Oh, it's on!

So I was out patrolling again earlier today. Upon returning to the base, I discovered something that pissed me right the fuck off.

We'd been attack while I was out. Maria, Terrence, and Horizon were there, mostly unharmed, save for a few scratches. Ciel, on the other hand...

Oceana had seriously messed her up. She was battered and bruised and totally unconscious.

Terrence explained to me what had happened. Him, Ciel and Horizon had been holding down the fort when Oceana had assaulted them with a huge group of Oathbreaker. Maria didn't show up until a few minutes before I returned.

"How'd you guys make it through that?" I asked.

Terrence nodded in the direction of an open doorway. I looked up to see Hooded Guy standing there, with a great deal of blood dripping from his left arm. Julia was with him, looking quite upset. She stormed up to me and smacked me right across the face.

"This is your fault!" she snapped. "You got him involved-"

Hooded Guy seemed to flash step right up to her and grabbed her hand.

"I got involved by my own free will," he said.

"You saved them?" I asked.

"I tried to," he replied. I managed to force them to retreat, but I failed to help her..."

He weakly gestured to Ciel.

"You did good," I told him. "Things would've gotten a lot worse without you."

"I could've helped, if I had made it in time," Maria said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't beat yourself up," Terrence said.

"Yeah," I said. "I was late too. How do you think I feel?"

Ciel stirred. Her eyes fluttered a bit., but remained closed.

"Ow...," She muttered.

I went to her side.

"How bad is it?" I asked her.

"Hurts like a bitch," she said. "I'll live I guess."

"Where do you keep the good shit?" I asked her.

"Bottom fuckin' drawer...," She mumbled.

I already knew that. But the fact that she still knew meant that she hadn't taken too much damage in that scuffle.

"My leg hurts...," she said, before passing out again.

I glanced at her right leg. There were a shit ton of deep gashes that Terrence hadn't fully finished gauzing up, and one of my old belts was lashed to her upper thigh as a tourniquet. Those sons of bitches...

I stood up, and looked out the window. The sun was so close to setting. Every one else was discussing what to do next, bu I ignored them, paying close attention to the sun.

It finally set completely, and as it did I raised my hand quickly, smacking myself in the bottom of my jaw.

Now, if you saw the post Terrence made about my training regimen, you'll know that I spend a great deal of my free time swinging a lopsided barbell around. And doing that has allowed me to build up quite a bit of upper body strength, which is why I can successfully off a guy with a well executed rabbit punch.

So, by basically uppercutting myself, I quickly lost consciousness. The last thing I remember before passing out was Hooded Guy catching me as I fell backwards.

I awoke in the dreamworld, overlooking a vast valley.

"Daniel!" I cried out, as loud as I could.

He appeared by my side, wearing a solemn expression.

"Have you found him?" I asked.

"I have," he said. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"He hurt Ciel," I said. "I want him dead. Deader than dead. I want to watch the fear in his eyes as I cut his ass down."

Daniel snapped his fingers, and the scene changed.

"I know this place," I said.

"That's why I was hesitant to show you," he said.

"I'm fine," I said. "I can deal with the memories. Anger beats out grief any day."

"I know," Daniel said. "This man hurt your friend. And I know you well enough to know the amount of hell your going to unleash upon him for that."

"You're god damn right," I said.

I woke up shortly after. Maria had been shaking my shoulder the whole time.

"Why the hell did you do that!?" She demanded.

"Had to talk to someone," I said.

I then told them where Oceana was hiding out.

"Are... are you sure?" Terrence said. "I'm not sure if I can handle going back there..."

"Don't worry," I told him. "You've got some time to prepare yourself for it. You're going to have to later, but first I want you to take Ciel somewhere safe, get her good shit from the bottom fuckin' drawer, and treat her wounds properly."

"How long?" He asked.

"A couple days," I said.

"Okay," Terrence said nervously. "I think I can get myself ready in that time."

"Good," I said. "Maria, I need you to stake out the place 'til I get back."

"Get back?" she asked. "Where are you going?"

"I got to take care of something first," I said. "It won't take long."

I looked at Hooded Guy.

"You've done so much for me," I said. "But do you think you can help Maria with the Stakeout?"

For the first time, he tilted his head in a way that fully revealed his eyes from beneath his hood. The pupils were dilated to the point of erasing his irises, the same as Julia's were back at the coffee shop.

"If there's two things I can handle it's combat and recon," he said, smiling. "I'm in."

"But your arm...," Julia protested.

"I'll have a snack first," he said. "Heal up. I'll be fine. What about you?"

She sighed.

"I'll help," She said reluctantly. "Someone needs to keep you out of trouble..."

"Thank you," I said.

So, then I wrote up this post, and I'm about to leave town to take care of... something...

If you see another post from me, it means we survived what I have planned. Later.