[FIN] A Murder of Crows

[TawnyAngel]

No matter what. Zevran looked up at Abel, his expression tight as he fought down a renewed wave of dread. "I... I know." He had to look away again then, looking into Abel's eyes was too much to bear alongside the thought that he might very well see the light go out of them. "I am glad you are here Abel but I really wish you were not. I wish none of this was happening which," he gave a brief dark chuckle, "is really quite a waste of my energy, but I have never been a logical person."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

This was hard, so hard with the way Zevran looked at him before looking away again, how tense and oppressive and full of dread the whole thing was. They could both die within the hour and what then? What about their pokemon, Taavi -- his family? Would any of them even find out, or would the Crows get rid of any evidence? No, they'd probably just kill them and be done with it.

If he kept thinking like that then they would, because the pair of them wouldn't stand a chance. "I know," he said as he shoved such thoughts aside again and moved to pull Zevran into a tight, almost fierce hug, "I wish none of this was happening too, even though wishing it away won't do a damn thing. We both know it won't, and we both know to get out of this we need to keep our heads and we'll get through this somehow. We have the upper hand still, don't forget."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran wrapped his arms tightly around Abel in return and laughed briefly again. "True! I have been in worse situations, I think. I am not tied to anything for one, and nor am I alone. Really I suspect this doesn't even make it into the top five most hopeless situations I have faced, provided Taliesen is here only for himself." If he was though how had he managed to bring so many other Crows with him? Perhaps that question would be answered soon or perhaps he would remain forever curious as along as he lived, but he could live with that as long as he loved. This string of thought made Zevran chuckle again as he pulled back from Abel's embrace with a tight smile on his lips. "Time to prepare I think, they will be here soon."

With this said Zevran reached to his belt and selected three of his five pokeballs, which soon released Clara, Estoque, and Amigo. "Estoque, Amigo, I want you to remain up here with Sonia. Clara you will be with me, they will probably expect me to have picked up a pokemon on an island with so many and so let them see that I have and perhaps they will not wonder if there are any lurking in the shadows."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Mmh, that's fair. We're not restricted like that in any way, and we have a few advantages they don't, even." Now they just had to hope that Taliesen hadn't been sent there. If he hadn't, and they made it out of there alive, then they'd be okay. Probably.

Abel waited for Zevran to release and address his pokemon before he loosed Tania and Elizabeth to do the same. "This is extremely important. I need you guys to stay up here with Sonia and keep quiet until we need backup, yeah? I'm counting on you guys," he added after a moment before giving the Charmeleon a pat on the head. Tania huffed and folded her arms over her chest, giving the taller blond a heavily skeptical look but remained standing near Elizabeth just the same; the fire-type made a humming sound deep in her throat and flexed her claws as she stayed near Sonia. Abel, for his part, hummed as well. "D'you think I should have Caleb out with me too, so Clara isn't the only one down there? I'm only worried because he's so big, I don't know if they'd... I don't know," he shrugged and trailed off. He really had no idea what they would or wouldn't like there, or what they'd do about it -- if anything.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Mmmh." Zevran frowned at Abel's question and also at his own small dilemma, the fourth pokeball he was now holding. "I... Yes, bring him," he said after a few moments. "They know Arcanine though not all will have seen one; we never knew how they came about. Mmh. I suppose Fereldens must know about evolution stones but keep them from the rest of us." That was an interesting thought but useless to him as he would never return to Thedas. "But," Zevran waved off his own thoughts, "my point is that they know more or less what he is capable of, so they are unlikely to be too trigger happy. Now though, Sonia," Zevran turned to the Zoroark, "you will already be covering quite a group of pokemon, can you extend the field enough for me to let Inverino out as well?" Better to have the Articuno ready to act without need to release them, but if it was going to strain Sonia too much then best avoided.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Sonia made a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat as she glanced around at the pokemon already assembled, then looked back at Zevran; she hunkered down a bit and spread her arms out in a circle before drawing it in tighter, closer.

"Mmh, I guess if everyone squeezes in together instead of being spread out she'll be good," Abel said, looking to the dark-type for confirmation. Sonia simply nodded her head once and straightened up again.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ah, right." Zevran nodded, released the Articuno, and repeated the brief for the legendary's benefit. Once this was done he turned to Abel again, shrugged, and shot him a rather wild looking grin. "I suppose this is it then yes? We have prepared as much as we can, and now there is nothing to do but head downstairs for the final act." His heart was beating faster still now and the thrill of the impending fight was beginning to overwhelm his trepidation for what could come of it. "No matter what happens Abel, I will always love you." How strange that he would say such a thing and mean it, and that strangeness was worth fighting for harder than he had ever fought in his life.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Once the legendary was suitably briefed, Sonia made a soft noise in the back of her throat and gestured for the various pokemon - minus Clara - to move closer, to hunker down as close as possible. Tania found herself shoved beneath Elizabeth where the fire-type dragged her before leaning against Sonia as close as she could, and once the smaller Pokémon were accounted for she beckoned the larger avians closer too.

"Yeah," Abel agreed as he turned to Zevran, "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be. And I love you too, no matter what happens," he said, reached to cup Zev's face in his hands and closed the distance to press their lips together in a firm, almost desperate kiss; once more, just once more because he didn't know when he'd get to again.  

[TawnyAngel]

A last kiss? He hoped not, and returned it fiercely.

When they parted Zevran slid his hands up Abel's arms and squeezed tightly for a few moments. "Shall we go then?" He gestured to the nearby stairs which led down to the warehouse floor. "It would be awkward to be surprised before we are ready to receive them, all of the drama of sunset spilling fiery light through the grimy windows would be lost."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Yes, let's go," the taller blond agreed, his hands lifting to curl firmly around Zevran's arms in return. "I'll let Caleb out when we get near the bottom of the stairs, and we'll all wait together."  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran nodded; "Right," and turned to head down the catwalk to the stairs that led either up to the offices or down to the ground; he turned left to head toward the latter, his footsteps sounding louder than ever in the dingy empty space. If they got out of this alive he was definitely moving out of this place, for real this time. He'd get a job, rent somewhere small, and then at some time in the future he and Abel would get a place together. It could happen, it really could.

As he stepped off the metal stairs onto the concrete floor of the warehouse Zevran unfastened his jacket and checked his stolen pistol in its holster at his side, then the knife he had concealed at the other.

Clara trotted along silently at her master's heel, her posture tense and her bright blue eyes keen and hard. She didn't really understand why all of this was happening but that wasn't important, what was important was protecting her trainer. The Growlithe looked up at Zevran and, just for a moment, her fluffy tail wagged.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When Zev turned and headed down the catwalk before descending the stairs Abel followed suit, moving as quietly as he could across the old, creaky pathway. As soon as he got near enough he pulled Caleb's ball from his pocket and released the large, fluffy Arcanine nearby on the cold, concrete floor before pocketing the sphere again. Caleb shook himself off a bit before glancing around the unfamiliar scenery with distaste, his ears twitching back a bit, though he did spare Zevran and Clara a less frosty glance. It was about as friendly as he'd get given the circumstances.

Once more Abel checked the gun hidden under his jacket, just to make sure - again - before he stopped to stand between his boyfriend and his Arcanine, one hand reaching to tangle itself in the fire-type's thick, fluffy fur while the other lifted to absently rub over the pendant beneath his shirt. This was it then. How would the night end for them? They'd find out soon enough.  

[TawnyAngel]

They waited.

Zevran folded his arms across his chest and dropped his weight onto one hip, projecting an air of vague boredom even as his heart raced fit to burst free of his chest. Most of the time his gaze remained fixed on the huge old main doors but from time to time his attention flickered to a high window to judge the light outside and as the ending of the day made the light all the more fiery the burning colours reflected the intense, keen, predatory focus that was overtaking Zevran's eyes. Soon. It would be soon.

And then the waiting was over.

The rusted doors were pulled back with a screech of tortured metal to reveal a tall muscular figure and silhouetted by the orange light of the setting sun. He was flanked by two other figures - both slightly shorter than he - and as he stepped forward he moved with the same sauntering swagger that Zevran often adopted himself.

"Zevran, there you are at last!" the man called cheerfully; his voice was surprisingly light for his height and build, accented much as Zevran's own though tones were not so smooth. A few feet into the warehouse Taliesen came to a halt, his features now more visible. He was dressed in a dark jacket worn open over a white t-shirt and blue jeans, his hair and eyes were dark, his skin beige and tanned much like Zevran's own, and he was grinning crookedly. "I wasn't sure you'd show up. You brought a friend I see, and some hounds too? They're good looking beasts, I'm impressed."

Zevran grinned back, or at least he showed his teeth. "Taliesen! You have gone to a great deal of trouble to find me. I am so sorry that Callisto was unable to join us tonight, I am sure she would have had a lot to bring to the party. What's with the English?"

"Oh," Taliesen gestured vaguely to Abel and smiled affably, "I didn't want to make your friend feel left out unless, ¿tu hablas español?"

"He doesn't," Zevran cut in with a sharp smirk; "But I now wish I had taught him how to say 'go ******** yourself'."

Clara growled.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

After a minute or two of waiting Abel's hands fell away from his pendant and his Arcanine to hook his thumbs into his pockets, and every so often he shifted his weight to his other foot. On an otherwise impassive face, alert and intent colorful eyes focused mainly on the doors before them, but every so often they flicked to the various other means of entry into the warehouse even though he knew they'd hear people coming before seeing them, but inevitably they always ended up back on the heavy doors. Settled deep in his gut was the anxiety, the worry, the cold, gnawing fear that they wouldn't survive the evening - or that Zevran might not, at least - and it had closed suffocatingly tight like a vice around his heart early on in their waiting game. Even with how anxious and fearful he felt, though, his determination to see them both through the confrontation alive and whole permeated the whole of his person, from his colorful eyes down to his toes, tense and ready to move at a moment's notice to do whatever was necessary. They would make it through; he'd make sure of it.

Eventually the doors before them opened - almost as if by magic, since none of the three people that entered seemed to have touched them, although it was too dark to really tell for certain - and revealed a man.... Well, he'd never really tried to picture Taliesen but if he had, it probably would've been similar to the man before them, except he would've guessed at least a few more visible tattoos. As the pair shared their rather unpleasant pleasantries, Abel's gaze swept past him and to the two figures behind him in the shadows. So, these were the people who'd come to kill him. Except there were at least five, quite possibly more, and yet here were only three. Where were the others then? Hmmm.

A bright smirk, devoid of any warmth whatsoever curved his lips. "Hah, I'd like to learn all the curses sometime, that'd be fun. And that's awful considerate of you," he added with a brief nod to Taliesen. "So, where're your other friends?"

Beside him Caleb joined his growl with Clara's; deep, bass, and vaguely impatient. Abel hummed a little in the back of his throat and slowly lifted a hand to his Arcanine's side to stay him before his volume could grow too loud, and indeed at the touch it quieted a bit but didn't fade away completely. Up above them and hidden under her illusion with the others, Sonia stared down at the strangers with intense alertness, though at Abel's query she chanced a few brief, darting glances around the catwalk and the stairs, ears perked and ready. Absently she shoved a clawed paw over Elizabeth's snout more out of reflex than anything else, but for once the fire-type didn't loll her tongue out of her mouth or make her typical guttural noises in response. Instead she promptly shoved the paw off her snout, her gaze never leaving the speaking human, her bright yellow eyes shining with a predatory intensity.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Now is that any way to greet an old friend? I'm a bit hurt Zev," Taliesen said with a laugh and a shake of his head; though his voice was as accented as Zevran's he seemed to be speaking English with a more native familiarity. "It's been a while though and I'm sure you don't trust my motives so fair enough I suppose. As for my friends," he grinned at Abel and winked, "they facilitated our dramatic entrance of course, I didn't want to disappoint Zev after he went and chose sunset to meet." Still smiling Taliesen looked over his shoulder and let out a sharp whistle. he called in Spanish.

No sooner had he called then two more figures slunk into the building, their hands loose at their sides and their eyes darting around the building. Both were again shorter than Taliesen though the narrowly built young man stood taller than either of the other two crows, who hadn't taken their eyes off Abel, Zevran, or their pokemon and nor had they displayed any sign of emotion. Both of the newcomers wore jackets like Taliesen, a contrast to the short sleeves favoured by the steely pair who flanked the tall crow; their skin clearly showed the mark on the left arm that Zevran had carefully altered on himself earlier in the day. This attire also made it perfectly clear that they were armed; each wore a pair of holstered pistols as casually as they did their clothes but their stances and hands remained relaxed.

Zevran narrowed his eyes as he assessed the pair who had just entered, they were too far away to make out their faces clearly but their movements were young, inexperienced. "Have you really brought apprentices to do your dirty work Taliesen? Could you find no better support?"

"Heyy, now who said there was anything dirty going on?" Taliesen chuckled. "They are here to gain experience, that's all. It's not as though we never got hands on when called upon now is it?" When Zevran didn't instantly respon Taliesen nodded and added; "Exactly."