soul_logs | Phase 3: Mission 153

Entry tags:

Phase 3: Mission 153

Characters: Grand Canyon mission goers, victims, medics
Location: Grand Canyon
Rating: R
Time: Feb 5, 2009, mission starts at dawn
Description: Event links list.

The scouts had done their jobs well and the mirror deposits its travelers just at the end of the area Shibusen has closed off as their mission target. It's still dawn, the sun barely visible over the horizon. The witches hasn't noticed them there yet, the scouts say, so it's still possible to take them by surprise.

This is what the agents are told: In the rock face of the Grand Canyon is a cavern system made up of many small caves and three large ones. The large caves contain a kishin egg pit, the kidnapped agents and civilians, and what appears to be a machine at one end. There are about five dozen zombies crawling the area, and an equal number of ants, spiders, and ravens on top of it.

Worst of all, the scouts report that they had sighted a few of the agents patrolling for the Witches. The scouts hadn't been certain if these ones had soul perception or other abilities, and had given the area as much space as they could in order to avoid an early confrontation. Still, it's bad news and it looks like a fight with some of the kidnappees themselves is inevitable.

Not much time is given to the agents after the briefing before they're being ushered into place. A few scouts are going to be causing a commotion some distance away to distract the familiars and zombies, clearing a path for the agents. After that, it's all up to them.

[ooc: Just put up your own threads with the subject line [Characters][Feeding Cave/MMM Cave/Kishin Egg Pit/Elsewhere][Open/Close]
Kidnappees can go thread in the caves while waiting for the rescuers, too.
For those who want to thread with a witch, please add it in the subject line so we know where to go!
This day change will be one week irl.
The mirror will stay open for anyone who needs to be rushed back to the medics.
For those handwaving, please put your summaries here for the meister points and soul tally record.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, it was certainly noisy all of a sudden. Raidou was largely unconcerned with the ruckus, taking his time strolling through the cavern before finding an appropriate shadowed corner to wait in.

How many would rush into a battle, thinking they were doing the rescuees a favor by dragging them back to the trap that was Death City? Who would come for him, expecting the good old Raidou to go along with them without a word of protest?

Who knows, this might even get interesting.

Within the caverns, Genesis was already leading Edgeworth on, helping him fight through the zombies and familiars to get to where the hostages were being held. He didn't let himself stay in his weapon form too long, knowing that he would strain Edgeworth if he did so. But at the same time, he had to make sure to protect his meister whenever it was possible.

Together, they got roughed up along the way to where Raidou was, but thus far, nothing drastic had happened yet.

"Here. I think he's here."

Miles did get roughed up, but what else did he expect, signing up for a dangerous mission like this? He was a few steps behind Genesis, trying to stay alert and catching a breather after the last time he wielded his Weapon. Clearly, it would take a while for the Meister to get used to carrying a much larger, longer blade.

When Genesis spoke, he hurried to stay closer to his partner in case they needed to fight something bigger and meaner than the enemies they had encountered so far.

The prosecutor didn't say much, but he hoped Genesis was right. The sooner they found Raidou, the sooner they could leave.

Raidou watched in silence as two men approached. The first one he did not recognize, but the second one... So his employer had joined in the efforts as well. How adorable.

The sensible thing would probably be to ambush them before they could spot him, but Raidou wasn't in the mood to be sensible. Indeed, why not indulge in some dramatics while he had the chance?

"You came looking for me, Edgeworth-san? Why, your nobility is positively touching."

He stepped out of the shadows. The perfectly polite smile didn't have quite the same effect when it was accompanied by a brandished sword.

"Pardon me while I vomit."

Genesis grit his teeth as he noticed the man brandishing a sword.

"Edgeworth!"

Immediately, he grabbed hold of his Meister's hand and transformed into the large, scarlet Rapier. Acting on impulse, Genesis took over the lawyer's movement so he could rise to a defensive position so he could have the opportunity to strategize before Raidou could strike.

He hoped that the other half of the search party for Raidou would arrive soon. They'll need help to restrain him.

"Wh-what - "

Before he could react to Raidou's personality change, Miles felt Genesis grab his hand, and then he realized he was now holding the Rapier. Then Genesis moved into a defensive position.

That was good, because the new Raidou left the prosecutor too stunned to do anything except take a step back. Was this a different sort of madness? Had the captives been given more of the black blood while they were here?

"Detective - fight it! Don't let the madness consume you!" This time, he managed to adjust the Rapier slightly, stepping into a better stance and not using his Meister ability just yet. Miles had no intention of fighting Raidou himself, but the detective most likely didn't feel the same way toward him and Genesis.

"Madness? No, no. How would the Witches benefit from having raving lunatics running around their base unchecked?" Raidou continued to smile. Edgeworth's reaction was worth giving away his hiding place for. "I assure you, my mind is quite clear. More so than it has ever been."

He moved to block the way to the cave where prisoners were held. The sounds of battle could be heard even from this distance, but he paid them no attention, instead eyeing the Rapier with mild interest. So Edgeworth was trying to be a swordsman now?

This would be fun.

"No, it was simply better for everyone to have their true natures freed. Well, except for the ones who are being fed to Kishin Eggs, but I suppose some people are simply not as lucky as others."

Where was back-up when they needed it? Genesis was starting to feel frantic now. They could take on Raidou themselves, but the thing was that, the goal was not to hurt him. He was who they needed to rescue after all. But unfortunately, until that back-up came, they would need to hold off Raidou and hopefully immobilize him-- something that Genesis' weapon type would do poorly at.

Edgeworth can use Rapier's massive size to defend against most attacks and hopefully push Raidou back, but Genesis' fire element was more destructive than it was defensive. They needed to create a compromise.

We need to stay defensive. If we try to attack, we might injure him. If he gets too close, use the flat of the blade to push him away.

Genesis quietly instructed his meister, hoping that his words got through to him despite his shock over the matter.

"Madness comes in many forms," he answered as steadily as he could, even though his heart was pounding in his chest and he was still recovering from the shock of having to face Raidou like this. At least his hands weren't trembling so much as they gripped the Rapier. Not only did Miles not want to cross swords with his colleague, he had seen Raidou on the training grounds; the young man was far more experienced with a sword.

He heard Genesis. Yes, that was a good plan; using the fire attack he had learned about would be dangerous here. Anyone could be burned - Raidou or his rescuers.

Right.

"This isn't your true nature," Miles added, his voice hardly rising. "The witches must have brainwashed you, somehow."

"And how, may I ask, do you know that? Can you truly say you know me? Are you certain you even know my true name?"

It was immensely satistying to break the fake personality he had shown everyone, to speak freely what was on his mind. He noticed the defensive posture of his rescuers and grinned, pointing his sword towards the prosecutor.

"I would hate for you to cling to the lie I have been feeding you all this time. Can you handle the truth, I wonder?"

Edited 2012-04-06 14:01 (UTC)

"I do not believe that is true for a moment."

So said the dhampir, who breathed heavily at the end of a tortured sprint though the canyon. He didn't have any extra weapons but he was tall, strong and could reasonably survive an attack from Raidou before restraining him.

"I know what kind of man you are and this is not it."

Finally!

The surge of relief was felt through their souls' wavelength as Genesis finally noticed who had arrived. With the new person joining them now, they now had their opening to catch Raidou off-guard and try to knock him out.

Edgeworth! Knock him down while he's distracted!

Even if their attack wouldn't connect, two against one should be far more effective than them both against a man who they could not harm, but could potentially hurt them.

The surge of relief seemed to pour strength into their wavelengths. He didn't have to turn around to know that Alucard had arrived - and right now, turning around was not the best idea anyway. But before he could think of anything to do, Genesis already gave him something to do.

His partner was a quick thinker on the battlefield, he had to admit. Making sure that the flat of the blade was the part of the Rapier headed toward Raidou, Miles swung the blade. It would only knock the detective down, and then he could be restrained using the prosecutor's ability.

He tensed, gaze moving from Edgeworth to Alucard. His partner. Perhaps he should have expected this; the dhampir didn't seem to possess any self-worth without Raidou there to hold his hand. Of course he would come running.

"I see you did not jump from another building the moment I turned by back. I'm impressed," he sneered. Before he could say anything else, however, Edgeworth was coming at him.

Even in this state, Raidou's reflexes were unaffected. His katana met the Rapier as he dug his heels into the ground to keep himself from falling down. He gritted his teeth for a second, but even with a Weapon, the prosecutor was clearly new at fighting with a sword. The detective pushed the Rapier to the side and aimed a kick at Edgeworth's gut.

"You are all so arrogant, thinking you know everything about me," he hissed, looking from Edgeworth to Alucard and back again. It would have been simple enough to keep whaling on Edgeworth, but that would leave him open for an attack from Alucard. How annoying.

"Allow me to rid you of your delusions. 'Raidou Kuzunoha' is merely a role my family forces upon its members to do their dirty work. All I have been doing is play the part of a gallant hero out of a foolish sense of obligation. What you see now... is my true self."

He grinned. "And I will never go back to being anyone's pawn, even if I have to kill you."

Alucard began to step away from Edgeworth and circle around to Raidou's side. "One had other things to think about," he said, never minding how that comment stung. "A person can not know everything about another, this is true. But do you not question why of a sudden you feel this way?"

Not being familiar with Raidou, Genesis had no words for this sudden revelation, but he was more than certain that it must have affected his partner.

Stand up. Don't stay down!

He commanded through their wavelengths, doing his best to keep his meister safe despite everything happening. Yes-- that was it. Genesis can focus on taking down the other man while Edgeworth can create a plan to knock him back into his senses. If worse comes to worse, they can at least burn the sword out of Raidou's grasp. A scalded hand shouldn't be a high price to pay for someone's safety.

For now, Genesis took over Edgeworth's movements for a moment to ensure that his stance kept him on guard.

Raidou's katana connected with the Rapier, and the impact spread through Miles' hands. Months earlier, he would have instantly flinched and dropped Genesis, but he was no longer that man, and he held his ground with a grunt.

Of course, he still needed some work, so before he could try another strike or even say anything to the detective's outburst, he left himself open enough for Raidou to kick him. With a gasp of surprise and pain, he tumbled to the cavern floor, barely managing to hang on to his Weapon.

Though the wind was knocked out of him, he managed to stagger back onto his feet. But his mind was still reeling at this revelation. Had Raidou really been forced into his role, forced to be the good guy? Had he been lying to everyone all along? Miles tried to force all those thoughts out; there were more important things to think about, like how to restrain the (formerly) good detective long enough and how to snap him out of it.

He let Genesis take hold of their wavelengths, drawing power from their resonance and staying on guard.

It seems I may have to use my ability on him.

That was supposed to be a last resort, but they had to do something fast.

His eyes narrowed at Alucard. "What makes you believe this is sudden? I may have been just as blind to it until now, but I have been wasting my life for years, all for people and gods who see me as nothing but a tool to be used!"

His voice rose along with his temper. "Need your chores done? Let Raidou do it! Need demons to be exorcised? Let Raidou do it! The world needs to be saved? Let Raidou do it. It is not as though he will ever talk back, oh no, you can throw every bloody problem on his shoulders and he will take care of it like a good little boy that he is!"

The detective had forgotten about Edgeworth, instead moving towards unarmed Alucard with his sword brandished.

"No one has ever given a damn about me unless I'm doing what they want me to do. Why, then, should I give a damn about anyone else?"

Alucard didn't know what to say. He had certainly heard Raidou say things of a similar vein, only while intoxicated. Was it possible the Witches took simple frustration and blew it up into this?

Whatever it was, Raidou was coming for him and he was unarmed. He would have to prepare to be stabbed if he couldn't knock the katana out of his hands.

"If it's as you say, and these are your true feelings, so be it. Put down your sword and talk to me then as I have always listened to you."

Although Raidou was moving towards Alucard, it was no excuse for the pair to let their guard down. But he knew well that keeping a defensive position would leave Edgeworth vulnerable if his arms couldn't support the large blade.

He's distracted. Let me transform back to defend you for now. We can pair up again once he's taken notice of us again. The more targets for him to deal with, the more likely we can land a hit on him.

Are you sure?

Miles wasn't looking at Genesis. Instead, he was watching Raidou and Alucard warily, still trying to work a strategy out. But Genesis' plan sounded better than anything the prosecutor could come up with on the fly.

Maybe he really was better off saving his ability for later - like when they split up and tried to take Raidou on, three against one.

...Very well, then.

Raidou hesitated for a briefest moment before growling. "What, so you can attack me the moment I lower my guard? Or do you believe you can convince me to go back to the obedient little dog I was? I'm sure that would make things much easier for you, would it not?"

His gazed flickered towards the other two. Trying to surround him, hmm?

"Just try it. I have faced hoardes of demons before; if you think you can survive this simply by outnumbering me, you will find yourself disappointed." A thin smile crossed his lips. "That, and torn to pieces."

The sword swung in an arc; it wasn't a focused attack intended to hit as much as it was to make a point, forcing the rescuers away if they didn't want to be cut. Both hands gripped the handle as the detective took a battle stance.

"Come at me if you dare."

"As you can see, detective, I do not have any weapons to attack you with." The sword did come perilously close to his face and the dhampir had to back away.

"As for anything else, if you talk to me more, I might be able to understand you more."

He hadn't had any time to talk to Edgeworth and the other man to work out a strategy. If Raidou really wanted, he could damage them badly. What was Edgeworth up to?

For now, Genesis stayed on his guard, considering that it could be too risky a move to ambush Raidou at this point. His eyes darted around to Edgeworth-- perhaps he might have a better idea. Perhaps diplomacy could be the best approach do deal with a crazed mind.

So, Raidou knew that Miles and Genesis could break away. Still, when the detective swung the sword, the prosecutor instinctively backed away even though he was not within range and Raidou hadn't meant to attack anyone.

If outnumbering Raidou was not an option...then it would be better for Genesis to return to his Weapon form and work with Miles again as a cohesive unit.

He grabbed Genesis' wrist and looked at him intently, hoping the Weapon got the message - which was to transform back into the broadsword.

Edited 2012-04-17 15:37 (UTC)

[Raidou, Alucard, Edgeworth and Genesis][Inside the caves][Closed]

Sorry for the wait!

No, I'M sorry for the wait.

Hey, being late is fashionable.

|Dc I will be fashionable, too!

Oh HECK YES FASHION CLUB

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Here comes the cavalry!

\o/

IT'S ON!

bring it

So harsh, Raidou. D:

GRAAAAARG!! D<

/insert refined and classy battle cry here

sorry, all I hear is NNNNGGGHHOOOOOH

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I AM SO LATE, I'm sorry ;;

NO LATE and whoops Gen is a broadsword I MADE A MISTAKE ON THE PARTNERSHIP PAGE