Murder Game IX: Right Hand of the Crimson Moon

[Gummi Bunnies]

"Russia... I wonder what I'm doing here?" Index murmured out loud to herself, looking around curiously, before directing her attention back to the rest of you, "Ah, it's nice to meet you all. By any chance, have any of you run into my friend? His name's Touma. He has spiky hair, a mystical right hand, and often complains about his bad luck."

And then a growl would be heard from nearby, and then Index would flush a little.

"M-More importantly... Do any of you happen to have any food?"

@Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Mari​

"Touma, Touma, Touma... I think he might be with one of the other groups. Erika, do you know?" It seemed Robin wouldn't be much help in finding Index's friend, seeing as he had missed most of the game and hadn't caught up much with the others. However, what he could help with was a hungry stomach. Pulling a wrapped granola bar from his pocket, he held the food out to Index, "It's not much, but it should give you some energy..."

​

"Ah yes... Touma, I suppose I've run into him several times, never actually spoke to him. He should be still around some others of our group, so we'll have to find our way out without being caught..."

She wasn't too sure where he was, but she had the feeling that they may want to consider moving out of this hideout for the chances of the guards coming back was quite high.

@Verite @The Tactician @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Mari​

 

[Kaykay]

The militia cheered as the enemy soldiers seemed to surrender, running up onto the battlefield and making sure every one of them stayed down, pointing their guns at them to make sure they wouldn't try anything funny, while some more soldiers were escorted out of the damaged tank, not wanting to risk anything.

"Humans... Then... you're not...?"

"Are you one of those magicians from the Church or something? You're all nothing but trouble..."

Meanwhile, Hamazura would furrow his brow as he listened to Kinuhata, before replying to her. "That's a good question..." He murmured, attempting to piece it all together as he briefly scratched his cheek, "Well, it all started when Mugino was chasing me through Academy City, when suddenly, these two guys named Minato and Robin seemed to come outta nowhere and help me find Rikou after I'd lost her. We broke into a little hangar near the airport, and from there, we took off, but not after... uh, blowing Mugino up."

Cheery.

"On that matter... Kinuhata, you mentioned that Mugino came around or something like that? What exactly do you mean by that? And how did it happen?"

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies​

"...You just super happened to climb into a plane, fly all the way to super Russia, and blow up the super number four?"

Well.

"You couldn't super fly somewhere closer? Ah, well," she sighed before turning her head to Takitsubo. "Er, super earlier today? I guess punching people really is the super best way of communication."

Not a great explanation, but not exactly wrong.​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

The militia cheered as the enemy soldiers seemed to surrender, running up onto the battlefield and making sure every one of them stayed down, pointing their guns at them to make sure they wouldn't try anything funny, while some more soldiers were escorted out of the damaged tank, not wanting to risk anything.

"Humans... Then... you're not...?"

"Are you one of those magicians from the Church or something? You're all nothing but trouble..."

Meanwhile, Hamazura would furrow his brow as he listened to Kinuhata, before replying to her. "That's a good question..." He murmured, attempting to piece it all together as he briefly scratched his cheek, "Well, it all started when Mugino was chasing me through Academy City, when suddenly, these two guys named Minato and Robin seemed to come outta nowhere and help me find Rikou after I'd lost her. We broke into a little hangar near the airport, and from there, we took off, but not after... uh, blowing Mugino up."

Cheery.

"On that matter... Kinuhata, you mentioned that Mugino came around or something like that? What exactly do you mean by that? And how did it happen?"

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies​

"Well... depends on what kind of trouble you're talking about there. You think I'm trouble? Just sounds like somebody hasn't had a taste of the other Sorcerers and Witches I know."

While it seemed odd that he was talking like this to the surrendering soldiers, Battler didn't have much else to do by the looks of it, and he was pretty sure that the others are handling their parts of area well enough. That and he was bored. Even he fell into the category of wanting to avoid boredom, and boredom ultimately led to terrible things if not appeased in time.

@Verite​

 

[BarrenThin]

As Frank would make his way out of the settlement that had managed to calm down by now, and toward the clearing, the snowstorm only getting worse as it felt like he was walking into a desert of ice, he would be able to make out several figures, notably Annabeth, Percy, Minato, Kizaru, Misaka, another girl that resembled Misaka closely, and last but not least, a young man that Frank might find vaguely familiar.

The Accelerator. The young man that had been sent alongside Tsuchimikado to Fuyuki City just before this Murder Game had started. For now, it didn't appear as though Accelerator had noticed you just yet, his attention focused on the rest of the group.

The fire was easily reflected back in Minato's general direction effortlessly, as though this ability of reflection from Accelerator's part seemed to be passive. Still, he did little more, looking at Minato with a just about hateful glare.

And then he spoke.

"... Tell me. How many people have you killed in your life? Do you count every single murder you commit as meticulously as a kid counts his pimples, meticulously trying his best to prevent the number from going up, or is the question is meaningless to you as asking how many breads have you eaten in your life?" Accelerator asked, lumbering forward, "I've killed, killed, killed for my own gain. I was already the strongest around, but I wanted even more power. I wanted to go beyond being the strongest until even the thought of challenging me would be considered a bad joke!" He exclaimed, continuing to rant about.

"By the time I stopped... I found someone that I wanted to protect with these bloody hands, but no matter how hard I, the Number One, tried, she would always end up in danger. And now look at me. I don't even know where she fucking is! See that girl over there?! She made me realize it! We're just given predetermined roles from the beginning! Like a cruel mistress, fate labels us as heroes and villains from the beginning, and no matter what, we have to accept that. It's futile to fight that fate, no matter how hard we try!" He exclaimed, clenching his fist tightly, "A KILLER COLD NEVER HOPE TO PROTECT ANYONE, SO WHAT'S THE USE?!"

@Jeremi @Atomyk @BarrenThin @The Tactician @The Silver Paladin @Clearing​

Frank pushed on, his own comfort being of little concern to him; he just did his best to keep the girl warm.

Upon arriving at the scene, he took in what Accelerator had to say, understanding slowly dawning. Huh. Maybe the boy wasn't as cold as the old man initially thought. In fact, what he was saying hit really close to home for the old man. He moved forward, shouting to be heard over everything. "Accelerator, stop!" Whether or not his words were heeded, he stepped closer, turning bundle in his arms so that the girl would be visible as he approached. "You listen to me! I know what you're saying, boy. You asked if they've counted the number of people they've killed? I've lost count, for myself! Tens of thousands of people, in the name of revenge!"

"I've tortured people! I've used a damn atomic bomb! I've gone out of my way to get revenge, but, look at me now! I've practically got a family again! Accelerator, it doesn't matter how much blood is on your hands! If I can come back from thirty years of violence, thirty years of hate, then you've still got plenty of time, boy!"

"No one decides your role but you, Accelerator. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can take your own path and avoid becoming like I was." He took another cautious step towards Accelerator, holding the bundle out. "This one wanted to see you."

@Verite
@The Tactician
@Jeremi
@Atomyk
@The Silver Paladin​

 

[Verite]

"Touma, Touma, Touma... I think he might be with one of the other groups. Erika, do you know?" It seemed Robin wouldn't be much help in finding Index's friend, seeing as he had missed most of the game and hadn't caught up much with the others. However, what he could help with was a hungry stomach. Pulling a wrapped granola bar from his pocket, he held the food out to Index, "It's not much, but it should give you some energy..."​

"Ah yes... Touma, I suppose I've run into him several times, never actually spoke to him. He should be still around some others of our group, so we'll have to find our way out without being caught..."

She wasn't too sure where he was, but she had the feeling that they may want to consider moving out of this hideout for the chances of the guards coming back was quite high.

@Verite @The Tactician @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Mari​

"Thank you!" Index said, instantly taking the granola bar and wolfing it down, before directing her attention back to the people who seemed to have saved her from the guards.

"Oooh, so he is with you! What's he been doing for almost two weeks straight without rescuing me?!" The girl asked, seemingly annoyed now, "When I find him...! Any idea on where he might be or something? I... don't really know my way around this place."

@Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Mari​

 

[Atomyk]

An instinctual movement grabbed Misaka, pushing her to expel a burst of electricity downward that threw her into the air. Her eyes went wide in surprise as Minato appeared between the gap left between her and Accelerator, the boy (another esper user, certainly) conjuring a flame in an attempt to keep Accelerator at bay. She knew it wouldn't work and, indeed, the flames bounced right off Accelerator's overwhelming ability. A dialogue was then started-- the people around Misaka attempting to reason with this boy. She couldn't imagine reasoning with the Number One was even a considerable option, especially not now when he seemed even more unhinged than before.

She could sense it, though; Self hatred that seemed to waft off Accelerator like a bad smell. It was almost too much for Misaka to bear, prompting her to land farther away than where she started, a shiver running up her spine as her feet cooled in the snow. If the others had the boy distracted, Misaka figured she had a moment to tend to someone who she just couldn't stop thinking about. "Hey, you... come on!" the girl snapped as she fell into a crouch next to the body of Touma. Brown eyes looked him over, the girl imagining the worst had already happened. "Don't you dare," she muttered, as electricity flowed from her to surround Touma's body. The heat was enough to melt the snow surrounding him, ensuring he at least wouldn't die of hypothermia.

@Jeremi @Verite @BarrenThin @The Tactician @The Silver Paladin​

 

[York]

"Ah, c'mon. It wasn't all that bad, right? Most of the time, you weren't even doing anything outside of your own free will, right?" The individual who identified himself as Avenger spoke, sticking out his tongue briefly, "Lemme ask you this; are you more distraught with the idea of killing some of the people within this lovely game, or the simple fact that I... influenced you with a taste of all the evils of the world?"

@york​

Cinder Fall
@Verite

"..." Cinder went silent for a moment, it wasn't that killing people was something she didn't do already... However, when she did so, she did it out of her own accord; usually because the target was either a worthy threat to her cause, or simply a very big thorn in her side... However, for some reason, these kills that she had performed under some strange influence left a rather bitter feeling in her; was it because she had been under some sort of sick influence? Or, was it because she hated losing control of herself when performing those actions? She closed her eyes, trying to fill in the blanks in her memories... But she could remember nothing. All she knew was that the methods she had employed seemed unsatisfactory, and alltogether unwarranted.

"Does my answer mean anything to you?" Cinder said, snapping out of her train of thought, she was more or less staring down the Avenger at this point, getting a little impatient, was this all supposed to... Lead up to something? Hell, she often found herself wishing she was still back at beacon these days, where she was perfectly safe in the confines of her mind, and everything seemed to fall in place despite a few... Setbacks here and there, but now, it looked like she was only a pawn, in a bigger set of events... A thought that she absolutely detested, SHE was usually the one controlling the pawns not too long ago, and, she wasn't about to let herself become one...​

 

[Mari]

"Thank you!" Index said, instantly taking the granola bar and wolfing it down, before directing her attention back to the people who seemed to have saved her from the guards.

"Oooh, so he is with you! What's he been doing for almost two weeks straight without rescuing me?!" The girl asked, seemingly annoyed now, "When I find him...! Any idea on where he might be or something? I... don't really know my way around this place."

@Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Mari​

"Perhaps we should go to the others then," Mari suggested after a while of listening to the conversation with Index, "Touma may be with them. And we should go soon, as those guards may come back at any moment. After all, they were guarding this little house here, were they not?" She looked around, and sensed the urgency of the situation. She looked towards her partner, John Allerdyce. "Perhaps some distraction might be useful, John?", she asked. "It would keep the guards attention away from here, and most likely would assist in our efficient escape from here with the Index nun as well." She felt confident this plan would work.

@Wedge Antilles @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Verite

 

[Poe Dameron]

"Perhaps we should go to the others then," Mari suggested after a while of listening to the conversation with Index, "Touma may be with them. And we should go soon, as those guards may come back at any moment. After all, they were guarding this little house here, were they not?" She looked around, and sensed the urgency of the situation. She looked towards her partner, John Allerdyce. "Perhaps some distraction might be useful, John?", she asked. "It would keep the guards attention away from here, and most likely would assist in our efficient escape from here with the Index nun as well." She felt confident this plan would work.

@Wedge Antilles @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Verite

"Okay. Distraction is what I'm all about. At least that what Logan tells me too often."

He then used the fireball that was keeping Mari warm, and kept it in a small innocuous state. He then hurled it as far as his powers would allow, and then intensified and enlarged the fireball. It melted a large crater in the snow about 700 feet from the shack, and hopefully it got the guards' attention.

"How's that?", he asked.

@Mari @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Verite

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

"Thank you!" Index said, instantly taking the granola bar and wolfing it down, before directing her attention back to the people who seemed to have saved her from the guards.

"Oooh, so he is with you! What's he been doing for almost two weeks straight without rescuing me?!" The girl asked, seemingly annoyed now, "When I find him...! Any idea on where he might be or something? I... don't really know my way around this place."

@Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Wedge Antilles @Mari​

"Perhaps we should go to the others then," Mari suggested after a while of listening to the conversation with Index, "Touma may be with them. And we should go soon, as those guards may come back at any moment. After all, they were guarding this little house here, were they not?" She looked around, and sensed the urgency of the situation. She looked towards her partner, John Allerdyce. "Perhaps some distraction might be useful, John?", she asked. "It would keep the guards attention away from here, and most likely would assist in our efficient escape from here with the Index nun as well." She felt confident this plan would work.

@Wedge Antilles @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Verite

"Okay. Distraction is what I'm all about. At least that what Logan tells me too often."

He then used the fireball that was keeping Mari warm, and kept it in a small innocuous state. He then hurled it as far as his powers would allow, and then intensified and enlarged the fireball. It melted a large crater in the snow about 700 feet from the shack, and hopefully it got the guards' attention.

"How's that?", he asked.

@Mari @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Verite

"Good enough. Now we should move out and catch up with the others... wherever they may be..." Erika shrugged as she began to head out of the hideout, hoping that the distraction that Pyro made was going to be good enough to keep the guards' attention away from them. She wouldn't want to waste her scythe or even her duct tape on those runts.

@Mari @Wedge Antilles @The Tactician @Bomb @Verite​

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

The militia cheered as the enemy soldiers seemed to surrender, running up onto the battlefield and making sure every one of them stayed down, pointing their guns at them to make sure they wouldn't try anything funny, while some more soldiers were escorted out of the damaged tank, not wanting to risk anything.

"Humans... Then... you're not...?"

"Are you one of those magicians from the Church or something? You're all nothing but trouble..."

Meanwhile, Hamazura would furrow his brow as he listened to Kinuhata, before replying to her. "That's a good question..." He murmured, attempting to piece it all together as he briefly scratched his cheek, "Well, it all started when Mugino was chasing me through Academy City, when suddenly, these two guys named Minato and Robin seemed to come outta nowhere and help me find Rikou after I'd lost her. We broke into a little hangar near the airport, and from there, we took off, but not after... uh, blowing Mugino up."

Cheery.

"On that matter... Kinuhata, you mentioned that Mugino came around or something like that? What exactly do you mean by that? And how did it happen?"

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies​

Gilgamesh spent most of the battle simply firing his weapons as usual, blocking any tank shells with gates as well. Nothing as flashy as Battler, though when it came to combat Gilgamesh was usually a one trick pony. But admittedly a pretty damn powerful one trick pony.

With the battle over the the soldiers now asking questions Gilgamesh simply drank from his wine calmly and said "You barely survive from the last fight and your first response is to suggest your rescuers are nothing but trouble? It's amusing how you mongrels live long enough to even breed".

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite​

 

[Jeremi]

As Frank would make his way out of the settlement that had managed to calm down by now, and toward the clearing, the snowstorm only getting worse as it felt like he was walking into a desert of ice, he would be able to make out several figures, notably Annabeth, Percy, Minato, Kizaru, Misaka, another girl that resembled Misaka closely, and last but not least, a young man that Frank might find vaguely familiar.

The Accelerator. The young man that had been sent alongside Tsuchimikado to Fuyuki City just before this Murder Game had started. For now, it didn't appear as though Accelerator had noticed you just yet, his attention focused on the rest of the group.

The fire was easily reflected back in Minato's general direction effortlessly, as though this ability of reflection from Accelerator's part seemed to be passive. Still, he did little more, looking at Minato with a just about hateful glare.

And then he spoke.

"... Tell me. How many people have you killed in your life? Do you count every single murder you commit as meticulously as a kid counts his pimples, meticulously trying his best to prevent the number from going up, or is the question is meaningless to you as asking how many breads have you eaten in your life?" Accelerator asked, lumbering forward, "I've killed, killed, killed for my own gain. I was already the strongest around, but I wanted even more power. I wanted to go beyond being the strongest until even the thought of challenging me would be considered a bad joke!" He exclaimed, continuing to rant about.

"By the time I stopped... I found someone that I wanted to protect with these bloody hands, but no matter how hard I, the Number One, tried, she would always end up in danger. And now look at me. I don't even know where she fucking is! See that girl over there?! She made me realize it! We're just given predetermined roles from the beginning! Like a cruel mistress, fate labels us as heroes and villains from the beginning, and no matter what, we have to accept that. It's futile to fight that fate, no matter how hard we try!" He exclaimed, clenching his fist tightly, "A KILLER COLD NEVER HOPE TO PROTECT ANYONE, SO WHAT'S THE USE?!"

@Jeremi @Atomyk @BarrenThin @The Tactician @The Silver Paladin @Clearing​

"Oh I see how it is...you're a coward, right...?" Kizaru asked calmly making his way towards Accelerator. "It's not always about black and white you know? Sometime justice...can be a bit...foggy."

He wasn't a man to be afraid despite the fact that the boy could probably hurt even him. "Just because you're a killer...doesn't mean you can't protect people...but if you want to believe that...I can just pummel you until you're no longer a problem...doesn't that sound like a good idea...?"

@Atomyk @BarrenThin @The Tactician @The Silver Paladin @Verite @Clearing

 

[Mari]

"Good enough. Now we should move out and catch up with the others... wherever they may be..." Erika shrugged as she began to head out of the hideout, hoping that the distraction that Pyro made was going to be good enough to keep the guards' attention away from them. She wouldn't want to waste her scythe or even her duct tape on those runts.

@Mari @Wedge Antilles @The Tactician @Bomb @Verite​

Mari nodded at the detective. "Let's go quickly then. And quietly." She started to walk out of the shack and then smiled and looked at John. "I would suggest to be ready, in case another fireball would be needed to distract those guards even further." And, then she spoke to Index. "Hopefully you are able to walk, or even run, now? We have a good idea where your Touma would be, but that place is not here. And if you really wish to see him, we should begin that journey right now."

@Gummi Bunnies @Wedge Antilles @Verite @Bomb @The Tactician

 

[Verite]

Frank pushed on, his own comfort being of little concern to him; he just did his best to keep the girl warm.

Upon arriving at the scene, he took in what Accelerator had to say, understanding slowly dawning. Huh. Maybe the boy wasn't as cold as the old man initially thought. In fact, what he was saying hit really close to home for the old man. He moved forward, shouting to be heard over everything. "Accelerator, stop!" Whether or not his words were heeded, he stepped closer, turning bundle in his arms so that the girl would be visible as he approached. "You listen to me! I know what you're saying, boy. You asked if they've counted the number of people they've killed? I've lost count, for myself! Tens of thousands of people, in the name of revenge!"

"I've tortured people! I've used a damn atomic bomb! I've gone out of my way to get revenge, but, look at me now! I've practically got a family again! Accelerator, it doesn't matter how much blood is on your hands! If I can come back from thirty years of violence, thirty years of hate, then you've still got plenty of time, boy!"

"No one decides your role but you, Accelerator. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can take your own path and avoid becoming like I was." He took another cautious step towards Accelerator, holding the bundle out. "This one wanted to see you."

@Verite
@The Tactician
@Jeremi
@Atomyk
@The Silver Paladin​

An instinctual movement grabbed Misaka, pushing her to expel a burst of electricity downward that threw her into the air. Her eyes went wide in surprise as Minato appeared between the gap left between her and Accelerator, the boy (another esper user, certainly) conjuring a flame in an attempt to keep Accelerator at bay. She knew it wouldn't work and, indeed, the flames bounced right off Accelerator's overwhelming ability. A dialogue was then started-- the people around Misaka attempting to reason with this boy. She couldn't imagine reasoning with the Number One was even a considerable option, especially not now when he seemed even more unhinged than before.

She could sense it, though; Self hatred that seemed to waft off Accelerator like a bad smell. It was almost too much for Misaka to bear, prompting her to land farther away than where she started, a shiver running up her spine as her feet cooled in the snow. If the others had the boy distracted, Misaka figured she had a moment to tend to someone who she just couldn't stop thinking about. "Hey, you... come on!" the girl snapped as she fell into a crouch next tot he body of Touma. Brown eyes looked him over, the girl imagining the worst had already happened. "Don't you dare," she muttered, as electricity flowed from her to surround Touma's body. The heat was enough to melt the snow surrounding him, ensuring he at least wouldn't die of hypothermia.

@Jeremi @Verite @BarrenThin @The Tactician @The Silver Paladin​

"Oh I see how it is...you're a coward, right...?" Kizaru asked calmly making his way towards Accelerator. "It's not always about black and white you know? Sometime justice...can be a bit...foggy."

He wasn't a man to be afraid despite the fact that the boy could probably hurt even him. "Just because you're a killer...doesn't mean you can't protect people...but if you want to believe that...I can just pummel you until you're no longer a problem...doesn't that sound like a good idea...?"

@Atomyk @BarrenThin @The Tactician @The Silver Paladin @Verite @Clearing

"Guggaawaaah!" Touma suddenly exclaimed in surprise, before taking a sharp gasp, leaping into consciousness, instinctively holding onto Misaka as though he had believed himself to be falling into darkness during his time of being out.

"What the hell...?! A-Ah, Biri Biri, why are you so close to me?! What's going on?!"

Everyday until you like it.

"Oh, yeah? Let's see ya try, old man," Accelerator replied to Kizaru, stepping forward and clenching his fist, seemingly ready for battle again. Still, he hesitated, somewhat reluctant now compared to before, as though the little talk that Kizaru had given gave him mild pause, but it didn't seem to go through his head as hard as the threat did.

And then Frank appeared.

"You... you're that old man..."

Nifty. He remembered him.

"Why... Why is she with you? Give her back... Give her back," he mumbled, walking towards him now like a zombie, before suddenly stopping dead in his tracks when the old man spoke.

With a dead look, he looked at the old man as he talked, a face that left it up to the imagination on what seemed to be going on through his head, occasionally mumbling to himself, repeating bits and pieces of what Frank would say.

"The one who decides my role is..."

"My own path is..."

The small girl that was with Frank seemed to have passed out already, likely from whatever sickness she was afflicted with. Still, Accelerator cautiously, in turn, stepped towards him, looking intently at the girl in the bundle. The one that he had talked about so much. The one that he had wanted to protect. Last Order.

"Damn. And everything was going so swimmingly until this old guy shows up," the girl that resembled a slightly older version of Misaka muttered, before suddenly appearing behind Frank and pressing what seemed to be a pistol behind his head, "Give me the girl, and answer this for me. What makes you so sure that a wanton killer like him could ever hope to deserve something like happiness? Hmm? What makes you so sure that someone who's acted as a villain for so long could ever hope to be someone's hero?"

@BarrenThin @Jeremi @Atomyk @The Silver Paladin @The Tactician​

 

[BarrenThin]

"Guggaawaaah!" Touma suddenly exclaimed in surprise, before taking a sharp gasp, leaping into consciousness, instinctively holding onto Misaka as though he had believed himself to be falling into darkness during his time of being out.

"What the hell...?! A-Ah, Biri Biri, why are you so close to me?! What's going on?!"

Everyday until you like it.

"Oh, yeah? Let's see ya try, old man," Accelerator replied to Kizaru, stepping forward and clenching his fist, seemingly ready for battle again. Still, he hesitated, somewhat reluctant now compared to before, as though the little talk that Kizaru had given gave him mild pause, but it didn't seem to go through his head as hard as the threat did.

And then Frank appeared.

"You... you're that old man..."

Nifty. He remembered him.

"Why... Why is she with you? Give her back... Give her back," he mumbled, walking towards him now like a zombie, before suddenly stopping dead in his tracks when the old man spoke.

With a dead look, he looked at the old man as he talked, a face that left it up to the imagination on what seemed to be going on through his head, occasionally mumbling to himself, repeating bits and pieces of what Frank would say.

"The one who decides my role is..."

"My own path is..."

The small girl that was with Frank seemed to have passed out already, likely from whatever sickness she was afflicted with. Still, Accelerator cautiously, in turn, stepped towards him, looking intently at the girl in the bundle. The one that he had talked about so much. The one that he had wanted to protect. Last Order.

"Damn. And everything was going so swimmingly until this old guy shows up," the girl that resembled a slightly older version of Misaka muttered, before suddenly appearing behind Frank and pressing what seemed to be a pistol behind his head, "Give me the girl, and answer this for me. What makes you so sure that a wanton killer like him could ever hope to deserve something like happiness? Hmm? What makes you so sure that someone who's acted as a villain for so long could ever hope to be someone's hero?"

@BarrenThin @Jeremi @Atomyk @The Silver Paladin @The Tactician​

Frank didn't feel too shocked at what felt like a gun being pressed to the back of his head. Stuff like that just happened in Murder. He didn't quite know who it was that was responsible, though. He didn't turn around, and most certainly didn't give her the girl. Instead, he answered. "A wanton killer, eh?" Frank paused, looking Accelerator over. "... Maybe once, but not anymore." He looked straight ahead, ready to be shot at any moment. Death actually gave him pause, now. He had something to lose. He didn't let that stop him, though.

"I didn't believe in redemption before, either. I didn't believe someone could truly go back from the dark. That included me. Hell, at the end of the day, I hated myself just as much as the scum I hunted. Then someone came into my life. Someone that helped close wounds that had been open for a very long time." Frank was assuming a lot here, but he ran with it. "Someone that is to me what this little girl is to Accelerator. Someone that showed me that, even for all the blood on me, I could still wash it out. It's a work in progress. I'm still learning, so to speak."

"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for that girl." He stared straight at Accelerator now. "I'd go back to what I was. I'd kill all of you. I'd die." He still didn't budge.

"... And I know what I'd do if I lost her."

"I won't let that happen to anyone else. I won't let you take her. So... go ahead. Shoot me. Only way you're getting her from me."

@Verite
@Atomyk
@Jeremi
@The Silver Paladin
@The Tactician​

 

[Verite]

"Well... depends on what kind of trouble you're talking about there. You think I'm trouble? Just sounds like somebody hasn't had a taste of the other Sorcerers and Witches I know."

While it seemed odd that he was talking like this to the surrendering soldiers, Battler didn't have much else to do by the looks of it, and he was pretty sure that the others are handling their parts of area well enough. That and he was bored. Even he fell into the category of wanting to avoid boredom, and boredom ultimately led to terrible things if not appeased in time.

@Verite​

"...You just super happened to climb into a plane, fly all the way to super Russia, and blow up the super number four?"

Well.

"You couldn't super fly somewhere closer? Ah, well," she sighed before turning her head to Takitsubo. "Er, super earlier today? I guess punching people really is the super best way of communication."

Not a great explanation, but not exactly wrong.​

Gilgamesh spent most of the battle simply firing his weapons as usual, blocking any tank shells with gates as well. Nothing as flashy as Battler, though when it came to combat Gilgamesh was usually a one trick pony. But admittedly a pretty damn powerful one trick pony.

With the battle over the the soldiers now asking questions Gilgamesh simply drank from his wine calmly and said "You barely survive from the last fight and your first response is to suggest your rescuers are nothing but trouble? It's amusing how you mongrels live long enough to even breed".

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite​

Most of the soldiers simply remained silent, seemingly fearful of Battler and Gilgamesh's wrath. With the hostages rescued by Frank and Kinuhata, it looked like your business was done for now. You could see what the others would be up to if you wanted, or... just hang around. Some rest might do you some good for the next battle, wherever it might be, and whom it might be against.

"Ah... yeah, sorry. I intended to come back though! ... Eventually," Hamazura could only say to Kinuhata.

"I see... I don't know who, but I'm sure someone else out there in the world might relate," Takitsubo only said, "So then, she isn't after us anymore? And won't try to kill Hamazura anymore?"

"One can only hope," Hamazura sighed, before looking at the rest of you, "Who exactly are you guys for real? I suppose it's not really my business, but you guys don't really look... Russian."

Well, he was one to talk, but still.

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Gen. Gwazi Senpai @DapperDogman @Crimson Spartan @Hospes​

 

[Verite]

Cinder Fall
@Verite

"..." Cinder went silent for a moment, it wasn't that killing people was something she didn't do already... However, when she did so, she did it out of her own accord; usually because the target was either a worthy threat to her cause, or simply a very big thorn in her side... However, for some reason, these kills that she had performed under some strange influence left a rather bitter feeling in her; was it because she had been under some sort of sick influence? Or, was it because she hated losing control of herself when performing those actions? She closed her eyes, trying to fill in the blanks in her memories... But she could remember nothing. All she knew was that the methods she had employed seemed unsatisfactory, and alltogether unwarranted.

"Does my answer mean anything to you?" Cinder said, snapping out of her train of thought, she was more or less staring down the Avenger at this point, getting a little impatient, was this all supposed to... Lead up to something? Hell, she often found herself wishing she was still back at beacon these days, where she was perfectly safe in the confines of her mind, and everything seemed to fall in place despite a few... Setbacks here and there, but now, it looked like she was only a pawn, in a bigger set of events... A thought that she absolutely detested, SHE was usually the one controlling the pawns not too long ago, and, she wasn't about to let herself become one...​

"What's with that attitude, missy? Of course I wanna hear everything you have to say! Tell me all the details and--Oh, yeah. I guess you can't really do that since your memories are... ah, yeah."

He looked like he felt awkward for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"So I assume that you want me to leave your head and you can be done with being the Traitor then?"

@york​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

Most of the soldiers simply remained silent, seemingly fearful of Battler and Gilgamesh's wrath. With the hostages rescued by Frank and Kinuhata, it looked like your business was done for now. You could see what the others would be up to if you wanted, or... just hang around. Some rest might do you some good for the next battle, wherever it might be, and whom it might be against.

"Ah... yeah, sorry. I intended to come back though! ... Eventually," Hamazura could only say to Kinuhata.

"I see... I don't know who, but I'm sure someone else out there in the world might relate," Takitsubo only said, "So then, she isn't after us anymore? And won't try to kill Hamazura anymore?"

"One can only hope," Hamazura sighed, before looking at the rest of you, "Who exactly are you guys for real? I suppose it's not really my business, but you guys don't really look... Russian."

Well, he was one to talk, but still.

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Gen. Gwazi Senpai @DapperDogman @Crimson Spartan @Hospes​

"Uh... it's a long story. Just to put it simply, most of us aren't really from around here, and by that, I mean that we're all not from this particular Fragment... or world if that makes any more sense."

He didn't try go to into the nitty gritty details. It was just a lot to explain in one sitting, and Battler wasn't that much of a good person for explanations compared to his detective partner.

"And before I forget, my name's Battler Ushiromiya, the Endless Sorcerer."

@Kaykay @Verite @Gen. Gwazi Senpai @DapperDogman @Crimson Spartan @Hospes​

 

[Verite]

"Perhaps we should go to the others then," Mari suggested after a while of listening to the conversation with Index, "Touma may be with them. And we should go soon, as those guards may come back at any moment. After all, they were guarding this little house here, were they not?" She looked around, and sensed the urgency of the situation. She looked towards her partner, John Allerdyce. "Perhaps some distraction might be useful, John?", she asked. "It would keep the guards attention away from here, and most likely would assist in our efficient escape from here with the Index nun as well." She felt confident this plan would work.

@Wedge Antilles @Bomb @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Verite

"Okay. Distraction is what I'm all about. At least that what Logan tells me too often."

He then used the fireball that was keeping Mari warm, and kept it in a small innocuous state. He then hurled it as far as his powers would allow, and then intensified and enlarged the fireball. It melted a large crater in the snow about 700 feet from the shack, and hopefully it got the guards' attention.

"How's that?", he asked.

@Mari @Gummi Bunnies @The Tactician @Bomb @Verite

"Good enough. Now we should move out and catch up with the others... wherever they may be..." Erika shrugged as she began to head out of the hideout, hoping that the distraction that Pyro made was going to be good enough to keep the guards' attention away from them. She wouldn't want to waste her scythe or even her duct tape on those runts.

@Mari @Wedge Antilles @The Tactician @Bomb @Verite​

Mari nodded at the detective. "Let's go quickly then. And quietly." She started to walk out of the shack and then smiled and looked at John. "I would suggest to be ready, in case another fireball would be needed to distract those guards even further." And, then she spoke to Index. "Hopefully you are able to walk, or even run, now? We have a good idea where your Touma would be, but that place is not here. And if you really wish to see him, we should begin that journey right now."

@Gummi Bunnies @Wedge Antilles @Verite @Bomb @The Tactician

As Pyro would shoot his fireball, the guards in the distance suddenly rushing towards the site in the distance to investigate in alarm in the meantime. It seemed that Mari's plan had worked, so now was the time to take this opportunity while it lasted!

To Mari, the girl nodded.

"Yes, I can move," Index replied, before beginning to make her way out of the shack, "Ah... where exactly are we going again though? Where is Touma?"

@Mari @Gummi Bunnies @Wedge Antilles @Bomb @The Tactician​

 

[York]

"What's with that attitude, missy? Of course I wanna hear everything you have to say! Tell me all the details and--Oh, yeah. I guess you can't really do that since your memories are... ah, yeah."

He looked like he felt awkward for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"So I assume that you want me to leave your head and you can be done with being the Traitor then?"

@york​

Cinder Fall
@Verite

Cinder huffed "The sooner the better..." she muttered, looked up as she put her hands on her hips, nodding a little.​