Spooooooooky( Soul Gear Holloween Special)

Titus blinks, tilting his head.Kill who?Why? Holding her hand, the boy walks out, glancing around as his eyes shine. So many amazing decorations...He smiles,laughing at a comical mummy hologram, and oohs in wonder at a ghostly orchestra and dance.

It was like...walking with Mia again. Titus was older than she was, but because he had been cooped up for so long he held the same amount of amazement and wonder as he discovered the world around him. Dax might have been right. Titus might be a replacement for Mia. But Naomi loved the things that were different about him too. Like how the little boy was an prodigy fighter when Mia cried over flies being swatted. Or how Titus was just as likely to stand up for someone as Mia was to hide behind Naomi for protection. She loved both kids for their own personalities.

"Titus. Can you poke me and see if I'm squishy?" Naomi asked. "I think I'm going soft."

Titus was examining a interactive panel in front of a house. It looked to be just a mirror..But that was proven false when his image contorts and leaps at him. He yelps, jumping back slightly as his hand shifts slightly, then looks at Noami when she asks if he could poke her.The geared tilts his head, then reaches out, giving her a gentle poke."..You're a little squishy...But not much!"Titus smiles up at her, then examines the bag he'd been given.

( Ah,by way....Ahem....RAWNE-LO-DEAN, YOU HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ONE GEARED WHEN YOU SO CHOOSE!!!...Though if you wish one of your existing carries to be made one, I'd wait till its more logical to gain a Gear.)

Naomi poked herself in the side...she was getting a little squishy. Then she poked herself in the stomache. Nope, rock hard there. Close enough! She took Titus to the next house.

"Now listen Titus. If you see a bowl that says 'Take 1' or 'Take 2' don't feel bad about taking the entire bowl if its late enough at night and no one is watching. Because in the first place, Take 1 what? Take 1 piece? Take 1 bowl? Units of measurement are important." She sounded like Dax. Naomi shuddered.

Titus nods, smiling."OK!!" He was looking toward this...They go up to the house, and a couple open up, dressed in traditional costumes." Happy Halloween, you two!! Aaah, Mettaur Knight! Keeping our city safe?" At the boys nod and holding his bag out, they laugh, reaching into a bowl and dropping  a generous poirtion of candy into it.

Naomi attended Titus as they cleared the house after house. Each time a couple, struck by the particular adorableness of the costume and charmed by the 'moe' practically flowing off of the boy. By the end of the day, when the hours faded darker and the crowd started to thin out, Naomi noticed that Titus's bag (a massive sack that Dax had custom stitched to hold the 'maximum' amount of candy) was nearly full.

"We should head back now." Naomi told Titus, folding the map into her back pocket. "Before it gets dark enough that things start to go bump in the night."

Titus grins happily as he heaves up the bag, staggering slightly.He was nearly ingulfed by the thing.Poor Dax will probably have a hyper geared to look toward dealing with once he got started.The boy looks up at Naomi as she says its time to go home, and a aww slips out. But,then he hears the second part."Things that go bump?" The boy tilts Hus head, then glances around. It did seem to be getting darker..as if shadows were gathering..Suddenly, he's grabbed, his mouth covered as he drops his bag, reaching out to Naomi. "bmf simphr!!"The figure laughs wickedly, cold yellow eyes staring down the Daemon.

" A little cliche...but...boo." Batlike wings jut out, and the reploid is off, Titus's eyes wide in fear as he struggles.As they fly, the Ripper tuts, seeing the boy's hand begin to morph."Oh nonono..can't have that..." He takes his hand off Titus's mouth, ignoring the biting, and pulls out a high tech cuff, locking it around the boys wrist. The hand stabilizes back into its normal form, and he glares at the Reploid."What? One would be excited that you get to go home." 

He smiles at the flinch, then tilts his shadowy head, hearing a communication."Ahh....yes, I have him..hmm? That long? OK, I'll just put him with my batteries. No disrespect, I can't wait to get out of this dump." They head towards a haunted house, entering through a secret passage and going down.The ripper glances down at Fulgur, who was thrashing around, then enters a room, where several other kids were, throwing him inside. The navi breathes in."Away, fear....nothing like it to recharge my batteries...Play nice, hahaha!!" The door slams shut, and Titus sits up. A girl around his age approaches him."Are you ok?" The geared nods.

"They took Titus." Naomi whispered into her coms, having slunk into the shadows when the figure had first appeared. She had forgotten Leela. How had she forgotten Leela?

"They what?" The phone shouted back at her. Naomi covered it with her hand, muffling the noise as the figure dragged Titus away. She would wreak a living h$!! on that man. She would burn the building they were holding him in. When the man was far enough away for her to safely tail, Naomi did so, tracking them all the way back the haunted house. She didn't go inside. Rather she cased the outside.

"Hey Dax." She murmured. "Fix your makeup. You just got promoted from useless maid to singing telegram. And bring Leela."

~*~*~*~*~*

"Why do I have to do this again?" Dax complained, dumping Leela into Naomi's arms.

"It's either this or we have to pretend to be a couple. And I don't wanna be a couple." Naomi sniffed.

Dax sighed. "How many men?"

"Dunno." Naomi replied, absentmindedly prepping Leela into rifle mode. "That's why I called you."

"This better work." Dax threatened.

"It probably won't but it's our best option. Go get 'em tiger."

Dax glared at Naomi, even as he stalked away to the front door. Once there he gave three sharp knocks on the door. Once it opened...well there was a point in life before this moment and a point afterwards...no one could ever go back.

Titus glances around at the other kids. They seemed to have costumes on also. The girl who asked if he was ok smiles at him."I'm Soyni, that's Mark, Velma, and Skonny.What's yours?" Titus blinks, then answers back shyly."Uhm...T-Titus...Inititium...How long?" Skonny snorts, picking at his teeth with the fake knife strapped to his finger."Most a the night...Crazy gears and bolts seems to.." Velma cuts in."...Eat fear."

Bogeyman looks over his mission criteria, then looks up, hearing a knocking."Great..can't they read...its closed..."Sighing, he presses a button,activating the autodoor opening and halograph..What seems to be him greets Dax." Ello, welcome to the Fright Bank..terribly sorry, but were closed."

With a fiendishly happy grin and started his song and dance routine.

"There's a secret lady someone that wants to make you grin, so she sent this cheerful maid to wish you Happy Halloween! In a game of hearts yours or hers she only hopes to win, all she has to say is that she wants back her bright blue haired teen!" Dax cheered, ending the note by throwing an uppercut into the mans jaw.

Naomi stepped out from behind Dax. "That's going on YouTube. Go find Titus, I'll handle this guy."

Dax nodded and ran into the house. The place was a little dusty. All the better. Tracking where the dust was disturbed (and he had told Naomi when she taught it this was a talent he would never use!) Dax managed to find the secret door.

The hologram raises an eyebrow, then blinks as he's uppercutted. How rude...."Ow. My face." The hologram flickers, then fades as Fax runs into the mansion.Bogeyman blinks, then curses, getting up from his station and stalking towards the room. Time to scare up some fear....Inside, the shadows begin flickering, seeming to contort and reach out...The kids crowd together,whimpering, but Titus watches closely. Spotting something, he whips off his helmet, tossing it."ARG, MY NOSE!!!!YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!" The kids flinch, then begin to giggle. His whinyess sounded so..funny."...Tch...." The Bogeyman fads back into shadow...

Something glints above Naomi, then a sythe drops down upon her, a menacing laugh ringing out."He's ours now!!!"

"That's by little brother!" Dax cheered on when he heard a clanging, a curse, and then the laughter of several children. Call it brotherly intuition but Dax knew Titus was in there keeping it real. He analyzed the lock on the door. Hmmm, this seemed worthy of hand cannon status. Getting perpendicular the the lock so that when he fired of a blast it didn't spray down into the cellar where the kids were being held, Dax blasted the lock. It...was intact. He cursed. What was that lock even made of?

Naomi caught the blade of the scythe inbetween her two palms, utilizing her unnatural speed. She then ran a finger along the sharp part of the blade. Not even a drop of blood welled.

"Your blade is pretty dull. Something tells me you have already used this tonight. Guess I'm not the only pissed off guardian." She tossed the scythe to the side dispassionately. "How about you come down here and face me yourself sweetheart."

Titus blinks,hearing a familiar voice."T-That's my big brother!!He's amazing....We'll be out of here s-soon!!"The children cheer, and Titus retrieves his helmet. Turning around, he blinks at the sight of them staring at him, tilting his head curiously."Dude, your hair, and eyes..." The boy gulps, looking down. Did they not like it?"Its cool!! Is it natural?Or dyed?" His head shoots up in surprise, then tilts his head.Dyed?"N-natural..." " Oh, that is awesome, I'm really jealous!" Skonny walks over, examining Titus closer."Sweet..." Velma smiles wryly." Sorry, he's obsessed with Special Effects. You've probably given him ideas."

The Bogeyman blinks, then comes from the shadows slightly.His previously long,needle like protuberance was now folded up like a accordion, metal glinting through the synthflesh."Tch...I may have...lost...the ability to sense your fear, my dear, but I know it's there.Let's see...guardian, huh..."He fades back into the shadows, his voice echoing out."Oh no...you're scared of failing him, losing him..aren't you, human? Oh, he's grown on you, hasn't he? How adorably pathetic.Or is it you're scared of him going bac, then after a few..lessons, returning to completely erase you idiots off the map?Ooooh, I bet its both!!How..." He appears suddenly in front of her."DELIGHTFUL!!!" Razor edged hand sythes come down, hissing like hell snakes.

Naomi stepped back, not surprised by the attack. And enemy didn't fade away unless they were going to be sneaky. Still with her speed, the blade was close enough to slice her abdomen. Not serious thanks to her dodging, but still enough to bleed, she mulled over his words. Was she afraid of Titus leaving? Maybe a little bit. Was she afraid of him being brainwashed? Perhaps. Did she care? Not really. All the fear in the world will prevent nothing. She had here and now to do what was right and do the best that she could. So even if she had those fears, at least she had no regrets.

"Something tells me your a little desperate." Naomi remarked, dropping Leela on the ground in one smooth movement. "And also a little over dramatic. I bet you get off on attention don't you? Well, if I were you, I would be a little careful. If you dig into my brain too deeply you might lose your mind at what you find. I certainly did."

She chuckled, waiting for the boogeyman's next move while Leela booted up. Her new modifications would be quite...interesting in the fight.

Meanwhile Dax smacked the palm of his hand on his head. Why go after the indestructible lock when you can just break the old wooden doors? Duh! Rearing back, Dax shouted for everyone to move away from the doors and then rammed into it. The door splintered beneath the heavy and Dax tumbled down the stairs due to his momentum. He landed in a heap, smiling up at the kids.

"How'd I do?"

( And no worries about the delay, Rawne! Its all good! Say, after you beat bogey, would you like Ace to hop in?)

The Ripper hisses angrily. "I-Im not desperate!! And dramatics are part and parcel of my fighting style! I use fear, after all..."He cackles."But no disagreements on you being crazy!! You'd have to be, to bother going after a little freak like that brat!" A chain whips out, and he fades again, only to strike out from behind.

The kids moved away from the door, and blink as Dax crashes into the room.".....That's a weird costume, dude." Titus pauses, then glomps him."Big brother!!!!" Though he sounded happy, he was shaking slightly. The boy was afraid he wouldn't get to go back home...But its OK, its OK now..