[center][h1][u]The Little Sad Mouse[/u][/h1]
[img]https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.sT253_Y9q5MqzGQ03b3zpAHaEy?w=279&h=180&c=7&r=0&o=5&dpr=1.5&pid=1.7[/img][/center]

The little sad Mouse had left the meeting to 'get some air', which was code for the youth's building frustrations. He stepped outside, standing apart clearly from cazenax and sirrahi alike as a human, and let his senses rove across the city.

He found An Zenui a lively place at night, despite its outward veil of tranquility. Repair work of more silent varieties was being carried out up on the large houses that perched atop the cliffs. The thin coating of sand from the previous morning's storm that seemed to cover everything was under attack from teams of sirrahi who made their way up and down the streets with brooms, dusters, and sacks. They talked and sung quiet work songs as they went, the team closest to him gradually making its way out of sight. Fiske turned his attention elsewhere. In the distance, cats yowled and dogs barked. A quartet of men in dark uniforms headed vaguely in the direction of the hideout's entrance down a midsized road, chattering amongst themselves in their native tongue. The youth knew virtually none of the language, but he [i]did[/i] recognize one word: Potés-Palix.

Then, there was a scream, south-southwest, in the direction one of the sirrahi work teams had been heading. The uniformed men hadn't noticed the human interloper yet, but he saw two of them turn and look in that direction. He could certainly get there before them if he wished, but perhaps he should do something to delay the other two or at least provide warning. That was, if he cared enough to do so. Fiske had always been good at looking out for himself, and there was likely a reward should he turn in dangerous conspirators.

Frustration boiled up in the young boy as his own prowess was downplayed and made to look like a childish joke. He would've loved nothing more but to punch a wall as hard as he could yet with everything bustling around him made it too risky for his liking. Then he heard the one word he knew, annoyed by it. [color=#FF00FF][i]Potés-Palix again? Who did we involve ourselves with? Why did we involve ourselves with them anyway?[/i][/color] 

The scream caught Fiske's attention. He knew he should avoid to be involved with that, yet it seemed as though his curiosity had taken over. He tried his hardest to distract the two that had yet to look the way of the scream. A couple of illusionary Sirrahi punching each other might've kept their attention. Once that would be dealt he could see what happened.


For a moment, confusion reigned. One of the guards shouted and pointed. He started moving in the direction of the surprisingly complex illusion. The other hurried to catch up. However, as they drew nearer, the illusion became less convincing. Perhaps Fiske should not have tried something so complex and involved: two separate figures of a species he had less familiarity with, moving in a rapid and complex manner. Perhaps it wasn't curiosity that had killed the cat, but overconfidence. Nonetheless, it drew them away for some time, before the second one paused and they began speaking to each other in an animated fashion, gesturing emphatically as they argued. Then, they began looking about.

As the two figures approached his illusion he knew it was time to get ready to make a run for it. He made sure he had himself cloaked and ran the scream's way. His illusion did not need to perfect, it needed to work... Although much to his dissatisfaction. The little Mouse's heart broke as his illusion began to look worse and worse as he moved away from it. He could cry.


While he was able to gain on the first set of guards, who appeared to be in no particular hurry, the set he'd fooled momentarily earlier made their way toward the unknown commotion at a full sprint, gaining slightly on him. There was a second scream, and a harsh exchange of words between two voices. The uniformed men closer to it began shouting as well. Curse the language barrier! What could he do?

[color=#FF00FF][i]Is this just a fight or an argument?[/i][/color] Why was he so driven to see it it was anything serious. Had his heart softened due to all the others around him? preposterous! Why would he ever care for others? Could it perhaps be a way to prove he would be someone important if he helped someone in need out? [color=#FF00FF][i]Keep your mind on going as fast as possible, Fiske. See what caused the scream first, then start thinking about potential outcomes. [/i][/color] his eyes focused on the two uniformed men closer to the spot than him as he trailed them.


The sad Mouse threw any further illusion aside and put everything that he had into running, enhancing his eyesight and hearing as he went. He blew past the closer pair of guards and outdistanced the ones who'd been closing on him before. Around the corner were a handful of sirrahi workers and a cazenax woman. One, in particular, seemed to be arguing with her. He seemed frantic. She seemed frantic. The woman screamed again, and it was a shrill, ear-grating noise. She stared the sirrahi square in the eyes and said something else with an aggressive tone to her voice.

[color=#FF00FF][i]What the?.. [/i][/color] A confused Fiske landed upon a scene that gave him the chills. [color=#FF00FF][i]Is this woman offended by something they did, working under her or..[/i][/color] He'd rather finish that thought process. With all these screams he could hear his ears ring to the point he turned down the amount of noise his ears picked up. [color=#FF00FF][i]If this is what I think it is... Could I even do anything?... Wouldn't me doing something potentially make it worse?[/i][/color]

[color=#FF00FF][i]Maybe you should stop staring at him so aggressively, lady...[/i][/color] He approached the woman and touched her, temporarily taking her eyesight away. [color=#FF00FF][i]Maybe that will teach you a lesson no to stare so much.[/i][/color]


For a moment, it seemed as if she'd seen him, but then sight was no longer her problem. The screams went from words to shrill and distressed, and it was mere moments before the guards came into view. They did not ask questions. Two of them whipped out wands and, with a flick of their wrists, dropped a pair of sirrahi to the ground, spasming.

A third stalked up to the snake-person she had been most engaged with and made demands of him. He replied adamantly back, but they gestured to the woman. She wailed and pawed at her eyes and the fourth guard set about comforting her. Her face was streaked with tears and she pointed repeatedly to the sirrahi who now found himself under questioning of the third guard while the other two finished binding his accomplices who lay there semi-conscious, foaming at the mouths. They, two, stalked up, brandishing their wands like weapons.

As he spotted the sirrahi spasming on the ground his heart skipped a beat. [color=#FF00FF][i]These aren't great people...[/i][/color] He stared at the wands and knew they were the problem. [color=#FF00FF][i]If I could just get rid of them, this might be a bit more even[/i][/color] He prepared a blinding light to disorientate and potentially stun them before using his kinetic ability and mostly his high capacity to punch the wands out of the guards' hands.


The flash burned incredibly bright! Blinding and stunning most of the people in the small sideroad. 

All three sirrahi were left sightless and stunned. Two of the cazenax as well. The others, however, retaliated immediately, shouting angrily. One shielded the woman with his body, speaking as calmly and comfortably as he could given the circumstances. The other was able to expertly seize upon the area where the attack had come from if not the precise culprit. He drew in energy and released a powerful shockwave.

The Mouse scurried up the wall to avoid the officer's attack. The mouse grew brave and scuttled over to the officer and spit in his eye, blinding him! What a master of the senses this little sad mouse was.

The officers realized this was no ordinary mouse and called in the big demons cats to come and deal with him. Out of the void came The Watching Demon of Special Investigations, a Book, a Paper gremlin, a literal turd, and worst of all the grand Fly demon!

The little sad Mouse was scared, jittering with fear. He had to escape and he tried! Oh how he tried. The Eye chased but the mouse was ever so agile, evading each clumsy grab. Too slow, the mouse taunted only to then slip on the turd. How mortifying.

The poop demon was instantly destroyed by Fiske's mighty attack. It was a one shot kill. However, the demon bit back. The youth stumbled and fell. A smear covered one side of his pants and, when his hands shot out instinctively to catch himself, some got on there as well. Some got under his fingernails. If there was no serious physical harm, there was ample psychological harm and hygienic harm. He was now very easy to track. The page gremlin was immediately on his tail.

But the Gremlin was nothing even with the moment of failure. The Mouse had ran his whole life! But attracted to the mouses odor, the Grand Fly tenaciously followed.

Meanwhile, the blinded people continued to shout and wail. The sirrahi shouted their innocence. 
Others began to take notice. Fiske could hear distant calls. So much for being quick, smooth, and incisive. This was fast becoming a spectacle.

The Grand demon fly was menacingly close to the Mouse's form before losing his... rather manure-esque smell. He could run from this, he could just run and not look back yet in his chest stung every time the thought of making off. 

What should the little mouse do! He was scared and he only ever seemed to make things worse. His little heart hurt and but then he could sense it. A friend. She would help because he was her ally! The little sad mouse's heart thumped and thumped as the now courageous Fiske made his show!

The buffoon of guards fumbled about like caricatures, one punched another from behind and a third slammed into the remaining two with bone-breaking forced. Then, on top of it, an absurd amount of heat was drawn from the entire heap by the one and only Fiske! However they were not dealing with just guards, the Watching Demon went for his ally Marceline.

The demons were strong but the guards weak. The world turned for Fiske as they made him feel woozy And Marci was slammed into a wall. When she struck back she delivered one guard to Eshiran. She begged for Oraff's forgiveness.

The fight continued even with the pleas to Oraff. Fiske the mighty cast his illusions to deceive the demons and did so expertly! 

The two images of the boy that remained burst out in laughter [color=#FF00FF]"Hahaha, Are you blind? Do you need a little check up?"[/color] Their hands made a motion as if they were crying before they stuck out their tongues. [color=#FF00FF]"Duuuuummkopf!"[/color]

The Watching Demon calls down a terrifying pillar of nuclear fire.

Fiske is vaporized.

But it's not the real Fiske. The other Fiske let a single tear drop. [color=#FF00FF]"Your honourable service shall be remembered, me."[/color] 

Despite the grim circumstances, Marci lets out a snort.
 
Marceline takes a moment, amid the mockery, to heal herself, but she catches up to Fiske as well. She lays a hand on his shoulder. [color=598527]"I've got you, now that I know which is the real you."[/color] She focuses and he finds himself healed too. 

Fiske smiled as he tried his hardest to keep up the cool act after the nuclear attack. Putting a hand on his mouth, faking a gasp. [color=#FF00FF]"Oh dear, you found me!"[/color] Fiske winked as he was healed. [color=#FF00FF]"Thank you kindly, Marshie."[/color] He snorted.

Fiske the Awesome's illusions kept distracting the demons until with the power him and Marci were able to combine their effort and friendship onto the Watching Demon! A lance of pure light and a well of gravity was too much and they vanquished the most terrifying demon.

The fight continued like this. Fiske gathering their attention with his showmanship while expertly never being where they attacked and Marceline supporting him with support. Things should've ended like this for the now brave Mouse. But then the Book opened.

A colossal explosions rolled through the city, building were destroyed and with Reshta's help, Fiske and Marci were okay. People stumbled and the sirrahi fought with the guards. Things have went from bad to worse. Whatever could they do?

The explosion could be heard throughout the city and it attracted more guards. But also more allies. Desmond and Tku broke on to the scene to save their own. Tku unleashed holy wrath against the Book Demon and Desmond lined up a magical shot. Tku's holy wrath only distracted the fowl beast and Desmond's depleted uranium rounds landed on the book. Not enough to kill it however.

The tongue snapped and lashed about as it felt the pain of its wounds. The dynamic duo Fiske and Marci would not miss the chance to strike! Fiske skewered the massive book with Blizzard of Knives and then Marci leapt in for the finish, slicing the demon in two with a lightning blade.
It burst into ribbons, its knowledge flying everywhere. It was slayed.

The fight was nearing its end but there was still a gremlin and a fly, Easy right?

No, the Gremlin and Fly raged about. The gremlin ripped and teared at the heroes and the Fly stabbed Tku in the back, poisoning him throughout his body. But the fly seemed to be tired and angry, just staying in the same place and angrily glared at the team. The Gremlin was dodged by Fiske once again, it even went after his eyes this time. Scary stuff.

The Fly had more hate than you could imagine. And all at Tku for some reason. It buzzed and Tku's bowel's loosened. Oh no! He held it and then suddenly blood busted from his stomach. Oh god what let this exist. A truly evil entity.

Lightning, Fire, and Bullets only irritated the Fly. What was this monster? Tku on his final moments removed it from reality. He hated it more than anything and it was finally gone. But dozen of guards came. They needed to run and the sirrahi freed.

[color=734960]"Free them Desmond, just point and think!"[/color] Tku shouts out how to use the wand

Desmond snatches the wand from the ground with a quick slide while saying, [color=Gold]"Yoink! Mine! Oh yeah okay"[/color]

Desmond points the wand at them and releases them from their command bond. 

The sirrahi, freed from their catatonic state, roll over gratefully, but then there is a bigger issue: eight guards approach, and they are heavily armed. There is a good distance between them and the group. Do they try to explain the situation, turn themselves in for their crime, fight, or flee?
For a moment, Marceline seemed frozen. Guilt ate at her, but so did an intense desire for self-preservation. The original sirrahi - the one who the cazenax woman had been screaming at - shook his head. "She was trying to accuse me of..." He trailed off for a moment. "A crime." His face hardened. "The sentence would've been death. I didn't do it." 

[color=#FF00FF]"I think we have to go now."[/color] Fiske rushed over,  placing his hand on her shoulder this time on the guilt-ridden Marceline.

Tku throws his stuff at Marci, including his wand, [color=734960]"Go, you helped your friends child. I'll stay here and take the heat. Go!"[/color]

Desmond noticed the many guards, he knew that many were just coming to help, there was only one that needed to die. Desmond began to hide away and load another bullet, this one was a simple stone. A shot normally so hard to trace to any one person, as in the end it was just a stone.

Yet when Desmond heard the Sirrahi speak, he knew there was something else, something the required a more steadier touch.

He deprimed his gun and realized that this might be something they can fight.

Desmond began to put away his weapons, this might be something they could fight.

They just might have something they can do.

[color=gold]"I think this one might need us to take this lump"[/color]. Desmond let out a sigh as he realized what is going to be happening next.

Desmond threw Marci and Fiske his bag filled with his things and his weapons, leaving him his suit and other smaller accessories he can't easily take off, [color=gold]"Go, you two need to leave now, someone needs to take the fall"[/color].

He set his hat onto Marci's head as he began to try and push them away.

[color=598527]"You won’t win,"[/color] Marci called out, shaking her head, but Desmond's mind seemed made up. So did Tku's.

"She's right," the sirrahi agreed, as the police drew nearer. "It’s stacked against us." He shook his head. "You two should go. At least I can go knowing that someone stuck up for me."

Tku heard how they felt nothing could be done and he tried to comfort, [color=734960]"There is change here, Nyax-Acan is coming. He is going to free your people."[/color]

Heart heavy with regrets, Marci ran. She had always been a cockroach: the one to survive everything and anything. She had murdered, and for what? There was no two ways about it.
The sirrahi had been the victim here, no doubt. So had the officers, though. They'd only been doing their jobs. Or had, they, really? She didn't have the full story. Only Fiske did. 

For Desmond and Tku, the forces of Cazenax law and order drew nearer. They shouted in their own language, and then in broken Avincian once they realized that the suspects were human. "Down ground! Hand on head!" When one of the sirrahi was a bit slow to react, they wound up and kicked him in the ribs… repeatedly. Rapid exchanges in their mother tongue followed, and neither of the remaining students could follow. 

Before they were too far and Desmond would be unable to say this to either, he used something he picked up from the many interactions he's had with the tethered within his life. 

As he began to lay down onto the ground, he felt the energies of both Fiske and Marceline fade away, but before they fully left him, he pinched the back of their ears. Giving them a simple message, [color=gold][i]"See. You. Soon."[/i][/color]. And one final message, one that neither could fully understand as it didn't follow normal tethered pinch signals. But had the same feeling as a double long pinch or Opportunity/I'm ready.

But seemed different, like the feeling was different, something happier, but more somber. Something that had more weight to it all, maybe it was like this was a great opportunity. A great opportunity that they are in this situation, or that this was a great opportunity to be there. But there was something more. Something much more sad possibly.

Possibly, this was a goodbye. 

Tku knew what could follow them getting captured. But he faced it well. Zarina, Ayla, and Marci were strong. They might be his wards for the time being but Tku didn't think they needed. Hopefully Marci won't be too hard on herself. His mind was scattered just as much of them but he had faith and hope to drive him into taking some of the weight they made for themselves.

The boy frantically picked up Desmond's bag and darted in the same direction as Marceline. 

Fiske ran. He ran and ran as if his guilt tried to catch up to him. Why did this happen? He only wanted to play the hero for once instead of always being perceived a sniveling coward. All he wanted to be was someone people could look up to and be proud. To be someone, not a nobody any longer.  Why did he always make things worse? He not only did he need someone to save his worthless rear, but also someone to catch the blame. 

[color=#FF00FF][i]Worthless idiot, weakling, waste of space... You only tend to make things worse. [/i][/color] His own thoughts only intensified the further he ran away from the scene, eyes focussed on the girl in front of her. [color=#FF00FF][i]I'm sorry... You did something truly awful just because you wanted to help me.....[/i][/color] His throat dry as the desert itself from the overwhelming emotion. [color=#FF00FF][i]If only I'd actually be one of the strong ones...[/i][/color] Fiske scoffed at his sorry excuse of a performance.  [color=#FF00FF][i]Capacity be damned!... Niallus, Sven... Nazih all would've done better than me. Hells, that wily girl Maura might've been able to get out of that situation better than me.[/i][/color] Annoyed by his own thoughts he enhanced his senses further until it became hard to think further than basic thoughts.