Dischord and Distruction! Finding the Path Again!

[CJ]

The Grand Path fights weren't to the death, but they might as well been. Looking back on his fights with Doc Super and Akki, if it wasn't for his cyborg body, he would have been shot to death or ripped apart. It was apparent to Connor that Martin didn't know Solaine as well as he initially believed. Keeping her pieces alive? Yeah, he could see how someone would think of her as being evil. But a job was a job, he thought, not really questioning the matter any longer.

Connor stepped back when Martin brandished a sword made from something he couldn't comprehend. He figured if he still had his cyborg body, it would have told him what it was. Even without it, he understood that Martin's power could kill even Beth if she wasn't prepared. He held in another cry, feeling his broken bones in his arm shift. There was no way Connor could defend himself against Martin, and for that he was terrified. Cringing when just a swing of the blade cleaved a large piece of stone in two.

"I wouldn't fight you in my best condition," he said. "I spit fire at you before but that was wrong. You're not part of the Grand Path and, if you're being honest, you're not here to kill me so I have no reason to challenge you. If I can't make it through the Grand Path, then that's that. It doesn't matter if I can beat you or not. Besides, if I could, it would be incentive for me to continue, not stay."

His vision began to go dark. He was starting to black out. His entire body screamed in pain, still wrecked from what little there was of Achtung Baby's concert. Blood trickled down the side of his face from the wound on his head, but he didn't seem to notice. The fires on his hands and feet grew and waned in his continued frustration.

"If you're so concerned about me continuing, why didn't you let Achtung Baby kill me while they had the opportunity? With your power, it's no wonder you were able to kill them, Arch and the others whose belongings you wear. Why even humor me when you could kill me right here?"

[Shark a' Pult]

"I reckon if ya' could beat me, they wouldn't much care what ya' did hereafter."

Connor raised a fair point, but he felt as though the chef would be singing a different song if he wasn't so injured or had not just witnessed the band being destroyed. Either way, he didn't like that Connor seemed to be talking his way out of things, or at the very least, seemed against fighting.

"If you're so concerned about me continuing, why didn't you let Achtung Baby kill me while they had the opportunity? With your power, it's no wonder you were able to kill them, Arch and the others whose belongings you wear. Why even humor me when you could kill me right here?"

"Because an obedient dog is more useful than a dead one."

With that, Martin drew his sword back with one hand, and with the other produced a number of glowing spheres that began to orbit about him. With enough preparation, he gripped the hilt and lunged at the chef, a flurry of tiger fur and paper cranes.

"Connor! Are you alright?! We came as soon as the music stopped!"

"Took the scenic route, what a nice place this town is!"

Some rubble nearby of what had probably once been a house or some similar structure was pushed aside, a very large fellow holding up part of a caved-in roof. From the opening provided, Kaede emerged with Bader floating alongside her, hobbling along as fast as her crutch could manage in this debris strewn place. Stepping out and letting go, the structure collapsed sending up a lot of dust, but the fellow caught up with her shortly after. Whoever he was, Kaede seemed more concerned with Connor's condition than with introductions.

"What... what happened here? Where's the band?"

"You could say they... rocked the house." at this the robot produced a pair of sunglasses and tried to put them on, but they just fell off the metal chassis to the ground.

When she neared the chef she tried to pick up the pace but stumbled over bit of loose ground. Thankfully the man with her reached out a very large hand and caught her from falling, instead setting her down carefully next to Connor, at which she could get a better look at him. If Connor cared to notice, on the back of the fellow's hand was what appeared to be a tattoo of a digitized heart blasting out neon sound waves, vaguely reminiscent of the mark on Kaede's neck.

"Bader, I want a first aid kit, ASAP."

"Yeah and I want a pretty pink pony, but that doesn't mean it's gonna happen."

"Now, please!"

She wasn't a doctor by any means but she tried to see how bad of a condition Connor was in, while the fellow sat down on one of the chunks of rock Martin had sliced, ready to help as he was needed. The robot meanwhile, grumbling, extended a mini antenna array and emitted some beeping noises.

"Me 'tinks he be need bit more 'den first aid Kaede, ain't irie by any measure."

"No he's... he's stronger than that. Look, he beat them. He'll be fine, just needs a little help."

For what it was worth, Martin seemed to be nowhere in sight. All that remained was a guitar pick belonging to the band, which the fellow noticed and picked up with his massive fingers (with some difficulty), lifting his sunglasses to get a better look.

[CJ]

"Wait," Connor said, holding his one hand up. His heart raced in terror. Martin wasn't kidding around. He really wanted to fight.

He closed his eyes and opened them to hear Kaede and Bader, making their way through the wreckage. He turned his head and saw them coming toward him with a man he hadn't seen before. His vision turned dark and he found himself sitting on the ground, being attended to by Kaede. The lapses in time made his perception foggy. How long had it been since Martin was here? Minutes? Hours? Where exactly did he go?

The three of them talked, but Connor could only understand bits and pieces. His eyes drifted over to the odd tattoo on the man's hand. Likely one of Kaede's former crew mates, he figured, remembering what she had told him some time ago.

His eyelid fluttered as he tried to stay awake. He was jolted awake when Kaede claimed that he had defeated Achtung Baby.

"No," he shook his head. "It wasn't me. Martin What's-His-Face was here. He killed Achtung Baby and told me to stop advancing. He was right there."

He pointed with his good arm to where he thought Martin had stood, not that being wrong would have made much of a difference to Kaede or anyone else there.

Peering up with bloodshot eyes, he realized Bader was with him. He barely remembered the robot during his adventure with Arch, caught up in his own confusion over getting used to dying and being sustained in his new cyborg body. He knew Bader wasn't one to talk to about serious issues, but he didn't know who else to turn to.

"Bader, Arch's dead. Martin killed him and took his helmet. It was awful to see... like he was wearing Arch's face."

In spite of grasping onto his head, he didn't notice the blood or that the wound that had scraped a good portion of his hair. Pain didn't seem to matter in his despair.

"Why would he kill him? How could he die like that? What if he was all alone... Why didn't I ask Martin what happened..."

His sadness crawled in and sat at the bottom of his stomach like a weight. Despite having experienced death before, it was difficult to comprehend it would ever happen to Arch, who was all powerful for all Connor knew. The Warlord once inspired him to pursue the impossible. Now that he was gone, he he felt trapped, stuck and lost.

He saw the guitar pick in the man's large hand. His eyes lingered on it, knowing he could use it to secure his new ranking, but now he didn't care. For all he knew, he was no longer in danger of being sliced apart by whatever Martin's sword was, so his mind focused on other things, making the Grand Path seem like a drop in much bigger ocean of problems.

[Shark a' Pult]

"I don't know any Martin..."

Kaede seemed honestly confused at what Connor was saying. She turned to look to the fellow sitting nearby for some level of support, but he didn't know either and just shrugged.

"Connor, you're hurt... you're probably imagining things, all that matters though is that they were beaten, you beat them."

"Jeeright mon, some fight it was eh? He's a tough one he is, your chef, he-"

Not some moments later and without warning, a large metal canister resembling an oversized pill with the width of a tree trunk, touched down as if seeming to fall from the sky. Embedding deep in the ground, it remained upright some feet away and unsealed, some mist issuing forth. The large fellow was caught off guard and stumbled to his feet, not sure what to expect, but Kaede had been expecting it.

"Sorry! Forgot to warn you about that."

"Bit of a heads up next time, ey girl?"

Crawling away from Connor for a moment, she moved to the canister and opened it properly. Reaching inside, she drew forth an intact med kit. Dragging it back over, she returned to Connor's side, and tried to see about helping him as best she could.

"Bader, Arch's dead. Martin killed him and took his helmet. It was awful to see... like he was wearing Arch's face."

"No shit, I know what happened. Why do you think I went back to Colyne? Not because I wanted to, but then I had to go get saddled with this sorry excuse for a robot."

At this the robot smacked at the back of Kaede's head with an extended metal claw.

"Hey, stop!"

Clearly annoyed, she yelled at it, but didn't take her attention from Connor.

"Why would he kill him? How could he die like that? What if he was all alone... Why didn't I ask Martin what happened..."

"Basically you're wrong you dumbass, and here's why; ain't no one killed her, she blew up, went and turned into a sun. If some prick had the helmet, he just got lucky and knew where to look. Also, Martin is a stupid name."

It was hard to tell emotion or tone from the droid's voice, but there wasn't any indication that it was wasn't telling the truth, or at least didn't believe what it was saying.

[CJ]

Connor's eyes were glazed, peering at Bader like he was looking into warped glass.

"Why didn't you tell me... why didn't anyone tell me... For the last time, Arch isn't a girl..."

He fell forward, possibly crashing into Kaede, finally losing himself to his injuries.

---

ACHTUNG BABY SET TO RESUME TOUR AT GAVRELL CITY

Connor couldn't believe he was reading those words. As much as he hated being in that situation, he was glad they made it out. They really didn't die.

Sitting up in bed, he held up the newspaper in his hands. His arm had healed since his encounter with Achtung Baby and was straight and healthy again. Despite feeling good, Beth insisted that he stay in bed, saying his healing was "unnatural" and that he "couldn't possibly be right." But Henri said otherwise.

He still didn't understand how it worked. Apparently, he was the child of a thunder and fire witch, but lacked the genetic traits the witches were looking for. His magic didn't hold up to the standards they had placed on fire and thunder magic. Instead of possessing both magics, they mixed together. Henri explained that Connor would have normally never been able to produce fire in his cyborg body or even with the metal gloves. Instead, it acted like thunder magic, which always needed a conduit.

His rapid healing was something that was supposed to be associated with his fire magic. Instead, it linked to thunder. Whenever he was extremely happy, his healing accelerated. While he was asleep, Henri put on some music by Achtung Baby, illegally recorded on one of Joe's tone dials.

"You were moaning about some Arch guy and it was getting annoying. Turns out, you must really like Achtung Baby's music. Your arm healed up right away."

His situation with the witches was only made worse by horrible anger issues. After injuring multiple witch children and blinding one, he was exiled without his memories, so he would never give away the witches' secret in spite. It seemed they didn't care what happened after that. It was luck that brought him to Beth and friends, but he could have easily turned to violence and ruin.

"Are you crazy, Henri?" he could hear Beth a few yards away in the kitch of their small apartment. "We can't have him fighting again so soon after what he did to that band. My husband is not a killer. I'll be damned if he puts more lives at risk for our cause."

"These participants knew what they were getting into," Henri said calmly. "Like it or not, you and your "Connor" teaming up is the key to clearing this Path and that won't happen unless he fights Rank 4. You have to be prepared to get blood on your hands yourself, Human."

"That won't happen," Beth snapped. "And don't call me "Human," freak."

"Classy as always. Look, he needs to get back in while he can. As soon as you two team up, you should own this Path. Until then, you have to take advantage of his propensity for violence."

No one believed him about Martin at first. It took a long while before Beth even warmed up to the notion that he didn't win the fight on his own. He didn't deny he was prone to aggression. Henri's perspective on their shared origins only proved that. Connor himself didn't really understand it all, nor did he really want to.

"Would you get out of here already?" Beth said. "I invited Kaede over for tea."

"So long as Solaine's not with her, I'm fine with staying right here."

"I'm not fine. Get."

"What? You wouldn't kick out Uncle Henri would you? Look how sad you're making Meek."

Connor imagined that Meek wasn't all too interested in whether or not Henri stayed. Neither was Connor on a personal level. He was told that he was his half-brother, but the fact had little weight compared to everything else in his life. He figured if Arch's death and the Grand Path wasn't wearing over his head, he would have appreciated his help and presence more.

"Convince Beth not to let me leave," Henri said, suddenly peaking his head into the small bedroom door. His face was disfigured, burnt and scarred on the one side, constantly making him question what happened to him.

"I can't do that," he said, trying to put on the most sympathetic face he could.

"You're no help," Henri sighed and moved back into the kitchen, only to be lectured by Beth more.

[Shark a' Pult]

There was a knocking at the door.

"What're we doing here, I happen to know there's at least three clothing stores within a reasonable vicinity, where I can take pictures of people changing and blackmail them."

"I was asked here, you just followed me."

"I just followed you because it's my job, you stupid dumb person idiot."

Kaede hoped she was at the right place and stood outside looking the building over as if she might be able to find some clue that would confirm it. After the fight she wanted to make sure Connor was ok, since she felt somewhat responsible, but this was the first time she had had to locate the residence on her own. Bader was no help either since he always gave incorrect directions. She couldn't tell if this was done maliciously or simply another problem in functionality due to past damage, but either way she had been led into a dead end one time too many.

"Well then I'm giving you the freedom to go, leave if you want."

"Really? Truly?! I'm finally free, no more playing babysitter for your sorry ass!"

"I mean you can wander around the city as you please, just don't get into trouble."

"Get into trouble, right. Just remember you'll need another dose of Biurificane later."

At that the droid sputtered off directly behind Kaede and smashed through a window. There was a scream inside, and the robot soon emerged carrying a potted plant. The droid itself, for the time being seemed content to occupy itself in the immediate area rather than just flying off altogether, and Kaede pretended to not notice.

She did wonder if it was a good idea to turn the robot loose, and hoped it wouldn't cause some serious trouble.

[CJ]

Hearing the scream from a few doors down, Beth frowned, getting an idea of what exactly was going on. She went to open the door, but turned quickly to Henri.

"Don't say a word about her condition," she said in a hushed whisper.

"Hmm?" he asked.

Opening the door, Beth put on the best face she could for Kaede. It was easier to see her as a friend and not a sympathetic cause every time she saw her.

"Kaede, it's so good to see you. Come in and sit down- Connor, get back in bed, right now! You're not healed yet."

Connor had made his way into the kitchen, donned in fuzzy striped pants and looking quite healthy. Before he could greet Kaede, he was forced back into the tiny bedroom.

"But."

"Get. Get. There's no way you're healed after only this short while. I refuse to believe it. Get."

As Beth pushed her husband back into bed, Henri stepped forward and held his metal prosthetic hand out to Kaede. She checked on Meek, who busy with some toys in the corner of the room. She looked over, biting her lip in nervousness.

"Kaede, this is-"

"Hikaru. You, young lady, get the honor of calling me my true name. Speaking of names, yours is quite lovely. It means "strength" in my culture... or was it "flower?" "Maple?" "Leaf?" Either way, it's a pretty name. Sit down, would you?"

Henri, or rather, Hikaru, had a strange aura about him. His smile was infectious, but odd. It wasn't just the burn scar that went across the side of his face, but there was something about his eyes that seemed cold. He motioned to one of two seats in the room, a comfy flower patterned chair. On the end table nearby was a golden fabric pouch wrapped with a bright red ribbon.

[Shark a' Pult]

"Kaede, it's so good to see you. Come in and sit down- Connor, get back in bed, right now! You're not healed yet."

"Right, right, it's good to see you too, thanks for having me."

Hobbling inside, Kaede only got a glimpse of Connor, barely enough time to raise her hand in a half-hearted wave. A part of her would have preferred that Connor be there, since she generally felt more comfortable around him for whatever reason. It was when Henri stepped forward though, that she actually felt on edge, and once she saw his hand her eyes started to wander. Looking, looking for anyone else hiding in this small place, since guessing by Hikaru's prosthetic, this was an intervention to get her to do the same.

"Hikaru. You, young lady, get the honor of calling me my true name. Speaking of names, yours is quite lovely. It means "strength" in my culture... or was it "flower?" "Maple?" "Leaf?" Either way, it's a pretty name. Sit down, would you?"

"Uh, thanks I guess... never really thought about what it meant, I think my parents chose it because they heard it somewhere and thought it sounded nice. At least, that's what my..." a slight pause, as though she had to strain to speak the next word, "...brother, always said. Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

There was some initial difficulty, not to mention awkwardness when she attempted to shake Hikaru's hand with her left, the only one she had remaining. After that, it was a simple enough matter to maneuver around the table to the seat provided, something which used to be hard for her but she now starting to get the hang of. Small spaces used to be her bane, but she was getting more used to being disabled now. When she reached said chair, she turned to sit down but stopped for a moment before actually doing so.

"Oh, hi Meek! Almost didn't see you there, what'cha up to big guy?"

At least the baby helped to liven her up, and she was more on ease once she noticed him there. It just made the situation seem lighter. Once seated, she leaned back to place her crutch against the wall behind her, before resting her hand in her lap and returning her attention to the others.

"So, did you need help with something? I wasn't sure why you wanted me here, but I'd be happy to do whatever I can."

She was rather one-note in her concerns, and automatically assumed they wanted her help with something. Not in a bad way, she was glad to help, and she believed that was the only reason they'd want anything to do with her. As if she hadn't given enough already, but that was another matter entirely.

Of note that she was aware of the package, but tried not to focus on it.


(OOC: I assumed since it was the hand he was holding forward to shake(?), it was Henri's right hand that was prosthetic.)

[CJ]

OOC: Both hands are, but Henri would have used his right hand on purpose. Sorry for the confusion.

The scarred man tilted his head at Kaede's comment about her name. He didn't bring attention to it other than his only eyebrow raising in curiosity.

"Yeah, that's Hikaru," Beth commented as she rolled her eyes. He's Connor's brother. We're delighted to have him by for a visit."

"Thank you, Beth," Hikaru said with a beaming smile, apparently missing her sarcasm. Something Kaede might have noticed was that his scars were undoubtedly from burns. It was highly unlikely he shared Connor's tolerance to flames.

Being noticed by Kaede, Meek shifted around on the carpet and looked up at Kaede. Unlike his mother, the child didn't ever react to Kaede's new appearance. He never acknowledged any difference from before she left on their journey and when she came back.

"Twain," he said, holding up a wooden block shaped like a locomotive.

"He's been obsessed with Sea Trains lately," Beth explained. "I've been bringing him to the station to watch the trains come and go. I'm glad he's happy at least."

She frowned for a moment, but smiled quickly again, as though trying to hide her emotion. Maybe she was embarrassed for admitting her disappointment in her life currently.

As the three were situated around the cheap coffee table, Henri's near neon irises lit up in sudden realization. He nearly slapped Beth in excitement, seated uncomfortably next to her on the only other seating, a small couch.

"Beth called you here because Connor's ready for the next fight!"

"No," she quipped. "Connor's not ready. He'll never be. He needs to get out of the Grand Path now. If not, brought down several ranks for his safety."

"Be honest with yourself, Beth," he said, waving one of his metal hands. "He'll never get anywhere if you keep up this negative attitude. Kaede, back me up here. He needs to fight Number Four while he's at his best so he and Beth can clear the playing field afterward."

"Negative attitude? I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic. I know it's hard to believe but I don't think my husband had anything to do with that band's defeat. He's had problems perceiving things he's done before, but I feel like we can trust him this time. What if we push him too far? I'm not going to have him killed, especially for something so petty. Kaede, what should we do?"

Meanwhile, Connor sat in silence in the bed on the other side of the wall Kaede sat against. He listened to the whole thing, but didn't provide any input. The tiny present remained unwrapped on the end table near to Kaede's chair.

[Shark a' Pult]

"He's been obsessed with Sea Trains lately, I've been bringing him to the station to watch the trains come and go. I'm glad he's happy at least."

"Oh dear, making trouble for your mother! Well don't let Solaine find out about that, you won't hear the end of it from her... her family that is. They got where they are today because of trains, if she finds out he's interested, she'll probably get him one of his own."

Of course Kaede spoke in a cheeky manner, amused by Beth's story, though she largely misunderstood her employer. It was good advice not to mention trains around Solaine for she would react, but not in the manner described. Again, just an example of Kaede never being good at reading people.

"Negative attitude? I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic. I know it's hard to believe but I don't think my husband had anything to do with that band's defeat. He's had problems perceiving things he's done before, but I feel like we can trust him this time. What if we push him too far? I'm not going to have him killed, especially for something so petty. Kaede, what should we do?"

The conversation turned rather serious without much warning, and it took her a minute to process what was being said.

"I want you to know more than anything else, I would never put him in a position like that. Not after what you went through to get him back the way he should be."

She placed her hand on the table as she spoke, though she had trouble maintaining eye contact with both Beth and Henri, but she tried to sound as sincere as she could be. She hoped Beth at least believed, that she wasn't stupid enough to put Connor in harms way. If he were to die, in the best of all possible worlds he might end up as part machine again, and she never wanted to see that. More likely, there would be no respite, and he would be gone for good. They didn't travel half-way round the world, for it to have counted for nothing.

"I'm telling you this because you need to know, but the important thing is that whatever you do, you'll want to do it before Solaine gets back. You know her as well as I do, she cares about you guys and wants to help, but she wrote the rule book and she'll have you play by it even to your own risk. So anything you try to do, any way you'd like to twist the rules in your favor, I can help... but it has to be done while she's away, so unfortunately there isn't much time."

She tried to speak evenly with Beth, as a friend. While they might not have seen Kaede in such a light, she at least looked up to them, and didn't care if it was a one-sided relationship. The truth was simple enough, that they had a golden window of opportunity to change the odds in their favor while the true regulator was away. Solaine had left Kaede in charge and she was capable for sure, but she was also willing to make "mistakes" to help the Andersons, and she was willing to bet that she could get away with it.

Or rather, at least, that whatever happened would have been in place long enough for Solaine to not be able to just go back and change the results.

"I was put in control so there's things I can do, I just need know what you want. I mean, I know what it is you want, but if you had a plan that would be a great place to start."

This here was somewhat of a loaded question, and perhaps Beth could tell. Regardless of her energy sensing ability, there wasn't much life force if any left to pick up in Kaede. Having spent enough time together though, she might be familiar with mannerisms that remained the same; discomfort, at least. When Kaede spoke of a plan, she invariably brought her hand to the mark on her neck out of habit, thereby betraying her and perhaps giving some clue as to what it was she was getting at.

Then again, simply answering her would put things where she wanted, where she was comfortable to address what concerned her.

[CJ]

"I'll make a note of that," Beth said with a sad smile. At this point in their experience, she knew to trust whatever Kaede said about Solaine.

Beth at first sat quietly. Having spent the long journey with Kaede to get Connor's body back, she was starting to learn the girl's mannerisms. Even though she was older than her, she admired Kaede's intelligence and drive. She looked up to her, metaphorically at least.

Not missing a beat, Hikaru smirked and started spouting his ideas, as though they were talking about an inconsequential sporting event. His metal hands made clanking sounds as he gestured wildly.

"I need as much information as possible about Number Four, if our Five's going to have any hope of passing him or her before Winterfield gets back. I'd been working with Kurai to make him viable without his cyborg body, but, as it turns out, he might not have needed my help at all. Beth here thinks he didn't do it on his own, but you and I know how powerful he is. To think he managed to get to that entire band."

"Connor can hear you, you know," Beth whispered harshly.

"Who cares," Hikaru said, waving his hand. "He needs to come to terms with it eventually. It's a good thing for all I'm concerned. You can deal with therapy after this all blows over. For now, he needs to get back into the fray as soon as possible."

Biting her lip in frustration, Beth didn't look comfortable sitting next to Hikaru. It seemed she was struggling desperately not to smack him with the back of her hand.

"I'd rather we consult Solaine at a later date," she backpedaled. "I don't want to keep pushing Connor like this. Even if he doesn't die, he might not ever be the same. It was the stress of the Grand Path fights that turned him into that... thing in the first place."

"Made him create the scapegoat A.I., you mean," Hikaru interrupted, taping his metal finger against his cheek.

Beth paused, trying to comprehend the terms "scapegoat" and "A.I."

"What?"

"You know," he continued, "the one that took over his body when his brain was disconnected by that Valentine girl he keeps spouting on about."

She paused again as Meek could be heard, drooling and biting one of his toy trains.

"What?"

"Kaede, I can do it."

Connor leaned into the room, clutching onto the side of the bedroom door opening. He seemed determined but, like Beth, he wasn't entirely optimistic. His tired eyes seemed as weighted as his frown.

"Connor," Beth muttered, reflecting his sour emotion.

"I don't know who the fourth rank is," he said, stepping further into the room as he began to twiddle his fingers. "I don't know their agenda or why they're even involved in the first place, but I want to get through this fight as soon as I can to be with Beth. Most importantly, I want the fourth rank to live. Do you think that would be possible?"

"So, you want to be boring then?" Hikaru asked, closing one of his eyes in a permanent wink. The eye on the scarred side of his face remained open.

[Shark a' Pult]

"The easiest thing would be for Connor to defeat Beth, they switch places, and then Beth fights the fourth. No risk to Connor, and it wouldn't take any time at all. After that, they'd be together."

They were back and forth about the matter, their concerns completely valid. It wasn't some simple matter, and certainly not worth risking Connor's safety any further. There was a predicament to be sure, but Kaede had at least one solution. She didn't say it to anyone in particular though, her eyes pinned on the table. It was more like she was speaking aloud, trying to make sense of things in her head and a million miles away.

"The fourth isn't really a person, more like a group of persons. They're dangerous, one of the most dangerous, but against Beth... they're not a robot, so she shouldn't have that much of a hard time."

Beth certainly stood out among the crowd, and was a definitive person of interest in the game. There were things she and Connor could do that the other couldn't, and it raised the question as to who was a better fighter. Against someone like the cowboy doctor, her powers wouldn't do much good since he could just sit far away and shoot at her, possibly till eventual success. Against the fourth though, whom was suited to close combat, Beth was almost certainly a better match than Connor or... most anyone for that matter. There wasn't any easy way to say who was stronger, but they definitely had their strong points. Together though, they were probably unstoppable.

Probably.

"That's not what I meant! It's not the fourth I'm worried about."

She returned to reality rather suddenly, placing her hand from her neck to the table in a rough manner as she finally looked to the others. It seemed they had not picked up on what was bothering her all this time, leaving her looking rather desperate. It was hard for her to be direct about this subject, but she couldn't stand just ignoring it any longer.

"You know who I mean... you've met her before."

[CJ]

As soon as Kaede started talking about Beth fighting the next battle, Connor became extremely uneasy. He was very silent, staying by the door frame. Though his reaction wouldn't likely be noticed. Beth slammed her hands on the coffee table in front of her.

"Wait! You're saying we could have switched ranks ever since I joined? I would have switched Tomahawk off ages ago if I knew that was the case!"

"And subject Connor to the dangers of the higher ranks at the very start?" Henri asked, leaning back lazily on the couch. "He would have been killed by one of the others before you could reach him."

"As much as I hate to say it, I suppose you're right," Beth responded with a frown. "That being said, I should probably take out the fourth rank so he or she... or them doesn't try to fight him first."

She blinked, hearing Kaede voice her concerns about something related, yet unrelated to the topic at hand. She knew the girl had some connection to the first rank. They were friends or were part of the same crew or something. Beth never did take the time to figure that out for herself, unfortunately.

"You're talking about the first rank," she guessed. "You're talking about Jean. If you're worried that I'm going to hurt her or something, don't worry. I'll just knock her out with the rest of them. No harm done."

Beth knew Jean for very different reasons than Kaede. She understood that currently, or at least some time in the past, she and the Shichibukai Uzo were dating. Even though they were similar ages, she almost saw her as her junior. She liked what little she knew of the girl and was adamant about not hurting her in any way.

"Beth," Connor interrupted. "You can't fight the fourth rank."

He look sickly and distressed, pale and shaking. It was clear he want Beth to take his place.

"Why not?" she asked, standing up and pacing toward him. "You have a better idea? Or do you want to go up against a group that's even more powerful than the one you claim would have killed you if it wasn't for Martin stopping them? I can take these guys out harmlessly. You're done with solo fights, Connor. I'm sorry."

"No, you don't understand," he pleaded. "You don't know what these people are like."

"Hey, Connor. First one to fall asleep wins."

"Wait, no!"

Beth pulled her hand up. Her hand seemed to pull Connor up by his torso, as though he was a puppet on strings. A glowing substance out of his chest and floated through the air until it slipped into her fingers, making her skin glow with the same light.

Her Devil Fruit ability allowed her to manipulate "energy." Whatever the substance was, it was more of a representation of someone's stamina than anything else. Some Devil Fruit powers were curses, for her it was the ultimate blessing. She didn't have to eat or sleep. She was constantly aware of who was around her, able to sense their "energy." So long as they didn't possess Commander's Haki, she always knew where people were.

She caught Connor as he immediately fell unconscious, holding him upright with his arm in the air.

"Connor wins. That counts, right?"

"Well, you didn't kill or maim him, but that might count," Henri said with a tinge of disappointment. "What do you think, Kaede?"

[Shark a' Pult]

"That's... that's not what I meant. Jean's the strongest person I've ever known, after Asuza but he's gone. I'm not worried about what you can do to her, but... nobody can find her, not her crew, not even Solaine. Why do you think I got involved with this mess in the first place?"

Kaede seemed at least a bit hopeful at first but by the the time Beth was done speaking of it, as quickly as she had dismissed the subject, the girl was visibly dispirited. She let the others continue on with her suggestion, at least they seemed to like that. She watched as Beth used her power to put him to sleep, though her demeanor did not liven.

"I think it's good Solaine isn't here, she'd never let this count. As far as I'm concerned though, it counts. As long as he gets the token that represents him beating you, then there's nothing stopping you from going after the Fourth."

She wasn't sure what it was that Beth had designated as the token to represent her position, but it would be a simple enough matter for them to just exchange their respective ones when he woke up, thereby switching rank. Normally this would never be allowed, and Solaine would have a fit if she found out. In fact, Kaede was certain she would be receiving some notably horrible punishment for this later, but the others didn't need to know that.

[CJ]

"If we're going to make it through this ordeal, we're going to have to find Jean. We will find her. Whatever happens, I'll spare her so you can see her again, Kaede. It's the least I can do."

Beth felt a tinge of guilt. Had she really not wondered why Kaede was working with Solaine up until this point? The girl was brilliant, should have been working in some hospital, lab, or hell, in Seven Gates. She didn't belong with the lowlifes in the Grand Path. She didn't deserve what happened to her. There was no lie in what she said. For her, the very least Beth could do was reunite Kaede with her friend.

Trying to hide her emotions, Beth walked over and put Connor into their shared bed. She then returned to the main room and tended to Meek. She held him up and peered out the window at the canal just outside the apartment. It was only a matter of months before the apartment would be unusable, swallowed by the waters. Would she drown too, trapped in the chaos of the Grand Path?

"Just tell Solaine I tripped and fell and Connor subdued me or something," she said solemnly. "Make up whatever story you want, whatever will get you out of trouble."

"So, when's the fight going to begin?" Hikaru asked abruptly with a chuckle. "I'm dying to find out the results."