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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac weighed the possibility in his head. If they were able to deal a blow to the League and its coffers in this fashion, there would probably be less chance of Isaac getting dragged into another high-octane slaughterfest through the League's ranks. His cargo trip with Gavin had already gotten out of hand enough.[break][break]

Yet Isaac couldn't help but worry how Ash would respond if they received League pushback.[break][break]

"Alright," he said, his hesitation masked under that usual winning smile. He couldn't keep asking questions. Not here. Not now. Not after the cold reception he'd gotten the last time he'd let his brain wander. "Let's do this."[break][break]

"Far as I can tell, our best shot's trying to find a supply convoy," Isaac said. "Going too deep into enemy territory would be a huge mistake, especially when anything they have there is just getting wheeled to the frontlines anyway."[break][break]

"From there? Either we find a way to sneak bits of it away, bit bit bit, or we hit them with some shock and awe and make off with the whole thing." A swell of Rage Powder and a blinding Blizzard was Isaac's favorite one two combo for this. By the time the two distractions passed, it was all too easy to have the head start. "Either way, we'd better get ready to run. No sense risking our hides sticking around after."[break][break]

"Got any questions? Ideas?"

[break]

[break]

Isaac Merlo[break][break]

NOTES

- OUTFIT & MASK, MUSE[break]
- IC POST: 10MP[break]
- Ash decides to bring Holy Diver for a quick sting to combo with Isaac for Ice.[break]
- But unfortunately, neither have time to truly prepare. A convoy was nearing them as they spoke. Time to hit em hard.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Before Isaac would weigh in on Ash's ideas, voices came down the cavern. They weren't alone here.[break][break]

Isaac was ready just as quickly as Ash was. Taking Ash's wrist, Isaac dragged him behind the corner, taking as rudimentary of cover as he possibly could. From there, he pressed a finger against two Pokeballs to slowly ease them open. Duster and Adrenaline snaked out from their balls in a peal of red light. They were Isaac's usual team for crowd control, and they'd had yet to steer him wrong.[break][break]

"You got Maple, right?" Isaac whispered. "Bring the snow. Then it's showtime."[break][break]

In just 10 quick words, he'd summed up their planning endeavors. Ash would bring the snowscape. Isaac would kick up the first blizzard, then have Adrenaline get everyone hot and bothered. While their raged and confusion opened holes in their defenses, Holy Diver could break through freely.[break][break]

All things considered, they'd be able to grab the caravan and run before anyone knew what was going on.[break][break]

The sound of wheels on stone grew closer and closer. Duster waited in place, his grip on his bone as tight as iron. Adrenaline, seemingly unbothered by the strange circumstances she'd found herself in, just peered curiously up at Isaac and Ash.[break][break]

It would be go time in five minutes, tops. Was Ash ready?

[break]

[break]

Isaac Merlo[break][break]

NOTES

- OUTFIT & MASK, MUSE[break]
- IC POST: 10MP[break]
- Maple is out, and conjures up that snowscape on Ashley's mark. It's going now.[break]
- As Ashley loads his gun, 16 bullets on him, Holy Diver prepares to Aqua Jet the moment Adrenaline makes the move.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Unlike Ash, Isaac was unarmed. Guns weren't his style. Never had been. Never could be. He'd rather keep his hands free to seize the caravan, toss out more Pokeballs at a moment's notice, or put some of those hand to hand skills he'd developed to good use. Worst case scenario, he had Big Dumb Cult Knife to fall back on. It'd make a fine sidearm while Luck & Pluck rested off his bout with Remiel Calcifet.[break][break]

With a swirl of Duster's bone, the gentle Snowscape intensified into a whirlwind. The rear guard learned this the hard way as they tried to direct the caravan to turn around, being rewarded by howling winds and freezing temperatures to the face for their efforts. The Blizzard quickly blew past them, spanning from the rear of the caravan to the front. It swirled around on all sides, a vortex from which there would be no easy escape.[break][break]

How could anyone notice Adrenaline creeping forward in such obstructive conditions? Heavy snowfall blocked out her appearance, leaving little more than a hazy silhouette. Howling winds masked the sound of a mycelium foot atop a soft bed of snow. Her Rage Powder, as she fired it off, looked for all the world like another bout of snowfall.[break][break]

Or, at least, it did until it began to glow an eerie red.[break][break]

Winds whipped the Rage Powder directly into the faces of the caravan's vanguard. Attempts to workshop an escape route quickly turned into arguments over the best path forward, tensions flaring up between the various members of the vanguard. They slung blame around, trying to argue just who was to blame more for this mess. Human voices raised into a cacophony of shouts. Pokemon voices lowered into tense, agitated snarls. If things continued as they were, things would surely come to blows.[break][break]

Luckily, it wouldn't come down to that. With Ash and his Buizel waiting in the wings, Isaac knew it wouldn't be long before they could seize the caravan. "Knock 'em d-" He bit his tongue on the expression of good luck. It just didn't seem right to say. Not like this. Not today. "Break a leg out there, buddy. Y'know. Instead of an arm this time."[break][break]

Better.

[break]

[break]

Isaac Merlo[break][break]

NOTES

- OUTFIT & MASK, MUSE - SHIFTED[break]
- IC POST: 10MP[break]
- Ashley and Holy Diver race in, Holy Diver wave crashing and letting it freeze.[break]
- Ash kneecaps two caravan workers, and threatens them with death to get what they want.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac surveyed the beautiful cacophony of chaos. Being frank, he didn't have much of an issue with violence and mayhem. You step into a warzone, you're gonna get hurt, whether by his hand, by another Rocket's, or by the frenzied flailing of their own enraged allies. It was simply how things needed to be done.[break][break]

He did not expect to hear two warning shots echo through the air. The first was a warning that war had changed. This wasn't just a routine mission, where you kicked up some chaos and retreated with all the goods in tow. This was the real deal. League and Rocket alike, the fights here ended with lives forever changed or even lost. When these skirmishes ended in a quick trip to the medic to get patched up, they were a mercy.[break][break]

The second shot was a warning that his friend, too, had changed.[break][break]

He flashed back to that day on Mt. Pyre. Isaac had impotently threatened to kill paxton concordas's fallen Pokemon in an effort to end their fight without any bloodshed, and it backfired in the worst way possible. It was Ash who pressed the knife to PENELOPE LIVY's throat, and with it added the urgency Isaac's threat lacked.[break][break]

Today, he didn't even wait for the situation to sour. He struck while they held all the cards, shooting first and letting questions come later. Leverage needed force and intent, and Ash was willing to provide those in spades.[break][break]

Maybe it was better this way. Maybe it'd spare them more bloodshed in the long run. Trying to swipe a caravan from right under the nose of a raging mob could've blown up into something much bigger and messier. Was Ash shedding bloodshed in the now to spare more of them later? Or was he simply getting what he wanted, how he wanted it, when he wanted it?[break][break]

In either case, the ease at which he pulled the trigger was imposing.[break][break]

He remembered the ease at which ana fell could order a man's eyes torn right from his head. He wondered if it would ever get easier for him to dish out injuries that there was no coming back from. Even after a year with Rocket, the thought of him left a shudder snaking down his spine.[break][break]

The Rage Powder made this a bumpier road. The incensed caravan workers glared holes through Ash's head like the sights of a dozen snipers. They seemed ready to lash out at any moment, all as their fallen comrades howled out a litany of curses.[break][break]

Isaac took his place by Ash's side, his one-eyed glare matching their own. "You don't want to do this," he said, forcing the deeper, harsher registers of his voice to warp this warning into a threat. "?
Stand down, or there's gonna be worse coming"[break][break]

They had no choice. Grumbling hatefully, the workers began to step away from their caravan. Maybe it was fine. Maybe it was over. Maybe they could just forget about this and come home with a real nice haul.[break][break]

Or maybe someone would feel like being a hero.

[break]

[break]

Isaac Merlo[break][break]

NOTES

- OUTFIT & MASK, MUSE[break]
- IC POST: 10MP[break]
- A 'hero' comes after Isaac with a knife. Ashley disposes of them. Quickly.[break]
- A bullet to the chest, Ash gestures for Isaac to go ahead and steal while he holds them off.[break]
- His eyes are so cold...

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]We.[break][break]

Isaac wanted to protest that. He never wanted any of this. He never wanted these workers to be crippled for life for being in the wrong place at the right time. He never wanted to see someone gunned to death right in front of him.[break][break]

He never wanted to see what little light remained leave his best friend's eyes, as if he was the one dying.[break][break]

But that was the funny thing about silence, wasn't it? While he stood by Ash, and he refused to speak up, then Ash spoke for both of them. It didn't matter how hard he raged against the machine on the inside. If he stayed silent on the outside, he was just accepting how things turned out.[break][break]

Just how much of Isaac's turmoil actually impacted anything?[break][break]

"That's enough," Isaac half-whispered as he went to start unloading the caravan. His Rhyhorn, Rampage, was yoked up for just the occasion. As she came from her Pokeball, Isaac started moving the cargo onto a little platform that had been set up on her back. "They get the hint. Let's just grab the shit and go."[break][break]

He wanted to have Adrenaline stabilize the dying man, but he knew it was already too late. Healing moves, even the enigmatic Pollen Puff, were helpless in the face of large-scale injury like that. If this worker was going to live, then there was only one possibility.[break][break]

"Bring him back to your people," Isaac said, bitterness tinging his voice. Was it a threat or a plea that he tried to speak into existence? "This isn't worth your lives."[break][break]

Then why had he and Ash taken one?

[break]

[break]

Isaac Merlo [break][break]

NOTES

- OUTFIT & MASK, MUSE - SHIFTED[break]
- IC POST: 10MP[break]
- The hero struggles, dropping the knife. They stop moving.[break]
- After listening to Isaac, they begin to pile in... but express the man Ashley just shot has died.[break]
- Ashley is... freaking out.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Ash . . ."[break][break]

His friend's eyes focused on something far, far away. His breathing became tight, sharp, and labored. His face almost seemed to recede into itself as the decision, equal parts enormous and flippant, started to register in his mind.[break][break]

Isaac wished he had any idea what to say. His immediate reaction was to scoop Ash up in his arms how he always did, to hold him tight and try to protect him from the darkness that lurked within. But what the hell good was that even doing? Was he keeping the darkness at bay? Or was he just excusing it, his embrace pushing it deeper and deeper into Ash's heart?[break][break]

At the same time, he couldn't speak for himself. Any time he tried to, his heart threatened to tear itself asunder. How was he supposed to kick his best friend, his confidant and partner, his brother, while he was down? He'd come so close, so dangerously close, to doing so on Mt. Pyre, when he'd been given all the good reason in the world.[break][break]

He knew if he did that, someone he truly loved would be dead.[break][break]

He leaned himself on the same wall Ash did, not moving away but not getting too close either. The most important thing was that, even as he got into these hard truths, he needed to keep looking him in the eye. Somebody had to.[break][break]

"You all say you're trying to protect me." He remembered all the times the topic had been breached with ana fell, over issues both as normal as cohabitation and as twisted as violence. "I appreciate the thought. I really do. But . . . "[break][break]

He eyed the workers as they carried their fallen companion away. He was every bit as faceless and unknown as the legions Cillian Quinn had wiped out. The only difference was that this time, he could stick around for the aftermath. Nobody was expendable. All life was precious. Yet here they were, stripping it away to make taking some fucking boxes easier.[break][break]

"All it's gonna do is give me another pair of eyes to stare into when I go to sleep."[break][break]

Harmony tried her best. She really did. But one Musharna could only eat so many dreams, and more and more were starting to slip through the numbness. He tried his best to compartmentalize. He really did. But no matter how big of a smile he showed the world in his day to day life, it was crushed within Rocket's iron grip the second night fell.[break][break]

"I . . . fuck, man. Is this gonna be all there is for us from now on?" Worry clutched at his chest, tried to strangle the words back into his throat, but he refused to let it win. "We take lives. The League rallies against us harder for it. And we just stay afloat however we can, no matter how many people have to die? Like we're running some kind of fucked-up race?"[break][break]

"Listen to how that sounds, man! Is this seriously what you want for yourself?"

[break]

[break]

Isaac Merlo[break][break]

NOTES

- OUTFIT & MASK, MUSE[break]
- IC POST: 10MP[break]
- Ash appreciates Isaac for not just hugging him and telling him there was a reason.[break]
- A ray of light for him. He states while things might always be this way, he can be better.[break]
- He offers a blood oath. Blood brothers.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]There were times where it would be a necessity. However, Isaac couldn't help but wonder who stood to benefit from beating that fact into the heads of Rocket's members. Was it truly to protect them from the League's reach? Or was it to ensure that, when the dust settled, they only had one place left to turn?[break][break]

There would always be war. If it wasn't with Rocket, it would be with someone else. The League's failings created Rocket, and pressure from these dissenters caused the League to keep escalating. This was what Isaac had always believed. This was what Rocket pushed. Even when the shiny paint scraped off of the idea that Rocket was a better alternative, they could always point at the League and say they were worse.[break][break]

"I'm starting to wonder if we're even right about that," Isaac admitted. "We keep saying there's always gonna be a war. And with all the shit the League does, I get it. I really do. I don't trust 'em one bit. But . . . "[break][break]

"Y'know who does trust them? Walsh."[break][break]

"The end of the world comes, and we don't try to stop their plan. We don't try to come up with a better one. We don't even let it happen and take the easy PR layup. No. We just put a massive target on our heads so he can kick over sandcastles and play with space rocks. Does that sound like a man who thinks the League's a failure to you?"[break][break]

It was the paradox of the Enemy. They were pathetic, feeble, lesser. They were insurmountable and overwhelming. They were to be feared, but also to be scorned. They were everything, and they were nothing.[break][break]

"Who's actually getting anything out of this war? Because it's not the League. And it's sure as hell not any of us."[break][break]

A distant memory passed along his brain of an ice cream hangout with Ruby Garcia and Aurelie Lefevre. There, they mused about the nature of power, and how all the power in Rocket seemed to filter towards one man. How many Grunts did Walsh drag into damnation so he could prop his feet up on their corpses?[break][break]

How far would he drag the League down with him as they foolishly played his game?[break][break]

Ash cut his hand, offered up a shake. In the blood that oozed from his palm, Isaac could see every drop of blood that he shed. He could see every drop of blood that he passively allowed to be shed. He saw every drop of bloodshed that his work indirectly caused. What was once a trickle became a flood, endless only because he refused to take a stand.[break][break]

Isaac took the other side of Ash's hand, worriedly staring down at a wound equal parts shallow and infinite. "I've had enough blood for a day, man," he said, voice heavy with tears he refused to shed. "I just want my brother."

[break]

[break]