Lol! Giuocob, nice find!
Thanks Kya <3 Also, OML! XD
This one be graphic. Hope no-one is too squeamish. (Yes, Loki’s in it. *squee*)
Chapter Seventy-Four
Loki’s intense gaze widened into a look of horror as the blazing energy surged towards him, the roar underscored by Jinn’s triumphant cackle, resonating in the deep, cavernous darkness. There was no time to move, or even brace for the inevitable impact. Feeling the overpowering wave surge through him, sending him back in an electrifying current of burning agony, he felt his chest trembling with a terrified shout - but he did not release it, containing it within, along with the intolerable pain.
It was only a short distance, but it felt like an eternity had passed before his body finally stopped, striking the solid wall. Pain shivered through his body, sending a shattering pulse through his bones, his skin tingling with a hideous burning sensation. He felt a second shatter as he hit the cold floor, collapsing to his hands and knees.
Biting his lip, a familiar, raging fury beginning to quiver inside, he could feel the agonising pain slowly fading from his battered limbs, his aching chest losing the dull throb within. Adrenaline - and sheer rage - raced around his system, the fierce lupine streak within his instincts barking orders at him to stand and fight. Not one to give up, Loki took a long breath, before proudly heaving himself up to his feet, standing firm before Jinn.
“Big mistake,” Sable breathed to herself, eyes gleaming with pride in Loki as she took a final look at Jinn. She wouldn’t miss the withered old man.
Loki gave Jinn an arrogant smirk, his eyes gleaming with strength, determination, and - possibly, most of all - an overwhelming, blind fury. Clenching his fists, he shook his head at the man.
“Is that the best you can do, old man?” he purred confidently, moving closer with his wolfish stalk. He knew Jinn all too well; he knew that Jinn was not what he used to be - that an attack like that one would leave him exhausted for a short while - more importantly, leaving him an easy target.
Just as he thought, Jinn stood there, body heaving with short, gasped breaths, his back arched as he anxiously pushed himself to recover. His beady eyes glared back at Loki’s form, with a silent disbelief that the man was back up already. He’d never admit such things, but he knew in that fleeting moment that he’d entirely underestimated Mikado’s little brother. Gritting his teeth, he stood tall, ready to face Loki as best he could - which, he also knew, was not going to be very well.
“Looks like you’re pretty tired,” Loki commented, prowling closer and closer, looming over Jinn. He neared him so that he stood right in front of the man, peering down with a black, unforgiving stare. “Maybe you’d like a sit down?”
With that, he rapidly grabbed Jinn’s thin neck with a quick - yet characteristically solid - grasp, before effortlessly hurling his frail form towards the other side of the room like a simple rag doll. Jinn’s tricks and magic were no match for his brute force. He smirked coldly beneath his scowl as he heard Jinn’s cry, then the devastating thud of his body striking the floor, satisfied with this result.
“I gave you a chance,” he growled, territorially keeping his spot, “even after the events of tonight, no less. Given Mikado’s attachment to you, I decided not to punish you, Jinn. I was going to allow you to leave here alive.” Jinn floundered around on the floor, his body clearly shivering with pain. Loki thundered towards him. “But then, you had to go and do something like that.” He frowned deeper and deeper, until his handsome face became almost unrecognisable. “Attacking me, after I gave you the second chance? Shame on you.” Jinn spluttered a little with a hacking, bloody cough, grunting as he tried desperately to get back up.
“You left me with no choice,” he scowled from the ground, his gaze still intent as ever. “I do not care what Mikado’s last wish was. The fact is that I was chosen as his successor first.” He deepened his frown. “And seeing as you were unwilling to give me such a position, I was left with little option.” He hissed his words, venomous as ever, until the very end. “I’ll fight to the death to get the leadership. I would sooner die than stand back and allow you to continue on as the leader.”
Loki smirked coldly, grasping Jinn firmly by the shoulders to roughly bring him to his feet. He then grabbed Jinn by his pointed chin, his frown burning into his terrified face, wrinkled in fear - and anger.
“Then it’s a good job I’m going to kill you,” he purred, prompting an intimidated quiver in Jinn’s eyes. Noticing, Loki smiled, relishing every second. He loved to see the sheer terror within a poor victim’s soul as they begged for mercy.
With that, he released his grip with one hand, curling it back, ready to strike. The other hand jolted to Jinn’s neck, tight grip holding him in place.
“You are nothing compared to Mikado,” Jinn croaked. The sentence took a long time to manifest, his voice constricted by Loki’s hold. Jinn knew he was to die. There was no fighting it. “You will lose. I know it.” Loki smiled, flashing his pointed fangs at the man‘s final words.
“You know nothing,” he smirked confidently. Mentioning Mikado wasn’t going to throw him; well, not when the man mentioning Mikado was Jinn. “It‘s high time you learned that, Jinn.” He smiled cruelly, almost playfully tightening his grip further. “And it is probably not the best idea to goad a man able to snap that bony neck of yours in one motion.”
The smack of Loki’s fist upon Jinn’s cheek resonated through the room, accompanied by another of his pained cries as he hurtled to the ground.
“You’re the one who will lose,” Loki smiled, vindictive, rushing at Jinn again with raging fists. He’d held in his rage all night, from the moment Jinn appeared, until the moment he was within his merciless hold. And now, it came flooding back with a vengeance.
Loki was over him in an instant, heartlessly pummelling the old man’s face as he lay helpless on the ground. He revelled in each agonising strike, caring not for the pain he was causing. Typical of the man, he responded to emotional pain with mindless violence. Jinn couldn’t even defend himself, overpowered with Loki’s strength, betrayed by his aging body. Tiring of the repetitive punches, Loki stopped, smirking as he took a look at Jinn’s bloody face. He was barely recognisable - but, surprisingly, was still breathing.
“Not for much longer,” Loki growled as he noticed, holding the fanged smile upon his face. Malevolent, he wanted Jinn’s final sight to be of his callous grin.
Jinn felt his heart race faster as Loki’s now bloody hands moved towards him, one taking the side of his bald head, the other holding firm upon his neck again. With one look at his curled lips, Jinn understood Loki’s twisted joy in his actions, not to mention the hope he held. He could not fight back. He knew he was doomed. His death was inevitable now, there was no denying it. But, he knew what his final act of insolence would be, small as it seemed. Closing his eyes with a stiff upper lip, he would not give Loki the satisfaction of seeing the dying shimmer of fear in his black eyes, nor letting his final sight be Loki’s wild grin.
Narrowing his eyes, giving a low growl, the smile fell from Loki’s face, and in its place formed a fading scowl. Giving a sudden jolt to Jinn’s neck, strengthening his grip, he felt a sudden quiver in his chest as his heart palpitated, anticipating fate’s cruel blow. The grip around his head tightened further, before the power of Loki’s hand forced forwards with all his strength.
Sable winced, turning away as the ominous crack echoed through the room. She’d heard it so many times, but the hideous snap of a human neck was gut-wrenching even now. Looking back, she saw Loki silently raising to his feet, watching with a bowed head as Jinn’s lifeless, bloodstained body slowly swirled into darkness, becoming one with the shadows that lurked over him.
Kali was similarly affected by the sound, slumped down at the door of the room. Although appearing to have left, she silently listened to the unfolding events from outside, her ear pressed tightly against the cool wood. Usually, eavesdroppers were found out - thanks to Loki, Sable, and Orexein’s tuned senses - and killed, but she understood that this time, Loki’s anger was so strong that she doubted he could sense anything at all. Plus, Sable would be too enthralled by Loki’s actions. Breathing a long, forlorn sigh, she rubbed her crystal eyes, smearing the black make-up over her aging face.
True, Loki was in the right. Mikado wanted his brother to follow in his footsteps. Jinn’s stubbornness had been his downfall, it seemed, with his refusal to follow Mikado’s wishes. From the sound of it - the startling echo as Loki’s body hit the wall - it seemed Jinn attacked first. She knew that Jinn’s death was inevitable, and that he’d brought it upon himself, but couldn’t help the mix of emotion that swelled within her heart.
It would have pained Mikado greatly to see the two duel. While Loki was his adoring little brother, his own flesh and blood, Jinn was a good friend of his, someone he trusted, and relied upon. She knew that this wouldn’t have been an easy situation; she just wished that it could have ended in a better way. The final member of the original New Generation had never felt so alone.
The night had dragged up painful memories, the heartless, callous woman aching with heartbreak, eyes crystal with tears. Her red lips quivered as she tried to fend off the tears, but, sadly, this attempt was much in vain, as a single drop rolled down her white cheek, before falling from her perfectly formed face. She seemed to shrink further into the floor at this point, letting her arms tremulously wrap around herself. Anyone told of this moment would have refused to believe that this was Kali; slumped on the ground, quivering with agony as she cried, memories swimming up from the depths of her mind, a shadow of the cruel, confident woman she used to be.
She’d never truly understood how much she needed him until now; it was almost as though the events of the night had opened her eyes to how much he meant to her. Now, with memories returning from their confinement, the heartbreak began to set in.
“So much for me not getting hurt,” she mumbled to herself as if speaking to him, wiping away her tears with a red talon.
Forgetting where she was, she wandered further and further into her memories, losing awareness of everything other than him. The way he used to talk, the way he looked, even the way he smelled was missed. But, he was gone, leaving behind a hollow, gaping space within her, one that only he could satisfy. She’d give anything she possibly could just to see him one more time. Orange eyes smirking at her from the bleak beyond, she raised a smile herself, trying to feel comforted.
Sadly, nothing compared to the real thing, not for a moment. The tears began again as she thought of him, moments running through her with shivers of warmth, before leaving her in the cold, lonely confines of reality.
Raising to her feet, she rubbed her face, smearing her make-up further. But she did not care, tiring of the endless façade. She had made a decision as she sat there, going over all that had happened. She’d served her purpose, done all he had asked of her. Loki was head of the New Generation, just as her beloved had wished. They were in a strong position, there was no doubt about it. But for some reason, she could not bear to stay there any longer. She’d been reminded of too much, memories locked away being set free. Now, there was only one thing she wanted - and it sure as hell wasn’t ruling the universe.
“Goodbye,” she whispered to the walls, beginning to walk down the long corridor. Bowing her head, she raised her hood, before pointing an arm forward, towards the darkness before her. Casting a portal, she stepped forward, knowing what she wanted - and was gone.
She was gone.
Oblivious, Sable sat silent, perched upon the edge of the table as she gazed towards Loki. He had not moved, even after Jinn was absorbed into oblivion. It wasn’t like him to become so pensive after a killing. Usually he went on normally, nonchalant, as if he had not done such a thing. Yet, there he stood, a silent, solitary figure, eyes transfixed upon the spot where Jinn had lain.
“Loki?” she whispered apprehensively, trying to coax him from this state. “Are you alright?”
The man gave a silent nod, raising his head slightly before turning to her. He gave a second nod, moving closer to her, wiping his bloody hands on his trousers as he quietly paced.
“Fine,” he whispered, gravely undertone within his purr. “Couldn’t be better.”
~*~
Still unable to calm down, Sora knelt at her side, watching with teary eyes as she lay there, teetering on the edge of consciousness. Removing his jacket, he carefully folded it up, lifting her head to settle it behind her. Letting her back down, tenderly easing her back down to the ground, he drew his hands back in a nervous fashion, before resuming his squatted position.
Aching to help her, it was frustrating to sit there and merely watch as she lay there, somewhere between life and death, lost in a state of deep, blissful sleep. Sora could feel his heart fluttering with anxiety as he sat there, unable to do anything but watch with streaming blue eyes. Lips quivering, he tried to fend off another flow of tears.
No-one had spoken, feeling that words could not properly express their mix of emotions at that moment. Not until King Mickey nervously - and reluctantly - broke the poignant silence.
“Sora,” he whispered, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder, “we… we can’t just sit here like this.” Sora shook his head, messy brown hair waving gently. It was a mess, thanks to the amount of times he’d frantically rubbed his fingers through the spikes.
“Yes, we can,” he protested, seemingly forgetting about everything but Kairi. “I can’t leave her side.” He closed his eyes, forcing himself to continue. “I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s okay.”
I’ll leave you guys to speculate about where Kali went. =3
A lot of this was written to ‘Sekai no Yakusoku’, from the OST of Howl’s Moving Castle. Because Howl’s Moving Castle = pwn.
<3 <3
