Sly Among The Shades (Open)

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It was dark, it was damp,  and the entire place was quiet. The Underground was a small place for small people. This was among the ruins of what used to be breathtaking trains and cargo systems, the tunnels seem to lead to an everlasting void of pitch darkness and awe with the structures and derailed train tracks, as Noko was walking amidst the ruins. He wished he had some company, but simply had to deal with nobody there. He simply walks. Continuing among his path, it seems never ending in the abyssal planes of this system once long forgotten. Noko sighs, as he continues down the pathway. 

"Why...Why is this so never ending..?"


He said to himself as he just stops in the halfway point, coming across a two way path. One leading upper and one leading deeper into the tunnels. He simply decides to pull out a munnie coin. Heads means he heads upward, and tails, down to the depths. 


"Here goes nothing.."


He tosses the coin upwards as it lands..


Tails.


He knew doing this was some sort of luck, if he could cut them off from the depths below, they could not reach the upper channels, but this is also a risk due to the high level of Heartless in the area, hungering for hearts. His Heart of Hearts mainly, be he shakes his head and goes there anyway, as the path he chooses..Could it lead to his doom? And who else was with him, in the darkness below?


 

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max proceeded cautiously through the dark, damp tunnels that made up Twilight Town's underground, spear held at the ready. He had only been in the tunnels for about fifteen minutes, but he was so tense it felt like an eternity. He had rushed on in when he heard a young child had wandered into the tunnels alone. Without anyone else close-by enough to help the soldier had ventured in on his own. There were supposedly strong varieties of Heartless in the tunnels, so he had to be careful lest he become a second victim.

Before long, though, he came to a fork in the tunnel, one sloping gently upwards and the other down. He let out a frustrated sigh as he searched for any possible signs of which way the child had gone, but found none. After a few more moments of debating with himself he decided to follow the downward path, hoping that if he chose wrong the upward path would lead the kid to safety.

Using his spear as a sort of walking stick to help brace him of the damp, slick concrete Max began to work his way deeper underground. He remained wary, all of his senses straining to hear any sounds of any possible threats that may approach. Luckily, his passage remained uneventful until he rounded a corner and saw a strange man, lightly armored like himself, proceeding down the tunnel just ahead of him. Max's brow furrowed as he wondered who this guy was and why he was in the tunnels alone. Few people in Twilight Town, except for Max, these days were crazy enough to explore them alone.

"Hey!" He called out to the stranger, "Have you seen a young boy go through here?"

[Deleted]

"...!?" Noko turns around as he walks into what little light there was in the tunnels, as it reveals his true form.

"I'm afraid I haven't.. I'm actually surprised you haven't gotten afraid or attacked me by now.." "My name I-"

Noko's antenna twitch slightly, as something rings from behind them, slight screeching sounds echo in the dark.

"..."

Before he could speak, a group of Dusks appears from nowhere, twitching and squirming as they smirk with there maws open, thirsty for souls and hearts as they speak.

Dusks: "We..Have come for the Avenger..Number One sends his regards..You will not make it to find our agents. We will claim your very fates!"

They circle around both warriors as they prepare to attack, it would seem he took the right pathway, and even found company..But at what cost..?

"Listen, ask questions later, for now you'll just have to defend yourself!"

Noko draws his First and Last, as it glows a bit, the Dusks hiss at it as they still circle.

[Maxwell Tendas]

As the stranger turned around, responding to Max with the answer he had hoped not to hear, the soldier noticed his antennae. As he turned around to face the soldier, His eyes came into full view and he could see the yellow that indicated this guy was a Heartless. Instinctively, Max slid into a fighting stance, spear in both hands as he prepared to strike out at this monster. He had encountered human-form Heartless before. The one thing he had learned about them was that they were intelligent, unlike the typical varieties. That also made them much more dangerous.

Before he could strike out at this new foe, however, a small collection of dusks appeared and surrounded the both of them threateningly. Max looked around at them as they just stood there. Max frowned as the Heartless told him to fend for himself before drawing his own glowing weapon to face the Nobodies. Max glanced at the nearby pipes on the wall: they still had water in them. He could sense it.

Reaching out with his power, he used the water to rip the pipes open and bring the liquid to bear as a weapon against the dusks. He brought it around in a wide arc that swept them all up together. Then he lifted them up towards the ceiling before using the water to constrict, and then finally crush, the Nobodies. As they disintegrated into nothingness, Max brought the water around himself in swirling streams and faced the Heartless. He had barely shifted his stance since he'd first identified this stranger as a Heartless, only breaking it just long enough to move his head and gesture with his arm to control the water. With this Heartless down here, Max was sure that he had something to do with the disappearance of the boy he was looking for.

"I'm only gonna ask this one more time," he said, a dangerous tone in his voice, "Where's the kid?"

[Deleted]

Noko turns to face him. He places his claws up in a non-threatening way, but still had his guard up. He had intentions to find the source of the Nobodies, perhaps a sort of Boss Nobody, as he sighs.

"Listen to me very carefully..I do not know of whom you speak of. But perhaps we can help each other.."

He said in the same but lower tone, however his was more calm but serious.

"Listen..I...used to be human..I understand losing loved ones."

"I lost everything to Number One." "He..Did this to me."

Noko looks down at a puddle of his face, remembering his times with his family and friends as he shakes his head, returning to look at the stranger.

"If you can trust me, I can perhaps locate this "kid" of yours."

"But I will say this." "I am no monster, nor am I evil."

"I am the Heartless Avenger." "My name is Noko Troshiro." He said and continues.

"And it is my business and duty to pacify Heartless to co-exist with Humans.."

"Believe me if you don't want to, I have my goals set.."

He was sure now that after he explained to the stranger, he might understand and help him as he crosses his arms, awaiting an answer that might suit both of them well.