Cauda 14 - Paedophobia
"I WON'T LET YOU CORRUPT THOSE KIDS!"
Movements for Cauda 14 [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOA72Q3X0AAzX5P?format=jpg&name=large]
It took a bit of water and a good kick to the stomach, but Sarvente woke up. Her first instinct was to cast magic in an attempt to blind everyone. Though she emitted a flash of light it was weak and nothing more than a brief spark.
Updike managed to calm her down by having S play his voice. When she understood her safety, she explained everything.
"They kidnapped me out of the prison after mass. They put me in that tank. I don't know how long I was there. They would move us around occasionally. There were three of us. Me, that blue demon and a feral one."
"That would be Blackjack." Updike said through S. "What did they do to you?" Currently, he and Huggy were somewhere in the manor maneuvering towards the vault. With Psychic gone he and Huggy took the gamble and re-entered, resuming their original plan.
With you, Tabi and the Andromedas currently engaged in the fight of your lives you weren't listening. Solazar too, watching the fight from your POV.
Sarvente, still sitting on the ground, felt her back, above her wings. The wounds where the pipes were in felt raw. "They took power from me. They would wait until I regenerated and do it again. I-I tried to escape but I couldn't. It was as if they could hear my thoughts. I didn't do anything bad. I swear, I promise. I-I am sorry."
"Don't be..." Updike stopped. "...Ace. Do you read me?"
S sighed, guessing he had become a glorified operator. He let Ace speak through him too.
"Yes?"
"Is Retro an archdemon?"
"I think so, why?"
"Dammit. They can't be that stupid..." Huggy watched as Updike became noticeably more anxious. Thinking it because of the guards he let out a cooing sound that it would be all right.
"I gotta go. You all take care of Sarv. I gotta make some calls. Tess! Displo!" Updike said hastily and hung up.
An awkward silence filled the room, Sarvente feeling the most out of place. One minute she was barely conscious and the next she was thrust into the real world, saved by people who she herself vaguely knew.
"What is going on?" She finally asked as thoughts whirled around her head.
A call on the intercom caught Nikku and Nikusa's attention. Already familiar with the special ringtone, they knew it was the police again. "You explain it. We got work to do." Nikusa said to S, pulling Nikku along. Watching Nikku leave, Sarvente remembered her from the arrest. "Huh.." The one who pretended to be her.
Still confused, Sarvente turned to S and Pompom.
"Where are we?"
"We're on the Dearest Family Compound! Late at night, June 30th!" Pompom shouted.
"T-the Family? S-so it was them." She shivered. "They captured me..."
"Well, you're all better now. You can thank Pompom here for finding ya." S said.
"So then you aren't with them? W-who are you people then?"
"We're the Carnival and we're planning on robbing the place!" Pompom declared. Matching her enthusiasm, S declared too. "Yep! Gonna bleed 'em dry!"
Rescued by common thieves, Sarv thought grimly.
"But then, why did you save me and him?" Sarv asked, motioning to Retro. He still lay sprawled out on the desk, unconscious.
"Well, we were supposed to just rescue Retro but I got bored, went exploring and found you." Pompom shrugged.
"There were three of us. Did you get the other one? He looked like a lion."
"Blackjack." S said. "Yeah. I think Starline got him."
Sarvente's eyes widened in shock, coming to a conclusion. "Wait! Get Updike back on the line!" She exclaimed.
"Why?"
"Lucifer needs to be warned. I-I can't go. She won't believe me. They need to be stopped!"
Tess butt in, linking with S. "Tell Sarvente we are on it. She should just rest for now." S did so, broadcasting it verbatim.
"I don't know how long it's been." Sarv muttered. She stretched her wings out, the feeling unusual to her. She could feel her magic slowly returning but knew she couldn't do much in her state.
"Thank you for saving me. I will make it up to you. It's what is just."
"So what are you anyways?" S asked. He hovered around, circling her, just a bit perplexed at to her stature.
"I am a demon."
"Yeah, but I've met other demons. You don't got the same vibe as them."
"I don't follow hell anymore. I've converted."
"Oh. Boring." S muttered. Sufficiently disgusted by Sarv he waltzed to Retro, seeing if he could rouse the life from him next.
"I remember you from before." Sarv said to Pompom. Looking at her she tried to remember her name. "You were at my arrest."
"I was! My name is Pompom. That's S over there and at the comms are Nikku and Nikusa."
"I see."
"Yeah me, Huggy and mom were all ready to fight but you guys were already done when we got there."
"I was there too y'know." S chimed in. He was playing with Retro's arm, waving hi with it. "But stupid Starline put me in timeout."
"Man, I just wanted to be in a big fight." Pompom said. "But I always get excluded. I wanna fight too!"
Chuckling softly, Sarv spoke. "You should not strive for combat. It is dreadful thing."
"Yeah well. Everyone I've seen is having fun. I should be able to as well. Zardy understands."
Sarv just smiled, finding Pompom's innocence rather humorous.
Elsewhere a dark figure listened. Having already checked the tank and alarm they found themselves angry Sarv escaped. He didn't get a good look at the thief, only seeing them vanish. His compatriot, known to him only as '23' hadn't returned either, leaving his card game lonely.
For his own sake and his 'employers' he looked. He knew Sarv had the ‘evil’, the same one present in all adults. Mad himself, he deluded it into believing the 3 archdemons were being punished. Sarv's crime though was different. She admitted it herself, corrupting the innocent when they caught her. While he didn't care for the other 2, Sarv was the worst one. Clutching a hatchet, he stalked carefully, first towards the mailroom and quickening his pace upon hearing unfamiliar voices within it.
With a heavy kick the door burst open, light flooding in from the mailroom. Such an action was only immediately seen by S, Pompom and Sarv.
Nikusa briefly glanced over, caring little about the clown now standing in the room. The police took precedence. They wanted to know about the vines that shot out of the storage room, some gangly black creature running about and shootouts on nearby rooftops.
Now Playing...
Artist: Tag-Yr-It
Song: Garden Fallout
Team Lisp & Friends Vs. JJ, The Happy Clown
Vs. JJ [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOA7uIgXwAA-Gv9?format=jpg&name=large]
S saw him first, processing what this clown was doing.
He was shaking unnaturally, not in anxiety, worry or sickness. His upper torso vibrated in sync with his head, legs and feet absolutely still. He wore a grey shirt covering long arms and a large stomach, suspenders keeping the shape. The suspends rose out of dark grey pants hovering above red dancing shoes, same as the colour of the bow on top his chest and buttons forming a line underneath.
Maybe they were vibrant at one point, but grimy stains and time eroded them to a cloudy colour. White paint covered his head, as did red around the eyes and mouth, though like the rest of his attire, washed out, colour darker than it should be. His hair, rather what remained of it were stylized into two horns, frizzled that rose above and around his head. The clown's smile stood his most defining feature, appearing as if a century of laughter formed it. It stretched from hair-horn to chin to hair-horn, forming parabolically around purplish lips and yellowed teeth. This fact and not the attire or the shaking was what led S to believe this creature was no human. The smile reminded him of the chap from earlier he vanquished, annoyance setting in he'd have to handle another one.
Indeed, S was ready to charge it then and there, but this annoyance made him hesitate. What good was killing something who couldn't feel pain? It made his job a chore. Instead, he said nothing, waiting for the clown to actually declare himself a threat before doing anything. And it did, hoarse and crisp voice bellowing towards S, Pompom and Sarv.
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"You escaped! Kids get away from that evil lady! Come with me instead! It's me! JJ the clown!"
Hollow eyes focused on Sarv, a demonstration of some kind of ability. It did nothing, the clown just shaking his head in annoyance. She was never phased by his ability.
Up until now Pompom's perplexity had only grown. Some clown with a hatchet showed up, warned them about Sarv and now told her to come with him. She was about to rationalize how this being was a villain before her eyes brushed past the clowns. Though it happened in an instant she froze, seeing pure madness, saw Zardy kill her family, saw sacrifices on the farm, saw Mackie split in two, saw Huggy paralyzed. None of it made any sense and before she could even process such visions they ended. Pompom screamed, falling over as she caught herself, now staring at the clown with pure unfiltered terror, having to manually stabilize her breathing.
Such a commotion caused Nikku to tense up and look back, though not for long as Nikusa beckoned her back to the radio, police now asking what the scream was.
'They can handle it.' Nikusa whispered to Nikku.
"Team Lisp. Status report! How's Pompom?!" Tess demanded over the comlink.
Whatever the clown did even got him scared, smile immediately flipping upside down. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! It wasn't for you!" He pleaded.
"We're uh fine. Just dealing with some BS." S muttered. "Pompom. You okay?"
She looked to S, still feeling terror though it had begun to fade. To her it happened so fast, like she'd taken a shot of hot sauce. She just felt a minute burning sensation now.
"He's one of my captors!" Sarv shouted. "Don't look into his eyes!" Sarv struggled to get up and stepped in front of Pompom. "You stay away from her!" She wobbled as she stood upright, still sore from the extraction.
S made his decision. He didn't care if this thing could feel pain. He hurt Pompom. Eyes lighting up red, he readied himself for combat, landing beside Sarv.
"I WON'T LET YOU CORRUPT THOSE KIDS!" JJ shouted, charging Sarvente, holding the hatchet. Sarv hit back instantly, casting the first spell in her mind.
A contingent of imps appeared around JJ, halting his progress. Though illusions, they began to swarm the clown, biting, chomping and trying to slay him.
With the fight getting intense, S grabbed Pompom, moving her aside for safety. Jets ready he was about to see if he could fly right through the clown. He only stopped as a familiar voice entered his head.
"S." He froze, annoyance bubbling within him. "It is me, Displo." Passionate and distinguished. S sighed. What did he want now? "S. Do you read me?"
"I do. What is this? What do you want?"
Insane himself, JJ could distinguish between the imps and real life. With his swings at them they began to flicker, the spell fading. Pompom realized she had to act, running back to Sarv. She held out a glowing blue hand to Sarvente. "Sarv! Here!" She shouted. Understanding exactly what Pompom meant she reached back, allowing a magic transfer to take place.
"S. That is another trollge. If I am correct you need to relinquish it."
"Argh no! Why me? Can't I just kill it?"
With the imps bolstered, Sarv continued her assault. Slowly she charged up another spell, intending to create a cage out of the discarded server racks. She just needed more time...
Swiping at another demon, JJ giggled maniacally. He figured out the game. Ignoring the imps, trying to rip his flesh, he bent forward and threw the hatchet direct at Sarv. It hit square right into her shoulder, blade embedded in her flesh. She fell over, writhing in pain. Hands glowing Pompom readied a thunder spell, electricity sparking within them.
"He said he is JJ correct? If so-"
"Look, sorry DP. Don't got time for this." S jumped up and jet shoes propelling targeted Sarvente.
Before JJ could get closer Pompom hit him with thunder, knocking him back a distance and smashing him into the metal shelving, bolstering the shock.
With aim S grabbed the hatchet, ripping it out of Sarv's shoulder. While such a move would normally cause blood to spill out, Pompom acted right away, casting healing on the wound as Sarv did too. The pain was immense, but such feelings no longer borrowed Sarv.
Allowing Sarv to heal, S landed and tossed the hatchet on the ground, standing beside Pompom as they now separated Sarv and JJ.
"Children, stay back." He said calmly. "I mean you no harm! IT's this witch. She's evil! She's controlling you!"
Pompom looked to S, ready for a snarky comeback, something about how JJ was a dead man, but S just stood there, unmoving. "C-Child?" He twitched.
Now Playing...
Artist: Paul Simmons
Song: Delavar's Lair
"I AM NOT SOME CHILD!" S screamed. "I AM AN AGELESS BEING, GROWN FORTHRIGHT PRIOR TO THIS PLANETS FORMATION!" He shouted at full volume. "I AM THE BEGINNING AND I WILL BE THE END!" He lunged at JJ, jet boots at full power. He aimed right for JJ's throat, claws hands extended. The two of them slammed into the racks, further disorienting the room, electronics flying everywhere. Claws extended he slashed as JJ, blood now spilling all over the place.
With Pompom on her own again she went to Sarv, helping her up. "Thank you young one."
They looked back to see S and JJ embattled near the ceiling, S flying around over with him, smashing into all the equipment and walls. Hard to see they witnessed S slashing at the clown, and the clown fighting back, massive hands trying to crush S. Whatever the case they saw as S' jets stopped mid-flight, the two crashing into the pile of electronics Pompom made for him. S body flew off, lifeless.
"FUCK!" S shouted from one of the nearby computers. With the increasing levels of violence, Nikusa and Nikku wrapped up the call with the police, keeping them at bay and threatening the life of the police chief. It worked well enough though, as Solazar tapped in he found police requesting IRIS and TGG support to the nearby area.
JJ got up, severely injured. S had done quite a number, shredding his shirt to ribbons and his flesh as well, claw marks embedded themselves into his skin. Seeing the slain body of the young hedgehog, JJ frowned. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." He cried, before turning his attention back to Sarv.
"NIKKU! GET TO MY BODY. FIX IT! I'M GONNA TEAR HIM APART!" S shouted.
JJ did something, as he glowed for a second. Suddenly, clones of his started to appear all around the mailroom, dancing and jeering. They disguised him as the real JJ, as he began dancing too, vanishing into the now crowd. With Nikku fixing S, Nikusa now getting involved and Sarv readying up more imps, tensions rose. Pompom got a page on her comlink and while she would have ignored it, the speaker got her full attention.
"Pompom, listen to me!" Displo called. "Just listen to me. I know how to defeat him."
"Aha!" Nikku declared.
"WE'RE SO BACK!" S' voice erupted from the metallic body. In an instant a forcefield emitted from him, shielding Nikku from the clowns. It exploded, vanishing all clones it. The first thing S did was grab Nikku and fly upwards, placing her on top of the servers.
Nikusa was ready for combat, but upon seeing the gaggle of clowns just shook her head and joined Nikku up top, not wanting to be a part of this. With the clown 'army' making it impossible to tell the real JJ, Sarv did a little magic of her own. Casting a stronger spell, the imps returned, larger and more in number. They began to attack the fake clowns, effectively turning the mailroom into a warzone. S joined too, launching his own lasers at the clowns, scanning for the real JJ. When I get my claws on him....
Feeling more energized thanks to Pompom's magic, Sarv flew upwards before one of the JJ's could strike her. She watched closely for any indication of the real JJ. The clowns had begun throwing stuff at her, vainly jumping to try and grab her.
Though the clowns ignored Pompom she got out of the way, climbing to the top of the "throne" she made S earlier.
"Yo, Rogue! Watch 'em for me!" S called Sarv. He had an idea. "Aiming a volt of electricity he shot it at the JJ clones, the lightning bolt ricocheting through them all causing them to flicker." As she watched carefully while dodging, she saw it, one of the JJ's not blinking or fading when the bolt hit it.
"Sonic, there!" Sarv shouted, using a spell to light JJ up.
"AAAAAUGH!" JJ screamed, tensing up. At first Pompom saw S hit him with lasers, though upon seeing a green smoke emit from JJ's back realized a new combatant joined.
Standing at the desk he previously laid on, RetroSpector. He stood, bags around his eyes and worn out. He held a hand up, coated in a green liquid. Acid. Judging from his stance, Pompom determined he shot that acid at JJ.
JJ turned. "You should have stayed dead." The other clowns vanished, fading quickly. JJ reached for the hatchet and grinned at Retro. He merely held his fists up, the same green liquid dripping from each.
S, ready to start firing rockets at JJ only stopped when Pompom called him. "S, over here!" She shouted. Flying over listened to what Pompom had to say. "That's so stupid!" He complained.
JJ ran at Retro, preparing to swing. But, as he reeled back, he found his arm stuck, a force holding him back. Indeed, Sarv cast a spell using her telekinetics to hold JJ back.
Retro saw the glow on his hand, knowing full well what Sarv did. Hands in front of his face he charged JJ as a boxer would, a flurry of acidic punches right into the clown's gut. Mixing with open wounds they sizzled, doing untold amounts of damage to the clown.
The acid burned the suspenders and caused toxic gas to rise. But as Retro lay into him, his punches seemed to have no effect, JJ just laughing maniacally.
Now tuned into the situation, Pompom called on Sarv, breaking her focus, thus breaking her spell. JJ swung down, Retro narrowly dodging as the hatchet slammed into the desk. Embedded in it, Retro jumped over him and started pounding his back. Instead of continuing to pull out of the wood, JJ swung back, hitting Retro with a haymaker, wide arms smashing into the demon's chest. He flew back, collapsing into the shelving units.
"JJ!" Pompom shouted.
He turned; grin still large as he surveyed the scene. Retro unconscious, Sarv on the ground, S on the ground though clearly still lit up. As Nikusa and Nikku didn't attack him he completely ignored them sitting up top watching.
Pompom had done it. She killed them all!
"You. You understand." JJ growled slowly.
Visibly worried, Pompom stood still. "I did! They were evil. Just as you said."
JJ's grin grew wider. "You really understand. It's the adults!" He declared. It's always them! They wanna hurt you. Corrupt you! You gotta stay innocent! Stay happy!" JJ shouted.
"Stay-" What happened next happened so quickly nobody had time to process it. After a few seconds of pure chaos and violence, Nikusa found herself clutching Pompom tightly as she sobbed, wanting to go home.
Now Playing...
Artist: Melos Han-Tani
Song: Woods
S recounted the event, being the one most able to understand what happened. While distracted Retro shot acid at JJ, blinding the clown, not cluing into the plan. JJ, in pain cast those eyes which narrowed on the first thing he saw.
Pompom.
In a second Pompom saw madness. She saw everyone she knew slain, saw voids, saw the Carnival corrupted and twisted, saw that smile, saw the darkness and saw that clown standing there, amongst oblivion. She snapped, the insanity too much. But while fear permeated her the first time, this time it was anger. She screamed.
"DON'T HURT MY FAMILY!" And she let loose everything in her active mind. Every spell reeled up. Flaming vines, teaming with electricity, emanating in dark and light shot up from the ground, impaling and going through JJ as they flew upwards. The brutality of which wasn't known. It was every spell she had at her disposal fired off at once. JJ was forced through the concrete ceiling as the vines formed into a spiral poking out of the compound, high into the sky. It formed a tower, obliterating the roof of the mailroom.
JJ's eyes only looked at her for a few seconds but once they broke contact, she came too, crying and freaking out about what she saw. Nikusa acted first, jumping down and grabbing Pompom into a hug as she cried into her.
Tess was furious and while she blamed Retro for not following a plan he didn't even know about; it was the Family she blamed more. It didn't help that somehow, Amelia knew, calling shortly thereafter demanding to know what the Carnival was doing to her daughter. Instructions from Updike, Nikusa was told to hold Pompom and not let her go, effectively cuddling her as she calmed down and even apologized to her mother.
As JJ didn't get down from the vines, or found it impossible to, or was even alive up there, they considered the fight over.
As Pompom stopped crying, Nikusa let her go, sitting with her on the ground. "Is-is-is it over?" Pompom trembled.
"Hell, yeah it is!" S shouted. "I didn't know you could do that Pompom. THAT WAS AWESOME! HAHAHAWOW!" S just looked on, eyes beaming in awe at what Pompom did.
"Did I save them?"
"DAMN STRAIGHT YOU DID! GIVE ME FIVE! THAT WAS SO COOL!" S shouted, with no regard to the mental state Pompom was in. It helped bring her back to reality, S' shouting familiar to her.
She let go of Nikusa and high-fived, though still felt confused at what.
Retro, the most confused as to everything present, collapsed. "Will someone..." He huffed. "...Please tell me what is going on."
"I don't know but I'm getting really sick of the Family and its secrets. Next troll-thing to come out I'm ripping in half. I don't give a damn about 'saving' it or whatever."
Sarv too, congratulated Pompom, telling her that her actions were just. Only one person wasn't happy at the outcome.
"That's not the proper way to do it but alas, I can't care anymore. It's clear 'saving' trollge's is a lost art and you people are horrible at it. Why if I came face to face, I believe I would've been able to save him." Displo's posh voice rang in everyone's comlinks.
"Bah, get over yourself, tin man." S spat.
"...Now then. Your next move should be to evacuate. If Updike is correct, we have little time left. Rosie should be nearby soon."
"Yeah, yeah." S said. "Hey Pompom, let's start that spell. Wanna blow this place up before we leave?"
"I'd like that!"
The next chapter will be called The Data Centre's Last Stand.