[color=papayawhip]Taka's face feel into a state of contentment as she listened to the ongoing discussions, mostly Callum explaining the elephant in the room, or rather, the headless elephant. She rolled the salt cube around in her mouth with her tongue, feeling quite pleased with the treat, and herself. So the fed guys had really put a bomb in her head, not that she had ever doubted them—It wouldn't have been the first time Taka had the sanctity of her cranium threatened. She wondered idly if she could get around this one, disable it, but after what had happened last time... she was rather hesitant to try. Maybe if she had like a frog or something, that's what people tested on right?

Callum gave the signal to move out and Taka obliged, fully willing to let somebody else lead. If she was the princess, then Callum had established himself as king, and she had no desire to try to ascend to the throne. Kingly duties weren't her thing anyways, she wasn't one for bossing people around. He could smile once in awhile though, she thoughts as she followed the group back to the hangar. Callum led them through the frigid air to a vehicle that looked appropriate for this type of climate. She climbed in the back, a smile on her face—

[color=seagreen]"Oh can I drive?! I'm a good driver!"[/color] She stated. However, Callum seemed quite clear on his intent to do everything, and failed to respond to Taka. She sat with a huff and pout, crossing her arms over her breasts. [color=seagreen]"Jerk.."[/color] she murmured, setting her back down between her feet.


[color=hotpink]"Damn feds. They just send us out to some icy asshole of a planet to get fucked over by some mind-control artifact thingy? Like we're some kinda "Self-Destruction Team"?[/color] Jesse grumbled, taking a seat as well.

[color=seagreen]"We're probably the best they got,"[/color] Taka giggled, stretching her legs out, [color=seagreen]"And if you die, well, who cares right?"[/color]

Jesse looked over to Princess, raising an eyebrow. [color=hotpink]"Well, I'm sure Call wouldn't be too happy he didn't get to finish me off."[/color] He muttered, somewhat disgruntled by the glee with which Taka had made the comment.

Taka shot a glance at Callum's back, [color=seagreen]"King Callum has it out for you huh?"[/color] She asked curiously.

Jesse's gaze shifted amongst the criminals gathered in the transport. [color=hotpink]"Who doesn't?"[/color] He asked, almost thoughtfully, before leaning in closer to Taka. [color=hotpink]"I don't play well with others."[/color] He whispered with a wink.

Taka chewed on the statement for a moment, almost literally as she bit her treat in two, [color=seagreen]"I think you'd make a fine subject for a princess,"[/color] She stated, nodding to herself.

[color=hotpink]"I'm flattered, Bubbles-"[/color]

[color=seagreen]"Princess"[/color] Taka corrected.

[color=hotpink]"-You're just warming up my little heart."[/color] Jesse commented, not giving any heed to the correction.

[color=seagreen]"And his heart grew three sizes that day,"[/color] She said with a laugh, finally noticing the somber mood of the other passengers.

[color=hotpink]"That it did..."[/color] Jesse murmurred absentmindedly as he looked at his crewmates, eyes narrowly watching their dull expressions. As if snapping from a trance, his eyes widened as he looked to Taka. [color=hotpink]"Don't these jokers know how to enjoy their job?"[/color] He asked almost incredulously.

[color=seagreen]"Probably worry about 'splodin,"[/color] Taka explained, tapping the side of her head for emphasis. 

[color=hotpink]"Don't worry about that,"[/color] Jesse said, tapping the side of his head with his revolver. [color=hotpink]"Mind games."[/color] He reminded the Novahn cryptically, before diverting his attention elsewhere. Taka followed suite, leaning back and closing her eyes. She hummed softly, listening to the howl of the icy winds and the creaking of the vehicle shaking over uneven terrain. Before she knew it they'd arrived at their destination. 

[color=seagreen]"First a temple now a dungeon? I hope I get an epic!"[/color] Taka exclaimed, her voice drowned out even to herself by the wailing of the oncoming blizzard. The grouped work their way through flurries of snow towards the mouth of a cave. Taka pushed her goggles up onto her forehead, looking around with clarity in what would be darkness for most of the others. However, it didn't seem there were any hidden loot cashes in the darkened corners. The only things of interest were the lights illuminating the corpses, bright even to makes her eyes water and her vision blur. Other than that there was a strange little pyramid of metal. Taka walked closer to it, reaching her hand up towards it—

[color=seagreen]"I wonder if this is-"[/color] She began before a shrill ringing split through her skull. Her thoughts melted into incoherence, becoming only aware of the pain inside her head. She cried out as the ringing intensified, blinded by the its pulse of light. She fell to the ground, writhing, seeing only a bright white canvas of blindness speckled with flashing spots. The comfort of darkness washed over her, pulling her away from the terrible sound. Into the abyss of her own mind.

[center][hider=Music][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M656-4HyZ-0[/youtube][/hider][/center]
[indent][i][color=lightslategray]
An bewildered face was looking down at her, from so high up. Onimani blinked, unaware of how to properly form words but answered with a gurgle of light, childish sound. Next to her a twin pink form sat slumped against the wall, a happy look plastered on her face despite her physical limitations. The larger figure laughed, scooping the children up in both of her arms, "I think we'll see a celebration the likes of which this city hasn't seen in a long time," she said with a laugh. The small pink nohvans mimicked the sound, feeling the joy of it. Onimani blinked—

She was running. Down an alleyway. [color=seagreen]"Come on Taki!"[/color] She cried, looking towards the exit and back to her sister frantically. The other nohvan was shambling along, using a pair of braces connected to her forearm as a crutch to help support her improperly developed legs.

[color=plum]"I'm going,"[/color] She huffed, [color=plum]"As fast as—I can."[/color]

[color=seagreen]"C'mon Taki, get on!"[/color] Oni ordered, kneeling before her sister. The other girl smiled, wrapping her arms around Oni's neck. Oni help the crutches steady, so as not to bang herself up, and took off at a lumbering jog, fueled by her sister's giggles. The duo rounded the corner and emerged into a street already full swing into celebration. A hunter had killed Dhumandi in a legendary act of bravery, or so the elders had told the two small girls. It was being hauled out of the water and the girls were determined not to miss it. Oni laughed with her sister, closing her eyes for just a joyous moment—

It was dark, Oni was afraid, terrified. She crouched, hidden behind a stack of smelly crates full of fish and other sea life. Taki was crying next to her, one of her crutches broken. A pair of boots crept closer, thump.. thump.. thump. Oni pressed her hand over her sister's mouth, [color=seagreen]"Ssh"[/color] she whispered. A wide eyed Taki looked up at her nodding. The two terrified girls huddled together in the silence, ears straining for their assailant.

"Well what do we have here?" A rough voice said, peering over the top of the crates with a sinister sneer. The girls screamed, Oni squeezing her eyes shut with fright—

"Hey you little tramp, get off me!" An angered voice commanded, connecting a boot with Oni's head. She was older now, and attacking one of the members of High Octane. 

[color=seagreen]"YOU DON'T EVER LAY YOUR HANDS ON TAKI AGAIN!"[/color] Oni shrieked, throwing herself back at the man, trying to bite him. They were well aware of what her fangs could do, and she found the butt of a gun jammed into her mouth.

"I'll do whatever I fucking please to that sweet little bitch of a sister of yours, you got that you little shit? You're here on my good graces, next time you do your job and you do it well or you'll find yourself in the first whorehouse I can drop you off at. You got that you little bitch?" The man sneered, kicking Oni across the floor once more. Tears streamed down her face, ones of helplessness and despair. She sat up, rubbing her fists against her eyes—

[color=plum]"Hey Oni?"[/color] Taki's melodic voice asked, looking up for a workbench littered with hundreds of components, her tool in mid turn against the project she was working on.

[color=seagreen]"Yea?"[/color] Oni replied passively, running a greasing rod through the barrel of her gun.

[color=plum]"I think today is our birthday, that makes us thirteen now, right?"[/color] Oni asked a bit sadly, her mind depressed at the thought of what could have been.

[color=seagreen]"Yea probably,"[/color] Oni grunted, moving on to cleaning another piece of her weapon.

[color=plum]"I got you something,"[/color] Taki said, using the joystick of her wheelchair to roll closer to Oni. She tapped the side compartment, build into the wheel. Oni quirked an eyebrow, but opened it for her. Inside was a small container, wrapped in dirty red cloth and tied with a bit of colorful wire to make an impromptu bow. Oni smiled, she only ever smiled around her sister now, Taki was the only one who could make her smile anyways.

[color=seagreen]"Oh sis.."[/color] Oni said, unwrapping the gift and pulling out a small pastry cake, [color=seagreen]"How did you?"[/color]

[color=plum]"It wasn't a lot, I promise, besides we may not need to save money anymore,"[/color] Taki explained, rushing forward before her sister could question her too much, [color=plum]"I think I can turn them off, I promise I'll be safe about it okay?"[/color] She pulled at the metal collar around her neck for emphasis, her sister nodded, trusting Taki's judgement. Oni smiled, tearing the treat in two and sharing it with her sister. A hopeful laugh sounded from both of them, Oni's eyes closing with a pleasure she hadn't felt in a long time—

Oni fixed the goggles over her face, a simple piece of headgear with darker lens to help combat her sensitivity to the lights on the ship. Behind her the quiet hum of Taki's chair rolled behind her. Oni held up a fist, signaling her sister to stop. Around the next corner a door opened, footsteps echoed on the metal tiles coming from the hangar. A tall, thin man walked around the corner, a clipboard tucked beneath his arm. 

"Were you going huh sprite?" He asked, stopping in the two girl's path.

[color=seagreen]"Ship needs some color, and a tag change,"[/color] Oni explained with her best poker face.

"Both of you?"

[color=seagreen]"Does she look like she can paint you moron?"[/color] Oni growled impatiently, anxiety building in the pit of her stomach.

"And your dumb as rocks, got it, get on with it then before you get a spanking kid," The man replied with a laugh, walking around them.

Oni grit her teeth, motioning her sister to follow. Once in the hangar she gave the same story two more times, before helping put Taki up in the cockpit, second seat, where she would pretend to do the tag changes on a computer pad. Oni hopped down, approaching a pair of workers fixing up another space craft.

[color=seagreen]"Where's the paint she asked?"[/color] 

One of the men turned to answer her, and found a barrel in his face, "What the FU-" the resounding bang echoed off the walls, splattering the insides of his head across the ships hull, and his coworker. The other man whirled, fumbling for something large to hit her with—Oni squeezed the trigger a second time, hitting him in the shoulder. A third time, his chest, twice more she shot him, the final round embedding itself into his head. The hangar's alarms sounded, causing Oni to let out a curse she barely understood the meaning of. She ran for the ship, where Taki was already engaging the thrusters.

A man coming around the back of the ship leveled his weapon at Oni.

"Drop it kid, the boss would hate to lose the money he could mak-Hey what the fuck you little shit," He cursed, Oni had pulled the trigger to her gun halfway through, but it only let out an empty click. The much larger man stalked forward, a sneer on his face as she backhanded her. Oni fell to the floor, tasting blood. But it was Taki's startled cry that shot adrenaline through her, overshadowing it with determined rage. Her attacker's food was raised, ready to deliver a kick to her head. She rolled around it, moving with the nimbleness only a kid could have. She sank her teeth into his ankle, holding on for dear life as he tried to shake her off. A few moments later and he collapsed to the ground, his paralyzed form failing to scream anymore vulgarities at her.

The girls laughed with relief as Oni fired the heavy blasters, blowing open a hole in the hangar. The vaccuum of space rushed in, sucking out tools and the responding High Octane personnel. The thrusters engaged and the two sisters blasted their way out of the station.

[color=plum]"I can't believe.."[/color] Taki wheezed, her lungs failing to supply enough oxygen throughout all of the excitement.

[color=seagreen]"Neither can I,"[/color] Oni laughed, hugging her sister from the seat next to her. The girls didn't say anything else for a few minutes, they just laughed and cried together, the swirl of emotions refusing to pick a steady course. The jubilant sounds of triumph were only disturbed by a quiet beeping. The girls fell silent, Oni's eyes widening with terror.

[color=seagreen]"Oh my god.. Taki!"[/color] Oni yelled, she tried to get back to the controls. Tried to turn around, to take it all back. But her body froze and stiffened as Taki's collar detonated. The splash of wet plops sent chills down her spine, she didn't want to turn around, but she did, and the dead of space was only broken by her constant, continuous wails.   
[/color][/i][/indent]

Taka huddled on the ground, curled into a ball as the scene continued to replay in her mind. The bang, the plopping sounds, the noises. Every single detail painted in perfect clarity. She body shook as it was wracked with the power of her sobs.

[color=seagreen]"Taki.."[/color] She cried, pulling herself to her knees. She stared at the ground through the wall of disheveled hair hanging in front of her face. [color=seagreen]"Taki.. please don't leave me,"[/color]

[color=plum]"I won't Oni, I won't,"[/color] a haunting voice chimed, airy and melodic. Taka looked up towards the voice, her wails only increasing as the visage of her sister hovered just at the edge of the light. A pink skinned nohvan, with pale hair and coral colored eyes. The visage smiled at her, her eyes staring into Taka's soul. [color=plum]"I won't leave you again, I promise."[/color][/color]