Jefferson City 3: Charlie - The Ranger

Crashing to the ground after landing a blow against the creature, Kokuto immediately spun around to face it again, flames wreathing his body and hands as he readied himself to attack again...only for his dizzy, hazy vision to see the eviscerated corpse. Was it over? Really? That didn't seem right...

He stumbled backward slightly, but, as soon as Liltotto was clear, a torrent of cobalt flames erupted from his hands, fully intending on melting whatever remained of the scrap. The steam rising from his body rose higher and higher, warping the air around him as his skin turned redder and redder as the sweat evaporated and dried the instant it came from his pores. Even with how thorough Liltotto had been, Kokuto wanted to be sure that the only thing that would be coming back would be a pile of molten, bubbling mass of electronics.

As the flames eventually died down, he stumbled backward before eventually falling into a seated position. He could barely hear himself think over the loud thumping of his own pulse in his head. The world spun around him as he tried to rest, his breathing heavy and labored as he leaned his head back. He'd need a really, really long ice bath when he got back, and probably several gallons of water.

Holy hell, he hadn't felt this exhausted in a long time. Slowly turning his head, he saw Liltotto hugging Daniel through blurry vision. Good, they were both safe. He couldn't exactly hear what she was saying in response to Lion over his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, but he could tell that she was angry. Whatever it was, he hoped it was over, so that Daniel could get out of here and get back safely.

If Kokuto was feeling more exhausted than he ever felt, Daniel himself probably felt worse. For starters this was only his second time having been in combat, the first time he had dealt with some low level Hollows, but that had been it. The extent of his combat experience could be fit into a bottle cap with room to spare. This of course lead to his current state, a state only achievable by a person who had not once tested what his "limit" was. Pale faced, shaking, and almost delirious Daniel would find himself leaning against the wall for some sort of support. He gasped for air, eyes darting around trying to keep his focus even after the day had been won. Well, the battle. Even in his nearly unconscious mind, Daniel knew the war would still rage for a bit longer, but he had not doubt his team mates would win the day.

He had faith in them both, even if neither of them believed too much in him, and that one side faith was all that was keeping him going at this point. The need to make sure they survived because the only other person he had faith in had died a long time ago. He didn't know if he could bare losing anyone else, even if he barely knew them they had been kind to him, and helped him even at their own detriment. They deserved his faith at the least and he was giving it to them whether they liked it or not.

"They...must have won."

The sound of Lion's arrival and the sound of the machine going up in smoke were music to his tired ears. He doubted anyone would praise his contribution, but it didn't matter to him. They lived in the face of adversity, they had lived unlike the brother who had died, and left him with the burden of being an heir. It gave him some small joy knowing that he had at least had one thing over his brother, as morbid as that was, and that thought quickly faded as he felt someone embracing him. He would probably feel cold to the touch, but the warmth was good, and it helped steady him a bit. His eyes focused for a second, realizing it was Liltotto, and with a bit of mirth he would give a weak laugh.

"Go Charlie..."

That was when things turned sour, Liltotto attacking the commander verbally, and for a moment Daniel was alright with letting her lash out with words because she was right. A lot of people had died, at least he assumed as such, but as it began to escalate further, Daniel would put a cold, shaking hand on Liltotto's shoulder.

"Please...we need to work together. Though..."

Daniel would slump over, leaning against the wall, and slowing his descent drastically.

"I am out of ammo...and I think it will be a bit before I can even cast a single spell."

Once vacant eyes, unfocused, and darting around now looked to Liltotto with determination. And a hint of pride before looking over to Kokuto with the same look.

"You guys are amazing..."

He said nothing else as he sat on the ground for a bit, trying his best to recuperate for the next charge if they were to make it. After all, they would need his support maybe? Who was he kidding, a grin forming on his face as that thought faded away. They could handle this crap without him.

"Serious? Little Missy. I'm more serious than I've ever been."

With a snap of his fingers, Lion allowed the shadows to spread, revealing that the soldat Liltotto believed dead are, in fact, alive. They stepped from the shadows as some emerged from the windows that were blown away by the mechanical creature. Lion sighed as he raised his voice to address everyone around him, leaving Liltotto and Daniel to access themselves.

"Our mission remains the same. I've sent scouts to the position of the other squads, and, for the most part, it seems that they have minor casualties. Our task is to get to our rendezvous area and regroup with the others. However-"

He'd not finish his thought as the ground underneath his feet trembled. The sky looked as if it was shaking before a wave of Reishi rolled through the city, hitting every Quincy with a nauseating feeling, as if adrenaline was fired straight into their veins. That's when a blinding light took away their vision, a sudden rising waterfall of Reishi launching itself from the center of the city into the dome that surrounded Jefferson. Pure Reishi poured upward, roaring its existence with a constant irritation to the ears.

"Change of plans! That's where Alpha is!"

Something epic and horrendous is happening, the cylinder of energy fluctuating against the dome as the men around Lion began moving, his shadows would swallow them as he looked to Liltotto and her little group. His lips turned down into a frown as he opened another portal besides them.

"If the two of them are incapable of continuing, that portal will lead you out of here. However, for those who are able, we're continuing forward. It seems the main event is soon to start."

The choice is for them to make though. He has already evacuated those who aren't able to continue, so he would not think anything of them. That's not his job. Liltotto may find him a bit foolish, even too mischievous for his own good, but he is a trained killer who knows nothing but the worst of trickery. Right now, he's getting ready to use that skill in what's to come.

...She went to give Kokuto a hand, but she noticed how hot he was. It wouldn't be enough to burn her skin, but he was definitely at his limit too. Fuck, how was she supposed to get them out of here? It'd be suicide for them to keep going. Though, Lion's comment made her adrenaline thoughts rush to a boiling reaction, her tone sharpening but not quite raising, "Don't you 'Little Missy' me you-"

Her barrage of chastisement was stopped only by the appearance of... The rest of the squad? Why were they in the shadows? Why was there no communication on their whereabouts? They may as well have been dead for all she knew, she...

Drop it. Doesn't matter. There's something more important to worry about here, even as she gave the man a filthy look - a rush of Reishi choked the air and shook the ground, a pillar of light burning her gaze. It fell back to the two she was with, particularly Daniel whom she'd help to his feet, gently tapping his cheek, "Cmon, now's not the time to sleep. You need to get out of here."

For all she knew, there wouldn't be any seeing these two for a moment. She knew Daniel, she knew what he would want here, so she might as well say it now,

"Daniel," She'd begin, with a calling tone for his attention, "Listen, it might not mean much, but you're a brave kid. The world would be a better place if it had more people as hard working and steadfast as you are. You did something very reckless, but it mattered big in the end,"

In, and out, her breath would draw, "And that's why you need to. If you stay here, you'll die here, and you won't become your best possible self if that happens. Promise me you'll go out, have a good meal, and keep living."

Looking to Kokuto with a gentle expression of concern, she'd look to Daniel, "You need to help out Rooks, he's burning up. Don't touch him directly but.. Help him through. He needs to be cooled down. Just do that for me, okay? I'll be fine."

As he was getting closer and closer to passing out right then and there, a sudden surge of reishi caused Daniel's eyes to shoot wide open. First there was a small amount of panic as whatever THAT was, was way stronger than anything that he had encountered before. Secondly, a small wave of nausea hit him, enough to make him feel uneasy as the mere feeling of whatever it was made him feel like they needed to leave now. Lastly, Daniel felt concern, he knew that two of them were spent by the look of Kokuto, and he doubted that Liltotto and Lion could fight something like that. They needed to get out while the going was good.

He would be helped to his feet by Liltotto, a bit of color returning to his face from his minor panic attack, and as he stared at the cylinder of light hitting the top of the dome, he would glance to Liltotto. He would listen to her words, every syllable making him regret his weakness, and his inability to be of some help to her in this moment of chaos. How weak he was to be trembling and displaying his weakness in this given moment in front of his commanding officer and someone who he valued as a mentor figure. He ground his teeth and steadied himself. Pride was something he had, if only just enough to feel like he needed to at least put some effort in, and at this moment his pride was taking a hit.

"Dammit!"

Daniel shouted as he glared at the cylinder and then let out a deep sigh as he looked at Liltotto and then to Kokuto. They were so amazing and he was so weak, so incapable of providing aid without his trusty cylinders, and his spellcraft. If only he had a Vollständig or had taken his Quincy training more seriously in his youth!

"I...need to take care of Kokuto."

Daniel said, almost like a doctor speaking to the family of patient which was something he had been taught by his parents. He needed to separate from his personal issues and accept he was no use to anyone as he was right now, but he could be of some use with a basic spell to cool down Kokuto and he could make sure he made it back safe. That he could do, that was all that the man Daniel Cross could do right now.

"Promise me that at the first sign of trouble you get out of there! I don't want to hear this sacrifice yourself crap... you've got a lot of living to do, you got that!?"

He said, giving her a stern glare before walking over to Kokuto and beginning to cast a basic spell without a cylinder to try and cool down his team mate.

"I got you...come on we got to go..."

He spoke softly to Kokuto, assuming that he felt the same way that he did, but probably much worse as he was actually strong and Daniel was nothing more than a paper tiger in a windstorm.

He felt it. How couldn't he? But, with everything else that was going on, Kokuto hardly gave much of a reaction. He was more concerned about staying conscious and making sure he was breathing, after risking boiling himself alive. He couldn't hear what the others were saying, but he turned his head to look at the portal, and figured it out from there. Despite his labored breathing, Kokuto summoned his sword to use as a crutch, pushing himself to his feet just as Daniel got there.

With how close he was, it would hard for even him not to hear what he was saying. But, as Daniel cast some kind of spell, Kokuto shrunk away as best he could.

"Whatever you do, don't touch me right now. I'm nearly boiling myself from the inside with all this, and I don't even wanna imagine what that would do to you. Hang on a second..."

The energy he channeled was far slower than it usually was. After so much of it had been spent and so much of his focus was diverted purely to keeping him upright and conscious, it took a minute. But, momentarily, a thick layer of energy manifested around his left side, focused so that Daniel could stay nearby, despite him being a solution to every blizzard in history.

Despite his focus and tenuous skill in manipulating his own energy, the shield was flickering, shaking, and warping with the heat. Through it all, Kokuto offered a wide grin as he used his safe arm to pat Daniel on the back, treating him as if he were a little brother.

"You did good today, kid. Glad that you're still alive, even if you did something really reckless. Let's get outta here, a'ight?"

Stumbling toward and through the portal, Kokuto left with Daniel. Water bills were probably gonna be pretty high this month. Even literal ice water would only do so much for him.