insurmountable | i'm dragging a heart that weighs a ton / holding out for not just anyone

[ lumine's lips thin at that as she presses them together, her gaze lowering once more. yes, she knows. yes, she's seen what the gods are capable of and what going up against them means. because she's witnessed it firsthand, had her own agency taken away from her, and caused harm to other people. and she still hasn't forgiven herself for that.

she slowly pulls and shifts away from ajax, still holding the only thing that connects her to her twin brother right now, before she gets back up on her feet. ]

Okay ... I guess we can figure out what to do next ... [ she pauses, glancing back at her room. ] I still have a few things I need to finish so let's talk later?

[It's a lot to process, he understands. So he nods back to her, knowing that she's probably going to go through her work for a bit to get herself back together. Standing, he plops himself back onto the couch to run his hands through his hair. There will be a lot of planning to be done, and he needs to access the floor plan of that facility for any minor details he should know about it, despite having a good mental map of it first hand.]

Okay. Don't linger too long, we'll have to make a plan of attack to slip in so we don't walk right into a trap. The sooner, the better. Time is against us now.

[They'll be more ready for them in ten hours rather than in three. He's already on his laptop, accessing information he needs for such a plan, so they can hash it out between themselves.]

I want to get there soon. In two hours, maybe three. I'm sure they've been counting the minutes since the package was delivered here.

[ there's no response from her on that, lumine closing the door to her bedroom behind her. ajax does have a point. they have to make plans on how to go about reaching or saving aether. the longer they dawdle, the less certain her brother's fate will be. and that's something she doesn't want to risk, not when everything's already on the edge.

but there's another thing she doesn't want to risk.

lumine steps out of her room after a few minutes, having changed into a white blouse and a pair of black pants. she has her laptop and the paperwork she's been working on gathered in her arms, her pace towards the front door brisk and quick as she's typing a one-handed message to her assistant. her other hand picks up her keys from the bowl, opening the door before ajax can say anything. ]

I'll be back in a bit.

Hey-

[He opens his mouth to say something more, but she's gone. Already out the door, with all her work paperwork and laptop. Ajax blinks a few times, that was rather abrupt. Suspiciously abrupt, if he were to think about it. A few seconds later, he's calling someone-]

Keep tabs on her. I want to know where she is every ten minutes.

[-and he hangs up. There is no doubt in his mind that she's upset, and he doesn't want her doing anything rash. He can't help but worry, given how stubborn she is.

So he stands up, an hour later, having easily gathered the information he needs and after he'd recieved a text that they'd lost her, and he calls her phone. She doesn't pick up. Ajax rummages through the backpack to dress himself properly for the fight that he's sure is coming. The holsters he wears under his jacket are put on and he's made sure his guns are loaded, Vision glowing brightly on his belt.

He finds the spare key to the apartment, locking the door behind him as he makes his way down to his car. His destination- near the facility where Aether is. His car is parked somewhere a little further away, sticking to side alleys and places he knows he can get there without being right out in the open. When he arrives, it doesn't look any more consipicuous than normal, just a warehouse that looks as if it's only used for storage.

Ajax quietly makes his way across, sneaking in through an emergency exit that he knows has a faulty alarm on it when it opens- and he gets in unnoticed.

Time to find Lumine, which his gut tells him, is here.]

[ to be fair, she did head to the office and dropped off paperwork and laptop. though lumine left a few other things with her assistant, including her phone and the keys to her car. chances are, ajax and the others stalking them have placed someone to tail her, and the best way to lose them is to try and misdirect them.

which surprisingly works, asking one of the guys in the management team to drive her to the nearest train station. from there, it's an easy commute using a cab to the supposed warehouse.

for something that's being used, it sure is strangely quiet, no one accosting her even when she slowly steals inside. all she can hear is the whine of what sounds like machines, groaning like old metal beasts. it's also empty, devoid of any life, something she immediately notices as she walks through the space, which is strange. after all, if her brother is here, if they're expecting them to come here, shouldn't there be more people around?

lumine walks in further, finding a metal staircase to the side leading to a walkway above, thinking she might be able to see everything from this vantage point. but even before she can take a step forward, a sharp pain lances through her head, and she blacks out.

the next time she wakes up, she finds herself on a chair next to her twin brother who is unconscious, bound and gagged and with a painful headache, in a mist-filled, cold room. she can see dark spots matting his hair down and his collar, almost immediately understanding that it's blood—his blood. she tries to call his name out loud, her voice muffled by the cloth across her mouth, and struggles in her seat until she hears footsteps.

a blond man, his face unfamiliar to her, starts walking towards her, a phone pressed against his ear. there's a small pouch in his other hand, and lumine feels a sinking dread as she stares at it.

yeah, she's here. the stupid girl came here by herself. looks like volkov is losing his touch. ... are you sure it'll work? she doesn't look very special. ... it works better if she's dead, right? then why can't we— ... fine, once it's out of her, we can use her however we want, right? i'm sure someone will pay a good price for her.

a shiver runs down her spine when she meets his gaze, cold and calculating. she struggles against her bonds once more as the man walks closer and closer. one hand firmly grips her face as his other hand tugs the gag away and forcefully opens her mouth, shoving a crystal-like stone down her throat.

say aah. you'll need to eat more of it, pretty girl.

tears well in her eyes, a muffled scream rising up her throat, as another stone is shoved in her mouth and another and another. ]

[He quietly makes his way through the warehouse, checking on various things as he moves through it. He passes by rooms with various stock in them, slipping into one quickly to see if anything's gone amiss inside. It doesn't seem to be touched, which he finds strange, but a few open boxes sit to the side and he takes a few Delusions out of them and slips them into his pocket.

He heads towards some of the offices inside, and he can hear voices within. Some he recognizes, some he doesn't. They aren't talking about anything important, so he rules out that Lumine is in there, or Aether. It would be too easy to find them here anyway, and it's not like this is a spot that's hard to corner someone in, given that there's windows to be utilized.

So their people here are in on it too, it seems. But Ajax doesn't have time to deal with them now, so he keeps moving, back into the warehouse proper. There's a few rooms in the back that he knows are nothing but concrete walls with windows far too high for any normal person to reach without a long ladder, and he heads there. The farther back he goes, the colder it gets, though it feels very unlike any cold he's felt in Snezhnaya. This one is unnatural, unnerving. A mist begins to creep up to his ankles, and he focuses on moving faster- this isn't good.

Ajax slips quietly into the room that contains Lumine and Aether, this blonde man shoving something down Lumine's throat. His temper instantly spikes, finger gripping into his palms with rage. But his voice is steady, calm, cocky. Dangerous. Borderline unhinged. Almost playful and tipped with poison, as he walks into the room, a crazed bloodlust in his eyes.]

I'd step away from her if I were you.

[His silhouette appears from the shadows, walking toward the blonde man, his eyes locked on him.]

Pierre, my old friend, who would have thought we'd meet again like this? I'm so glad we have this opportunity. Maybe you'll be able to finish the fight you started this time?

[ lumine wonders if she's going to die. it isn't just the fact that she's being made to swallow something unpleasant; each stone, every time it descends down her throat, sends a sharp pain piercing through her heart. like something or something is trying to pull forcefully out of her chest. she whimpers from pain, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she can't even speak, not when it's kept open by the hand. she should think of a way to get out of her bonds, to try and break free, but she can't think of anything in the middle of all this.

just a bit more, c'mon. that's a good gi—

she feels him stop dead at the voice that cuts through the eerie silence that surrounds them, seemingly brought in by the mist. lumine quickly looks around, her gaze eventually falling on a familiar silhouette walking towards them. almost immediately, she lets out a cry of relief—

but not before pierre pushes down the sound and shoves a handful of the crystals into her mouth before fixing the gag back. even with ajax's greeting, he doesn't seem to fazed, patting lumine's head like she's an obedient little girl or pet and telling her to swallow the stones or risk suffocating.

ajax, long time no see! where did you find this one? no gag reflex at all, she took in everything i placed in her mouth. did you train her?

lumine's eyes dart between the two men, choking on the stones still heavy on her tongue, refusing to swallow them further.

too bad i can't give her back to you. i was promised i can have her. she flinches when the other man rubs his cheek against hers, giving her a kiss on the corner of her lips. after all, there's a few other things i'd like to put in that mouth of hers. ]

[On the outside, it's as if Ajax brushes the commentary off that Pierre slings at him about Lumine, but on the inside he feels himself burn. Even more so when he touches her, and the man's bloodlust spikes. He'll have his head for that. He's not sure what's in her mouth, but whatever it is, it has to coincide with whatever is happening inside the warehouse, and the mist-

It's like a pain shoots through him, instantly and without warning. His knees falter for a moment, but he keeps walking forward, shrugging it off.]

Oh, so that's what you think? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your benefactor is going to have to break their promise. You should of known better than to sell your soul to the devil like this, Pierre. Someone was bound to come along and steal all your precious dreams away.

But we should make it fun, shouldn't we? I've been itching to test my new skills out since last I saw you.

[His hydro blades snap into his hands, twirling them a few times as he stops a short distance away from Pierre. His focus is on the man, but his plan is to get that gag off of her and let her spit out whatever he's crammed down her throat. There's no way something bad won't happen if she swallows them.]

What do you say? For old time's sake?

[ lumine can sense that something is wrong. there's something wrong in this situation, something that she can't put a finger on. and even she can tell that pierre knows that something is wrong, and he's quite happy about it. a very expected outcome, from the look on his face.

a laughter suddenly punctuates the tension between them as pierra walks behind lumine, his hands on her shoulders. she tries to get it off of her, but it was in vain. his hands squeeze her shoulder painfully, fingers digging into flesh. she almost cries out again, but she doesn't like it.

us, fight each other? when it doesn't seem like you'll be able to stand any time soon. how brave.

but i suppose this girl is very important to you. do anything for her? pierre's smile is just as cocky as ajax's. will she still hold importance in your life after i ruin her?

the hands on her shoulder descend just a tad bit lower, poised to touch her further—or strangle her if ajax makes the wrong move. will you really take my dreams away if i get to it first? ]

Shut up, you'll pay for-

[Ajax's body tenses with rage, the hands on her that inch closer downwards sends a intense line of fire through his system. But what comes immediately after is even worse, as a purple aura begins to envelop him and his hand comes up to his head. A sharp, unrelentling pain lances through it, and he stumbles forward, his body feeling weaker as something seems to be feeding on him.

His vision blurs, and he can barely make out Pierre laughing at him, his hands still on Lumine, her eyes still filled with tears from fear...

It seems all three of them are here now. Well done, Pierre, perhaps you'll get a reward for all your hard work.

The woman who walks into the room has an aura that Ajax has never felt before in his life, eyes that glow a deep red against her snow white hair. The garb she wears is nothing but ancient, from a civillization that must of existed thousands of years ago, adorned with strange diamonds against a black and yellow scheme. He can barely make it out, as he falls to his knees, his strength beginning to wane. How dare they, what a dirty trick. What is this...

The Harbinger isn't going to be moving anymore. Finish it now, Pierre. Take what's ours and you can have yours.]

Ngh-

[He can feel something brush against his mind, a promise that was made to him that comes bubbling up from deep inside. It tells him to calm himself, that his anger was being used against him, sapping his strength. Childe, thankfully, has the gift of knowing what is happening, trying to soothe Ajax from losing himself to the mist.

You can't save her like this. You have to calm down. If you don't, she'll die. You'll die, Aether will die. Those sentiments are being sent through him over and over, and Ajax tries to regain control of his breathing. And he waits. He waits for the right moment to strike.]

[ lumine's eyes widen for two reasons: ajax staggering, seemingly affected by something; and the arrival of the woman, unworldly in her appearance, sending cold dread down her spine once more. this isn't good, she thinks, this isn't going to end well if they don't get out. if she doesn't fight back.

she struggles in her seat once more, moving her arms to try and loosen the bond. aether remains unconscious, but who knows what they'll do or have already done to him. and the thing they shoved in her mouth, it seems to slowly sap her energy, each stone seemingly eating up a part of her as they slowly, one-by-one slide down her throat. but that's something she can deal with later.

stay still for me, pretty girl. we'll have to start feeding again, mm? i hope you're ready.

she's not and lumine gestures with her hands, forming a small thin blade from memory using hydro. the spirit has used something similar, and the process stayed with her. almost immediately, she starts cutting through her bonds, slowly but surely, only pausing when her gag was shoved aside again—

she calls out ajax's muffled name before a hand grips open her lips once more. pierre tsks at the sight of the crystals still in her mouth, his fingers pressing inside her mouth to force her to swallow them all.

that's it. enjoy the food. i'll have you feast on that until your power isn't yours anymore. ]

[The woman looks quite pleased with how all this is turning out, her gaze flicking to the incapacitated Ajax on the floor then back to Lumine. Ajax can feel his panic rising, as he struggles to push his anger down, but it's difficult. Pierre's hand on her mouth makes him want to tear his throat out, but he knows if he doesn't calm himself he won't be able to move. Her muffled cry for him makes his eyes widen in fear, giving him more motivation to settle himself.

I have to calm down. Settle down, don't let your enemy control your emotions. He chants this to himself, his eyes glued to the woman. He can feel the weight of whatever power is feeding on him slowly let up as his breathing comes back under his control, and when she seems fixated on Lumine, he moves.

It hurts to move, every muscle in his body screams at him as the aura hasn't dissipated from him, his anger still apparent. But he's managed it enough to move, and that's all that matters.

That idiot Pierre, isn't paying attention to Ajax- and his hydro blade gets thrust right through his stomach, the force of the hydroplaning Ajax has used to close the distance between the two men allowing enough force for him to skewer the man right through, shock on the face of Pierre as blood begins to soak his clothes as Ajax releases the blade, opening the wound.]

I told you to fight me, so let's fight.

[The wicked sneer on his face is one of delightful, bloody victory, as the fingers fall out of Lumine's mouth when the other man staggers back. The woman seems unimpressed, her eyes narrowing and mouth upturning at the sight. Though she doesn't seem interested in intervening at the moment.]

[ lumine's breath almost stops when she finds ajax's blade only inches from her, her gaze flickering to pierre's face whose expression is that of clear shock. the moment his hand falls, however, she's quick to spit out whatever crystal remains in her mouth. not it's not too late, so much of it already pushed down her throat and affecting her in ways that she doesn't understand.

pierre staggers away from her, clutching his wound, a look of disbelief still on his face. it's bleeding profusely that not even his hand could stymie its flow, staining his shirt even further.

you'll pay for this, volkov! laying your hands on me— ]

Ajax, help Aether get out. Please.

[ as usual, aether's name falls out of her lips first, eager to get his brother out of this mess. lumine's eyes flicker at the woman, uncertain with what she'll do next. she too is unfamiliar, but she can sense her power radiating from her even from a few feet away. this is different from the god she killed last time.

she can still hear pierre screeching behind her, coughing wetly and laughing. it doesn't even matter. your girlfriend will die in a matter of hours and then turned into one of those trinkets you sell. that god right there will make sure of it. ]

[Ajax looks upon Pierre with no pity, no remorse whatsoever. If anything, he feels a strange sense of happiness mixed with his rage, a balance that he's never felt before while fighting. But he doesn't dislike it. It makes this more exciting, more fun. Pierre let his guard down, and he made him pay for it. That's how fighting is.

Since the god isn't making a move, Ajax moves to cut the remainder of the rope binding Lumine to the chair, breathing out sharply. Aether, sitting next to her, unconscious. He can see where they'd beaten him, where'd they'd hit him in the head to knock him out. He cuts his bonds too, as Lumine asks him to get Aether out of here. He doesn't answer her right away, his glare landing back on Pierre as he reveals the fate of Lumine- it pisses him off, the aura of purple intensifying around him and he grits his teeth as more of his strength is sapped from him, his body nearly buckling under it.]

I've had enough of your talk. If you're not going to fight me, then you're just in the way.

[He's got enough strength to reach into his jacket, and pull out his glock, aiming right at Pierre.]

Cover your ears, Lumine.

[Hopefully she's quick, because he shoots Pierre right in the chest, sending him landing on his back under the mist that covers the floor. It's one shot, a piercing sound that rings within the confines of the room. Just with that action alone, he can feel his anger seep out of him, the mist slowly releasing its grip. There's no compassion on his face for the man he's shot, his gaze landing on the woman in the room.]

So you're another one of those gods, huh? What did he do to her? What did those crystals do?

[He has a sinking feeling that he knows the answer to his own questions, as he and Lumine had already had an argument about it months ago. They were making Delusions, the way they had originally been made. And they were going to use her to make one.

Exactly what he said. We figured as long as we had her here, we could at least hold up part of our end of the deal by helping them make more potent Delusions. I didn't think it was such a terrible way to go, hahaha. Now look at her, the poor thing. She'll have to suffer before she dies because you interrupted the process.]

[ covering her ears doesn't help, the muffled sound of the shot still piercing through her hands. her expression looks visibly shocked, upset lining every inch of her face, but it has to be done. and lumine knows that there's only one way this can be resolved.

without looking behind her, lumine carefully goes to aether. it's excruciatingly painful, however, her movements seemingly disjointed. but she pushes herself to kneel in front of her unconscious brother, checking him out, running her hands all over him to make sure he's all right. it's not long before his eyes flutter open, his gaze unfocused.

lumi— ]

Ae!

[ any ounce of happiness she has is quickly dismissed by the woman's words, lumine looking at her over her shoulders. her entire body shudders when her cold gaze lands on her, pain searing all throughout. even her heart seems to stutter, throbbing like a hand is squeezing it inside her chest.

so she really is ... dying? that guy wasn't just spouting off lies?

lu, what's going on?

lumine's gaze flickers back at her brother, smiling at him helplessly. how terrible is this, to finally find her brother in one piece and then, this. a moment later, she's staggering back to her feet, gasping in pain from every move she makes. ]

If I ... If I continue the process, will you let them go? I ... [ weird, this is usually the time the other lumine is insistent. but for once, she's quiet in her head. even her powers are starting to go haywire on her, not at all responding to her commands. ] My brother has nothing to do with this.

[ oh little star, your brother has everything to do with it, too. it just so happens he hasn't awakened yet unlike you two. but perhaps ... lumine's eyes widen when the woman raises a hand, a dark red energy spiraling in her palm. i can help him. ]

[The feeling of dread washes over him, overpowering any feelings of anger that had overcome him so much before. Pierre doesn't seem to be getting back up, if he was even still alive. And this god, whoever she is- doesn't seem to care. Ajax can see the pain Lumine is going through, whatever those crystals were doing to her body. Sapping her power, killing her from the inside out.

He needs to figure out how to get them out of here, how to get those crystals out of her, and how to keep them all alive while doing so. Aether is awake, which is good. He needs him now more than ever, and he steps closer to him, to hand him one of the delusions that he'd picked up earlier.]

Take this, use it if you need to. Get her out of here, I'll keep this god busy. They fed her some strange crystals, so you'll have to get those out of her stomach before she dies. Go, now.

[Ajax turns his attention back towards their foe, his eyebrows narrowing.]

If you want a fight, I'm right here. I'm not leaving until someone faces me, and it looks like you're it. So prepare yourself, because I won't go easy on you.

[His blades return to his hand, and he takes up a stance, eyes glowing with excitement. He missed out on the last god, but he'll have fun fighting this one.

She faces him, unimpressed with the mortal in front of her, shrugging.

If that's what you want. But don't think your friends are going to be leaving so soon.

The red energy spirals faster, and Ajax goes on his guard- he doesn't know what she's planning to do to Aether, but a wrong move might put him six feet in the ground.]

[ aether still looks out of it, especially when ajax hands him a delusion. but it's clear that they have no time to lose, the blond staggering to his feet. his head hurts like it's been hit by a truck, his entire body sore, but his hand grabs lumine's arm, pulling her to him.

you have to survive this, volkov, or else i'm not forgiving you. ]

No, Ajax, wait—

[ lumine coughs harshly, collapsing on her knees despite aether's grip and his yell. breathing has started to become a chore, her throat and lungs feeling as if they're being constricted. she tries to push her brother away, a hand clutching her chest. she can taste blood in her mouth, coating her tongue.

but even before she could say something, the god releases that energy she's been conjuring towards aether, an attempt to wake the other traveler within him. lumine immediately tries to get up despite her body wracked in pain, shoving her brother as hard as she could, shielding him from the blast.

lumine! ]

[Ajax loves her so much, but that doesn't mean that sometimes, he thinks she's really too hardheaded for her own good.

It's as if he was standing there, and in a streak of purple, he's gone. Thankfully, both of the twins aren't that heavy, as he picks them both up in a flash and puts distance between them and the god, landing just out of range of the explosion that wracks the warehouse as the energy slams into the concrete floor.

Dust and dirt kick up, a cloud of disintegrated concrete floating now in the room obscures his vision. Electricity licks around Ajax, his head turning backwards to see where the god has gone, and if she's following up. Almost as if on cue, he hears a thrum of energy and a dark red glows through the cloud, and he moves again with the twins, landing on another side of the room as the floor erupts behind him.

The god laughs, amused by his antics, trying to keep them out of danger.

What a valiant effort, too bad it's all a waste.]

Go, both of you!

[His goal needs to be to keep her from attacking them. Keep her focused on him, that's all. He's gone in another flash, his blades now glowing purple as they get swung with all the force he can muster, and she counters with a conjured blade of dark red energy of her own. The long katana clashes with his own weapons, pushing him off of her and making him ready himself once more.]

Now we're talking. About time you faced me, hahaha.

[You've always been too cocky for your own good, Harbinger. I'll wipe that smile right off your pretty face.]

I'm honored you think I'm pretty. So why don't you live up to your words and come at me then, [he says, eyes bright with battle lust.]

[ aether doesn't need to be told twice unlike his sister, hauling lumine back to her feet and dragging her away towards the exit without a second glance at ajax. even he can tell that something's wrong with her, her usual spirit and strength sapped away by something inside of her. he grits his teeth, himself still lacking strength, but he manages to get his sister out into one of areas near the exit.

he sets her down on the ground as other people run past them, also in panic after hearing the explosions from the back of the warehouse. aether will have to ask ajax later why his own men are fleeing instead of helping him out, focusing on lumine first.

lu, stay with me, please. you have to keep awake.

his sister's expression is tired, pain underscoring the smile she tries to send his way. her skin feels hot to the touch as well, as if she's burning from the inside. ]

Ajax ... help him—

[ that idiot will be fine, lu. worry about yourself more.

but even aether can tell that if she can get up and fight, she will. and that's what exasperates him the most about her, not giving up in stupid circumstances but also giving up in more stupid circumstances. he really has spoiled her to death.

... look, i'll help him out and get this over with. but you have to promise me that you'll still be okay when we return, okay? promise me, lu. ]

Mm ... I promise ...

[As the twins discuss amongst themselves, Ajax and the god have already begun their fight. His swords clash against her own, a dance between the two of them that makes his heart race in a way that he's never felt before, his laughter ringing out from the room as he pits his expertise against this ancient being. He's never felt more alive in his life, even as she slashes multiple wounds open on his body.

She, however, isn't having nearly as much fun as him, her face contorting into one of annoyance as he continues his assault. He's good, and she can see how he'd given them such problems thousands of years ago. A mortal as young as him shouldn't have this level of skill, but Ajax is managing to hold his own for the time being.

He might be able to win. If he can catch her messing up.]

What, weren't you expecting this?! Come now, you're not holding back on me, are you?

[But she has other priorities, like catching up to the twins. She parries him and punches him so hard in the chest that he flies backward into a wall, bouncing off of it and eating his words. But she's immediately coming for Aether and Lumine, determined not to let them get away. The wall is blown apart as she enters the warehouse proper, looking for them.

You're not leaving this place alive! I'll make you suffer our ancient wrath for what you did to us!

Boxes of delusions explode near them, energy slamming into it and disintegrating anything that comes into direct contact. She firing blindly, looking for them, as Ajax is recovering in the other room.]

[ aether can hear explosions right behind them, and almost immediately, he's scooping up his sister in his arms and carrying her towards another room to hide in, setting her down in a corner. that woman is still on the hunt for them, holding some kind of grudge against him and his sister for whatever that happened a long time ago. it's stupid.

he peers through the glass window, eyes darting across the hall. he can still hear explosions happening and it's getting nearer and nearer, even if it's not visible yet. ]

Ae ... [ he feels lumine's hand on his sleeve, tugging at his arm. ] Just leave me here, I'll be fine. Come back for me later ...

[ despite his declaration earlier, leaving lumine is still a difficult decision to make. but it's something that needs to be done if he wants to protect her. he presses a kiss to her forehead, her skin hot against his lips, before he promises that he'll be back. he will definitely be back and go back home and get their normal lives.

a moment later, he's stealing out of the room to find ajax and this god. the delusion remains clasped in his hand, the glass orb cold against his skin. when he finds the god, with ajax nowhere in sight, aether launches a stream of electricity from the delusion, looping it around her neck like a rope and tightening it with a pull of his arm. this would be easier if he had his vision, but beggars can't be choosers.

i haven't left yet, don't worry! ]

[The god stares Aether down with a wicked smile, glad that at least one of them has decided to reveal themselves. The electro rope around her neck tightens, but she seems unbothered by it, her head tilting to the side with intrigue. She grabs a hold of the electricity with one hand, yanking on it to pull Aether towards her or break the line, her laugh cold and empty as she locks eyes with him.

I can't tell you how happy that makes me. It'll give me great pleasure to finish you off right here. You should of listened to your friend and ran.]

Don't forget about me, now!

[She turns, having to manifest her sword once again to block the attack from behind that Ajax launches at her, his electro delusion sending sparks of electricity arcing through the air all around him as he throws himself into his attacks. He notices the electro rope around her neck and grins- this might end up as a bad time for her now that Aether's gotten involved.]

Hey, Aether! [He shouts between slashes, having the time of his life.] Don't let her get away from me, alright?

[He wants to mark her, so he can do a full assault, but he hasn't been able to hit her yet. He hopes with Aether's help, he'll be able to do so- and then she's going to be sorry.]

[ as terrifying as this situation is, aether can't help but feel annoyed at ajax for enjoying this so much. him feeling like he's been hit by a truck, his sister slowly dying—and yet, here he is, fighting like this is just one of those fisticuffs he's gotten into back in uni. you'd think he'd at least try to read the room, but maybe that's expecting too much from his friend.

the blond grits his teeth, digging his heels into the floor, as the god yanks the electro rope forward. almost immediately, he cuts it off when she drags him closer and closer, jumping back before that sword of hers could swing in his direction.

you could've given me a pyro delusion, idiot!

aether ducks when the god releases an arc of dark energy towards him, rolling behind one of the wooden boxes containing more delusions. he wrinkles his nose at it, tempted to ask lumine again if she's really serious about this guy, before rummaging for a pyro delusion.

a few minutes later, he emerges, now more familiar with the element he's handling. the delusion is a little more unpredictable, a little less safe but aether quickly grasps its usage, cornering the god with a barrage of fire towards ajax. when she tries to attack him with her sword, he releases a rope of pyro, letting it wrap around the blade.

ajax! ]

[Fighting two opponents at once gives them the clear advantage here, and if Aether truly wanted, he could surprise her with any variety of elemental attacks he wanted. He just needs to grab a delusion and use it, which it seems like he's sort of done here, even if it's pyro, his preferred element.

But it still surprises her, sneering at Aether as he backs her more towards Ajax and away from either himself or Lumine. Ajax grins, it was a good move, and he'll make sure it doesn't go to waste.]

On it!

[Dual blades twirl and he launches himself at her, but the god is too quick and realizes the situation that's fallen on her. The dark red blade dissipates as she releases it, dodging Ajax and his assault to fly up into the air.

I've had quite enough of you two already. If you won't sit still and die, then I'll just bury you all underneath the rubble.

An oppressive aura that radiates down from her forces Ajax to the floor, the walls shaking as the god's eyes begin to glow. Giant hands seem to sprout out from behind her, divine energy cracking the ground beneath the two men.]

Aether! This isn't good...where's Lumine?!

[ aether's more concerned about taking her down than surprising her. and if anything, he's the one being surprised instead, staring in horror as the ground starts to shake, boxes and other things tumbling all over the place. he grabs onto a nearby pole to steady himself, shutting the delusion off.

at ajax's question, he snaps, turning his head towards the direction of the room he left her in.

in there!

a response that's supposedly for ajax, but one that the god notices, her gaze flashing towards the tiny room near the exit of the warehouse.

lumine herself has started to get back up on her feet, struggling in the process, clinging to a nearby chair. her breathing has come up short and laboured, her legs shaking from the process. everything hurts, like heated blades slicing through her skin. but even before she can get out of the room, the god flashes into existence at the doorway, a maniacal look on her face.

hello, little star. let's resume where we left off. your brother can follow you after.

one of the hands crashes through the walls, tearing them open like they're made of flimsy paper, its fingers closing around lumine. ]

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