[Maverick Hunters Headquarters - Holding Cell]

Seikou is lying on the cot, staring at the ceiling blankly, although this is less the depressed blankness of the day before and mostly just -bored-.

Variance steps into the cell quietly, looking much better off than he did the last time he was in this particular room, but still retains an obvious worry. "How're you holding up?" A bold question, at least to him.

Seikou looks over at Variance and his eyes narrow. "Seikou's not available right now, Variance. Leave a message after the beep, ecetera ecetera. Also, might I state that you're really -stupid- for just walking in after what that lead to a few days ago?"

Variance immediately turns defensive, hunching his shoulders a bit and gaining a slightly annoyed scowl. "It's orders. Every six hours, someone's supposed to come in and check on the prisoners."

You say 'And if I had known -you- were around, I would have tried to protest.'

Seikou sighs and shakes his head. "Actually, by taking over, I technically saved Seikou's life. He was about to go all dramatic again and impale himself, and I couldn't have my host damaged..."

(A tiny little presence, quite unseen, sets itself down upon your left shoulder, miniature weight just barely noticeable.)

Variance crosses his arms. "You're just delaying the inevitable. He's already agreed to it, and it was going to happen eventally anyway. I think he was simply trying to cut through the middle-man." (No pun intended.)

Seikou shakes his head. "I won't allow it. Seikou is -mine-, and the blood of the humans that opress us will be spilled."

"You'll do no such thing." Variance's scowl pulls further into a full-on glare, amethyst eyes turning threateningly cold. "Not while I, or any of the others still draw breath. He -will- be set free."

Seikou grins and shakes his head. "So foolish... You think you can win him over with pretty words, but what really matters is data, and -I- control that..."

(The invisible spirit fidgets slightly, but remains completely silent otherwise, seemingly playing nothing more of a role than an unseen pair of eyes (and ears, perhaps?).)

You say 'That may be true... But he's still in there, and I've drawn him out of your grasp before, which means that there -must- be more to us than just code. Then again, I don't know why I'm explaining it to -you-, of all people.'

Seikou sighs and leans back again. "Keep trying, Variance. It's fun to watch you struggle."

Variance suddenly gains a cynical little mask of a smirk, shifting again. "You won't be watching me 'struggle' for much longer, which is a huge relief on my behalf. One less pair of prying eyes."

Seikou shrugs. "Whatever you say, Variance." He looks a little more serious now. "But... When you try to retire me, I will -not- go down without a fight..."

"I don't imagine you will." A brief flash of fluorescent light spans the back wall for a moment as Variance tightens his grip on his glaive to emphesize his coming point. "Which is why I'll be more than ready when the time comes."

Seikou grins maliciously. "I'll be looking forward to it, 'Vari-sama'."

Variance says nothing, though the out-of-turn use of the honorary name seems to quite obviously hit a nerve.

Seikou grins even further and closes his eyes...

(The hidden spirit seems to grow agitated, seemingly at Seikou(?)'s deliberate methods of antagonization, and fades out of existence entirely, leaving no trace it was ever there to begin with.)

Variance lets his glare linger for a second more before taking his leave of the chamber and the vile demon residing within...


[Free City, Truce - Fountain]

Omega is sitting on the edge of the fountain, staring into the sunsetting sky, seemingly thoughtful.

Variance immediately turns south, not even recognizing Omega's existance, or anyone else's. He doesn't know exactly why he's going south, except maybe for the quietness...

Omega blinks, and looks down from the sky. She gets up, and follows Variance. She still seems thoughtful.


[Guardia - A Dirt Road]

Omega runs up a little faster. "Hey. Captain Boring. How goes it?"

Variance slows to a stop, not really taking in his surroundings. Seikou... he used his -name- for him, damn his eyes! Almost instinctively, he grinds the end of his glaive into the ground, trying to vent his frustration by doing as such.

You say '...Fine. Just -fine-.'

Omega this seems to amuse Omega. "..Reallyl? You seem.. Bugged about something." She starts to circle, and leans down to look into Variances eyes. "Did another precious citizen get killed? Did you have an argument with your girlfriend? Or perhaps a battle left you wondering about your purpose in life?" She grins.. Unusually happily.

Variance digs his weapon in a little further, causing a few errant cracks to snake out from the point of impact as he tries to bite back the urge to scream his anger to the sky. "It doesn't concern you."

Omega grins. She loves this. "Nothing does. Doesn't keep me from doing something.. So.. Is it someone close to you, then? I figured you would be blaming me, if I happened to know about someone dying.. Hmm.. you don't strike me as the type to have a girlfriend."

Variance tries desperately to keep his rising rage to himself, even though Omega was NOT helping things. "...It's nothing like that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone."

Omega GRINS. "Nothing doing. Tell me whats the matter? I promise not to laugh.. or ridicule you for having the stupid emotions.."

Variance silently tightens his grip on his polearm, sending all twelve inches of its crystal blade fully into the ground. If one stares long enough, they could swear there's a fire burning in his eyes. "It said it's none of your concern, now -please- leave me be."

Omega blinks at Variance. Her grin dissapears, turning into a small smirk. "Or You'll arrest me?"

You say 'No, considering I have no reason to, but I would greatly appreciate it if I had some time to myself.'

Omega ponders this. "Im sorry. Im afraid I enjoy torturing you like this. It amuses me, and that has been rare today.. Burning and killing just doesn't have the same feel to it after the millionth time.."

Omega starts walking circles around Variance. "So.. You going to tell me what is wrong?"

Variance suddenly realizes that his weapon's buried in the ground and pulls it out with as much force as he used to... okay, let's not get into euphemism fodder. He's still quite ticked off. "I don't know why you keep coming to me like this, there's plenty of other people to annoy."

Omega blinks, and laughs. "Isn't it obvious? They die too easily. The presented no challange. I tore them in half when they started to bore me.. But You.. You are interesting.. and strong.. and vicious. You just need to realize that everything around us.

Omega says '...Is trash. Garbage.'

Variance lets out an exasperated sigh, taking a moment to compose himself. "Listen, as inaccurate and confounding as I find your little outlook on life, I really don't have the patience to deal with you right now."

You say 'So if you would so kindly go back to whatever bloodbath you stopped in order to circle around me, I'd be eternally grateful.'

Omega awws. "You really sound angry. You really do need to talk. Im sure I could listen... You're either going to have to talk to me, or chase me away. And If you don't have the patience to deal with me right now.. then..."

Variance lets loose with another completely conditioned response triggered by a subliminal signal from his higher processor; an eyetwitch. "I -really- don't want to hurt you unless absolutely necessary, but unfortunately..."

You say ''Absolutely necessary' is coming in about five seconds if you don't -leave me alone-.'

Omega grins, and hops back a few feet.. She looks around. "Do I need to help you along? I mean.. How aobut.. That?"

She is, of course, pointing at a small slime jiggling a few feet away. Seeing Omega point, it Burbles, and starts to hop away.. Omega opens her hand, and lets a bright light gather in the palm...

Variance looks over to the sight, still quite cross, idly predicting the outcome of Omega's casting in the back of his mind. ...She -did- have a point about talking about it, but to -her-? Yeah, sure. And then hell will drop ten more degrees.


Omega utters the words, 'Thunderstorm'.
Snaking down from above, streams of golden lightning strike the slime - electrocuting it!!!
The slime is DEFEATED!!
You hear the slime's death cry.

A tiny little tree-woman manifests physically into the air a small ways above Variance's shoulder, tiny tree-bark hands on her hips as she casts a small-yet-enormous green-eyed glare in Omega's direction, silently.

Omega looks over at the charred patch of ground where the slime used to be, her palm smoking. "...Interesting." She looks over at Variance.. and then the sprite. "...Hello.." She smiles.

Variance suddenly seems a little more calmed for one reason or another, but still remains quite aggravated. "I don't know what you think that did, but I can safely say it didn't work. Just -go-."

Omega Awws. "So you aren't going to fight me. And you arent going to talk to me.. I wonder what I have to do.." She eyes the sprite.. a little more than kindly.

The dryad remains silently hovering in the air, arms on her tiny hips, a small breeze blowing her leaf-comprised hair about. She indeed looks less than pleased, but just the same, remains silent, perhaps because she lacks a mouth.

A definite white aura suddenly surrounds Variance's person, much brighter than would indicate a normal Charge. His expression becomes deadly serious. "Don't even -think- about it."

Omega smiles.. then Grins.. and crouches down a little.. her empty hand in the air now, still giving off a gentle puff of smoke.. Her other hand holding her whip, dragging it idly about the ground.. She tsks..

Omega says 'You have too much care for life.. You need to realize that life is just a plauge on the planet...'

The dryad lowers down a short ways, planting herself solidly on Variance's shoulder, though she keeps a steady gaze upon Omega, apparently unfazed by Variance's emitting glow.

"Maybe life think -you- a plague on planet, too." The voice seems to come out of the very air itself, nowhere in specific, female in distinction.

Variance raises his silvered weapon defensively, retaining his collected energy for the moment. "Whoever told you that is either insane or so deep in their own depression that they blame it on the world. Either way, they're wrong."

Omega smiles. "It is something daddy taught me.. All life is worthless. Even mine... But as long as I destroy life, I have purpose to survive..for now.."

Variance seems to consider the statement for a moment, then gains a snide little smirk of his own. "And yet he was alive to tell you so. Makes 'daddy' something of a hypocrite, doesn't it?"

Omega nods. "I have thought about it, countless nights, after I remembered it. Ive also wondered why daddy doesn't talk to me anymore. I only remember when I become powerful.. And i only become powerful when i Kill..."

Omega grins. "So I kill. Not because it amuses me.. but because it helps me remember... remember something important.."

Without fanfare, a second, identical dryad pops into existence on Variance's other shoulder, situated in a symmetrical stance to her sister on the other side of Variance's face.

Variance stands a fraction straighter from his defensive stance, a look of slight befuddlement housing itself on his features. "But... there has to be another way for you to remember other than mindlessly killing everything you see."

You say 'Maybe you just haven't found it yet.'

Omega blinks.. and slowly stands up straight.... and she seems to tear up a little. She presses her open hand against her face.. and lets out a few stangled cries that could be possibly distinguished as crying..

Omega then starts chuckling.. and then laughing... "You never knew daddy.. How would you know anything? You're just as worthless as the rest.. as worthless as me.."

Omega she then brings her hand from her face, grinning, and Points it at Variance, her hand already glowing brightly as she releases the energy as an invisable explosion of gravity..

The once glaringly bright aura around Variance dissipates of its own accord, unfortunately for him, leaving him only the option of reflexively throwing another burst of mana into a shimmering sphere around himself, and consequently, around the Dryads.

The twin dryads throw up their arms in simultaneous unison just then, eliciting a large tendril to crawl out of the ground below Omega, attempting to grasp her ankles and do naught more than throw her off her balance.

They seem oblivious to the shield around them, seemingly agitated to the point of action, by this time.

Omega's crazed, wide eyes quickly snap down to the tendrils as she starts to lose her balance.. she aims straight down as her hand glows.. and she actually engulphs her own legs in a torrent of flame!

The earthen tendrils combust without much effort, the remains of them slinking back down into the earth from whence they came as the dryads on Variance's shoulders lower their tiny arms, replacing them at each hip, returning to their green-eyed glare.

Variance almost immediately forgets the strain from buffering the previous blow, focusing and chanting in the throes of another spell. Upon its completion, a small circle of ice shards forms around Omega's legs, melting as they try to ease the remaining flames.

Omega blinks as she falls onto her butt. She looks at Variance.. with a bit of confused amusement. "And what was that for?"

"You abuse power of mana. Why use Goddess's gift for anger, hate, antagonism? No have reason. We no understand logic." The female voice again echoes through the air, a single one, despite the two dryads still glaring at Omega.

Variance straightens from his braced posture, still looking mostly annoyed. "Because you set your legs on fire, and despite all you've said to prove as such, you're not Maverick yet."

The two dryads seem a little amazed at Variance's words, softening their stance just a little to both look up at Variance in a mixture of confusion and admiration.

Omega looks at Variance.. then looks around. "The Goddess? Gift? There is no Goddess. There is no God. there is ONLY Anger.. Hate.. and Antagonism.. Love.." She grunts, as she pushes herself up, uncoiling her whip in her hand...

Omega says 'Is an idea.. only shared by the weak.. for the weak..'

"We not claim, know lots about world. But logic give, who just land on backside? Not person who feel same way we do, that for sure." The voice is directed at Omega, despite the twin dryads still watching Variance's face.

You say 'Oh, I beg to differ. I may not have directly felt it myself, but I've seen love make people even stronger than they could have ever been otherwise. Only those who know nothing of it can truly say it's for the weak.'

Omega looks at the Dryads, and snorts. "Then why bother caring? I dont care about you.. You're just the same as anything else that lives and breathes.." and then she narrows her gaze on Variance...

Omega says 'You've never felt it yourself? Then don't mention it. Its another emotion that will get in the way of the battle.. Someday you'll fight me with intention to kill me...'

The dryads remain silent, both of them exchanging their gazes from Variance to Omega, their angry glare transforming into a sort of sympathetic, pitious glance.

Variance regains his glare, though not as intense as it was previously. "Believe what you will." He then approaches Omega with the intent of passing her on his way back towards Truce...

The dryads waver slightly as Variance suddenly picks up movement, before simultaneously moving to squat down on both shoulders and enjoy the ride, without even looking back in Omega's direction.

Omega blinks.. and growls.. Letting variance just barely pass her, before raising her hand clutching the whip. "How dare you look at me like that!? How DARE you?!" She swings it at Variance's back..

Variance turns slightly to the right, just enough to raise his hand and catch the end of the whip before it collides with his involuntarily raised Manashield(and thus drain him further of his ability to remain conscious).

You say 'If I were anyone else, you'd be dead. I suggest you don't strike Hunters from behind.'

Of course, the dryads are instantly on their wooden feet at the inclination of further conflict, turning to look in disbelief at Omega's backstabbing retaliation.

Omega aaargsss, and brings up her free hand, charging the energy till it's shining white.. "I suggest you don't take me lightly.. And stop treating me like This.."

The dryads suddenly leap from Variance's shoulder without so much as a sound, each one gliding swiftly through the air and towards the focal point of Omega's energy at her hand, eliciting a small detonation of their own to counter the rising energy, both their tiny forms bursting into small green balls of flaming light, but doing not much else other than probably giving Omega's hand a nice burn.

Variance pauses in the middle of his bracing, shock immediately overruling anything else that might have been residing on his face at the moment the dryads fly into the gathering energy...

"Not know when give up! Goddess only forgive so much!" The female voice comes out as a sort of shriek, angry and piercing.

Omega flinches.. and her hand loses the control of its energy, letting it all go.. in a harmless kind of way.. a massive 'gravity ball', shoving Omega backwards, with or without her whip, depending on Variances grip on it...

The twin dryads veer backwards in the air from both the force of their own impact, and the ensuing gravitic energy, coming to a screeching halt in the air just above Variance's shoulders, oddly where they started to begin with.

Variance releases the end of Omega's whip, throwing both hands in front of him as more of a focus than anything more useful. His barrier flashes brightly and he visibly winces as the ball makes contact, the sheer force of it pushing him back several feet...

The dryads kind of merely hover there, watching Omega witha discerning sort of gaze. "We know hurt, no want anyone. Goddess not mean, mana power not meant for hurt." The voice sounds saddened, as if what the dryads just did was some kind of sin, in its own right.

Omega comes to a skidding halt, visibly tearing up the ground.. coming to a halt infront of a slime that wandered into the area.. She stares at it, opening her eyes... she reaches a hand out to it, then pulls it back..and frowns darkly..

Omega says '.. Why? Why do you try to help each other? It's all futile.. everything is worthless trash.. Nobody ever helped me.. And who cares about your goddess!? I dont! And if you think you can stop me without hurting me...'

The dryads look between each other, then up at Variance, and finally back at Omega, placing their tiny hands together in unisoned clasping.

Variance stands straight again, brow still furrowed in annoyance. "We help each other because there's already enough hate to worry about in this world! Some people actually -like- being nice to others, some even doing so with no expectance of gratitude..."

You say 'And thankfully, I'm the far latter, because if I wasn't, I assure you that you'd be dead by now!'

"Mana power give grace, kindness to world. All power come from Goddess's blessing. If we no care, why we try stop you, and no hurt? We know heart, even if you not know. Heart, mana power flow. All infinite. No bounds!"

"Why you no can understand? We show you now, twice, mana power keep safe, happy. But still not believe us? How else we show you?"

Omega frowns.. not looking at Variance or the Dryads. She raises a hand.. and SLAMS it against the ground... Her response obviously for the Dryads...

Omega says 'Tell me.. How many others use the 'goddesses' power for evil? For un kindness? How many others HURT? How many KILL, with the power!? Do you think you can stop them all? Stop them without hurt?'

The dryads shake their leaf-covered heads, landing lightly on either of Variance's shoulders.

"We sorry, no can understand dryads' point of view. Goddess's will, kind and cruel; ultimate balance in world, flow of mana determine life, death, good, evil. Not all pure, good, not all bad, dark. Just like heart. Dark/light."

Omega listens to the dryads.. then responds to what Variance said "What keeps you from killing me? You know i'll kill again. It is what I was taught. It is what daddy wants me to do.. Killing will purify all beings.."

"The dryads have a point." Variance's tone comes somewhat lower, tinged with regret. "We'll never be able to stop all of those who desire to harm others, because of that same balance. It sounds horrible, believe me, but once you think about it, it makes some amount of sense."

"We no can stop all bad deeds. If kill, then kill. If not, then not. But we know values, mean much to dryads, all mana elementals. We everywhere, but not always everywhere. Goddess make final decision, just keep balance intact."

You say 'And what keeps me from killing you is exactly what I just said. There's a balance imposed here, a balance that cannot be corrupted or changed. I learned that the hard way... I know I can't kill you, but I also know I can't allow you to kill everyone else.

Omega says '...Dont you get it? Anyone.. Anything could be evil. If it wanted to. if it NEEDED to. Evil is what harms.. evil is what destroys.. evil makes hurt.. Evil causes anguish.. Therefore...'

Omega pushes herself up.. "I have to destroy everything. Evil took daddy away. Evil will take other daddies away. Dont you SEE!? there is no BALANCE.. there is good.. and there is evil. And as long as there is life.. good.. there will be evil.."

"Bad reploid obviously never meet shades. Think all mana good, pure, want save world? Not truth. What mean balance! Some thing bad, evil, but we know, some things not bad, no evil. Balance, balance! You just repeat what we say!

The dryads suddenly burst into a puff of green light accompanied with blades of grass, before one of the returns, perched atop Variance's head, watching Omega. "We not value death, hurt, pain. But we understand, way life works."

Omega looks back over at the Dryads, getting up. "So.. being 'bad'.. I dont see shades.. but what about him, Hmm?" She points at Variance. "Because he is 'good', he is allowed to see something I cant?"

Omega says 'And even more.. How is he allowed to kill, and still be good? What makes him so different?'

Variance doesn't seem to mind the little elemental on his head, maintaining his convicted air. "It's not because I'm 'good', it's because I have an open enough mind to listen to the flow of Mana."

You say 'And I only kill because I'm ordered to. And even then, it's a last resort.'

The dryad settles herself down a little ways, almost in a kneeling sort of position atop Variance's head. "Killing, doing bad in world, not same as abusing power of Mana. Vari-reploid understand balance, flow of Mana understanding.

Omega hmmphs. She picks up her whip, and coils it. "..." she doesnt seem as angry or engraged. Rather curious, is more like it. "So. What about this Vice? Dont you WANT to destroy them? But cant because of orders.."

Variance reflexively tightens his grip on his glaive again at the mention of the very reploid who turned him into a Hunter. "Of course I want to, especially for everything he's done to Seikou and the Cleft in general..."

You say 'Vice needs to be eliminated as soon as possible, though I'm sure that's happening even as we speak.'

Omega raises an eyebrow. "Why? What did he do to this 'seikou'? Did he kill him? Is that why you were being so.. mopey?"

The dryad winces visibly at the mention of Seikou's name, casting a glance back in Truce's direction, but she doesn't say anything further, her already-enormous green eyes saying enough by themselves.

Variance averts his gaze, looking a bit defeated at finally getting the information Omega wanted grilled out of him. "...If it wasn't for him... if Vice hadn't urged the Virus onward, Seikou never would have gone fully Maverick like this..."

You say 'He used the -name-, damn him...'

Omega blinks.. and smirks. "I see. So, you would Hate this vice then.. Understandable, I guess.. Does this mean you're going to destroy Seikou also? After all.. If he is 'maverick', isnt it your duty to terminate?"

"No!" The voice emits a piercing sort of shriek at the notation of Seikou's destruction, at the dryad makes a motion of covering the mouth she doesn't have, as if the word had escaped her before she'd realized it.

Variance sinks further into his already furthering despair, almost dropping his weapon as his arms hang helplessly at his sides. "...He's already been marked for deactiviation. It's only a matter of time now."

Omega ... takes pleasure in this. Guilty pleasure? No. She doesn't know guilty. "...And this will.. Keep the balance, No? So it is the right thing to do.. After all. If he was released, he would kill.. Maybe even more than I would.."

Omega lets a mild chuckle emit forth. "Its good to know that the balance of good and evil always works in the end."

The dryad looks relatively frantic, still knelt amidst Variance's hair. "Aura! Vari-reploid, Aura know? How react?"

The words 'he already has' die off before they can be voiced, replaced by a moment of stunned silence on Variance's behalf. "...I know." He looks even more guilty now, the painfully accurate predictions of her reaction flitting through his mind.

The Dryad leaps to her feet suddenly, planted firmly atop Variance's head. "Not done, yet. We no think all run out of options! Aura leave soon, but not before..!" She suddenly disappears in a burst of green light and grass blades

Omega ponders this.. "...Aura.. Is she.. from the.." she cant seem to remember "..Hmm. Is she close to this 'Seikou'? Doesn't she understand that it has to be done?" Is she overstepping her boundries? Most likely. Does she care? Most likely not.

Variance suddenly looks up, scowling furiously. "That's not for you to know."

Omega smiles. "Oh... But you've already said so much.. Whats a little more?" She chuckles.

Variance growls ever so faintly, not looking in the least bit pleased. "I've said more than my share and answered your first question. You don't need more than that."

Omega grins. "Are you going to get rid of me, then? Or are you going to let me go, and kill, and destroy? You never know what could happen.."

"Given everything I've heard from that incessantly irritating mouth of yours, I should off you right here," Again, Variance sounds deeply angered, though he's obviously trying to seem professional about it.

You say 'But you're not on file yet, and once you are, believe me -- you're next.'

Variance turns to walk off north again, as he had meant to before the fight broke out(as pitiful as it was)...

Omega grins.. "Oh.. I can't wait.. But I suppose this just gives me more time to think.. I would have liked to meet Vice or Seikou.. They sound like they could have been useful, had thier deadly power been correctly placed.."

Variance continues walking, keeping his back to Omega in order to keep his sudden spike of conviction unknown to her. Just like him... She's just like him, using others to further her own purposes...

Omega just watches Variance leave.