The Calm Before the Storm

[Tayuu]

With a scowl, Tayuu quietly grumbled; “That was a dirty trick…”
Staying on his knees he did his best to control his sudden anger, he was feeling toyed with and had a sudden urge to kick this hedgehog back. He was able to stay calm enough though to listen to his words, he wasn’t sure what a ‘templar’ was but the rest of his speech seemed to make some sort of sense. Tayuu was suddenly reminded of his friend Harry, an old friend that he did not want to end up like. Amon was right about a ‘downward spiral’ even if Tayuu refused to get as ‘bad’ as Harry had.
There was a mental twinge as his father was mentioned again, was this guy just saying that to manipulate him, or did he really know something?
Still turned away from his ‘teacher’, Tayuu slowly stood up when told, the ache from the kick already ebbing away. He seemed tense as if he was ready to quickly turn around and punch Amon.
Tayuu’s body suddenly relaxed and his head turned so Amon could see his polite smiling face; “OK then prof, lead the way.”

[CC]

Surrounded by two large thugs and one skinny drug abused cretin, CC smiles widely, showing her very clean and very sharp teeth. Her eyes flare for a moment with bright emerald energy but she holds herself back, taking a few deep breaths so as to not let herself get to overwhelmed. One of the thugs, a large brown bear, hesitates and steps back from the cat, some of his better sense stopping him from attacking her full on and leaving the other two to rush forward by themselves.

With a graceful leap, using her hand to vault over the smaller and leaner thug, a grey lizard that CC knew by the name of "Ig", the black-furred cat flips easily over the surprised duo, landing directly in front of the bear. "boo" she murmurs, just loud enough for him to hear, at the same time letting her eyes flare once more. He yelps and turns around quickly to run away, running directly into the brick wall of the building that they had just exited, knocking himself out cold. CC laughs but is cut short by a hard yank upon her tail and a punch to her head that would have sent her reeling if not for having her tail being held onto tightly. Letting loose a low growl she turns so that her tail is in between her legs and so that she is facing the menacing and smug mug of the final thug- a beefed up skunk who had ovbiously taken far too many steroids for his own, or anyone else's, good. He grins but CC is nonplussed, concentrating more on the slight sound of a tail against pavement behind her and she ducks just in time for the lizard to go overtop of her. With perfect timing she springs up, giving Ig a little boost up and over her and into the skunk, who drops her tail in order to catch his comrade.

"Hey loverboys, if you are finished embracing maybe we can finish this?" She winks at them, grinning widely as Ig jumps down, a dawning realization on his scarred and scaly face.

"I know who you are... you're that little whelp that we chased outta town. Luke is gonna have a heyday when he reailzes that you are back!" The lizard shakes his head in wonder and puts a clawed hand out to stop the skunk from going forward in attack, "You've gotten a bit stronger little miss, though you are still as wily as you used to be. Still, you ain't got what it takes to beat us and you know that there will be help coming any minute... so you better just go on and leave."

"I can see the fear in your eyes Ig, and I am sure that even this little pup here would be able to tell that you are lying. So give that angle up and -I- will give you a choice. You and steroid skunk here can take your leave of this alley, leaving me and the whelp alone. OR, I can finish kicking your asses. Really, either way is good for me, I have some left over anger to take out on you thugs and really, it would not make me sad to see the look on Luke's face when he has to not only bail you out of jail, but pay for your hospital fees as well."

Ig hisses at the feline, but motions for the skunk to pick up their fallen comrade before they back out of the alley and into the busy street, "You ain't heard the last of us cat, now that we know you are back Luke is gonna have a lot of people searching for you. So you better watch yerself!" He yells befores slithering out of the alley and out of sight.

CC rolls her eyes and walks over to the young dog, extending a paw to him, "Come on, I am not going to hurt you. Come with me, I'll get ya a hot drink and possibly some food, you are looking a bit on the thin side and I know that you probably have not been treated well recently. I'm CC, what's your name?"

Hestitantly, the dog moves a bleeding brown paw up towards CC's own and grasps on, strong for one so young. He stands up, a bit wobbly, and the feline puts an arm under his shoulders to help. He smiles gratefully up at her and blushes slightly, "umm, thanks Miss... mah name's Jack, but everyone calls me Butch. I prefer Jack though...."

"Well Jack, it is a pleasure to meet you, though I am sure that the circumstances could have been better. I know of a nice cafe not far from here, why don't we go. My treat. Besides, you will be safe there, the people who own it really know how to look after a mobian!" He nods and the two walk off down the neon street towards a place that CC had not been in a very long time.

Red eyes flare from the shadows and for a moment, the feline pauses with her young charge, looking around the alley suspiciously, but all she sees is an inky blackness. Still, the fur on the back of her neck raises ever so slightly and her tail twitches, the same feeling of dread from before, when she was alone at home, washing over her and making her cold. "You okay Miss CC?" asks Jack in a slightly worried tone.

"Hmm? Yeah.... yeah... I am okay. Just, heh, never you mind! Nothing to worry about." She laughs as they walk away, casting a last glance over her shoulder to the darkened side street.

In the shadows, the Walker rests, watching as the feline walks away. Her cover had almost been blown by the perceptive cat, not a good sign for her first real scouting mission. These 'heroes' were a lot better than she had originally thought and learning more about them would take a lot more energy than previously imagined. Regardless, she had some good information already about one of the freedom fighters and she could move onto the next one, the source of the energy throughout the city. The watcher. Psychosis, or rather, Amon.

[Lucian]

Dragging himself from the muck and mire Vanguard of the Celestial Bodies, Paladin Twilight scraped some rather stuborn bog mud from his robes and accessed the situation. Land was not far away but no other above surface stumps or logs could be seen near enough to his own post to leap to.

Peering over the edge, almost loosing his treads on the moss and slime covered platform something large and quite possibly hungry churned the waters beneath the quasi-placid surface.

Swimming was definately out.

Sitting down and pondering his state in a most foul mood his repugnant reivere was disturbed by a slow rolling fog. It seemd to creep in from all directions but one in particular the mysterous haze seemed to be seeping. Out came his staff and his guard was up, having lived centuries in this land he was quite familar with these swamps usual tendancies and fog wasn't one of them. But at once his fears were put aside when a familar row boat sailed in the mist with a large skull on the prow.

Standing tall, in all her plundering glory like the dark reflection of George Washington crossing the Delaware. No soul touched the oars, they rowed on their own accord and with her trusty rapier blade at her side the woman floated in quaint silence.

"She always did like to make an entrance. . ."
------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile; down in the Robotropolis sewers Tommy wasn't feeling so good. Something about having large, sharp, and pointy claws digging into his gut were probably a good diagonsis for his delema. With the wench's scythe burried deep into his calf and her claws sunk deep into his innards pulling and twisting a part of what was left of the sentience the rabbit had realized this was it. And it was angry.

Angry that it wouldn't ever meet it's master, never get a chance to kill him for making him this monstrosity, this crime against nature. Furious that this metal girl could so easily open him up like a swat bot and spill his vital bits. True, she hadn't got to his heart yet and any other damage was simply collateral. But Geist's cavity search was inching closer and closer to that goal having already broken the lower ribs and spilled his stomach contents.

Acidic blood spilled onto the catwalk and pited the metal instantly. Acrid steam rose from the steel of the floor as well as Geist's body armor. What little flesh remained there burned and shrivveled in the presence of the unnatural icor. Smiling all the while his advesary never noticed the degree of intellect his death throes had brought back to the warped mobian.

A sudden shift of weight tore more intestines from the abominations midsection and plasma scythe tore through the leg bone clear through to the otherside, lopping off the grotesque foot completely. But this sacrafice was not with out a boon. He had room to rear back and bear those trademark teeth so akin to the creatures that dwell in nightmares. It was surprise, not mirth or even fear splayed about Geist's face as that maw decended upon her like a shark and chomped down into her neck.

Vital arteries and veins punctured, neck muscles were rendered to shreds, and a large chunk of the metalic neck vertibrea came away in a sharp gutteral movement. Gore flew on the air as undead blood and centurion oil misted into the already foul stenched air. In a sureal moment the robot's neck bent at an odd angle as the world fell on it's side by 90 degrees before she eventually fell over.

Tommy's victory was short lived how ever. His attack was an all out one and the recoil in coming back from such a bite with out a central sense of balance, two feet, or a care to live it was no surprise that the undead hare ended up backwards falling over the catwalks hardly utilitarian guard rail. It's flimsey restriction no match for Tommy's bulk as he plumet down into the molten vats below.

The animal awoke then, the apifany of death coming for him over the creature screamed and roiled. The blistering liquids breaking down his undead flesh almost instantly as he slowly sunk into the boiling bilge. Arms thrashed above the surface with out skin, then muscle, then only bone remained. Until it ate it's way to the heart and disolved the distored organ once and for all. Sinking at last beneath the depths Tommy knew rest as a normal sided rabbit skull briefly rose to the surface filled with escaping methane before disolving completely into nothing.

Above, the bleeding and broken secret Legion project twitched in glee. Sure, her pain circuitry was fried with overload and she was slowly going to shut down but she had completed her mission and was gloriously the winner. Geist was happy, or as happy as a monster can be.

[CC]

The small row boat slows as it nears the pole, the figure at the prow studies the deathog with her sharp and clear blue eyes and her fingers play lightly against the hilt of her fine steel blade as is habit when she is thinking seriously about something. Finally, she brings one hand up to the brim of her black hat, touching it for a moment as she bows her head in the Vangaurd's direction before moving her hand back fluidly to her side.

"I was not sure if I were to be believing the rumors that I had heard flitting about the spirits and creatures... but here ye be- to the amazement of this poor pirate's eyes," She flashes him her 'hurt' look before breaking into a big grin, eyes twinkling with mirth.

The boat stops just short of the pole, the oars sinking slightly into the muck as they wait for the lass' next silent command. She takes in a deep breath and looks around the mist, exhaling slowly as her eyes flit about the mire, "Well, are ye going to join me or are you enjoying the view from your perch?" She chuckles and extends a gloved hand, looking straight into his eyes, a moment of consternation flitting over her fine features, "Ye've changed Syth and I be not entirely sure how. You know that I be always in for stories and if ye have time or would possibly like a ride to some proper shore I think that I may be able to be of service." The ever-playful privateer winks and waits for his reply.
____

CC leads young Jack through the busy streets to a small cafe just a few blocks from the arena that he would have been fighting in. She smiles as the smell of grease and bad food that seems to float endlessly around the door reaches her sensitive nose, bringing with it a flood of memories. She leads the boy inside, a familiar bell sounding as they step inside and an even more familiar voice cheerfully says "Good Morning" from one of the back rooms.

A rotund but tough-looking rottweiler with only one ear turns around, wiping his paws on his grease-stained apron. He is about to ask what the newcomers want when his eyes land upon the well-built feline and his paw goes to his chest, as if he is having a heart-attack. "It can't be! No...CC?"

"In the fur, Pete... decided that I just could not get enough of this city" She winks at him and he comes out from behind the counter, enveloping her in a large hug, the smell of grease and stale booze making CC wrinkle her nose, but she recovers just as he pulls away.

'You look amazing girl, where have you been? Sit down here... who's this boy?" Even through the flurry of questions the ever-sharp Pete eyes up the young pup that is standing just behind the feline and he raises an eyebrow.

"Good kid I caught over by Luke's, he was being a bit hassled by the boys and I thought that it was not exactly fair. You know how it is Pete." She sighs and he nods, a look of sadness passing over his rough face for a moment before he bustles back behind the counter and yells out a quick couple of orders to the cook.

"There, gotcha both some food coming along, now, why don't you tell me what you've been up to my girl, it has been far too long!"

CC smiles and shakes her head, "I don't know Pete, you would not believe me if I did tell you..."

_____

A rift in zones is generally caused by a disturbance to the energies around the world. Most rifts appear and disappear, unknown to any of the inhabitants of the world and very seldom do any problems appear, unless the rift gets too big or unless something escapes.

The large, hairy leg of an oversized evil arachnid from the zone of silence may possibly be one of these things that most people would not want to see come out of these rifts. Especially if theis mandible-bearing, thoraxed thing decided, in its hungry quest, to head towards the large, bustling city of Casinopolis.

It was hungry and it was dangerous... and staying low on the radar of life, by keeping to the shadows and lesser-known parts, the inhabitants would not know what hit them.

[Psychosis]

Amon looked back at the brash young feline in contempt. The lesson ahead was serious business, and Tayuu was not taking it as such. The midnight black hedgehog grabbed the hand of the insolent feline and teleported the two to the outskirts of town. Nothing but a baron landscape could be seen for miles. One wonders what sort of lesson could be taught out here.

"Your lesson today, pupil, is a lesson in developing your external senses.. simply put.. you will fight me."

Amon stood sternly, staring down his pessimistic pupil, asserting his authority over the situation. He put himself in a defensive stance, arching his feet, locking his arms in front of him as though ready to strike.

"Well? What are you waiting for? COME AT ME!"

(OOC: Quick little post, don't have a lot of time these days, but I'll make an effort. Tah for now.)

[Tayuu]

Tayuu was still in the throws of being freaked out about having himself suddenly teleported to some place he didn’t quite recognize. He quickly calmed himself down as much as he could, taking a deep breath.
Amon voiced the lesson of the day and soon the words sunk in.
“What? Are you serious?” asked Tayuu, his eyes widening.
His gaze fixed on the hedgehog, his stance, and his air of authority… Tayuu could tell he was indeed serious. The catboy wasn’t quite sure what to expect here but knew the hedgehog wouldn’t kill him… well, he hoped.
That’s when Amon voiced his impatient command.
Tayuu took another deep breath and settled his mind that this would be a sparring session, guessing that powers may still be used against him. He had confidence that he could dodge most attacks as long as he could see them coming.
For now he didn’t plan to attack with his weapons or reveal his magic, he was most certainly thinking about kicking him back for that time earlier. He remembered his previous plan and then grinned. First he had to test the waters.
Tayuu dashed forward with some decent speed before leaping high in the air, ready to bring a flying kick down on Amon’s head.

[Psychosis]

Amon huffed, without so much as a wasted second the hedgehog teleported out of the way grabbing the foolish cat by the tail and slamming him to the ground. Standing over the fallen feline, Amon looked with disappointment in his eyes. He helped his pupil to his feet and sternly reprimanded him.

"Clearly, you are not in tune with your own instincts. If you were, you would have anticipated my move and countered it. Try again, and this time don't screw it up.."

Amon teleported back to his original position and retook his defensive stance waiting for young Tayuu to attempt his attack once more. In the back of his mind, the hedgehog was keeping track of his dearest Ci Ci's location and activity. He concluded she was in no harm, but maintained his watch never-the-less.

(OOC: Another quickie..)

[CC]

In the Shadows, Kitsa curses under her breath as the energy that she had been tracking disappears for a moment, only to reappear further out of town. The psionic, he is teleporting all over the place I can't get a hold on him, but he seems to be distracted by something or someone. Perhaps that is the reason for it. I must not dally too long here, but I must see whom my mistress is up against Sighing, the Shadow Walker melts deeper into the shadows, travelling quickly and fluidly through the darkest parts of the city as fast as she can go and taking only enough time to tread lightly energy-wise so that her trace cannot be picked up. Concentrating so hard on the psionic's energy path she almost runs into the large creature that sits in the shadows, almost as hidden as she is for its stillness. Swerving, Kitsa grunts and stops just past the large and malformed creature, What the? How did you escape from your realm? Interesting, I must inform my Queen about this when I return. "Have fun little one" she whispers before speeding off once more in the direction of the boundary of the city.

___

The arachnid hisses and raises itself up into a defensive stance, its spiny legs poised threateningly, sharp hook-like spikes fanning out along the hairy apendages. Its eerie green eyes flare and stay locked on the shadows until Kitsa leaves the area and it is sure that the disturber is gone, settling down only then to turn its attention back to its prey. So many to choose from, but this creature from the eerie planes of Silence could wait long enough to choose another wisely, the first was small and barely enough to even quench the spider's thirst and lay behind on the ground wrapped in silky white thread that was tinged with green - a dried husk that was once a mobian, a denizen of this city. Street trash that no one would miss, but a life nonetheless and not the first that this creature would claim.

____

CC smiles as the food is brought out to her and the pup, Pete setting the plates down in front of them before taking a seat and looking at the feline with eyes curious. "So, are you going to tell me?"

The cat looks down, her emerald green eyes clouding over for a moment and she ebsently puts a paw down to her leg that had been hurt, it seemed like so long ago but it really had not been all that long in the grand scheme of things. "I don't know Pete, I really do not think that you would believe me if I did tell you. I was telling the truth when I said that before." She picks up her fork and pushes the greasy food around on the plate a bit, eyes glancing over to the young pup who is digging into his meal, seemingly not paying attention, but ears lifted up slightly to show that he is paying attention.

"Well, something bad must have happened or you are not the same little kitten I thought you were, you aren't even touching your food and it is your favourite!"

CC blushes and smiles as she looks up at her old friend and takes a bite of the food, savouring the taste in her mouth before swallowing, it had been a long time since she had been allowed something so unhealthy, Amon being a fan of good and healthy food. "Well, I helped save the world from a great evil, discovering in the process hidden abilities that I never knew I posessed."

"You're pulling my leg kid... arent you?"

CC shakes her head slowly and takes another bite of the food in front of her.

"We're going to need more coffee."

[Lucian]

Paladin Twilight didn't have much of a response at first. But the slow lurching action of the barge setting off for the distant shore jogged the previous deathogs mind moving.

"Well, to start with, I am not the deathog ye once knew oh pirate driven lass. I am now a deizen of the light, in service to our Creator Aurora, bless her eternal soul.

It all started with a jaunt to Mobius Prime to keep a promise to one Shae the Bat for services rendered in Omega Mobius. His sacrafice in that zone could not be ignored so honor bound I went to the next realm where his soul dwelt and sought out the best way to assist him and thusly remove my onus to said bat. Apparently, Syntaru or Davy Jones as you know him, was on the move to be reincarnated into a physical form, thus freeing him from the Pit in an attempt to rule the realms as he once did in the Begining before his sister banished him to the Nether Realm.

My life long companion was destroyed and reincarnated as a follower of the darkness from wence he sprung so I swore an oath to see the Dark One sealed from that realm. This involved a bit of soul seeking of my own. I entered a special device crafted in the Chaos Realm, the home land of Aurora, and I was reborn in the form before you now. A Vanguard, a creature in the service of our Majesty Aurora the Goddess of Light. I became Paladin Twilight, the physical judicator of soul on the realm of the living. Father didn't take too kindly to this but with many of the gems that would allow Syntaru to be reborn into flesh already in his position it was not the power of Death that was sufficent to repel the Livign Darkness so I choose to follow it's mortal and ethreal enemey, the light.

After foregoing all my previous trappings a Reaper of Thanatos I fought the Dark One to a standstill amongst my fellow Warriors of Light. Souls I had interacted with previous incarnations of in other realms but for the first time in this one. In the end the Goddess was wounded and had to return to the Astral Stream where we, her warriors were left to fight on Faith alone. I know not how the other fighters faired but I delt a crippling blow to the Shadow Queen, Syntaru's chosen one, and we were both removed from the main combat until the end. It was at that moment that Shade redeemed his own existance and fought once more for the Light.

In the end, the Soul Gem that held Syntaru in the Realm of Mobius Prime was shattered and his essence scattered. Our own deity wounded and unaccounted for we await her rebirth from the Astral Stream with the Master Shae in charge of the Chaos Realm. I was promoted to Overseer of the Cosmos, taking the place of a fallen Vanguard, my duty to rearrange the stars to fulfill and predict prophesy. It was there that I was. . .influenced. . .by a certain immortal and thusly got me thinking about my own roots.

Which brings me to the now, I wished to return to here, the Land of the Dead and seek out my besmirched Father. I wish to explain to him my situation and reasoning for my intent was not to hurt him but to do what I felt was right. On my way here He made his will known to me by collapsing the Warp Tunnel I was traveling through and striping me of my Vanguard Powers. I am as any other soul now in the Realm of the Dead and must make my way to Thanatos Tower to question my surrogate Father on his action and to explain my own. And that is when you found me. . . ."

The vanguard was silent for a time, having finished his long story. Insects buzzed all around but none seemed to want anything to do with the sullen ex-reaper. For while he was different and subjugated to this realm's rules it also seemed as though it knew that he wasn't part of it naturally and thus kept their vampiric distance.

[CC]

It is a rare moment that the buxom pirate wench is quiet, but she is and continues to be so as she watches over what cannot truly pass for water as they glide towards the shore. She listens to his tale, the inflections and sound of his voice similar to what she knows, but there is a difference to it and not just in the words that he speaks. It almost does seem lighter, as if his choice to follow the Goddess Aurora has affected him through and through. When he stops she looks back at him, blue eyes searching his own red orbs, a quizzical look upon her face. Brushing back a stray strand of hair she grins and bows towards him in a slightly-mocking manner, "Well, Sir, what name do ye wish to be called now then if you have shaken off that which I have formerly known ye? Though I must admit that while ye have changed, ye still remain a part of the same ol' Syth that I once knew, but that may just be the way ye hold yerself"

She stops and looks back out over the sludge, watching carefully once more and waiting for his reply, for it was no good to continue a conversation if she did not know his proper name anymore. If she really did know him at all anymore.

____

The young racoon had thought that she would get a good start in the biz... she would work hard and sing harder. She was full of life and that special sort of energy that fills those who are fulfilling their life's dreams. It was too bad that the life and energy was now slowly and painfully sapped from her still writhing body as it fought to get out of the green silken threads that encased it. It was okay though, the spider liked to know that its victims were still alive, liked it when they fought against it. It made the energy, the life force, taste all the more sweet... still not fully satisfying as it knew its next prey would be, but it was getting closer, it could feel it, it could almost taste that strange energy and its mandibles dripped with the thought of what lay waiting for it not too far away.

[Tayuu]

Tayuu rubbed his maw with his paws and shook his head quickly to regain his senses.
He was obviously unhappy with getting slammed into the ground but he was grinning at the hedgehog all the same; “Heh, then let’s see how you cope with this next move then…”
Tayuu darted towards Amon but then stumbled and staggered to the side and few steps away, then he swayed back to the left, and then did a little spin, it looked as if the cat wasn’t going to attack at all. In fact it looked more like he was dancing… very badly.
If Amon were to be reading the cat’s mind right now he would realize that Tayuu was purposely doing each ‘move’ instantly without even planning ahead or thinking. It was like his head was empty. If Amon continued to read Tayuu’s mind, he may have been confused as to why the cat was now constantly thinking about watermelons and lucky sevens… bells, cherries… cherry, lemon, cherry, hold miss hold, cherry, seven, cherry…
Tayuu had made his way close to Amon and continued his own ‘wild’ and ‘non-thinking’ strategy. His sharp claws suddenly lunged out at Amon’s cheek, Tayuu’s body then started to turn, if Amon tried the same teleporting trick again, he was about to get a tail-whip and a foot in whatever body part got in the way.
Tayuu’s mind was blank, out of control and wild, although he probably wouldn’t be able to strike a strong hit like this (unless he got lucky), he had full confidence that he’d be able to strike and/or counter Amon for a while.
Lemon, watermelon, bells…

[Psychosis]

Amon stood, arms crossed staring disappointedly at the young and rather foolish feline in his vain attempt to confuse the telepath. It was almost funny, the thought that a psychic as advanced as the Templar of Time. He was enjoying the display, at first, and then he quickly grew tired. This pathetic attempt at distraction had gone on long enough. In what was only a passing second, Amon teleported to the left of the feline and created a false copy of himself on the right.

"So Tayuu, which of us is the real Amon?"

The two hedgehogs spoke in sync, creating a much better diversion and much stronger confusion than the frivolous attempts made by the cat. Yes, Amon was a master of deception, using his telepathic and telekenetic abilities to their fullest. To make things worse for his pupil, the two Amons began to run around him in a steady circle, perfectly in step with the other. There was only a fraction of a moment where the difference between the two could be seen, whether or not Tayuu would pick up on it remained to be seen. This would be an intense training session, with the just end of teaching his pupil to better trust his natural instincts and ability.

"Come on, don't just stand there thinking about slot machines, make your choice."

[Tayuu]

Tayuu was somewhat disappointed that his idea had failed as he sailed a foot space forward and clawed at thin air, this half turn to start a follow up attack also having to be cancelled as he found Amon was just that bit more out of reach than predicted. Although he had been impressed with his own ability to fight without ‘thinking’, he had underestimated this particular psychic.
Tayuu’s eyes widen slightly as the hedgehog reappeared along with an identical copy. What trick was this? An illusion into his own mind? A solid clone? He couldn’t tell. Tayuu didn’t reply, he just quickly took a step back and scanned them both with his eyes. He was sure that the hedgehog on the right appeared a split second after the other teleported to his left and so by his guess, the original had to be the one on his left.
Just as he was thinking this, the two started to run around him in a circle, his sight quickly locked onto the one who was on his left just earlier, Tayuu wanting to ‘keep his eye on the ball’ so to speak. Slot machines were indeed far from his mind right now, although the sudden though of a roulette wheel entered his head. Shrugging it off he grinned, it was a bit disorientating but Tayuu was still certain he had the correct target in sight. The cat took out and gripped one of his many standard throwing knives between his right thumb and index.
Tayuu knew now that Amon was several ‘levels’ above him, and so wasn’t concerned about accidentally harming him, even with a knife throw, the hedgehog would no doubt grab it or magic it away or something. The point was that Tayuu was going to ‘chose’ as well as show off one of his best abilities.
That’s when a further thought occurred; what if Amon knew he was thinking this and was able to ‘switch’ with the copy?
Tayuu tensed for a few seconds before taking a breath… then he closed his eyes.
The cat had an outstanding sense of hearing and was tracking the footsteps of the ‘real’ hedgehog and ignored the other. This was something normal to him; nighttimes raids, listening out for security guards and the like while on a thieving job. This would be easy, he could still track who he thought was the real target and throw the knife at the right time and angle to make it direct hit him if not deflected. To make sure he continued honing his senses, remembering something Amon had said… that’s when something abnormal came to him. Although his eyes were closed, it was like he could ‘see’ and ‘feel’ the two hedgehogs running around him, so much clearer than he was used to. One ‘shadow’ seemed brighter than the other, it’s footstep slightly louder, it’s movement against the air seemingly more disruptive.
Tayuu felt he was 100% certain now and opened his eyes just before throwing the knife directly forward just in time to hit the running Amon; “There!”