Shaky Beginnings

Shaky Beginnings
Date of Scene:	09 December 2012
Location:	Castle Oblivion
Synopsis:	The rocky beginnings of Hobo with a Shotgun TP.
Thanks to:	Will Sherman, for patience, fortitude and general kickassed-ness.
Cast of Characters:	Riku, Will Sherman
Tinyplot:	Hobo With A Shotgun

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Will Sherman has posed:
Time passes...

Will's heart takes control again, finally recovering from the trauma from the mysterious darkness that came from Riku's own heart. The terrible anger and hatred spilled out, caused Will to take actions he would never take...hurt people he cared the most about. Will slowly, very slowly came to the stage. A light shining down on him once more...

His eyes flipped open. Jumping to his feet. There was only darkness. The Darkness that was the now ruined city of Manhattan. The city was devoured. The streets that once held life, now held nothing but devouring darkness...the buildings were half sunken into the ground, the roads cracked and misshapen...a dark parody of what the city once was.

Will had felt loss before...but now... The emotions were so overwhelming his brain shut them off to try and cope with it all. Slowly, he stands up. He was hurt, very hurt...his body aches...and he stands to walk. Slowly...very slowly, he walks through the destroyed wasteland. Danger lurked everywhere...

Will cared...he cared too much, he cared so much that he couldn't express it. He'd break down if he did, until he walked towards Central Park. The portal should still be here...

It was not. Instead, a pair of guns. He looks, finally, after everything, falls to his knees.

Mercade's guns. The weapons sat, pristine, worn with use, but still well cared for. Will fell to his hands and knees, not being able to hold back the tears anymore. He had failed...

He had done worse, he had done the one thing he feared most...he hurt them. He ruined his world...it was all his fault.

Riku has posed:
Riku, perhaps to add to his torment, is up in a damn tree again.

He hangs at a somewhat awkward position, one leg trapped so that he hangs somewhat upside down. He comes awake like that, his view of the world upside down and twisted-- and the thought of that makes him start to laugh and laugh. So Will hears it as he moves through central park. The broken sound of the teenager laughing out his anguish while hanging somewhat ridiculously upside down. Only the register prevents it from being something more like weeping than laughter.

Riku struggled a little bit to try and free himself but he couldn't see the point anymore. He was alone in the very last place he wanted to be. The place he had taken in darkness to escape. Every square inch of him felt like it had been scraped raw, his mind cringing away from the memories of Manhattan's fall. Many of them were-- wrong. As if someone had painted their own designs over his thoughts without him even noticing.

What did it matter. He had failed even to die. He was a disappointment and a failure. So he continued to laugh.. and laugh.. and laugh..

Will Sherman has posed:
Slowly, very slowly, Will grabs the shotgun. He grabs the other guns too, but they are not what he needs. Instead, he pockets them, and pumps the shotgun once. The laughter...he can hear it. Tears fall away, but he was not allowed the luxary of crying, he had seen death many times, but never like this...never this horrible, or massive. He had to stop Riku...Mercade and the others had to be avenged...

Manhattan had to be avenged. His body still shakes from the control of Loki, but he is filled with hateful determination. He walks towards the source of the laughter, until he finds Riku upside down in the tree. The sight of it brought the memory of their first meeting.

"Funny. We keep meeting like this. Unfortinately, this is it. Get down. I swore I would never kill...but you know what.."

"I can't afford the luxary of mercy anymore."

Riku has posed:
Riku continues to laugh. "Oh look." he chuckles wearily, everything hurting with each breath of air he pulls in to laugh with. "I even failed to kill you." he sighs. "At least you're not tearing up the inside of my head when you talk. You're going to kill me but at least you are not THAT big of a jerk."

This sets Riku off again. Rage starts to leak into the laughter and he throws a lance of dark fire at Will as he twists himself up and nearly breaks his foot in disengaging himself from the tree. Warping doesn't work anymore as he reaches out for it and gets nothing so he kicks off the tree, using it for cover as he lands in a hard roll and RUNS through the trees for more cover.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will leaps...

The ground shattering as he launches backwards, the lance smashing into the ground.

In retort, Will fires a blast from the shotgun, not even aiming to directly hit Riku...even clipping him would grant him what he needs...knocking Riku prone. He's not a crack shot, he hasn't had the years of experience with weapons, but he is a bit lucky, and he has a wide spread on the weapon. He starts chasing after Riku, the Shotgun going away as he moves to pump.

"I can't say the same for you. You killed Mercade, my friends are gone...this city and it's people?! AND FOR WHAT?! WHAT RIKU?!" he shouts. Rage has overtaken Will.

"YOU SERVED YOUR MASTERS?! I TRUSTED YOU! TRIED TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR FRIENDS...AND YOU DESTROY MY HOME! YOU KILL EVERYONE IMPORTANT TO ME?! AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE MAD AT ME?!"

Riku has posed:
RIku doesn't respond to the screams right away. There is more than enough going on in his own head for him to pay attention to Will other than his body nearly FORCING him to keep running. The will inside has been so bruised that it is sluggish in demanding to the body's need to keep living. The trunk of a tree explodes near him, showering him with shards.

He catches his foot on a hunk of debris and goes into an uncontrolled roll. Cleopatra's Needle lay in ruins around him. He pulls himself against the broken stones, a sizzling ARC of red lightning streaming from his hand in Will's direction. Did he kill Mercade? Riku frowns a little as he doesn't know anymore. There are two versions that play over in his head. In one-- he watches Mercade disappear into a desert Bazaar while in the second-- in the second.. Riku shakes his head. His memories were messed up and wrong.

"I DID ONLY WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO TO THE UNIVERSE, ONLY I DID IT FIRST. I HAVE PEOPLE I LOVE AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET SNEAKY, MANIPULATIVE BASTARDS LIKE YOU HAVE KAIRI AND SORA, HAVE YOUR FUN WITH--" And the words come back to him. The Voice of Evil knew what he had been doing-- and had laughed in his face. He had simply brought on what he had been so desperate to keep from happening.

And now it would happen again. If darkness was somehow the only power to release it, it would happen again and again and sometime, there would be no stopping them. Riku slumped against the stones while his body screamed to run. At least the shotgun would be quick.

Will Sherman has posed:
The lightning smashes into the oncoming Will, it surges through his body...already tired, passed the point of breaking, it wants to claim Will...

But Will denies it. The lighting arches through him, his heart wanting to stop beating...but he moves forward. Forcing it to start again, his body tightens mercilessly...but he stumbles forward. Riku lays on the ground before him...

And Will lowers the shotgun. Pointing it right at the head of Riku.

"I did not know...how could I? Didn't I tell you I had no memories beyond three hundred years ago? Did you not think I wondered? FEARED what I was? Now we know...I am just some...container for whatever that is. I'm an empty pointless existance..." he says...

"I still managed to make something of my life...and now it's gone. There is nothing left...but this." The Shotgun pumps once. His hand shakes...he wants to do this...he has to do this... Tears run down his face.

Put an end to this man, this boy who had caused the destruction of everything you found important in life. But...

The blonde haired image of the woman, young and vibrant like he remembered her, he could feel her hand on his...and the gun slowly lowers. Will can't do it...he can't bring himself to this final point. Things scream at him to...but...

Riku should be on his world, going to school...this is all wrong, all messed up. "...I don't want to hurt anyone.."

Riku has posed:
"I.. sent Mercade on a wild goose chase." Riku looks at the barrel of the gun and wonders why Will is continuing to torment him by not firing. God, heroes are annoying. He doesn't make any threathening moves, for all he knew killing Will would just release whatever was inside him. So the words slipped out before he could stop them.

"At least I think I did. I didn't--" Riku shakes his head. "I didn't manage to Reize out of the way, but he's an idiot and I can't very well sit on all of you. He's fine. Idiots always survive somehow." Riku snorts, burying his head in his hands when the silence has gone on too long and Will still continues not to fire. "after his hat, of all things." he snorts faintly, but the sound is broken and somewhere nearer to a sob.

Will Sherman has posed:
"...Then why..." he says, holding the shotgun. "This isn't mine...I found it by the portal. It's Mercade's." Will says. Will doesn't know what to do...

"Why. WHY? Why did you do this? Was it..." he pauses...no he knows.

"It was because of that...thing wasn't it? Not just that, but that other darkness I saw in you. It...almost killed Cirra. It might have..." he takes a breath. "Tom...Deidra..."

"Oh my god...and Avira..." he says, looking at the barrel himself. No. No he wouldn't allow it to end like this. Will's body screams, half of him wants to fall into a pile of tears, the other half wants to kill Riku, and take revenge for his friends.

But he knows, in his heart, they would never approve. "I won't shoot...I won't shoot because Mercade wouldn't do that." he finally says. "You'll have to live with yourself, but killing you won't bring them back, or Manhattan."

Riku has posed:
You'll have to live with yourself.

RIku chuckles again, the edges of hysteria working up through his chest again before dying away. So he goes with the absolutely brutally honest truth. "I did it because I needed a world to fall. If I tried to do it myself, it would kill me. I was hoping that it would anyways. Whatever was in you had to be stopped. If I had to break open Manhattan in order to save the worlds that remained, that still fought-- then I could arrange things for the TDA to be out on business that day. Only I ran out of time."

Riku starts to slowly pick himself back onto his feet, never taking his eyes off Will the entire time. A strange, empty smile tugs at his face as he stares at Will. "As for the voice.. I've heard them for years.. and every time I go to sleep outside of a place of darkness. I thought I had learned not to heed him. I guess I was wrong."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will sits there, looking at the ground of this horrible destroyed city.

"Millions of lives...snuffed out because of me." Will says, it is hollow. "And you." he says, a twinge of anger returning. "Did you not think it ate me alive? I didn't even remember anything after the incident...and now this.." he pauses, "And that thing inside you...it tried to free him. It..." he groans...

Will, slowly, stands up. "You're an idiot. You can stay here if you want...but I.." he pauses. "I am not going to remain here. I have to undo what has been done...what I am responsible for. Standing here waiting for the heartless to decide to follow up on the shouting isn't one of those. There is only one building near here I know as good enough to work as a shelter."

Riku has posed:
Riku looks up at Will, and the interest just goes out of his face. He looks out into the ruins of Central park at where yellow eyes have started to dot the distant darkness. He starts to pull himself to his feet when he realizes that he can't actually move.

A sudden paralysis has robbed him of the ability even to blink. He struggles against the iron bands, shadowy threads extending from the ground and from the stone an inch or two before he collapses back up against them. Riku stares suspiciously at Will but gets none of the teeth-grinding, mind shattered scream effect. There was another reason why he couldn't move-- and it came to the tune of echoing footsteps. He couldn't stand the thought of being used again. Of causing the Voice to show up again.. but he could still balk the voice and force him to split his attention.

"I.. I think I'll stay here." he says in a bland, uncaring voice. At least his throat worked for a little longer. "What does it matter anyways. Go, if you think anywhere here is safe."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will blinks...

He turns to look at Riku, probably the one thing that Riku might not have wanted.

Will's eyes spot the yellow eyes, but the real problem came when he looked down. The darkness, seeping from the ground, swallowing Riku slowly. He turns to move towards the boy, and then suddenly there was the feeling of lead in his own feet, tendrils of darkness running down his own body. He was moving, so they were slowly to grab, but they were. He pushes himself, pushing closer to Riku...

His hand reaches out, it might look like he was reaching to sock Riku...

And then his hand grabs a dark tendril. "I see you." he says, with a strained effort...he struggles, but the thread won't break.

"Damn...why can't I..?"

Riku has posed:
"Ah. Riku. You have performed so admirably. Did I not tell you to seek me out when you tired of being a servant?" A cruel voice chuckles to themselves. Will can't exactly see who is doing the talking but there is a disturbance as the heartless grow closer.

A shimmer in the shape of a looming darkness that fades in and out of visiblity as they walk around the pair nonchalantly. "Go to hell." Riku snaps, trying and failing to struggle free of the darkness. The invisible bonds shackle him as tightly as any perfect cocoon of chains, starting to squeeze the breath out of him very slowly. Riku gasps faintly, struck more by the words than the pressure as they continue. "Foolish, Foolish Riku who disappoints everyone-- even the ones who he never gave up on."

"I see you've brought me who I wanted."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will Struggles with the thread, the threat that he can grasp...but try as he might he can't sever. This isn't right...he can' do this...but this thread...

However, the words break his concentraition. He looks trying to find the presence...god the heartless are everywhere.

The words snap him back...

"Wait what?" he says, trying to find that source again. "What do you mean, who you wanted? Look man, I got enough eldrich things living in my brain, any more and I am going to have to open up a hotel." He pauses,

"No that's not an invitation." he spits. Grasping at the strings again.

Riku has posed:
The Heartless are much closer now. The yellow eyes are more numerous than even when they were assaulting Manhattan. A wall of eyes surrounds Riku and Will on all sides, peering at them with unblinking intensity.

"I have sufficient residence for my needs. What I do require.. is information. That is why you are here. So that I may gain that useful information."

Riku glares at Will, surging against his bonds. The dark threads snap and tear under the strain of the teenager's willpower but he doesn't manage to get to his feet before the threads re-establish themselves. The dark shape ignores Riku, walking over to Will and there is a long moment of studying as the heartless grow closer. "At what point, precisely, does this container rupture?"

there is a phantom touch on Will's jaw like someone examining a prize animal or an interesting bug. Regardless of that said domesticate having a shotgun of leadership. "I no longer require an uncontrolled rupture. Hn. Riku, you can continue to fight me-- and you will sit there while the heartless finally claim back what you stole, or you can finally accept my help and go back to your friends."

There is a moment of pause. "I will even give you victory in your foolish defeat. This one-- remains trapped here, in my care-- and you need not remember any of this." The voice chuckles. "Is this not a fair offer?"

Riku continues to stare at Will while the voice is talking, saying and doing nothing.

Will Sherman has posed:
"Death. That is what I contain for you." Will says, plainly. "You know very well if you release it, it will destroy you." Will grits his teeth...he actually doesn't know anything. Instead Will bullshits, Will can do this quite well, it's served him quite well. Instead, the grip TIGHTENS on the threads once more. "Stop using him like a PUPPET!" he booms, something channels...something odd, a magic that is abnormal.

He's gota cut that thread...give Riku the chance to move. "Riku, I need you to help me here...it's darkness. I can't cut that easily." he says, the string is visible...he CAN do that much, he can weaken it...but it's going to take someone with mastery over darkness to snap.

"Whatever you are, why don't you try picking a host who isn't stronger than you. Whatever hate I have for Riku I know one thing..."

"He's stronger than that." He tries not to respond to the touch...but there is a shudder, it was disturbing and scary, but he fights. Will fights perhaps because he have no other choice...

Riku has posed:
Riku looks at Will. He's tempted to just let the voice take it away. The evil inside Will sherman laughing at him. The battle for the light of manhattan. The armored guardian. Riku closes his eyes, willing the thought away. If he tried to make sense of those memories now it would break him. There would be nothing left to fight back against his own evil.

"You never should have helped me, Will." he says in a numbed voice, opening his eyes again to stare blankly at the struggling Manhattanite. The Heartless are nearly on top of them now, a wall of shadows and darker things-- huge, lurching titans make their way through the trees and the broken earth. He looks at Will and he wants to forget. He wants nothing more than to simply give up, and it's confusing and frightening that Will is willing to fight for him when moments ago Riku was running for his life.

It takes everything left for him to shakes his head and whisper. "No." he just turns his face away from Will as the voice chuckles quietly. "Very well. Enough talk. We'll.. pick up this conversation later." There is that phantom touch again, and a painful shock of needling darkness before the dark form evaporates-- and the heartless surge forwards.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will is hanging on to the strand...the jolt of darkness, the familar sensation of pain burns in his chest...

They can't hope to stand up against all of these heartless...not now...

Hell, even if they were at full strength. Will grits his teeth, he bites down, and pulls the shotgun in one hand, while trying to wither the strings with the other.

BOOM. A heartless that got too close is shot.

But more take it's place.

"Ugh...what a creep." he says. "Shut up and cut! Do it!" he demands, "Or else do you want to find out what happens if I get eaten by a heartless. I have a guess, and I don't wana do SCIENCE today to prove it." he mutters, "I mean, you know, there is that whole becoming one yourself thing. Might wana avoid that.." he shoots again.

"Stop running in fear of things! Take responsibility and meet life head on! The good, WITH the bad...the mistakes with the triumphs! That is what it means to live!"

Riku has posed:
Riku has retreated so far into himself that only instinct survives. One of these, however, is a complete and utter aversion to lecturing. "God, get off your soapbox you stinking, ridiculous Evil Jack in the box."

Riku startles slightly as if he'd been shocked, brought back to some semblance of consciousness by the repoire of the shotgun makes his ears ring. He glowers at Will, the darkness snapping as he slashes at it inexertly and driving slivers of cold into the hobob as consequence.

He strains against the darkness again, growling faintly to himself that the heartless should at eat Will FIRST.

Will Sherman has posed:
"Right after you man the *UNSPEAKABLE SOUND* UP! YOU CONTEMPTABLE LITTLE GENOCIDAL MONSTER!" Will has had enough of your shit.

"Seriously. Start slashing." he orders, grabbing another string, trying to find the nest of them. Will's hand makes them visible, even as he shudders at the cold feeling through him. He can shake it...he is sure he can. Darkness can't seem to easily connect to his body, sliding off of his fate like water.

Will points the weapon at another heartless. BAM. "Now are we going to share our *UNSPEAKABLE SOUND* feelings or are we going to get some damned cover?"

Riku has posed:
"After you, you ancient pile of soggy pancake." Riku smiles spitefully at Will, the expression almost a snarl as he shreds the darkness threads, slicing and slicing and slicing no matter what he hurt. He frees himself long enough to throw a lance of dark fire to Will's left side. The heartless are destroyed with the miss being close enough to singe.

Riku smiles with satisfaction to have some control over his powers again even though he wanted to reach out and incinerate Will while hs still remained trapped by bindings. The idea flashes across this eyes and he narrows his eyes at Will before continuing to free the both of them while the heartless circle and loom around them.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will could put the gun into Riku's mouth right now. He could stop cutting strings...or making them visible.

Will winces as the lance causes a singe across his cheek, and gives him a glare. This turns into a bitter smile as he aims the shotgun right at Riku...

And veers it to the right. Right for the large body aiming to get close to them. He flies back, rolling over other heartless. "I always wondered if you could do that.." he mutters, and turns towards another string. He could move again...

"TDA building? Unless you have another plan?"

Riku has posed:
Riku thinks of gaining enough strength back to control the heartless and leave Will tied up as a convenient gift for the voice with his own stinking socks shoved in his mouth and his guns broken in half in front of him.

He frowns at his own thoughts, deciding that not even Evil Jack in the Box deserved being left for the voice. That the thought entertained him was disturbing, but he didn't care anymore. He replies simply. "TDA Building."

and bided his time.