Operation: Sibling Bonding

This is by far the most mysterious part of the Indaina Kujira.
Only two people know the function and operation of the Black Lungs and one of them is Joki himself. A mysterious individual claims to have inside knowledge of how the Black Lungs operate. They claim that they have placed a kill switch in one of the lungs that is set to activate upon their command. All they ask in return is a few favors: capture one of the Xeno-beasts and with the help of a Master-crafter use their exo-skeleton to craft a sword according to a set of specific instructions. Once the sword is created, take it to one of several drop-off locations during a specified timeframe. Unfortunately, all of the drop-off locations are many miles away and conventional travel of any kind would ensure the deadline is missed.

Objective: Grab a Xeno-beast and have a Master-crafter make a sword from its hide. Then use the teleportation ability to take it to one of several possible drop-off locations.

-

The screams were coming from all directions, but Tamwyn’s focus could only be in so many places at once. His sister was after all here in the Emporium and he had sworn to protect her from harm. Hell, she was even paying him to do it, as well as various other things such as keeping an eye out for lucrative propositions for her when he traveled. Now though they were involved in a fight for the very life of the shinobi world it would seem. A great creature, larger than many mountain ranges, loomed in the air over the Emporium. Debris floated in the air around it as things floated and the Emporium itself seemed almost caught in a state of limbo, the gravity well generated by this creature keeping it afloat as the city tilted on its axis toward the open sea. The only thing keeping the place afloat at this point was the enormous beast itself and that fact sobered Tamwyn severely as he cut down beast after beast with his weapon.

The white haired man, his hair pulled into a loose tail, moved with the speed and grace of a master swordsman as every movement he made ended in the death of another beast. He was moving with each swing as well, his strides taking him tens of meters in the direction they needed to go. His armor clad form moved as if the protective layers had no weight. His yellow eyes surveyed the area and his other senses were open to possible danger as well. In particular, however, he was moving in a wide circle. He crossed it as necessary and kept a two hundred meter perimeter around his sister cleared at pretty much all times. He was a blur with his weapon, and the light reflecting off of his sword was oftentimes the last thing an individual beast saw, when they saw it at all. After a time of this he would stop, his weapon covered in black blood as corpses made up the vast majority of what was around.

He knew why they were there of course, they were searching for a good candidate of a xeno-beasts for Kara to work with in terms of using their hide, their ‘exo-skeleton’ to create a weapon of some kind for an unknown client. They had to get a good hide and Kara had to go begin her work. He in the meanwhile would make for one of the drop off points in the area, which would have to be some sort of small island at this point given where they currently were. Kara herself would have a great deal of trouble getting to a drop off location in time for the scheduled drop off time. However Tamwyn could get there in little time and since she had a seal upon him that allowed her to teleport to him that would allow her to come to him instantly the moment that she was done creating the weapon. The problem now was finding a good Xenobeast specimen. Many were smaller or misshapen creatures with vicious claws and fangs. Many of these simply wouldn’t do. Flicking the blood off of his weapon he would turn his amber eyes to his sister. “Any still living specimens take your fancy sister dearest?” He would ask, his old grin upon his features. It was a front, and he had little doubt she knew it. He didn’t do well when it came to standing on sidelines and never really had. The Battle of Meijing, the war with the ‘Great Alliance’ and even this battle, had proven that quite clearly.

Still, the question was necessary. Any living specimen she chose would have to be killed in a different way than by his sword. Using it would obviously damage the exo-skeleton irreparably. Something which they could not afford, so when she settled on one he would instead use the weapon to block instead, and utilize his Raiton Ninjutsu to take care of the job. Either way the goal was to ensure his sister didn’t have to lift a single finger to defend herself and thus far he had not allowed a single one of these bioengineered creatures to get anywhere near her. At this point, he would take the win, based on what he was hearing in the distance, there weren’t a great many to take after all.


[1]

Kara had been more or less happily enjoying the festival put on by and in honour of her friend and business partner, Okane Tomi. The ‘more’ was the several new future business prospects she had, and the ‘less’ was that despite all of the wonderful food and drink available at the festival - some people only had a taste for their own feet. The festival had, for the most part, gone as she had expected. Incredibly lavish in decor, entertainment and refreshments. The guest list included literally the whole world and with that had come some minor altercations and drama. Again, nothing she hadn’t expected.

When the alarms had sounded however, and a new sky arose in the shape of a massive artificial bijuu, Kara was. . . surprised. It was not something that happened often, and she grew concerned. Concerned beyond the obvious ‘the Heavenly Emporium is under attack’. She was brilliant enough that almost nothing escaped her notice, and the last time that she recalled something of this magnitude occurring she had lost her husband.

Now she was inside a rough two hundred meter radius circle that had bodies of strange Xenobeasts laying in various carved pieces, her brother Tamwyn ensuring that none of the attackers made it within 200 meters of her. Her bodyguard Doku was doing his best to keep up with Tamwyn, though his speed and strength were no match for Tamwyn. He could hold his own, but were it just him Kara might be in trouble. As Tamwyn asked if there were any still living specimens that took her fancy, she would scan the approaching beasts with a critical eye. Spying one that seemed to be just a touch smaller than the others, she would point it out to Tamwyn. The fact that it was smaller was actually a good thing, it may mean it was younger but even if it wasn’t, due to its size she doubted that it often saw any combat and she was reasonably sure that that meant it’s hide was in near pristine condition, unlike the others that she could see the occasional abrasion or wound which may cause trouble for her with her task. “That one, the darker and smaller one. It should be perfect for what I need to do. And dear brother, please take care not to damage it too much.” She would grin as she gave her last instruction, she knew very well that he knew the plan, but teasing him about it in the middle of combat somehow tickled her funny bone and she found she couldn’t help herself.

The plan was a bit more mysterious than Kara would have liked. Shortly after the alarms had first gone off she had made haste to her offices in the Heavenly Emporium. She could have simply left, and were it anyone other than Okane she probably would have, but beyond having a financial interest in the floating city this was also her friend. There was panic of course, hundreds of festival goers and employees racing to and fro, trying to find safety. There was no safety to be had on the city, everything was chaos and destruction and in the few brief minutes that she was in her office she was approached by a messenger. Apparently there was a good number of people with supposed ‘inside knowledge’ of the mechanical beast that was attacking and it seemed that these same people were not invested in its future further than knocking it out of the sky. She had been given designs for a sword and a drop off point and the promise of aid to bring down the flying beast in exchange for her assistance. Kara was not usually in the business of dealing with people with this little information, though she was certainly not above working in a more clandestine way. And so she had accepted, and then immediately summoned her brother with the Twin Seal. It was no secret where she was in the world, nor was the festival a secret either so it had been no trouble for him to figure out where she was and how to get there.

Internally she was furious, it wasn’t quite the same as love, but it was close. She felt a strong emotional attachment to her friend Okane, and the audacity of whomever had decided to destroy his city had ignited a fire in her, a fire that fueled her to action.

Her pointing finger, like a Queen choosing which villager to make an example of, would designate a specific creature. It was smaller, darker, and it’s hide was in pristine condition. Lacking the various mars and tears that came with a injury and recovery. It stood, four legged an boar like, with tusks three feet long and curving and six powerful legs, able to allow it to charge to great speed to take advantage of them. Around it were other creatures, feeding and killing and they were 250 meters out from them. The only reason they were alive at all at this point. He took note of it and the half dozen creatures around it, and thought ‘Why would she start making things easy for people now?’ but it was only in jest. After all, taking it without marring it’s precious hide wouldn’t be overly difficult for the man. “I’ll suppose I’ll just have to see what I can do then.” He would say in a mocking tone.

In a very different tone he would speak out, primarily for Doku’s ears. The man was a bodyguard, not a frontline fighter that this sort of work required. This was where Tamwyn shined, his time in the trenches, leading men and women of Kumogakure against the combined might of Konoha, Kiri, Suna, and Iwa, and winning. Doku would be of no use to him in helping him with that half dozen or so Xenobeasts but that wasn’t what he was speaking to Doku for. No, Doku was doing his best, and while Tamwyn normally would jibe and give him shit when it came to situations like this he kept that part of his fun to himself. At the moment Doku was doing everything he could to keep his factor, Kara, safe from harm. Tamwyn leaving the perimeter for any length of time could cause the man to be unprepared for it and leave a vital opening. Evening if Tamwyn was only going to be gone for a moment. So, Tamwyn’s words for Doku were a warning that the Seraph of Lightning was leaving the perimeter that had been set up. It was a sign of respect toward the man who's job was somewhat necessary for Kara's safety. “Leaving the perimeter, Chucklefuck.” He would say, the words simple and easily understood. The joking tone at the end easily heard and understood by all.

With that the white haired man would heft Aerondight, then activate his Lightning Release Armor, crackling lines of electricity would come around him and just like that he would be gone, falling into the familiar Disturbance style. His speed and grace were the thing of legend at that moment and with six quick motions that most in the world wouldn’t even be able to follow, six Xenobeasts fell, each one with a vital cleanly slashed through by a single, viciously precise cut. The only one standing was the one that had been pointed out and Tamwyn ceased his movements next to it, Aerondight already back within its sheath and his lightning armor dissipated as he reached out and touched the creature. The moment he made contact, the nervous system of the creature would be fried beyond recognition and the beast would fall, collapsing due to the sensory overload he had imparted upon it. Then, maintaining his contact he would utilize transference. The technique was a favorite of his and it caused raiton chakra to pulse into whatever he was touching, causing vicious damage beneath the skin, or in this case, hide level. Tamwyn’s hand would be placed to feel the heartbeat of the creature and as the lightning coursed through it he felt it spasm and cease. The death about as humane as he could possibly make it. Of course that was simply a side effect. The creature couldn’t even feel pain at that moment due to the earlier usage of Overload, it wouldn’t even know it was dead. With that done he would lift the creature, moving toward his sister and Doku. He utilized his Lightning Armor there too, letting it augment his strength so that he could lift the creature.

When he arrived by Kara he would quip “Delivered as requested, this is about as fresh as it gets.” Before setting the creature down next to her. “So you go start creating the weapon, and I’ll head off toward one of the drop off points. Once you finish making it, just teleport to me. That about sum everything up?" He would ask, looking his sister in the eyes.

Stuff:

Kara laughed as her brother shot back his remark, a laugh that would have been at home in a crowded party or a charity ball, but on a battlefield surrounded by death and mayhem it was a tad out of place. Kara was an expert at managing and compartmentalizing her emotions and her thoughts so that she could masterfully handle any given situation. That skill had only failed her after the news of the death of her husband, Damien Darhk. She hadn’t been prepared for the loss of someone she had allowed beyond the impenetrable walls she had created around her heart, and it had nearly destroyed her. Since then she had been more careful, not allowing herself to fall prey to the trap that was ‘love’. Which did make the relationship with her brother difficult, since she had agreed to try to be a good sister to him. What it had meant was that she had to remind herself that everyone and everything eventually faded away - nothing was permanent. Eventually there might be a future where Kara knew that it was both safe and worth it to love people again, but for now she held everyone at arm's length. Even her brother.

Doku didn’t have time to pay attention to Tamwyn’s adorable nickname for him, Doku was far too focused on doing his job. Doku would probably notice later and have something to say about it, but for now he had a job to do. Where Tamwyn was able to cut through the swathes of enemies with ease, Doku was having to work. Were it just Doku alone, eventually he might become overwhelmed. In response Doku would nod to the white haired warrior and give him his verbal confirmation. “Ahl hold hare.” And hold he did. Doku was no master of the sword, but he was well practiced and his sweeping movements may have lacked the grace inherent in a true master swordsman, but no one could question his determination and loyalty to his Mistress.

Kara watched, amused, as Tamwyn sliced through the alien beast with ease and then touched the one she had pointed to, killing it without leaving so much as a mark upon its carapace. She nodded her approval as he set the dead thing down at her feet, a wry smile on her face. “Any fresher and I suppose I’d have needed a leash. What do you think people would say about me if I turned up with one of these as a pet?” She wasn’t exactly considering it, not the pet part anyway. The idea of catching one alive to experiment on it was tantalizing though, but it was not part of her current objective. She wanted to save the Heavenly Emporium from destruction - her personal projects would have to wait for the time being. “Masterfully done by the way, brother dearest. I may have to call upon that particular skill of yours in the future. As for the plan, yes. I am not confident about using my workshop here at the moment so I’ll be heading to Darhkvale, would you like to come with me? You could start your journey from there or from here, the choice is yours of course.” As soon as Doku heard that Kara would be heading to Darhkvale, Kara could swear his skin turned a shade greener than it had been a moment before. “Either way, it will take me a week to create this sword, so that’s how long you have to get there.” She would wait for Tamwyn’s reply before teleporting, she didn’t want to disrupt his planned route if he had one.

With her comment on felled beasts freshness he would chuckle. "Maybe a chew toy too, 'Xeno-Snacks'?" He would quip, gaining an absolutely ridiculous mental image of his sister toting around a bio-engineered monster on a leash and playing fetch with it and giving it treats. The mental image was ludicrous and it almost made him laugh uncontrollably before he suppressed it. At her comments on his skill he would flash her a grin. "Anytime sister dearest, you need only ask. Although I will decline the offer of transportation home. It'll be faster for me to get to one of the drop off points from here. I'll end up waiting most of the week I'm sure but I can keep it's perimeter safe for your imminent arrival." He would say giving her a mock little bow at her confirmation of his time frame. With that in mind he would grin a two fingered salute toward Doku with a cheeky little grin. "Try to hold your lunch this time, Chucklefuck." He would say, saying the pet name again now that Doku was fully cognizant of what was going on. Tamwyn's senses were open and many of the beasts around them were eyeing their group warily. Stupid animals or not, when you saw the bodies of multiple of your kin around a group, you analyzed how you went about your attack.

The timing of the name drop would be even more perfect if Kara's teleportation occurred right after the man heard it. Although it would be positively priceless if the timing was just long enough for Doku's expression to register before disappearing. Regardless, Tamwyn's guard would stay up until the two, plus the carcass, were safely gone. Then Tamwyn would begin to eliminate more of the Xenobeasts for a time, working to clear as many as possible before leaving himself. He had a drop off point to get to and keep clear for his sister's imminent arrival and the sooner he started the sooner it would be done. Moving from the Emporium, he would used his superhuman senses to spot likely candidates for drop off points. An archipelago in the distance seemed like a likely candidate and so the white haired man moved off toward them, dropping off the edge of the Emporium and toward the ocean below. His senses were still heightened and he kept them wary of danger during his descent. Should he be successful, he would dip into the water, forming into a simple, and elegant given his size, dive before moving up to the surface and beginning to run upon it toward the islands.

[3]

Kara chuckled at the idea of chew toys for her exotic imaginary pet. One thing the siblings definitely shared was a sense of humour. When he declined her offer of teleportation she would nod, his reasoning made sense and as long as she didn’t have to do any of the actual running she was fine with whatever he chose. “Take care then, and don’t die. I’ll see you in a week. I. . .” Her words trailed off and she let her mouth close, unable to voice the phrase ‘I love you.’ It was too soon yet, maybe one day, but not today. “I’ll see you soon.” Was how she finished where she had left off, she doubted she would be able to hide what she had meant to say, but she hoped her brother understood.

Doku had picked up the dead Xenobeast and was holding it firmly as Tamwyn teased Doku once again. This time the dark haired bodyguard recognized what had just occurred and turned to give Tamwyn one last look of dismay as Kara put her hand on his shoulder, and activated her Flying Thunder God seal and the two of them plus one dead alien disappeared from view.

A split second later Kara, Doku and the dead beast arrived in Kara’s office in Darhkvale, and Doku at least had the fortitude to set the carcass down before relieving himself of his lunch in a nearby wastebasket. Kara just raised an eyebrow and shook her head. It was not the most attractive look, but she could understand how the teleportation was disorienting for some. Giving him a minute to compose himself, she would direct him to gather the carcass and follow her to her workshop with it.

Once there she set about creating the masterful sword that the mysterious person had requested in exchange for his assistance. Or hers. She knew maddeningly little about who she was making it for. Only that they had requested her assistance specifically. It would take time, but she was more than up to the task, having already memorized all the relevant specifications for the weapons creation.

Notes:

Her departure would be met with careful quiet as she teleported a dismayed looking bodyguard away. The swordsman would shake his head, honestly Doku didn't really deserve all the ribbing and jibing he gave him. Of course that didn't mean Tamwyn was going to stop anytime soon. It was fun to screw with him and get him angry. Still, it was time to go, and his actions would not change in anyway. As such he would find himself down upon the ocean, he was wet of course, as could be expected from someone who just took a brisk dip in the ocean of all things and he was running toward the archipelago he had seen off in the distance. Honestly distance on the sea was strange and the island chain was a fair distance away. Miles at least, however Tamwyn was one of, if not the, fastest individual in the world. As such miles were of little meaning to him when he actually put some effort into his movements. Effort which came to the forefront as the familiar lightning armor cracked to life around him again. He dashed across the water, running along it's surface.

All in all it took him days to reach the location they had been given. The drop off point was actually a series of islands in the Nanmen Ocean. A mostly empty expanse of water with very few landmasses within it. The Emporium, and therefore Indaina Kujira was currently in the Kaizuko Sea, making the distance needed to travel a vast one indeed. He reached the Archipelago described to him, characterized by one of the islands looking like a giant ring. Meaning it was probably the top of a large volcano or something. Once he reached the island, he would begin to search, using his acute senses to listen, hear, and even smell for any signs. Eventually he came across a small cleared out area in the forested areas upon the island. Open within the clearing was a stairway going down into the ground. Keeping his senses open, Tamwyn moved into the stairway, wary of traps and keeping his lightning armor on for protection. The pathway was fairly linear with only way path to follow. The descent wasn't overly long. However journeying through he would eventually find a room with two guards at the door, both looked at each other before focusing on him. "Business?" One asked, prompting Tamwyn to give a grin.

"I'm here to ensure safe and timely delivery at this drop off." He would say simply, prompting the two to look at each other again before nodding. "What are your purposes here?" He would ask, tilting his head curiously as his hand sat upon the hilt of Aerondight. Both individuals placed hilts upon their weapons as well as one of them, the original speaker, spoke. "We're guarding the drop off point. Once the weapon is delivered we'll take it and send a signal to our employer which will confirm the pick up." He would say. His words would prompt Tamwyn to nod in acceptance, removing his hand from the hilt of his weapon. The confirmation of what was being dropped off confirmed the story more or less and Tamwyn would lean on the wall in order to wait. His sister should be arriving something today and so he would keep his guard up before the two men, ready to defend himself or Kara if need be. The room behind them held a cot for them to take turns using, a table for them to eat at, and otherwise was unadorned. A two man cell then, increasing the odds of one of them reporting in. Simple enough and he wouldn't argue either way. So far this mysterious individual had played things close to his chest. There was no reason for that change now.

[4]

Stuff:

Kara had spent the week crafting one of the finest swords she ever had created. She did not usually make weapons out of the carcasses of strange creatures, but there was a first time for everything. She had managed to create an interesting alloy out of the creature's blood and the razor sharp sword's grip was wrapped with elaborately engraved pieces of its skin. It was as beautiful as she could have made such a request, though its beauty was grim and dark. Unfortunately in that week, Kara had not made any progress in discovering who the mysterious client was that she was creating this weapon for. Which also meant that she had no way of guaranteeing that he held up on his end of the bargain. But she did have a contingency plan; upon finishing the sword she focused her chakra into applying her signature gold sun and moon seal upon the pommel, ensuring that if payment was not delivered there was a reasonable chance she could simply reacquire the blade.

Doku and Mai had been attentive during her time in her workshop, ensuring she was well guarded and remembered to eat. While absorbed in her creations Kara tended to neglect food and drink, but with the hourly trays of refreshments hand delivered by Mai, Kara managed to get some nutrients. Once the weapon was finished, Kara would bundle it up and prepare to teleport to her brother. This would be the furthest she’d gone so far since discovering the mysteries of the Flying Thunder God technique. She stood in her workshop, her long blonde hair tied behind her in a single braid, the only indication that she had done any work at all. She had dressed in a long black gown with her signature stilettos on her feet, and her metal prosthetic clearly visible. While she knew time was of the essence she had taken a moment to dress for the occasion - a business meeting. Mai had done the arranging of her outfit of course, that was part of her job after all, and had since returned to her duties of running Darhkvale in her Mistress’ absence.

Kara almost laughed at the look of resigned misery on Doku’s face, but she saved him the embarrassment. She knew that the man didn’t deal well with teleporting and so she gave him a face saving out. “Doku, I’ll need you to remain here for now. I will return for you in a few minutes if things go well, but if there are any problems I need you to organize things here for my return. Medics and the like. I’m not expecting anything like that, but I didn’t build an empire on optimism.” She could practically feel the relief when she ordered him to stay behind. He said little except his usual “Yes Mistress.” and gave Kara a deep bow. And then she focused her chakra to teleport herself and the newly created weapon to the seal on Tamwyn.

In a rather unremarkable bending of space-time, Kara appeared in a small room standing next to Tamwyn who appeared to be leaning on the wall of said room. In her arms was the bundled sword and on her face was a professional smile. Looking around she noted two guards, one was resting on a cot in an adjoining room and the other looked fairly bored across the room from the siblings. “Arrived just a bit early if my calculations are correct.” Kara would say with a deadpan expression before breaking into a mischievous grin. “I jest of course, I’m never wrong. I hope your trip was enjoyable brother dearest.” She would give Tamwyn the opportunity to reply before turning her attention to the man across the room from her, who was looking with no small amount of surprise at the mysterious blonde woman who had just popped into existence. “I assume you’re a messenger. Your master’s goods are delivered as promised, although I don’t see your master.” She had made the logical assumption that these men were supposed to be here seeing as they were in a room with Tamwyn and they weren’t dead. She fully believed that had they posed any threat to her, Tamwyn would have disposed of them before she arrived. If or when directed she would hand off the weapon to her mysterious client’s lackeys, completing the exchange.

Notes:

Tamwyn would see the sudden appearance of his sister. However his golden eyes would not turn toward her. They would remain glued to the guard that stood across from him in the hallway, leaning against the wall. They had been sizing each other up for a while now. It was a normal thing to occur for such types of individuals. Comparing builds, seeming confidence, scars. Both men had powerful builds and both had confidence to boot. However Tamwyn had the cooler visible scar by far. The guard only had a chin scar with a blade probably nicked him closely. However Tamwyn had one running down his left eye from above the eye itself and moving through it. It almost appeared as if the eye should not be there but it was. Perfectly able to see and all. That scar had been a reminder of the trenches. The healing of the eye had been done by an old companion. Raiju, however Tamwyn had requested the scar remain. Kara’s words would bring a smirk to the swordsman’s face and the expression of the guard would be comical at best as the man’s eyes widened in surprise. "Lots of water, pretty boring really." He would say in response to his sister's words.

There had not been anyone there previously after all. Now he was a stunning blonde haired, golden eyed woman that had appeared out of nothingness. She was also however carrying a weapon. Eyeing the piece the guard would take a piece of paper from his pocket and open it. A quick visual comparison would be enough to confirm it as at least appearing as the weapon needed to be and as such would be enough to prompt him to signal his employer. He would proceed to place the paper back into his pocket before banging loudly on the door. That would awaken his companion, who came out after a few moments. The first guard would however begin speaking while they waited. “You are correct of course ma’am. With that said I will signal my master now.” He would say, his eyes turning to Tamwyn as he began to perform seals. The white haired man stood between the man and his sister, ready to play human shield with his lightning armor so she could escape. However when the man finished his hand seals all one would hear would be the grinding of stone. The second guard, who had come out of the room while the first had spoken, stood next to the open doorway. Within the small room a secret door had opened. The doorway revealed a secondary room, with what amenities Tamwyn could not see from there. However the fact that he had not sensed a latent chakra source nearby spoke well of it’s security.

“The sword please.” The first guard would say, taking the weapon from the blonde woman and stepping into the room to set it upon the table to be inspected before stepping back out and using his body to block the view of the room from the doorway. In the guards opinion, if his master ordered him to move so they could see them and they him. He would do so, until then, he would respect the basic idea of the individual's wish for privacy and secrecy and ensure they were not seen while inspecting the weapon.

[5]

The stones of the secret room would grind into place within the underground facility and as they did, so to would the gears of space. Beyond the pair's vision, three individuals would step out of a portal and into the hidden space. By the time the secret room was level with that of the rendezvous area, the portal had already been shut. This created the illusion that the trio had been on this plane of reality the whole time albeit hidden by the machinations of the compound's engineering. Their presence was not fully revealed as the guard dutifully blocked their forms although anyone with a decent perceptive capacity could tell there was more than one person in the room. The blade had been handed to them was now undergoing an inspection. A few minutes passed in silence as the three looked over the weapon and conversed amongst themselves. It was difficult to make out what was said for they spoke in hushed tones, with voices suppressed by techniques, and using words that did not fit the vocabulary of any known human language.

When the analysis was complete, both of the guards' eyes flashed a bright yellow and they stood aside. Their movements were different this time. It was as if they did not have control over their own bodies. Their actions were forced and jerky but strangely coordinated. They each moved away from the door with timed precision and now stood an equidistant range from the secret room. The only way you could tell they were alive was by virtue of their breathing.

The trio then entered the room with Tamwyn and Kara.

The first to enter was a scraggly looking man. He sported some kind of exo-skeleton armour which wrapped around his body. Strapped to the center of his back was a katana and on his hip rested a wakizashi. The rough looking gentleman sported an unkept beard, metallic implants jutting out from his face, and a set of deranged eyes. He was holding a metallic briefcase that appeared to be made from advanced technology. Its center glowed an ominous red and his grip on it was so tight that his hand was a stark purple unlike the rest of his pale body. He stood to the right of the door and made a point of eyeing Tamwyn whom he rightly guessed to be the crafter's bodyguard. The untamed look in his eye was just as much a challenge as it was an attempt at intimidation.

The second was a young woman with a buzzcut hair and yellow eyes. A smoking aura of gold wafted from around her clothing which consisted of all black jacket, mesh shirt, pants, boots and scarf. The smell of burning flesh could be apprehended and its stench filled the room before settling into a more palatable odor. The woman was holding the Xeno-sword and the seal that Kara had previously placed on it glowed the same color as her eyes. She focused her attention on the CEO. The stranger's eyes were stern and accusing. It was the same look parents gave their children when they had caught them stealing from the cookie jar. She took a position to the left and stood still.

The third and final entrant eschewed traditional notions of gender. They largely believed such distinctions to be foreign constructs developed by a backward people with a limited perspective. The interdimensional transplant could best be described in masculine terms however. Their form was tall, imposing, alabaster pale, and muscular with a long black mohawk sprouting from the center of their head and flowing down on their right side. They wore punk rocker clothes with a spiked choker and purple combat gloves. One of the alien's eyes was pure white while the other was red. A small pair of devil's horns jutted out from their forehead. The bone growths were mere stubs but their presence confirmed at least one thing about their mysterious counter-party. They stood in the center of the doorway between the first two entrants and projected an aura of complete control over the situation. The so-called "Master" would cross their arms and sigh in disappointment before looking up at the right corner of the ceiling. They did not acknowledge the importance of these simians.

The "Master" would then begin to speak in a strange language. The words were foreign and seemed to bounce off of space as if the vibrations were better suited to another plane of reality. Neither Kara nor Tamwyn would be able to understand a word of what this being was saying, but from their tone the siblings could probably surmise it was displeased. As they spoke, they occasionally paused to allow the buzz-cut woman holding the sword to translate.

"My...Master...." the word wasn't a good fit but it conveyed the weight of the alien's position in terms the humans could understand. "....asks if your civilization has achieved universal literacy." the jape was expressed in much more vulgar and ugly terms. This forced the translator to censor the worst parts of the speech lest she become a casualty of high emotions. The "Translator" was not nearly as strong as the other two and she partly feared that if push came to shove she'd be the first to die. Unlike her employer, she knew that the people of this planet were not to be underestimated. Many an entity and invader had crossed the threshold into this world thinking they'd conquer the primates and plunder them for their wealth. Few came back and those who did returned empty handed. She would do what she could to avoid testing their mettle and sense of desperation, but ultimately the fate of this encounter was not in her hands. "If this is so then they inquire as to why you felt the need to disobey the very specific instructions communicated to your superiors. As I understand it, the schematics did not include the seal you placed on the item. My master is concerned that this is a material breach of the agreement and would thus absolve them of upholding their end of the bargain"

The sword glowed with the foreign seal that Kara had added. Flakes of gold emanated from that part of the sword making it rather obvious what she had done. At this point to deny it would be downright insulting.

Kara smirked at Tamwyn’s comment about his trip being boring. Only shinobi could describe the thrill of being able to literally run on water as being ‘boring’. “Well you have my thanks, these heels aren’t exactly made for long distance running.” She kept her eyes on the guard that was across from them as she spoke, a bemused and charming smile on her face as she watched him. When he requested the weapon she would step forward and hand it over to him without complaint, she had already accounted for a potential scam by applying an FTG seal to the hilt if anyone involved turned out to be less than honest about upholding their end of the bargain.

She would wait patiently as the guard left the room with the sword she had crafted, unaware of the portal that opened in the secret room, hearing only the grinding of stone on stone as three new faces joined the mix. She could see glimpses of forms moving and hear hushed murmurs beyond the human wall the guards had created. Kara was unable to make out any words but it was clear that whoever these guards reported to had arrived, or perhaps been there the whole time hidden further within the underground compound. She did however notice the sudden flash of yellow in the guards eyes and the strange way that they suddenly moved in unison. She had no explanation, though she had theories and for now she would keep those theories to herself.

As each new person came through the doorway, Kara would greet them silently with a respectful nod, her arms clasped demurely in front of her. The first man piqued her curiosity, the metallic implants mirroring her own engineered arm. Though where her prosthetic was a necessity, it appeared as though this man’s implants were additive and superfluous, perhaps merely cosmetic. She doubted that though as she saw the weapons attached to his hip and back, he didn’t strike her as the type to go for frippery. Kara gave him a nod and an impassive look as she allowed him to attempt to intimidate or whatever swordsmen did. She was used to seeing the behaviour in her bodyguard Doku, and now her brother Tamwyn, and while she thought she understood the intention behind it she found herself somewhat numb to that type of intimidation. Especially when it didn’t appear to be directed at her, it appeared to be directed at Tamwyn, and she supposed that any intervention on her part would just play into the grey haired man’s hands anyway. ‘He’s capable, and if he needs my assistance I’m certain he’ll ask me for it.’ She wasn’t certain he’d ask her for help, but it was justification enough to allow her to mentally dismiss the issue and focus on the other two.

The second person carried with her an odor that Kara was surprisingly used to, as an accomplished medical doctor and researcher she spent a good deal of time around less than pleasant bodily odors. She didn’t like them, but it at least wasn’t entirely horrific. Just mildly offensive. She did her best to keep her face still as she endured the unpleasantness of the smell of burning flesh, fortunately as intense as it was the odor did dissipate after a short time. Kara noted the swirling fiery aura that the young woman had that seemed to match the fiery and disapproving gaze the woman gave. Kara was more than intelligent enough to put together why the woman holding the crafted sword felt it necessary to give such a stare, but she frankly couldn’t have cared less about the woman’s hurt feelings. Kara knew that a lot of beings, human and others, felt emotionally attached to the concept of ‘trust’, as though it somehow equated with ‘self worth’ or some other such base ideal. The Apothecary was an incredibly arrogant woman, who despite being ridiculously intelligent did not see that as a fact or issue. So when anyone she dealt with put measures in place to ensure their personal or financial safety, she never took it personally; in large part because she knew that her worth was far beyond what the peasants' view of her was. She gave the fiery woman an equally impassive look and nod as she had towards the first man to enter the room and then moved her attention to the third person.

Now this one she recognized. Not as an individual, but as a species. She was intimately familiar with the species ‘Otsutsuki’, having both spent considerable time on Seid’s homeworld and having dissected one. She recognized the alabaster skin, regal bearing and the unmistakable horn. She said nothing, but there was recognition visible in her honey coloured eyes, which may have been missed by the black haired Otsutsuki as they seemed intent on paying close attention to the ceiling. She also gave them a nod, though whether or not they noticed she could not tell.

When her client spoke Kara did not recognize the language, she suspected that interpreting it was likely next to impossible on this planet, as though the vibrations were meant for a different environment. Fortunately, or more likely by design, the fiery short haired woman had come equipped to make up for such complications. While she spoke Kara did not look at her, in this scenario it would have been rude to address the translator and not the speaker, such was the way of all negotiations where language presented a barrier. She kept her attention on the lead alien form and would only speak directly to them making the assumption that the translator would. . . translate.

And the first thing that was translated was supposed to be an insult.

Kara however had no doubts about her own intelligence and competency and so was not in the habit of being emotionally affected by these types of jabs. But it did give her some insight into who she was dealing with, which until now she’d had virtually none. These people viewed themselves as vastly superior to humans and didn’t care who knew it, she could hear the hesitation as the fiery woman translated, potentially because of the language difference but she suspected that she was merely being diplomatic. Kara couldn’t understand the words the pale co-conspirator was using, but she could understand tone and body language just fine. Those were universal. Kara’s expression would remain neutral, a ghost of a professional smile on her lips as was typical for her but nothing more. ‘So they think we’re all idiots. I can work with that.’ And work with it she would. She would keep a pleasant expression on her face - the type of bemused expression she saw on the idiots she dealt with, but her gaze was intelligent - that part she could never hide.

Kara didn’t bother answering the question, it required too long of an answer anyway and she wasn’t particularly interested in shouting ‘humans are worthy!’ to the hilltops. She knew it wasn’t true and it didn’t matter. She continued watching the leader as they spoke and listened to the translation. This time mirth passed through her eyes as she heard the words ‘your superiors’, briefly, but present. Kara waited until the woman finished speaking and then took a step towards the alien leader, her one metallic arm and one organic one still passively held together at the fingertips. She considered leading with the line ‘I have no superiors’ but ultimately decided against it. She was vain and arrogant and proud, but she was also practical and efficient, and debating who these supposed ‘superiors’ were was simply a waste of time. Instead she addressed the heart of the alien’s complaint; backing out of the deal.

“The sword was made according to your very specific instructions. The seal you see there is my insurance policy. I do hope you don’t take this personally, but until you walked into that room I knew almost nothing about you, and it would have been idiotic to place blind trust in an unknown. You see I had been concerned that whoever this mysterious conspirator was might very well back out of our deal, but now that I see who you are, you’re not going to do that are you?” Her question was rhetorical, and she kept her gaze hard as she smiled and gestured towards the sword the fiery woman was carrying. “It is a simple matter to remove and does not affect the integrity or utility of the weapon in any way. So I remove it and you hold up your end of the bargain. If that is acceptable to you, I will remove it now.” She would step towards the sword, intending to touch the golden seal and remove it, but would only advance and do so if she received confirmation that the deal was still on.

The two guards he had been dealing with would suddenly stiffen and straighten. Their eyes would flash a shade of yellow not unsimilar to his own. Then they would promptly step aside from the door. Their movements and demeanor had changed drastically and it seemed obvious that someone was controlling them. The white haired swordsman could tell there was more than one individual in that tucked away room with the secret stone door and as the two guards stepped aside. They moved as one with jerky, yet coordinated movements and standing between the door so that they were each the same distance from it. With that Tamwyn could see the individuals somewhat but as they came out one at a time he would obviously be able to see them coming more clearly one at a time. The first individual was a grizzled old man with a grey unkempt beard, somewhat shaggy hair and dark eyes. The man had a powerful enough build but what Tamwyn found interesting was the strange armor he wore. The man held a briefcase as if it was the only thing in the world that mattered and as he sported strange metallic implants in his face and all in all had a great deal of advanced technology showing.

When the man stood to the right of the doorway and eyed Tamwyn the white haired man would see the deranged look in the man's eyes. Idly Tamwyn would wonder if the case held some kind of explosive that he intended to set off once they had the sword, attempting to kill his sister and Tamwyn himself in the process. However for the moment the Seraph of Lightning would simply watch and wait. He flashed a quick grin at the man with the briefcase and did not quite blow him a kiss in jest. The acknowledgement of protection details spawned competition the world, and unknown to Tamwyn, seemingly worlds over. He would stand in a relaxed pose, arms loose at his sides. It was a stance that was faster off the mark than simply tensing up for potentially movement. He was not threatening, simply ready to move to protect his charge. In this case, his sister. As such beyond his own brief smile toward the man he would do nothing to respond to the intimidation tactic. He had seen too much bloodshed to let some old man intimidate him.

The second individual to came out had a buzzcut with yellow eyes. A smoking aura surrounded her but Tamwyn's eyes would simply scan her for weapons to keep track of. The woman seemingly only had the very sword Kara had made in her hands but the familiar seal placed upon it, glowing in a golden light upon it's surface to reveal it, was obviously meant to draw the eye. However the swordsman would keep his attention off that. The third individual was coming out and they looked quite different from what Tamwyn might expect. However that mattered little in the long run. The figure was tall and had a black mohawk spawn in the center of their head and going down one side. One of their eyes were purple while the other was red. Two stubbed horns would be visible and as the person stood between the first two it would be clear that this was the 'mysterious individual' that had Kara so curious. Tamwyn's eyes would move to a spot between the three of them and somewhat unfocus. This would allow him to keep track of all three at once rather than focusing on a single individual and only being ready to react to their movements. With his eyes unfocused between the three he would be ready to defend his sister against movement from any of the three and he was careful to keep his sword arm clear in case he needed it.

All in all, Tamwyn would ignore the discussion between Kara and the individuals they had come for. She was the one that had created the weapon and she was the one that was better suited to talking to them either way. So Tamwyn would simply place his trust in his sister that she would see things done. Instead he stood ready to defend her if necessary and let her and the individual(s) she was speaking with work and converse undisturbed.

[6]

Kara's response elicited a cross between a snarl and a grunt from the "Master." The one holding the sword sighed softly as she listened to Kara's response and begun the task of translating. When the "Translator" spoke in her leader's tongue, the words were still foreign but more digestible and plain. The way she spoke confirmed that this language was meant for another world. Upon hearing the offering to remove the seal, the "Master" turned to Kara and shook her head with a sadistic look on her face. It was the first time since she had entered into the room that she was looking directly at the crafter. The alien regarded her as a savage regardless of her accomplishments and no amount of miracle engineering would change that. Of course, this begged the question of why they were seeking the wares of someone so supposedly inferior to themself. The simple truth was no matter how wide the cosmos was, the paradox of bigotry and close-mindedness was omnipresent.

They uttered their reply while staring contemptuously at her and the buzzcut entrant dutifully translated.

"Unfortunately its not that simple. You see where my Master comes from this is a grave sign of distrust and a personal insult to both her intelligence and capabilities. Presumably you thought this insurance policy would succeed...which in turn implies that Their Divinity is less than competent." Once more she called upon her sense of creativity and playfulness with the Kishin language to better convey the essence of the Master's message. "I can remove it but...." The buzzcut woman passed a hand over the glowing mark and removed any trace of its existence.

"....my Master requires that they be made whole for this insult. I suggest an apology or perhaps a gesture of some ki-"
"Néil"

The word sounded so strange coming from out of their mouths. The Master was not totally unschooled in the words of these savages, they just avoided speaking them whenever possible. However, the pleasure they'd get from directing the command to the mighty businesswoman was worth a stroll through their linguistic slum. She jerked her head towards Kara but did not repeat the word. The room grew deathly still. Their benefactor was now conditioning her assistance on Kara performing a rather humiliating act of contrition. This was not part of the plan. The buzzcut woman held the sword tightly and looked at Kara with pleading eyes. She knew the request was unreasonable but the alternative was potentially worse. If violence broke out, she wasn't sure who the victor would be, but she knew that she'd be the loser. Unfortunately, her will was not the deciding factor here. This was entirely between the two Queens and their pride.

Tamwyn remained dutifully silent at her side, Kara trusted him to keep her safe and he also had the mental fortitude to not be baited into verbally defending her. She made a mental note to thank him for that later, when they were no longer in the presence of alien visitors. The whole ‘I have a brother now’ thing was definitely growing on her, and what had started as satire in her mind, the phrase ‘dearest brother’ was settling into her vocabulary as comfortable. In a word, Kara was proud to have Tamwyn at her side.

When Kara finally began to speak, the black haired Otsutsuki finally deigned to look at The Apothecary. Kara kept her professional visage even in the face of contempt; she allowed her features to soften and a gentle smile to grace her lips - a smile that she hoped would continue to bolster the illusion that all humans were idiots. Based on the ‘misunderstanding’ it was clear to Kara that these alien visitors had more insecurities than Kara did (which meant at least one), or they never had any intention of fulfilling their end of the deal and were now simply posturing and shifting the narrative to justify it. The latter seemed unlikely now that Kara was in the room with them, and she could clearly see the glowing briefcase that was undoubtedly the source of their assistance. So then it seemed likely that this individual was not used to being denied in any way, probably some sort of god complex if she had to make an educated guess. And therein lay the problem; someone that deemed humans far inferior to themselves had needed to degrade themselves by asking for help from a human. Had Kara realized who she was dealing with before arriving, this meeting would have gone very differently. Internally she chided herself for not recognizing sooner that she had started at a severe social disadvantage.

As the translator removed her seal Kara kept her face still so as not to display the concern she felt. Kara was arguably the best Fuuinjutsu user on the planet, and that particular technique was among the most difficult for others to remove. To have this tiny alien woman dispel it so casually was deeply concerning, and for just a moment Kara let her mind wander to the possibilities that came along with alien creatures and Flying Thunder God. She didn’t have long to think about that however as the translator continued translating and then was abruptly cut off by a single word from Their Divinity.  

"Néil"

Most other people, less secure people, would have immediately felt their hackles rise at such a command. Kara however had no such insecurities. Kara knew, beyond any shadow of doubt, that she was the most intelligent and powerful person the world had ever seen. She was perfect. It was how she had been raised, and she’d never had anyone successfully strike that notion from her head. And because she knew that, she had frequently employed the art of persuasion, seduction and subterfuge to her business dealings without complaint. If she was dealing with someone that wanted to feel powerful, she let them feel powerful. If they wanted to feel attractive, she let them feel attractive. It was all just a means to an end for her, and her unfaltering confidence in her own personal power made it a simple matter. It also didn’t hurt that Kara had a deep seated desire to be commanded; being in charge all the time was. . . exhausting.

Kara would keep a smile on her face as she moved calmly towards the lead Otsutsuki, though her smile now held a more suggestive edge to it. Once within a foot of the alien figure, Kara would slowly kneel down until she was fully on the ground still looking up with a look full of desire. As she lowered herself, assuming she was allowed to approach that closely, she would be close enough for the alien to feel her body heat and breath - something that was quite intentional. She doubted that Otsutsuki were so easily swayed by carnal desire, especially in humans, but it wasn’t entirely just for the Otsutsuki. Kara’s cheeks would tint a pale pink as she knelt in front of the black haired alien and she would speak softly as she gazed up expectantly.

“And then what?”

His sister's explanation of why she had placed the seal had seemed reasonable enough to Tamwyn. However it would appear the one who this all hinged on seemed to not agree. So she felt insulted by the act of insurance? When she had insulted them by not giving them the basic trust of a name or identity at all? The hypocrisy was ludicrous, however Tamwyn’s own feelings on everything did not matter in the slightest. This was Kara’s show, he had just been the one to make sure she could get here and now he was simply working to ensure she remained safe. The word that came out from their ‘divinity’ did not sound quite the same when it came from a person’s mouth. As if it was coming from a tongue not familiar with the language. Not unknowing of it, but unfamiliar, as if it was a new thing to experience physically and they hadn’t quite hit the mark. However the word was simple enough to understand.

Even the woman with the buzz cut looked toward Kara with pleading eyes then. As if she knew the request was unreasonable and insulting in it’s own right. Tamwyn couldn’t see Kara’s face from his angle, but when she stepped forward he looked toward her with a careful eye. As it stood he could easily get between her and them and act as a shield. For that matter she could easily reach out and teleport both of them away with no real risk. However if she closed the distance to them and increased the distance between him and her then that would cease to be a possibility very quickly. Tamwyn himself was confident he was one of, if not the, fastest individuals on the planet in terms of raw speed of movement and his reaction speed was just as formidable. However even that had it’s limits and if she closed to within clear arms reach then in the cramped confines of the room with everyone in it then he doubted he could get to her to defend her in time.

He almost moved.

He really did, he almost reached out and yanked her back. Pulling the overprotective brother card on her and making sure she was safe. But he reigned it in. He wanted to, wanted to more than anything. However he had to keep one simple thing in mind. His sister was smarter than he was. Oh, he wasn’t an idiot not by any stretch of the imagination. He was experienced in combat and warfare, was a talented weapon and armor crafter in his own right. Could lead armies, defend nations, and know what to do and when in most situations. None of those capabilities would be possible if he were actually stupid. But she was still smarter than he was by a ludicrous measure, and a meeting with aliens did not come under ‘most situations’. As such he needed to trust her and her judgement in what was necessary. Was he going to gainsay her if she were willing to put her own pride second over this. Because of his pride? No, no that was something he would not do. It would be insulting to everyone here, including and most importantly to him, her.

When she reached the ‘Emissary’ she would drop to a knee, and he would stand ready to act his muscles relaxed and ready to move. His chakra ready to spring into the Lightning Release Armor he would need to have any chance of getting to her in time. His hand was ready to move to his sword and if necessary he would buy her the time necessary to teleport away as he cut a bloody swath through all but her and him. He didn’t move though, did not allow the readiness to show. However his whole world, his whole mind went white the moment she spoke.

It wasn’t the words themselves or who was saying them. Those two things had no bearing on the situation so far as he was concerned. It was the tone, the sexual, seductive, and soft tone of someone enjoying themselves. Someone wanting more in the way of carnal desire. It wasn’t the fact that it was his sister saying it that caused pain to rip through his heart. The only time he had heard that tone recently had been when directed at him from Priya, Kara’s confidant and closest friend. When it was directed at him, a real, auditory and visible distraction from the world. It had done nothing, but now that he was a spectator to that tone being used he had no insulation for the pain that came. Because it inevitably and unbearably made him think of Yenn. They had shared each other many times although that wasn’t anything secret or new. They had been lovers, and had cherished each others bodies just as much as they had cherished each others minds and hearts.

He remembered the same tone, the same tone of simple desire coming from her. Her smoldering violet eyes as she looked toward him. The soft paleness of her skin and the smell of the forest that always seemed to be on her. Her raven black tresses and her pendant, which never came off. He remembered all of it in a vicious assault of mental stimuli as pure, untarnished, and unfettered love, and pain rammed into him like a railroad spike. She was gone, she was gone and had been left out there. Unfound by the ‘best’ Kumogakure had to offer until he had come across her. Until he had come back and discovered her missing. Until he had made the effort personally to search for her. The rage he held for Ryuko and the ANBU as a whole still burned with a vicious white fire at his core. However he tempered those flames controlled them and eventually banked them for another time. The pain his loss was putting him through was immeasurable by any standard.

However the necessity of his bearing it was just as immeasurable. So without a sound, without a visible sign of the open and raw emotional wound that still bled so freely. He bore it, his shoulders unbent and back unbowed. His yellow eyes keeping careful watch for danger. His ears keeping the same watch as well. He would defend his sister with his life, she was all he had left after all. They meant he would protect her, and if she wanted to agreement to succeed then hell, he would just have to ensure it was safe too.

[7]

When Kara moved towards Their Divinity, the rough looking man prepared to take a step in between them. He was held in place by the alien holding up her hand. She was not afraid of Kara. If she was strong enough to hold her own against an unknown enemy then she probably wouldn't have brought the lightning-footed warrior. They watched as the human meekly approached and knelt before them in complete obedience. A look of mild surprise was shown on the Ōtsutsuki's face. They had not expected the proud and mighty baroness to kneel so easily. The woman gave off an aura that she bowed to no man nor god. In fact, the Master was quite looking forward to watching her squirm, shout and protest. A human mewling about "fairness" was a great diversion from the woes of the outer world. Ultimately their Divinity was confident that she would have broken and done what was necessary to secure the survival of her people. It was the way of their species to have such sentimentality over millions of strangers. They would never understand why.

However as the Ōtsutsuki peered into this one's eyes, she could see more than a misplaced sense of altruism. Perhaps the Indaina Kujira was jeopardizing her interests or maybe she just liked the challenge that her designs had presented. Maybe it was that she just needed to be commanded. They stared down at Kara but did not reply when asked "And then what." She could have slapped the woman right then and there just for speaking to her betters in such an expectant tone. As far as they were concerned, it was not her place to look to the future. They reached out and stroked Kara's face before transitioning their touch to a gentle underhanded grip. Even prey had their alphas. Those amongst them that were the strongest, the smartest and most successful. But the mightiest of prey always cowered before a true predator. Kara's quick submission only further reinforced the Master's world view. It was absolute proof of the universal truth of biological hierarchy. A confirmation that only served to arouse them. Of course, they would never admit to being provoked by a human. In her circles, it was forbidden to take to bed the people of this planet. However this taboo that made them all more the more curious.

They were good at keeping secrets though. No one would need to know. Her companions were loyal to her and would not speak of what she chose to do with humans behind closed doors. The Translator would remain silent out of fear and the Mad Man would stay silent out of greed.  

It would just be her and her new pet. And what harm could come of that? Should a human not know their place? Indulgence in secret would be good for the both of them. It would scratch their itch whilst providing the alpha-prey the humility she desperately craved. Kara's look of desire was returned by a pair of mismatched eyes filled with longing. While her jaw was gripped, a thumb ran its way across her lips and teeth. They spoke to her in its language knowing that she could not understand. They bet that she would get the general gist by virtue of their body language and tone. It was like a Master speaking to their servant. There was great affection and softness but with a bitter undertone that spoke of pain should they be disobeyed.

The buzzcut woman's aura flared and her face reddened. She found herself in the awkward situation of being unsure as to whether she should translate her Master's speech. It was provocative and not at all what she expected to have to communicate. There was no telling how the bodyguard would react. The fiery female thus opted to remain silent. Kara's imagination and intellect would just have to run wild with this one. The Mad Man was well-amused but he stifled his chuckles. If he ruined his Master's fun then he might not get to ride along on the next excursion.

After the soliloquy was spoken, the Master's hand would move to Kara's cheek and push her head away playfully. They were done with this encounter. The leader took a step back and waved their hand nonchalantly. It spoke in a more formal tone, addressing the pair as a whole. Eager to translate something less pornographic, the blushing buzzcut announced in a hurried tone:

"Please stand. My Master is pleased with this display of submission. Their Divinity will honor the agreement." They gave a nod to the man clad in machine armour and he strode towards the table in the center of the room. His movements were quick and almost like a blur to Kara but for Tamwyn they'd be apprehended quite easily. He slammed the briefcase down on the table and pressed a button. The briefcase popped open to reveal a complicated looking laptop computer. The second the grip was broken, the bodyguard's hand returned to its normal fleshly color. With one hand he began typing at rapid speed. His fingers danced across the keyboard and through the reflection of his eyes one could make out long strands of green and red code. The bodyguard's free hand was raised to one of his implants. He pressed down and spoke in an accented voice.

"Alky-alline Pro-to-kol. Zer-ah Zer-ah. Nein. Ate. Bet-ah. Zulu. Tree. Zer-ah. Too. Ras-hy Teh-eleum Messy-er ケイ素. Ack-ti-vate."

The laptop made a humming noise and then its red light shift to a stark green. He then turned to Tamwyn and spoke without breaking eye contact. "Ets Done"

The bodyguard stepped back and the briefcase-laptop died instantly. Its green glow was no more and for all intents and purposes they were now looking at a metallic husk with a complex but unusable machine inside. The exchange was now complete. And as far as They were concerned, the day was a win. They had secured a rare and powerful weapon, they had nipped the Indaina Kujira in the bud knowing that it could be a threat to their own plans one day, they had backstabbed the uppity human that thought himself a God and They had found a useful contact and occasional plaything. It was a fine day's work, but it was time to move on. Without another word, they turned and left. The room behind them was already shifting and preparing to take them out of view. They were followed by the buzzcut woman who bowed respectfully and spoke for the first time on her own accord. "Thank you for your cooperation. It was a pleasure doing business with you." The last to leave was the mad man. He stepped into the room but before he was fully out of sight, he stuck out a finger and pointed towards Tamwyn.

"Today's your lucky day, boike" It didn't take a genius to catch his meaning. No sooner had he finished the line would the room fully turn away from the siblings. The mysterious trio was now gone and in minutes they'd be entering a portal to take them out of this backwards dimension. The guards blinked and their eyes settled into their normal color. They were disturbed as to what had transpired. They knew that they had lost control of their bodies but the rest was hazy and difficult to recall. They did know what their next course of action was though.

“That concludes our business. We kindly request that you leave...We have some cleaning up to do.”

Assuming the request was honored, the pair of guards would take to the task of soaking the room in a pungent chemical. It was designed to scrub any trace of the entrants' presence. The room would be sanitized then burned. It would then be removed from the safehouse rotation for a few weeks. It was all very secretive and hush-hush. If someone returned to this locale, they'd see an unremarkable underground living den with no other features or specialties. It was as if the meeting and its participants never even happened.

[End]

Kneeling before Their Divinity, after rather impudently demanding further attention, Kara was once again rewarded for her brazenness. She held the Otsutsuki’s gaze and did not flinch or turn away as their hand touched her cheek and eventually settled into a grip under her jaw. Kara could not understand the language that the Otsutsuki spoke, however she could understand her meaning. Kara’s cheeks flushed scarlet as she gently leaned into the alien’s touch, parting her lips slightly to both allow a gasp of desire to escape and to better feel their skin against her lips. Her golden eyes spoke of want and willingness, the look of sincere adoration and submissiveness. She could have stayed that way forever, and she would have had Their Divinity asked it of her in that moment. But after a time she was pushed away playfully and asked to stand by the Translator, and reluctantly she rose to full standing though her eyes did not leave Them.

Kara took a few steps back and then eventually drew her gaze away from the object of her desire to observe the Mad Man as he typed. She recognized most of what he was saying although it meant little to her, and it was heavily accented as though he was using tertiary language skills at best and most likely for the benefit of the humans present. She did take note of the code and words and filed them away with the myriad of other stored intelligence all for potential future use. She watched with interest as the Mad Man continued to try to provoke Tamwyn, she doubted it would do much, but she saw how Tamwyn provoked Doku so there was always a chance.

“It has been a distinct pleasure. If the need should ever arise for us to meet again, you may find me in Darhkvale.” Kara’s parting words, while spoken to the Translator were not for her. It was as close as the Mistress was willing to come to outright inviting Their Divinity to return. With eyes full of longing she watched as the three alien beings moved out of sight and then she would sigh mournfully. “That went better than I’d hoped.” she said to no one in particular as she turned to face her brother. “Thank you, for keeping me safe. Shall we then?” The mind controlled humans appeared to have their wits once more and were now ushering them out of the underground bunker. Kara would hold out her hand to Tamwyn expectantly, and should he indicate his readiness she would focus on her seal in Darhkvale, teleporting them both to safety. They would arrive inside her private office in her city, with a worried looking Doku standing watch. She would smile at the man, pleased at the success of their mission but her mind wandered as she debriefed him, still lost in thoughts of what might be with Their Divinity.  

Notes:

[Exit Thread]

The swordsman watched peripherally as the being and his sister flirted with one another although he wouldn't really pay attention to that. It frankly wasn't his business who or what his sister flirted with and the more he shut himself away from that the more he could wall himself away from the pain of his own emotional wound. Besides he had a job to do, and focusing on one thing made it so that you're ability to keep track of many things was stunted. Keeping your gaze mildly unfocused and on a point between every possible threat allowed you to see, at least peripherally when someone moved and you would be able to react much faster due to seeing it sooner. It was a standard bodyguard tactic, right after checking for sight lines and possible places for cover. Eventually the buzzcut woman would speak, telling Kara to stand and tossed a nod toward the grizzled man in the exo-skeleton. He would move toward the table and open the briefcase upon it. With his deaths grip upon the case removed his skin quickly lightened back to the shade the rest of him seemed to be and with one hand he began to move through a rapid series of buttons.

Tamwyn heard the keys clicking as the man used his other hand to speak in a voice with an accent he had never heard before. When all was said and done however the laptop made a humming noise and a light upon it shifted from red to green and the man said in the same thick accent that something was done. Then everyone began to leave, the woman with the buzzcut commented that it had been a pleasure doing business before leaving and Tamwyn's new friend commented that it was Tamwyn's lucky day. Of course the Seraph of Lightning did the only appropriate response to such a statement.

He smiled at the man.

It was cheeky and a bit more of a smirk than not but it clearly communicated the phrase 'Someone is anyway'. in response to mans words. Then just like that Kara and him were left with the guards ushering them out as his sister spoke. She thanked him for keeping her safe and he let an eyebrow rise in response. "You know it's easier to do that, maybe even possible to, when you don't walk up to them and let them touch you. I'm only so far you know dear sister." He would say as he placed his hand in hers. She would teleport them to Darhkvale, within her private office. Doku would be nearby looking worried but Tamwyn would mostly ignore him besides the cursory glance to note his presence. Turning back toward his sister he would give a brief nod "Things seem to have gone about as well as can be expected it seems. With that, I'll be going now. Good luck Sister mine." He would say, with a small smirk before moving out of the office and toward the exit. His posture rigid and stride purposeful.

[Exit]