[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/G2xPk9Gk/Jiggy-2.png[/img]

[b]Level:[/b] [color=fed428]3 (19 -> 32/30)[/color] [color=orange]LEVEL UP![/color] ---> [color=fed428]4 (2 -> 5/40)[/color]
[b]Location:[/b] [color=fed428]Dead Zone - Cathedral Plaza -> RCPD HQ - Exterior[/color]
[b]Word Count:[/b] [color=fed428]1449 (+3 EXP)[/color]

[color=fed428]Power:[/color] Flight
[/center]


With the help of Donnie and Gene, Banjo and Kazooie were able to punch a sizable hole in the Ent’s ability to function. They may not have cut the living tree down, but at this point it could barely move or stand, much less adequately defend itself from what came next. A man bound by cane entered the scene, approaching the Ent slowly, and the desperate treant made the mistake of swinging at what it took for helpless smashing fodder. An amorphous black golem erupted from the ground beneath him to answer the Ent's attempt with a punishing blow, and the bear and bird made quick to get out from underneath the dueling titans as they were about to enter a deadlock.

The mysterious summoner then called forth a great cat with a physical makeup to match the giant's and commanded it to strike their foe, morphing itself into a long piercing weapon to spear it's head still. This held it in place long enough to provide Jak and the monk an opening to hit it from both sides before the stranger delivered the final blow to put it out of commission. The Ent was done for, but someone forgot to tell it as much. The creature stubbornly hung on to its drastically shortened life, still leaking sickly pink fume in what passed for its last meager effort to retaliate.

Blazermate obliged Nero's command to finish it off all too eagerly, sicking the newly arriving wave of undead on it. The wizard further indulged her, raising his own mob of skeletal thrall to add to the horde, and they collectively swarmed the downed treant and began to pull it apart in an agonizing display of animalistic savagery. Banjo and Kazooie shrank back, bearing a grimace of nervous disgust and wincing gaze of morbid fascination respectively. Neither of them figured they would ever feel sorry for something that tried to kill them, but this was just pitiful. They may have been so inclined to put the creature out of its misery if they could get closer to it. 

Blazer, worryingly self-satisfied with her work, simply watched on as she ordered the mutilation from afar, commanding both sets of minions with one arm while healing with the other. She rhetorically praised her new arm and its ability with a pun that, oddly, went unacknowledged by either of the duo, too dumbfounded to give any kind of answer. If [i]this[/i] is what was to become of their healer, what could they expect of everyone else, they wondered.

As if the Ent hadn’t suffered enough, the summoner brought his panther out once more to brutally saw its head in half. Though, it soon became apparent that there was a more humane purpose for it. With a curious recitation of poetic verse from memory, he pierced the treant’s exposed core with the tip of his cane, extinguishing the last vestiges of its fading life and easing its passing. He then proceeded to deliver acquainted pleasantries and exposition unto Nero. At this point, Banjo and Kazooie had pieced together that this stranger was none other than V, the man they had been looking for. From appearances, to the way he conducted himself, to his very aura, if they could see it, this man was the epitome of an enigma, but if his demonstrated power was anything to go by, there was one thing about him they could be certain of: they were glad to have him on [i]their[/i] side.

While explaining the nature of this ‘Qliphoth’, V happened to drop a line in his exposition; that it subsisted on [b]human[/b] blood. This inspired a curious, but unhelpful thought in Kazooie.

[color=f60000][i]“We’re[/i] not human…”[/color] she remarked quietly to Banjo. [color=f60000]“You think that, maybe, exempts us?”[/color]

[color=0aaaff]“Mmmmm-PROBABLY best to assume it doesn’t,”[/color] he answered with a slight shake of his head. [color=0aaaff]“I doubt a big demon tree will discriminate much. Especially if we’re trying to bring it down.”[/color]

[color=f60000]“That makes sense.”[/color] Kazooie concurred casually.

At Kamek's inquiry to V, the last of his three familiars showed itself to answer in jeering manner. The explanation of his (and their) role shed light on a particular commonality within their party that the duo couldn't help noticing.

[color=0aaaff]"Look! It's another one of you."[/color] Banjo prodded playfully at Kazooie, playing on the fact that they were both someone's mouthy feathered friend that all but stuck to them.

[color=f60000]"Seems like everybody has one now,[/color] she replied, referring, of course, to partners. Ratchet had Clank, Jak had Daxter, Banjo had her, and V had… well… [i]those[/i]; personal demons, apparently, but in a more literal sense. Kamek seemed reasonably satisfied with that answer, and decided he’d had enough of the Dead Zone before bidding adieu and disappearing for greener pastures.

[color=0aaaff]“Free dinner?”[/color] Banjo picked mention of meal out of the wizard’s words, and suddenly, he started wondering what was going on in the Land of Adventure and how much better a time they must have been having. [color=0aaaff]“I’m starting to think we may have made the wrong choice here,”[/color] he added, cupping his chin. Kazooie said nothing, but her eyes darted around shiftily in shame for having remembered it was [i]her[/i] idea to come here to begin with. Though, she had forgotten why, and she would make no mention of it as she turtled halfway into her partner’s backpack.

Their attention went back to Nero and V when the former called for it, and the latter set their course. As V started in that direction, he suddenly an inexplicably fell ill, prompting a reflexive jolting step forward from Banjo in an unfulfilled move to assist him. The sickly man shortly regained his composure and expressed the demon hunter's shared desire for haste.

[color=f60000]"Speak for yourself,"[/color] Kazooie retorted in a lower, more or less serious tone at his remark of having "little time to lose," genuinely somewhat concerned that he might not be able to make the trip, or that he might push himself too hard trying to. Regardless, Nero wanted to get going right away, and allowed the rest to set their own pace at which to follow.

[color=0aaaff]"Don't worry. We won't be far behind you,"[/color] Banjo reassured the demon hunter just as he was taking off, with V following suit soon after. The duo lingered only for long enough to gather any minion spirits (specifically those of Rot Warts) that were left unscavenged to smash together into something useful. Afterwards, Kazooie would hoist Banjo onto her back and begin to Talon Trot down the path behind the others, rhythmically chirping as she did with every step the entire way.

The obstacle wreckage, while aplenty, did little to impede the heroes' progress, for Kazooie could simply bound over most of them with no loss in momentum. Blazermate's new ability saw to the undead problem that would have otherwise made their trek much longer. The bear and bird had to admit, for a maniacal lich queen in the making--already showing onset signs of descending rapidly into madness--she was undeniably useful to have around, and with a track record to show it.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a helicopter could be spotted being accosted by a flock of… gold-winged faces? Whatever they were, they brought the chopper down alarming efficiency, and upon seeing this, everyone got into gear. They soon arrived at the crash site, a police station with an overwhelming wave of zombies between it and the group. Banjo and Kazooie were able to spot the two women on the roof, clearly in need of aid.

[color=0aaaff]"I don't know,"[/color] Banjo answered to Blazer's question about ally recruitment, [color=0aaaff]but they look like they could use our help,"[/color] he added further, pointing out the two he spotted.

[color=f60000]"C'mon, Banjo! Let's go see if we can give them a hand,"[/color] Kazooie suggested in turn. Ideally, they could just have Blazer part the lesser undead aside, but that still wouldn't get them to the rooftop where they intended to go. That, and Kazooie needed an excuse to stretch her wings, so they opted to go [i]over[/i] the hoard. From the ramp of broken road where they stood, it wouldn't take many Shock Spring Jumps to get make it to the top of a nearby building to use as a vantage/takeoff point. Once they found a suitable spot, a blue platform with red feathers painted on it formed beneath Banjo's feet, and with a beat of Kazooie's wings, the duo shot skyward in a stream of sparkling red gust and began flying toward the station. They would be sure to look out for any more of the creatures from earlier while they were airborne, as well as spending their meager Feather supply sparingly, but as needed, to maintain altitude.