kuzunoha HQ]

As with the way to Izumo, the way back to Ikari is uneventful. A worried-looking Doc Tobioka and a frowny-faced Shinhee await Naito and Katsuo by the underground entrance...

[Dorizzit]

[Ikari]
Kuzunoha HQ

Naito steps out steadily, casting a concerned glance back at Katsuo before moving towards Tobioka and Shinhee.

"Well, it felt like it took months. But we got it."

[Kuroimaken]

[Kuzunoha HQ]

"Shaya called ahead. You guys holding up alright? Any injuries?"

Naito can tell Tobioka makes a deliberate effort to focus his attention not on Katsuo. Sure, both of the kids are resilient as they can get. But the ordeal was mostly spiritual and mental in nature.

[Dorizzit]

[Kuzunoha HQ]

"My ego took a hit. Might get infected without treatment."

With that quip, Naito brushes past the doctor and Shinhee.

[Kuroimaken]

[Kuzunoha HQ]

"Hee-you know that can get literal, right?

Katsu-ho... do you have it?"

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]
(Kuzunoha Sanctuary)

Katsuo is... extremely quiet for the entire ride, and walk through the sanctuary. Not that this is entirely uncommon, but there's still an unusually more somber air about him. When Tobioka asks of him, he holds up the stone, and nothing more, his eyes betraying to an extent just how tired, physically and emotionally, he is from the journey.

[Tokyo, Japan]
(Von Geister Manor - The Lab)

Of course if Von Geister checked beforehand, he would know most certainly that Felicia is not inside of her room, but in the sprawling, crawling, living basement underneath the manor. If not, he probably looks fairly foolish.

But in the lab, nonetheless, Felicia is looking on a bound Toki sealed in a testing room with a bored look, head in her hands, and resting on her elbows. "...c'mooooon, scream for me already. And gimme your clan's secrets, too, that's important." She blows an irritable raspberry.

[Kuroimaken]

[Tokyo]

Toki can't help but crack a smile. "You are the most amusing interrogator I've ever met." But he's not the kind of guy who's going to fold that easily.

If only Felicia had captured Momoko instead. At least she'd be willing to humor her on the screams department.

Oh, and she ought to be feeling the irritations from that raspberry too.

[Ikari - Kuzunoha HQ]

"Why don't hee-you get some rest in one of the rooms. Seems like hee-you need it."

The tiny Shikigami reaches up for the stone.

"And... I'm sure Shinji will tell you this much himself, but... thank hee-you."