03-22-2009, 03:24 AM
“Figured it would come to this,” Ares mumbled to himself as he turned the next corner. He started out this little turn of events with company to the tune of three people—now, by one mean or another, he was alone. For all he knew, the others had already been killed. Zena already got shot, Juno was skilled but unstable, and Sophia…Ares chuckled. Sophia seemed to be just a normal, scared little girl. Running into the dark like that surely made tipped the odds against her favor. Taking a deep breath, he took a hard step to the right and hid in a corner for a little bit.
Sophia’s misty eyes made it difficult for her to see her way around cave. She knew that she couldn’t afford to have any mental or emotional breakdown at this point, but she couldn’t help it—she had never taken a life before Friend or Foe, and within the span of about an hour or so, the priestess had already caused, albeit indirectly, the deaths of two soldiers. She blinked hard and fought past the tears as she ran, however; she couldn’t allow such events to get the best of her. Their deaths would have been for nothing.
As she cleared the entrance of another path, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye that neared made her jump out of her skin. With a rather loud gasp, she clenched her fist and sent it flying towards the foreign object. Sophia didn’t notice that the said object was in fact Ares until it was already too late—luckily, the tailed man had the presence of mind to duck out of the way. Her fist sailed over his head and crashed into and through the rocky wall. Ares winced as he raised his hands to get her attention.
“Woah! It’s me, Sophia, it’s me!” he waved his hands wildly. “Put that hammer down, alright?”
“Oh, it’s you,” the priestess sighed. “Don’t do that to me.”
Ares looked back up at the wall. “Don’t do that to me.”
“What?” she frowned, but then took a peak at what he was looking at. She blushed. “Oh, I…I’m sorry.”
“For people trying to hide, you guys are pretty easy to find.”
The pair turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. It was Juno, standing beside the blonde-haired girl that had shouted for them to leave her alone just moments before. His countenance was significantly…brighter than it was before, which gave the priestess a rather odd feeling, like a chill. The girl standing beside him looked more depressed, which was a natural reaction, given the circumstances.
“Juno, you’re…” Sophia noticed the difference in the tailed boy immediately.
“Yeah, you’re not batshit crazy anymore,” Ares blurted out suddenly.
“Yeah…” Juno responded airily, pointing a thumb back at the blonde. “I found this chick a ways back. Apparently she’s running, too.”
“Wh—what are you talking about? It’s me,” she spoke up finally. “Zena.”
Ares frowned and leaned in to whisper to Sophia. “That’s…not Zena.”
“I know that. I have eyes, too,” Sophia rolled her eyes. She shook her head—it honestly didn’t matter who this girl was. Whether or not she was Zena was irrelevant; whether or not she was trying to kill them, however, was a different story. Since she seemed harmless enough, she shrugged it off. “Well, no matter. We should probably try to find the exit. Running around these caves constantly isn’t going to help us.”
“Agreed,” Juno nodded, flashing a smile at the priestess. “Let’s go then, shall we?”
They all nodded in unison and turned heel. As Ares and “Zena” ran on ahead, Sophia consciously stayed behind and ran alongside Juno. For the longest time, no words were expressed between them as they ran along the curves, avoiding the places in which they heard the echoes of footsteps. Had Juno forgiven her, just out of the blue? Was he secretly plotting her death? Had he officially gone insane? His smile made it difficult for Sophia to read him even a little bit.
“Juno…” Sophia began. “I’m…sorry.”
“Yeah…” he sighed. “I know.”
They stopped, and suddenly Sophia was at a loss for words. She stumbled along as she found them, “Look…I know what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry. Really, I am. I know it’s selfish for me to play the victim when you were the one chained up, but…you have to understand my side of things. I needed that money, and…”
“…Sophia.”
“…and I let my desperation cloud my judgment. You have to believe me when I tell you that I never intended for you to get--…”
“Sophia!” She looked up to see his smile. He continued with a laugh, “It’s okay. Really.”
“…I don’t understand.” What an odd thing for her to say! She wanted to cringe, but she managed to avoid it.
“Yeah, it’s okay,” he nodded. “Look, Soph, we’re all just looking for answers. I think I might have finally found mine.”
Sophia looked down, hard-pressed to find something—anything—to say in response to that rather cryptic comment. Both of their focuses were broken, however, by Ares when he cleared his throat. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“You’re not,” Sophia and Juno spoke in unison.
“Then hurry the fuck up.”
Sophia’s misty eyes made it difficult for her to see her way around cave. She knew that she couldn’t afford to have any mental or emotional breakdown at this point, but she couldn’t help it—she had never taken a life before Friend or Foe, and within the span of about an hour or so, the priestess had already caused, albeit indirectly, the deaths of two soldiers. She blinked hard and fought past the tears as she ran, however; she couldn’t allow such events to get the best of her. Their deaths would have been for nothing.
As she cleared the entrance of another path, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye that neared made her jump out of her skin. With a rather loud gasp, she clenched her fist and sent it flying towards the foreign object. Sophia didn’t notice that the said object was in fact Ares until it was already too late—luckily, the tailed man had the presence of mind to duck out of the way. Her fist sailed over his head and crashed into and through the rocky wall. Ares winced as he raised his hands to get her attention.
“Woah! It’s me, Sophia, it’s me!” he waved his hands wildly. “Put that hammer down, alright?”
“Oh, it’s you,” the priestess sighed. “Don’t do that to me.”
Ares looked back up at the wall. “Don’t do that to me.”
“What?” she frowned, but then took a peak at what he was looking at. She blushed. “Oh, I…I’m sorry.”
“For people trying to hide, you guys are pretty easy to find.”
The pair turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. It was Juno, standing beside the blonde-haired girl that had shouted for them to leave her alone just moments before. His countenance was significantly…brighter than it was before, which gave the priestess a rather odd feeling, like a chill. The girl standing beside him looked more depressed, which was a natural reaction, given the circumstances.
“Juno, you’re…” Sophia noticed the difference in the tailed boy immediately.
“Yeah, you’re not batshit crazy anymore,” Ares blurted out suddenly.
“Yeah…” Juno responded airily, pointing a thumb back at the blonde. “I found this chick a ways back. Apparently she’s running, too.”
“Wh—what are you talking about? It’s me,” she spoke up finally. “Zena.”
Ares frowned and leaned in to whisper to Sophia. “That’s…not Zena.”
“I know that. I have eyes, too,” Sophia rolled her eyes. She shook her head—it honestly didn’t matter who this girl was. Whether or not she was Zena was irrelevant; whether or not she was trying to kill them, however, was a different story. Since she seemed harmless enough, she shrugged it off. “Well, no matter. We should probably try to find the exit. Running around these caves constantly isn’t going to help us.”
“Agreed,” Juno nodded, flashing a smile at the priestess. “Let’s go then, shall we?”
They all nodded in unison and turned heel. As Ares and “Zena” ran on ahead, Sophia consciously stayed behind and ran alongside Juno. For the longest time, no words were expressed between them as they ran along the curves, avoiding the places in which they heard the echoes of footsteps. Had Juno forgiven her, just out of the blue? Was he secretly plotting her death? Had he officially gone insane? His smile made it difficult for Sophia to read him even a little bit.
“Juno…” Sophia began. “I’m…sorry.”
“Yeah…” he sighed. “I know.”
They stopped, and suddenly Sophia was at a loss for words. She stumbled along as she found them, “Look…I know what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry. Really, I am. I know it’s selfish for me to play the victim when you were the one chained up, but…you have to understand my side of things. I needed that money, and…”
“…Sophia.”
“…and I let my desperation cloud my judgment. You have to believe me when I tell you that I never intended for you to get--…”
“Sophia!” She looked up to see his smile. He continued with a laugh, “It’s okay. Really.”
“…I don’t understand.” What an odd thing for her to say! She wanted to cringe, but she managed to avoid it.
“Yeah, it’s okay,” he nodded. “Look, Soph, we’re all just looking for answers. I think I might have finally found mine.”
Sophia looked down, hard-pressed to find something—anything—to say in response to that rather cryptic comment. Both of their focuses were broken, however, by Ares when he cleared his throat. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“You’re not,” Sophia and Juno spoke in unison.
“Then hurry the fuck up.”