Gavin could see this wasn't standard protocol, so he was quickly discerning alternative action to minimize confrontation. So he raised the white flag, removing both hands from his sides, and placing them on his head, while bending down to his knees. The darkness that exhumed at his feet, dissipated. He expected at least the red-eyed male to identify this immediately as a sign of no resistance. His hands moved and hovered to his front and both hands were turned upward.

"Ryoko, hold on!" The mercenary held his palm out to keep her from collapsing. "Look at his gesture, do you recognize the sign?"

Salforge understood it, he was a mercenary, when he invaded worlds and either detained, slew, or captured he understood the pragmatics of war well enough. The gesture that the boy made was an act that conveyed a lack of malice, turning over hostility to a somewhat improvised surrender. What was he plotting?

"Gavin. I've been on your side of the fence before, just who are you really trying to convince with a stunt like this. Us? Or Yourself."

As the words echoed through his head, the teen thought of something. His words were carefully chosen, so he spoke. "I'm saving myself the trouble, thats all."

Salforge's eyes narrowed, he was growing even more cautious and suspicious. "Just what do you mean by that? C'mon kid, a straight answer would make this drag of a chat go by faster."

This conversation was quickly turning into a guessing game between two minds. Gavin was interpreting the best possible string of words to hold it up against the mercenary's questions and growing suspicions. "You're really pushing me into a corner here...I'm telling you. Trust me."

From where the mercenary stood, it just seemed like empty words. While Ryoko was catching her breath this situation was in his hands, the mercenary at this point was almost finished talking and just going to detain Gavin in skin tight blocks. "You'll have to do better than that kid, this is your last war-"

What only the alley heard, what bounced off the narrow walls. The sound of a loud cracking, a complete snap that filtered into the ears of all those present. Gavin's right arm, dominant arm, her forcibly fractured using the gauntlet on his left arm. As his arm fell limp, he bit his lip, with the subtle escapes and murmurs passing just beyond his teeth, there was a surge of pain. The teen fought with his mild-pain tolerance, and willpower to remain conscious. He'd mutilated himself willingly as a fitting compromise in his situation.

Salforge for once, not since out of set conversations with Ciel, flickered and was swayed in this moment. This kid, some random stranger that utilized the powers of darkness as an application of cold, physically breaking his dominant arm. The mercenary had no words, truly even he was surprised by this turn of events...was this how hard human's fought to survive? Was he like this at any moment of time prior to his personal predicament? His eyes returned to their lifeless demeanor and he released a sigh.

"That will do Gavin. The fact that you just did that, proves you aren't affiliated with the rebel faction. No cause is worth acts of self-destruction, only one's life midst peril. Ryoko...It's your call, what should we do with him. He's hobbled now, not even worth killing...detain him? Kill him? Your choice."

In Salforge's mind, Gavin was already more courageous and fit to survive in this war, he had to assume a fracture like that would heal via the darkness quicker than a normal cast. He pitted him, but he was at Ryoko's mercy, and he had virtually no wiggle room as it stood.