[as soon as the two step forward, the lights above them flicker on]
[they're in what looks like a large, spacious warehouse. there are obstacles strewn across the area, things like large wooden crates, barrel drums, and so on and so forth. as with others rooms, the floor and walls are made of chrome. there's a door on the opposite side of the room, which would be pretty easy to get to, except for one small problem]
[the warehouse area is filled with gun slinging aliens.]
[and not a single one of them looks happy to see either Kaito or Aoko]
[in unison, the aliens all lift their firearms with a series of loud clicks that echo throughout the room. luckily for the adventuring duo, they don't fire just yet]
[Kaito's gaze quickly darts across the area, making note of a nearby series of stacked wooden crates. carefully, he shifts his elbow to nudge Aoko's arm. when he speaks, his voice is low]
[ She's. She's kind of frozen, staring wide-eyed at the aliens and their guns. The aliens who are staring at them, with their guns, which will be fired at them any second now, and— ]
[ Kaito nudges her, and she twitches her head in a minute nod ]
[more clicking noises as the aliens prepare to fire]
-- one!
[and then he's moving and fully expecting her to move with him, darting to the side with surprising speeds to duck behind the crates. as they move, the aliens fire! their laser beams scorch the ground and walls and even the front of the wooden crates, but as long as the duo makes it to shelter in time the most they might get is a little grazed]
[ She moves in perfect sync with him, but the trouble is … she's not quite as fast as he is. Always a step behind, never faltering, ever chasing. THE TRUE NAKAMORI WAY.
So, she might end up taking a little more damage than him. NOT THAT SHE LETS IT STOP HER; she dives forward anyway, skidding to a stop behind the crates in an awkward, clumsy roll. ]
[any hits that she does take leave tiny little scratch marks on her skin. tiiiiiny tiny little things that sting a like paper cuts]
Oi! Are you okay?
[he asks quickly as he presses his back against the crates. his gaze flickers towards her, concern written on his expression, and he has his own firearm held up and at the ready. the pew pew pew sound of lasers firing continues to bounce throughout the air, each one occasionally being followed by a thud as the laser bolts hit the crates]
Y-Yeah, I'm fine. [ Wheeze. ] Sorry, Kaito. Guess I'm still a ways from being able to keep up with you … [ Casts him a smile that she hopes is reassuring, even as she gives her legs a quick looking over. Just as she'd expected, there's nothing there except for faint red scratches. ]
All I meant is that you're faster than I am! [ Which is, undeniably, true. While Aoko can certainly keep up with him in the endurance department, he's always had the advantage when it comes to sheer speed and dexterity. ]
More importantly— [ Pulls herself up into a crouch. ] What are we supposed to do? They're all between us and the door, and we're outnumbered and outgunned. [ SURELY KAITO KNOWS WHAT TO DO, and she's staring at him kind of expectantly. ]
[he opens his mouth to reply, but is once again cut off by some of the wood from the crate splintering near the corners. he ducks forward, lifts his head, and quickly scans the scene for something-- anything-- they can use to give themselves an edge. if he could just get the aliens to stop shooting for five seconds. . .]
[. . .]
[he looks up at the ceiling, then at the walls, stopping as soon as he catches sight of a stack of metallic barrels positioned neatly in a corner. there are a lot of barrels, too. . . if someone were to knock them over, the results would certainly be disastrous]
[he grins]
Stay here, okay?
[one of them should be enough]
And on my signal, you come out swinging. Okay? You're good at wielding those kinda weapons; just think of it like a more dangerous mop.
S-Swinging at—Kaito, they've got guns! I don't know if this thing can stand up against them …! [ It's a weak protest, because of course, of course she knows that she's going to go ahead with the plan anyway. Kaito's going to need her to back him up if they want to pull this off. ]
[ Knowing that she'll give it her best shot doesn't stop her nerves from jangling, though. She glances between him and her staff, biting down on her lip. It's like skiing all over again, except it involves a lot less sliding down mountainsides with pieces of wood strapped to her feet … and a lot more angry alien menace ready to shoot at her. ]
Knock their weapons from their hands! I trust you.
[he reaches out to place a hand against her arm, catching her gaze with his as he does so. she can probably see his confidence in his eyes-- for once, it isn't confidence in himself. it's confidence in her]
[but just like that, the moment is over. he withdraws, and suddenly he's bolting out from behind the crates. his movement, funnily enough, draws fire away from Aoko-- which may or may not have been one of his intentions, here. but although the aliens continue to shoot at him, although laser beam after laser beam streaks through the air. . . Kaito ducks, he dodges, he skids against the ground and throws himself out of the way of every shot that comes his way. some of them singe his hair, others nick his shoulders or the backs of his knees (HP: 97%). but that's the extent of the damage]
[he makes it to the stack of metallic barrels in one piece, after a thoroughly impressive display of dexterity and athleticism]
[ knocking the guns out of their hands is EASIER SAID THAN DONE, DAMNIT … e-except, no. Aoko pauses, taking a deep breath to calm herself. This is just a video game. It's just a game. Whatever happens, it's going to be fine … and maybe Kaito's not wrong, or at least not entirely? She has to remind herself about the mop chases, about the raptors—about all of the things they've done together. She's not incapable. ]
[ Kaito's got faith in her. She can try to live up to that. She can … try to have some faith in herself. ]
[ And then Kaito's gone, and Aoko's peeking out carefully to watch him. It's always amazing, seeing him in action—she forgets just how fast he is; just how well he knows how to move, using his body to the very best of its abilities. ]
[ … By the time he's safe, Aoko might. Be blushing slightly. ]
[there's no signal just yet, but there is a loud cry, one that echoes across the walls triumphantly]
Incoming!
[and then. . . there's a loud clang, which is the sound of something kicking one of the metallic barrels at the base of the stack. said barrel shifts slightly, and another clang follows. this time, the barrel is dislodged from the stack entirely]
[and then the whole thing comes tumbling down. the crashing noise is deafening, but the barrels are heavy and full of force as they fall on top of the alien soldiers. some of them are squished underneath the heavy equipment. others are knocked into walls, or forced to clamor over each other in an attempt to escape. it's a counterattack that renders most of the attacking force immobile or incapacitated!]
[there are still a few aliens left when it's over-- four of them, to be exact, who managed to avoid being taken out by a crashing stack of metal barrels. but four is enough]
Now, Aoko!
[they can take four gun-slinging aliens head on easily]
[ Aoko gawks, stunned by the spectacle. What had been an organized group of alien gunmen has been reduced to a scrabbling, confused mess, with a good number of them outright unconscious. It's impressive, to say the least, almost brutally efficient, and … and maybe kind of—really—cool. ]
[ Still, she's had time to prepare herself. When Kaito calls to her, she moves, dashing out of cover as quickly as she can push herself. Two of the aliens swing around to face her, guns raising, but they're not quick enough—she's too close, and she's swinging, staff whipping out in a swift, powerful arc to smack the guns out of their hands ]
[while two of the aliens whirl on Aoko, the other two spin to level their weapons at Kaito, eyes wide, mouths pulled back into angry sneers. their fingers squeeze around the triggers of their weapons, but before they can fire, they're both stuck between the eyes by white-hot beams of red light from Kaito's gun]
[boy, he sure did shoot fast]
[meanwhile, Aoko's assault knocks the weapons away from her duo of enemies. both aliens grunt and stumble back, regarding her with scowls as they immediately reach for the combat knives they have strapped to their waists as backup weapons]
[ Aoko would be more impressed by Kaito's skill and speed, but she's a little busy right now. All of her focus is on the aliens in front of her. They have knives—she spotted them earlier—and now that the guns are out of their hands, they're going to … ah, no, nope, she has to move quickly! ]
Don't even think about it!
[ By the time the guns are clattering to the ground, Aoko's striking again, this time aiming to WHACK one alien upside the head and to the side. The side, incidentally, that his alien buddy is standing at—knock 'em off balance, keep them from being able to draw those knives, and maybe, if she's lucky, the hit will be enough to take one of them out! ]
[. . . well, sort of. her strike cracks over the first alien's head before it can lift its weapon, and its HP bar flickers above its head with a 25% HP remaining as it stumbles right into its companion. the force of Aoko's blow was so powerful that the collision sends the second alien askew as well. there's the sound of metal clattering against the ground as both creatures drop their knives.]
[a low growl rumbles in the second alien's throat as it lunges for Aoko, empty-handed, to maybe try to tackle her to the ground or something. the first alien is too dazed to move]
[AND MEANWHILE, IN KAITO'S CORNER]
[both aliens are hovering at about 50% HP remaining, and both of them are still armed to the teeth. as Kaito backpedals, they both swivel their guns around to take aim at him, shooting without hesitation. the magician lets out a curse and ducks behind another nearby crate, allowing the laser beams to thump against it harmlessly]
How're you doing, Aoko!
[he calls out before he ducks out from behind the crates and shoots at the aliens once again. two more direct hits, and one of them even manages to get the alien to drop his weapon]
[ Oh, wow! She'd actually done it! She'd—EEK. Aoko yelps as the alien lunges for her, backpedalling rapidly, staff swinging once more in a wild attempt to fend it off. Doesn't matter if her attack doesn't knock the alien out; she just needs to buy herself some time and space to regroup! If that thing takes her to the ground, then … then … she's finished! ]
HELP!
[ Your girlfriend is sounding pretty panicked there, Kaito! ]
[Aoko swings her staff, and the advancing alien catches it in one hand. it's nearly upon her now!1 and from this close up, she can see its ugly mug of a face, covered in gray scales but completely unprotected by any armor at all]
[. . . its eyes are bloodshot and probably very, very vulnerable]
Aoko--!
[Kaito cries out when she calls for help, and he immediately bolts out from behind the crates. which. . . turns out to be a terrible idea, because the alien that is still holding its gun immediately shoots at him. there's a surprise yell and a hiss of pain as the laser beam strikes his shoulder. 80% HP remaining]
Hang on. . .!
[he levels his weapon at the alien who just shot at him and fires, knocking that creature's weapon out of its hands as well, before he swivels to face Aoko yet again. but at this rate, he might not be able to get to her in time]
[ What an ugly face you have, Sir! Aoko stares, wide-eyed, trembling from head to foot as she stumbles into a quick backpedal. It's only a game—it's nothing more than a simulation, but it looks so real, and … … and is it just her, or are the alien's eyes decidedly bloodshot? There's no armor there … it's unprotected. ]
[ She has to ignore Kaito's yell. There's no time; if this thing catches her, it's all over! He'll be fine, he'll be fine, she tells herself furiously, before she lets go of the staff and throws herself forward, swinging her fist right for the alien's face. BETWEEN THE EYES, ASSHOLE. ]
[the alien stumbles back, its body glitching out of existence like the aliens before it had. apparently that blow was so powerful, Aoko managed to defeat the thing in one strong hit. imagine that. for her, this only leaves the alien she knocked upside the head with her staff earlier. its still lying on the ground, dazed and unable to move]
[Kaito would gape in awe, but he's still dealing with two gun-slinging aliens himself. he barely has time to say anything about Aoko's powerful punch before another laser beam comes careening his way. this one, he dodges, before he lifts his weapon and shoots the creature in the face]
[it stumbles back, glitches, and then disappears]
. . . nice, Aoko!
[two aliens left!1 but considering Aoko's is incapacitated and Kaito's has no weapons, it should be a snap to get rid of them. right?]
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[they're in what looks like a large, spacious warehouse. there are obstacles strewn across the area, things like large wooden crates, barrel drums, and so on and so forth. as with others rooms, the floor and walls are made of chrome. there's a door on the opposite side of the room, which would be pretty easy to get to, except for one small problem]
[the warehouse area is filled with gun slinging aliens.]
[and not a single one of them looks happy to see either Kaito or Aoko]
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[Kaito freezes into place]
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Um.
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[Kaito's gaze quickly darts across the area, making note of a nearby series of stacked wooden crates. carefully, he shifts his elbow to nudge Aoko's arm. when he speaks, his voice is low]
On three. To the right.
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[ Kaito nudges her, and she twitches her head in a minute nod ]
R-Right ...! [ Her voice is a whisper ]
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Three, two. . .
[more clicking noises as the aliens prepare to fire]
-- one!
[and then he's moving and fully expecting her to move with him, darting to the side with surprising speeds to duck behind the crates. as they move, the aliens fire! their laser beams scorch the ground and walls and even the front of the wooden crates, but as long as the duo makes it to shelter in time the most they might get is a little grazed]
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So, she might end up taking a little more damage than him. NOT THAT SHE LETS IT STOP HER; she dives forward anyway, skidding to a stop behind the crates in an awkward, clumsy roll. ]
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Oi! Are you okay?
[he asks quickly as he presses his back against the crates. his gaze flickers towards her, concern written on his expression, and he has his own firearm held up and at the ready. the pew pew pew sound of lasers firing continues to bounce throughout the air, each one occasionally being followed by a thud as the laser bolts hit the crates]
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[he scoffs, then lets out a small curse as a laser beam thunks against the crates right behind his head]
I was just closer to the crates, that's all. It has nothing to do with you not keeping up.
[. . . man when are these aliens gonna stop shooting]
We've gotta move, though. We can't stay here forever.
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All I meant is that you're faster than I am! [ Which is, undeniably, true. While Aoko can certainly keep up with him in the endurance department, he's always had the advantage when it comes to sheer speed and dexterity. ]
More importantly— [ Pulls herself up into a crouch. ] What are we supposed to do? They're all between us and the door, and we're outnumbered and outgunned. [ SURELY KAITO KNOWS WHAT TO DO, and she's staring at him kind of expectantly. ]
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[. . .]
[he looks up at the ceiling, then at the walls, stopping as soon as he catches sight of a stack of metallic barrels positioned neatly in a corner. there are a lot of barrels, too. . . if someone were to knock them over, the results would certainly be disastrous]
[he grins]
Stay here, okay?
[one of them should be enough]
And on my signal, you come out swinging. Okay? You're good at wielding those kinda weapons; just think of it like a more dangerous mop.
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[ Knowing that she'll give it her best shot doesn't stop her nerves from jangling, though. She glances between him and her staff, biting down on her lip. It's like skiing all over again, except it involves a lot less sliding down mountainsides with pieces of wood strapped to her feet … and a lot more angry alien menace ready to shoot at her. ]
[ NO PRESSURE. ]
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[he reaches out to place a hand against her arm, catching her gaze with his as he does so. she can probably see his confidence in his eyes-- for once, it isn't confidence in himself. it's confidence in her]
[but just like that, the moment is over. he withdraws, and suddenly he's bolting out from behind the crates. his movement, funnily enough, draws fire away from Aoko-- which may or may not have been one of his intentions, here. but although the aliens continue to shoot at him, although laser beam after laser beam streaks through the air. . . Kaito ducks, he dodges, he skids against the ground and throws himself out of the way of every shot that comes his way. some of them singe his hair, others nick his shoulders or the backs of his knees (HP: 97%). but that's the extent of the damage]
[he makes it to the stack of metallic barrels in one piece, after a thoroughly impressive display of dexterity and athleticism]
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[ Kaito's got faith in her. She can try to live up to that. She can … try to have some faith in herself. ]
[ And then Kaito's gone, and Aoko's peeking out carefully to watch him. It's always amazing, seeing him in action—she forgets just how fast he is; just how well he knows how to move, using his body to the very best of its abilities. ]
[ … By the time he's safe, Aoko might. Be blushing slightly. ]
[ Maybe. ]
[ While she waits for his signal. ]
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Incoming!
[and then. . . there's a loud clang, which is the sound of something kicking one of the metallic barrels at the base of the stack. said barrel shifts slightly, and another clang follows. this time, the barrel is dislodged from the stack entirely]
[and then the whole thing comes tumbling down. the crashing noise is deafening, but the barrels are heavy and full of force as they fall on top of the alien soldiers. some of them are squished underneath the heavy equipment. others are knocked into walls, or forced to clamor over each other in an attempt to escape. it's a counterattack that renders most of the attacking force immobile or incapacitated!]
[there are still a few aliens left when it's over-- four of them, to be exact, who managed to avoid being taken out by a crashing stack of metal barrels. but four is enough]
Now, Aoko!
[they can take four gun-slinging aliens head on easily]
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[ Aoko gawks, stunned by the spectacle. What had been an organized group of alien gunmen has been reduced to a scrabbling, confused mess, with a good number of them outright unconscious. It's impressive, to say the least, almost brutally efficient, and … and maybe kind of—really—cool. ]
[ Still, she's had time to prepare herself. When Kaito calls to her, she moves, dashing out of cover as quickly as she can push herself. Two of the aliens swing around to face her, guns raising, but they're not quick enough—she's too close, and she's swinging, staff whipping out in a swift, powerful arc to smack the guns out of their hands ]
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[while two of the aliens whirl on Aoko, the other two spin to level their weapons at Kaito, eyes wide, mouths pulled back into angry sneers. their fingers squeeze around the triggers of their weapons, but before they can fire, they're both stuck between the eyes by white-hot beams of red light from Kaito's gun]
[boy, he sure did shoot fast]
[meanwhile, Aoko's assault knocks the weapons away from her duo of enemies. both aliens grunt and stumble back, regarding her with scowls as they immediately reach for the combat knives they have strapped to their waists as backup weapons]
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Don't even think about it!
[ By the time the guns are clattering to the ground, Aoko's striking again, this time aiming to WHACK one alien upside the head and to the side. The side, incidentally, that his alien buddy is standing at—knock 'em off balance, keep them from being able to draw those knives, and maybe, if she's lucky, the hit will be enough to take one of them out! ]
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[. . . well, sort of. her strike cracks over the first alien's head before it can lift its weapon, and its HP bar flickers above its head with a 25% HP remaining as it stumbles right into its companion. the force of Aoko's blow was so powerful that the collision sends the second alien askew as well. there's the sound of metal clattering against the ground as both creatures drop their knives.]
[a low growl rumbles in the second alien's throat as it lunges for Aoko, empty-handed, to maybe try to tackle her to the ground or something. the first alien is too dazed to move]
[AND MEANWHILE, IN KAITO'S CORNER]
[both aliens are hovering at about 50% HP remaining, and both of them are still armed to the teeth. as Kaito backpedals, they both swivel their guns around to take aim at him, shooting without hesitation. the magician lets out a curse and ducks behind another nearby crate, allowing the laser beams to thump against it harmlessly]
How're you doing, Aoko!
[he calls out before he ducks out from behind the crates and shoots at the aliens once again. two more direct hits, and one of them even manages to get the alien to drop his weapon]
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HELP!
[ Your girlfriend is sounding pretty panicked there, Kaito! ]
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[. . . its eyes are bloodshot and probably very, very vulnerable]
Aoko--!
[Kaito cries out when she calls for help, and he immediately bolts out from behind the crates. which. . . turns out to be a terrible idea, because the alien that is still holding its gun immediately shoots at him. there's a surprise yell and a hiss of pain as the laser beam strikes his shoulder. 80% HP remaining]
Hang on. . .!
[he levels his weapon at the alien who just shot at him and fires, knocking that creature's weapon out of its hands as well, before he swivels to face Aoko yet again. but at this rate, he might not be able to get to her in time]
[IMPROVISE, AOKO]
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[ She has to ignore Kaito's yell. There's no time; if this thing catches her, it's all over! He'll be fine, he'll be fine, she tells herself furiously, before she lets go of the staff and throws herself forward, swinging her fist right for the alien's face. BETWEEN THE EYES, ASSHOLE. ]
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[IT'S A DIRECT HIT]
[the alien stumbles back, its body glitching out of existence like the aliens before it had. apparently that blow was so powerful, Aoko managed to defeat the thing in one strong hit. imagine that. for her, this only leaves the alien she knocked upside the head with her staff earlier. its still lying on the ground, dazed and unable to move]
[Kaito would gape in awe, but he's still dealing with two gun-slinging aliens himself. he barely has time to say anything about Aoko's powerful punch before another laser beam comes careening his way. this one, he dodges, before he lifts his weapon and shoots the creature in the face]
[it stumbles back, glitches, and then disappears]
. . . nice, Aoko!
[two aliens left!1 but considering Aoko's is incapacitated and Kaito's has no weapons, it should be a snap to get rid of them. right?]
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