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?]
[ It should be!1 … … but Aoko's still hesitating, staring at the prone alien. It's down. She should finish it. But it's down … … it's just a video game, but it feels wrong to attack something that isn't attacking her. She bends to pick up her staff, staring at it the whole time. ]
[ It's just a video game. ]
[ But it's already incapacitated. ]
[ It's just a video game. ]
[ But it's still— ]
Kaito! [ Calling out, without looking. ] Do you need any help over there?
[he barely has time to finish his sentence before the other alien lunges at him, its scaly hand reaching for its knife. but Kaito, even while distracted, is quick. he backpedals just as the creature swings the blade in his direction, avoiding what would be a very messy wound if Iota wasn't censoring the violence so much by mere centimeters. he swings the handle of his laser gun forward, knocking the alien's wrist hard enough to disarm it.]
[and then he takes aim and fires off one last shot, which strikes the enemy in the gut. the alien stumbles back, glitches out. . . and disappears]
-- it! I've got it!
[meanwhile the incapacitated alien just. continues to not move]
[ God, if this wasn't such a heavily censored game, Aoko would've died of a heart attack just watching Kaito barely avoid that swing. She almost still does. But Kaito's quick, has sharp reflexes even when he's distracted, and he makes short work of his foe. It glitches out, vanishing back into the ether (or the Matrix), and Aoko feels herself breathe again for the first time in several long seconds. ]
[ One down, one to go. ]
Almost done …
[ … She's still hesitating. Her staff is up, she could strike, but. It's not attacking. It's just a video game construct, but it's not attacking. ]
[and it doesn't look like it's going to attack, either. Kaito trots up next to Aoko, his shoulder bleeding from a very light scratch he accumulated when he was hit by a laser beam earlier. his gaze flickers from Aoko, to the alien, and back again]
[ She twitches in surprise at the touch to her elbow, glancing sharply towards—ah, it's Kaito. Of course it's Kaito. Her expression falls into relief, and she immediately follows his tugging, more than willing to step away from the prone alien. ]
Are you okay, Kaito? You're bleeding.
[ Relief, relief, so much relief. She just hopes Iota'll let them through the door without getting rid of that last enemy ... the poor thing doesn't look like it's going to get up any time soon. ]
[he lets out a light, wry laugh, and tilts his head to give her a scrutinizing look]
And who was bleeding earlier after they practically got stabbed by that baby alien?
[there's a metallic sliding door in front of them, on the opposite side of the rather large room. on the ground next to it lies a glimmering, glinting object. . .]
[ That was your fault—Aoko doesn't say, because that would be rude and maybe a little unfair. She just gives him a flat look instead. ]
How much HP do you have left? There might be another boss in there. [ Or it could just be the treasure; they have no way of knowing for sure either way. ]
80%. We've still got some food, right? We'll be fine.
[he follows her as she beelines for the shiny. which, upon further examination, is in fact another piece to their 3D puzzle!! that makes four pieces that can be slotted together to make one, whole object]
[Kaito's almost surprised they haven't had to use any of their HP healing items yet, but. welp. maybe they're just THAT GOOD at video games]
[while Aoko puts the puzzle together, Kaito approaches the door. . . which slides open right in front of him]
Easy. . . [but the room beyond is dark, and he can't see into it. after a bit of fiddling, Aoko will find that the puzzle pieces link together to create a 3D capital iota symbol!!]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[. . .]
[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.
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
[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]
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
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]
no subject
[ 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 ]
no subject
[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]
no subject
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! ]
no subject
[. . . 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]
no subject
HELP!
[ Your girlfriend is sounding pretty panicked there, Kaito! ]
no subject
[. . . 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]
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
[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?]
no subject
[ It's just a video game. ]
[ But it's already incapacitated. ]
[ It's just a video game. ]
[ But it's still— ]
Kaito! [ Calling out, without looking. ] Do you need any help over there?
no subject
[he barely has time to finish his sentence before the other alien lunges at him, its scaly hand reaching for its knife. but Kaito, even while distracted, is quick. he backpedals just as the creature swings the blade in his direction, avoiding what would be a very messy wound if Iota wasn't censoring the violence so much by mere centimeters. he swings the handle of his laser gun forward, knocking the alien's wrist hard enough to disarm it.]
[and then he takes aim and fires off one last shot, which strikes the enemy in the gut. the alien stumbles back, glitches out. . . and disappears]
-- it! I've got it!
[meanwhile the incapacitated alien just. continues to not move]
no subject
[ One down, one to go. ]
Almost done …
[ … She's still hesitating. Her staff is up, she could strike, but. It's not attacking. It's just a video game construct, but it's not attacking. ]
no subject
[he reaches out to take her gently by the elbow]
C'mon. . .
[tug tug]
Let's go.
no subject
Are you okay, Kaito? You're bleeding.
[ Relief, relief, so much relief. She just hopes Iota'll let them through the door without getting rid of that last enemy ... the poor thing doesn't look like it's going to get up any time soon. ]
no subject
And who was bleeding earlier after they practically got stabbed by that baby alien?
[there's a metallic sliding door in front of them, on the opposite side of the rather large room. on the ground next to it lies a glimmering, glinting object. . .]
no subject
How much HP do you have left? There might be another boss in there. [ Or it could just be the treasure; they have no way of knowing for sure either way. ]
[ BEELINE FOR THE SHINY. ]
no subject
80%. We've still got some food, right? We'll be fine.
[he follows her as she beelines for the shiny. which, upon further examination, is in fact another piece to their 3D puzzle!! that makes four pieces that can be slotted together to make one, whole object]
no subject
It's the last one! [ It's a cheering thought. Aoko brightens, and immediately sets about slotting the puzzle together. ]
no subject
[while Aoko puts the puzzle together, Kaito approaches the door. . . which slides open right in front of him]
Easy. . . [but the room beyond is dark, and he can't see into it. after a bit of fiddling, Aoko will find that the puzzle pieces link together to create a 3D capital iota symbol!!]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)