Monsters and children and...more monsters, oh my!

[tidesnpc]

Characters: Everyone in the Badlands fighting!
Content: The Badlands is being attacked by monsters! And children!
Setting: Various places in the Badlands, plus the Convoy itself for gunners and powder monkeys
Notes: Remember, the Convoy and the Amestris are heading for the south, while Serenity is in the Garrettstown/mountains area. However, if you

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AND SOME OF THE MONSTERS ARE HUMAN ONES

[son_of_the_lake]

[This takes place after Kaoru and Bright are retrieved, but before all the battles come to an end. Also before Before Bradley’s death.]

Hisoka and Gus Metonic left Serenity and returned to town. There was still a ruckus going on, and they had to run for it more than once. It wasn’t just the kids shooting dark energy or lightening at people. There was something gathering in the air that hadn’t been in it a few hours before, and Hisoka could not put his finger on what it was, but it was certainly ominous. It felt like the very clouds over the mountains were striving against each other. There was a dark, dangerous smoke hanging over the plains, far to the southeast, on either side of the mountains. Hisoka realized with a start that he was seeing it with the eyes of his spirit, not with the eyes in his head. To his earthly eyes, the sun was still shining, even over the mountain peaks

[son_of_the_lake]

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked.

[tidesnpc]

"Something had to tip you off," she said as she tightened her grip. "What was it?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"Nothing in particular," he said.

[tidesnpc]

"So you bothered a prominent admiral over nothing at all," she said, her voice deadpan. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"I suppose you must use your own judgement," he replied.

[tidesnpc]

"You know, I didn't want it to come to this," she sighed. "But I'm afraid you've outlived your usefulness. Goodbye, Hisoka Kurosaki."

Her grip on the knife tightened. Hisoka would have to move quickly if he wanted to get out of this in tact.

[son_of_the_lake]

"So Bradley has ditched you, has he?" said Hisoka, quickly and softly.

He did not mind dying, if that was the only way to keep her off subjects that might lead to Commander Edgeworth. But he wanted to live. He had unfinished business in the world.

So he would try to distract her just a little longer. But let her not return to the question of what tipped me off! She was observant, and she was too close - she might be able to pick up on the physical signals (heartrate, breathing) that indicate alarm, aversion - pointers to what he did not want said.

[tidesnpc]

"Like I said, he 'ditched' all of us," she said, with the briefest hint of annoyance. She calmed, though, and said, "But I take it you aren't too happy about this yourself, either."

The knife remained at his neck, but she made no move to slash at him or slit his throat. It was little things like that that made life wonderful.

[son_of_the_lake]

"It's not me he ditched," said Hisoka. "Although...I have to say that it was quite a blow to me to learn that he was, well, a traitor to...ah, Ivona. I never served under him, but I had great respect for him. He was such a genial, fatherly person!"

[tidesnpc]

"He took really good care of you, didn't he?" Her voice took a turn for the sympathetic, but her position hadn't changed.

[son_of_the_lake]

"I suppose you could say that," said Hisoka, allowing his voice to become sentimental and just a touch melancholy.

Play the violins! On both sides.

"I had to put out a call for help, once, and he answered it..." he mused.

[tidesnpc]

"Yes? About what?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"Oh, it's a long story. I went to visit the Amestris last year, and it was because of an old enemy of mine..." He heaved a sigh, as one yet weighed down by memory.

[tidesnpc]

"..we don't have to talk like this, you know. After all, we both have a common enemy. That makes us allies. But first, I'm going to need some information from you."

[son_of_the_lake]

"...It's true, we do have a common enemy," he said, after a pause to ponder. "What do you mean, we don't have to talk like this? And what do you want to know?"