Run-In: The Story Thus Far

Run-In is an arc that describes mainly how the characters meet and sets up the plot. Each section dictates which characters Point of View it is being told in.

## Atlas

Atlas finds himself running for his life, being chased by shadowy demons. They're armed with swords, scythes, daggers, and a multitude of other stabby things. Not far behind him is a young woman, holding a pair of die.

"Stop running, you coward,"

She mutters, running after him. She continues to roll the die furiously, which causes many more creatures to follow. Atlas had never wished for Tipp more in his life, but he knew he was back at Dr. Strudwick's lab for repairs, from the last time he ran for his life. He never should have flipped his coin. This girl obviously meant business.

## Asya

### *ONE WEEK EARLIER*

Asya took a long drink from her flask and put it away in her bag. The sun was low in the sky, making the entire area of desert to her left look orange. She smirked wryly, finding the color ironic. She'd spent so long hating it, running away from that disgusting hue, yet it was never far. The brunette turned away from the sandy planes and hopped onto her motorcycle, Suzie.

"Let's go, girl," she muttered, revving the engine of her beloved bike and beginning to drive.Her stop had been a short rest on a journey she had begun over three hundred miles ago. A journey with an end that she distinctly looked forward to: the elimination of her arch nemesis Atlas. As Suzie purred below her, Asya allowed her body to relax, and her lethal mind locked in on the mission ahead of her.

She could hardly wait.

## Sogeum's

Han Sogeum is just stepping out of the cafe, drained from a long morning. It's a second job, keeps him fed and distracted when he gets too much time on his hands, but it's tiring. The boss is lenient, but maybe Sogeum can't run on three hours and two cups of coffee as well as he thought. He's halfway to his dorm, ready to slip into a world that isn't this when he runs into Inho. Damn it. That can't be good, must mean something's up with the schedule. He looks up to the older boy, sure his eyes demonstrate exactly how tired he is because Inho gives him a sympathetic look.

"You look dead on your feet," Inho remarks and Sogeum merely nods, grumbling nonsense as Inho pats his head. Idiot takes advantage of the height difference.

"Sorry, but there's been talk. People causing disturbances around, manager said we needed to look around. There's something going on the alleys..?"

Great, time for job three. Sogeum kisses his afternoon nap goodbye and follows Inho as they walk down the street towards the areas of interest.

## Atlas's

### *A FEW DAYS BEFORE*

Atlas and Tipp are sitting in front of a cafe. Atlas ordered a lemon meringue pie and coffee, and Tipp wanted nothing. Atlas looked up from his coffee cup.

"What's wrong?"

Tipp looked over his shoulder, as if telling a secret.

"I'm a robot remember? I can't eat that stuff."

"Don't worry. I heard they're having a special on batteries."

Tipp promptly reached across the table and smacked Atlas on the side of his head.

"Stupid." Atlas chuckled musically into his coffee.

"You're missing out, though. It's amazing. Maybe Dr. Strudwick can give you a tongue or something."

He scooped a bite of pie into his mouth. Tipp sneered at the plate.

"It looks weird."

Atlas then raised his fork to the sky, shouting "opinion!". Tipp held his head in his hands and laughed.

"You're ridiculous."

There were a few turned heads.

"...and loud. Quit drawing attention to yourself. I'd hate for the wrong person to come looking for you. You're kind of a celebrity, if you haven't noticed."

Atlas stopped halfway through his pie.

"Celebrity?"

Tipp leaned in, his cybernetic eyes focusing on him like a camera lens.

"As your bodyguard, I notice things like this. Every bounty hunter this side of the world is looking for you."

Atlas waved his hand passively.

"Everyone's always looking for me. Besides, no one's found me yet."

He thought for a minute.

"Except that one guy. Whatever. They don't even know what I look like."

At that moment, Tipp reached his arm out and ripped a wanted poster off the wall. He held it in front of Atlas. The illustration was spot-on. Atlas spat out the remainder of his coffee.

"W-WHAT."

"You're lucky you have someone like me, to watch your back."

Quickly, Atlas grabbed the poster out of his hands and ripped it up. He then stuffed the bits in his pocket.

"Sh...shut up."

Tipp leaned back and laughed to the sky. A waitress walked by, holding menus. She stopped in front of the table.

"Is everything alright," she asked politely. Atlas raised his hand.

"Excellent. I'd like another coffee, though."

Tipp shyly spoke up.

"And...I'd like to try the lemon meringue pie."

## Asya

"What's your story?"

The voice came from Asya's left and she turned begrudgingly to face the source. Sitting beside her, clad in a ridiculous fringed jacket, a middle aged man sat with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. His salt and pepper hair mixed with the entire getup screamed midlife crisis, and Asya turned back to her food with apathy.

"What kind of dumbass question is that?" She retorted, voice empty of any emotion. The man let out a raspy laugh that made Asya cringe. She'd always hated smokers.

"Well, it's obvious yer from the Kontenko family. I'm just wonderin' why you're so far from home."

Asya's face went white, and she crushed the can of drink in her hand. Her other fist balled up, and she slowly turned back to face the stranger.

"How do you know...?" She asked, forcing her fury down. As angry as hearing the name of her ex-family made her, the fear that she was recognizable was stronger. What had given her away.

"It's yer lips. I'd recognize them full, red lips anywhere..." The man seemed to purr. He shifted closer, cigarette smoke blowing from his mouth into Asya's face as he spoke. "I'd love to see what they look like while moanin'..."

The movement was so swift that it took the man a few seconds to realize he was on the floor. Asya whipped out a ten dollar bill from her pocket and dropped it on the counter for the waitress, leaving the restaurant as quickly as possible. So her lips were recognizable. That was unexpected. But if in almost 30 years that single pervert was the only one to notice, maybe she would be okay. With a sigh, Asya revved up Suzie and drove off again. She was tired of stopping, tired of the trip dragging along. She wasn't going to stop until she reached her destination and finally eliminated Atlas Twelve.

## Cobus

Cobus sat perfectly still, eyes half-lidded and legs crossed. He'd been at work all day and hadn't had a chance to watch his friends at all.

Well, he called them his friends.

Cobus was especially in-tune with the ether for his age, something that he had been told for quite some time. Most people, even his own family, could never get the clear view into it that he could. Only his 78-year-old grandmother was able to see as he did, and only she was he still able to talk to. 'Sogeum looks tired', Cobie noticed, 'he needs to get more sleep.' Peering deeper, he saw Asya riding towards her arch rival. He admired her passion, and watched her ride along the empty road for a short while. Finally, his ether-eye moved to Atlas and Tipp. He watched as they bickered, amused by the antics.

It was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose.

Even Sogeum was destined to join the fight, though he didn't know it yet. Cobus was unable to see who would win, or even if anybody came out alive, but the scenes that he was able to see sent chills down his spine.

"Please be careful..." He whispered, indigo eyes opening slowly, "I can't lose you all..."

## Sogeum

Sogeum's headphones are resting around his neck but he's itching to put them on, to turn the volume up just loud enough to drown out the rest of the noise because he really wants to zone out. And Inho knows, because he's practically dragging him along by the wrist, squeezing at uneven intervals just to keep Sogeum from spacing. They're winding through the streets, checking the alleys, but nothing's suspicious so far. Finally, Inho makes him sit, just for a little bit, because he 'looks just about dead' and he feels it to. He could probably fall asleep right here, but it's too loud, not comfy. So Inho just focuses on talking lowly instead.

"We have a week off at least from work–" Job One, Sogeum thinks.

"Channie and Beom made enough noise to get us a... Really well deserved vacation. So this'll be it, I promise."

Sogeum knows Inho isn't lying because Inho doesn't lie to him, wouldn't lie to him, but there's a feeling that distinctly tells him he's not going to get sleep for a good while. Maybe it's a good thing he'd taken a week off from the cafe. The ruckus of gossiping people is a white noise making his head hurt and Sogeum wonders why everybody's been so noisy this week. He'll probably find out soon.

## Atlas

Two meringue pies sat delicately on the table. Atlas stared intensely as Tipp pushed the fork slowly to his mouth. Atlas grinned as wide as his face would let him, with one half remaining completely relaxed. Then, the chunk of pie slid off the fork. In the blink of an eye, Tipp spun around and jabbed the fork into the air behind him. There was a screech. A pitch-black creature writhed and dissipated before their eyes. Atlas jumped out of his seat. Tipp also stood from the cafe table.

"Shoot."

Before them stood a girl, with wavy brown hair. She was dressed like some sort of runaway steampunk clock tower doll. Her eyes glowed gold.

"What in the sacred blue was that?"

Atlas mumbled quietly. The girl gave no response, and threw her hands in the air. Two brown dots flew in the air, and landed on the table. They were a pair of dice, and she rolled a ten.

"She has a coin!"

Tipp shouted as she disappeared behind a table. The table Atlas and Tipp sat at exploded into a mess of inky black tentacles. The pie, screaming innocence, was sucked in. From the black mass emerged a psychotically grinning shadow version of Atlas. He matched him in form and build, but was all blacked out. Only a white grin was visible; a whole grin to be exact. Atlas was nearly paralyzed with fear as the shadow demon brandished ten throwing knives from nowhere, seemingly. The girl was right behind it.

"Attack!"

A blur. The shadow monster flung all ten knives toward Atlas. But none landed. Tipp sprung into action, and shielded Atlas from the attack. Six of the ten knives plunged themselves into Tipp, becoming scarily real. The other four landed on the ground and evaporated, like the shadow monster, who decided to bow before disappearing. The girl was left standing, smiling with satisfaction. Atlas shook, on his knees. Tipp lie on his back, six shining knives in his chest.

"Atlas...run."

There were sparks flying out of his chest, and he sounded as if he were in no pain at all...of course. The girl walked closer, as Atlas looked up.

"You...monster."

Atlas growled out of his clenched teeth. The girl held one of the die in her hand while putting the other in her pocket.

"You going to cry about it? There's an impressive bounty on your head, and I want it."

She tossed the dice block in the air playfully. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, but she looked older than that, as if being alive aged her more than time itself could. Her grin alone was more adult that it should have been. Atlas stood, towering over her. She seemed unfazed.

"So. You like to play games?"

Atlas was open, out in the cold. His only protection, being Tipp, was lying on the ground uselessly, like a broken doll. He stared in contempt.

"I told you to run, dumbass! You'll get yourself killed!"

His voice fell on deaf ears. Atlas reached into his own pocket and pulled out his coin. The medusa coin. Medusa's head gleamed in the sunlight, in a permanent scream.

"Then let's play a game. I'll kill you right here, you little bitch."

The girl smiled sweetly.

"That's no way to treat a lady."

Lady? Atlas shook his head and stepped back.

"Watch, girl. With a flip of this coin, you'll be decapitated before you can scream for your mommy."

She stood firm, unafraid.

"Really? Adults sure are mean."

He flipped the coin. If the gods decided she was worth killing, Atlas would have his opportunity. It landed on TAILS. Atlas was silent. The girl even cringed a bit, unsure of the outcome.

"What is it? Lost your own game?"

Guess the gods decided the brat was worth keeping her life. Atlas couldn't believe it. He couldn't kill her. Not like this, and not now. She smiled. By this time, Tipp's battery had drained; it had been punctured by a knife. He was still, and said nothing. She cackled uncontrollably as Atlas sourly walked to pick up the coin. He held it in front of her face, his face stone cold.

"If it were my choice, you'd be dead."

He began to walk away. His choice? The girl stopped laughing and was fascinated by him all of a sudden. He bent down and scooped up Tipp, putting his arm around both of his own shoulders. Dragging seven feet of steel bars and circuitboards wouldn't be easy, but he could manage.

"Name's Marina by the way!"

She shouted. She began to step to him. Atlas turned to her with paralyzing eyes.

"Don't follow me."

He then continued down the street. The girl called Marina stood there, alone. She then smiled.

"I need that coin, and I need it bad."

She waited, turned the opposite direction, then proceeded to follow Atlas.

## Asya

### *EARLIER THAT DAY*

It was finally the day, Asya could feel it. She had hunted down her prey tirelessly, traveling approximately five hundred miles to get here.

The town was subtle and unsuspecting. It was the kind of town that seemed like if you asked around, you'd discover that it had a story. In a way, it made Asya sad that she would be wreaking havoc in a sweet town like this, but in another way, it couldn't have been more perfect.

Asya pulled off at a gas station, all the urgency from before changing into a relaxed and focused bloodlust. He was close, and even if he ran, he would never be able to escape.

Suzie drank up and Asya leaned against her, rubbing the worn leather seat and the cool metal rims. Her mind wandered to the day that she was hired to kill Atlas Twelve. She had been ecstatic; to be able to kill her sworn enemy and be PAID for it! Unbelievable!

Suzie's tank filled up and Asya paid, hopping on and riding off. She kept her speed slow, leisurely heading through the town. People walked along the sidewalks with a look of routine about them, and Asya felt a sense of relief that she'd never settled into a rut like these people.

Sure her business was dangerous and risky, but it was also adventurous and free!

Asya smiled giddily and she rode the streets, feeling as though she were in the middle of a lethal hide and seek game. Come out, come out, wherever you are!

## Dr. Strudwick

Dr. Strudwick had been working on a breakthrough invention when he was alerted of a presence at his door. Checking his security camera, he was surprised to see Atlas.The scientist hurried downstairs, opening his door and letting Atlas through. Tipp was in his arms, powered down.

"What happened?" Strudwick asked, slightly irritated but also a tad worried.

"Some crazy girl attacked us!" Atlas exclaimed, "can you fix him?"

"Of course I can!" Strudwick snapped, taking the robot into his arms. "But it might take a while. I'll have to run diagnostics and then fix any problems in his mainframe..."

Strudwick noticed Atlas looking nervous and wondered if it was because he was going to be without a bodyguard of because he had bonded with the robot and was worried. The scientist looked down at the lifeless mass in his arms and sighed.

"Check back in five days. He should be done by then, but I can't promise anything."

Atlas thanked the doctor and ran off, leaving Strudwick to his work. Nice kid, he thought, but I hope he's careful.

## Cobus

Cobie smiled sadly and opened his eyes.

"It's time..." He whispered to himself.

## Sogeum

There's nothing to see, from the search that they make, only traces of people running around here and there. Inho doesn't really look like he's done with the whole incident, but Sogeum's thankful that he's wise enough to let them go home. He feels his eyelids getting heavier as he moves on and Inho practically carries him back to the dorm. He can only remember small blurs from then, like getting home, nearly falling on the way in, hearing Yeongchan greet them before leaping to his feet to assist Inho in carrying Sogeum to the nearest bed. It's not his, Sogeum knows it's not,because the blankets aren't as soft, but it's good enough for now, because he closes his eyes and there's nothing.

When he wakes up, it's better. He smells breakfast and wanders out to the kitchen, where Inho manages to inform him that he slept through dinner and the next meal before Yeongchan walks in. And Yeongchan's angry, sleepily smacking Sogeum in the head with a pillow, but more than that, he's concerned. Sogeum knows that, knows that Yeongchan will start fussing over him now because Sogeum's been too busy to sleep, forgets to eat when he's not told to, forgets basic human needs when he's trying to keep his thoughts in working order.

"Sorry, I'll do better."

It earns him another whack via pillow because Yeongchan's heard that one thousand times already.

"Take care of yourself," he replies sternly and Sogeum nods, knowing that it isn't just Yeongchan that he worries. Breakfast is nice, it's noisy and chaotic as usual, but it's normal and Sogeum's missed it. He feels the odd notion that he should cherish it for now, as it won't be an option for a while.

## Atlas

Atlas waited for what felt like ages. He paced around the halls of Strudwick's lab, afraid to enter the workroom. He seemed very hard at work, from what Atlas could tell from the window on the door. With a heavy sigh, he walked outside, suddenly deciding thst he needed fresh air.

'Why.'

He sat on the grass, staring up at the sky, which slowly began to turn a dark orange. He was asking himself...

'Why did you spare her?'

The thoughts echoed calmly in his head. Then he remembered her grin, her laugh. It just angered him further.

'I could have killed her. Why's she so important to you?'

He reached back in his pocket and examined the coin.

"Why," he asked out loud. "I want to know." Of course, the coin didn't respond. He growled and returned the coin to its proper place. He knew Tipp would be fine; interchangeable parts beats injured organs, by a longshot. He hung his head low, and began to laugh. Worried about a glorified calculator? He'd be fine. He shielded him from a life-threatening attack and he's worried? He tried to focus. He looked back up at the sky, as if the atmosphere would spit answers down on him like rain. It was a mystery, the way the coin worked.

## Asya

As soon as their eyes met, they both knew it was time. He stood taller than Asya remembered, but perhaps he had grown. It had been a very long time, after all.The brunette felt a familiar dice slip into her left hand and her sharp nails dug into her palm as she tightened her fist.

"It's been a while, Atlas..."

Her voice was dry and low, but she knew he could hear her. He had always managed to hear her muttering under her breath, even back then. He searched his eyes for fear, but found only shock. Was he reappearance this unexpected? Had he completely forgotten about her? The thoughts made Asya's blood run cold, and she stepped away from Suzie with slow, deliberate steps. This was it. This was what everything had been building up to. The final battle.

"A-Asya?" Atlas finally realized, his eyes going wide in recognizability.

The brunette swallowed, her fist tightening at the sound of his voice. She was a mere eight paces away now, and her hand rose to begin shaking the dice that it concealed. It was at this instant that Atlas turned and ran.

'So it's to be a chase,' Asya wondered, a smile creeping onto her face, 'perfect'.

## Cobus

"SOGEUM!"

Cobie reached out into the ether, focusing every ounce of his being on the deliverance of a message to his "friend". His eyes were squeezed shut, and the purple veins that were usually only faintly visible through his skin became dark and vivid. The ether was milky, but Cobie was accustomed to sifting through it. He knew exactly where he was going, and exactly what he needed to say.

"SOGEUM, IF YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS, PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY..."

Cobie had only tried to send verbal messages through the ether a few times before, with very mixed results. It was much more challenging sending than it was receiving. But of his three "friends", it felt as though Sogeum was the most closely connected with the ether field. That gave him hope.

"THERE IS A BATTLE. IT HAD JUST BEGUN. I KNOW YOU CAN FEEL IT, AS YOU ARE DESTINED TO STOP IT..."

Cobie's vision had cleared earlier that day. He was able to see the battle in more clarity than ever before. There were two outcomes, and the point of variance was simply the presence of Sogeum.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME. YOU DON'T KNOW THE TWO OTHERS. BUT REGARDLESS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU ARE PRESENT. THIS IS NOT THE FINAL BATTLE. THIS IS THE BEGINNING..."

He recognized that his words might confuse his good "friend", but he was so excited about the sudden clarity that he was experiencing that he didn't care. His only hope was that Sogeum was receiving all of his words. And he hoped that it wouldn't be too late...

## Sogeum

Sogeum takes off his headphones, staring at them before he realizes that the voice isn't there. Just music like it's supposed to be. He looks around, but that wasn't any voice he recognizes. Beomsoo better not be messing with him again. He's about to get off the bed when the voice continues. A battle? Predictable, nothing was ever normal in his life. But he was the key point? How was that possible? Sure, he was more skilled than an average person, but even then, it wasn't enough, never enough to make him happy to look in the mirror. He peeks out of the room to see if anybody else can hear the voice, but no, Inho's slaying the other's in poker in the living room, they aren't paying attention. He doesn't know the voice, doesn't know who the others are, but feels curious at the same time. Maybe he shouldn't, maybe he should be more wary, but Sogeum can't help but be mildly amused at the idea of something exciting happening. Maybe that'll get him out of the daze he's been dragging through. He hears Inho's phone ring and hops back on the bed before the other can guess he was up. It's always fun to see how well Inho can read a situation anyhow. The elder boy answers the phone.

"Hello?"

## Tiernan

"Hey."

The answer is casual, friendly, and Tiernan feels a rush through his veins just hearing the other's voice.

"It's been a while."

"Tiernan?" Inho sounds surprised and Tiernan thinks he'd be even more surprised to find the two white eye'd siblings kicking their feet atop the flat roof of an apartment complex. He won't mention that, spare the other the heart attack. After all, his friend has enough trouble taking care of four 'kids'.

"If you're calling, something's up."

Perceptive as always and Tiernan weaves pale fingers through the air currents absently.

"Always. Nothing good, as expected, but can't pinpoint whatever it is. Something pulled me here before I had a chance to figure out what. Just thought I'd give you a heads up."

He can almost see the image of a sighing Inho, clenching and unclenching his hands as he does when he's frustrated, and Tiernan waits.

"Sogeum's been agitated lately, thought something was up."

Ah, the youngest of the kids, wasn't it? The boy that shared no lineage with the Carlisles, as far as they knew, yet had the same stark white eyes.

"Pretty perceptive of him. And you." Tiernan compliments, watching the sky apprehensively. Not today, probably, definitely not right now, but soon.

"But hey, I'll keep in touch, got a feeling we'll be seeing each other soon."

Inho laughs, but it's a tired laugh.

"Right. Try not to get me killed this time."

Tiernan snorts, but smiles anyway.

"Like you can't take care of yourself."

He watches the streets below, wondering exactly how many lives were going to get disrupted this time.

"... See you later, Dae."

## Atlas

Atlas didn't dare look back. He knew he couldn't kill Marina, and he knew that someone else was chasing him down too; Asya Kontenko. The name burned in his memory. They were once very close, at a young age. Is bounty money all it took to turn kin against each other? He knew of course that he'd have to get the talisman from her and Marina to complete his own task, but it wasn't worth his head. It was quiet in this dense forest, and the sun began to set. The rustling of the trees quieted down as Atlas slowed to a jog, barely able to catch his breath. It was totally silent. He looked over his shoulder multiple times. No one was in sight, but he didn't dare become cocky. These were trained assassins. More or less. He kept walking through the forest, getting more lost. His coin rattled in his pocket, taunting him in a way. In the back of his mind, he wondered...he received a negative flip for Marina...but for Asya... Atlas looked back again.

## Asya

Asya sensed another female presence, but ignored it. Her anger was strong enough that she was sure the other girl would stand back, at least for a while.

"Stop running, you coward!" She growled, her single eye blazing a fiery orange. She pumped at her dice, coaxing it to heat up. Once it was hot enough to burn her hand, it could be rolled. She had parked Suzie under a tree so that she wouldn't be injured if the dice rolled too high a number. A six was likely all she needed, if it was a direct hit. That would be enough to break his legs so she could deal the final blow. Atlas turned a corner as he entered the thick of the town, and Asya followed. He darted across the street, barely missing being hit by a car. Asya jumped over the cars roof and continued in the pursuit. There was no way he would be able to outrun her—this was what she had been training for since birth. Soon he would have to either flip his beloved Medusa coin or die.

## Cobus

Cobie watched his "friends" fight, hands fidgeting together. He could not tell if Sogeum had received his message or not, as the ether around him had thickened since he spoke. This might not have been the final battle, but everything still rode on its outcome.

"Sogeum..." He whispered into the ether aimlessly, "they need you..."

## Sogeum

Sogeum's out walking, listening to his music when he feels that pull. The same pull that made him walk outside, same sense that called him to wherever in the heck he was (he'd wander back eventually), the feeling that's telling him that those people chasing each other in the distance aren't just playing tag.

And he's running, running faster than he really expected because there's something dangerous in the air. Sogeum doesn't know what, doesn't know how, doesn't even know why, but before he knows it, he's standing between the two parties, staring blankly between the two parties. In his pockets, he feels the weight of his DS and the sinking sensation of the tarots. He doesn't really want to think about them, the cards have never brought anything good, but they're nagging at him for whatever reason.

Sogeum glances between the two parties, uncertain but unafraid. He's dealt with worse (probably).

"What's the rush?"

## Atlas

A whisper from behind Atlas. Already uneasy, it made him jump a little.

"What's the rush?"

A young man with white hair stood not too far behind Atlas. His height caught him off-guard, but other than that, he looked unassuming, and generally curious. He moaned.

"Look, kid, I'm kind of busy. No time to chit-chat."

He kept his voice low, and looked around, afraid that the sound of his own whispering would give him away. The Marina girl was nowhere in sight, but Asya could literally be anywhere. It took a few honks of a horn to make Atlas realize that he was holding up traffic, standing in the middle of a street. He continued running. The orange in the sky disappeared, and evening was upon them. The sky was a strange purple color, and Atlas wondered if it meant anything. The white-haired boy followed suit, seemingly unworried by the events unfolding in front of him.

"Gotcha."

Quietly, from the roof of a supermarket, Asya spotted Atlas, and the white-haired boy as well. Her dice burned in her hand.

## Asya

Asya frowned at the sight of the strange white-haired boy, figuring that he must be an unexpected ally of Atlas. He peered back up and her with a look of awareness that pissed her off. He couldn't possibly think this had anything to do with him, she'd never seen him before in her life! This was meant to be between her and Atlas.

"Hey Kid," she shouted, shimmying her way down to the street level. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you're in the way of something you know nothing about."

All around them, bystanders stopped to watch the exchange. Apparently, even they sensed the magnitude of this battle. Asya took a few steps towards the kid, who didn't seem even remotely concerned with her words. His eyes, almost pure white, watched her with interest as she moved towards him. It was unnerving, that was for sure, but she felt more irritation for him than anything.

He'd interrupted her destiny.

"Are you going to move aside, or are your legs about to be shattered too?"

## Sogeum

Sogeum merely blinks back at the girl because she's shouting at him and, while Atlas was close enough for Sogeum to read his lips, this one is too far. He takes the headphones off, albeit a little reluctantly and stares back expectantly at the girl atop the roof.

She doesn't repeat whatever she had said before, but her expression lets Sogeum know it wasn't pleasant. She looks impatient and he wonders if he's supposed to do something. Move maybe? If she wants to jump down, he's probably in the way, but he's jumped from that height before and it hurts the ankles, even when he knew how to do it, how to land. He'd persuade her to do otherwise, maybe take the stairs, but something tells him it'd be a waste of words. Instead, he watches her in mild confusion, shifting his position towards this other new boy. There, he's out of the landing zone, right? She can jump without hitting him now, because that's what she wanted, right? From the way she's looking at him, Sogeum probably got it wrong. Oops.

## Atlas

Atlas wasn't entirely sure how to feel right about now. He was standing in a sort of triangle, with the tall, white-haired boy on his left, and Asya across from them. He wondered where Marina went. She was nowhere in sight, still, he expected the sneak attack that never came. He raised the only eyebrow that would move as he spotted a glowing orange ball in her hand.

"Asya! Get over here."

Atlas belted into the air. He knew she was hot-headed, and would most likely fly off the handle without second thought. She grinned, her gaze switching between the kid and himself. Her grip on the orange fireball tightened. She knew she just needed a six; she wanted to kill Atlas, not end the world. She didn't roll just yet. Atlas felt a similar excitement to use his coin against Asya. Friend or foe, the gods of justice cared not. If she deserved to die, she deserved to die.

"Finally, Twelve, I've got you right where I want you!"

She pointed at him. The white-haired boy blinked absently. Altas backed up slowly, thinking that running again would fix his problems. He threw a glance to the boy, who began to put his headphones back on. What? Asya was marching towards Atlas, and Altas was backing up, taking the boy out of the line of fire.

"Right. Good luck."

He was talking to Asya, but he was convincing himself that the gods were on his side this time. If the same stunt from before was pulled, he was screwed. He confidently held the coin in front of his face. Asya held her nine-sided die in her palm, ready to roll.

## Sogeum

He sees the dice roll, sees the coin flip up into the air and all Sogeum knows is they can't hit their owner's palms again. So he takes them.

With an almost practiced motion, he moves the cards from their home in his back pocket and tosses them from his right to his left, watching the cards fall into place in his palm. Most fall as they are, but one flips and the air almost glows. It sits face up and time seems to slow around him. Sogeum nods to himself because an Upright Strength is good, just what he needs to intervene.

Patience, control, and understanding were always good for tense situations. This was tense, right? Certainly didn't look like a sandwich sharing moment at least. Sogeum pushes the thought away and decides to move before the anything more can happen. He's fast, always has been, moves in a fluid way that other's can't, but the way that time is keeping the totems from falling as quickly is certainly helpful. Sogeum's hand flicks out and he swipes smoothly through the air, spinning in a half circle to double back and snatch both items.

He doesn't know how people get so comfortable with shouting in each other's faces, but at least it closed the distance for him. He hears the dice and coins clink together in his hand as time resumes and hums with interest. They're small, not much to look at (one's got snakes on it, though he thinks they look more like a mass of gummy worms), but he can feel very air vibrate in their presence. Hm, not too much different than the cards.

## Asya

Asya’s face froze in surprise, eye wide and mouth hanging open.

Did this kid...Did he just take both her and Atlas’s totems? She looked towards her rival to find her expression mirrored. Was this even possible? She’d never heard of it being something that one could do before, but apparently it was a fair move...

Shaking off the initial shock of the development, Asya growled, “What the HELL was that!?” She moved forwards, glowering at the boy before her. He was maybe an inch taller than her, but his physique seemed much more like that of a dancer than a fighter. If this kid didn’t explain himself soon, he’d be on his ass with a bloody nose.

The surrounding “audience” was hushed as they observed the show, and even Atlas seemed to dumbstruck to advance. He probably was wishing that robot of his was around for protection, now that he lost his totem.

“What’s your name?” Asya demanded, sick of the boy’s quiet game. Her single eye blazed like fire, and her fists were balled tightly.

## Cobus

Cobie’s heart pounded as he watched the trio of people he knew so well, and he had to restrain himself from squealing. He’d waited so long for this moment of integration between his three friends, and now it was here.

It seemed as though Asya didn’t like Sogeum very much, and Atlas appeared to be (unsuccessfully) trying to make peace between himself and her. It was tense, unpredictable, even awkward, but the character development of his best “friends” made his stomach flip in excitement.

Sego catching the totems-- THAT had been unexpected. So simple, yet so effective. Leave it so Sogeum to come up with an obvious answer to a tough problem.

“Cobus Kappel!”

The sound of his name being called made Cobie jump, yanking him out of the ether so fast that his head spun. The boy turned, his eyes widening and shoulders rising to his ears in a juvenile defensive pose. Standing behind him was a face that looked familiar, but that he couldn’t place.

Cobie lived in the most remote home that he was able to find and afford, nearly a half an hour away from any other buildings. Nobody just wandered out here-- this man had come looking for him...

## Atlas

Atlas couldn't believe his eyes. This...this boy. He knows not of the power those objects hold...or at least that's what he thought. The white-haired boy managed to produce a deck of Tarot cards, and correctly predicted the identities of both Asya and he. Asya was fuming with rage, screaming at the boy. She made a move to him, stepping up to his face. She was demanding his name. Atlas felt the need to intervene.

"Hold on, Asya, no need to get hasty."

He stepped closer. Asya's fists were clenched. Atlas felt totally helpless as even the surrounding bystanders mumbled amongst themselves. 'Five days,' he thought, until he could have Tipp by his side yet again. Asya shouted at the boy again, his eyes glistening pure.

"I'm Sogeum."

Sogeum spoke softly and calmly, but Asya was still fuming. Atlas spoke up from behind Asya.

"There, he told you his name, now chill out before you blow a fuse."

She turned to Atlas.

"This isn't over. Once I get my dice block back, I'll--"

Sogeum held his hand to Asya's face, successfully shushing her.

"There's a reason I took these. You two aren't supposed to fight. I was told to intervene."

'Aren't supposed to'? Atlas didn't believe his ears. He'd always believed it to be his destiny to collect the talisman one at a time. So far he had none. Maybe this explained it; he walked down the wrong path. He had a mission, a dream, and he failed. While Atlas fell to a more pensive state, Asya was practically on fire.

"Not supposed to? I told you, you don't understand."

Asya couldn't find the words through her anger. This man, Atlas Twelve, had a massive bounty out for his head. Asya had been hired specifically to kill Atlas. If they weren't allowed to -- or weren't supposed to -- fight each other, much less kill each other, Asya couldn't show her mug around anymore. She had a job and failed. She held her face in her hands. Atlas, shattered, mumbled slowly to Sogeum.

"And who told you this?"

## Prince Redd

"Cobus Kappel!"

The man's voice echoed loudly as his highly-polished shoes clicked against the floor quietly. He seemed to gleam red, even his eyes glowing the reddish hue.

"Daddy told me you'd be hiding here."

He tugged on his gloves; a nervous habit, telling that he had some cards up his sleeves... He peered and studied the habitat. A shabby building, akin to an apartment. This made the young man sneer in disdain.

"If you tell me what you're up to, dirty rat, I'll pay for the renovation of this place myself, no holds barred."

He uttered a pity laugh, while smoothing down a stray hair from his nearly perfect, hairsprayed coif.