Goodbye is hard to say, How about See you again?

[broken_frightener]

1)
[The Indalph are gone and so is the traitorous Sara Harper. While she was once a good friend, she became a monster and enemy to all of mankind and its allies. But would it really be appropriate to celebrate? Depends on who you ask. As for Leos? He's simply invited you (or someone's case, invited himself in) to a favorite hangout of his with a console, a bunch of fighting games and pudding. Lots and lots of pudding. Its pretty easy to guess where this hangout was (Spoilers: Its Asagi's Room).]

So we've got Kalamity Battle X,  Blaze Gear: The Third - Phantasm Sign, Ultra Crash Siblings Free For All, Road Battler Five and DropBunker. I had a Copy of Martial Mashup 3 but someone kind of smashed it into about two dozen pieces tops.

[Leos is perfectly happy to remain on the floor to avoid breaking furniture with his weight. Interestingly enough though, in addition to a few controllers, the leader of the Frighteners had plugged himself into the console as well... this should prove interesting.]

[Pick a game, any game.]

(For clarification: Kalamity Battle = Mortal Kombat, Blaze Gear is a mashup of Blazblue and Guilty Gear, Ultra Crash and Road Battler are self explainatory and DropBunker is Divekick with pilebunkers replacing the kicks. Spectators are welcome to jump into threads with permission from the participant.)

2) [Long after prompt 1]
[Some downtime with his friends had helped Leos feel far better than anything had in a long time as he wandered some rubble strewn streets. He and his team, and possibly members of the Unity Group are out helping to deliver some disaster relief assistance. Purely volunteer work that was probably far below the scope of either party - something that the other Frighteners are very obviously bored out of their minds by with just how uncaring they are with their work - but something Leos seemed to be more than happy to assist with. Then a crash rang out from close by.]

...What-?

"AAAAAAH!"



"You should have walked away when you had the chance you worm. Sadly you won't get to regret that fact.-"

[Remille was holding a person by the neck near where they were passing out the food and water. That wasn't very nice. The fact that she was threatening of all people a child made things worse. The Frighteners had weapons out, there was a mess all over the place... and a young woman who had a pretty bad bruise, several other people were trying to shield her from Boyle, who was cracking his knuckles. There were some emergency personnel hovering over her but kept some distance due to the weapons pointed at them.]



Remille. Boyle. What the do you two think you're doing. What the HELL do ALL of you think you're doing?!

[Leos forcefully makes Remille drop the kid, leading to him falling onto his rear onto the dusty ground. The Frighteners look unsure now, lowering their weapons.]



"Got some slander tossed at us. When we took offence they attacked too, so we retaliated."

Are you fucking with me?! Are you saying that you tossed a temper tantrum because they called you names-?! Put your guns away! ALL OF YOU! If I so much as hear another shot I'll do to you what I did to the Nineball.

[Leos sighs and carefully herds the kid back to his sister, giving the Frighteners a glare as if to ensure their behavior.]

I'm sorry about this unpleasantness-

"Get away from me and my brother murderer!!!"

Excuse me?

"You don't think I know what that badge you have on your shoulder is?!"

[She gets back to her feet, pulling her now clearly terrified brother close to her as she points hysterically at the Frightener Insignia emblazoned on Leos' uniform. Something terribly terribly wrong is going on here.]

3) [Takes place after Prompt 2]


I talked it over with the Commanders. We're leaving.

[Leos tugs a bag over his shoulder, despite the smile on his face there was a sense of bitterness in his voice, that this was not a goodbye he wanted.]

I've had the others load up our equipment and we're it sent through the TSEN to Star Rose. We'll load up back onto the ship we were operating from when we bumped into each other during that fight with the Wulgaru.

And with any luck the Frighteners won't ever be associating with the Unity Group again...

[His fingers dig into the strap over his shoulder as he spoke.]

... I'm sorry. For everything. It was stupid of me to even think that they could handle something like that without something going wrong in the worst way... not just that but for everything they said and done. Guess it'll teach me for just accepting responsibility over a bunch of people I don't even know from some guy from ESUN... heh... its like Admiral Komine all over again...

[A rueful chuckle escapes from his lips as he lowers his head guiltily.]



For what it's worth... I ... I just hope we're still friends. Even after all the good and bad.... but I'll understand if you'll want nothing to do with me anymore.

4) [Locked to one character in particular.]

[With very few other things to do, the Frighteners returned to the beck and call of their benefactors at ESUN. This time though it seemed that they were going to be loaned out to someone that had been owed a favor and needed extra muscle. As they disembarked, a number of them were clearly annoyed at having to put down roots on solid ground once more.]

[To Leos however there was a more important matter of seeking someone else out.]

Surprise. I guess you didn't expect to see me here didn't you.

Comments

1

[cloningblues]

Okay, first thing: what are you doing in my room? Second thing: don't you have any strategy games?

[broken_frightener]

Well, we hang out here all the time anyway so why not?

And strategy games are kind of hard for multiple people to play on one screen Asagi.

[cloningblues]

It's not like you need to look at the screen.

[broken_frightener]

Nope. Not at all. But its more fun to watch the screen than feel the data move though.

[cloningblues]

It's less about fun and more about giving you an unfair advantage.

...Let's try Crash Siblings. I actually know that game.

3

[star_of_sad]

[Setsuko stares. She was going to say good-bye, but for some reason she only looks wordlessly.]

[broken_frightener]

[He simply just keeps his head down.]

Chief would be disgusted at what I turned into wouldn't he Setsuko..?

I guess... this is it then.

[He takes a deep breath and raises his head, shaking only very slightly.]

Goodbye.

[star_of_sad]

Yes... yes, he would be. Wait.

[Setsuko steels herself, gathering courage to support this question with.]

What have you done with your life, Leos?
Look at... everything. Who you're dealing with. WHAT you are dealing with.

[broken_frightener]

... All I've made are bad choices... and so many times they weren't my own either... yet the moment I'm free of the strings I go and make even worse ones. If I had a chance at living normally I would have taken it. Can't get what we want though.

[There's a soft and slow chuckle from him.]

But... look on the bright side Setsuko. I'll die someday soon maybe.

2

[megamipurple]

[Having transformed to be able to fly the needed supplies around quickly, Neptune just happens to see (and hear) this and lands nearby.

The first thing she does is walk past the crowd gathered and slowly approach the terrified kids. She then crouches down to meet their eyes reassuringly.]

It will be alright now. You won't be hurt as long as I'm here; I promise that.

However, there is something I need to know...that badge, what does it mean?

[broken_frightener]

"They're murderers... all of them... mecha with those same badges attacked the town I used to live in. They blew up the area where some rich people lived, fought the people who were paid to keep us safe... everything was burning when they left..."

[Loni said Leos was a part of some kind of protection racket didn't he..? Either way the Frighteners were glancing at each other. All except Leos who simply remained still, eyes shadowed.]

[megamipurple]

Blew up...?

[Nep is very surprised to hear this, she looks over her shoulder to regard the commander of the Frighteners.]

...Leos? Is it true?

[broken_frightener]

I know what she's talking about... Yes. Its true. But the operation was sanctioned. The people we were sent after were labeled as threats to stability in the region and we had orders to clear them and their forces-

"What about everyone else who got caught in the fighting?! Were they threats too?!"

[Leos closes his eyes for a moment before he draws his pistol, though he maintains trigger discipline and keeps his finger off the trigger and the gun pointed down. Still. The act alone got more than a few fearful looks while the Frighteners looked disturbingly eager to taste the blood in the water.]

Remille. Boyle. Take the others back to Alhambra and pack everything... We're done. I'll clean up here.



[Boyle however bounds over to him, looking all too excited at the prospect of violence instead of following orders.]

"Aw come on Sir! Just a little gunning down-"

[This was pretty much something Leos was truly sick of as he backhanded his second right in the face. Hard enough that the armored covering Boyle had over his mouth was dented badly.]

If you can't listen to my orders you'll be nothing more than dead weight Boyle. I've given all of you far too much leniency and freedom to act. One more step out of line from you and I will end you. Painfully. The same goes for the rest of you. Now. LEAVE!

[The Frighteners bail as Leos turns to regard the girl and her brother, raising his gun at them as he sighs tiredly.]

... Now where was I...

4

[brought_it_back]

[That person was in the middle of her lunch, which she stops eating as Leos arrives. It takes a moment for her to find the right words to say.]

...No, I can't say that I did.

[broken_frightener]

Honestly I didn't plan on leaving the Unity Group this early, so I suppose that would make it a bit of a shock for both of us.

[He seats himself opposite her.]

I have to ask though... was I wrong about what I said you'd do? Or am I right?

[brought_it_back]

[Eva picks at her food absentmindedly.]

Are you actually going to listen to what I say this time? Or would I be wasting my breath again.

[broken_frightener]

Talk and I'll listen Eva... I think I've got all the time in the world.

1: Test your Might! (Do-Do-De-Do-De-Do-De!)

[actuallyselfish]

"Aweee..." Dido mutters staring at the broken wreckage of Martial Matchup. "And I'd totally figured out a cool combo to defeat President Gladiator...! Still!"

She cracks her knuckles and picks up a controller. "I'll do best of three in Kalamity Battle with you!"

And see if video game will help restore your mental health, Dido thinks to herself quietly.

"How about it?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwWPadFsOA

[broken_frightener]

I think the game actually breaks itself if you do beat President Gladiator. But yeah, best out of three works. On one condition

[Leos has a playful tone as the theme music starts up. The menus are being breezed through quickly before-]

-JOEY CAIGE-

I call dibs on Joey Caige.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSHiY4aRDb0

[actuallyselfish]

"Well aren't you cheap?" Dido grumbles. She scrolls through the character list, numerous bizarre martial artists appearing and disappearing on her side of the screen.

"Ooh!" Dido says, pressing select. On-screen, a woman with a colorful bandana and waist sarong beheads a chickens with her kris, then assumes a fighting pose.

–R-R-Rama Raid!-

"Alright!" Dido tabs down to the list of fighting arenas. "Dibs on the Blood Temple!" she says, clicking on it.

After a loading screen, the match starts. "Match 1...FIGHT!" How does Leos start things off?

[broken_frightener]

[He starts off throwing a few random punches and kicks, seemingly in an attempt to get a feel for things with the game... then Joey Caige flashes across the screen in a blue halo of energy with his arm thrown forward with his signature Phantom Punch!]

3

[kill_all_vagans]

Leos...?

[Flit's kinda confused, and also a bit in the dark about this.]

What happened?

[broken_frightener]

... I'm not going to lie or have you have to hear it from anyone else Flit. Honestly that wouldn't be fair to you.

I'm a murderer. Loni said that the Frighteners were more of a Protection Racket for people in ESUN, but that was only a part of it. Some of the 'threats to regional stability' aren't just terrorists or corporations... we were aimed at were good people just looking out for their own but refused to give way to the people funding us. People who had information they shouldn't have. People who asked questions.

[There was a bitter chuckle from Leos.]

I've come full circle and turned into the thing I killed so much of myself to take down more or less.

[kill_all_vagans]

But...

... But why!?

Leos, why didn't you... stop? Or just not even start?

[broken_frightener]

I started because I was stupid enough to believe the person who gave me this job Flit. I actually thought that because he was a part of ESUN he'd have me help people.

And stopping? Easier said than done. I stop, what happens next? Everything gets solved? The killing stops?

I made myself into this the moment I threw myself into Nineball's strings. Just a pawn from one plan to the next.