Charon and Hadi had returned to the study, where Dolion had arranged to meet them after the rally. Charon likely would have enjoyed staying around after his grand speech, but Hadi wanted nothing more than to retire for the day. After the chanting had starting to die down Leona urged both boys off the stage and out one of the back doors, where they found themselves in a recognisable section of the underground facility. As they were heading out they heard Dolion begin to talk to the crowd again, but Hadi was already making his way to the study when Charon started to pitch the idea of staying to listen. Reluctantly the other boy followed, managing to grab a spare change of clothing from one of the storage rooms and changing into them once out of his true form. They were loose and droopy, and made of stained rags, but since it was far better than being stark naked he didn't complain. Once they'd entered the study, Hadi immediately collapsed onto a chair and let out an exasperated sigh. Charon expected him to talk but he seemed somewhat lost in his own thoughts, so instead decided to lounge across one of the couches. A rare silence fell between them, and for the first time in a while neither knew what the other was thinking. After what felt like hours Hadi spoke, looking across the room at Charon "Are we going to discuss this?" "You tell me." Charon responded almost right away, looking up at the ceiling as his head leaned back against the armrest "You're the one who practically ran away from the rally in a panic." "I wasn't in a panic." Hadi defended, frowning in distaste "And I seem to remember it being you who started all that Zuro shit. I just didn't want to be around when the rally ended." As he spoke Charon's head turned to face him, a look of irritated disbelief on his features. "Listen Hadi, standing on a stage in silence isn't how you lead a fucking revolution." He said, an aggressive tone lining the words towards his brother. "I didn't ask to lead it." Hadi replied absentmindedly, which is when Charon shot to an upwards sitting position on the couch "But you agreed to! You knew what was being asked of you and you went forward with your training anyway!" "I was a child back then." Hadi muttered, looking down at the floor as he ran his hands through his hair and kept them there "It's bigger than I realised. It's too much, Charon, I can't do it. It doesn't feel right, I can't just make it feel right." Charon watched his brother for a second, then walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking down at him "Relax, Hadi. You're not alone. You're the face of the revolution, yeah, but all that means is you inspire hope in the rest of them. I'll be by your side, we'll tackle everything together. You can do what's expected of you. The only person who doubts that is you." Hadi looked up and met Charon's gaze for a second, opening his mouth to respond, but at that very minute the door to the study opened and Dolion glanced between both sons "My boys. Walk with me."
Dolion walked down one of the wide corridors, with Charon and Hadi on either side of him. The twins had to actively slow their pace in order to not pull ahead of their father, but both waited and watched him patiently in anticipation of what he had to tell them. Eventually he cleared his throat, yet still didn't turn to look at them. "I'm proud." He said gruffly, causing both boy's eyes to widen in surprise. Praise from their father was rare, and it was strange that it was the first thing that came out his mouth. "Thank you, father." They both said in accidental unison, though Dolion hardly seemed to even hear them. "I'm proud to see what you have become, Hadi. Your skills with your powers have reached heights I never thought you would ever achieve. There is no one more suited to carry the honour you do - to bear the name Zuro, as your brother put it." Hadi smiled slightly as his father spared a glance at him, though underneath it was filled with a bitterness that he could not escape. Despite receiving praise, he felt the exact same way he did up on the stage. Charon didn't notice the way his brother was feeling at that moment, as his gaze had fallen down to the ground in hearing Hadi's praise. He was used to it, of course, but at this time it felt almost patronising considering his father wanted him to be dragged along. He was so caught up in his irritation that he almost missed what his father said. "And you, Charon. I feel I could not be prouder of how you have turned out." Dolion said, still looking forward as though there were some unseen obstacles along the smooth obalk floors that may be out to get him. "I'm sorry, father?" Charon said on impulse, not quite believing what he was hearing. "You heard me boy, do not ponder any ulterior meaning behind my words." Dolion chided, while Charon simply stared at him in half shock. He quickly gathered his wits though, not wanting to give his father any words to revoke his statement "I don't understand. Why all of a sudden? You know as well I as do that you've never given me a hint of appreciation my entire life." Dolion looked at Charon, a feigned look of offence on his face "I wanted you to achieve your goals for your own reasons." "Bullshit." His father watched him for a second, then let out a small, almost silent sigh "Its pointless to try and deceive you at the stage you're at in life. I had no hopes for you Charon, is that what you wanted to hear? I set you up to fail from the start. Yes, you were red skinned but that hardly meant anything to me. All I needed was Hadi, he was enough for the revolution to go ahead, you were simply a tag along. A drifter, who's fate was undecided but had a predictable futility lining it." Charon stared at Dolion, his fist clenching at his side, and even Hadi looked somewhat shocked at what was coming out of his father's mouth "Old man, you're fucking-" "But that's different now." Dolion didn't seem the least bit threatened by Charon, still walking at the same pace he always had been "The dedication you've displayed - the drive you've had to become the best despite knowing the futility. That is what I am most impressed with. And so, I wished for you to stand on a podium equal to Hadi, not below him. That's what happened at the rally, yet you still-" "I still gave all the glory to him." Charon finished, unclenching his fist and instead shoving his hands in his pockets heavily "I won't be deceived by any pretence that I'm as useful to the resistance as he is. But trust me, father, I will be recognised in my own way. By you, and by the resistance." "Yes...I believe that is what I am beginning to understand." Dolion said, with yet again the small fragments of a smile finding their way onto his face. Hadi looked at him, seeing the way he actually, genuinely did seem proud, as well as Charon positively glowing beside him, with his own sense of pride and righteousness exuding from him. All his life he'd aimed for his father's respect, yet it seemed like such a faraway goal in his later years that it'd become much less prominent. Now that he was receiving it, he had a full renewal of hope and faith, which would likely fuel his efforts in whatever came next in life. The three of them turned a corner, finding Leona standing in front of a lone, walled off staircase at the end of the corridor with two black, long cases beside her. She wore the basic, bronzed armour Charon and Hadi had only ever seen her in, a full body set with a large spiked shoulder plate and a circle of jewels contained within to serve as a symbol of her importance in the resistance. Having been entirely engrossed in the conversation, Hadi and Charon failed to notice that Dolion had led them to a section of the underground base they'd never once stepped foot in, yet both of them had already guessed exactly where the staircase left. "Father, why have you taken us here?" Hadi said in disbelief, staring at the staircase as though it itself was intimidating him "Surely you don't mean to-..." He seemed almost unable to finish the sentence, like the thought he was trying to verbalise was almost unspeakable. "Cease your blubbering like a fool. Did you think the day would never come that I would show you the world above? How do you suppose we fight a war while holed up in these despicable caves I wonder?" Dolion kept walking as Hadi locked eyes with Charon, seeing his brother was just as surprised as he was though much less vocal about it. They knew they'd have to leave the caves eventually of course but neither suspected that it would be this soon, or that their father would take them without so much as a word of warning. Their father reached Leona, then said a few quiet words to her before she nodded and picked up the cases, holding them in her arms carefully and patiently as Dolion turned back to his sons "Come, we have much to discuss." With that he turned and began to ascend the stairs, Leona flashing the twins a single emotionless glance before following close behind him. "This is it, Charon. What we've been waiting for." Hadi said, unable to hide the almost child-like excitement in his voice. "You and I have been waiting for very different things, Hadi. Don't get too attached to what you're about to see. We're fighting to get rid of this world and create a better one in its place, remember?" Charon told him almost condescendingly, before heading up the stairs too. Hadi's expression faltered slightly, before he inhaled deeply and walked after his brother.
The stairway was far from wide, walls on either side of it. Hadi didn't want to imagine what it must've been like trying to get all the people that were at the rally through it, and likely back out again. Maybe there were other entrances he didn't know about - it seemed likely considering how impractical this one was. He and Charon quickly caught up with their particularly slow moving father and his faithful companion, staying quiet as they walked for a further five minutes before a hatch came into view. Without much tact and surprisingly uncaringly, Dolion threw open the hatch and hurried out, followed by Leona, then the twins hurriedly rushing out behind them. Fresh air hit them like an avalanche. They'd never even considered that there would be a difference between overworld air and that from the underground, but as its pristine coolness washed over them it was impossible to ignore the distinct change. Both men looked around in every direction, with Charon simply taking it all in emotionlessly while Hadi wore his disappointment clear on his face. He'd expected there to be more...well, anything. The barren wasteland before them was nothing like what he'd imagined, or read about in any of the books they'd been given. The pale orange ground seemed to almost crinkle beneath their feet, slight cracks clearly forming in its surface. There wasn't nothing, Hadi had to admit it to himself. The land formation varied, a few hills being seen in the distance and plenty of rocks and different strange coloured plants dotted around the place, but he'd pictured seeing some sort of civilisation. The idea seemed almost stupid to him now, however. If there were anything like that in the vicinity, he surely would've heard something due to being directly underneath it. It also made sense that Dolion would take them to such a secluded place, given the important of what was going on there and the secrecy of their identities. Thinking this, he quickly subdued his disappointment and instead looked at his father curiously. "Allow me to sit, my sons." He said to them, walking over to a fairly large orange boulder and sitting down with very slight assistance from Leona. The twins moved over to him, watched as Leona set the cases down beside their father. Dolion waited a minute, trying to decide where to start off, before finding a suitable point and looking from son to son "I've showed enough praise for one day I think. Instead of continuing to flatter you, I'll tell you outright what your efforts have earned. The rebellion wasn't gathered here today on a whim, whispers will get out soon so our plans are starting as soon as possible. Tomorrow you two are to report to Leona's training grounds where your mission will be laid out for you in detail." Hadi and Charon's faces both lit up, looking at their father in further disbelief. "We're going on an actual mission? Outside of the underground?" Hadi asked, to which Dolion replied with a mere nod. "As I was saying. I wish to tell you of exactly what the mission will consist of - tomorrow will simply serve to refine your knowledge of everything I tell you. Both of you will fly South-" he pointed in the direction and both men looked, despite obviously not seeing anything "-for six days, escorting Leona and certain equipment with you. After those six days you will stop at a certain point and continue on foot for a further three days until you reach the city above ground. Once there Leona will take you to one of our associates, who will give you a further briefing and afterwards you will both commandeer a Foalk, the only mode of transport used around the planet. Once it has been hijacked Leona shall take control and set it on a different course than its intended one. It will end up in a secret section of one of the largest structures in the city, and it is there that your true mission will begin." Dolion quietened, giving his sons the time to process all the information he was telling them. "Father, please continue." Charon said, caught up in how intently he was listening to Dolion "We can keep up with what you're saying - we want to hear more." "Very well. Once there you shall apprehend a man who is of great importance to our plans - a Sage. If he resists you may use force, but if he dies...ours plans will be ruined. And your death will quickly follow." Charon let out a small snort of laughter, assuming Dolion was kidding despite his entirely serious and sullen expression, but Hadi was not so convinced of the matter. "Along with him, there are a few items that must be acquired." Dolion went on, ensuring both sons were still giving him their upmost attention "An artefact - a piece of jewellery - and a number of different books too. As I said you'll be briefed on the appearance of these and where you'll find them tomorrow. After that, the Sage is to be taken back here with haste, along with the items, and with that your mission shall be finished. I have no doubt that it will be a complete success. You won't disappoint me, either of you." He seemed incredibly sure of the fact, which filled both boys with another small sense of pride. "Father, what is the meaning of the things we're acquiring?" Hadi asked curiously, always the one to be sceptical and cautious "The Sage, and the items. What is the resistance's end goals with them?" Dolion set his jaw from side to side a few times, judging in his mind whether or not to reveal his plans to the twins. Eventually he let out a small exhale, his expression final "I'm afraid the greater details will take far too long to go through. Know that it is of great importance though - The Sage is linked directly to the powers we hope to acquire for our people. That is why his safety is crucial. The books simply hold the knowledge we need to carry out this final task, and the artefact..." He paused, taking the time to choose his words very carefully "Its purpose will be revealed further down the line. But handle it with extreme care. It is likely the most precious good you will ever carry." Hadi and Charon both gave small nods of understanding, before Dolion lifted up one of the cases and placed it on his lap. "I have gone to the liberty of obtaining these to assist you during the mission. Hadi." He looked at his son, watching as the man walked towards him at the mention of his name. Without any further explanation Dolion opened the case, revealing a red padding inside with a blade set in like a moulded key. It was sheathed in a slick purple holster, decorated with small jewels and strips of different fabric to give it a respectable appearance. It's hilt was speckled with dark blue gems in a polished brown tinted stone grip, with deep red metal forming the pommel and guard. Hadi stared, slightly entranced, not noticing Dolion wave to Leona who lifted up the other case and opened it to reveal an identical sword, before speaking "And Charon." The other brother went straight to the sword, carefully lifting it out of its case before slowly freeing it from the holster. The blade shimmered as Charon waved it elegantly around the air, the clear white metal seeming almost invisible except from the enhanced sparks of light illuminating it as they passed through. "Its Staelic metal, arguably the rarest and undoubtedly the deadliest material found on the entire planet. Only five weapons have ever existed. And two of them I grant to you both." Dolion said, nodding to the boys as they both continued to inspect their blades in awe. "Father this is...an extraordinary gift. I don't know if we yet deserve it..." Charon quietened, almost as though Dolion would strip his gift away from him right after giving him it. "Put them to good use. If you do that, you shall be deserving enough." Dolion said almost uncaringly, as Hadi looked away from his blade for the first time and watched the man "What makes them so deadly?" "Well, it's what they do to a Dohlkai that's what makes them so. On other races it acts mostly the same as a regular blade, but for our species a single blow landed in the right place leads to immediate death. Not a transfer from human form to true form; death. Simple and final." "Holy shit..." Charon muttered, suddenly holding his sword more firmly and with two hands while Hadi looked at his much more timidly.
The next week had come and gone. After Dolion's summarised explanation of the plan the twins were fully briefed by Leona the following day, before setting off South with surprisingly few resources. Charon had carried Leona the entire way as they flew with little to no breaks for six days straight, while Hadi kept a hold of all their rations and equipment. It amounted to little more than two bags full. In their true forms the twins could last an incredible amount of time without sustenance, so the minimum amount of food and drink was taken. The twins had both donned the scaled heat resistant armour that Hadi had worn to the rally, to provide some protection even in their practically indestructible forms. At that moment in time they were deep, deep underground in an incredibly wide tunnelling system. The rocky terrain crunched beneath their feet as the three walked shoulder to shoulder , nothing but the metal encased flaming torches the twin's carried lighting their way. "Alright, here should be fine." Leona spoke, motioning to the wall of the tunnel as she stopped walking. Despite Hadi and Charon doing practically all the work Leona acted as their superior during the mission, however neither boy objected and simply saw it as a way for their successes to be detailed back to their father. Hadi nodded to her and handed the torch, which was merely a caged burning green flame atop a long handle, before moving over to the wall and transforming into his true form. Once they'd stopped flying after the nonstop six days both men were instructed to change back to their humanoid forms, just in case anyone from the city caught a glimpse of them during their three day treck. The journey consisted of traversing an abandoned tunnel system beneath a mountain which bordered the barren wasteland where the group had come from, before flying over an endless violet ocean for almost two days, then continuing across beaches, hilltops and meadows until finally the planet's equivalent of a forest was reached and they continued on foot. Entering the city had been their hardest challenge so far. From a distance all that could be seen was a huge wall that seemed large enough to surround the entire mountain valley the group had crossed through earlier, which contained the entire city inside. Majority of the buildings were large and made of obalk, like almost every structure on the planet, with domed rooftops, but then the spire of a great palace could be seen towering above it all, its complex and irregular design painting it uniquely in amongst all the other varied parts of the city. Undoubtedly it was where the royalty resigned, no other place would go to the trouble of being so spectacular, but that wasn't where the trio were heading. The thing about the city was that not only was it where the largest number of Dohlkai on the planet resided, but it also had an intricate underground system where many of its residents lived, almost like a second city which was nearly double the size and capacity as the one above ground. Their plan involved acquiring a Foalk, which was essentially a giant part drill part train that travelled underground, its advanced mining technology allowing it to create its own tunnels and roadway systems under the surface while in motion rather than having to follow a specific route. The issue was, the security checks and procedures that had to be carried out for anyone entering the city were a lot tighter underground than they were above, meaning the trio couldn't simply hijack a Foalk and tunnel straight into the city. They'd have to be inside first, which involved meeting certain resistance members Dolion had picked out in utmost secrecy and sneaking in with their help. Unfortunately, there were still severe security checks above ground, so the end result was the group having to hide in separate frozen goods carts, where they endured excruciatingly cold temperatures with the goal of lowering their heart rates enough to remain undetected by the city's security scanners, who were well experienced with resistance members attempting to get inside. Although if they knew the number of members already inside the city they'd likely have given up the entire process altogether. Once inside and secured underground, the resistance members assisted in bringing the twins and Leona back to a healthy state with certain advanced medical tools the city had access to. After that they merely left, safely inside the city, and headed deep underground with Leona guiding them using a small almost holographic pad that served as some sort of map while the twins carried the torches they'd taken with them to light the way. The next step of their mission involved hijacking a Foalk, and Hadi and Charon knew exactly what the plan was in order to do so. Both in their true forms and standing at opposite ends of the tunnel they began to claw at the wall, effectively tearing the dirt and rock out with incredible ease due to their strength their forms held. In mere seconds two well fitted alcoves had been dug into the wall of the tunnel, which the twins promptly stepped into as Leona followed Hadi with the two torches in hand. "Are you prepared for what you need to do?" Leona said, and judging by the fact she was facing away from him Hadi assumed she was talking to Charon. "I am. We're as loyal to our father as you are. You should have more faith." Came his reply from across the dimly lit tunnel. Leona made a noise that sounded distinctly like a scoff, then turned to Hadi as she pushed passed him and now stood in the deepest part of the alcove "And you?" "Its simple. The Foalk passes through this tunnel, we grab a hold and force it to stop, then kill the drivers and take it over. There won't be any issues." Hadi said confidently, placing his shoulder against the wall of the alcove and getting ready for any sign of the Foalk, despite the fact he would likely be waiting for a while. Eventually the very faint noise of the Foalk's movements could be heard coming down the tunnel, and Hadi and Charon quickly braced themselves for the feat they would have to pull off. The transport was essentially a wide, long cylindrical carriage, or numerous carriages, where at the front a huge circle of extremely tiny and complicated pallets and plates were situated in order to allow the high energy current to flow across. These were what worked as the drill, however rather than churning through the rock like a typical Earthen drill, they disintegrated whatever mineral was in front of them entirely. More complex versions of the machine used for mining have the ability to only demolish certain substances and therefore harness specific gems or ores, however the ones for simple tunnel transport only had the one function. All over the outside of the Foalk were tiny, almost imperceptible bumps, made of a different substance from the rest of the machine, which served as a means to always keep the Foalk on track and avoid potholes or certain breaks in the ground of walls of the tunnels. The way they worked was that due to their placement on the outside they could emit a force that served almost like a magnet, which kept the machine tightly held against the rock walls. Realistically there didn't even need to be ground beneath the machine for it to still be able to move - which it did by using these forces to drag itself down the tunnel albeit at an incredibly fast past - and practically all Dohlkai were in agreement on the fact that whichever ancestor created the mode of transport was owed a great deal of thanks. The slight buzz of the Foalk slowly grew nearer and nearer, while Charon and Hadi waited breathlessly, until suddenly it was shooting past the opening to the alcoves. Hadi counted for half a second, then reached out and grabbed onto the point where the driver's booth connected to the carriage. His feet sunk deep into the ground beneath him as the sheer force of the Foalk threatened to pull him off balance, but almost immediately it was clear the machine wasn't going to overpower the man's true form. Hadi's second hand latched on as the vehicle ceased to move entirely, before he slowly dragged it backwards until the door to the driver's section was in front of him. Without hesitation he ripped it out and darted inside, spotting the two stunned drivers in their seats just as Charon entered through the opposite door. The men both reached for weapons, a common necessity ever since the resistances first fought back, but they were both much too slow. The twin's weapons were unsheathed and slicing through the air within an instant, ending both men's lives without allowing them so much as a final breath or a chance to change to their true form. 'Death, simple and final' as their father had so gracefully put it. Blood spilled from the wounds on the men's bodies, yet unnaturally, not a single drop had gotten on the shimmering blades. Hadi looked unwaveringly at the dead men before him, then up at his brother "Those are the first people we've ever killed..." "The first of many, no doubt." Charon said without much consideration, quickly sheathing his sword again. "It doesn't feel right..." Hadi mumbled, now staring blatantly at the men in front of him, his sword held loosely in his hand. "I hope you're not getting a weak stomach at the first sign of blood Had-...no, Zuro." Charon said, shaking his head with a slight smirk in order to hide the concern he felt "Focus brother. People are going to die by your hand, you know this. It's what has to be done. For the resistance." Before Hadi could respond Leona climbed in through the open door behind him, not speaking as she pushed the dead body out of the driver's seat and sat down herself. "Hadi, go through that door and check the carriage is secure." She said after she'd pressed a few buttons and flicked a few levers on the control panel in front of her, causing the Foalk to slowly begin picking up pace again. Hadi looked at the door she was talking about, the one separating the driver's hud from the main carriage, then walked through just as his sword slipped into its sheath. He didn't make it three steps into the carriage before he froze, a look of horror appearing on his face. All around the fairly large seating area of the Foalk were people. Dohlkai, of all ages, most dressed in common clothes and all wearing concerned and uncertain expressions. There were families, staying close together as parents consoled their children, middle aged people likely on their way to work or something of the like, and even elderly who were lingering quietly and worriedly at the strange interruption in their journey. And as he entered, every single one of them turned to look at Hadi in his practically unheard of red true form. A few of them gasped, some looked angry at the blatant breaking of the city's most important law, but the majority of them stared at him in utter confusion, simply wanting to know what he was doing and if whatever issue had happened with the Foalk was resolved. "Excuse me son, but are we still on course for the city centre?" One calm old lady near Hadi asked him, seemingly oblivious to the fact he was in his true form or that he was a red skinned. Others weren't in the same boat though. They were starting to notice, speaking to each other about it with one relatively old man proclaiming loudly to the rest of the carriage the fact that red skinned Dohlkai had never been seen in all of time. Hadi stared in shock, then out of a lack of knowing what the hell to do, retreated rapidly back into the control room with Leona and Charon. "What's going on?" His brother asked immediately, sensing that something was bothering Hadi. "There's people, in the carriage." he mumbled, not able to understand what the hell they were doing here. If they were part of the plan why weren't the twins briefed on it by Leona? "There's people?" Leona said with only a mere hint of surprise, not even turning around to look at Hadi "Did they see you?" "Yeah...practically all of them." He said admittedly, not thinking much of it as he still mulled over what the hell they were doing here. Leona held her breath, then looked impassively back at Hadi and Charon "Go and kill them." There was a moment of silence, before Hadi looked at her incredulously, not seeming to believe the order she was giving. "What? No. Why?" He said, trying his best not to let his immediate emotions show despite how tightly his sword hilt was gripped in his hand. "They've seen your true form. This can't make its way back to the authorities or the royal family, the resistance will be destroyed. You will kill everyone in that carriage, or your father will hear a thorough re-accounting of your failure." Leona turned back to the controls, her voice stern and authoritative, as Hadi opened his mouth to argue back. Charon grabbed him before he could however, dragging him through the door and back into the carriage with all the people who were now starting to work themselves into a panic. "I won't do it brother." Hadi said as he spun to face a solemn looking Charon, his blade now in hand as though he would fight his way back into the control room. He pointed at those in the carriage, staring defiantly into Charon's eyes "Look at them. There's children here - families. We can't do this." Charon turned to look at the people, examining all of their faces emotionlessly while they all stared back in terror, before looking directly into Hadi's eyes. "Leona's right. They've seen us now, we can't let them leave alive. I'm sorry, Hadi." Charon said, grabbing his sword hilt and going to remove it only for Hadi to grab his wrist and glare into his eyes "What the FUCK is wrong with you?" "What's wrong with you?!" Charon threw Hadi's hand off him, scowling right back at him "This is a test. To see if you're worthy of Zuro, worthy of leading our rebellion. If you don't do this everything crumbles. It's not a choice, Hadi, it's your destiny." Hadi stared at his brother in silence, before slowly taking a step back. He dropped his sword in front of him, shaking his head "I won't do it. For the rebellion, for father, or for you. I won't." "Don't forfeit your life Hadi. You'll be abandoning everything. Please, brother, you have to do this. I need you to do this." Charon looked at him desperately, showing fully how much this one act meant in the large scale of things. Hadi didn't even consider it. He took another glance at the people around him, many of those in the carriage had guessed at what was going on and were now in a terrified frenzy. Many were trying to escape out the doors, however Leona had locked down all of them from the control room, while families huddled together in fright hoping that they would be alright. Hadi shook his head, clenching his fists as he watched Charon. His brother sighed deeply, looking like he was going to try again to convince him otherwise, but second guessed it and instead took out his own sword. "Charon!" Hadi shouted, pointing his spread palm at Charon as the man put both hands up in a sign of surrender. "Listen to me Hadi don't be stupid about this! You're abandoning the rebellion! Father will have you killed, and it's likely he'll get me to do it. Just...help me finish this mission. That's the last thing you have to do, and once we're back I'll help you escape, but father can't know about it. Let me do this, I'll tell Leona you helped, and that'll buy us enough time to get you out. Okay?" Charon sounded like he was seriously trying to reason with Hadi, and already the man knew that his brother had convinced him. He didn't want to believe it, but secretly he understood what had to happen. These people weren't going to leave this carriage alive. He looked at the passengers, meeting the tear-stained eyes of a trembling little girl hugging tightly onto her father, then stumbled backwards in horror and tripped over the edge of a seat, falling over and landing with his back to the corner as Charon took the life of the first passenger. Chilling screams filled the carriage as Charon began to slaughter everyone in it, while Hadi simply watched on in silence with a helpless expression, feeling his gut wretch in a horrible sickly fashion.
Minutes later the holocaust was complete, blood and discarded bodies tainting the carriage as Charon stood in the centre, his goal completed and his armour stained with blood despite his sword remaining in its pristine state, ignorant of the act it had just partaken in. Hadi watched as his brother approached, not speaking to him but holding a look in his eyes that was slightly more disconnected from the world than before. Charon smeared blood on Hadi's face and armour as the man instinctively pulled away out of disgust, but Charon gave him a look that seemed to explain what he was doing so he stayed still and let him. Not that he approved of it. At this point all he wanted to do was burst through a hole straight to the surface and run away from the city towards nothing for all eternity. But he wouldn't - he still had some wits about him. When Charon was finished he walked back to the control room, likely to tell Leona the deed was done, as Hadi slowly pulled himself up to his feet. If his true form had the ability to, he no doubt would have thrown up. The amount of blood was indescribable. It leaked from the mass of bodies Charon had piled up against the back wall, crawling towards Hadi in one large encompassing sea of red that threatened to engulf him. He turned around to head for the control room, unable to bear the sight any longer, which is when he heard a quiet voice from the pile of bodies. "Please..." it breathed weakly, hardly able to form the word as it struggled through the excruciating pain that had been inflicted on it. Hadi turned back around slowly, then, before even realising it, started to take steps towards the bodies. Crushed under the pile, though resting on a few other bodies below it, was a woman, drenched it blood with a horrible streaked gash down her chest. It was clear immediately that she was a goner - Charon had cut straight down her with his blade and a few of her human organs could be seen through the draining blood. "Please..." she whispered again, her limp hand reaching ever so slightly towards Hadi as her gaze fell on him. He dropped to his knees, going back to staring blankly as he took her hand in both of his. Their eyes met, and it was then that Hadi realised what the woman was asking of him. "Please..." she croaked again, the desperation for death plain to see in her eyes. Hadi didn't move for a second, lost in the inescapable void of her pupils as she stared hopefully at him. Slowly he reached his arm out behind him, pointing it at the sword which lay across the carriage. A tiny, silky stream of silver energy emitted from his middle fingertip, floating elegantly towards the sword before it dipped and wrapped tightly around the hilt. Hadi retracted it, carefully and hesitantly, like the blade would shatter any minute, until finally it reached his palm and he held it tightly, pointing the tip over where the woman's heart would be. She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply as with her breath came yet again the last word she would ever utter "Please..." Hadi said nothing. His free hand joined the other in gripping the hilt as tightly as he could, before after a single moments hesitation he pushed it straight down, sealing the deed as a lone tear trickled down his face.
The rest of the mission went exactly as planned. Hadi stayed silent for practically the rest of the journey, only speaking if Charon or Leona directly asked him something. They arrived at their destination, using the Foalk's energy field to disintegrate a hole in the obalk wall before them to allow Hadi and Charon to enter easily. They arrived in a room that seemed to serve as a huge library, although there was much more than simply books, different cases filled with strange devices, artefacts, and even items of clothing. "You get the Sage and put him in the back of the carriage. I'll find the books and artefacts." Charon said to Hadi, before heading off in a certain direction while Hadi turned to see the man standing at the top of a staircase, where his desk and personal library sat behind him. He looked extremely old, wearing a long draped blue cloak, and his face filled with fear as he saw the twins enter. Hadi walked towards him, causing him to retreat towards his study in fright, but without much emotion or care he simply grabbed him by the cloak and pulled him towards the Foalk. The man tried to fight him, weakly punching Hadi's arm and shouting his protests, but he either never noticed or didn't acknowledge either of them and instead opened the carriage door and threw him in amongst the bodies and blood. A little later Charon came back with a single square black closed case, small enough to be placed in a pocket, and a handful of books piled up in his arms. They both entered the control room, and Leona started up the Foalk and drove away without any hesitation. Halfway through the journey back to the city wall however, the small holographic pad Leona had lit up with an incoming call. She answered it, and Dolion's voice came through clearly "Leona. Is the mission going as planned?" "Yes sir. The Sage, books, and artefacts have been acquired and we are now heading for the city wall in our Foalk." Leona told him, evidently leaving out the whole ordeal with the slaughtering of those in the carriage. "Good. There's been a change to the plan however. Are my sons there with you?" He asked, to which Charon answered with a 'yes'. "We've just received information that there is a member of the royal family currently outside the city. They're on their way back, from a trip of unknown purposes, but this may be our only chance to take them out, and in doing so transfer their powers to Charon." Dolion said, causing Charon's eyes to widen as he looked at Hadi, though as presumed he never shared his excitement "I've sent the co-ordinates to Leona. The mission is to leave the city as planned, then travel there and wait in hiding for the party to arrive. Hadi and Charon, this will be a mission only for you. Leona will take the Sage and the other items back to the resistance base, and after you have ambushed and killed the party you will return too. Keep in mind - Charon must be the one to kill the royal family member. They'll be wearing jewels, likely a crown or necklace, and should look distinctly more wealthy than their subordinates. Hadi, with your powers and Charon's fighting abilities, I believe there should be no issues with this task. The next stage of your journey will be made clear once you have returned. Farewell." The call ended, and Charon turned to face Hadi as he looked back at him "Well brother. Maybe you won't be Zuro after all."