The Liar, The Witch, and the whoaskedyou
| The Liar, The Witch, and the whoaskedyou | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 11 June 2025 |
| Location: | The Forgotten District |
| Synopsis: | A new threat arrives in Tokyo. Riventon and her get along 'well'. Someone 'helps'. |
| Cast of Characters: | Takashi Agera |
| Tinyplot: | Kill the Fade |
-A week ago-
A helicopter flies slowly through the sky, to land on the rooftop of the tallest building in Mitakihara - the skyscraper of the Obsidian Zaibatsu, the tall black monolith that seems to dig at the sky.
The woman that steps out of the helicopter is much like the skyscraper itself - both crazily tall on her own and adorned with a spire of hair that twists in on itself before coming out at the top in a strange tuft. Her clothes are several shades of black and purple - massive bright red feathered shoulders swooping down into a black cape worn around a dress, with a golden crescent moon perhaps overly prominently displayed as well.
Six feet tall before we get to the hair but thin and impossibly old, the woman looks like a crone, and is perhaps spoken of (well out of earshot) as 'the harpy' - but she is someone different, someone who is truly impossibly old, and powerful. And when she walks past, even the magically inclined members of Obsidian, even those who are used to working with werewolves, crab-men, and animated betamax players feel something worse, something almost choking in her energy. Even the Kindabads and Sunackies seem to shy well away from her.
June 11th, 2025
In what seems like a shrine that has fallen into desrepair in the Forgotten District of Tokyo, that same woman crosses her arms across her chest, her long, spindly fingers, each adorned with a golden ring and tipped with a claw-like fingernail, tapping impatiently. Standing across from her is Riventon, Obsidian's (only) 'vice-director' who is explaining to her something which she is clearly unamused by.
"And so it shattered, and the sparkles picked up the peices. But that was the order, right? Return it, or destroy it. And it was destroyed." Riventon says. "You made it clear the primary concern was keeping it out of their hands."
"... Do you know how old I am, boy?" the old woman hissed, angrily. "You are less than a child in your cradle to me. I've fed off the memories of those 'sparkles' for longer than you can know. Do you really think, in your tiny little insignificant mind, that you can fool me?" she hisses. "You think you can merely hide something in the Dusk Zone and have it escape my notice?" she snarls.
On the outside, Riventon looked calm and collected. On the inside he was starting to grow concerned. He was going to speak, but she cut him off.
"You know I collect talismans from those I've defeated, boy? Each of these rings on my finger is all that was left of a so-called hero when the dark fire melted all of them but their henshin devices..." she notes, her folded hands revealing a golden ring, slightly different, on each finger. "Give me the jar."
Riventon could feel her power. But look... if like 20 magical girls defeated Queen Beryl, and Riventon could fight 20 magical girls, then Riventon should be able to defeat the old harpy, the crone, right? He wasn't going to bring her what he stole, that'd only admit his crime and prove weakness at the same time.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about. But if you insist we can see which of us melts under the power of the other today." Riventon says, the red gem on his gauntlet glowing a sickly color, while the gems on his other hand's knuckles begin to flare too. "Just because I don't let my power flow out casually like you doesn't mean I can be pushed around. I have strength appropriate to my title." he says, assuming a fighting stance as a Midchildan circle opens underneath him.
The witches' movements grew stiffer and her eyes grew just a little bit wider. "Perhaps you do. I haven't had a good fight in centuries."
Meanwhile Axion notes that the dimensional signals of a bit of Artha are falling, but right now Riventon can't focus on that. Not as the witch holds out her hand and casually generates a sphere of Dark Energy strong enough to exert its own pressure, making the world look distorted around it. "I may not even leave enough of you to make a ring." she says.
The area around the shrine looked like it had been the sight of multiple wars. Some trees were burning with black fire that seemed to burn the very air around them, a series of Tori gates were entirely frozen in black ice, and seveal craters covered the ground. As for the two Dark Energy weilding battlers... Riventon's lab coat was a tattered mess, with several burn holes through the armored barrier jacket beneath, and he was panting heavily, sweat clear on his face. As for the other... while her outfit seemed find, she seemed even more wracked for breath than the scientist.
"I haven't had to try in centuries. I don't know if that makes me impressed or annoyed. Both." she says, after a moment. "I'll have to leave something behind of you to carry as a souvineer. Clearly, I've gotten complacent." the old crone said.
"I'm nowhere near done, hag. You should have stayed in your lane. Nobody asked you to get involved in anything but the Fade." Riventon snarled. Both of them started to pull in Dark Energy - the Dark Witch using both hands to create a massive orb like a plasma globe, and Riventon using his to create a greyscale sun, with fire leaping off the surface. Both of them were pouring their maximum into it, the world around them shuddering... as they prepared to throw their best at each other, each sure that only one would walk away, and truthfully neither of them being absolutely confident it would be them, both readying to launch the attack...
Only to be interrupted by a strange clown in a jumpsuit, walking between them, clapping his hands.
"Excellent, excellent. Such a marvelous show!" Joker said. "The passion, the energy, the youth versus the... experience..." he says, continuing to do random contortions and acrobatics. "The sheer destruction, the hatred... it was a first class experience to witness!"
"But it's such a waste, you know. Both of you are very high in Father Obsidian's estimation... his up-and-coming Vice Director, his oldest ally... and while it would be amusing to see you two kill each other, I think you could both cause so much more destruction before it comes to that." Joker continued. "So perhaps... can we save this for a later act?"
"Move out of the way or I'll destroy you first." Riventon says.
"Oh really? I've been destroyed a few times, but it never sticks." the clown says, getting up close. "And I don't think you'll be the one to make it stick, not after you've already spent all of your energy up front." he says, leaning into Riventon's face. "And if you -do- kill me, there's nothing to stop her from killing YOU right after. So let's not."
"He stole from me, he lied to me, he betrayed me! He knew what we wanted and he kept it for himself." The Dark Witch snarls. "Now move, or I'll finish you both."
Quick as a wink, the Joker is in her face instead, his bells on his head jingling. "Yes, I know, he's such a model employee, it's no wonder he's got the bosses attention!" he says. "Oh wait, you're actually seriously upset about any of that? How many times have you done the same? How many knives have your gnarled old hands planted in backs?" he asks. "And... you think you're in better shape than him right now?" he asks, peering. "That's not true in a lot of ways." he notes. Then he leans in close and whispers. "And you know me too well... You don't have the strength left to make me move. He's fought you too well... you had each other on the ropes... you know that's true."
Slowly, the two of them dismiss their energy and turn their glares to Joker. "Excellent!" he says, clapping. "We have a few more acts left before it's really worth seeing you destroy each other. Don't worry, when the time is right, I'll just watch with popcorn. But today, I didn't bring any."
"Besides, what's a little disloyalty between Obsidian Employees, eh?" he says. "It's only disloyal if you have the power to punish it. Otherwise... it's just ambition. I think those were your words, once?" he says, turning to the Dark Witch, who is highly unamused to have that thrown back at her, and it shows. "And you should have worded your instructions better, anyways. It's Corporate Japan in 2025, you can't expect employees to do things you don't specifically ask."
Riventon crosses his arms. "What do YOU get out of this, clown?"
"Oh, I'm hurt, Agera-san!" he says, turning his attention back to Riventon. "I'm just acting in the best interests of the Company. We can't have our employees killing each other when there's so many sparkles to kill!" he says. And then he leans in close to whisper his own words to Riventon. "Besides, you're too much fun to have around. I can sense the torment within you, trying to convince yourself of one thing or another... it's too delicious..." Joker says, before suddenly licking Riventon's face which causes the boy scientist to jump back and fire an energy blast at Joker - who laughs even as he's shot and tumbles backwards. "Oh, Agera-san, you WOUND me! Get it?!" he says, kipping back up to his feet.
"Now, since you've gotten it out of your system, I've got even better news - Father Obsidian wants you two to work together to strengthen the Fade. He's impatient, the ol' sentient blob of Dark Energy, and sees all of the others trying to put their plans into play too soon." he says. "Now, that's what you were both already doing, so the only good news is that now, you get to work together! Which is great, since when I came here you were trying to kill each other. Such a hostile work environment, it'll be grand." he says.
"But this comes directly from Father Obsidian, it's over Precia's head, it's over my head, even if I lop it off and toss it up a few floors!" Joker notes. "So you should probably stop trying to kill each other, or I'll have to come in and get you both." he says, his voice suddenly lowering.
"Because when it comes to Father Obsidian, neither of you can call it ambition. So I trust you'll kiss and make up." then he pauses and looks at the two of them. "Actually, don't do that. Or at least do it out of my sight. Eyuck!"
The two of them look like they feel the same level of yuck about that, at least.
