Day 4 ☀ Digging through my own muscles for a clue

[savior_n_black]

Who: Ichigo ( savior_n_black ), Shiro ( holeheart ), Rukia snowwhitesoul ) AND POSSIBLY MORE LATER?
What: Ichigo, and Shiro's powers finally force them to merge back into a single soul.
When: Day 4, early
Where: Middle of the city
Warnings: Language, violence, minor body horror?

Comments

[savior_n_black]

No, this is Ichigo being stupidly optimistic, and trusting. But, then again, this guy did just pull a real life kamikaze run at trying to help them win that fight. Is it really so surprising Ichigo would be skidding to a halt at the bottom of the crater, and trying to pry crumbling pieces of that flying machine apart just to get to Rinzler?

Oi! Can you hear me?

Once again setting his sword aside, Ichigo had to duck down under the piece of a wing, and shove at the broken bit of machine ( which turned mostly to those weird, glowing cubes in his hands ) to clear a better path to Rinzler.

You are crazy, man. Completely mental.

But whether or not it's a good idea, Ichigo is still carefully trying to look the program over for any obvious signs of injury. They couldn't stay here, he knew. That explosion would draw attention, and soon.

Are you hurt? Do you think you can move? Come on, take my hand.

Because if you are hurt, he's carrying you out, mister. Issues, or no issues. Ichigo is odd in his ideas of allies, and enemies. He'll fight tooth and nail one minute, then protect that very same opponent the next if he feels justified.
Crouched, and cramped under the wreckage of the jet, Ichigo extends his hand to Rinzler, hoping the guy hadn't just gotten himself killed pulling that stunt.

[notglitching]

This is bad. The user's coming, and he can't move. Rinzler tries to twist, jerk away, get up, focus his remaining energy on action, but he's too slow, his own control still fragmented and weak. The user's there, and the program's processing spikes with useless panic as the unstable remnants of the jet derezz on contact. He has to move, has to be able to move-when he's not, when he's weak (trapped), he's-

...

Rinzler doesn't understand.

He stares at the offered hand, the words echoing strangely through his processing. The black helmet raises unsteadily, fixes on the user. Not... not yet, then.

Hands clench on the ground as the program slowly gathers his limbs under him, shakily tries to push up, stand. His whole body feels edged, code shaken and disrupted by the impact-not to derezz, or even specific damage-but brittle instability. He's lucky, he supposes. This kind of damage can stabilize, given time. And it seems the user will give him that.

(It doesn't make sense.)

[savior_n_black]

The user will give more than that. Pushing at the unstable pieces of machine clear ( only to have them shatter into more of those weird cubes ) Ichigo doesn't even think about it; he just grabs Rinzler's upper arm to steady him, so the program could get out of the wreckage.

Can you walk? Come on, we can't stay here.

Oh, this doesn't change the fact that Ichigo still felt he, and Rinzler have 'Unfinished Business', but he wouldn't leave anyone, not even someone like Rinzler, hurt, and alone in the middle of this nightmare world.
He knows Shiro is watching, too, so it only takes a glance of exhausted, but determined brown eyes meeting gold to say it all; He just helped us. I won't leave him behind.

[holeheart]

Shiro has been sitting on the edge of the crater, the damaged area that the crash had left. His usual smile is replaced with a very Ichigo-like scowl. Irritated, as usual, with Ichigo's goddamn selflessness... He could be such an idiot sometimes! And Shiro was obligated to help him in his endeavors of righteousness, even if he didn't really agree.

Because he cared about Ichigo. Dammit.

When Ichigo's eyes meet his, Shiro only keeps the connection long enough to get the message. Then he rolls his eyes and slides into the damaged area, claws steadying him on the uneven ground. But he'll help. He won't like it, but he will. He grabs Rinzler by the bicep and "helps" by yanking him out of the wreckage. "We can't linger. Those thing'sll find us."

[notglitching]

The user. Grabbed him.

Rinzler freezes.

There's a jarring conflict-new conflict-running through his processing, knowledge and memory catching against his shaken efforts at control. No one touches him. Except in combat, except with attempts to trap, derezz, break. And except for Clu.

(He hates Clu.)

But no, this isn't-isn't that. Rinzler still tenses with a sudden desperation, ticking rattle stuttering rough, uneven-no sound, but harsh vibration through form and contact. He wants his disks in his grip, not docked, not within reach of touch and use (change). He wants to be away, alone, not weak.

The hollow's grab almost helps-it hurts. A quick tug, and he stumbles up, out of the derezzing wreck, unstable voxels shifting with a multitude of tiny stabbing pains. But Rinzler's used to pain, knows what to do with it, and his focus sharpens, normalizes fractionally. Threats. Yes. They need to move. (He needs to be able to move). The program gives an unsteady nod, tries to pull away. He can stand. (Probably.)

[savior_n_black]

Yeah. Not buying that, Rinzler. You're flickering colors all over the place, and just stood up from what looks like a plane crash. But, he's upright, so Ichigo retrieves his sword, and nods toward the intersection.

Come on. Shiro, see if you can sense anything stronger to eat along the way. We're heading for the beach.

Looking Rinzler over one more time, Ichigo sighs, and jerks his head to the side in a gesture meant for Rinzler to follow.

I don't know what you're looking for out here, but we've got a friend who needs us. You can stick with us until you find what you're looking for.

[holeheart]

Shiro lets go once Rinzler is on his feet, giving him a once over. He can't help but wonder about that continuous fizzling between two colors; magma orange and ice blue. What did it mean, exactly? Did it mean anything? He didn't know, and he didn't... really want to ask. He was sure he wouldn't get an answer anyway.

Putting his sword back over his back, the Hollow scrabbles out of the wreckage and dusts off his white clothing.

"Got it. What's at the beach?"

[notglitching]

Rinzler visibly relaxes as the hands fall away-then tenses unsteadily as overtaxed subroutines struggle to keep him on his feet. The program tips, braces, and stays up through sheer force of will. He's pretty sure that's what it is. He certainly doesn't have his balance algorithms under control, and any hope of redistributing power is going to have to wait until his systems figure out exactly how they're holding him together.

Still. Standing. This is better. He's beginning to think about walking as the next priority when the words register.

...He doesn't know what he's looking for.

The program shakes his head uncertainly. He's not sure where he should be going. What he should be fighting (for). And he's definitely not sure he should be slowing down these two while his systems reset. They have somewhere to go. Someone to find.

(A purpose.)

[savior_n_black]

Lior is on the beach.

With Ace. And Ichigo was dearly hoping that what he'd seen on the PORTALS about that was somehow mistaken. They still needed to get to her, and to help her.
...But Ichigo wasn't going to leave Rinzler behind like this. The program is tensing, and all but swaying on his feet, so Ichigo frowned. Tightened his grip on his sword. And then grabbed one of Rinzler's wrists to loop the programs arm around his own shoulders.

You just kamikazi-crashed into the street, and if you're not going to take that damn helmet off, I can't tell if you've got a concussion. So come on. We'll go together.

And when Rinzler seemed a little more steady, and aware of both himself, and his surroundings, Ichigo would let the program go off to do whatever it is he was trying to do in the midst of this nightmare world.

[holeheart]

Oh.

Right.

Shiro had almost forgotten. He stops, balks really, as he remembers what he saw on the Portal. What he felt. He shakes his head.

R-right...

They needed to check on her. They needed to see if it was for real, or some horrible dream.

Shiro is clambering around on all fours, sniffing at the ground for traces of large food items... he would need them, it seemed like, especially with Ichigo giving himself the handicap of carrying that broken Program around. Maybe they should take him to the clinic? But dammit... that was a few blocks the OPPOSITE way from the beach. Shiro just hisses and continues sniffing.

Ichigo could be so stupid, sometimes.

[notglitching]

He's-again.

Rinzler sees it coming this time, and the panic's less overwhelming. He still twitches unhappily as he's grabbed, silent rumble uneven and discomforted. He doesn't like this-the contact, the uselessness. If he'd known what the hollow was thinking, Rinzler would be in utter agreement. Ichigo shouldn't be doing this.

But he's not able to argue. The program stares sideways, gives an ineffectual tug to get loose, and (mostly) resigns himself to being helped. He hesitates, an edge of quiet unease (fear) twisting through his processing-then shuts down most of his nonessentials.

Combat function and external awareness drop, hastening the reset and leaving power for basic motion and diagnostics. He hates it-feels blind and defenseless while held (trapped), at a time more than any other he needs to move, fight. But he'd be equally useless in battle while barely able to stand. And worse than that if they decide to hurt him. The best he can do at the moment is work to restore function-and be as little burden as possible while doing so.

Rinzler hates being weak.

[savior_n_black]

Ichigo knows the feeling, and hates to be 'helped' himself. But it's far more expedient to do things this way. When the program tries to pull his arm away again, Ichigo scowls, and just hefts Rinzler's wight more securely.

Oi, don't make a fuss, or else I really WILL pick you up, and carry you.

Princess style, and everything. So deal with being half-held, half-dragged up the sides of the crater to Shiro's current scenting of the air.

I'd say take you to the Clinic, too, but I don't think it would help you.

Being that, you know, Rinzler wasn't flesh, and blood, and sure as hell did not have the sort of reiatsu that Ichigo was used to sensing. Rukia had spoken a little bit about the concept of 'Programs' through her friendship with Quorra...but Ichigo rather doubted the guy who fixed Quorra's code would be willing to help Rinzler in any way shape or form.
For now, they'd take him along, heading for the beach, and figure out what to do later.

[holeheart]

Keh. You wouldn't REALLY carry him, would you? How embarrassing.

Shiro rolls his eyes, still trying to scent out something. But the smell of blood, and a strange smell like burning silicon, is keeping him from smelling anything too specific. So he just stands back up and jerks his thumb.

I can't smell anything except that crashed machine. Let's head towards the beach.

The dead snake nearby gets another chunk of meat and the attached bone ripped out of it for the road. And with that, he starts walking in that direction, eating the chunk of meat slowly as he walks.

If he slows us down, we're leaving him.

[notglitching]

In Rinzler's opinion, this is bad enough. Really, being left would be far preferable.

But he doesn't resist as the user gets him up, out of the crash area. No point wasting energy-particularly not when it would delay restoring function. Though basic sensory perception is still running, the program's focus is largely inward: diagnostics, regulation, activity fading dark before resetting, realigning. It's not an issue of derezz, just instability. Misalignment. And repair won't come quickly, but as the initial shock fades, things should normalize somewhat.

Some sensation's returning already, internal awareness steadying dimly. From sensation to control. To being able to move, act. Fight.

He needs that.

[savior_n_black]

If he slows us down, you go on ahead.

Not being mean, but Shiro is the one going on about how he, and Ichigo are the same. If Ichigo was slowed down a bit by helping out someone else, then he trusted Shiro to get to the beach faster. And to take care of Lior.
But, now that they're clear of the crash sight, Ichigo is doing his best to avoid the rubble of buildings, and places where the street itself had been broken open.

Damn, a two way turn. Ichigo frowns, then takes the left street? Man this was easier to navigate from above. It's narrow here, and a streetlight that was long since shattered leaves hardly any light to see by at all.

...It might account for the webbing put up between the crumbling remains of the buildings actually.

Shit.

Well, from locusts to walking straight into a spider nest. Hundreds of eyes looked out at them from the shadowed alley ways, and more still from the crumbling remains of buildings. From left to right the long hissing call went up, and several of the 'smaller' ( relatively speaking since a motorcycle is smaller than a mack truck ) spiders were skittering down over the rubble.

[holeheart]

You're an idiot. I'm not leaving you. I WILL leave him.

Shiro wasn't going to leave Ichigo behind, after all. For Ichigo's protection... and for his own. If he had to, he would grab Ichigo and run, leaving that damn gimpy program.

The Hollow alternates between running in front of them, and taking up the rear.

Dammit! Ichigo! We gotta split, we can't take these guys! There's too goddamn many!

Leave the program and run! Shiro grabs a hold of Ichigo's arm and yanks him in the opposite direction. Come on! Please!