Lochs Tearing Down (Rk & Squish)

[RK]

The Restrained Captain Mask was not the sort to allow himself to be taken captive so easily. Though this seemed to be a bit of a lie in the current situation. The armored hero found himself restrained in ropes, that held him to a wooden chair. He was sitting in a dark room with another man, someone much older than him, around 60 years old probably. From what he could make out through the darkness and his visor, this man was quite tall, and had a thick, scruffy beard. He also wore a hat, but that was all he could see. Captain Mask struggled against his bindings, but it was no use, they were just too tight around his wrists. He could feel his gloved hands pressing up against the wood of his seat, making him a bit uncomfortable. The hero was about to speak, but was cut off by the grainy, smokey voice of the man in front of him. "Now then child, you're gonna tell me exactly what you know about the King..." The man spoke so slowly and delicately...as if his every word was a different trap being laid down for an unsuspecting catch.

Captain Mask's face molded from a wary guise to a confused wash. He wasn't sure what this man was talking about, nor did he have any intention of finding out, however, if this man just happens to be an evildoer, than that opinion would change. Captain Mask is always on duty, however taking on someone with a supposed interest in a King would prove to be a bit...difficult, most likely. Not every sleazy mugger off the streets dreams of taking on a person with royal authority, however this man may not be a pushover. If anything, he was probably someone with immense strength, and the confidence to even dream of taking on royalty.

How did this situation even come about...it was all so sudden.

Captain Mask had only been in this room for around 10 minutes, but he had been on Pikt for at least an hour. After docking in the port town of Glasenburgh, a cozy little fishing village nestled on the south western area of the archipelago. Captain Mask, Redwood, and their guest, Ms. Venus Jades, had docked the boat and set out to relax after such a grueling series of days. Redwood and Jades both seemed content doing their own thing, however CM had to make sure that they had plenty of food, and decided to make his way to the market area. Since this was a fishing village, he would sure enough be able to find plenty of fresh fish for sale, hopefully for reasonable prices. He also decided to venture out into town in his full hero garb. Though this may seem a bit bold, he believed that the people of the world needed to see the face of Captain Mask no matter where they went. They needed to know that they would be safe. However...they wouldn't feel so safe right now if they knew that their hero was currently being held captive by some ruffians. All CM could remember was a tight grip around his shoulders as he was inspecting a daily special. He was then rushed into a nearby building and tied up into this chair. Ten minutes later and there he was now, still confused and worried.

"I ain't gonna ask again, dome head." The man uttered again, his voice growing more raspy. Through the dark, The Captain could make out that this man was smoking a cigar. It seemed to be a nice one too, since he could notice a small flickering from a gold seal holding it together. This only brought up more questions however. If this man was after a king, but was wealthy enough to afford cigars held together with gold, what did he need to go after the king for? Not for money...for power? Maybe he was a revolutionary?

The masked man knew that in this situation, the best thing he could do is refrain from talking, even if it would cost him more than some wasted ti- THWACK!

Captain Mask was struck by something so hard that it knocked him clean out of his bindings to the chair, and sent him down to the floor. He could feel a sharp pain in the side of his face. What the heck even was that? However he didn't even have time to think as two men that were standing silently behind Captain Mask through him out the door behind him.

The light from outside would have been blinding if not for the visor covering his eyes. Thank goodness for this helmet...wait, there was bigger problems at hand, these guys were going after the King? Who the hell were these guys?! Captain Mask put some pressure to the side of his face, the bruise that would form there wouldn't be pleasant, and the stinging sensation he got from feeling his cheek signified that. CM looked around a bit, making sure the coast was clear, and removed his helmet slightly in order to place his ear up to the door that he was just so recently tossed from. Some people did see him get tossed out, however upon seeing what he was wearing, they passed him off as some sort of zany freak who was thrown out for causing a ruckus. Regardless, he was safe to listen in now.

As he placed his ear upon the cold metal door, he heard two things, the first of appeared to be a separate voice, one that was different from the man that was talking, and didn't sound like the grunts and mocking sounds of the two men who through him out. This voice sounded more...pretentious.

"We have assigned you the simple task of abducting and asking one simple question to the hero that will arrive here in 3 days time. All you must do is ask him what he knows about the King, and then let him go. It is really quite simple, only a fool could mess up something such as this. Do not fail me or my superiors. PM end."

Captain Mask reeled back and pulled his helmet back down snug over his head. Who the hell was PM? What exactly were these people trying to do...and...and...WHO THE HELL IS THE KING? THIS ISLAND ISN'T EVEN RULED BY A KING!

"I...gotta find Redwood."

[Deleted]

"I'm still hungry..." The growling of a stomach followed suit. 

"There's no time for food, we have to find the Cap'n." Rough footsteps hastily shuffled across the pavement.

"...I'm hungry."

"Ugh."

Gripped tight to a surprisingly heavy load, Max's red clad fingers clenched around his mumbling acquaintance as he walked across a busy street in the market district. Their arrival on Pikt had only transpired just moments ago with the memory of the land appearing in his view still fresh in his mind. The chain of islands rising out of the water like the arching backs of a giant snake impressed the lad who only lived on a singular land nearly his whole life. But now wasn't the appropriate time to admire the geography of this archipelago, as there was a dire situation to attend to that could not go unabated in intent: the retrieval of Max's friend and heroic partner, Captain Mask. 

"Whyyyy isn't he back with fooood? I haven't eaten in a goddamn week dude..." Jades' incoherent mumbling rose up to form a complete sentence but was again dashed by the masked man's higher priority. "Like I said before, missy! The Cap's been missing for far longer than one would need to just get some food." He was losing his patience with this one if it hadn't been made clear to her. It was bad enough for Max that he had to find not only his sister but also his friend but now he was burdened with the responsibility to watch over this starving dame which made no sense to him. Back when they had traveled on the seas, she attacked him twice with the second strike surprising even him as he was sure his Logia powers did not vanish for the moment she hit him. Not to mention that Jades was a FULL BLOWN criminal with a bounty on her head! Why on earth did he have to keep her under supervision, one could ask? Though the reasoning was shaky at best, and he had to convince himself otherwise, the logic was that a hero protects those in need...and oh boy, was she in a lot of need.

Vendor after vendor, their shelves of supplies stocked to the brim with freshly prepared goods, all surrounded them on either side as they kept their pace moving onward. The aroma of baked bread wafted through the air while the salty scent of a special selection of salmon swam into their noses. They were beset by nothing but temptation but could not afford to waste a single moment slowing down for a morsel. Well, Max could not afford to do so. The ever so subtle Jades was barely holding onto that state of stupor she called intelligible while the moisture of her mouth dripped down onto the ground below. "Ungggghhhhhhh. Foooooooooood..." Looking back, Max begrudgingly realized that this was the exact reason he was the one who held the responsibility to play caretaker for this pale piratess. Regardless of how he felt about his duties to her, he still felt sore about their confrontation back at sea in the deep, secret chambers of Mask's tiny cabin. That experience had not soothed the way he perceived her which was strange given his peace loving upbringing. What would Grandma say in this situation? he would often inquire of himself. He turned back to steal a single look at the scrunched up mess of skin that was Jades' face. A glimpse of events from times past flashed in his mind and Max sighed with frustration. Not now, Grandma... 

---

Several Days Ago...

"So aren't you going to apologize?" Two innocently tinted eyes, one blue but the other green, stared with caution at her. A dull ringing of pain still resonated in the side of his chest but Redwood assured himself the unwelcome sensation would subside in due time. Even then he couldn't help but rub the area to test its tenderness when suddenly, the wild mistress cackled with glee. "HA. HA. HA. HA. HAH." The boy's eyes were now more alert than ever before. Whatever this insane psycho clown intended to do, she'd have to fight through two heroes. And judging by her poor swimming skills, she wouldn't be soloing these waters anytime soon. Jades twitched in his direction and her gaze froze on his face. Max's body tensed in preparation for another strike as if his body had taken a clue to how obviously dangerous this woman was. Just minutes prior, she managed to attack him even when the woodman had full awareness of her intended action and could have set up a defense. His mind raced with a curious thought, There's no way she should've been able to hit me...Me, a Logia. 

An abrupt bolt of movement from the girl startled the hero and riled up quite the petite gasp. Max cupped his mouth but it was too late to cover up his inner child behind the mask. Jades saw the moment to mess around, "That was cute! No honest! You're just 'adorable', y'know? And funny too! I mean, an apology? Classic comedy right there! HAHAHA!" she guffawed her quips with hearty laughter, an act that normally would be seen as despicable that only confused our masked man. All throughout the parade of banter, Jades contoured her face in ways he had never seen. Her eyes narrowed and widened at a fraction of second, her lips curved in the shapes of words and her head tilted back and forth like a maniacal pendulum. Only one constant thing popped out from the show that kept disturbing him, that horrible smile. "...A-are you alright in the head?...Or are you normally like this?"

"Oh no, I'm totally a nutcase! Yeup! Thank God or Gog or Bob or Pop that you guys saved a wacko like me, huh?! Sure beats drowning to death, ya feel me slick?" She slithered her way over to him with crawling so swift it would leave any baby envious. "Do ya pick up what I'm puttin' down?" She rose her clenched fist in the air and gestured for Max to bump it. ....What the hell happened to her? He had to ask this undeniably important question and have it answered at once. Max had encountered many people in his life, mostly from his home island, and all had been highly diverse in personality but never before had he met such an erratically spontaneous person such as this. Her energy was chaotic and untamed, worse than that of a sugar induced child before bed. And what was really bizarre was the fact that her body oozed of ferocity; she was belligerence incarnate. Yet for some reason, she did not think to strike or attempt to make any move on his life. With an aura so saturated in the arts of the ultra-violence, it was a shock she was so tame in action. And yet, he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling of it all, She's still a criminal...A 31 Million Beri at that...So why isn't she doing anything?..

Ahem, she cleared her throat. "I'm not sorry about hitting you. Twice. I'm not sorry your buddy almost froze to death trying to save me. I'm not sorry that I'm now your responsibility. I'm not sorry and I never will be." Well if that wasn't a reason for Max to throw her overboard then he didn't know what was. But of course, as a hero and soldier of goodness, he had no right to abandon a lost cause and was determined even against his own will to save this wretched little bi- "However..." What was this now? Max's suspicious two eyes were now open with curiosity to this sudden remark. The grin that was plastered on Jades' face the whole time she rambled now melted into a mild frown. "However..." Her eyes drooped and her brows sunk as the lightning blue hues that were staring at his eyes just a second ago pointed at the floor, avoiding his. "...I'm thankful y'all came for me..." 

...What just happened? Jades flared up her eyes with the same crazy passion Max came to hate. "So with that outta the way, you guys got any food? I'm literally starving!"

---

[RK]

The streets were not crowded, however Captain Mask was finding it harder and harder to keep his focus as he scoured around for his partner. This could have possibly been due to the fact that he wasn't exactly sure what was going on, thus his mind was more focused on the people that had abducted him and what they were up to. He could feel the sweat trapped under his mask. It wasn't even really hot outside, the hero was just under a tremendous amount of stress. Not because he was lost, or because of these potential villains, but because he knew that he would have to deal with a foe that was able to take him hostage at the blink of an eye. He didn't even have a chance to object. One moment he was shopping for fish, the next, he was tied to a chair, being interrogated by a strange old man. He was adamant on finding out who the king was, but this country has no king...and who is PM? While these questions might be answered in time, now he needed to find Redwood...Redwood?

"Redwood?" Captain Mask blurted out, he could see his companion walking through the streets with the woman they had rescued a little while ago. Venus Jades, the pirate. He could overhear her pleas for food from the distance he was at, a couple yards away. The armored hero began to feel bad for leaving him with the criminal but, he seemed to be a bit more attached to her now. They may have even become friends.

Probably not but, that wasn't the biggest problem at the moment. Currently, CM needed to rally his partner, and possibly this woman, into helping him figure out just what was going on.

Redwood looked tense, or perhaps just annoyed. A face ripe with anger would be no good in assisting the people. "While I'm not exactly too sure on how your day has been, mine has been crazy." Captain Mask spoke slowly as he walked in closer to his partner in heroism. CM took his scarf and adjusted it, as it had been on improperly since he had been released from capture. "Ok, I was just kidnapped a moment ago, no big deal. The problem is that whoever did it is looking for The King, however...this country has no king." Captain Mask crossed his arms and struck a quizzical expression beneath his helmet. The hero was surely puzzled, though he felt as though he was the best mind in this situation. Jades didn't have the mind of a hero, and Redwood...at least he's a hero, that's all that matters in the end.

"Sorry if I've dumped a lot of info on you at once, but...this could be our next act, we need to stop this guy, or else he's surely gonna do something evil...totally. No crime is too small." CM motioned for Redwood and Jades to follow him back to the place that he had been taken to, perhaps with some better protection, he would be able to look for clues and connections with a bit more ease. Well, he could defend himself but...it was complicated. Captain Mask felt a bit low in that moment, if he needed it to be ready...would it be, could he depend on it. The style he's been working on...one to make him just as strong as any villain, no matter what freakish strength or inhuman powers they may have. Captain Mask would be able to tear them all down.

---

"You sure you boys have all of my gear ready?"

A raspy but demanding voice called out through the halls of a dark room. This man, commanding his two henchmen, was preparing for a little bit of fun. He was sitting in a chair, the same chair that he had used to interrogate a young hero. He was flipping a large knife between his rough, leathery hands. His beard was scraggly and reached down to his chest. Adorned in furs and leathers, he sat patiently as his goons attended to the collection of his "toys." He was quite elderly, but he did not appear to be at all slowed down by the tolls of time. He wasn't exactly muscular, in fact he was quite thin, but by no means frail. He had enough muscle hiding under his skin to wield his toys effectively. Furthermore, he had enough experience and finesse to wield his toys with great skill against any and all who cross his path, though his targets are often a bit more unsuspecting, perhaps even a bit more pure. He liked it better that way.

The man shot up from his chair and looked around the room, the shadows that carpeted the floor crept along in his direction, almost as if they were trying to climb up his legs. It seemed like only a moment ago that he was telling his goons to gather his toys, but it appeared to have been much longer. Looking at the golden wristwatch adorning his left arm, he could see that about 20 minutes had passed. "Gary! Al! You boys get in here with my stuff, we need to head out you rascals!" The man shouted to the other room, where two large, dim looking gents had been playing blackjack for the past 15 minutes. The time when their boss would drift off were the seldom chances they had at some recreation. The two sighed and sat up, dusting off their matching outfits and gathering the assortment of toys. The both wore pitch black shirts and white baggy shorts, along with brown boots. They were both bald and had white skin, just the same as their boss. However, these two were much younger, most likely around 23 years of age each.

The toys had triggers, wires, sharp points and edges, and bullets. They smelled of blood and gunpowder and sweat. Some made of metal and wood, others of threads and weights. truthfully, these were most likely weapons, not toys, a common misconception. The elder gentleman extended a hand outwards and making a low guttural noise, a signal that he used to command his droogs to hand him his favorite weapon. A hunting rifle, adorned with a sleek wooden finish and was kept as shiny as can be. Etched into the side was the name "Keela"

"Oh my dear, sweet Keela...you've been so patient...but don't worry, daddy has a fun day planned. After one week of silence...Monroe Gnash finally bears his fangs."

[Deleted]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}(I've decided to try something different from the split perspectives I did in Heroic Search. Instead of splitting Max and Jades' posts with an {hr] thing, I'm gonna write it all it one post but have the actual narrative point of view from one of them. LIke for instance, Max was the main focus in my last post with Jades being important in this one.)

The pain sharpened. It wasn't necessarily a piercing sensation but more so of a deep, intense aching in the pit of her stomach. And the agony wasn't too kind to just stop there. No, its neighbors had moved on to bigger and better things, afflicting the girl's limbs with a condition of lethargy and soreness, two sensations that plagued her muscles incessantly and were downright testing whatever little patience the vehemently vicious vixen had. Even as she dragged her black leather boots across the tiled stone floor, each step merely drained ounce after ounce of precious energy she needed to keep herself maintained. "Yo Deadwood...I swear on the ash pile that was once my home, if ya don't gemme some grub I'mma have to go medieval on your ass." Jades spoke up coherently for the first time since her food-crazed moaning with a threat on her rescuer's life, a feat that he found left a great deal to be desired. Obviously unfazed by the empty remark, her reluctant companion merely kept marching on with his diligent eyes searching on for his ally and trying their hardest not to make contact with hers. "...You don't need to be so passo aggresso with me, y'know...It's not like I was serious." Suddenly, the explosive prickling of her internal organs signaled to Jades that the lack of nutrients was finally starting to wear out her frail, weak body. Guh! Though this brunette bastard couldn't see it, the pale piratess stuck up an aptly positioned middle finger at the so-called "Hero" whilst directing the tip of her pink yet dehydrated tongue at Redwood's gyrated portrait. ...I hate you so much. She would have continued on tip-toeing her way through the streets when the proclamation that this pirate's partner desperately yearned to hear suddenly came soaring through the air even in the midst of this intensely ardent market place.

"Redwood?"

"Cap'n!" Without warning, Redwood sprinted towards his already approaching acquaintance while an abrupt jerking from the superhuman simpleton nearly tore Jades' poor pale arm right off her shoulder. All that this poor woman could think to articulate as a mental reaction was the following, HOLY MOTHER-SHIN-GODDAM-CRAB CAKE-FUDGING-BEACHES. Though the two Heroes would be unable to see them, the speechless jester's sclera were all but narrow after that unintentional yanking of her arm. Jades stumbled forward, her arm still anchored tightly to the maroon gloved hand of Redwood, much to her chagrin. The burden of her fall now overwhelmed the strength present in her legs and with it she bent the knee to her weakness and continued on descending toward the floor when suddenly, "Whoah there!" A warm maroon hand gently seized the bare side of her pale soft chest, halting her momentum. Huh? Jades looked down, her eyes a foot above the floor and clearly left wide open. When the man in the mask brought her back to a standing position without so much as a scratch, he left her with a message any parent would tell their child. "Mind your feet when walking, okay? It's not safe to daydream in a busy place like this. Oh right, Cap'n! Where ya been?" He turned his cursed countenance back toward the approaching Captain Mask and retrieved that dopy smile she hated so passionately. 

He dragged me...he touched my chest...and he thinks I'm his kid or something? All the meanwhile, Jades could detect some mumbling going off by the long-lost hero on some subject of kings and kidnapped countries. She felt no interest and only seethed in her own silent rage with the grip of her hand growing tighter by the second. "Kidnapped, ya say? That's - ow - insane! I'm glad that - ow - you're alright, buddy! But - ow - yeah let's head - ow - off to - Ow - that pla- OW - that place where they held y- OWCH!?" Apparently the violent vixen's grip was far stronger than she anticipated. Redwood went back to face her with a confused yet frustrated look as if he had had enough of her obnoxious attention grabbing antics for one day. With a smirk, she released the hold and he turned once more to exchange words with his partner. Serves you right, dipshit. Hahaha! It was merely a thought, an internal assessment she had of this fool. Yet, something strange occurred. Unbeknownst to them, Jades laughed aloud in the recesses of her messed up mind. Ah ha ha ha ha hah! The sheer expression of displeasure on the wooden hero's face almost drove her to tears despite it being caused by nothing more than a completely minor and otherwise harmless action. And it was not exaggeration. Indeed, the jolly jester began to leak laughter out her eyes, the curve of her lips sharpening and growing widely so whilst the palm of her free hand struggled to contain a multitude of uproars. It was humorous indeed for a sadist of her caliber to find enjoyment in others' suffering yet this reaction seemed hardly out of hand. And in the back of her mind two questions popped up over and over again, Hehehe, why is this so funny?! And why do I feel so...Warm? A wary finger tapped the blonde's gold plated shoulder.

"Are you...did you think it was that funny?!" Redwood cried out in shock. With nothing else to say and only one thing left to do, the chaotic clown clad in the clothes of compounded colors did what she does best. She shared a scarlet smile separated by whiteness, its blinding brightness beaming shiny and righteous. The void of a fleshy chasm opened up for announcement and the wooden man knew he had made a grave mistake in his question. "Uh hold on, I take it back. It wasn't that funn-"

"YES! YES, IT WAS! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!"

Jades had not the slightest idea what was happening to her, this sudden desire to laugh and the propensity for mischief were both beginning to consume her the same way she wanted to consume a damn cow. This need, this lust for more misconduct had sprung out of nowhere and only now when she had seen pain on the masked moron's face had it manifested. What is this? It feels so familiar. The hunger...for pain...Not mine!...But for them. The world. What is this? Is it just starvation? Is it insanity?...No...Hehehe. Jades' cackles were now spreading through the marketplace and causing other customers to begin darting away from this mysterious maiden. But she cared naught of their shoddy views nor their actual character. She desired only one thing. "Uh...Miss Jades? You're actually kinda scaring everyone...and me a little." She needed only one thing. "Miss Jades?...."

...Chaos reigns. Ha ha ha.