Mercurial Shadows [Daniel]

[Slash]

Time for more information.

[/center]

Daniel accepted the apology. "It's no problem. And yes, I have. While searching for Jericho. She attacked me, and she's very powerful. If Jericho is even stronger...Have you fought him, too? What abilities does he have?"

Gabriel, meanwhile, seemed slightly restless.

What is it?

Not sure. Something.

[Nothingness]

What a Shame...

So, Nadia had succumbed to Jericho's influence? How unfortunate. Still, he knew that there had to be some way to convince her. However, he knew that he could think about that later.

Clive crossed his arms and looked off to the side. "Yes, I fought him a short while ago. He was indeed powerful, though his power at first came from his ability to manipulate one's emotions, and that spider monstrosity he became. When he transformed, I could only run away and hope that it wouldn't last too long--just being close to him seemed to sap my strength." Just the thought made his legs feel weaker. "As he returned to normal, the change seemed to have taken a large toll on him physically, but before I could take him down he was revived somehow, and was holding a strange, key-shaped weapon. Afterward, he summoned Heartless and tried to contain me in some sphere of darkness where all sight and sound was distorted. I managed to fight off the Heartless, but when it was over he was gone."

Clive uncrossed his arms and shook his head. "I doubt I could defeat him in a fight now."

[Castle]

It seemed like he would have to decide on the spot whether or not to take Daniel to see Emi. However, he was saved from that decision by the arrival of another man, who immediately mistook Daniel for Jericho. That was straightened out pretty quick, and Daniel started asking the new guy the same questions he'd asked Castle.

Castle kept his arms crossed and observed the conversation, inwardly debating the Emi decision. Maybe Daniel would get his needed information from the newcomer instead. But, if that wasn't the case, he was back to square one. After another second or two of thinking, he wondered if Emi would actually want to put her word in, considering that it might bring down Jericho. By that logic, maybe taking Daniel to see her would be a good idea after all.

But, for now, he needed to see where this new conversation went. While the others talked, he glanced at Gabriel again, but only briefly. He didn't want bird-man to think he was staring.

Then, the new guy started talking about... what was that? Jericho turning into a spider monster? Now that was weird. However, what really caught Castle's attention was the mention of the key-shaped weapon Jericho had. At those words, he straightened up in surprise and uncrossed his arms.

"Wait, hold on," he blurted once the guy was done talking, "You mean Jericho has a keyblade? I thought that was a Light thing!"

[Slash]

Allow me to explain.

[/center]

Daniel immediately straightened up. He had done a lot of research on the subject of Keyblades, as well as on light and darkness. Him and some of his colleagues had attempted to create a Keyblader through artificial means, something which they had never quite accomplished. Gabriel was the best attempt they ever made, perfectly functional and quite powerful, but his brothers and sisters had all been-

What? Brothers and sisters? What does that mean?[/color] Gabriel was instantly alert. Daniel had almost forgotten that he could hear such thoughts if he didn't conceal them.

Please, wait. I can explain later.[/color]

Yes, Master.[/color] His voice...er, thought...was full of reluctance.

"No. Keyblades choose their masters, and as long as they have a strong enough heart it does not matter whether or not they are of the light or darkness."

The full force of what that meant hit him. Jericho had a Keyblade. He had a great amount of darkness, could manipulate anyone, could summon Heartless, had some monstrous alter-ego, and he had a Keyblade.

The future seemed bleaker by the second.

"My master has been seeking to kill him. That is why I exist. But it seems that there will certainly be more force required than that which I possess."

Daniel could almost hear the Soren personality straining to break Iblis's control. The worst part of that is no matter how much he wanted to, it was completely impossible.

[Nothingness]

Not as Bleak as You Think

Ah, so that was what this man was doing. Looking to kill his brother. A small smile crossed Clive's face--it had been a long time since one like that had. It wasn't his old killer instincts. No, this was something else--the thrill of a difficult task. "I have tried to avoid killing Jericho, but, after seeing what he became last time we met, he's no longer a human. Just another monster--no different than the Heartless." He looked at Daniel with a glint in his eyes. "If you need my help, I'll gladly give it." He extended his hand, "Clive Arron."

[Castle]

So, that was how keyblades worked? Interesting, but slightly unnerving for some reason. That reason probably involved Jericho being able to have one. Could someone that crazy really have a strong enough heart to be "chosen" by one of those things? The universe certainly was complicated in its methods...

He couldn't help but notice how Gabriel called Daniel his "master," along with the implication that Daniel had made him. What was Gabriel, then? Some sort of test tube baby? A robot? Forget the universe; science was getting pretty crazy in its own right. Then again, maybe Gabriel was just a really, really devoted servant of some kind. Either way, it was a little creepy.

The newcomer, who introduced himself as Clive, offered to help Daniel get rid of Jericho. Castle watched them thoughtfully.

"Hey, if you still want to meet my friend, we might be able to help you out, too," he told Daniel, "And even if she doesn't want to, I could still lend a hand."

Normally, he would have just walked away from something like this. However, because Jericho was involved, and because he was rumored to be such a monster now, literally, things were different. On top of that, the whole thing sounded like a challenge, and challenges were hard for him to refuse, even if it meant putting up with these three guys, two of whom being more than a little weird.

[Slash]

Nice to meet you, I suppose.

[/center]

Just another monster. No different than the Heartless.

That was partially his fault, and he would have to rectify that at all costs. Daniel took Clive's hand. "Daniel Carter. I appreciate the offer. Thank you."

He looked at Castle. "That would help. I think we're going to need as much help as we can get."

Part of him shied away from being part of a group for any length of time, but it was necessary. Besides, maybe it would not be for too long.

[Nothingness]

Allies are Nice to Have for Once

Well, that was certainly a good thing--having allies he could count on. "What we need more than help is a plan. We could have a dozen people against him and that wouldn't do much help if he outsmarted us. Still, that will be for later." He looked back at the village. Clive felt that it would be best to return since he was both leaving Cinderella alone, as well as shirking off work. Not that anyone minded the latter.

[Castle]

"Well, until then, let's go to the inn and see if she's there. She probably will be," Castle said. He started to turn, but paused and looked back at them. "My name's Castle, by the way. Castle Carmindy."

With that out of the way, he took the lead and started back toward the town. He thought about the situation a little while he walked. It seemed like Jericho had changed a lot since he and Emi met him. In that case, would her remembering anything really be useful? On top of that, he had the sneaking suspicion that she might not want to get involved at all...

He wasn't sure why, but the thought made him uncomfortable. He pushed the feeling away as they finally reached the inn.

"I'll go in and see if she's there. I'll be back in a minute," he told the others.

He went to Emi's room, hesitated, like he used to do a lot in the gummi ship days, and then knocked a few times.

"Hey, it's me. You there?" he called.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

I'm so booooored.
--

Emi was bored. There was nothing to do. It had only been a few days since returning to Radiant Garden, she was bored out of her mind. She was lying on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of something she could do to amuse herself.

She was interrupted, though, by a knock on the door. "Yeah, I'm in here, give me a second,[/color]" she called back, and she rolled out of bed. She grabbed her jeans off the floor and pulled them on as she walked across the room to answer the door. "What?[/color]" she asked, when the door was open. She wasn't trying to be rude, but maybe it came across like that. She just didn't see the point in drawing anything out.

But then she got a bad feeling, and the glared at Castle. He was here for a reason, wasn't he? She could see it on his face. And it probably wasn't a good reason. She crossed her arms. "No, seriously. What is it?[/color]" She might have been able to convince herself it was just a social visit but she could just tell there was something going on...

[Castle]

Wow, she was observant. She seemed to know immediately that he wasn't just here to say hi. Could she read him that well already? ...Yeah, probably.

"Heh. No hiding anything from you, not that I was going to, anyway," he commented with a small smirk, "But, yeah, there's a guy I met on the outskirts who wants to talk to you. He uh... he wants to know about that fight at the Beast's Castle. But before you say anything..." he said quickly, holding up a hand, "...he just wants to know because he wants Jericho dead, like I'm sure the rest of us do. I told him my part, but if you remember anything else, it might help."

There. Might as well start with that. He could get to the part about actually going out and helping with the fight later. Heck, maybe she would decide by herself while she was talking to Daniel or whatever.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

This can't be good.
--

Emi took a step back. "Oh, hell no. I'm not touching anything having to do with Jericho.[/color]"

She almost slammed the door in his face but then his words really hit home. She lifted a hand to her face, kneading the bridge of her nose. Perfect. This is always what happened when she got bored. She sighed.

"As much as I hate to get wrapped up in that situation again... ahh, if he wants Jericho dead, that's good I guess but I've already... fuck. You know what? Fine. I'll talk to him. I don't like this, but I'll at least talk to him.[/color]"

She'd already made her peace with the whole Jericho situation and she was in no mood to run into him again. But she would go talk to this guy, for Castle's sake at least. She told herself You don't have to agree to anything, just go and see what the deal is. They may really need your help.

So she turned, and grabbed her coat off the back of a chair. It had been so badly mangled in their last battle, but that seamstress was magic. She pulled it on, and slipped into her shoes. "All right, whatever. Let's go.[/color]"

And she followed him outside.

[Slash]

Hello.

[/center]

Both Daniel and Gabriel waited outside. Gabriel was being incredibly persistent, and Daniel finally gave in.

What did you mean by brothers and sisters? Please, tell me. What did you mean?

There were others before you. Other experiments.

Why don't I remember any of them?

The other Gabriel units were...unstable. Many of them didn't make it past the embyonic stage.

There was a long pause. How many were there?

Daniel did not directly answer his question.

Your full title was Gabriel Unit-272.

Complete silence on Gabriel's end. Daniel felt guilt stab through him like a sword.

It was all interrupted when he saw Castle walk out with the friend he had mentioned. Even though he didn't want to belittle Gabriel's pain, he had to act kind towards her. They needed her help.

"My name is Daniel Carter," he said, holding out a hand to shake. "I hope that this isn't too much trouble, but we need all the help we can get, Miss...?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Covering myself, just in case.
--

Emi hesitantly withdrew her hand, and shook Daniel's hand lightly. "Emi.[/color]" That was the only thing she said, because she was giving Daniel a wary once-over. Something about him made her feel uneasy... his friend, too. She put her hand back in her pocket and snorted. "All right, let's get on with it. Not sure if the squirt told you but I'm kind of impatient. He told me you wanted to talk to me about Jericho, and all that stuff that happened in the forest outside of the Beast's castle.[/color]"

She squinted at Daniel. "Castle also mentioned you were out to kill Jericho. So... what do you want to know? I don't exactly want to get involved with him again. The past few times we've run into each other... haven't exactly turned out well.[/color]"

She vaguely remembered the threat Jericho had made back at Notre Dame. But she had changed... at least she thought so. Her jaw clenched. "I'll tell you what I can, but I don't want this to get back to him.[/color]"

[Slash]

Well, what do you know?

[/center]

"Anything can help. He's gotten a lot more powerful since you saw him last. I need to know what you saw, if you found a weakness or not, anything. I-"

A rush of sound from behind Daniel made him turn. Gabriel had apparently locked onto a Heartless, and was busy destroying it. Daniel recieved no request for orders, nor was Gabriel communicating through the channel.

Gabriel...[/color]

No answer was recieved. If he ordered for a response, he would recieve one. Not now, though. Gabriel was already conflicted enough.

The Heartless, a strange type he had never seen before, fought back with surprising vigor. It possessed a lithe, snake-like body with 8 long limbs serving as legs, and on its face was a disconcerting, vicious grin. Gabriel struck the final blow- before dying, it let out a great screech into the air.

Its master heard and responded.

A Corridor opened, and a man appeared. The resemblance between him and Daniel was quite striking now that they were near each other.

Jericho looked at the surrounding people, a cruel, sharp grin appearing on his face.

"Ha! I was only looking for Clive, but I can't say I don't prefer this. What a reunion! There's Emi, and Clive, and...whoever the purple-haired guy is! Can't say I remember the name. And brother! It's been so long, Danny! Is that your toy? It did a good number on the Aranea- did you like that? Did you? It's a type of Heartless I made. They're good trackers. Maybe if I practice I'll get as good as you are at making toy soldiers."

Nadia appeared, and a large spider scurried out as well.

"Most of you have met Nadia, yes? And this spider here is Predis. Nadia, I believe you've met everyone here save for the purple-haired guy, but I can't for the life of me remember him." Jericho shrugged.

this was too soon. Far too soon. But Daniel didn't feel any fear.

"Jericho."

"Hm? Why don't you call me by my name, little brother?" His grin became wider. "Unless you think I'm not that person?"

"I don't. But that doesn't matter. I need to ask you something. Did you...did Vincent kill them?"

Jericho's grin faded for just a second, ans he shook his head. "He didn't kill a single one, Danny."

Daniel fought back the emotion that rose when Jericho said that.

Initiate attack mode. Sync.

Synchronization complete. Awaiting further orders.[/i][/color] The machine part of Gabriel was now fully at the forefront. Jericho watched him with interest.