"What the hell?" Ryoko took a step back, speaking with a hastily escaped breath. The red haired boy before her was drawing in darkness, and in spite of courtesy for logical sense, was feeding upon heartless. Her cautious foot backwards changed to an anchor for a defensive stance, she glared at the boy with fresh eyes that only now regarded him as a threat. "Are you sure you're on the right side, boy?" Ryoko said through gritted teeth. Gavin, as he called himself, wielded a containment of darkness that rivaled even her own, if he was a member of the unbound Hearts, she questioned their sanity for allowing someone such as him in their ranks. 

The boy's body was momentarily lifeless, it was clear he wasn't dead, so she took the time to devise a plan. Even with Salforge's shells scattered on her body, she was still vulnerable to his cold, she needed to change that. She thought of cold blooded creatures, and how they seek the refuge of the sun to warm their bodies. Warm rocks and sun bathing would not help her, however she had an idea. This would hurt, but she was used to pain. 

Gavin's body spurred to life, and he charged towards her with a new found hand of cold death. Ryoko did not retreat, and she had no plans of evasion. Reaching out with her right hand, black blood spurted out of the wound on her wrist, though there was an accompanying sizzle and rising of steam from the blood. Her blood was boiling, and in turn nearly cooking her from the inside, if not for her body's robust nature she would have died quite quickly. Her blood bubbled as she shaped it into the form of a blade along her arm, She was prepared to counter Gavin's attack, however she was shocked when Salforge's body got in between her and the boy. "Sal-" She gasped, jumping back as his body was frozen solid. She was about to berate him for his rash behavior, however, she realized what he was up to. Salforge was able to easily breakout of the ice, and quickly enclosed him inside a box. 

Ryoko let out a sigh, and allowed her body to cool down. The blade of blood liquefied and returned to her blood stream. Looking up at the box, and then back to Salforge, she realized he had tried to save her twice now. If he was expecting a thank you, he shouldn't hold his breath for it. "Please don't tell me you keep pets, Mr. White Knight." She said in response to his off cuff question. She had changed his nickname, for now, she couldn't call someone with such a rampant guardian complex a tin man, now could she?

"Anyway, before he throws up in there, we need to get some answers out of him, like where those rebels took the supplies that were in the storehouse."

[center]_____[/center]

Shizuka watched with wide eyes as the man that had just arrived made quick work of the rotating death machine that had risen from the remains of the robots. It seemed it was true that the robots were harder to take down than they had figured, and it was clear this man did indeed know of them. Ace grimaced, and put away his katana, thinking in his head that he was about to do the same thing to the machine. 

As the man landed, he then decided to introduce himself, something he probably should have done in the first place. "An Empire General, huh?..." Ace mused, as he and Shizuka exchanged glances. Lin's first impression of this man was not positive, mainly in part because of his nonchalant attitude towards the danger the citizens had been in. The man being an ex Empire solider, there was a feeling that he was no stranger to looking idly by as innocents died. Lin's frustration was not unfounded, she could not stand perpetrators of evil, and neither could they. Ace tapped his katana impatiently. First Rika, and now this man, Ace's trust was surely being tested today. "What do you want? We have somewhere to be, somewhere you won't be following us to." Ace said, his face stoic and his voice tempered. 

"That's rather rude, Ace, he did just help us, you know?"

"He was also being attacked, as far as I see it he could have been defending himself.." Ace turned back to the ex General. "Give me a reason to not walk away now, and make it good."