[FIN] Death and Discovery

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri grit his teeth in a grimace as the teeth bit down on his arm. It hurt yeah, but not quite as much as he was expecting. As his sword clashed with the Absol's headgear, he prepared to take further action until the Pokemon was knocked away by Link.

Repede meanwhile, blinked in slight surprise as one of the Zorua changed it's appearance to that of Yuri. However, he indeed was not fooled, and merely growled at his partner's imposter. However, the taunting from the retreating figure quickly got Repede's attention and the Growlithe gave chase. This time breathing out a blast of flame in a fire wheel.

Link then found himself attached from behind, the Arcanine grimacing as he was struck with the Faint Attack. Quickly he wheeled around, snapping his fangs at his attacker with licks of flame between his teeth, Fire Fang.

However, the flurry of activity from the Pokemon left Yuri open and Izaya would find a blade aimed at his throat. "I killed the gang members," he stated coldly. "Luke and the other trainers had nothing to do with it." And from the look in his eyes, Yuri had no problems with ending Izaya either.  

[Suudonym]

Seeing Izaya fallen, Luke advanced towards him, Tartarus and Leste taking up posts at their trainer's side as he raised a foot to press into his enemy's abdomen. Frigid contempt darkened his usually quiet and passive features as he half listened to Yuri's words, half acknowledged the swordsman's presence. "Don't think for a second that means I'm too weak to carry out my word."  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

With the substitute from the Taunt attack tossed at Repede, it burned up in the Flame Wheel, which singed Aoba as he fell over and reverted back to his true form, keeping as close to the ground as he could to minimize the damage.

Riviere wasn't as lucky. Aoba started as he heard the darker Zorua cry out, his illusion also fading as he squirmed in agony.

Delic, distressed at all that had happened, had been causing an Uproar for real. When he saw the two other humans close in on his, he hurried his squat little body over and tried to shove Luke's foot off his friend. That was no way to treat a person on the ground. Weren't you supposed to help them up?

"Chingling ching!" he complained loudly to Yuri and Luke, attempting to swat the former's blade away. There wasn't much success with his stubby little arms, but his intentions were clear enough.

"Hehehe...silly Delic," the informant mused, returning the reluctant little pokemon to his Love ball. "Your work is done." It still surprised him how loyal the little psychic-type was, even though he paid it no more special attention than he did his other pokemon.

"Alright," he told Yuri. "Assuming I believe that, you know as well as I do that that doesn't mean Luke hasn't ever killed anyone before then. I remember the sword he carried when I first saw him, after all. Funny how I stopped seeing it after those rumors of someone being killed in a warehouse started circulating."

He turned his keen smile on Luke, eyes narrowed. "Weakness? Didn't I just say you've got the kind of guts that I've never had? I'm not that evil a person, you know. There are Rockets with cleaner slates than either of you. In fact, I think the majority don't spend time outside the base. Lab geeks and the like." He leaned back a little, as if simply lounging.

"Oh, I never doubted it. You two have that look in your eyes - the kind of look you get only after you've taken a life. And no, I don't mean Asch-kun's," he added with a small chuckle. "So the truth is that compared to you two murderers, I'm relatively innocent here. I guess the real question is...what are you going to do now?"  

[Suudonym]

Little of what Izaya said actually registered with Luke as much as the fact that he was talking, talking, talking endlessly and dammit he was tired of that voice. Plain animosity filled his thoughts and senses, his sense of self disappearing into the depths of the mire. Autonomously he dug his heel down, leaning forward into the pressure, a scarred hand reaching to silence his loathsome throat. "Shut up," the voice Luke produced scarcely resembled his own, "shut up. I'm sick of you. I'm sick of your voice, everything you say. Shut up."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri was just as sick of listening to Izaya as Luke was. However, at the red head's words and change of demeanor, his dark eyes shifted towards the younger man.

"Luke," Yuri said in a firm voice, trying to get the other's attention.

While he was okay with killing people if needed, this wasn't something that Luke needed to dirty his hands with. He remembered how it had affected him the last time. This could very well destroy him in the state he was in.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

The human-lover's grin grew at Luke's orders, even as the heel pressed down against his feeble, tender body, the teeth in the grin gritted, but grinning nevertheless. His eyes narrowed as he bore the pain, determined to withstand the pressure without uttering a sound. He held his tongue, as per the teen's orders, keeping mindful of Yuri's blade as he awaited the red-head's decision and his fate.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, his thoughts went to his suffering pokemon and the idea of withdrawing them. With the distance between them as it was, though, he guessed he was as helpless to aid them as they were to him.  

[Suudonym]

Luke wasn't in a state where he would easily yield to a passing word, regardless of its tone. His attention was occupied by the b*****d in front of him, sitting there waiting as though just daring him to prove that he would do it. Luke had no intention of disappointing, furthering and closing his grasp, unaware of his surroundings.  

[BlackPidgeot]

This had to stop. Right now.

Yuri reached down and grabbed Luke's wrist. "Luke!" he shouted, practically in the boy's ear. "Stop this!"  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

Izaya's thoughts drifted in and out of focus as his head swam. He could feel the cutoff of oxygen to his brain and he knew what it was doing to him, but he simply gripped his closed flick blade in a tight fist. He thought he might lose consciousness, but he wasn't so sure that would be a bad thing, especially if he was to die. It would have been a far more peaceful way to go than by the painful blade of a sword or a blunt force trauma to the head.

Even as he thought he might pass out, he remembered when it was Asch standing over him instead of Luke, and when the young agent had denied both himself and Izaya what they both had wanted - some justice for Aila, some redemption that could possibly be earned through suffering or punishment.

He thought, dimly, that even when Asch had realized the grunt blamed himself and had seemed to forgive Izaya for it, the red-head might have also managed to forgive the other person he secretly blamed for not saving his partner. Himself.  

[Suudonym]

The hand at his wrist and the shout at his side succeeded in attracting Luke's attention, and he regarded Yuri, bewildered. "Why?" he said, a low volume rising as he added to the single word, "What needs to stop? He's right here. I can kill him, he'll disappear, and we'll be done with him."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri's brow furrowed as he watched both Izaya and Luke. Something was definitely not right here. The man wasn't even fighting back or struggling, even as his air was being cut off.

"This is what he wants, can't you see that?" Yuri barked at his friend. "He's been pushing you on purpose!" It was clear now. The only reason someone wouldn't fight back is if they felt they deserved it. Why this man thought he deserved to die, Yuri had no idea, but he wasn't going to let Luke do it. At least, not like this.  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

If he could have, Izaya would have laughed. That wasn't fair. Why were people always cheating...?  

[Suudonym]

Though his posture nor the nature of his words changed, his expression faintly shifted, uncertainty leaking into the empty malice. "What does it matter what he wants?" Gradually his gaze moved back towards Izaya, green eyes betraying a faltering conflict. "It's what I want. And I'm just a murderer, right?"  

[BlackPidgeot]

"No, you're not," Yuri insisted, his hand still grasping Luke's wrist.

"And I won't let you become one."  

[Suudonym]

Luke remained unmoving and silent for a time, his thoughts largely blank, until eventually relenting. He released Izaya's throat with a defiant shove, backing away. "Fine." He turned suddenly and started towards the door, unaware of the Aggron and Pidgeot that trailed after him in confusion.