(no subject)

[tis_allgood]

Who| Cuthbert and Kain, Cuthbert and Marius, Cuthbert and YOU
What| Violence, violence and possibly violence
Where| Mostly fourth floor
When| Week 4
Warnings/Notes| Violence!


Cuthbert stalked on his own looking for fresh prey. He hadn't been in a good mood for a bit, hunger and a lack of anything productive to do had started to get to him. He was just full of the impotent anger of youth and stress all rolled up into six feet of Gunslinger minus the gun. It won't take much to get him riled up and by the time he ran across Kain he was already itching for some action.



After his run in with Kain earlier, Cuthbert was less in the mood for action, but still more aware of his surroundings than he really wanted to be. This time the edge was more of the short fused sort and he was jumping at shadows. He had stopped to catch his breath and his bearings in the dark shadowy corners of one of the halls and that was where he caught sight of Marius.

He had seen the other man in passing, but didn't know his name or anything more about him. Still, after a round of fighting that accomplished little and may have cost him energy and tactical advantage, Cuthbert was eager to make up for it. He waited until he could control the quick beating of his heart and snuck closer. If he wasn't careful, however, the glint from the edge of his knife would catch one of the display lights and he would be a lot less stealthy than he thought.



Everywhere Cuthbert went (with or without his two sidekicks) he moved carefully and quietly. He had died so badly in the last arena and he swore to himself he wouldn't let the same thing happen again. More than wanting to hunt down and kill everything in his path, Cuthbert was attempting to gather information and maybe scare a few people away from their supplies.

This was primarily accomplished by getting as close as he could and shining his flashlight into their eyes before running toward them and attempting to knock the wind out of them. It might not be the most successful strategy he'd ever come up with.

Comments

[dragoon_pride]

The change had been disturbingly fast, after using that mask. All of that repressed anger, that darkness that he held inside him, suddenly became too loud to ignore. Kain had desperately tried to remove the mask, to pretty horrific results, a lot of pain, and some scars where it had stubbornly refused to come off. What a price to pay, for having a restoration of his powers for a brief time. He wanted more, but he also didn't know if he could take it.

As it was, the whole experience left him emotionally unstable. While before, he'd been holding back, only fighting in defense, now he was very much on the prowl, looking to satisfy those impulses to fight. It didn't take long before he heard someone approaching, not too far off. While he'd have liked to grab another mask to bring on his powers again, there didn't seem to be time. Nor was it ideal, fighting indoors like this with the spear he'd grabbed from one of the displays. He'd have to make do.

"About time I had a challenge." He didn't care who the other person was at this point, which district they were fighting for, he just needed to let out this building rage. In some ways, he was still unsettled by giving up so much control to this darker side. But as he settled into an attacking stance, he was more than ready to give in.

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert sized up his opponent quickly. He didn't seem to be anything to really be afraid of, and while Bert wasn't all that familiar with him (he couldn't even recall this stranger's name) but what mattered was he wanted the same thing Cuthbert did right then. Which was to cause trouble and FIGHT. As soon as he heard Kain speak he sped toward him, flashlight in one hand and the other held wide to balance him.

Bert went into this fight with less intent to kill than he usually had, but he would take any advantage he could.

[dragoon_pride]

Kain wasn't too familiar with him either, which at least made this battle far easier to manage. Sometimes, when he got in this state of mind, he ended up... reverting, a little, to that person he hated most. The one who would backstab a friend as easily as an enemy. But right now, he could just fight and unleash this aggression without a second thought.

He lashed out with his spear in a swift, steady thrust as Bert came at him.

[tis_allgood]

Bert had more than enough experience dodging jabs, but he was lacking in a longer ranged weapon of his own so he has to stick to dodging and weaving for now. Occasionally he would strike out with his flashlight, aiming for his shoulders and lower. He wanted to deal a good bracing body blow so even if they both walked away from it this stranger would remember him.

But to get that close, Bert had to take a few hits of his own.

[dragoon_pride]

Perhaps at the very beginning of this, in his best condition, Kain would have been able to better dodge those blows, but the weeks in the arena had taken their toll. So unfortunately for him, at least a couple of the strikes hit- one to his shoulder, another lower one to his ribs, both hard enough to bruise. He moaned and took in a sharp breath at that lower hit, forcing himself to keep fighting through the pain. It wouldn't be the first time he'd fought wounded.

He kept up his repeat stabbing, moving the spear in various motions, jabbing, thrusting, sweeping widely with it, grunting in pain when he aggravated that shoulder. What he lacked in stamina at the moment, he would try to make up with skill: this was a weapon he was clearly used to using. Who knew how long he could keep this up?

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert didn't have the kind of energy he thought he did either. The blows were getting fewer and further between with more and more panting thrown in. He was taking more hits than he wanted and starting to retreat more between flurries of activity.

If he wanted to walk away from this Bert would have to stop soon, or find something to distract Kain long enough for him to get away.

[dragoon_pride]

It wasn't looking too good on Kain's side, either. If he kept this up... if he kept this up too long, it was possible he wouldn't make it. It was also possible he would defeat his opponent, instead, and walk away from this.

He tried again to make another hit, but found himself gasping in pain soon after, stumbling back a bit as he tried to gather his strength. So much for assuming this might be an easy fight.

[tis_allgood]

Normally Bert would have taken the advantage of his opponent backing off to finish him, but he was too tired now to make a clean kill and he was worried he would end up too hurt in the process to go on.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. What say you we call this a draw?"

[dragoon_pride]

Kain is in a very similar situation, and as much as he's still fighting the urge to keep going, to fight and stab and destroy... he just can't, at the moment. He needs to gather his strength and remember his overall plan: just survive. He doesn't want this to be the end. Not yet, if he can help it.

"I'd be willing to do that... this time."

[sleeplessinalternia]

"So," Karkat says one night while the two of them stand guard while Susannah takes her turn sleeping. "Is she your lusus?" He jabs a thumb in the direction of the lady he's referring to.

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert raises an eyebrow at Karkat.

"You mean, is she a monster who I have to take care of even as she takes care of me? I don't know if I would put it that way."

He really hoped Susannah was sleeping through this conversation, it was probably going to get worse before it got better.

[sleeplessinalternia]

"I meant--" Karkat sighs and rubs his forehead with his good hand. No. He's not going to avoid the subject with inanities, he's going to troll up and just tell Bert about what happened with Kankri. Before either of them die and he finds out the hard way. "Never mind that. Look," Karkat says, "I need... I need to tell you about something. And before I tell you, you need to know that I didn't ask for it to happen."

[tis_allgood]

"Did your bug testicles finally descend?" Bert knew Karkat wouldn't know what it meant, but it felt good to say anyway. "Or is this more unnecessary information about you obtaining someone's useless rubbery circles?"

[sleeplessinalternia]

Karkat makes a face. "What the fuck's a testicle? And... fine, it sort of is, but only tangentially, because it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't mugged that kid." Shit. How does he say this. Maybe he should just say it. "Kankri kissed me. Like, hatekissed me. We were yelling at each other. But I pushed him away!" he adds hurriedly.

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert raises an eyebrow at Karkat and this new information.

"So you're telling me I have a rival for your hatred? And he's someone with whom I could not ever hope to compete? That certainly brightens this arena! I'm so glad you couldn't have kept this to yourself until we returned."

Bert is mostly mad that this conversation has to be broadcast to everyone in the Capitol. He looks like a fool, and it makes him look weak, at least by his standards. Not to mention it makes him jealous, he never would have though Kankri was the type. Bert really just wants to try and get out of the Arena alive, but he knows that they won't be able to do anything until Karkat gets this out of his system.

[sleeplessinalternia]

"No!" Karkat says. "I mean, fuck, I don't know! I had no idea he was pitch for me until he grabbed me by the shirt and started kissing me! And maybe I didn't want you to have to find out from the fucking television, all right? You know how they love stupid relationship drama! They'll be airing replays of it until the next arena! I just-- fuck, Bert, despite everything you're my best fucking friend and maybe I didn't want them to shove that shit in your face unprepared."

Fuck, this is terrible. Why did he think this was a good plan?

[tis_allgood]

"Fine, since we simply must talk about this now. You said he kissed thee, but made no mention to whether or not you liked it. Mayhap you're as pitch for him as he is for thee. If you're my closest friend, then you can tell me that much."

He's trying to not be too harsh with Karkat, he's beating himself up quite a bit as it is. But this isn't the most welcome news, and it's not being delivered at the most welcome time.

[saisamour]

As he trudged along the grounds of the fourth floor, Marius winced at the constant ache in his side where Pruna had stabbed him several days ago. He pressed a hand against the wound, fixed with bandages under his Shiba pyjamas, and even that small movement caused a sharp pain to shoot up his shoulder.

He failed to stifle the anguished groan that left him, which only caused him more distress in turn. During the past Arenas he had been favored to die shortly after an attack, or a fatal dose of poison. Now, however, it seemed as if the Moirai had planned for him to die by infection, to rot slowly into temporary oblivion.

The crowbar hung loosely in his other hand as he scanned the area, a horizontal blood stain visible on the bandage around his head. His breathing was a quick and shallow, his body breaking into a cold sweat. The dizziness he felt caused him more than a little alertness; he would not have noticed the heavy sound of footsteps on the marble floor, much less someone stealthily following him from behind.

Nonetheless, he stopped for a while, standing in one of the brighter spots of the floor, and listened, eager to display that he was still useful, that he could still protect his wife and his friends.

[tis_allgood]

When his prey stopped in the light Cuthbert stopped to. He held back, far enough that he hoped he wouldn't be seen, even if the odds of that seemed slim. Whoever this man was, he wasn't in a good way. All the easier to kill, Bert told himself. This would definitely be a good moment for redemption. But being in three previous arenas had left him wary of striking blindly.

"Step into the light, friend, your end has come."

If Marius was more aware than he looked, better to find out now than when they were face to face.

[saisamour]

Marius gasped and whirled around, the grip on his crowbar tightening. His vision blurred and his head spun at the sudden movement, but he could still vaguely pinpoint the origin of the voice.

He took a shaky step back and raised his weapon in front of him with both hands. "I-I do not wish to fight you."

There was a tremble in his voice, mostly from weakness. But he held his ground, nonetheless, considering whether to lead the man away from the camp or to draw him in there, at the risk of exposing Cosette and the location of their hide-away but also where Courfeyrac could assist him.

If Courfeyrac was even there, of course.

[tis_allgood]

The tremble was juts what Bert was hoping to hear, or at least, it was a good sign. This man was easy prey.

"You're damn right you don't. This isn't a fight you can win."

Bert contemplated how best to attack Marius. He was still wary that his prey wasn't trying to flee, because chasing him down and stabbing him would be a good way to end this. He turned his knife over several times in his hand and finally decided he should get this over with. He stepped closer, revealing himself.

"You brought a staff to a knife fight, friend. Terrible way to die, that."

[saisamour]

Marius's tired eyes lingered briefly on the man's face—someone he had seen once or twice, likely, but had never spoken to—then drifted down to the knife in his hand. His grip on the crowbar instantly tightened, his knuckles growing white.

So this was it. This man was to be his death. He minded it little, even if he wished the Fates had given him a day longer to protect his beloved.

Still, he was ready, as he had always been ever since he had decided to join the barricades at Paris. Wordlessly, he took a step back, in the opposite direction of the camp. He raised his eyes to the man with a challenge in them. His shoulders tensed, ready for the attack that would come.

[tis_allgood]

"Very well. At least you'll die on your feet."

Cuthbert had enough of teasing his new prey. If this stranger was prepared to die, then Bert would happily oblige. He started forward, quick and sure of himself, lashing out with his knife. All he could do was hope to be enough stabbing this stranger in the shoulder before he got hit with the crowbar. If he was lucky enough he could disable this man without any kind of head trauma.

[saisamour]

Marius kept his stance until the knife stabbed through his shoulder. A short cry of pain escaped him, but all he did was stagger back several feet more.

It was only then that it occurred to him to fight back; it might become too obvious that he was protecting the location of the camp if he refused to dodge, or at least put up some pretension of fighting back.

He transferred the crowbar to one hand. The wound in his side burned at the movement, but he ignored it as he swung the weapon at Cuthbert's arm, wildly, neither caring if it hit his opponent at all, nor that it left himself open for a counter-attack.

[tis_allgood]

Bert could see the hit coming, it was obvious enough, but he couldn't get out of the way fast enough despite knowing what he was in for. The block wasn't enough to do anything but spread out the eventual bruise he would get from being hit.

With one huge effort he pulled his knife free from Marius's shoulder and staggered back a couple of steps.

"You've more fight in you than I expected. You're going to make me look back."