Apologies left their place at the tip of the redhead's tongue, not forgotten but simply pushed aside in favor of disbelief for now. Klavier didn't sound convinced, but Junior certainly trusted his younger brother's intuition. What's more, Nigredo had known it before he did. Then again, things were severed on his end, so of course Nigredo would find out first.
"What!?" he demanded, the disbelief on his face dissolving to anger, though Junior tried not to sound so outraged that he'd frighten his brother. "What do you mean!? How do you--" know for sure, was what he had planned on finishing it with, but he already knew that answer, so the question died in this throat.
With Nigredo, of all people, in such a state, he should have attempted to better school his attitude, to at least make it seem like he had things under control and that everything would be okay. But maturity and stoicism were Nigredo's thing in just about every other situation they'd encountered in life.
If he thought about it, it was the oddest situation. The three of them had always had conflicts, but Albedo had always seemed particularly hateful of Nigredo, especially here. He'd already attacked him here, several times if his twin's bulletin message was to be believed. Albedo had even made an additional threat on his life, but Nigredo was still worried, almost even more worried than Junior was supposed to be.
The redhead should have felt bad for it, but Nigredo had said gone, not dead. They didn't know what happened to people who went missing here, but for Albedo there was no way those two things could be one and the same. That was something Junior should know far too well, having learned it over a span of more years than either of the other two would understand.
So instead, the anger dissolved again to something sterner. They knew him as Rubedo, so he'd be Rubedo for now, which meant he had a role to fulfill. "Pull yourself together, Nigredo," he ordered with a sigh. "He won't go down so easily. Besides, there's nowhere he could vanish to that I couldn't find him and drag him back."
The 'link' to Albedo? What was that supposed to mean? Judging by Rubedo's reaction, the other brother didn't seem to know much more than Klavier himself did. But it seemed like the redhead was willing to push aside the whys and hows in favor of trying to get Nigredo back on track, a wise move.
Though honestly, Klavier was a tad bit baffled here for other reasons. Despite what logic might have said, the concern was perhaps warranted (though to this degree was a bit strange) being that they were all brothers in the end. Love for a sibling wasn't something that was so easily ignored. But between these two, Klavier had expected a bit more sentiment, not Rubedo talking to the other like a parent. It kind of reminded him of--
Erm, anyway. Rubedo hadn't made a move so Klavier held a hand out to help Nigredo up off the floor, nodding in agreement with Rubedo's statement with a slight smile. Of course, he understood how boys could be and figured he likely wouldn't take the offer, but either way, it would likely encourage him to pick himself up. This was no time for anyone to panic. Though Klavier still had the feeling he was missing something here, he agreed that if any person was taken anywhere, they would all do everything in their power to get them back. He might not like Albedo at all, but that didn't mean he wanted the boy dead (or worse).
If they lacked the details, Nigredo would enlighten them. Normally. If the missing connection had not pushed past his limits, he might have shared precisely what he meant by "gone" and all the consequences associated with the sentiment. An absent U.R.T.V. could still be traced back in the link; even that disaster had retained the connection between himself and his brothers. Being brought here hadn't changed this arrangement. They could stifle their presence, block out the others, but they couldn't...
Nigredo sighed at the anger Rubedo displayed and drew inward, as if readying himself to stand. "Like he never existed," was all that was managed. He wish he knew what that meant. He wish he could tell his brother nothing about this was so straightforward, but it appeared Rubedo would keep to his logic.
Attention went to Klavier. The hand offered was a surprise and a memory, and Nigredo stared much longer than intended before shaking a head. Slowly, he inched his own toward it and allowed the man to pull him up. The child's weight matched his frame; Klavier should find no obstacles in the effort.
Except once settled, Nigredo suddenly froze in his grasp, breath catching on the inhale. Green light sparked along the boy's irises--sign of connections reviving--and he turned his head away from the two, sight fixed on a point beyond the room. Fear rose quickly before dispersing, to be replaced by an expression of one entranced.
Junior certainly knew what that sort of gap in the link felt like, but it didn't mean Albedo was gone. That whole Testament thing had shot down that idea pretty quickly. So he shook his head at what Nigredo had said. "It doesn't mean anything," he replied firmly while Klavier helped the other boy up. "His waveform can't completely disappear like that. Not without..." Something he wasn't going to give a voice to.
Just as well that his words died in his throat, because he heard the gasp and saw his brother staring back towards the room. Just spacing out wasn't exactly something he was prone to, so maybe he'd found Albedo along the link? The redhead had a horrible, nagging feeling about it, like there was something that he should recognize that his brother already was, but it seemed too far away for the moment. "Nigredo?"
Oh, yes. Klavier was most certainly missing something here, and that fact was more than a little irritating. Having people talk over his head wasn't something he was the least bit accustomed to, let alone with children involved. But what Rubedo had just said somewhat tied everything together to a certain extent. He had spoken with Nigredo about this 'waveform' concept before; something about all conscious life having some kind of emanating waveform which could be manipulated in various ways. He still wasn't fully accustomed to this idea, but he understood the theory behind it.
Judging from what they were saying, did that mean it was possible to... sense a waveform and track it? The concept wasn't a terribly new one; there were certain types of 'psychics' who claimed to be able to do such things as well. Aura Readers, was it? So Nigredo was saying he couldn't sense... Albedo's general aura anymore? Hmn. He wasn't a big fan of this paranormal theory concept, but he could see why Nigredo would grow concerned over such a thing.
Suddenly, Nigredo's eyes seemed to illuminate for just a moment, and the child quickly turned his head to face... nothing. This was probably a good thing since the glowing eyes phenomenon somewhat startled him. It was like something out of a science fiction movie and was surprisingly disturbing in real life.
Pushing that aside, however, and focusing on the child's reaction, it wasn't very hard to figure out what had just happened. It was the exact same response one had when they suddenly heard an unexpected sound... only there had been no sound in this case. Was he 'sensing' something? Albedo? The child would probably look relieved if that were the case. Something else then? "...What is it?"
The link had reformed in the space of a heartbeat--instantaneous to Nigredo, who never recalled such a feat to be possible. There were, however, several aspects off about it: the path was lined with a bright haze, violet and magenta like a brother's eyes, mixed with a danger he couldn't voice. And when he neared its end, the boy thought he heard an echo of a song. Two elements never expected to become so familiar, so intimately associated with what he had supposed was the end.
With a snap, he pulled back to the others, sparks dying in his eyes. "U-DO. The Song." Klavier shouldn't know the terms (and what poor timing to hear them now), but Rubedo should have picked up the same. The fact that he had not nagged at the younger variant. "There is an infected unit in this building."
U-DO? Yeah, the redhead supposed that the ominous feeling did sort of have that same feel to it, though there was no way he could pinpoint an exact location just yet. But he wasn't hearing the Song. How was Nigredo picking that up? There was only one other unit at all in this building, and he'd been infected, so was it really...?
Junior groaned, loudly. They should have been done with this! Especially here, where they didn't need to worry about the Zohar or their damn father or any of that crap! He wanted to just say it wasn't their problem and move on, but it was. Even if he'd had all his anti-U-DO powers stripped and didn't even have his normal weapons to use, it was more their problem than anyone else's. Letting an infected unit run free was extremely dangerous, especially if the Song was playing.
"Dammit." He scuffed at the ground with one foot. "Can you tell where? We've gotta follow it." Even though after last night, he was in no shape to be fighting, but there was also a growing twinge of desire for that fight against the unit and against U-DO. Even if that sword of his that Nigredo probably still had was the only decent weapon, he still wanted to fight. Then Junior looked back over at Klavier, giving him a half-smile for an apology. "You don't have to come along if you don't want to. It'll be pretty dangerous."
Just as Klavier thought he was starting to follow the conversation, it took a turn for the increasingly bizarre. U-DO? A song? ...Infected unit? They'd lost him completely again. He frowned, concentrating hard to hear any hint if distant music, but even he wasn't picking anything up. Even if he could hear this song -- U-DO, was it? -- how exactly did that warrant Rubedo's harsh reaction to the news? He didn't see why any sort of music would be a bad thing or what it had to do with something getting infected.
He didn't return Rubedo's smile, instead looking between slightly confused and concerned. This was something dangerous? Well then, logically it made more sense for Klavier to stay here and have the children run head first into it... Sigh.
"If it's that dangerous, you two shouldn't be going either," he answered bluntly. "What is this? You want to follow a song? How exactly is that...?" He stopped himself. If he started asking hows and whys they were likely going to get frustrated very quickly, considering both of their anxious states. There would be time for explanations later. "I would rather none of us go, but if you plan to head out anyway, I'm not letting you go alone."
A brave child was the most reckless thing in the world. If they were purposely heading into something potentially dangerous, he would rather someone be there to stop them from running in and doing something stupid. Even if it meant forcibly yanking them out of the room. This was not a game. It was far too easy to get oneself killed here.
They probably lacked the strength for a psych-link. They probably had no way of fighting the unit except with what was available. And Nigredo knew who it was. Never had he been more opposed to his brother's decision than now.
Rubedo, however, was still the leader, in a capacity that had been their own for their entire life. Opposition was not the youngest's place to push. "Yes," answered Nigredo, who broke away from the pair to his closet. Its door opened with a sharp crack, and he began reaching in. "He's not very far."
In the midst of searching, he glanced warily at Klavier; the man's comment required addressing. "This is not a normal song," he said quietly. "The Song of Nephilim is a waveform. Only a few people are able to hear it, but anyone who comes into prolonged contact may fall into madness." Originating from a device their father had warned against, developed by the man who fell to his death.
Nigredo sighed at the memory and pulled back. In his hand was Rubedo's sword. "U-DO is the dangerous phenomenon I told you about," he continued. "For that alone, you shouldn't come with us."
Junior raised an eyebrow at Nigredo's comment about U-DO, but nodded along with it anyway. He'd told Klavier about that? Well, guess it wouldn't hurt to know about if they were going to go fight it, but it made him wonder what else his brother had mentioned.
"I don't want to hurt him, so we can't neutralize it the way we normally would. But if it's who I think it is, he can regenerate, so we can at least keep him distracted and minimize the destruction." But he needed to make sure it was really Albedo first. He'd be the most obvious target to take whatever his twin could deal out, and knew Albedo would probably jump at the chance to may him pay for running off.
Albedo's threat came back to the forefront of his mind, and Junior almost wanted to call the whole thing off. He couldn't let Nigredo get attacked by it, not while he had no real way to fight back. He fixed a stern look at Klavier, a back-up plan starting to form in his mind. He'd need the sword that Nigredo had pulled out, definitely, but maybe it'd be better to let one of them have it. "We at least have an idea of what we're dealing with. You can survive the nights here, Old Man, but U-DO's something completely different. If you want to come along, will you stay back when I tell you to?" Will you take my brother and run?
Okay, let's get things straight here. The anti-consciousness radiation they were cloned in order to fight (U-DO) was now somehow in the building, infecting something, and was emitting some kind of music that few could hear but it was capable of driving people insane from the wavelengths alone if exposed to it for too long. ...This. Was. Ridiculous. And Rubedo only confused things further. You see, Klavier was pretty sure they had been talking about 'U-DO' here, but now with the regeneration comment, it sounded like the redhead was referring Albedo instead. Wasn't Albedo supposedly missing? What did he have to do with any of--
Minimize the destruction. The phenomenon that causes madness. 'Infected.' ...Oh no.
He finally understood what was going on. These were all ideas Nigredo had explained only this morning regarding the accident with his brother, the one Albedo was willing to kill over. They were saying this 'wavelength aura infection' had taken the boy over again and he was going into some kind of destructive episode, something on a grander scale than the boy's demonstration in the Sun Room. Fantastic.
And this was what they wanted to charge into? Klavier didn't have the slightest idea what Albedo was capable of when in an unstable state, and frankly, he didn't want to know. Worse yet was he wasn't sure what it was these two were thinking of doing once they got there. The large blade Nigredo produced from the closet, however, answered that.
He stared, wide-eyed with shock, at the large weapon Nigredo was holding so nonchalantly. And just what was that supposed to be for?! Rubedo did just say they had no intention of hurting Albedo, correct? "...Distract him how exactly?" he said deadpan, still eying the blade. "He's your brother. I will back off if you're talking or reasoning with him... But I'm not going to sit back and just watch while any of you fight." He looked incredibly disturbed, yet stern. "If it gets dangerous, we should all back away..."
"I know." Neutralization was no goal. No option either as even now, Nigredo could feel the bonds tighten against his own waveform. No doubt the same applied to Rubedo. They were restrained, in more than one sense of the word.
The part which recognized the Executioner beneath hummed in relief.
With an air of business, he drew the blade across the width of his body before offering the handle to Rubedo. His attention, however, shifted to Klavier. And his remarkably naive statement. "Don't be ridiculous," Nigredo shot back, lacking his earlier and much childish traits. "Would you rather we risk the lives of everyone else for our safety? For some brotherly obligation? If there was an alternative, don't you think we would have taken it?" What luxuries did this man have in his world to believe such an incident could be avoided with mere words? He shook his head, quiet exasperation shining through the gesture.
Then, he stopped. Focus turned again to the space beyond the wall, a violent tinge coloring the edge of his mental space. The words that followed might have affected the youngest--in which way, only he knew--but Nigredo maintained that signature calm. Duty, it seemed, kept the anxiety in check.
Junior took the blade with a quiet word of gratitude while Nigredo spoke to Klavier, testing the weight of the sword in his hand. It'd be difficult to swing with only one good arm, but he'd have to try, or else tear up those shoulder muscles even more. He had to envy Blondie for growing up with a lifestyle where this sort of thing was frowned on and not necessary. He really hated thinking of it like that, but there was no other way to justify it.
"I'll keep that in mind," Junior added, frowning. "It's not like I want it to turn into a fight." Then again, he doubted he could keep a cool head when it came to Albedo and the maddening desire to fight U-DO. Klavier was bound to get himself seriously hurt if he tried to interfere, so Junior had to get him to stay back or leave before that happened.
"But Nigredo's right. If we don't do something, other people'll get hurt. It's because he's our brother that we have to do something about it."
"I know," he said, blunt. He probably sounded like he was starting to get exasperated, but he was trying hard to mask how deeply this conversation was cutting into him. There was certainly no doubt Klavier understood their point. Neither of them could possibly realize just how much he fully empathized. "I'm not saying he shouldn't be stopped. Considering Albedo, it would be far too dangerous to leave him be. But..."
He frowned at both, still eying the weapon with blatant disapproval. Okay, fine. So Albedo had some kind of radiation/music waveforms or some such that might harm Klavier if he was around it for too long. And considering the way these two were acting, neither would be affected as he would be. So, unfortunately, he had to accept the fact that, should Albedo lash out, these two kids were the best candidates for subduing Albedo safely. He hated the thought, but he would have to accept that. No, what he really disapproved of was the fact that both - or Nigredo at least - seemed resolved in just solving this with a brawl, which was different from 'containing' or stopping him. If one was simply planning to stop someone, they wouldn't need a sword.
Why do they even have that thing anyway? How could they possibly consider even carrying it around? Did they realize how severe things could get if they actually tried to use it? Klavier kept back an irritated sigh and maintained his stern expression. He really did believe Rubedo when he said he didn't want this to turn violent, but still, this general attitude between them wasn't very encouraging.
"It's too early to say there are no alternative options. If he can be talked down or distracted some other way, there is no reason not to pursue other methods. Even if it comes down to subduing him, it doesn't mean everyone has to try ripping each other apart." That last part was said flatly, more like a sarcastic exaggeration rather than what he thought would really happen. Though with the blade in hand, something might end up happening if they decide to be stupid.
Some part in Albedo's answer hardly sat well with the youngest. Unfortunately, Nigredo could only shrug off the words and form no response. Silence was really the best he could pursue at this point.
Instead, he returned to Klavier, something untraceable in his face. "You have a point," said Nigredo. A good point, something of an ideal. Nothing he could say he did not want. He trailed off at the end, as though preparing for offer a clarifying counterpoint. The child, however, remained silent.
The redhead was starting to get just as frustrated as Klavier was sounding. It was like Blondie understood the basics, but there was so much more he was missing, all because he had no clue what kind of world they came from. Albedo's violent streak tended to know little bounds, rarely leaving them an alternative option.
Maybe it was just his own more recent experiences speaking, because there was a time when that wouldn't have happened, at least not once he and Nigredo tried to stop his twin. Now, however, Junior thought it better to prepare for the worst case scenario and try to open a path to one of these alternative options, instead. If (or rather when) he attacked, the redhead didn't want to be caught off guard. Particularly here, a fight with their anti-existence could mean their death. He was not going to let that happen.
But before he could shoot back another argument that would undoubtedly be heard but not understood, Nigredo spoke up. It was a quick sentence, with no real explanation, but Junior couldn't really argue after that. "Whatever you say, Old Man," he finally said, waving it off. "You'll just have to see what we're talking about for yourself." Now wasn't the time for arguing. Though he did still need to apologize to Nigredo, but if they could hang back while they moved, then that'd all work out without wasting too much time. Or so he hoped.
"Klavier, can you take point until we get to the end of the block? After that, Nigredo, you'll lead us to wherever Albedo is. After that...we just have to hope he listens." Unlikely, came a cynical thought in the back of his mind, but he shook his head and focused instead on the current mission. "If we're all ready, then let's move out!"
"What!?" he demanded, the disbelief on his face dissolving to anger, though Junior tried not to sound so outraged that he'd frighten his brother. "What do you mean!? How do you--" know for sure, was what he had planned on finishing it with, but he already knew that answer, so the question died in this throat.
With Nigredo, of all people, in such a state, he should have attempted to better school his attitude, to at least make it seem like he had things under control and that everything would be okay. But maturity and stoicism were Nigredo's thing in just about every other situation they'd encountered in life.
If he thought about it, it was the oddest situation. The three of them had always had conflicts, but Albedo had always seemed particularly hateful of Nigredo, especially here. He'd already attacked him here, several times if his twin's bulletin message was to be believed. Albedo had even made an additional threat on his life, but Nigredo was still worried, almost even more worried than Junior was supposed to be.
The redhead should have felt bad for it, but Nigredo had said gone, not dead. They didn't know what happened to people who went missing here, but for Albedo there was no way those two things could be one and the same. That was something Junior should know far too well, having learned it over a span of more years than either of the other two would understand.
So instead, the anger dissolved again to something sterner. They knew him as Rubedo, so he'd be Rubedo for now, which meant he had a role to fulfill. "Pull yourself together, Nigredo," he ordered with a sigh. "He won't go down so easily. Besides, there's nowhere he could vanish to that I couldn't find him and drag him back."
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Though honestly, Klavier was a tad bit baffled here for other reasons. Despite what logic might have said, the concern was perhaps warranted (though to this degree was a bit strange) being that they were all brothers in the end. Love for a sibling wasn't something that was so easily ignored. But between these two, Klavier had expected a bit more sentiment, not Rubedo talking to the other like a parent. It kind of reminded him of--
Erm, anyway. Rubedo hadn't made a move so Klavier held a hand out to help Nigredo up off the floor, nodding in agreement with Rubedo's statement with a slight smile. Of course, he understood how boys could be and figured he likely wouldn't take the offer, but either way, it would likely encourage him to pick himself up. This was no time for anyone to panic. Though Klavier still had the feeling he was missing something here, he agreed that if any person was taken anywhere, they would all do everything in their power to get them back. He might not like Albedo at all, but that didn't mean he wanted the boy dead (or worse).
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Nigredo sighed at the anger Rubedo displayed and drew inward, as if readying himself to stand. "Like he never existed," was all that was managed. He wish he knew what that meant. He wish he could tell his brother nothing about this was so straightforward, but it appeared Rubedo would keep to his logic.
Attention went to Klavier. The hand offered was a surprise and a memory, and Nigredo stared much longer than intended before shaking a head. Slowly, he inched his own toward it and allowed the man to pull him up. The child's weight matched his frame; Klavier should find no obstacles in the effort.
Except once settled, Nigredo suddenly froze in his grasp, breath catching on the inhale. Green light sparked along the boy's irises--sign of connections reviving--and he turned his head away from the two, sight fixed on a point beyond the room. Fear rose quickly before dispersing, to be replaced by an expression of one entranced.
He had, in the end, been wrong.
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Just as well that his words died in his throat, because he heard the gasp and saw his brother staring back towards the room. Just spacing out wasn't exactly something he was prone to, so maybe he'd found Albedo along the link? The redhead had a horrible, nagging feeling about it, like there was something that he should recognize that his brother already was, but it seemed too far away for the moment. "Nigredo?"
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Judging from what they were saying, did that mean it was possible to... sense a waveform and track it? The concept wasn't a terribly new one; there were certain types of 'psychics' who claimed to be able to do such things as well. Aura Readers, was it? So Nigredo was saying he couldn't sense... Albedo's general aura anymore? Hmn. He wasn't a big fan of this paranormal theory concept, but he could see why Nigredo would grow concerned over such a thing.
Suddenly, Nigredo's eyes seemed to illuminate for just a moment, and the child quickly turned his head to face... nothing. This was probably a good thing since the glowing eyes phenomenon somewhat startled him. It was like something out of a science fiction movie and was surprisingly disturbing in real life.
Pushing that aside, however, and focusing on the child's reaction, it wasn't very hard to figure out what had just happened. It was the exact same response one had when they suddenly heard an unexpected sound... only there had been no sound in this case. Was he 'sensing' something? Albedo? The child would probably look relieved if that were the case. Something else then? "...What is it?"
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The link had reformed in the space of a heartbeat--instantaneous to Nigredo, who never recalled such a feat to be possible. There were, however, several aspects off about it: the path was lined with a bright haze, violet and magenta like a brother's eyes, mixed with a danger he couldn't voice. And when he neared its end, the boy thought he heard an echo of a song. Two elements never expected to become so familiar, so intimately associated with what he had supposed was the end.
With a snap, he pulled back to the others, sparks dying in his eyes. "U-DO. The Song." Klavier shouldn't know the terms (and what poor timing to hear them now), but Rubedo should have picked up the same. The fact that he had not nagged at the younger variant. "There is an infected unit in this building."
No guess as to whom, of course.
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Junior groaned, loudly. They should have been done with this! Especially here, where they didn't need to worry about the Zohar or their damn father or any of that crap! He wanted to just say it wasn't their problem and move on, but it was. Even if he'd had all his anti-U-DO powers stripped and didn't even have his normal weapons to use, it was more their problem than anyone else's. Letting an infected unit run free was extremely dangerous, especially if the Song was playing.
"Dammit." He scuffed at the ground with one foot. "Can you tell where? We've gotta follow it." Even though after last night, he was in no shape to be fighting, but there was also a growing twinge of desire for that fight against the unit and against U-DO. Even if that sword of his that Nigredo probably still had was the only decent weapon, he still wanted to fight. Then Junior looked back over at Klavier, giving him a half-smile for an apology. "You don't have to come along if you don't want to. It'll be pretty dangerous."
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He didn't return Rubedo's smile, instead looking between slightly confused and concerned. This was something dangerous? Well then, logically it made more sense for Klavier to stay here and have the children run head first into it... Sigh.
"If it's that dangerous, you two shouldn't be going either," he answered bluntly. "What is this? You want to follow a song? How exactly is that...?" He stopped himself. If he started asking hows and whys they were likely going to get frustrated very quickly, considering both of their anxious states. There would be time for explanations later. "I would rather none of us go, but if you plan to head out anyway, I'm not letting you go alone."
A brave child was the most reckless thing in the world. If they were purposely heading into something potentially dangerous, he would rather someone be there to stop them from running in and doing something stupid. Even if it meant forcibly yanking them out of the room. This was not a game. It was far too easy to get oneself killed here.
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Rubedo, however, was still the leader, in a capacity that had been their own for their entire life. Opposition was not the youngest's place to push. "Yes," answered Nigredo, who broke away from the pair to his closet. Its door opened with a sharp crack, and he began reaching in. "He's not very far."
In the midst of searching, he glanced warily at Klavier; the man's comment required addressing. "This is not a normal song," he said quietly. "The Song of Nephilim is a waveform. Only a few people are able to hear it, but anyone who comes into prolonged contact may fall into madness." Originating from a device their father had warned against, developed by the man who fell to his death.
Nigredo sighed at the memory and pulled back. In his hand was Rubedo's sword. "U-DO is the dangerous phenomenon I told you about," he continued. "For that alone, you shouldn't come with us."
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"I don't want to hurt him, so we can't neutralize it the way we normally would. But if it's who I think it is, he can regenerate, so we can at least keep him distracted and minimize the destruction." But he needed to make sure it was really Albedo first. He'd be the most obvious target to take whatever his twin could deal out, and knew Albedo would probably jump at the chance to may him pay for running off.
Albedo's threat came back to the forefront of his mind, and Junior almost wanted to call the whole thing off. He couldn't let Nigredo get attacked by it, not while he had no real way to fight back. He fixed a stern look at Klavier, a back-up plan starting to form in his mind. He'd need the sword that Nigredo had pulled out, definitely, but maybe it'd be better to let one of them have it. "We at least have an idea of what we're dealing with. You can survive the nights here, Old Man, but U-DO's something completely different. If you want to come along, will you stay back when I tell you to?" Will you take my brother and run?
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Minimize the destruction. The phenomenon that causes madness. 'Infected.' ...Oh no.
He finally understood what was going on. These were all ideas Nigredo had explained only this morning regarding the accident with his brother, the one Albedo was willing to kill over. They were saying this 'wavelength aura infection' had taken the boy over again and he was going into some kind of destructive episode, something on a grander scale than the boy's demonstration in the Sun Room. Fantastic.
And this was what they wanted to charge into? Klavier didn't have the slightest idea what Albedo was capable of when in an unstable state, and frankly, he didn't want to know. Worse yet was he wasn't sure what it was these two were thinking of doing once they got there. The large blade Nigredo produced from the closet, however, answered that.
He stared, wide-eyed with shock, at the large weapon Nigredo was holding so nonchalantly. And just what was that supposed to be for?! Rubedo did just say they had no intention of hurting Albedo, correct? "...Distract him how exactly?" he said deadpan, still eying the blade. "He's your brother. I will back off if you're talking or reasoning with him... But I'm not going to sit back and just watch while any of you fight." He looked incredibly disturbed, yet stern. "If it gets dangerous, we should all back away..."
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The part which recognized the Executioner beneath hummed in relief.
With an air of business, he drew the blade across the width of his body before offering the handle to Rubedo. His attention, however, shifted to Klavier. And his remarkably naive statement. "Don't be ridiculous," Nigredo shot back, lacking his earlier and much childish traits. "Would you rather we risk the lives of everyone else for our safety? For some brotherly obligation? If there was an alternative, don't you think we would have taken it?" What luxuries did this man have in his world to believe such an incident could be avoided with mere words? He shook his head, quiet exasperation shining through the gesture.
Then, he stopped. Focus turned again to the space beyond the wall, a violent tinge coloring the edge of his mental space. The words that followed might have affected the youngest--in which way, only he knew--but Nigredo maintained that signature calm. Duty, it seemed, kept the anxiety in check.
{Tell me where you are.}
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"I'll keep that in mind," Junior added, frowning. "It's not like I want it to turn into a fight." Then again, he doubted he could keep a cool head when it came to Albedo and the maddening desire to fight U-DO. Klavier was bound to get himself seriously hurt if he tried to interfere, so Junior had to get him to stay back or leave before that happened.
"But Nigredo's right. If we don't do something, other people'll get hurt. It's because he's our brother that we have to do something about it."
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He frowned at both, still eying the weapon with blatant disapproval. Okay, fine. So Albedo had some kind of radiation/music waveforms or some such that might harm Klavier if he was around it for too long. And considering the way these two were acting, neither would be affected as he would be. So, unfortunately, he had to accept the fact that, should Albedo lash out, these two kids were the best candidates for subduing Albedo safely. He hated the thought, but he would have to accept that. No, what he really disapproved of was the fact that both - or Nigredo at least - seemed resolved in just solving this with a brawl, which was different from 'containing' or stopping him. If one was simply planning to stop someone, they wouldn't need a sword.
Why do they even have that thing anyway? How could they possibly consider even carrying it around? Did they realize how severe things could get if they actually tried to use it? Klavier kept back an irritated sigh and maintained his stern expression. He really did believe Rubedo when he said he didn't want this to turn violent, but still, this general attitude between them wasn't very encouraging.
"It's too early to say there are no alternative options. If he can be talked down or distracted some other way, there is no reason not to pursue other methods. Even if it comes down to subduing him, it doesn't mean everyone has to try ripping each other apart." That last part was said flatly, more like a sarcastic exaggeration rather than what he thought would really happen. Though with the blade in hand, something might end up happening if they decide to be stupid.
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Instead, he returned to Klavier, something untraceable in his face. "You have a point," said Nigredo. A good point, something of an ideal. Nothing he could say he did not want. He trailed off at the end, as though preparing for offer a clarifying counterpoint. The child, however, remained silent.
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Maybe it was just his own more recent experiences speaking, because there was a time when that wouldn't have happened, at least not once he and Nigredo tried to stop his twin. Now, however, Junior thought it better to prepare for the worst case scenario and try to open a path to one of these alternative options, instead. If (or rather when) he attacked, the redhead didn't want to be caught off guard. Particularly here, a fight with their anti-existence could mean their death. He was not going to let that happen.
But before he could shoot back another argument that would undoubtedly be heard but not understood, Nigredo spoke up. It was a quick sentence, with no real explanation, but Junior couldn't really argue after that. "Whatever you say, Old Man," he finally said, waving it off. "You'll just have to see what we're talking about for yourself." Now wasn't the time for arguing. Though he did still need to apologize to Nigredo, but if they could hang back while they moved, then that'd all work out without wasting too much time. Or so he hoped.
"Klavier, can you take point until we get to the end of the block? After that, Nigredo, you'll lead us to wherever Albedo is. After that...we just have to hope he listens." Unlikely, came a cynical thought in the back of his mind, but he shook his head and focused instead on the current mission. "If we're all ready, then let's move out!"
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