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Post by tachyon on Jan 26, 2008 5:37:35 GMT -5
Xacio, his breath more raspy than usual, looked down at the body at his feet. He leant down and put his gloved hand close to Kei's face as if he were about to stroke it, but stopped, closed his eyes and pulled his hand back. When he looked back up at the others, his eyes had lost their hard edge. To look into them was to look into a infinite sea of calm. But not in the sense of peacefullness, more like... purgatory.
"It is complicated... and personal. If she has not seen fit to tell you, then it is not my place to do so." he said. His tone of his voice matched his look in his eyes.
"This fight ends now. I will make no further attempts on your lives... unless you try to take mine."
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Post by Ash on Jan 27, 2008 15:36:47 GMT -5
Ash clenches his fists as he hears Xacio´s words.
"This fight ends now?You..."
He walks toward Xacio,but stops all of a sudden.
"No!!!Stop it!My head!You monster!", someone shouts in pain.
He turns around,only to see that none of the people in the room said this.
It was in my head again...
Then he realizes that something was missing.The headache.He clearly heard the voice.But without the pain from before.
He shakes his head and looks over to Xacio again.
"Tell me what I want to know and I'm gone.And,if I'm lucky,I´ll never have to see you again."
Ash visibly relaxes.And as he does,the Wings of Light get smaller and smaller,until they completely disappear.
With a mechanical noise the Wings fold themselves together.
The counter on his HUD disappears,as well as all the messages.
"Well?We can start this all again if you want.Just remain silent."
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Post by tachyon on Jan 27, 2008 18:09:52 GMT -5
Getting to his feet, Xacio makes a grotesque retching noise as the lower portion of his mask opens and as he spits a glob of dark blue blood into the corner. The wounds Kei left on his face were already beginning to scab over.
"Very well. But," he raised a finger, "there is one condition; you may ask me only three questions. One each. I will answer them truthfully and to the best of my ability, so choose wisely."
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Post by Ash on Jan 27, 2008 20:12:17 GMT -5
"What the...Why?", Ash asks,sounding angry.
"Bah.Whatever.Okay.I thought I ask you where the person or the group is who paid you for destroying the armors.But what if you don't know the location or even the name?Everything is getting arranged over a computer network on New Eden,if I remember correctly."
After few moments in thoughts,he has found a question.Now he hopes that he gets an useful answer.
"So tell me...HOW can I find your constituent?"
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Post by tachyon on Jan 28, 2008 1:41:30 GMT -5
"My friend," said Xacio, spreading his arms, "you have already found him."
Xacio watches the realization dawn on Ash, even through his helmet.
"Yes. There was never a third party involved, there was only I. I destroyed those devices of my own accord. Deathwatch likes others to believe that they hold sway over me; a most useful ploy to keep their competition at bay and to secure a more lucrative clientele. But I have little need for their services, not the least in cases where I employ myself, as per the situation at hand."
He looks to Machaeus and Urufu.
"Now, what would you ask of me?"
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Post by Machaeus on Jan 30, 2008 6:28:21 GMT -5
Machaeus thinks. "May I give up my question to someone else?" Urufu asks. "And so help me if you say 'no, one question left', there will be pain."
"Beat your head against the wall again?" Machaeus asks Urufu, rolling his eyes.
"Maybe against his."
"Wonderful, your thick skull would probably kill him. Now shut up and let me think."
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Post by tachyon on Jan 31, 2008 2:58:29 GMT -5
"Yes you may," Xacio said to Urufu, "and no that question does not count as one of the two remaining."
He unholsters his hundgun, swings out the chamber and begins to reload it one bullet at a time.
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Post by Machaeus on Jan 31, 2008 16:56:49 GMT -5
Machaeus nods. "Why would you destroy those armors yourself? I can't think of a motivation other than wanting to keep them off the market or something - keeping your job."
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Post by tachyon on Feb 1, 2008 1:56:02 GMT -5
"It is slightly more complex than that," said Xacio, sliding the last bullet in, "actually, it is significantly more complex than that."
He spun the chamber then flicked it back into place.
"The armors of the Earth Defence Force pose no threat to me. Although by Earth standards I am sure they are quite advanced, they are quite crude by comparison to the war machines of other races. No, they were simply a means to an end."
Xacio twirled the handgun around on his finger, then slipped it back into its holster.
"That end was enabling you to become aware of me.
"I am not known well on Earth, and I required that you must not only come to know of me, but become sufficiently curious to actively seek me out. Thus far it has succeeded," he looked down to the unconscious being at his feet, again with that far-off look in his eyes, "despite some... unexpected complications."
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Post by Machaeus on Feb 2, 2008 12:47:56 GMT -5
Urufu raises an eyebrow. "Now I want to ask a question. What's the point of getting someone to want to seek you out? Why would you want that?"
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Post by tachyon on Feb 2, 2008 19:27:19 GMT -5
"Because I needed to test you. All of you. No matter which route you took in order to find me you would undoubtedly face danger; a lot of beings have a vendetta against me, as you are by now no doubt aware. Yet you continued on, and eventually succeeded in besting me in combat it seems. Even when I'm not fighting hard I am still a difficult opponent."
Xacio turned his head to the ceiling, as if listening to something that the others couldn't hear.
"And now I must take my leave of you."
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Post by Ash on Feb 3, 2008 8:46:19 GMT -5
"Wait,wait,wait.That did not answer the question!", Ash shouts,pointing a finger at Xacio.
"Oh crap.It did answer the question.But for what purpose did you test us?I don't get it!"
Ash takes a deep breath and scratches his head.His helmet,to be correct.Only now he realizes that he was wearing the helmet the whole time.
Obviously Ash has reached a point where he doesn't even feel the difference between wearing the armor or not anymore.
"And what about Kei?It seems as if you two have quite some stuff to talk about."
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Post by Machaeus on Feb 3, 2008 14:57:11 GMT -5
"Shoulda worded my question better," Urufu scowls.
"Maybe if we fight him at a later date we can get more questions out of him," Machaeus shrugs with a smirk.
"Oh, you're funny. Like a cactus up the - "
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Post by tachyon on Feb 4, 2008 5:18:16 GMT -5
"Yes, well," said Xacio, cutting off Urufu, "I suggest that you do so next time."
Xacio stood by the open door. His eyes, his stance, his body language in general made it seem like he was reluctant to leave.
"About...her." he looked at the unconscious Kei, who was actually snoring, "It is not my place to say anything about...us. But if she wishes to do so then I have no objections."
There was something else too, and it seemed as though he was having a hard time trying to say it.
"Would you tell her...that I am still looking? She will understand."
There was a hum and a bright flash of light as Xacio disappeared, the personal teleporter making the dust in the surrounding air glow for a few seconds after.
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Post by Ash on Feb 4, 2008 11:06:51 GMT -5
Tell her...that he is still looking?
"Yeah.Whatever this means.", Ash mutters as Xacio leaves.
He looks over to Urufu and Machaeus.
"Shall we go then?", is all Ash says.In the past days happened much more to him than in most of the years he was still with the EDF.He is tired.May it be because he was wearing the armor for such a long period or because of the battle.
"Can you imagine that?I slept the whole time on our way to New Eden.And now I am sleepy AGAIN..."
He crouches down besides Kei and pokes her several times against the cheek.
"Hey.Wake up.Hey.Come on.I don't want to carry you the whole way back to the ship."
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