His teeth gritted. it was one of the few responses he was able to make, as his jaw had come out of the punishment more or less intact. He hated this. Hated being a burden. Hated seeing Aubre suffer and struggle. Hated to know that it was because of him, again. All he'd ever wanted was to make amends for his past mistakes, but it was quite evident in this moment that all he had succeeded in doing was dragging her down. He glanced at her face, lips agape as she gasped for air, the desperation and fear in her eyes. He could imagine what she was thinking, that she would never see Mikaela again, or her parents or pokémon. That she would never be happy again. His mind and stomach roiled at the thoughts, and he hung his head, now gray locks falling over his face as the mask slipped off virtually unnoticed.

When they finally reached the elevator his gaze turned up; first to the gleaming automaton wreaking carnage, then to the offal and detritus it was leaving in its wake. The images seared into his mind, not out of revulsion or horror, but shame. Once more he looked at his wife, blue eyes tracing the delicate curve of her face, the sight far more potent than what had come before. He realized why she had become so distant, so torn. This was what she believed him to be; a blood soaked mass murderer, incapable of feeling even as he slaughtered people by the dozens. It was incorrect, of course, but that did little to change the fact. His wife saw him as a monster, and it was for that reason that her every gaze was filled with the fear that she might be next.

The metallic floor shuddered and jolted downwards, moving far, far too slowly for Leon's liking. He knew it would be only a matter of time before the powers that be regrouped; over the past week they had quite ably demonstrated their potency, if not their intelligence. All the worse, in fact. A dumb beast did not know fear, did not know when to halt. All it knew was blind rage and hunger, and it had not the wit to retreat. They would be coming, and soon; he could feel it in his very core.

Unfortunately, when they arrived at the ward below, everyone seemed to scatter, looking for their friends or simply socializing; in the middle of a prison riot aboard and alien installation no less. He was about to protest the delay when he heard his wife's name being called, and his eyes snapped to in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. From his motions he appeared to feel some sort of authority, and from Leon's observations of their interaction it appeared that his chain had manifested into some sort of healing effect. Aubre placed him down as the conversation continued, his brow furrowing as the pain went entirely unnoticed. She knew him, they seemed to be quite familiar with each other. And he had absolutely no clue who Leon was. Likewise he had never seen nor heard of the man before. It seemed quite apparent that Aubre had deliberately never told him; and, perhaps, had deliberately not told him of her marriage. His mind churned again.

Leon barely noticed the manhandling and ministrations of the doctor, so embroiled was he in his own internal struggle. Nevertheless he did notice life beginning to return to his body, flames burning from the inside out as shredded muscles reattached to newly reformed bones. It was excruciating, but he made no indication of it. Instead he merely nodded. "Thanks, Rapunzel." His hackles were raised, and he observed their parting and the man's departure, eyes of ice following his every step until he faded into the crowd once more.

Fortunately, whatever magicks had been worked upon him allowed him to now stand on his own, though his body was still weak and burning within. It was as they all stagged back onto the platform, the rusted metal jerking back into motion, that he realized it was not from the healing, however. His gaze was drawn upwards at the sound if a voice above and, though he could not locate the source, he was quite certain it spelled only trouble. The words spoken were mostly lost through the clamor of explosions, but he could nontheless still feel the collar around his throat tighten in response; and it was now he noticed the throbbing pain within his chest, beating in time to the staccato rhythm of the shells exploding above. It seemed his unwilling binging was taking effect, and the poison was beginning to burn through his veins. But it was more than that. With every shot of the sentinel above, he felt the pain rip through him, as though, unable to redirect the pain of those who it had shielded, it was draining his very life to continue its slaughter. His life, clearly, was not a priority for the creature.

Finally they come to a rest at the bottom of the shaft, just above the wretched pit housing the aliens' pet beastie. The entrance had been blown wider, and indeed there was now an opening even further down, a hole rent into the floor of the chamber. It did not take a genius to determine that the only way forward was down, and with the rest he began the descent, his eyes on Aubre all the way. Unfortunately, his limbs were still weak and fragile, and the poison ripping through him did nothing to aid that. Leon was only partway down when his arms gave way and he slammed to the ground below with a dull thud and a pained grunt. This he pushed aside, however, as there were more important matters to attended to.

Dragging himself to his feet he looked once more for Aubre, immediately moving to her side when he located her. "Come. We have to keep going." Though he rather doubted the next attempt would go any better, descending past the feeding pit seemed to be the only path open to them.

And then, he heard the screeching of the metal gate opening, and he was instantly alerted that the situation was quite immediately dire. "Hurry."

He felt the heat rush into the chamber, the cold, wet air burned away in seconds. The flames licking under the door illuminated their surroundings, showing the water logged mochi and other, more concerning things. Again he pushed these aside, his mind categorizing them as of lesser importance. Though he did not yet known exactly what had been done to the creature, if it even was the same one, he knew what the flames meant for Aubre. He knew that she would not be able cope, to make it on from here. Ever since that night her mind had shut down at even the tiniest spark, and what now emerged from the side chamber was a raging inferno.

For a third time his jaw clenched and he hesitated, not knowing what he could do in this state but knowing that he had to do something. It was then that the automaton flashed into being behind her, its brilliant skin seemingly soaking in the fire as the light reflected off it in permanent symmetry. And then, he knew. Once more Leon stood before Aubre, wreathed in an aura of distant flame as though he were Sauron striding forth. Rather than a mask of black steel, he wore one of calm. Leon smiled at his wife, drinking in her face one more time, before he leaned in and kissed her, pouring all his love and regret into the motion. Pulling back a bit he rested his forehead to her's, eyes closed. "I love you, Aubre. Tell Mikaela the same, and give her a kiss from me." And then the warmth of her body was gone, the metallic creature scooping her into its arms and leaping forth into the pit, carrying her away from the terror to come.

His eyes remained closed a few moments more, before they turned to scan the feeding pit, taking in the clamor as some tried to save or assault their attacker. They turned upwards, searching for some sign of their other doom approaching, but he could see nothing through the darkness and dust. For now, it seemed, they had only to contend with the ogre, small comfort as it was. Realistically they should evade it as there was little chance of it managed to make any meaningful pursuit along the paths open to them. He knew, however, that a significant number would not; there was the 'Dummy Ward', afterall. Part of him felt likewise, none too pleased with having been so frequently assaulted by the beast throughout the week. Returning some portion of that would be rather satisfying. Yet he knew that, one the slim chance any of them survived this, Aubre would not be appreciative of the fact.

Quickly he looked around the chamber, trying to spot something that may be of use, but it was largely barren of anything that might be an aid. The stealth rocks were also an impediment, though fortunately his inability to move with any speed made them rather more easy to dodge. Of the space jellyfish he again knew nothing, but he could nonetheless categorize them as a secondary priority. Had he known of his wife's previous encounter, however, that assessment would have changed dramatically but, alas, it was yet one more thing she had kept from him. Eyeing the beast he can see little beyond the flaming mask, but the flailing tendrils of thorned ivy are just visible as they whip through the inferno. How they managed to keep from igniting themselves he did not know, but it gave him an idea.

Kneeling down he jerked off a piece of bone from one of the scattered skeletons, grunting a bit from the needed force. He stood with the shattered marrow and began to stagger forward, carefully moving around the floating shards of stone as he went. A few times he nearly went to his knees, the stamping of the ogre and storm of attacks directed both at it and the humans a storm it was difficult to resist. Once near the others he stopped, waiting for the proper moment. This close the heat was intense, almost unbearable, but it was something he was once well accustomed to, and discomfort was not hard to push aside. When one of the tendrils lashed out, striking him in the chest and drawing another pained groan, he swiftly grabbed it, his other hand coming down with the jagged bone and severing a portion of the fleshy, grasslike appendage. For a moment he stood still, gasping for breath both due to the blow he'd received and the continuing spread of poison through his body. Once recovered he stummbled forward once more, angling behind it where he came in close. The vine he looped around it's neck like a garrote, and the bone he wound into the length to provide a better grip. The thorns still dug into his palms, but it was now much easier to maintain the hold, especially with the leverage that was provided as he pressed his leg into its back. Once more pushing away the pain, now including the searing as his skin began to cook, he turned to the others nearby, teeth gritted once more. "If you are going to do something then do it. We do not have the luxury of time here." Even if they managed to subdue it, rather than being roasted alive or simply pulped, there was a greater threat looming. If any of them were to survive they needed to flee, as soon as possible, whether the pokémon was with them or not. Though it could, he briefly mused, provide a decent distraction. If any of them made it that far.

⚰︎ divider made by milky!

*@aubremckenna John Sullivan
*Oh no feelings
*Oh no a handsome charming doctor
*Gives Aubre a kiss and a wish, just before she's absconded with
*Is worried about what's coming for them
*Nonetheless tries to aid the relief effort with a bit of stabbing and strangulation
*The defensive aura is now covering those attempting to help the Ogerpon, as well as Aubre
pjgiwnr_

Down....

Down....

Further, and further they descend until they are back into those wretched feeding pits, but he isn't paying attention to anything else anymore, his mind is clear, clearer than it has been in a while. There is someone he is looking for, and its there that he sees her, keeping enemies at bay with her own ability. There is an escape, it's further down, and it's what the voice of Azelf told them to do, or at least he hoped it was Azelf. If it was a trap then everyone who descended was going to be in for another fight at the worst case scenario.

It was still chaos all around him, with everyone sporting their own unique powers it was hard to tell who was doing what. None of that mattered, and he flexed his wings outward, and took off once again. While she wouldn't see it there was a farewell wave to Melody Miro as he left. In another universe, if time allowed he had come to the realization they could have been friends, but that wasn't what happened here. For better or worse they had forcibly severed the ropes that held that bridge up, and the consequences would follow them both well into the future.

Instead he scooped ameena abadi up into his arms, his mask dangling helplessly as he looked down at her.

"Hello my favorite nightmare...." It was a stupid thing to say he knew that, but the conversation they had during that week, had helped him get through it. Whether she knew it or not. "You promised me....Together...." She had kept everything away from her, which is what allowed him to get so close to start with, and without further ado, he dove at top speed down the hole further into the depths towards where Azelf might be.

Fresh blood still coated his wing from where he had sliced into the flesh of Munkidori, coating the metallic feathers red, and it did give him an eerie appearance, but all that mattered was focusing on what was in front of them. They had to free Azelf, and in doing so he would free Draco....Erebus....Stryker....Princess....Lerneaus.....Falak.....

A fresh wave of rage washed over him as he thought about it, and that kept him going for this moment. He hadn't been broken yet, and with the help of the woman in his arms, they would tear through everything, and rip this so called Never-Rot asunder.

No one would take his treasures from him again....

_9XwxeXX

TLDR
Main Action: Amor yoinks ameena abadi into his arms (I got Ghosts permission), and dives down the hole with her as fast as his wings will carry him!
Amor thinks about things, and is ready to throw hands at the boss! GIVE ME THE MUSIC!
Laments that he and Melody Miro could have been friends if they both weren't absolute bitches to each other!
WE MUST SAVE MY FAMILY!

Toxic Chain Ability - Archangel's Wings - Amor's desire for freedom, and revenge along with Azelf's will gave birth to this set of Metallic wings that possess the ability to allow him to fly. The feathers on the wings are as sharp as a sword, and are able to cut through flesh like butter.

Having skipped the mochi, Ettie was hungry - and as she licked her lips, tasted the blood she had spilt from the megalopolan beneath her... There was a part of her that wanted more. To take another bite. The person - the body beneath her was not a packmate, after all. It had been an enemy - to be killed, for the pack's safety - but now it was simply meat. It would be a waste, if she just left this body to rot.

But, Cassandra Kubrick 's voice would draw her attention before she went any further. As Ettie glances to her, the child's gaze is equal parts wild and sharp at first - as if assessing her next target... But Ettie near-immediately recognizes that Cass is a wardmate, which prompts the child's expression to soften, becoming friendlier. "Ettie is okay." She responds, her smile warm yet bloody, tongue briefly flicking over her sharp teeth. "Ettie protects pack."

It seemed there wasn't any time to sate her hunger, though. The ward - her pack - was moving, and she'd soon abandon the body to move with them to the elevator. That was okay. There'd be another chance for prey, she was sure.

As she arrived at the elevator and Andrea Vaneau wipes at her mouth - praising her - Ettie giggles. She briefly grasps the older woman's arm to nuzzle her palm. "Ettie protects pack! Will always bite." Ettie states, grinning widely to her. This was something that she clearly took pride in. "We find rest-pack. Then we hunt."

But, to find the pack, they must first go below - to the depths. The Feeding Pits are not a pleasant sight - nor is what comes out to meet them. Ogerpon is a sight met with equal parts sympathy and wariness - but the Nihilego make her growl on instinct, lips curling back to display her teeth.

As Cass says that 'they're below', though, Ettie blinks - glances to her... And it doesn't take much for it to click that 'they' must be the pokemon. Their packmates. Upon being addressed, her response this time around is much more serious - but still loyal. "Ettie follows." She states firmly, moving alongside Cass. "We find rest-pack. Then we help."

Glancing to Thea Naito and Knight Naito , she says "Stay with pack. Be safe. Will come back." before she departs.

But, as the two of them move to the tube, there is something else that catches Ettie's eye - and her nose. She had noticed the change in skincolor, the change in the other's eyes - but as the pup inhales deeply, briefly sniffing Cass, there is something... different in her scent, too. Something that draws only one thing to mind - and she does not hesitate to speak her thoughts. "Friend is sick."

(A lot of people here were starting to look and smell as though they were sick.)

Ettie's instinct would be to tell her and the others to rest. But there was no safe place to rest here - there was only forward. So, instead, she simply states "Is okay. Ettie goes first. Will protect."

Cutting in front of Cassandra, Ettie jumps in - using her claws to help moderate how quickly she descends. And all the while, she keys in on her hearing and smell, to try and anticipate what may meet them at the other end.

“Mr. Sl– Howard,” Grigori sputtered out. Through the commotion, pain, realizations, awful poisons, and everything in between, the grunt found the admin. His mask stayed fixed to his face, and the toxic chain covered his torso like a towel. As if it tried to hide the massive man, and it failed as one would expect.

The lack of honorific also drove him up the elevator, but there could be absolutely no connection between him and this man. Even if neither were suspected Rockets, the thought terrified him. It pushed past every other feeling present and somehow dominated his mind space. “You’re safe. Alive.”

Both of them, and even that one Laurence Whateley from all that time ago. He’d need to be blind to not notice the doctor. “... So, what happens–”

Several sounds behind him draw his ragged attention. Then, his eyes widened. They were back at the mochi pit. Where he was pushed around, abused, and fought the green creature trapped alongside them. Except now, they were bathed in a mask of flame and smoke and ash. Several Nihilego joined them, and chaos once again threatened to erupt.

“Howard… I will ensure that stays so,” he called behind his shoulder. As everyone surged from the lift, Grigori did the same. Not for himself, but for those who couldn’t hope to fight back. There was a gurgle in his throat, a snarl. Even with the poison that surged through his veins, he pressed on. Forward, toward the Ogerpon–

Except, of course, for jayden cross . His eyes filled with tears from the uncomfortable heat, and he blinked. When his eyes opened, he was back in the garage. Only a few dim lights shone from above, and the grunts of a pained man sounded out.

Instinctively, he looked down. ■■■■ wasn’t there. Slowly, his gaze shifted to the side. Across the shop, there were two figures. Another copy of him, and a figure that lie on the ground. ■■■■. ■■■■!

“Stop, stop, DON’T!”

He rushed forward, and raised his hands. His fingers interlocked, and he brought both hands sideways. Even if it took all his strength, all his energy, there could not be a repeat of the past. This nightmare would end a different way, with ■■■■ still alive. “I WON'T–”

The lights flickered. Reality and fiction juxtaposed horrifically. First, it was Ogerpon and Andrea Vaneau . Then, annalise henderson and jayden cross . Then back to himself and ■■■■. Annalise and Andrea. Grigori and Jayden. Ogerpon and ■■■■. Was he about to make as horrific a mistake, or absolve his karmic debt in full? It was impossible to tell, when not even the real world wanted to humor him with the gift of certainty.

Yet his arms swung with all his weight, into whomever stood over the other. A hammer was he, and his sole purpose to hit the nail. He could know no other fate, for it would render him worthless.

Rocket did not allow those deemed worthless. Neither did the universe, in all her karmic justice.

---

Tl;dr

 - Hello Mr. Howard, there seems to be a problem in the prison

 - When he sees the dangers that stand in front of the group, goes forward to help fight the good fight

 - Except that one jayden cross guy makes him experience his worst nightmare

 - Goes to stop 'himself', but when he gets close reality goes all wonky and he doesn't know who he is trying to hit anymore

 - Hits them anyway, like a boss (evil, despicaple man)

 - Goodbye Annalise

 - Main Action: Something Else (Attacking ANNALISE GRRR BARK BARK BARK)

TOXIC CHAIN ABILITY: GO-GO GADGET DEFENSE HAND

- Acts like, well, a hand
- Protects, but does not attack. Parries, deflects, prevents, the whole nine defensive yards

SurZBAqG
Also Badly Poisoned (Oof ouch owie my blood vessels)