thearena | They strung up a man they say who murdered three.

Who| All those on the liberation mission and all those being made to fight against them.
What| The liberation of District 8.
Where| District 8.
When| This week.
Warnings/Notes| War, violence, death. Please warn for more in headers.

District 8 is a dirty district. That's one of the first things you notice as you step out. District 13 was underground, but the filtered air was clean, at least. And the air outside of it was crisp and clear. But here? The air is weighed down with pollution and smog. For those perceptive individuals, there's a tension in the air, as well. A feeling that something soon was going to snap.

The woman in charge is wrapped up in various bits of garments that had probably been colorful at one time. But she carries herself with an absolute air of authority, and the way she speaks is crisp, knowledgeable. This is Commander Paylor, and she's quick to order around the new people, let them know what the situation is as she takes them to their current hideout.

Paylor tells them that District 8 had been one of the first districts to openly rebel against the Capitol, but District 13 hadn't been able to send aid until now (and she doesn't sound particularly impressed by this). As they walk, there's graffiti over the walls--the phrase 'Mere'lin' is repeated in multiple places not to mention such phrases as From ev'ry mountainside Let freedom ring, so we can go home, for peace, and we are already free.

This District will be one of the most enthusiastic to see the rebels. The people of District 8 are ready and willing to get started, almost bloodthirsty in some regards when it comes to taking out the Capitol. They were among the first to rebel, and they're eager to see their efforts finally be rewarded.

The majority of the pro-Capitol forces there are either peacekeepers, or the wealthy, some even Capitolites who had moved to District 8 to own factors and take advantage of the loopholes extended to Capitolites. They hold the wealth and power of the district, and they're frustrated and angry that their workers have decided to try to rebel against them--and that the Capitol isn't helping to what they feel is its peak capacity.

The war continues, and in the back of everyone's mind is a familiar phrase; may the odds be ever in your favor.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Haruto had a counter-quip all ready for whatever protest Nitou could possibly make. And then the protest didn't come. It put a queasy feeling in Haruto's stomach, seeing just how unlike himself the Capitol had managed to make him. "...I'll fix it. It's going to be better."

He pulls an Engage ring from the loop that it's fastened on, and moves in, intent on shoving onto Nitou's finger. Likely not an easy task, and neither would scanning it... but damn it, he has to try. He has to get into Nitou's Underworld and see what he can do from there. There has to be something.

Nitou trying to pull away from the ring is normal. But Nitou not making loud complaints over not wanting another dude to put a ring on his finger? That is not. The pulling away is more of a preprogrammed fight behavior, nothing more.

But at least Haruto will be able to get that ring on there in the end.

"...not even one complaint, Mayo?" He's joking, or at least he tries to make it sound like a joke... but it's not a very funny joke. He can only hope that there's something of Nitou left deep inside, if they've gone and messed him up this much.

He flicks his driver, scans the ring, and dives into the crimson circle of runes that springs from the ring on Nitou's finger.

Nitou's Underworld is not the sort of place Haruto was likely expecting. For one thing, it's quiet. Far too quiet. Whatever happened to make Nitou like this must have happened in a place very much like this quiet Underworld, which looks like any one of a number of sterile, cold laboratories the Capitol scientists might be employing for just such a project.

There are chains everywhere. They're lashing doors shut and preventing movement through the lab. Somewhere in all of that is the sound of very familiar groaning. Nitou's in there somewhere, even if he's not in the greatest of shape chained to an examination chair.

Haruto dislikes the place as soon as he gets there. It's too cold, too clinical, too... Capitol. It's already making him feel faintly sick to his stomach. He's not a stranger to places like this.

The moment he hears a groan, it's enough to drive him into action and give him direction. Those chains, they need to go, and he's swinging and slashing at them wildly, trying to cut his way through and kick down any doors that are between him and what is no doubt Nitou's real self.

Following the groans will definitely lead Haruto to Nitou's real self, who's unconscious and chained to a chair.

But there are noises that will follow Haruto around, and they don't exactly sound friendly...

Haruto can already take a guess at what those noises are. If he can use his magic, then Nitou could too, theoretically, meaning that Chimera is probably hungry and cranky and...

...and did they do anything to Chimera? Brr, no, he does not even want to contemplate this.

"Alright, Mayo, everything's going to be fine, just let me get rid of these things..." A quick motion converts his swordgun into gun form, and he fires a point-blank shot at the chains, well away from where the shrapnel ought to hit Nitou, to snap them so he can start pulling them free.

The strangely monstrous noises somewhere in the distance continue, and Nitou starts to stir a little as Haruto breaks the chains...

...but then there's a sort of scraping sound coming from behind Haruto, and it doesn't sound at all like anything Chimera might do.

Haruto is already adjusting for a new shot, prepared to fire again, when that scraping sound is heard. He freezes for a moment, panic and fear starting to rise within him, but then motion comes back to him and the rush of adrenaline hits and he's spinning around and leaping back, prepared to unleash a hail of magical bullets at whatever it is. Presuming it's the kind of thing that should be filled with magical bullets.

It is definitely the sort of thing that should be filled with magical bullets. The thing in question looks not unlike a slightly oversized Ghoul, albeit one wearing some strange stitched-together mishmash of Capitolite fashion and the sorts of clothing (is that a glittery toupee underneath that surgeon's cap?).

That scraping noise? That was because the creature's dragging along a gigantic syringe that's almost as large as it is. It's lifting that syringe now, trying to attack Haruto even as it's forced back by magical bullets.

(That is totally a glittery toupee under the surgeon's cap.)

Ghouls, he can fight. And that's enough of a ghoul that Haruto instinctively knows what to do with it. Snap, the weapon becomes a sword again, and he's rushing in to parry that syringe swing and then deliver a decisive, hopefully staggering blow.

This does mean that he is no longer chipping away at those chains for the moment. Sorry, Nitou. Your Underworld is really hostile today.

This Ghoul in particular is a little more robust than a normal Ghoul might be, as though it's trying to make up for there being only one of it.

...or is there only one Ghoul there? There are more scraping noises coming from somewhere nearby, and they're getting closer...

The Ghoul is staggered by the blow, but not quite defeated. It's making a swing with its giant syringe sword, and if it can't attack Haruto, it'll go for Nitou ~~because it's a jerk like that.~~

A sturdy ghoul, he can deal with. Hell, it's almost nice to be fighting ghouls again. It's been so long, it's kind of nostalgic... He's prepared to duck that syringe-swing, but he's the only thing standing between it and Nitou so... no. No, he's got to hold the thing off. He swings with all his might to try and deflect the blow, and immediately snaps a kick out at the ghoul's midsection.

"Hang in there, Mayo! I've got this!" ...if he can convince mostly-conked out Nitou that everything is under control, then maybe he can convince himself, too.

The kick knocks the Ghoul back, causing it to drop the syringe. It's fighting its way to its feet, and another similarly armed Ghoul jumps into the fray, lunging at Haruto.

Nitou is starting to revive, but it's slow. "Hn...Haruto?" He sounds weak, not quite conscious.

Okay, okay, this was the kind of situation that called for a power-up. Plain old sword-swinging wouldn't be enough. All he's got easy access to is his Kick Strike ring, so he parries the incoming doctor-ghoul with his blade while he does a one-handed ring switch. Another slash, another hand motion, and he's activating his driver noisily.

"...yeah! It's me, Nitou!" Nitou's apparent regaining of sense gives him a burst of hope and confidence. He sets the ring, it calls out, his feet set on fire, and he does an impressive spinning roundhouse in an effort to destroy whatever ghouls are now trying to come in at them both.

"Haruto!" Nitou's a bit more awake now. "Be careful, man, these things are--!" And one of the Ghouls cuts Nitou up with a blow to the head before going after Haruto again.

But success! The two that were there are defeated by the Kick Strike, and the only remaining monstery noises in the area are definitely Chimera-like.

They strung up a man they say who murdered three.

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