One-Legged Discounts

[Gabranth]

Gabranth listened to what the God said; he merely shrugged, turned with pride and waved for Hercules to follow along. He interrupted and spoke out over him. “It’s time we take our leave… say farewell and lets be off.”

As he walked up the ships incline he stopped at its apex, just in view of Hephaestus. He looked back upon God for just a moment, raising his hand and glancing to it wondering what more these Gods could bring. He then clinched his fist and flung his cape to his back and made his way to the pilot’s quarter.

[Hercules]

Hephaestus watched as Gabranth walked off, gruffing lightly. "Don' say I dinnit warn ye..." he muttered, then looked to Hercules and raised a finger as though to say "I'll talk to you later" before turning back to his forge to keep working on whatever dodad he was fiddling with now.

Hercules didn't need an invitation to get out of there. The second Gabranth called for them to leave, he practically ran to the ship. He grabbed his seat and sighed, punching in a few things like Baloo taught them a long time ago. "Glad to be out of there. Hephaesus always finds something to lecture me about..." he complained, then sat back, looking over to Gabranth.

"So... what now?" he asked, wondering what the armored man's next move was. After all, he had his reward. He had his armor, and he had his freedom. At this point, Herc wouldn't be even marginally surprised if the man called for the DemiGod to be dropped off and went off on his own misadventures. It was the most Gabranth thing to do, after all...

[Gabranth]

So what now he asks... Well up to this point, Gabranth had received more than his fair share of a reward. Even though Hercules may not have known it, Gabranth needed to stay a close eye on him. Without him he wouldn't have made it as far as he did. Of course he'd never tell him that.

"We're leaving..." Removing his helmet, now remade by the hands of a God with gleaming beauty, he wondered what power was held within, and what Hephaestus meant.

Reaching around he placed his helmet on the back of his seat,and glanced to Hercules. "You should be so lucky..." He turned back to his controls and readied the ship for it's departure.

Now climbing back through the volcano, they were now headed back to hyperspace. It seemed comforting to him to head back the same way they came. Why? He honestly wasn't sure. What more was there for him to do? Maybe try his hand against Hades....

*Off too > Where Darkness and Light Collide*

[Atticus the Fallen]

Behind Shego, a corridor of darkness would open. From it, the dark monstrosity that she had been contracted to would emerge, glowing eyes fixed on her back. These orbs would blaze lightly. He did not know that the two had become one once more... and that did NOT sit well with him.

"Taking payment before a job is complete?" he demanded, his wings fluttering somewhat as he glanced to the keyblade she held, and the odd shield which occupied the other arm. "I thought we had an agreement. You weren't to aim that weapon at any of my kind. That INCLUDED your heartless... Ms. Go."

He allowed her a moment. Chances were likely that she'd return to her old habit of being startled by his appearance now that she was a singular being once more. Still, there were OTHER matters at hand. "It doesn't matter. All Light will die in a matter of hours. As for the moment... I have a job for you... and the offered price is more than worth your while... a way out."

[Secondary Characters]

As Shego did Her thing by imprisoning those buffoons within their own Paradise, Eris bathed Herself in a multitude of colors as She floated around to investigate both Keyblade and shield, chuckling mildly when She saw the face of Medusa embedded on shield and felt Her "babies" within the blade.

She glanced upward when Hades took his final words, simply pointed and laughed, then turned back to congratulate the thief.

But once more She would be interrupted, as the Fallen stepped out of a Corridor and approached Shego, sounding rather annoyed, yet in the mood to make a deal. Eris watched with interest as Atticus spoke down to her collecting payment early, and hovered over to greet this man.

Wrapping her ghostly body around his physical form, she ruffled the feathers that made his wings in a mild, seductive fashion, until she reached the black gap between his collar and steepled hat. She gazed inward, and when she saw the beast within, she grinned wickedly.

"So...you're THAT guy. HA!" She tilted back impossibly so that her head was upside down to address Shego.

"You're, like...in trouble now, huh? Play time's over?"

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego was inwardly celebrating her victory over the flaming-headed God, feeling rather mighty after deceiving someone so supposedly grand. She closed her eyes in thought of her next plan, and that was to go and find General One-Eye, and then Kimmy. She needed to pace in her actions if she wanted to execute everything just right. The thief would look down to her weapons, pondering if she should practice with them a bit more before going against the swordswoman.

"At least now I know how it works..." Shego assured herself, talking to no one in particular while running a gloved index finger upon the smooth steel of the shield, "... but I can do more... much more. I need to figure how to use it properly before facing Captain Eye-patch." [/glow]


"Taking payment before a job is complete?"

[glow=green,2,800]The simple sound of his voice was enough to cause her to jump, but she did not raise the sword against him, rather- she flailed in place in annoyance, "Don't. DO THAT! What is WRONG with you!? You have a tendency of either trying to take my heart away or GIVE me a HEART attack with these SUDDEN appearances!" [/glow]

"I thought we had an agreement. You weren't to aim that weapon at any of my kind. That INCLUDED your heartless... Ms. Go." said the dark one.

"You're, like...in trouble now, huh? Play time's over?" asked the Goddess. A question she never really knew to answer with her shifty boss.

[glow=green,2,800]"Yeah, well, buddy-- Ya'see-- I needed to know it was the real thing. I mean I can't just waltz around anywhere threatening Gods and whatnots with a butterknife. She was the only one there and I was curious so~ well you get the picture..." She grew into a pause, and slowly rested her free hand upon her heart, her lips curling upward with a menacing grin, "Don't worry about anything, Attikins, I have everything under control."

...Did I just call him Attikins? Ew...

"Ahem... now if you'll excuse me, Scarecrow, I have to--"
[/glow]

"It doesn't matter. All Light will die in a matter of hours. As for the moment... I have a job for you... and the offered price is more than worth your while... a way out." Atticus spoke again.

[glow=green,2,800]A way out...?

Oh, the prices simply got better and better with time. The thief stopped in her tracks and looked back to him after his delightfully pessimistic speech about light. It was here when she turned her body slightly, her emerald hues resting upon Atticus with high curiosity as to what the job was.

"... I'm listening~" [/glow]

[Atticus the Fallen]

When the emerald thief turned, Atticus was waving his hand lightly to conjure up the lesser shadows which formed one's own image into a whisping figurine within his grasp. It was the form of Ellin, the Dark Knight which he held now, lifting slightly to be easily visible for the pale lady.

"There is one among the light... this one... which possesses power over the dark. She has become a wild card, but circumstances being what they are, I have allowed her delusions long enough..." he began to explain.

Looking over to Shego, those cold yellow eyes of his took in her expressions, reading her, measuring every movement, no matter how minor as he always did. His was the mind that thought of everything. His was the kind of psyche that created layers upon layers to catch every detail from every angle. Even this was carefully crafted to ensure success.

"She needs to be convinced of where she stands, and so this is the task I ask of you: sabotage her. Make sure she meets with nothing but failure, and finally comes to the dawning realization that her desperate attempts to cling to her naive beliefs that light and dark can exist simultaneously in balance are nothing but folly. Make her friends hate her. Make her heritage like a club to beat her down. Do whatever you must, but leave her form intact whilst you break her soul... And the prize..."

The shadow figure in his claws would melt slightly, leaving only the armor behind. It hovered there, rotating slowly to give Shego a look all around. "While not immediately your style, this is your ticket to avoiding the fate of all light. This armor protects from darkness by absorbing and redirecting it into power. Wearing this, you alone would be immune to the backlash that is coming with Kingdom Hearts is dead. In essence..."

He paused, holding the miniature armor up for Shego to examine more carefully. "Yours... would be the only brilliance in all that is. You alone would shine brighter than any who lived, and you alone would hold power... to do anything you pleased."

[Secondary Characters]

"Ooooh...and, to that effect, I bid you a weird farewell!" chanted the goddess Eris, who was busy circling around Atticus and admiring the little puppet show he'd put on for them. She peeked into the Fallen's eyes simply to try and gauge just what else was in that dark, twisted pretty little head of his.

She straightened up, still wrapped completely around Atticus, and leaned into the shadows below his hat and whispered.

"Do not make promises you intend to keep. You may just meet with some harsh bumps in the road, and I intend to make sure of it...ain't that right, Peppermint?"

She chuckled with much enthusiasm before flicking the brim of the Fallen's steeple hat and disappearing into thin air.

[Shego]

"She needs to be convinced of where she stands, and so this is the task I ask of you: sabotage her. Make sure she meets with nothing but failure, and finally comes to the dawning realization that her desperate attempts to cling to her naive beliefs that light and dark can exist simultaneously in balance are nothing but folly. Make her friends hate her. Make her heritage like a club to beat her down. Do whatever you must, but leave her form intact whilst you break her soul... And the prize..."

[glow=green,2,800]"Wow, Scarecrow, I'm up to ruin any person's life, buuuuut what you are askin' me is to go through enemy lines to-- ya know, I don't know WHY I'm really trying to find a negative point to this-- cuz its all negative. I like it." Shego blinked at first before a psychotic, all-too familiar smile etched upon her expression, "It sounds exciting!"

The green clad woman walked circles around Atticus, almost like a hunter awaiting the reward of pray. Her green orbs fell upon such a prize spoken and a materialized image came of it. Her eyes darted to it, examined it, and looked up to the sick individual out to get one of his own... Something in her was falling in love with this creature-- that or it could be Miss Go.[/glow]

"While not immediately your style, this is your ticket to avoiding the fate of all light. This armor protects from darkness by absorbing and redirecting it into power. Wearing this, you alone would be immune to the backlash that is coming with Kingdom Hearts is dead. In essence..."

[glow=green,2,800]Now he spoke of stealing, or merely taking that "someone's" possessions. Such betrayal that would normally not be expected toward his crowd...

Purr...

N-no, shut up, Ms. Go.-- she, by this time, knew it was 'her.'


Tee hee.

[/glow]
"Yours... would be the only brilliance in all that is. You alone would shine brighter than any who lived, and you alone would hold power... to do anything you pleased."

[glow=green,2,800]Shego stood there with her arms crossed, seeming to be having more of an argument with herself than the matter at hand. She swayed a little to her left before controlling her footing, her black lips puckering in a thoughtful way, "Tempting my Ego are we? Hmm..." she closed her eyes to think on this, or to argue with herself once more before speaking.

"I'll do it... but I need some supplies if I'm going to be on that Ship: One of those Uniforms those Bathing-suit soldiers wear, some makeup..." she grinned at this, opening her eyes toward Atticus with a wide grin, "...and a blond wig." [/glow]

[Atticus the Fallen]

"I'll do it... but I need some supplies if I'm going to be on that Ship: One of those Uniforms those Bathing-suit soldiers wear, some makeup... and a blond wig."

Such simple requests. A snap of the fingers was he needed to command the darkness to bring forth what was requested. A simple disguise for a master thief. The items fell from a small corridor above his head and into his arms before the swirling darkness puckered off in a thin whisp of smoke. Stretching his arm outward to hand her these items, he nodded darkly.

"I'm glad we can continue to do business, Miss Go..." he said, purposely using her heartless name as though to indicate to her that this was the way he chose to see her. He didn't like the keyblade, absolutely despised it, but if there were many coming, why not make use of the one on your side?

"I'll leave you to your schemes, then..." he whispered again, voice everywhere like it always was. "Break her spirit, and take your prize. Leave her unharmed..." Why he seemed to be so concerned for the woman's phsyical health was not made clear, but it was obvious that he didn't want the girl roughed up TOO badly. A bruise here or there... hey, those heal.

Turning, Atticus summoned a corridor behind him, and began to walk toward it. "I would prefer that this was done swiftly, Miss Go. All light will die soon, and if you are not in the armor by then... well... I cannot guarantee that your premature re-emergance as a 'whole being' will be very permenant..."
And with that, Atticus stepped through the corridor, to destinations unknown...

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego looked over to the supplies before watching Atticus disappear into one of his many corridors. It was getting old, his exits--still, it was much needed now, since she enjoyed her privacy. The green woman took all of the items, and began to descend the Mountain-- It was getting old too. She was able to find a town close to it, and she went in hopes to find a good, private, well-mannered place to work.

She found one. A nice INN with a NICE manager that allowed her to stay for free no less... with a couple of green plasma involved threats. The thief made her way to the room, the luxury sweet for the Green Flame Goddess.

"This place is too easy." she snickered, getting undressed until she was only in her black and green under garments (It looks like a two piece bathing suit.) and took out the makeup kit the scarecrow had found for her... good, basic, NORMAL colors of tan and pink. She would mix bundles of them and began to dab the healthy color all over her exposed flesh until the green was no more. Afterward, she applied a coating over it to keep it resistant to any water.

"Way easy... this is fun!"

The thief paused, rolling her eyes at the sudden emergence of Ms. Go, "What are you doing? You are not coming out again..." she muttered, now carefully slipping on the green "bathing suit" the Alexandrians wore under metal.

"You don't know that, and I see what ya mean, tee hee, we work SO great together! Yikes, this is a little bit tight innit?"

Shego growled a little, shrugging her shoulders, "Rather nice-- and can you leave me alone?? I'm kinda in the middle of somethin' here."

"But if I leave, you'll be alone..."

"... Yeah, that's the point." replied the thief, now putting on the armor that goes over the rather-revealing garbs.

"... but you don't like being alone."

"..." Shego replied nothing to that, but she seemed bothered by it.

"That's why you-- we surround ourselves with people, even idiots like Drakken. I know you were stoked on the idea of a family with Attikins, and the others~ You are just so shy~ I can accept it, why can't you?"

"Shut up!" The woman growled, unaware she had set her hands aflame, "Shut up, ME, you have no idea--"

"Oh, but I have every idea. Even when you are alone, you know not to worry because Pumpkin will show up, even to fight us... you don't care as long as you are not alone. You fight, and became the villain so EVERYONE knows your name..."

Silence again, now Shego stared at the wig, listening to the other's psychoanalysis.

"... So everyone knows you, and does not forget you. They flee, yes, but only the best people show up to stand against you-- you like the brave ones. That's why you are so OBSESSED with Kimmy...."

The thief began to shiver... was she right?

"...she out of EVERYONE... noticed you the most... I think even spends time with you the most, second to Dr. D~ SO~ your obsession for some connection with someone is rather understandable."

"....is it...?" she spoke finally.

"Of course it is, you cocoa nut. You are exchanging your feelings to a negative aspect, but in return gaining something that is rather deep and meaningful for you. Just like a One-Legged Discount: If you do the work, you will have some pay... SOME, while doing something fun~ "

"...hm." The woman pulled her hair up, and tied it close to her head, then attained a bit of hair color spray to die the surface blonde. THEN she placed the wig over it so no green ends could be seen protruding from the luscious, fake hair.

"Shego, I understand because I AM you... and If I leave you alone...then who will you have? But~ If you insist of me leaving you alone then~"

"Don't." She interrupted, almost pleadingly, "... don't."

"Ok,Shego. I won't leave."

"Really....?" She asked, placing the helm over her head, and the visor of it over her eyes.

"Two minds are better than one, Shego... I'll protect you, and you protect me...that way, we are never alone...kay?"

"Deal." As she thought of this, the thief in disguise looked toward the exit, thinking hard upon her mission at hand, and how a partner on the "inside" would be a good idea at the time. She began to walk to it, just in time for guards to stumble in to ask her if she had seen a Green Goddess of Green Flames stroll by.

"Nope." She told them, and past them she left, a familiar, psychotic grin etching on her expression. When she saw a black corridor appear, she walked through it, rather confidently... since she did not feel alone anymore.[/glow]

[[ ** OFF TO WHERE DARKNESS AND LIGHT COLLIDE, HYPERSPACE**]]