01-03-2018, 03:53 PM
Now that there weren't any walls inbetween, Leo could better see the whole scene. Grook looked very similar to Kevin, except that his skin was red-ish instead of green, and he appeared much older than him... save the fact that his stature was almost identical to Kevin's. But his weapon took most of Leo's attention: it appeared to be two excessively long flails connected on the base by chains. By the way Grook was wielding it, those chains had to be controlled by telekinesis or some other trick – physics don't work that way. Which may explain how he could fight a 4 vs 1 for this long and still be standing.
In front of him, Jerry and Claren were fighting, but their tactic was more about blocking the flails with their sticks than attacking. Grook's weapon didn't appear to be very precise, but the range was enough to keep both Jerry and Claren at bay. Up close, Leo could also see that their "sticks" were actually wooden broomsticks cutted in half, but with a halo surrounding them in the shape of a blade.
Maria was nowhere to be seen... Actually she was hiding behind one of the trucks, now that Leo bothered to watch something else besides the guys fighting. She kept her gaze focused on Grook, and didn't appear to notice Leo.
But Leo wasn't there to just observe the stale fight – his mission was to make it stop. He walked towards them, but in reality he had no idea how to aproach the situation. Should he yell at them? Attack them? ... Just wait?
"Leo, watch out!", Claren said.
Leo's attention returned in time to see one of Grook's chains about to hit him, but dodged it by lowering his body. The flail came from a failed attack to Claren, flew in a circle, reached Leo on the other side, to then follow its trail and attack Jerry, completing the circular travel. Jerry parried it, but now all of them were looking at Leo.
With that, and on the second Grook took to turn his head to face Leo, Maria came from her hiding spot to deliver a straight kick to Grook's face, throwing him to the cement floor.
"What the fuck are two doing here?!" Jerry yelled.
"Saving your life, dumbass!", said Maria.
Yes, saving Jerry's life, that's what he had to do!
Leo sat up "Hey, listen, you all have to stop this like, right now!"
Jerry looked back to Grook, who was already on his feet and on the wind up for a new attack. Jerry, instead of preparing himself to dodge or parry the flail, he jumped towards Grook, preparing his own attack with his sword.
Leo could already imagine Jerry cutting Grook's neck with that, giving his speed vs the flail's. Oh no you won't!
Before any of them could land their attacks, they both fell to the floor with a scream.
"Now you two listen to me!", Leo said. He had his eyes open. "If any of you dies, we all die! So you better stop this shit, finish the exchange, and leave!". He almost felt like a mom grounding her kids, but he had to stop this nonesense before someone effectively died. He'll rather trust the weird illusionist than risk it.
"Hah? No, fuck you if you think I'm doing what this traitor wants!". Jerry was on the floor, covering his eyes with his left hand. The other was pressed on his no-longer-a-sword broomstick.
"And fuck you if you think I'm letting you finish this dumb fight!", was Leo's response. He was staring at Jerry, still with his eyes open, and ready to attack him again if Jerry decided to resume his own attack.
"I'm with the purple rat", said Grook. "You bet your ass I'm not retreating before I teach this stupid brat how to not break a promise!"
Leo closed his eyes. "Well, fine! Kill each other! But it'll be your fault if those weird guys come and kill us"
"Which weird guys? The ones who were supposed to be helping me?! Instead of leaving me alone to deal with all these fucking kids?!"
"Well, I came to help you. I don't know if that counts, but they did send me"
"Ok, I think that's enough", Claren interrumpted. "Jerry, I'm not messing up with them"
"Who are 'them'?", Maria asked.
"Claren you traitor!". Jerry sat up.
"Anyways", said Leo. "Jerry, just pay Grook and leave. I think we should be taking care of Silas and Kevin instead of debating this pointless fight"
"Shit, the kids!". Claren ran towards the truck were Kevin was supposed to be.
"But who are 'them'?!", Maria repeated herself.
Leo walked to Jerry. "Give me back my money"
"... ... No". Without looking at Grook, Jerry threw to him the orb of omnilium.
Grook catched the orb and sat up. "Ok then, I'm not dealing with this shit anymore. But Jerry, I wont forgive you because your friends have more than one brain cell. Be sure that I'll end this shit someday!"
"You bet"
And with that, Grook left towards the warehouse.
Maria grabbed Leo from his clothes and shaked him. "But who are 'them'?!"
"I don't know! But they're scary and threatening and I'm not risking getting you all killed!"
"… !"
After Grook left, they all proceeded to check for Silas and Kevin. Silas had his right arm broken, but besides that he was fine. Kevin, however... Well, at least he wasn't dead, but none of them hesitated in calling an ambulance and attending him first, much to Silas' disdain.
After he was sure the kids were "fine", Leo left the place. Maria insisted in accompanying him, but he declined, prefering to walk alone.
He didn't tell her about the shapeless illusionist following him.
Once on his apartment, Leo expected the illusionist to greet him there. They were sitting on the window he left open that afternoon, with Sonic on their shoulder.
"Wasn't it enough that I did what you said?", Leo said to the illusionist.
Sonic ran towards him, and climbed to Leo's shoulder, chirping happily.
"It was enough. I just wanted you to answer something"
"So?"
"How did you see through us?"
"I'm a prime; we're supposed to have weird superpowers. Mine's to fool illusionists like you"
"That's a harsh answer for a not-so-disrespectful question"
"Don't talk about respect when you just traspassed into my apartment!"
The illusionist made a short pause. "Very well, I can accept that"
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Do you know who we are?"
"No"
"Would you want to know?"
Leo hesitated to respond. "… I'll go with a 'no' here..."
"That's fine. But you still know about me, and that's something I can't leave as it is"
They left the window to stand inside the apartment. Leo took a step back.
"... So? What does that mean, then?", Leo said.
"Not much. I like the way you dealt with the fight and with me right here. That's all"
Ahh? Who the fuck is this guy? "... That's... all? A compliment?"
"Yes. Now, I'll ask you something else. Would you want to join me?"
Leo lost it. "Ok this is really confusing I don't know who you are or what you want or what you'll do with me!", he said without any pauses. "But..." At least he could be sure normal bad guys only wanted to harm people! But this guy...
"Ok, that's enough. I'll be leaving now, but you can contact me any time you want. If you ever become interested in us or in our work, just look up for me"
The illusionist jumped through the window. When Leo got there to see where they went, he couldn't find them anywhere.
Leo made the loudest sigh he could, and threw himself on his bed.
In front of him, Jerry and Claren were fighting, but their tactic was more about blocking the flails with their sticks than attacking. Grook's weapon didn't appear to be very precise, but the range was enough to keep both Jerry and Claren at bay. Up close, Leo could also see that their "sticks" were actually wooden broomsticks cutted in half, but with a halo surrounding them in the shape of a blade.
Maria was nowhere to be seen... Actually she was hiding behind one of the trucks, now that Leo bothered to watch something else besides the guys fighting. She kept her gaze focused on Grook, and didn't appear to notice Leo.
But Leo wasn't there to just observe the stale fight – his mission was to make it stop. He walked towards them, but in reality he had no idea how to aproach the situation. Should he yell at them? Attack them? ... Just wait?
"Leo, watch out!", Claren said.
Leo's attention returned in time to see one of Grook's chains about to hit him, but dodged it by lowering his body. The flail came from a failed attack to Claren, flew in a circle, reached Leo on the other side, to then follow its trail and attack Jerry, completing the circular travel. Jerry parried it, but now all of them were looking at Leo.
With that, and on the second Grook took to turn his head to face Leo, Maria came from her hiding spot to deliver a straight kick to Grook's face, throwing him to the cement floor.
"What the fuck are two doing here?!" Jerry yelled.
"Saving your life, dumbass!", said Maria.
Yes, saving Jerry's life, that's what he had to do!
Leo sat up "Hey, listen, you all have to stop this like, right now!"
Jerry looked back to Grook, who was already on his feet and on the wind up for a new attack. Jerry, instead of preparing himself to dodge or parry the flail, he jumped towards Grook, preparing his own attack with his sword.
Leo could already imagine Jerry cutting Grook's neck with that, giving his speed vs the flail's. Oh no you won't!
Before any of them could land their attacks, they both fell to the floor with a scream.
"Now you two listen to me!", Leo said. He had his eyes open. "If any of you dies, we all die! So you better stop this shit, finish the exchange, and leave!". He almost felt like a mom grounding her kids, but he had to stop this nonesense before someone effectively died. He'll rather trust the weird illusionist than risk it.
"Hah? No, fuck you if you think I'm doing what this traitor wants!". Jerry was on the floor, covering his eyes with his left hand. The other was pressed on his no-longer-a-sword broomstick.
"And fuck you if you think I'm letting you finish this dumb fight!", was Leo's response. He was staring at Jerry, still with his eyes open, and ready to attack him again if Jerry decided to resume his own attack.
"I'm with the purple rat", said Grook. "You bet your ass I'm not retreating before I teach this stupid brat how to not break a promise!"
Leo closed his eyes. "Well, fine! Kill each other! But it'll be your fault if those weird guys come and kill us"
"Which weird guys? The ones who were supposed to be helping me?! Instead of leaving me alone to deal with all these fucking kids?!"
"Well, I came to help you. I don't know if that counts, but they did send me"
"Ok, I think that's enough", Claren interrumpted. "Jerry, I'm not messing up with them"
"Who are 'them'?", Maria asked.
"Claren you traitor!". Jerry sat up.
"Anyways", said Leo. "Jerry, just pay Grook and leave. I think we should be taking care of Silas and Kevin instead of debating this pointless fight"
"Shit, the kids!". Claren ran towards the truck were Kevin was supposed to be.
"But who are 'them'?!", Maria repeated herself.
Leo walked to Jerry. "Give me back my money"
"... ... No". Without looking at Grook, Jerry threw to him the orb of omnilium.
Grook catched the orb and sat up. "Ok then, I'm not dealing with this shit anymore. But Jerry, I wont forgive you because your friends have more than one brain cell. Be sure that I'll end this shit someday!"
"You bet"
And with that, Grook left towards the warehouse.
Maria grabbed Leo from his clothes and shaked him. "But who are 'them'?!"
"I don't know! But they're scary and threatening and I'm not risking getting you all killed!"
"… !"
After Grook left, they all proceeded to check for Silas and Kevin. Silas had his right arm broken, but besides that he was fine. Kevin, however... Well, at least he wasn't dead, but none of them hesitated in calling an ambulance and attending him first, much to Silas' disdain.
After he was sure the kids were "fine", Leo left the place. Maria insisted in accompanying him, but he declined, prefering to walk alone.
He didn't tell her about the shapeless illusionist following him.
Once on his apartment, Leo expected the illusionist to greet him there. They were sitting on the window he left open that afternoon, with Sonic on their shoulder.
"Wasn't it enough that I did what you said?", Leo said to the illusionist.
Sonic ran towards him, and climbed to Leo's shoulder, chirping happily.
"It was enough. I just wanted you to answer something"
"So?"
"How did you see through us?"
"I'm a prime; we're supposed to have weird superpowers. Mine's to fool illusionists like you"
"That's a harsh answer for a not-so-disrespectful question"
"Don't talk about respect when you just traspassed into my apartment!"
The illusionist made a short pause. "Very well, I can accept that"
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Do you know who we are?"
"No"
"Would you want to know?"
Leo hesitated to respond. "… I'll go with a 'no' here..."
"That's fine. But you still know about me, and that's something I can't leave as it is"
They left the window to stand inside the apartment. Leo took a step back.
"... So? What does that mean, then?", Leo said.
"Not much. I like the way you dealt with the fight and with me right here. That's all"
Ahh? Who the fuck is this guy? "... That's... all? A compliment?"
"Yes. Now, I'll ask you something else. Would you want to join me?"
Leo lost it. "Ok this is really confusing I don't know who you are or what you want or what you'll do with me!", he said without any pauses. "But..." At least he could be sure normal bad guys only wanted to harm people! But this guy...
"Ok, that's enough. I'll be leaving now, but you can contact me any time you want. If you ever become interested in us or in our work, just look up for me"
The illusionist jumped through the window. When Leo got there to see where they went, he couldn't find them anywhere.
Leo made the loudest sigh he could, and threw himself on his bed.