The Rise, And Fall, Of The Syndicate (Private)

The swelling in his arms would no doubt be uncomfortable, but the broken leg would be the bulk of his pain thereafter…never mind the splitting headache upon waking. She silently hoped that by the time he came back to his proper mind without pain clouding everything then perhaps the worst had been healed or at least patched up and the fellow put on some wonderful pain killers? Well…she couldn’t rightly say how criminals were treated, but if they wanted anyone to pay a proper sentence then they’d still have to see to their health.

While the hug assuaged some of her guilt it was something Mao would have to deal with later. Her natural magic wasn’t as kind as some of her gemstone based abilities had been and yet there would come times she couldn’t always lock people up in that other realm or spend as much time as she liked wearing them down with bashing blows. She might not always like it, but her ancestors….well, she also took their words with a grain of salt given their original status as hunters. They assured her that one would need to push boundaries at times to receive results even if it left a sour taste.

Aiyana hadn’t feared her after, yet it came as no surprise to the short woman when Justin refrained from immediately taking her offered hand. However a few small chuckles slipped out as his (hopefully a) joke all the same. He’d done well from what she’d felt in the air more than seen personally, maximizing his abilities…though she wouldn’t say such a pun out loud for minor fear of mockery. Concern swept through her as the man held his helmet for a moment, wondering if some backlash might’ve struck him as he approached the duet, Mao’s hand still offered for quicker travel.

Relief swept through her as his words contradicted her worries – perhaps he really had been making sure everyone was ship shape before they left? After all he seemed to use wires and leaving those still on land tied up wasn’t a bad idea. ”We won’t let you die!” she exclaimed a little more loudly than perhaps she’d intended, ”We’re guild mates – practically family!” She smiled for added effect of her statement, fingers locking around his as she moved the trio.

Stashed in a small clearing the noise would hit their ears immediately even though they couldn’t see the offending group immediately. ”They’re just a few handful of yards that way,” Mao motioned, speaking in an almost normal tone given the loud chattering of men. It would almost be laughably easy for their voices to go unnoticed, shouting required to garner any real attention. ”There’s also…quite a few of them. It feels as though they haven’t split up…perhaps we’re even close to their base of operations?” From the large palm trees and wide leafed bushes one could make out buildings as well, shadows dancing here and there in the openings as people walked about. A hand moved to her eye, Mao sighing as she felt her eye ‘slip away’ in sorts and could see a fair bit through one of the house’s windows. ”They appear to be…camped out in the middle of town. It looks like no villagers are there, some of their lower ranks bringing food and beverages around…probably don’t fully trust the villagers to do it, or leaving them locked in fear within their homes.” As the eye turned around – more in curiosity – her mouth twisted a bit, feeling both a tinge of embarrassment and a little bad for somewhat freaking out the family hiding in the living room. Curiosity probably drove them out of their basement to see if the situation changed only to find a floating eye in their home. Quickly enough she summoned the displaced organ back, eyelid blinking a few times as she pulled her hand away. ”Well…that family appears altogether at least…” her shoulders hunched as the dark haired girl smiled sheepishly.

It was a kind act for those around them that Justin Tyme had gone around to make sure they were all still breathing, and a smart act for tying them up at the same time. It was apparent he was trying to calm Mao as well, flattering both of them at the same time, so Aiyana simply stayed smiling at the two while she calmly awaited the teleport that would surely be happening soon. Two two had a bit more bits of talk to each other, mostly reassurances, before they all found themselves in a small clearing. The sound of people was quite loud, and most definitely close. Mao's mentioning of how far away they were reassured her assumption as she though on how they were going to take on so many at one time. There was not enough time to wait for them to split off into groups, and the trio did not have an option of splitting up. Aiyana saw her mate cover an eye as she planned it out, the other tailed woman responding moments later with more details due to the usage of her magic. The nine-tailed fox had to admit it, the magic was slightly creepy. But it had its uses and it had yet to kill anyone so it seemed safe enough for the time being.

”All right,” Aiyana had a plan, not a good plan but it was a plan, ”We might need to pull off another surprise this time. Not the same as the last one though. Justin, I want you to go back a bit so you're out of danger, and then go as big as you can without destroying and part of the town; we're here to protect them so let's do the same for their property as well. Mao, can you eat any projectiles that come his way while also harassing anyone you see that starts to come towards Justin? The two of you will draw attention of most, and I'll go for whoever does not come directly after you two.” The idea was the safest way the vixen could think of at the time, and they really did not have too much time before it got dangerous for them to be this close to such a large group. Aiyana was keeping her magic power suppressed, keeping anyone from noticing her through sensory; which would affect the two of them as well sadly.

”Be careful though. If it gets too hot for either of you I want you to escape and meet me back at the boat. If there's no questions, let's do this and save this whole island.” The guild master hoped that the two would not have any important questions about what they were about to do. She was not worried for her own safety after all, it was not like she could permanently die anymore. The other two could and she did not want either to do so at any time, not if she could help stop it.

As they Teleported to the destination he let out a breath of Reilaf that they made it there safely.  he wasn't sure exactly what would have happened but in the long run that didn't matter to much since he was safe.  He looked at them ready to go in and start sabotaging them but before he could start to go in His guild mistress spoke up with a plan though his mind shuttered when she said it wasn't the best plan.  As he listen she wanted him to go back and become giant and draw there fire...they wanted him to be bait in other words however being the tremendous hero that he was he would gladly accept in the most delicate way he could so they wouldn't think he is eager to die or worse...the he was weird.  Justin Looked at her "So you want me to go be bait...Yes that means everyone will be looking and paying attention to me I couldn't ask for a better role in the plan!"  he said happily as he turn to walk away then heard the if it gets to hard for you pull out part.  Justin sighed stopping shaking his head "If you two beauties do your roles right which i know you can then I won't need to."  He said going off into the woods to try to find a spot to do the thing he does best...and that is being the hero or something like that.  He walked through the woods looking for the spot to act as his stage he thought about what he needed to do to make this distraction work properly.  Once he found a spot he clapped his hands together and sighed.  Were they really gonna fall for this plan because it felt like a stretch to be honest but who knows dark guild members are pretty dumb.  He then grew up past the tree lines making loud tree cracking sounds making an all around ruckus while he did.  As he looked down towards them he could see them without fail start to run towards him brandishing magic and weapons as they charged.  He sighed  it would be so easy to just throw trees and such but collateral damage wasn't to happen.  He got ready to start trying to pick out the leaders of the group thought the tree lines made that a very hard task.  Through all the nonsense hoping they were going to do there job he started to do his he simple at a pace the cold keep up since he took giant steps started to lead them away so the girls could ambush them....Lucky them Justin would love to get ambushed by two girls like them minus the pain but those thoughts would have to wait as he could tell they were close on him.  As magic started getting lobbed at him he swatted it away so it would damage anything, He wasn't going to lie it hurt as he looked back he saw someone coming with them. but he couldn't make out who is was.

To hear someone more than happy to be a target intrigued Mao, Justin’s confidence inspiring even if she found it a tiny bit confusing. Then again she’d long ago accepted that people were complex beings so she’d try to keep an eye on him to understand this fellow more and more. His trust in the pair to do their part fueled her determination to further ensure nobody came out worse for wear when all was said and done at the end of the day. This also meant trusting her mate to possibly take on a bulk of their foes, something that unnerved Mao a little out of care rather than lack of belief.

The sudden appearance of a man larger than life shocked the festivities to say the least, though from what Mao could see this amused the boss more than anything. Maybe he viewed it as a pitiful intimidation tactic even as some of the grunts raced with all the seriousness of people who saw danger – though some likely saw a promotion in their future. Even those around him appeared either annoyed or amusingly intrigued by the display much to her worry as projectiles flung themselves towards the giant Justin. Dark portals swelled in the sky before him, many of their bullets, arrows, and tossed weaponry swallowed up in the murky depths. It never hurt to have a little backup herself after all.

Smoke puffed out of the surprised woman’s mouth, coming out more in a burp as she blinked: something she swallowed had exploded. Yet she couldn’t recall any bombs per say…

”Wwell wwell, I wwas gonna blow-ow that large fellow-ow dow-own to size, but if you’re going to get in my wway then I’ll just make you my plaything,” a voice wobbled, jiggling with laughter as a large fellow made his way to the edge of town and towards the forest. The portals intrigued him, figuring it easier to take out the source as he’d watched the large fellow swat some of the attacks away himself. Long robe open to reveal grimy clothes and bare feet, the man gave another guffaw as Mao cringed behind a large tree: he smelled awful. In fact the dreadlocked man wreaked enough she could only hear other soldiers and people rather than smell any of their whereabouts. His very stench stole her nose away completely she wasn’t aware of another figure joining in the forest fray. Though in part the second man’s bad eyesight made it hard even to go after the large target, his other keen senses instead leading him towards the hiding woman.

Creaking of joints and bones tipped her off as the tailed mage ducked and dashed away, tail swishing to safety behind her where the tree hadn’t been so lucky. One of his white gloves sunk half a foot into the trunk, bark splintering around the limb as his knees continued to shake. ”HAH?! WHAT WAS THAT?!” Perhaps it wasn’t just his eyes that lacked, leaving Mao to consider the possibility of a sixth sense given the high volume of his demanding voice. Biting her lip the woman worried: despite the knocking knees and bad senses the man struck fast.

Spoiler:

Justin would show no fear of being the bait. In fact, he seemed to take it as another chance to allow others to see him and his suave words. While funny, Aiyana hoped it would not get him killed on his first job with Pharaoh's Call. 'Be safe boy, I do not want you getting killed here and now.' Aiyana's words were thought to herself, as she had no telepathic powers as of yet to let them be heard by those she thought toward. The woman's attention would snap back to the group as many began to run towards Justin Tyme, Aiyana waiting for a massive brute of a man and a man with deep black skin to run out towards them. They were the closest to the back, and Aiyana teleported behind the both of them. While it directly on them, it was enough for her strongest offensive teleport to strike both even as she through a sheet of frostfire at the giant one's mouth. While she wasn't sure if he had any abilities that used speech, she still wished to keep him silent in case the massive man did indeed have some kind of voice-based powers.

"Woman, you've picked the wrong two to fight. Prepare to die, quickly because we have better to do than deal with a slut like you." The dark skinned man spoke in a deep bass voice that almost rattled the ground as he spoke. Not from magical power, but from how deep it really was.

"I will not let you guys stay here and destroy this island's inhabitants! Stand down and I won't hurt you guys like we've done to the others!" The black skinned fellow seemed to pause in his step, seemingly thinking on her words, before his bass voice began laughing.

"Nah, I think not! We will just kill you and then your puny friends next! The big man talks big, but we can see just how frail he really is! And your other partner has Lao on her, she's as good as dead to the blind man!"

It was then that the guy would begin charging her, the silenced behemoth of a man doing the same. Just as they were about to double team her, getting within a few feet of her, the vixen would teleport twice, her offensive teleports sapping them for a good chunk of their magic even as she swung her sword into the back of the giant man's left ankle. Her strength behind the hit would cause him to stumble even as she leaped up and kicked the back of his knee and made him fall to the ground with a massive crash that shook the ground beneath their feet for a good distance in all directions. Aiyana's armor kept her on balance for it, even though it was a near impossibility for most that were close enough. Taking the chance as many hit the ground, Aiyana knocked out a small batch of grunts while the two bosses got back up onto their feet so they could try and do some kind of damage to the guild master of Pharaoh's Call.

Spoiler:

As Justin stood there towered over all the enemies before him as they ran towards him he grinned his plan to be bait was working perfectly there was just on flaw in this grand scheme of his... he was drawing so much attention that on of the executive even wanted to see him . Thought there was something off about him...he was moving fast, like really fast as he ran at him. Justin was a tad put off by this since he now saw how big he was and the shield he was carrying. Justin went to swat at him but as he reached down and swatted at the man he jump up meeting Justin in the eye's as he blinked in amazement as he looked but then saw his rotate as he started to fly down at Justin. Justin thinking quickly bend back quickly changing back to normal size barly dodging what felt like a more blowing right past him. A second later he would have been seriously hurt but now he had a slightly different problem he was about twenty feet in the air and do the the air blowing past him well he was falling fast. as he landed near the trees he broke through several branches on after the other eventually slamming into the ground. Justin layed there briefly rubbing his neck looking around. "We great mt shirt is ripped..." he sighed as the bottom of his shirt was a bit torn looking back as he heard noise from the bushs.

Out came the man who had come crashing down into him chuckling standing there with his hands on his knees like a sumo wrestler would. He grinned at Justin looking him yup and down "pretty impressive not many have dodged my metor slam before." he say chuckling to himself almost as arogantly as Justin...almost. Justin shook his head a bit thinking for a moment."Well what can Isay I am Justin Tyme after all now unfortunatly I got to take you down so just let me do this and i'll be on my way" He said in his usual swauve manner, He just chuckled at him shaking his head ""sorry but that ani't happening we own this island." Justin just nodded "I see....." He then dashed at him full speed winding his fist up to swing at him he just grinned as he went to swing hi-raised his shield up to block the punch laughing "Hahahaha no one has ever gotten past my shield" he laughs as just then shrinks outta nowhere and clashs with the shield making him skid back a few inchs as he raised it. He then looked up not seeing justin he looked around franticly "where did you go!" he said a tad annoied as Justin had used his wires to hand onto the front of the shield *now what..." he thought to himself sighing a bit as he climbed up the shield ooking at him thinking to himself then looking down then up at the man "you know this is a nice shield..." he muttered then bending his knees a bit he jumped towards his chin in a backflip motion taking him by surprise as he grew to normal size again kicking him up as he fell to the ground his shield flying thought the air as Jsutin caught it holding it "nice shield" he smirked under his helmet seeing the guy getting up and he was pissed.

580 WC]

Taunting calls of “here kitty, kitty, kitty~” and random explosions filled the air as Mao gasped. Flames may as well be ravaging her body, pain bubbling in every inch of her body. ’It feels just like…when Syu would…’ she withheld the whimper until she disappeared into that mid-dimension, moving away from her current hiding spot. With her sense of smell focused solely on the wretched slimy fellow the tailed woman strained her ears to hear the knocking knees of the other fellow and stay away. She hadn’t been able to avoid one blow earlier.

It’d been a gamble anyways, knowing the old fellow could barely – if at all – see anyways, but she’d produced the dark cloud all the same. It’d been purely to reduce the other man’s aim, hoping he might refrain from attacking his ally in the process. It’d worked, albeit not for reasons Mao initially imagined. From her perceived safety the woman sent rips in the dimension towards the explosive wielder in the hopes of locking him down with the tendrils while another part tried to keep track of the old fellow. ’He’s hobbling…this gives me a moment…’

In hindsight she could tell they’d been playing her. Mao trusted too heavily that she could sense sudden movements from the older fellow and…had believed the other mage to be of solid form. In the midst of her surprise as he continued walking forward, slipping right through the tendrils and leaving slime on them to explode the chimeric woman felt a fist slam solidly into her side.

The force sent her flying from the small cloud, and with one bounce against the ground Mao managed to right her stance quickly. Small hisses slipped from between her clenched teeth, side aching from a blow: even with dodgy sounding legs this man struck like a truck. Though they still burned the spatial user sent her tendrils after the old man and he traded blow for blow with them. Any hopes that his fits of speed were merely spaced out bursts diminished with each strike.

”It’s going to take a lot more than that to take down Lao-G, guahahahahaha!” the tall, grimy fellow held his belly as it jiggled with raucous laughter. ”You should be feeling it by now, eh girlie?”

His statement gave her a pause, tendrils recoiling back into that other dimension, pained from some of the savage blows they received. Staring them down…the woman’s mind became conscious of the pain in her side spreading like a growing forest fire. It slithered along her body, skin shivering and insides twisting in anguish. Burning. Everything was burning. Searing that hugged her skin so forcefully, pressed impossibly close no matter how much she wanted to wipe it off. ’Just like…when….Syu would…burn my crystals…to me…’ An unpleasant feeling Mao hoped to forget someday, though doubted she would. Her people might’ve been excellent at healing injuries, but no amount of memory wipes erased that feeling and even now she could recall each individual event…’I can’t let him get near Aiyana at all costs…!’ The desire to protect her mate pushed the woman to move again, blocking a kick with a tendril, and disappeared from the old man.

”EH?! DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?!”

A groan from the tall man would make Aiyana cringe before he began to speak. "You will pay for that, you stupid girl! No one knocks me down and lives to tell about it!" The man would swing a lumbering hand at her, which she would jump onto and swing her khopesh into, before the man with the oddly dark skin charged at her by using the other guy as a wall to climb. Aiyana would be struck in the side, the armor not taking away much of the blow as she wince in anger. It seemed he had expected her to go flying off, though her armor was meant for the sole purpose of keeping her on balance no matter the type of hit she took. Her nine tails would suddenly ice over in frostfire before each and every one of them struck the man from different angles as he was right in front of her. Vergo, though Aiyana Shuer did not know the name of the people she fought, would find his black armor falling apart at the same time that he realized he was completely out of magical power.

"What? What have you done? What did you do to me, you bitch!" Aiyana would simply kick him in the chest, following him down to the ground to land on him as she cracked a few of his ribs, before giving him an answer.

"I leech magical power with my magic, and you have the misfortune of losing it all to me. I will save it for a surprise for your boss later, so be a dear and go to sleep." The woman's words would be said at the same time as the man passing out, likely due to the mix of pain and disorientation from the magical power loss. The giant man would not wait for her to finish before his fists were swinging towards each other with the guild master's head in between them. Seeing the attack coming, the nine tailed fox would do another offensive teleport to land on the man's tiny head. Well, it was not actually super tiny, but compared to the excessively muscled body it seemed to be just a dot on his thick neck. A swift downwards push with her leg would hit him in the eye even as the man swung a hand up to swat her off. Leaning back Aiyana would fall backward and off of him, causing him to swat himself in the face. The girl would laugh as she landed safely on the ground before touching the ankle of the beast of a man, a small mark of frostfire attaching to his body that would burn him anytime his magic took any other kind of damage from something. Whether it be her magic, his magic if he had any, or any kind of physical damage or attacks from elsewhere he would be sapped by her spell. Hopefully it would make the big lug easier to take out, as he seemed to not care about the loss of magical power thus far.