~Thirty-Fourth Spectacle~

[quitemysterious]

[Voiced]
Game over.

Haseo, you're hereby relieved from your post, do let the hostages out now. Tifa, Chrome, I fully expect you to get the remaining people out. I do believe this has gone on for quite long enough.

Ah... but Ceasar, a word?

[Filtered to Forcystus, still voiced]The half-elven boy will be behind the front desk in twenty minutes,

Comments

This here is the epic endgame thread

[quitemysterious]

[Itsuki, for now, is pretty much just sitting idly in the storage room atop a box. Across his belt are still a few canisters of some gases, but with a sigh he removes the belt they're on, instead reaching for something on the floor. The whole room smells bad too, and there's a faint taste of iron in the air]

[nowarstowin]

[Caesar can feel the blood drain from his face -- not so much at the bomb as the body.] You finally did it, Koizumi. You crossed.

[When he looks back at Itsuki, anything that might even remotely be construed as pleasant or friendly is gone.]

[quitemysterious]

Yes, that was regrettable... I didn't realize he'd escape himself to death. [He takes a series of steps backwards, moving towards the corpse]

It's such a shame, because it moved so outside my original intentions. [he sighs and shakes his head dramatically] But then, as I'm sure you know, you can't plan for everything. Certainly nor for the likes of a man like Sha Gojyo.

[mercurial314]

I dunno what you wanted to see here, Red, but I'mma throw in a wild guess that it ain't gonna get any prettier. [Katou murmurs, at Caesar. He's not eager to die this soon again, and the bomb worries him.] Lets go.

[nowarstowin]

[He looks at Katou and sighs, nodding a little before turning his attention back to Itsuki.] How long has he been gone?

[For a moment, he looks like he's going to leave; he can't seem to do it, however -- the need for information, to understand is too great.] Your point.

[quitemysterious]

That right here we are about to bare a face-to-face witness with the Malnosso as they come to retrieve this day old corpse.

[mercurial314]

[That got Katou's attention as well. The blond raked his glowed hand, the mechanical one, through his messy locks and gave Itsuki a new, searching look.] They retrieve the bodies? Why?

[nowarstowin]

You are mad. You think the Malnosso are just going to come like a pack of dogs because you've got a piece of meat?

[Caesar rubs at a temple wearily, glancing at Katou again.] They don't exactly explain. Research, I'd assume. Reanimation, perhaps, though it's not necessary -- as Sephiroth's immolated corpse told us.

You should ... probably get out of here, just in case. If they do show up, we're in big trouble.

[quitemysterious]

Is it really that impossible? [His smile remains enigmatic, but as if to complement his insanity, if one has a tested sense of hearing (the likes of which Katou and Itsuki probably have, but not Ceasar) one might hear footsteps moving down the hall towards this room]

You almost say it like you think they will but you want an excuse to deal with me. Besides... [He holds up his map] This is something you'll need.

[mercurial314]

[Whoever holds the ownership of those footsteps, it doesn't matter. It's yet another undetermined sector to this situation, and Katou's getting tired of them, too much to keep count. Up until this point he's been quite sure of himself, plan and a bit of backup plan glimmering in his mind, all fractures of his special brand of insanity, of course.] Y'know... I'm stayin'.

[He steps forward, fully intending to grab the map from Itsuki and then press it to Caesar's chest while maneuvering the small redhead behind his back.] But ya ain't built that strong. Ya got me here for your protection. Well, this is it, Red. You should go.

[nowarstowin]

[Caesar can only growl in frustration as Katou speaks -- it's just like with Sephiroth, and the most irritating part of the situation is that he knows that Katou's right.]

It's ... not impossible. [It sounds like the admission takes something out of him.] I'm not looking for excuses, Koizumi -- I just want this over with. This has gone on long enough.

[The glare he gives Katou is tired and half-hearted, but he stands firm.] I can't. If they do come ... this is the best chance of encountering our true enemy we'll have gotten. For his sake -- [he gestures at Gojyo's corpse] and all the rest of us -- I have to know.

[quitemysterious]

Then without further ado... [Itsuki's grin grows wide and mad at this juncture, and his hand raises itself up. In the moment that the Malnosso start to open the door behind Ceasar and Katou, he goes into a great arching bow. The strain on his body is quite clear -- but his mind hasn't felt more free in quite a while. It was time to do the impossible... again]

Glory to the newborn king... [This is muttered -- and a code-word. In the moment the door starts to open, the spirits of illusion he has some limited contract with make the light around all of them save the body seem to vanish. It's a strain on Itsuki, and before they all become invisible, he started twitching and grabs the side of his head in pain... but this might work]

[mercurial314]

[Maneuvering himself in position between the door and Caesar, Katou ignores the glare, and everything else for that matter. His vision of Itsuki grows weak, transparent, and for a brief moment he doesn't understand what's happening. But he's by no means slow when it comes to trickery and figures out the ropes rather quickly.

Plan altered, quick calculations and narrowing amber eyes full of questions not to be voiced. He slides the kunai out of his sleeve, and shoves it and the map to Caesar's hand, which he doesn't release in case the redhead will soon slide out of his field of vision as well. Then he reaches up with his free hand, and using his teeth tugs off the glove covering his machine hand and waits.]

[nowarstowin]

[Caesar takes a moment to notice the Malnosso's entrance -- his attention is focused on Itsuki; it looks like something's going terribly wrong over there ... Caesar nearly bolts towards him, but he's fading quickly, and Caesar's vision is going gray around the edges.

Then he notices the Malnosso, and Katou's fading too, but he can feel the taller man pressing something into his hand -- he takes the map and knife, staring at their adversaries so intently that it feels like his eyes are going to explode, his other hand moving to reinforce the contact with Katou. For the moment, it seems that the only thing they can do is watch and wait.]

[quitemysterious]

[Itsuki makes no sound or movement, but stares intently at the Malnosso. The move with the seemingly swift grace of air, but with a practiced form of lazy slowness... the type only arrogance can afford. They move deftly towards the corpse, and there's only two of them -- both covered in long dark cloaks they clearly are using as a means of disguise]

[mercurial314]

[Katou isn't stupid enough to make any sounds, but he is giving commands to his arm to arm him with nasty claws that are strong enough to be punched through a man's chest. He's slightly twitchy, contemplating on possible surprise attack. He has very little knowledge on how powerful these creatures are. There's only two, right?]