Glass to the Arson [Jericho]

[Aerith]

Whose idea was it to come here?
--------
[Music and lyrics by Anberlin]

If ever there was an accurate reflection of human depravity, this place was it. Like Traverse Town, Port Royal seemed to be blanketed in an eternal night, but unlike Traverse Town, there were no attempts to cover up the filth that pervaded the city. The rank smell of weeks-old refuse, wet animals, and rum hovered over practically everything, no matter how far away you went from the heart of the city.

The large moon in the sky was the only source of accountability here. Any activities of a questionable nature were done as far out of its illumination as possible. To be seen was to be caught in the act. And to be caught usually meant nothing short of the gallows. Perhaps, if you were lucky, you would be required to pay for your crimes by spending only a short time in prison. Death by hanging was the more likely course, however.

A harsh world, to be sure. So, why were they here?

The second Nadia stepped off the ship, she felt like ten thousand pairs of eyes were on her. Ten thousand invisible pairs of eyes. Her body tensed visibly, like a wary feline ready to pounce if threatened.

"Not very easy on the eyes... or nose, is it?" Glancing over her shoulder, she decided not to move any farther until Jericho was off the ship, too. Elliot had left a very bad taste in her mouth. A lasting bad taste. Being part of any black market slave trading wasn't penciled into her schedule for today.

[Slash]

Looks like a storm's coming.

[/center]

Jericho looked up at the sky. The moon was shining brightly, but he could see large clouds at the edges slowly closing in. They looked big enough to be...yes, they probably were.

Storm clouds.

He seriously considered going back and sitting in the ship until the next day until he dismissed the idea on the grounds of it being pathetic. Surely he could make it through one storm...provided it was not too long.

His stomach churned at the very idea. But hey- Nadia was speaking to him.

"No, it's not." He looked around. This world was disgusting, horrible, worthy of nothing but complete annihilation. That's how he saw it, at least. And when you went to the bottom of things, the only opinion that truly mattered to anyone at the end was their own.

"The smell will probably be less horrible if we can get inside. Besides, it looks like a storm's coming."

He did a decent job of keeping the dread out of his voice.

[Aerith]

First time here. Not sure where to go.
--------

When Jericho mentioned a storm, Nadia looked upward. There were, indeed, clouds gathering around the moon. Even from here, she could tell they were laden with rain.

On the one hand, a good soaking might do something to alleviate the stench. On the other, she didn't need to get drenched. Although, standing out in the rain sounded like fun to her. Not many opportunities to do that growing up in a desert.

"Okay. I would lead the way, but I have no idea where to go."

[Slash]

Anywhere will do.

[/center]

Jericho wasted no time in looking for somewhere to go. He couldn't find anywhere suitable, although his standards dropped with every passing second. The clouds crept closer to the moon like vultures circling a dying man, and begun to peck away at its pale flesh.

His mind was taking a very morbid turn as his dread increased. He really didn't want the rain to hit him. If it fell on him, then...well, he knew nothing would really happen, but something in him, some irrational part, kept scratching and scratching and scratching away at this sanity, and if it wasn't appeased...

He eventually decided that an abandoned building was better than no building and entered an empty, decrepit shack. Not a moment too late. Rain began to drizzle in from the various holes in the room. Jericho slowly shied away from it as if it was acid, then took a seat in the corner farthest from the holes.

There was absolutely no point to hiding his fear completely at this point. She had to have figured it out by this point.

"I can't go out. I-" He heard a roll of thunder in the distance and froze completely, looking visibly sick. "I can't. I'm sorry. I can't."

[Aerith]

I'm not in any hurry.
--------

Oddly enough, there was no verbal response from Jericho. He struck off in a random direction, and she did her best to keep up. She hadn't seen him move quite this fast before, not even when that girl had slapped her. This was beyond mere nervousness. This was borderline panic. She would have said something, but considering their pace, it was more than a little difficult to hold a conversation.

Finally, he settled on an abandoned building. The moment Nadia ducked underneath the roof, rain poured from the sky. There were holes dotting the ceiling like Swiss cheese, and the water splashed into various areas of the building.

Before she knew it, Jericho had ensconced himself into the driest corner and was beginning to look physically ill. That's when she remembered. The day he had found his family in pieces, there had been a thunderstorm.

She wasn't really sure what to do right now. So, she stood just inside the doorway for a long while, deliberating. She couldn't stand it for long, though.

"Jericho..." Moving closer, she slid down the wall next to him. "It's all right. We don't have to go anywhere."

[Slash]

I really don't like storms.

He didn't answer for a second or two, just stared blankly out. When her words got through to him, though, he looked at her.

"Pathetic, isn't it?" He smiled weakly. "It's just, if I go out there, then it'll be too much like that day. I've gotten over everything else, but I can't get over-that-one-thing."

His stupid, pointless, meaningless fear choked him and made him lose focus. Part of him wanted to simply curl up and wait fo it all to pass, while another part of him wanted to run outside and scream his defiance at the storm itself, throw all of his hatred and bitterness and scorn at it as it taunted him with its complete indifference.

He didn't like either option. The former would render him powerless, which he always hated, but the latter would result in a massacre when, in frustration, he turned his fury to something that would respond, something that he could make scream and bleed as he killed it.

He sat in quiet indecisiveness, not noticing the footsteps from outside. They just sounded like more rain, anyway.

[Aerith]

...
--------

The silence between them was thick, making the pounding of the rain against the roof all the more intense. Faint rumbles of thunder signaled the heart of this storm was not yet fully upon them. Nadia didn't want to think about what would happen to Jericho if the elements grew much worse.

This was a clear moment of weakness for him, a wound still fresh despite its age. An inexplicable need to offer comfort welled up in her. It was silly. Nothing she could say or do would erase the past. Nevertheless, she found herself reaching out a tentative hand toward his shoulder.

Halfway there, she froze.

Mud squished beneath heavy boots, the only indication that she and Jericho were no longer alone. Out of the sheeting rain, black silhouettes filled the doorway of the shack. About four of them--wet, dirty men--entered and seemed to take no notice of the two people already present.

Obscurity lasted for a grand total of three seconds.

"Oh, an' what 'ave we got here? Trespassers, eh?"

The largest of the men--and that was saying a lot, since all of them were quite large--eyed her and Jericho. In his hands was a crude metal pipe that he pointed toward them. "You don' look familiar, so I'll let you off with a warnin' this time. Get out an' stay out o' Ol' Benjamin's shack." He waved his pipe threateningly, though it came off as more comical than anything else.

Even if she wanted to back down and do as Benjamin said, the likelihood of Jericho happily walking out into the middle of the storm was slim. So, without moving an inch, she said, "We were here first."

Apparently, there was something incredibly hilarious about that statement. Benjamin and the other three who were with him laughed uproariously for a good five minutes, it seemed. More laughter came from outside the shack, as well. There was no telling how many more men were out there.

"I think you're wrong, see. Nobody tells Ol' Benjamin he can't 'ave his way." He indicated the floor just beneath her. "An' seein' as you're sittin' right on top o' my secret stash, you don't 'ave much choice in th' matter."

Perhaps the more intelligent course of action would have been to talk Benjamin down and then walk away. But the hatred she had begun to feel on top of the cathedral was stirring to life. It needed little coaxing from her. These men were mere animals who polluted the air with their every breath.

In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to take that breath from every single one of them.

She closed her eyes and used the wall to push herself to her feet. "We're not leaving." The tarot card appeared in front of her, spinning lazily. "But you are."

Drawing one of her knives, she shattered the card. Mindful of Jericho, she made sure Asherah stuck to burning things for right now. One of Benjamin's lackeys exploded into flame despite the heavy moisture present. The screams that rent the air sent a shiver of pleasure through her.

Using Benjamin's horrified distraction, she drew her other knife and launched herself at him. One knife batted aside the pipe without much effort. The other knife plunged straight through his neck. She twisted it hard, relishing every tiny ripping sound, until she finally tore it free.

No sooner had Benjamin collapsed into little more than a pile of lifeless flesh then the men she had heard outside poured into the room--five more on top of the two still remaining.

There was no time to waste and blood to be spilled. She had released her hold on her own self-control, and now nothing would satisfy her until the rest of the men lay as dead as Benjamin did now.

She picked the nearest target--she wasn't particular, after all--and bore down on him with every ounce of cold fury she possessed.

[Summary:
Nadia used Agi.
Posts until next use: 3
Use remaining: 2]

[Slash]

Killing things sounds like a good distraction.

[/center]

Jericho was lost in the past until four men barged through the door.

It took Jericho a while to focus on the intruders, their words merely a buzzing in his ears. Gaining awareness by gradual degrees, he wasn't fully aware of them until Nadia had already began fighting.

A fight? Nadia had already killed two and was attacking a third one, but five more had charged in to attack.

He should be doing something. He needed to be doing something. He couldn't just sit here and watch.

Stand up! It happened 14 years ago, it's ancient history. Just stand up and fight, damn you![/color]

Jericho reached for Corruption and tried to suppress the shaking of his limbs. Fear of the storm could be seen as fear of them. He stood up and charged one of the men, knocking them up against the wall.

Water sloshed at his feet. Some of the rain hit him as he attacked.

Get over it![/color]

He couldn't. Revulsion and fear blurred his vision and made his blows weaker. He killed the first one, but it was difficult. Difficult! A couple of pirate thugs! Was this how useless he really was?

There is one way you could fight freely. Just one.[/color]

No, that wouldn't work at all.

It wouldn't kill her. You know it wouldn't. And it wouldn't feel anything towards the storm.[/color]

He wouldn't. Nadia could handle herself. She wasn't hurt. And as long as she wasn't hurt, that wasn't even an option.

He didn't want to show her what a monster he really was. Not yet.

[Aerith]

Let's do it again. Soon.
--------

Nadia was only vaguely aware of Jericho moving. Her mind was occupied with other things. The third goon she had attacked was now dead, and she was already moving to a fourth. All of the men--with the exception of Benjamin--were armed with only their fists. That didn't mean they were pushovers, but it did mean that she could make them bleed faster than they could do the same to her.

And they were slow. Oh-so-slow. She had fought faster Heartless.

The fourth knew well enough what hit him, but he was not fast enough to stop it. By the time she was finished with him, the remaining two--she could see that Jericho had killed one--were stumbling outside.

Trying to leave? Oh, no.

This was perfect, actually. Dashing out into the rain, she caught one across the hamstring, then quickly put him out of his misery with a stab or two to his chest. That left one. Just one. And before he could run off, Asherah called down a single bolt of lightning, which blended in quite nicely with the storm.

She did it only because she was outside. Even in the throes of bloodlust, she was nothing if not considerate. Depending on who you were.

Letting the rain clean off her weapons, she walked back into the shack. There was no reason to look for a dry piece of wall, so she leaned her back against the section right by the doorway. She was calm. Sure. At least, she was trying to be. There was still a part of her that was unsatisfied, a craving for more that wouldn't be silenced.

Now was not the time. There was nothing left to kill here, anyway.

Getting a handle on herself as best she could, she focused on Jericho. "Are you all right?"

[Summary:
Nadia used Zio.
Posts until next use: 3
Uses remaining: 2]

[Slash]

It's over.

[/center]

Jericho stopped. Dimly, he felt water run through his hair and down his neck. He retreated slowly, taking his place back in the driest corner, but it was already too late.

Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the shack with its harsh light. He tried to ignore it. There was only one solution to this. Jericho retreated within himself, down into the deepest recesses of his own mind. That was the only way to get through the storm, it seemed.

But Nadia was speaking. What was she saying? It wouldn't be a good idea to listen- he was unstable from the storm and the fight, and if he didn't put himself into a self-induced catatonic state, he was going to do...something. All he knew is that it wouldn't be good, and it would probably involve the monster that was waiting patiently in the back of his head.

He hated this. He hated how a mere storm could easily take away his control, the control he had carefully built over years.

He could give her just a moment, couldn't he?

"I'll be okay," he said flatly.

[Aerith]

I can't do this for you.
--------

Jericho's condition obviously contradicted his assurances. He was certainly not "okay," and Nadia knew it. As long as there weren't anymore intruders--

A far-off din caught her attention, and she poked her head outside the shack to look. Apparently, the slaughter of eight men did not long go unnoticed in this place. Those who killed for a living or even a pleasurable pastime were like sharks. They could smell blood in the water. Literally, in this case.

The two of them couldn't stay here. Who knew how many people were coming? And this time, they would probably be better armed.

She turned back to look at Jericho for only second before she moved. Crouching down in front of him, she looked him square in the face with all the seriousness she could muster.

"Jericho, you are not okay. You haven't been okay since we got here. So, stop lying to me, dammit."

One of her fingers gently poked his chest. "You have to move, and you have to move now. If you don't, we're probably dead." Her other index finger pointed behind her at the door. "Maybe you can get over your fear long enough to hear what's coming."

The sounds of the mob gathering were growing more distinct, even through the storm. There was no question where they were heading.

She didn't take her eyes off him. Not once. "I know the memories are painful. And I know this is just some association issue you have. But unless you want you and me to suffer the same fate as your family did, you have to push past those memories. So, what are you going to do?"

[Slash]

The alternative isn't too great, either.

[/center]

Jericho stared at Nadia as she outlined the danger they were in. Now that she mentioned it, he could hear something. Yes, those were the sounds of a mob. He knew those well.

He was stricken when he heard his family mentioned. It used to be that no one knew about them or could bring them up, and the surprise of Nadia speaking of them, combined her analogy, served to throw Jericho into a completely different train of thought.

If he died like his family had, then it would be a nice sort of parallel, an interesting callback to something significant. He didn't mind the thought as much as he should. But Nadia dying like that? Nadia, cut to pieces and scattered around, her severed head in the center of the mess?

No. He wouldn't let that happen. He'd go, even though he knew exactly what was going to happen if he went into the storm again. He was unstable, and when it hit him something was going to break.

Jericho stood up and looked down at her. "What I'm going to do is keep you alive." He walked to the door, unmindful now of the rain falling on him through the roof. It was still him talking, but something else had most of the control, and it had little care for the past.

"You should stay back. I can take care of them, but things might get bad if you're nearby." He opened the door. "What you're about to see is going to horrible, but whatever it is...you're in no danger from it."

He walked outside to an approaching mob. How many were there? He guessed at least seventeen, maybe more.

No matter. If there were fifty it could probably destroy them, or at least kill enough for the others to disperse.[/color]

He turned slowly towards them.

Now,[/color] he thought simply, and then all of his thought was drowned in the wave of pain that ensued. His skin burned in spite of the incessant downpour, and his eyes felt like they were melting in his skull. He doubled over as bone sprouted from his back and was covered in sinew and skin, and his screams were like that of the damned.

Then he fell silent. He saw clearly now. He understood everything. Rather, it understood everything, for what had taken his place could in no way be construed as a man.

It saw the mob, looking into every single one of them. Their needs, their fears, their nightmares- all were laid out in front of it. Normally, it would want to torture them with its knowledge, but it and that which belonged to it was being threatened.

The spider-creature charged in to attack before the idiot mob could realize exactly what had happened.

[Jericho used Anti-Form. 2 posts remaining.]

[Aerith]

What have I gotten myself into?
--------

Something she had said had gotten through to him. A confusing mix of emotion flashed across his face until everything was gone, replaced by an odd blankness that was disturbing for some reason. He stood and declared his intentions to keep her alive.

Why does he sound so... so...?

Words failed her, even inside her own head, as he warned her to stay out of whatever he was about to do. His tone was enough to root her to where she sat. All she could do was watch him leave the shack, the rain no longer having an effect on him.

When he was far enough away from the entrance, she moved along the floor until she could hug the wall beside the door and look outside. She wasn't sure how far away he wanted her to stay, but she didn't want to take any chances.

He screamed. Her heart nearly stopped.

She put a hand over her mouth. She didn't want to breathe, afraid of being heard by whatever that was.

Spider. Monstrous spider.

There had been rather large spiders that roamed the shadowed crevices of Agrabah. Some of them were very deadly. But none of them even came close to this.

Her stomach was tying itself into knots. There was nowhere for her to run, and even if there was, she didn't think she could. The sight was paralyzing.

No, he said I wasn't in any danger. I just have to stay out of the way.

Once the thing lunged into the midst of the mob, she understood the warning very well.

[Slash]

It ran through the confused mob. Blood spilled onto the filth-ridden streets as it killed. The aura sapped the strength of those who came close enough to strike, and its legs served as skewers for the idiots who tried to surround it. Anything in front of it was ripped apart by its claws, and the sight of so much death was beautiful to its eyes.

They had expected to fight people, not a monster, and the crowd began dispersing.

It wouldn't allow that, and took to the walls. Nothing could run fast enough, and it amused itself hunting down every single one.

Finished. Was that all? How disappointing. No. Wait. One more pulse sounded loud in its ears. There was one still breathing. It traveled on the rooftops, out of sight, until it was directly above the source. Then it dropped down silently outside the door and entered.

Who was this? She was stronger than the others, it saw. She'd last for a while as it ripped her apart-

No? That was odd. It had the feeling that it wasn't supposed to kill this one, strange as it seemed. The spider-thing cocked its head slightly in confusion, and its aura retreated from her and writhed slowly around itself as it tried to understand what it was meant to do.

[Aerith]

What do I do now?
--------

The thing was merciless. Nadia had expected Jericho to be ruthless when it came to killing, but this was on an entirely different level. Was that even Jericho anymore? She had no idea. Her mind was a jumble of incoherent thoughts.

Then, the thing suddenly vanished out of her line of sight. She went cold. Where had it--

Something was on the roof.

And then it was on the ground right outside the door.

Frozen, she watched it come inside. Her pulse pounded in her ears. The thing just looked at her. She looked back, trying not show any signs of fear. Could it sense that? Was it going to do something?

It wasn't going to kill her. At least, not now. The silence grew incredibly tense. Finally, she managed to find her voice for about a second.

"Jericho...?"