capencowl2020 | witness again

...Nothing. Still nothing.

[no signal at all. Lucina grimaces, teeth gritted against the bone-chilling cold, even now as she's descended back down to street level. she'd kind of hoped going up high as she dared to would yield a benefit, but her phone is as useless as ever.]

We really are cut off.

[which makes their initial arrival and that assault the easy part, apparently. and maybe it was; she's used to combat and chaos like that, and even when she'd been shackled down for a time? her focus was sharp and goals clear as ever: fight back, get free, get out.

now that that's over, though? it leaves too much unknown and little notion of what's next.]

[no matter where she goes, Lucina is still Lucina. being discreet for the sake of staying out of danger's way is fine and all, but it goes to the wayside when she can hear others in trouble.

and boy, does this city have plenty of that.

by now, she's gotten herself a bit of second-hand gear to protect herself -- a sword can't deflect every bullet, after all -- and is hastening toward the sound of a new fray. in her heart, she fears it another friend in peril, and more's the reason to be quick. what if it's Jaime? Adora? gods forbid her dearest friend Iris is trapped in all this!

once she banks the next corner in flight, her eyes fix on the nearest armored vehicle in the midst of all this, brandishing Aurora and lashing out at the metal to draw its gunner's fire.]

[things would be a lot easier if it were warmer. or if there were porters. or if every other street corner wasn't so closely guarded or riddled in surveillance...

things would be a lot easier in a lot of ways, really. Lucina's very aware, but she's just as aware that complaining won't change it -- action will.

she can't do a whole lot of incredible action right now, though, so the goal is to scope out some shelter suitable for herself and Guzma. she's trying to be careful -- flying over the cameras positioned on street corners and traffic lights, ducking windows and places where her shadow can lead suspicion...but there's so many things to keep in mind, too much can be missed!

and she rarely expects to be tailed by the face of a dear friend.]

[Jonathan is, naturally, bundled up to hold in all the heat he'd managed to build up before he headed out. Once it's gone it's gone, so it's definitely important to Jonathan to make sure he stays warm. He doesn't intend to be out long...but then he sees someone who is clearly a meta carefully avoiding the cameras.

Well, dammit.

Maybe he should pretend he doesn't see anything, but if anyone witnesses him outright ignoring an obvious meta, he'll be in a lot of trouble. So he starts following her, trying to pretend he's just casually walking along, waiting to see if she goes somewhere where she can be more easily cornered.]

[chancing glances through darkened windows doesn't yield much...they're dark! how's she supposed to know if they're occupied or not?! gods, this is more difficult than it needs to be. and slow; hearing footsteps below gives her pause, keeps her in place for moments with her breath held before taking the risk to hasten into an alley and land to catch her breath.

at least here, at least in the dark...she doesn't appear to have blue hair. and maybe no one can see the sword and ask questions and--]

-?!

[she freezes, feeling someone near. perhaps it is mere coincidence?

...not likely. not in a place like this.

for a sense of security, her hand rests at her hip, by the hilt of her sword as she waits and listens.]

[ They brought him to this fight. They bring him to every fight. Such is the way he's lived since the accident--since thinking became too much. They tell him, and he goes.

They gave him his old uniform, so he wears it. The leather has seen better days at this point, but it's still wearable. He doesn't complain.

The axe man told him to kill the people with the City's logo on it. To kill the AEGIS unit. For some reason those logos still exist within his broken brain. He can always picture those; not like most things which had been buried with the inside voice, things he has to strain to bring up again.

He moves fast and doesn't think. His body knows how to kill people. It knows who to target. He's fast. He's efficient.

And he's certainly not holding back. ]

[And Jonathan, hearing her hurry into the alley, naturally follows her in. He sees her hand on the hilt of the sword. So she's armed. He'll have to be careful, then. He can't tell if she's waiting for him to get close so she can catch him by surprise and stab him, or if she doesn't know where he is. He decides not to chance things by getting too close.]

I'll give you one chance to drop the weapon.

[the familiar voice doesn't hit right upon first listen; Lucina can't say she's ever heard Jonathan so stern. so instead of realizing who it is speaking to her, she goes very still, peering his way out of the corner of her eye, perceiving him more as a shape than anything.]

...I can no sooner do that...than remove one of my own limbs.

Please. Leave me be. I have no wish to fight.

[but she knows she will, if pushed to.]

[that Aegis' good name -- Jacob's dreams and hope -- would be tarnished in such ways in this world...it disgusts Lucina. so much that, maybe, she should've done something to scrub the names and insignia off the vestments, but a prideful part of her thinks that maybe she can do more herself to turn the image around than all these dreadful soldiers and their history here.

there's also no time for vanity, especially not now.

she's barely carved through the barrel of the vehicle's topmost turret when her skin tingles with dreadful warning, and she has barely any time at all to react. just glimpsing the shape out of her peripheral, she gasps and ducks the first incoming blow, which has her poised to be launched off her perch by a second she wasn't ready for at all.

it takes her a bit of a stagger and scramble to keep upright as she gets punted off the car and onto the street, and in doing so, she hustles backward to scope out what -- who? -- just struck her. she expected guns and batons, not bare fists and blows like this!

no matter, she'll take them all on! gritting her teeth, she brings her blade forward, searching her assailant out. where--?]

I'd rather not fight, either. But I will if I have to. I noticed how you were avoiding the cameras.

[By flying, making it incredibly clear that she's a meta.]

Ah...

[someone's blown up this government outpost faster than she could reach it! were she a few seconds faster, she might've gotten blown up with it. she's honestly a little disappointed she couldn't swoop in and do the work herself, but...it's probably for the best, right? save her strength for a bigger fight, not just sentry cameras and droids...

even so, she has to check for sign of her friends -- of Guzma's friends. to make sure they're not caught up in this. it's why she lands and starts investigating the blown-up perimeter of this little base, her head on a swivel for signs of reinforcements.

she freezes and whirls around at the sound of steps or rustling or...glorping? sounds almost like...like oozing filth...

no, it actually smells like oozing filth; Lucina grimaces, bringing a hand to her nose, brandishing Aurora with her other.]

Who goes there?!

As I said -- I have no wish to fight, so avoiding the mere chance... [she deserves some credit here for at least trying to be discreet -- it's against her nature!

now his voice is starting to nag at her, but she can't figure out why. that just annoys her. she grits her teeth for a moment, still standing still. she'll not be the one to make a move and start something this time, dammit.]

You can turn and walk away, as if you'd never seen me. It will be for the best.

I'm sorry, I can't do that. If anyone finds out...I can't go back to reprogramming.

[Finally, he charges her, attempting to ram her with his shoulder while reaching for her sword, hoping to pull it out of it's sheath.]

[oh, lucina. poor, poor lucina. it's muk-- the slime pokémon makes itself look bigger and advances on her menacingly. a real ゴゴゴゴ approach. archie saunters around him, holding a gun. wow. that's not normal. remember when he fired a gun in aegis training then immediately puked after?

there's no recognition in his face when he faces her, holding the gun up at her.]

You first.

[seeing Muk here of all places is startling enough, but seeing a gun in the hands of someone so very plainly Archie is dreadful to a far different degree.

the blade wavers, starting to lower, as is her hand over her face.]

Archie? [...] That...That's you, isn't it? Why are you--

[she's too seasoned a warrior to miss that move, even if his voice is really convincing her she should know him-- once he's within her reach, she whirls, catching his shoulder and body checking him against the wall, using her super strength to hold him there while wrangling his other arm.

from this angle, from the glow of the distant street lights, she can get a fuller picture than what her nagging memory provides.

incredulous:] Jonathan-?!

[he fires a warning shot up into the air, then levels the gun at her again.]

I said you first! [she knows his name-- that's not good. maybe she's on his side? you can't be too careful, these days.] You give me your name or you get to fuck, asshole!

[she startles, bristled by the gunshot, eyes big and heart drumming.]

Lu-Lucina! It's Lucina...but. But you should already know that, you... You must! Archie--

[oh, dear. she might start to cry. she fights that stinging in her eyes.]

[...this is some kind of trick. he lowers the gun, watching her warily.]

Muk... use Gunk Shot.

[muk is a good boy, but in this reality it's truly horrifying. the awful gurgling roar it makes, the way it raises its hands up and slams them into the ground hard enough to crack it. the way it seems to be able to generate enough sludge to send towards lucina in a wave. the way neither of them care about the damage they're doing.]

Archie!

[dismayed, but not immobilized, Lucina has to move before getting splashed with poison. she kicks up into the air, sheathing her sword as she goes, grimacing down at the mess being made, the acid eating through possible clues.]

Wait, stop! There might be clues! For our friends!

[he throws another ball forward, releasing crobat. another one of his pokémon that's not great to be on the wrong end of.]

Get her out the sky!

[archie fully intends to question her if he can get her down. why wouldn't he? who the hell just rocks up and says his name like that? he's meant to be unknown!]

Do whatever you gotta, Cro! I don't give a shit if you kill her!

[this is absolute madness. he's been bewitched! all of them...]

Crobat, please-! [she winces, hoping she'd catch a glimpse of understanding or, at least, remorse for charging her way like this, but there's none to be had.

she ducks, whirling around and flying backward, putting herself behind Archie.]

Stop this! I'm not here to fight you!

And Jonathan looks...confused. For the moment, he doesn't even fight against her, though he notices how strong her grip was in the moment she slammed him against the wall. He's distracted by the fact that she recognizes him.

"Who are you? How do you know me? Why are there so many people showing up who know me?"

Sure, Jacob had given him an explanation, and he'd understood it, but he'd thought it was some weird fluke of universes. He hadn't expected metas from a universe he'd been trapped in to be a thing that kept happening.

[flabbergasted, Lucina's mouth opens and closes without a response for a moment. then, regaining a bit of composure, she jumps on this chance to finally grasp some damn sense in all of this madness:] Of course I know you! You--we...we're friends! [her eyes wince.] Are you saying you don't remember me? I, I know we don't converse every day, but surely...!

Is this like that other world thing that guy was talking about?

[At least he's hoping it's that craziness. He doesn't want to find out that the government is able to take memories away like that.]

I'm sorry. I just don't remember...but friends or not, I'm going to have to take you in.

[Not that he's really in a position to do that at the moment, pinned to the wall as he is. He shoves back, his enhanced strength behind the shove, testing to see which of them is stronger.]

witness again

for guz

for m

for jonathan

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for archie

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