Cleyra Act 2: Blood and Strings [Open to Cryptic Terror & myself (duh)] / NSFW

Jade bitterly looked up from the dagger, eyeing the last face she wanted to see. It was the creature who repaired her injuries but also felt that was justification to touch her as he pleased. She narrowed her eyes teeth bared. "If you don't get the hell away from me, you will find out just how sharp it is. Stop following me - and if you touch me again, I'll cut off your most precious parts and feed them to you. You're lucky I haven't punted you over the waterfall at this point."

She give a final glare and begins to go back the way she came, she really shouldn't have left Hawks alone to confront his past like that - it was just too dangerous to show the slightest crack in front of any enemy, even a doomed one.

"You still owe me at least a word of appreciation, don't you think?" Catz calmly remarks, while still licking his paw. The way he then positioned himself revealed that he was carrying a sword; most likely an act to show her that it'd be unwise for both their sakes to actually engage in combat. "Besides .. your friend. I can help him."

---

At an unidentified port, a massive ship had just set sail. On board, several pirates. A curvaceous woman wearing a black robe, sporting deep red hair, shadowy skin and red lip-gloss, was sitting on top of a large throne-like seat. She was drinking wine, and was observing the land ahead become smaller and smaller, as they were leaving. A wicked smile formed.

"Make sure that we arrive to our passing point at the time I told you so ... lest you wish to have his luck. Father is waiting for results, and I do not trust that this thug will actually find the Ponephyph, if he couldn't even beat those weak Talani." She then opens what appears to be a mini-version of a video broadcast Den Den Mushi, to reveal a tied-up, beaten princess. Pleased with herself, she continues to take sips off her glass. "Surely you will be handy, tho. As for your people here ... mufufufu, that Jack was a fucking moron but ... after my "modifications" .. we will just claim that he died in combat. Tiberius was there, after all .. good for me and my plan ... Ahahahahaha!"

Introduction Box:
Liliana Vestrige, one of the "Five Calamities"
User of the Deddo Deddo no Mi (death fruit)
Bounty: 1,523,000,000 Beli

"I am grateful for your skill that I received while unconscious - who knows what else happened. Just because you do something useful does not mean you have purchased the right to violate anyone. I'll pay you in currency, if you like." She eyes the sword, unconcerned. " I'm not going to fight you, idiot - we've got enough enemies and your bullshit isn't worth letting this land be destroy."

She tilt her head to the side. "What friend? What's wrong with this 'friend'? Are you going to molest them too? I'll pay you upfront to keep your hands under control."

"You know that he has a problem, don't you? A second him, maybe? You must have noticed already." Catz calmly remarks, and gets up, cracking his neck. "That still hurts from that punch you gave me at my place, darn, nyar."

Hawks wasn't sure where to look for her. All he knew was what he was told was terrible. Also, this horrible headache begun to make his head feel like it is about to explode.

Jade felt sick. In addition to being worrying about her home and the innocent kid taking the fall for her, she had to deal with this creepy bastard referring to yet another creepy bastard. "Yeah - what about it? Is that your mentor? I don't know what to believe anymore." She thought about the healing serum, the hidden talents - was that second identity just another deception from the magician?

She felt as though life was being drained from her, fighting for her home, existing when she shouldn't, putting her trust who every moment seems more and more like a stranger while being offered assistance by and abuser she want's allowed to harm at the moment. "Finish whatever you're saying and leave me in peace."

Catz eyed her for a moment, then let out a sign. "You are a coward." he remarks, looking at her with condemn. "If you want things to get better, you fight for it. You don't just sulk about it and hiss at people for telling you the truth." he then turns and walks away. "Your friend has a serious problem, and ... since we will need all the power we can get, I will go fix him, myself. I don't need a coward to get in my way. Or protect this place." and with that, he walked out of this place, and into the vastness of the channels connecting this lower section of this structure.

She had lost the ability to feel anything. He was correct - no one needed her to protect this place- if anything she only made things worse by existing. She had been afraid her entire like - not of death but of her life causing the death of so many. Getting close to this place rather than staying away only made it more likely this place would be destroyed. She shrugged slightly at him and walked past him without another word.

"What the heck? This body ... what did he do with his-I mean, my body? This feels ... GREAT!" Hawks says. Only, it wasn't really Hawks. It was that other side, the one proclaimed to be named "Azure". This certainly spelled trouble. Yet, despite all of his screams, and what happened before, it was bizarre in that no one was around. Why would this spot be so lightly guarded? Were they beaten up so badly they couldn't even crew the important places?

"Oh my, found you. Thanks for the screams." Catz remarks, coming face to face with "Azure", who tilted his head and frowned. "Oh, this isn't Jade, well that's too bad. Hey kitty kitty ... want to, maybe, die?" Catz calmly pulled out his blade. "Was a good thing that I warped everyone away from here, just in case things got hectic like that. Now, Mister, if you could kindly surrender, I can help both you and him be finally free from one another."

*All this ... to endure the pain, that guy, as a kid ... to develop such a condition and it going unnoticed for so many years. I will blame myself before all. For your sake tho, my old friend Eagle, am going to save your son.*

After a time of swallowing, grief, guilt and self loathing, she followed the cat-creature through the corridors.  She may have felt, shattered, broken, and unworthy, but it was her mission to protect that magician and she didn't quite trust this ... Katz.  

When she encountered Hawks, she froze in her tracks, recognizing a demeanor she dreaded. How was this possible? It was awful that his body had been hijacked again - it had been difficult to separate her resentment of this invader from Hawks himself for a while.  This wasn't her Hawks.  She spat with disgust "YOU." She wanted to pin him against the wall by the throat but she remembered anything she inflicted upon this invader would leave lingering pain for Hawks who was still buried inside this creature.  

This was the worst possible time for this...

"Oh, Jade! Baby, hey hey! Looking great!" He squeals with delight upon seeing her arrival, ignoring her obvious disgust and aggravation. Between them was a panting creature, filled with cuts and bruises. "Dear ... had no idea the son of Eagle was that strong ... quite hard when you try not to actually injure your opponent, too." Catz remarks, while blood was dripping from several parts of him.

Catz then realizes Jade had arrived, and turns his attention to her. "Oh ... are you going to help fix your friend, or talk to me about how much you feel you want to sulk?" he scolds her, then warps away, just as "Azure" had attempted to jab him with a blade right throught the skull. "Oh, he zoomed out again ... it didn't work before old man!" he makes a backflip, and as if he knew where it'd come from, manages to land a strong kick right into Catz face, who had meanwhile appeared to the left and tried to throw some form of powder on him, sending him smacking onto a nearby wall. "I don't care about you .. am more into the female kind of cats!"

"Goddamnit." There were no words to describe how much Jade did not want to be there. Both of them made her skin crawl but she couldn't let that Azure bastard harm the cat during a war. Doctors were a precious resource.

She closes her eyes shaking her head and she prepares to deal with another shitshow. Fury begins to ripple trough her frame. The magician had finally seemed stable, competent, and trustworthy when it was needed most. She should wasn't about to let this bastard ruin it. Azure - that really was a name for a complete bastard - and what the hell happened to his body?

She approaches the possessed magician, seizing the collar of his shirt as she glares into his eyes, that sleazy familiar visage replaced where there had once been something clever and noble. "What have you done with him you bloody bastard?"

She the slams his back against the wall, her patience wearing thin - though not enough to really hurt him - as Hawks was still hostaged inside that body. She hated being retrained when she wanted to skin someone alive. She placed her forearm across his neck. "We are not going to play this game again - and leave the cat alone."

"Shambles" in a split second, Catz swapped the position of Jade with himself. She managed to get him leaned against the wall, with a grip on him, this was the best opportunity to try to restrain him before he could wreak more havoc. He had a clear shot if he wanted to stab him, but instead he reached to his pocket and hurled a handful of this same powder again, hitting the blonde right in the face. "Bingo!" the feline remarks to himself with a smile, but then his face freezes into oblivion, as a sword goes right throught his abdomen.

"I HAD ENOUGH OF YOU CAT!! CAN'T YOU SEE WE WERE ABOUT TO SMUT?!" He pushes and throws Catz all across the hall and smashing onto another wall. "Eh? I feel ... dizzy .. what the fuck did you do to me?!"

"You, Jade, isn't it? .. Ugh, I just threw a special mixture of drugs to sedate and control him; don't worry, no p-permanent damage ... but his willpower is insane so it seems it will take a few moments to act ... I hate to say it but I don't think I can delay him much further ..." As Azure actually dashes to him, he used his DF power to ... throw stuff into her way? "Do not stop him, him attacking him first and then you will buy us some extra seco-!!!" he gets stabbed and thrown again. "Ugh, keep this in mind ... you aren't the only one that lost everything. But if you want to retain what's left that makes you want to be alive ... then FIGHT!" he gets hurled away again, which is followed by "Azure" screaming like a maniac, turning his attention to her; his movements becomming more and more sluggish. "You ... set this up, didn't you? I will have to beat you up!"

Jade curses as she is thrown aside and the cat is stabbed by this jackass.  She always knew he was annoying but not murderous?  She had to stop him without hurting him?  She was very bad at not hurting things. Her frustration and despair had been replace by pure rage.  She watches the cat get tossed to the side - she'd assist him when she had an opening.

As Azure sets his sites upon her, she stares him down.  "Despite your flawed and incredibly idiotic deductions, sure, why not? I did set this up, you whiny bitch - just so I'd have the opportunity to kick your ass one last time." She snarled, her blade in her hand, the rage taking her as she approached her old foe who she owed so much pain. "Ready, you slash lipped scallywag?"

"You .. you just blindly hate me? Why?" Hawks alternate persona laments, almost as if deeply hurt just by uttering those words. He was clearly starting to lose his already twisted grip with reality, thanks to that drug most likely. He leaps ahead and attempts to stab Jade right in the heart; his movements dulled, but still surprisingly deadly and hard to combat with. Was Hawks body really that strong?

"You like the other one better ... but! Do you know who helped him cope all these years of hell he went throught? ME! If he didn't had ME, he'd be dead by now! I protected him! And you just want me dead! It isn't fair! I didn't chose to be born like that!"

---

In the distance, guards at the lookout have noticed some mobility. Apparently the enemy was approaching again. As they were preparing to inform the central, while also being in the process of forming the first line of defence, little did they knew that this enemy was going to be different from anything they could expect. An unkillable enemy.

"Hate? Hate is a deep emotion and you are not worth the energy. You have knowingly abused and manipulated me while allowing 'the other one' to take the fall in the midst of the chaos you inflicted. You used me to hurt him."
Jade stepped back in a stance to brace the impact of the blow - while it was predictable enough to parry, she certainly did not expect the forcefulness of the blow. A gash was left across her chest before she was able to push him back enough to settle a boot against his abdomen and send him toward a wall - but not too her, she still had to hold back even if he wouldn't.

It wasn't like her to underestimate someone but the entire situation had her flustered and off guard. He was rambling about being the dark guardian angel who shielded the soft hearted magician from pain. It must have been nice- not having to be your own dark side like that. Perhaps that was how he could stay so pure in this broken world.

Something about what he said unexpectedly struck her. ... 'didn't choose'. She knew all to well what it was like to be born carrying a cloud of hidden destruction plaguing a world that was better off with out her ... all for something she didn't choose. Blood from her would ran down her stomach but she ignored it - after such numbing dread about the situation, it felt good to feel anything again - even pain.

"Where did you come from? Why are you here? Why now? ... what happened to your body? I just don't understand what you want or what Hawks has to do with it."

"What I want? To live!" The blonde proclaims, and then attempts to slash her from point-blank range, but misses completely; the drugs further and further crippling him. "I helped him stay alive, and you know what happened?! He imprisoned me!"

Flashback of a much younger Hawks, speaking with an unidentified man, about having "nightmares of another self", and the man states that he knows of a way to "cure" him.

Back to present, Hawks body falls on his knees, panting hard, struggling to stay concious. "I helped him by absorbing the pain, and what was the appreciation? Forever forgetting and sealing me away with the help of a fruit user! So I was just a nightmare, huh?! Well fuck that! This body is mine now, he can go die, after doing this to me!"

Jade had no reason to trust this creature. He made her skin crawl - but he seemed so different than before - so broken, desperate ... tragic. She watches him crumple to the floor as he becomes more affected by whatever the cat did to him.

"Who imprisoned you? I'm assuming you didn't volunteer to be a pin cushion specter shielding a fragile soul - robbed of identity and life? Why would someone do this to you? ... and if it is so painful to be locked away in a body why would you do it to someone else? - what happened to your body?"

Jade was conflicted - she was angry at this creature but empathetic to his story she suspended her belief of slight, unwilling to trust him. "Nightmare? Well, yes. You willfully harassed and manipulated me to hurt him so you can actually go fuck yourself with your self-victimization bullshit. I'm just collateral damage for your vendetta - nightmare is a kind way of describing a creature who uses innocent bystanders as tool to destroy their enemies. I could try to help. Not for your sake."

She kneels in front of him leaning in close to offer a cruel and frozen gaze. "Refuse and I will haunt you for the rest of your day, making you beg for the sweet release of death and no one will be there to cushion your pain. Now - what kind of fruit user can move essences to different bodies? Who did this to you two"

"Hawks didn't knew about it ... and I don't think even his father did. I mean, as far as he knew, I was dead. But, I wasn't ... what happened was that this bastard that took Hawks, supposedly to "save" him when the incident happened .. it was all a trap and ...!!" a sound shifted his attention, it was the sound of someone crawling.

"Good job keeping him in check for so long ... now I will help your friend .. Room!" a faint sensation, kind of like a light veil merely passing above them was felt. The feline, somehow still alive, despite all these heavy wounds inflicted on him, makes a sharp movement with his blade and Hawks's body is literally slided in half. "AAGHHRR?! WHAT?!" Azure yells, but it was not a scream of pain. "Worry not, my ability permits me to do that without actually harming them one bit .. but now, I must be fast!"

With another sharp move, this time one made with his right arm and fingers, he chants "Heart Pull" and a heart-shaped model of a heart symbol is pulled from the blonde's chest. "Shambles!" he shouts, and a piece of the broken wall is replaced by ... Bishop's body? Althought, it did seemed different, namely, the face. "Soul swap!!"

In the aftermath, Hawks body was found intact, but apparently still unconcious. And, on the other side, a heavily restrained body, thought to be of a dead man, begin moving around, a scream of anger and agony coming from it. Catz pants heavily, and falls on his knees. "Ah ... I can answer you that, if you wish to hear ... do you want the long story, or the short? The short story is that the person that did this is the previous owner of the Ope Ope no Mi ... and who was it, you might wonder? The person that took him in after his father died .. ah, if you want the long story, maybe another time ... sorry but I think am gonna pass out now .. oh, and another thing ... that body there now contains that other person. Hawks is free .. but feel free to do w/e you want with him but keep in mind ... he isn't entirely to blame either ..." and with that, the feline collapsed head first.

Nearby, the former body of Bishop, it seemed that Catz had made some minor alterations. Probably that's why he didn't appeared to them right away after Jade left. The scar was still there but the face was actually fairly close to Hawks's, except it was very pale and with silver hair. Actually, it was bizarre because it almost looked like a twin, just a dead-looking one. But, more importantly, the person in that vessel, Azure, was actually crying. "Thank you ..." was heard amongst the cries.

Jade was still confused and disturbed by the fact that Hawks had been carrying the soul of an unwanted roommate in his body. "So you knew he was innocent and still made him suffer --"

Her words were cut off as the cat creature returned - the body of their dead enemy somehow appearing - why did it look so familiar? More twisted tales were woven about the magicians mysterious origin before the cat could stand no more. Cursing, she determined a bit of expedited healing was the least she could do.

She hadn't used any of her powers and quite a long time and this ability she had not used in years - not since well before meeting Hawks. She moved closer to the collapsed cat, and began hissing - much like an angry feline but from her mouth came a fine mist that settled over the cat creature. It was the healing serum her mouth naturally produced by virtue of her fruit abilities - the same serum she had used on the magician many times, though at much much closer range. She must have forgotten she had a ranged application to administer for the serum. It had been such a confusing and trying day she was likely to forget again - kind of like her forgot about his own healing serum.

She paused as she arrived and the newly embodied creature. It was jarring to find a creature that looked so much like Hawks - did he look like that before? Shaking her head, she hissed at him as well. The nature of the serum depended upon how extensive the injuries were. While minor injuries had no side effects from the serum, major injuries caused drowsiness and a deep refreshing sleep. Since both bodies had extensive injuries, the serum was likely to put both Catz and Azure to sleep while it slowly repaired torn tissues and bruised muscles so they could not slow down nor interfere with the healing.

She sheathed her blade and finally she began to feel the pain of the slash across her chest she received earlier. Blood still staining her bare stomach. It would be some time before she could heal herself since her surplus of healing serums was used for two-full body healings with extensive damage.

Unfortunately for the four of them, time for them to rest and work this whole mess out was just about to expire. The sound of swords clashing begun to very faintly be heard over there; down there, which must have meant that for a while now, there was something occuring outside of this dungeon.

Almost as if meant to occur to give her at least one answer today, Ginji appeared alongside one of the Talani and Percy, who was still handcuffed. "Jade, what the lovely hell happened here?!" Ginji remarks in shock. The Talani is pointing a spear to him; clearly they had yet to determine if all these people were going to help or not, and surely upon seeing this mess, his opinion wouldn't change for the better.

"Shit, this is a lovely-not mess! No time for lovely explanations now, we need to go, now." he throws a Den Den Mushi at her. From it, yells, cannonfire, shots, battles were heard. "Jade. Jade, do you hear me?" it was Tiberius, and judging from his breath, was currently fighting as well. "Things up there have taken a turn for the worse ... what did you got from the prisoner? It is vital to inform me immediately. I have a hunch but I need your confirmation to order a counter-assault."

Jade had not quite processed what happened completely. "Fuck if I lovely know, man. Five went in, four are coming out - same amount of bodies though. Somehow you are the most normal person in the room right now." She moves in front of Ginji, eyeing the Talani, annoyed. They had enough problems and she was not about eating a few mice.

The familiar rumble was growing closer. Jade recognized the sound of war - the savage beast that would tear this place apart again. She caught the communication device. "Tiberious, where the hell are you? - Bad news - Yonkou is after an ancient weapon and captured that Talani princess - thinks she can find and access it. Will likely kill her before finding out it was a fool's errand from the start. The prisoner is dead - you old friend has been keeping secrets, highly trained and deadly secrets. We may be able to use a double agent - not sure if the bastard can be trusted however. ... and get your ass to cover. They have a Navy and you have a fucking sword."

She approaches the Hawks, kneeling she tries to jostle him awake. "How can you be sleeping?! - if I have to carry you out I will." She begins lifting him up, but he was so unnaturally limp, it was like trying to move a large noodle. The more she moved him, the floppier he got. His head draped over her shoulder as his frame refused to be cooperative enough to put over her shoulder. "Did that damn cat remove your bones? No one is this limp!"

"I see ..." a short paused followed, which happened to coincide with a large explosion, making it sound as if he was the one on the receiving end of it. "Listen ... this may sound odd at first, but am certain that if you really sit down and think about it, it is the best option we have ... leave at once. Take Hawks and Ginji, and these friends of yours, go after him. I will be honest with you, Jade. I placed a small device on you on our embrace earlier. It doesn't work anymore, so I suppose you broke it or something bad happened there .. but I heard the name "Zou". The enemy can't be too far away. Listen carefully ... head to the Fishman island, it is the only way to reach Zou from here. And search for "Cerberus". Am sure you remember him. He will help." the background sounds becomming worse and wose. "The guardian is back on his feet. We will not lose. Can you trust me to handle these? They aren't even the actual enemy. I am putting my trust to you. Go, reach them and end this!"

"What? I cannot just let you leave!" the Talani yells and prepares to attack, however, a loud yell causes him to throw the spear and turn his head. "C-Captain Mark! W-why are you up? Your injuries are severe!" it was that same Talani that Jade and Hawks fought when they first arrived here. He seemed severely beaten up. "Go up and help in the battle. I will handle this." Mark states, and the Talani leaves.

Mark glares at Jade, not speaking, tension building up more and more. And then, almost as if everyone else had vanished, and it was only them left in the entire cosmos, he opens his mouth. "Will you really go after them? Will you really help us? ..."

Jade stopped struggling with the magician as Tiberius changed the trajectory of their battle. He was dispatching them as an elite task force to cut the enemy off at the top - using the smallest amount of resources to deal the most damage. It was elegant, really. "Understood."

She returns the glare of the Talani, the intimidating nature of her predatory green eyes, utterly destroyed as she struggled with her noodle friend. Giving up she eased him back to the ground and placed a hand on his chest. "Wake up, Hawks ..." She gave a slight nod to the talani as her voice dropped, a bit low and raspy."We're going for the jugular."

"Then please, let me come with you! I will never be able to sleep again if I know that someone else is going to risk their lives for us and not fight alongside them!" He states, and falls on his knees, bowing to her, showing his respect and graditude to her decision. The person that he tried to kill, was now willing to fight to save what he cared about the most.

"Oh, for lovely fuck's sake!" Ginji slams Hawks with needle fingers. "Vigor hormones!" The result was Hawks opening his eyes, yelling at the same time from the shock of getting all of that energy filling him and ... falling on and forcing Jade to fall down, with himself on top of her. "W-what the heck happened?!" he questions in utter confusion. He then notices that one of his hands has fallen on top of a particularly soft spot, which caused him to flip and fall on his posterior. "That wasn't meant to happen, I am sorry!"

"That's more lovely like it." Ginji comments, with a laugh.
"Why am I still here?! Let me gooooo!" Percy whines, as Ginji has forced him to carry the fallen Catz and Azure.
"Ah, that's right ... I will come along too ... son of Eagle!" Catz murmurs, falling asleep again.
Mark was left there, observing, trying to smile. *Oh my God, these people are crazy ... we are so dead meat.* he thinks, making a goofy face of terror.

"What happened here, why are you guys here and ... oh no!" Hawks realizes Jade is injured. He reflexively goes to look after her, but then remembers that he doesn't want to show to anybody about their actual relation, thus gets up. "Erm, it seems that this bastard managed to land a hit. Curses. Can you please explain me what did I lost?" he really did thought that Bishop did this.

Jade was half paying attention the the talani when Ginji decides to be 'helpful' in the only way he knows how - fully injected awkward chaos.  Jade yelps as the magician falls on her, wincing in pain as fingertips brace against her bleeding chest. Her jaw tensed as she composed herself against the pain. "Don't you dare blame me for this. Godamnit, Ginji - was that the only time you could find to do that?!"

Jade remains on the floor trying not to get up to quickly so the bleeding won't become worse. "It's just a scratch, love ... ly magical ... person ... you."  The blood loss almost made her forget to tone down their usual interactions.  "Got lazy with my sword play - or maybe I was just gunning for a new scar. I'll walk it off.  The enemy has been neutralized.  You did good, Kid."