Black Coats: Volume 1

"On the contrary Lady Xeres, I like to let my actions speak louder than my words...." As he parried away Kiara's whipblade, the end of the whip managed to lightly graze his cheek. A small bead of blood began to run down his face. "Hah! Looks like troll man's bark is worse than his bite!" Finlay mocked.
As Uniform gritted his teeth, Lima called out to him.
"Hey, quit messing around. Nequa said to make sure no one gets through. If even one of them slips through by accident it's both our heads!"
Taking a deep breath, Uniform tried to remain composed. "Fine. I don't care enough to fight a bunch of amateurs anyhow... Let's see how they get along with the locals."
A quick snap of his fingers summoned five invisible type heartless appearing from behind Vallus, Koa and Arctus.
As Uniform walked back to his post, his face became increasingly hard.

"That's right yah pansie! Run back to yer cozy li'le door. Stand like a good boy or Finlay'll come'n give yah a proper wallop!"
"You know they're baiting you right?" Lima spoke, trying to calm her guard partner. "Nequa said she doesn't want them dead."
"Or is it yer too yellah! Lea told me you were a soldier! What kinda man refuses the art of battle? I'll tell yah who! A man who shoulda retired before his nurse had to go changin' his underwear! Betcha yer one of those soldiers who got a li''le flesh wound and had to stop fightin! You wouldn't know a proper battle unless you were watchin it from behind the safety of yer own bed, yah blitherin' sad excuse for an old man!"
Uniform gripped his fists and began marching forward. "She doesn't know how many there are. I'm gonna kill off only half of em."
Lima sighed as her partner charged in. "Idiot..."

"You sure you don't need a cane? Maybe if I blind myself it'll make it easier on yah!"
Uniform dragged his keyblade along the ground and prepared to charge Finlay. "Insufferable little-"
As he raised his keyblade to Finlay, the viking smirked and cut down the strike with both axes, pinning his key to the ground. He looked to Kiara and yelled out. "Well don't just stand there! Kill it"

Meanwhile, in Shibuya...​

"Rest assured, I've been able to create a portal. The technology regarding the Underground and Real Ground come in quite handy on personal errands." He pressed a button on his pad that opened a small purple rift in front of them. " The pod itself is easy enough to transport. He released a switch at the side of the pod, causing it to float. "Think of it like a hovering hospital bed." He wiped away the dog from the pod's surface to reveal a young girl with blue hair in pigtails. Unbeknownst to Glen, this was Mizu; a member of the order. Megumi tapped the pod as he watched her. Her arms lay at her side as she slept, breathing softly through her nose.

"So long as she remains in the pod, she will cause you no trouble." He looked back to the screen of Zootopia and the Pridelands, seeing things had begun to escalate. "Now If you'll excuse me, I have a game to attend to." He walked over to the two screen, holding his hands behind his back as he watched. "And one more thing, Glenjamin. Your client in question is Nequa. Now I've been told you've had your issues in the past, but this is just a simple delivery job. Try not to make much fuss about it." He continued to watch the screen and left Glen to his job.

 

She really hated being called by her last name, even more being called Lady. Lady implied she still held the position that she should have in her family, the position she rejected long ago. While Kiara narrowed her eyes at him, she didn't let her anger get the best of her. She knew how this man worked now, taunting and playing with them until they made a mistake. Lucky for her though, Finlay was the same way. For some reason Finlay was making a big deal over the scratch she had given to Uniform, but it did seem to get under his skin, so that was a bonus.

Finally Uniform seemed fed up and summoned heartless back where the others waited, Kiara however had confidence this team was strong enough to deal with them, meaning she didn't turn to help. It might have seemed heartless and uncaring from some peoples perspective, but to Kiara, it was a step in showing she began to trust her team and didn't need to do everything herself. Besides Finlay was still picking fights up here and she couldn't leave that idiot to do it all alone, could she?

The more Finlay taunted, the more annoyed Uniform got and the more pleasure Kiara found in it. He had egged her on like that the first time they met and it didn't turn out for her, now to watch his own tactic being thrown back at him, what was more it was working. Uniform charged at Finlay, but Finlay had been waiting, pinning the mans keyblade to the ground. "With pleasure." She grinned taking her turn to finally finish off Uniform. Stepping in Kiara caught him across the face with her first strike, the second making contact with his side, the third and forth on his back. Kiara was about to wrap the whip around his neck and finish it off when she stopped. Her mind flashed to her kneeling on the ground, her father standing over her with a whip. Why had she ever chosen this blasted weapon in the first place. With one last lash, Kiara believed he was sufficiently down and out of commission stepping back. She wasn't going to be like him. She wasn't her father, she wouldn't be that cruel. "The kill is rightfully yours Finlay." She told the man turning towards Lima. "Don't think you are getting off so easy though." ​

 

​

Arctus drew his sword but before he could move too far, having planned on waiting for the others' distraction, Heartless were called in behind them. He rolled his eyes, annoyed to have found a distraction of his own. "Let's make quick work of them." He spun his sword around catching one of the Invisibles with the blade and in one motion, continuing with the momentum, he used his magic to call on his Starfall technique. A shower of small comets rained down onto the remaining Heartless.

Without even bothering to see if that finished the job, Arctus turned around and used his own magic to buy himself the time to run over towards Lima just after Karina did so. He made a wide arc to try and get to their enemy's side so that he would not be attacking from the same direction as Karina. Arctus leapt up and closed the distance with a downward swing onto Lima. "Don't take all the fun from me, Hothead!"

 

Uniform broke into a chuckle. "That's the most cowardly display I've yet to see. You don't get it do yah girly?..." Finley tightened his grip on the man, but the girzzled officer continued on. "You think sparing me gives you some sort of resolve? It doesn't. You think killing me will make you stronger? It doesn't. Anything you do or ever will do will be in vain and you want to know why? Your heart is weak. You can pout and train your power until the cows come home, but so long as your heart is weak, your potential will always be limited. Take this lummox for example." With a swift quick to the shin, Uniform quickly swept Finlay's leg and held his arm behind his back, the bearded viking now flat on his stomach. "This man has much combat experience, but his pride will always get the better of him. He's weak. As are the rest of you. Why do you think you're in the realm of darkness? Your heart wasn't strong enough to survive in the light. So it came running to the darkness."

Finlay grunted as he tried to wriggle out of it. "Aye? And whot does that make yah grey bear!"
"A visitor," he coldly replied before breaking Finlay's pinky. "AAAACKK!"
"During my military years, I specialized in interrogation and torture. I could cause little fatal damage, but still made sure you would beg for the pain to stop.
"Finlay... doesn't... beg!"
"I know you won't. This is just letting off some steam." Uniform broke Finlay's ring finger on the same hand.


As Arctus struck his sword down on Lima, the girl vanished in an instant blink. From behind Arctus, a hard pressure point was made on his left shoulder, causing it to go numb. "I don't like fighting... but I hate being underestimated even more... I don't have to kill you, but I can't let you pass. Wouldn't look to good on me." She glared hard at the two. The delivery was supposed to arrive soon, and they had half a dozen people to deal with.

 

"I would never try to steel all the fun. Just some of it. There is no better way to keep me out of trouble after all." Kiara responded with a bit of a smile to Arctus. She watched as he made the first strike before she got ready to follow up with an attack of her own. However as she prepared she heard a particularly irritating voice behind her once more. Whipping around she heard Uniform continue to taunt her. Weak that was what he liked to think didn't he? He wanted to think she was weak that nothing she did would change that, but Kiara remembered the day she ran quite vividly, she was weak then, but not now. She had grown and she wouldn't let him take that away from her. Besides he was the one pinned.

Unfortunately that didn't last long as Uniform managed to kick Finlay's feet out from him and pin him instead, continuing his taunting. "Funny the way things are remembered. As far as I recall I chose to be here. Saving the world in the light of day isn't really my style, doesn't make me weak though, no it just means I am not a fool with heroic fantasies like some." Kiara glared him down, fire finding it's way through her whip almost unwillingly.

From the corner of her eye she saw movement, Lima was behind her dealing with Arctus rather swiftly. Fire was raging in her eyes as another flame came to her free hand. Barely turning she shot it back at Lima but her attention remained on Uniform. She wasn't going to just let this happen. Flames were completely engulfing the whip as with raging eyes she slashed at Uniform several more times. He couldn't possibly keep Finlay pinned while dealing with her attacks. If she could at least get Finlay free then they might stand a chance, but how it stood now, they were walking on thin ice. ​

 

Lima parried the fire attack with her blade, rushing in and dealing a quick strikes to the rest of Arctu's left arm with her fingers. The entirety of Arctus' left arm was now numb. "Not a very organized group, are you?" she said to Arctus. In the meanwhile, Kiara's slashes at Uniform met his blade, as he parried each whip away from him, eventually wrapping her whip around his keyblade. "You really need more practice with your whip girly. Maybe daddy will give you some lessons.." He pulled on the whip, attempting to knock her over.

 

This guy was really startinf to get under Kiara's skin, and she was positive that he knew it, probably took great pride in it. It wasn't the fact that she was losing that bothered her most, though it did annoy her to no end, but his need to bring up everything that she was trying to leave behind. As Uniform mentioned the whip, a phantom pain spread through the scars on her back. It was distraction enough thattshe lost her balance and stumbled forward, just in time to hear another annoying voice.

"Are you going to stand there and gawk all day, or are youygoinggto give us a bloody hand getting passed these guys so we can deal with Nequa while she is weak?" Kiara shouted at Glen as she tried to retain her balance, hoping to at a least make an opening for Finlay to get up. And as pointless as it may have been, Kiara attempted to summon her keyblade again so she could be done with the whip. When that didn't work, she changed and her outstretched hand filled with flames as she blasted Uniform with fire. ​

 

Uniform blocked the fire spell with his arm before seeing a splash of blood came off his arm. In a flash, Vallus had made a blinding fast slash, causing his arm to be chopped clean off. His eyes widened as he slowly looked to his right side. Before he could say anything, Finlay used this as his chance of escape and kneed him in the groin before sliding back. Uniform writhed over in pain as he fell to his knees. Finlay's hand twinged from the broken fingers. "I'd give yah a hand but yah kinda broke mine yah idjit!"
For the first time in the battle Uniform was dead silent. Stunned in shock from the loss of his entire arm.

As the battle commenced, the doors opened, the hooded figure that was planning Nequa's transition walked on through. "WHAT's ALL THE RACKET?!" The hooded figure removed his hood to reveal a young man barely past the age of sixteen. Unsettling considering he sounded like a mad scientist. His hair was a screaming blend of red and bright orange while his eyes were the separate colors of dark red and dark blue. scalret letter "Z" could be seen under his left eye. "Can't you see brilliance is at work?..." He looked around before eying Uniform being injured. "Sigh, you've broken one of my soldiers. This displeases Doctor L." He spoke as if he was referring to himself in the third person. He looked up before spotting Karina. "You seem.... familiar..."

Lima looked on confused. "What, does everyone know her now?" she asked before making a quick jab to his left rib. She looked off to the new keyblade wielder with the scarf. Her eyes widened as she saw the pod. "Zulu. the new host!" she called to the flame headed scientist. His dark eyes lit up brightly as he looked like a child on Christmas. "Oh goody goody!" He turned to Lima. "Quick, transport it inside. I'll move the lummox inside," he commanded.

Besides, my new toy could always use more practice!" He pressed a button on a remote in his hand causing a large assortment of steel traps to appear around the laboratory. From behind him, a young boy with golden blond spiky hair. Unbeknown to the rest of the group, this boy was Ventus.
Zulu's apparent new guard had a small "ECHO! New prime directive Protect the castle at all costs!," Zulu commanded watching Uniform slowly walk through the door.
"Acknowledged," Echo replied in a robotic tone. The tech-infused youth stood quard, summoning his keyblade, preparing to guard the castle with his life. His eyes had no light in them, as if he was entranced.

"Ta-ta for now!" Zulu said, waving his fingers at Karina.

As Lima tried to teleport to the pod she was out of luck. "Dammit, I overdid it," she grunted. She made a mad dash for the pod, preparing to fight anyone in her way.

 

Of course another had to come out. Kiara was too busy fighting the battle to get a good enough look at him, but he made a comment about her looking familiar as Lima seemed annoyed by that. At least Uniform was now deal with thanks to the help of Vallus. "I don't know, maybe because everyone in this realm is out to fucking get me?" Kiara hissed getting more and more fed up with the situation as time went on. It wasn't the fact people knew her that was getting on her nerves. It was the fact that everyone who did know her were people she didn't particularly get along with and were actively making her life a living hell. She was almost tempted to run after Uniform and finish him off if it wasn't for the traps the other kid put in place.

Of course there was also talk about the new vessel arriving and Lima started to dart to get it. Kiara flicked her wrist trying to catch Lima with her whip to slow them down. "Don't let her get that pod! We can't let Nequa have her new form. We need to kill her now while she is still weak!" Kiara called out to the rest of her team as she put a fire wall around the pod to keep it safe for the time being turning her attention to Lima once more. Of course they needed to get into that castle but dealing with those outside would have to come first. They couldn't afford to rush in without dealing with this bits at a time. They had enough trouble with Lima and Uniform, if they ran into their layer it would be suicide. They had to deal with things one part at a time as much as it bothered Kiara to do so. It wasn't like they had much other choice. ​

 

Lima did a few evasive measures, but tripped by the tip of the whip hitting her ankle. She grunted in pain but continued to help.
"Don't just stand there robot boy, do something!"
The boy known as Echo turned his head. From his point of view, a circular target icon was locked onto Kiara. "Adapting new parameters." A small loading sound was made as he pointed his keyblade out. "Update complete. Accessing new data." Ventus fired a whip of fire against Kiara to cut her off from running any further.

Finlay, was off with Koa and Aeira who was still near the invisible heartless. He jumped on the back of one of the invisible heartless and rung his arm around it's neck. He then took an axe from his back and struck it straight at the creature's chest, causing it to disperse. He fell down quickly back onto his feet, looking at the two. "One of you get the pod. The other help me kill the last two beasts!"

 

Well she managed to trip Lima, but it wasn't enough to stop the girl as one of the new boys stepped in as well to help out. The boy tried to whip out at her with flames, but the flames seemed to just absorb into her skin. "Thank you I feel better now." Kiara stated with a smile as she ignored Echo and continued after Lima. Meanwhile Aeria helped her with protecting the pod, Finlay and Koe were dealing with the heartless Uniform had summoned earlier. If Glen started helping then they shouldn't have too much of an issue dealing with these guys, or at least she hoped. Kiara sent out another attacked aimed at Lima's legs, hoping to buy Aeria more time to get to the pod. Kiara knew she would have to deal with the one called Echo eventually but she was trying to put off dealing with him until they could make sure the pod was safe. ​

 

Lima did a quick back flip to avoid Kiara's attack. She saw the situation in front of her as she thought tactically in her head. With the arrival of the scarf kid, that put the enemy's numbers at seven with Kiara, Finlay, Koa, Aeira, Arctus, and Vallus. Meanwhile, their side consisted of herself, and incapacitated Nequa, a preoccupied Zulu,and an injured Uniform. The more she thought about it in her head the more she realized this could be a losing battle. She sighed as she tried to muster up enough spacial energy for one more teleport. "Have to retreat for now...." She new this was going to haunt her later, but she prayed that she could talk her way out of it when the time came to explain to Nequa. "Live to fight another day... Live to fight another day," she repeated before quickly teleporting out of the arena.

Finlay in the meanwhile looked to Koa. With Lima having escaped, that left the group alone with Echo, who stood in front of the laboratory gates. Echo by comparrison to himself, didn't look like much. He grinned as he tried to relax his fingers. "Now we protect the pod and storm the castle!!"

[VOLUME 1]
- CHAPTER V -
OPERATION PANDORA​

Back at Lea's Hideaway​

Lea began to pace back and forth as Melus and Luther were recuperating. "Man I'm never this stressed," Lea began, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, it's not like I don't have faith in them, I just feel like I should be there with them, y'know." He tried to laugh, it off but was just growing more worried. "I know this group doesn't look like much, but I know we can do good. We just need to get a little more organized. "I'm just have this gut feeling that something unexpected will happen."

"A gut feeling you are right to follow Senor," a smooth spanish voice spoke.
Lea looked towards the hastilly repaired door, only to find it knocked down wit a powerful fire spell. The man on the other side was none other than Tango, slowly strutting his way inside. "It seems your team is divided once more. You should get a proper planner. If you were not an adversary I would recommend Delta," he grinned.
"That another friend of yours?" Lea asked summoning his own keyblade.
"The Red Society is less made up of friends and more made up of... como se dice... associates. Our end goals merely align with la jefa Nequa."
"Well sorry to break it to yah, but we don't exactly have any pods for you to take."
"You misunderstand Senor, I am not here for some menial container." Tango summoned his blade and pointed it directly as Lea. "I am here to vanquish you in combat!"