EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (GODSBLOOD)

[aionmods]

Sovereign Citizens

GODSBLOOD

At the height of the Sovereign's moon, Vaeka Lovenskol's execution is announced. Outside of the City Hall, a dignitary of Achamoth is flanked by an entourage of Kenoma, reading the words of Regent from an unfurled letter: Vaeka stands accused to conspiring against the Regent and abetting the fugitive menace known as the Pleroma. Though the details are not made public, rumors spread quickly, some far more wild than the actual truth. The full truth, after all, is something only the Regent's agents and the Pleroma themselves know, and even to them the manner of her exposure is unclear.

Though losing a proud daughter of an influential family, there seems to be little that the people of Godsblood can do besides accept it. After all, they are still a city of the Regent's empire, and for all the freedom they've enjoyed, there are limits. If she was truly aiding the Pleroma, the sworn enemies of the Regent - and in an organized manner, if the rumors are to be believed - can they truly object? Or would challenging the Regent's claim simply invite more death?

As with many things, the families of Godsblood are torn. Tensions are thick for the five days leading up to Vaeka's appointed execution by hanging, with everyone having an opinion and few wanting to go on record talking about it too loudly. As such, the people's frustrations come out in other ways. Bloodites are uncharacteristically unfriendly to strangers in this time, keeping to their own and treating everyone else with overt skepticism.

Those that have arrived as part of the Regent's official envoy, or seen guarding Vaeka, will receive a particularly icy reception. No longer are the Kenoma curious wanderers on personal business. Now, they are here as the hands of the Regent; few of the Godsblood citizens are foolish enough to challenge them outright, but they are ever an honest people.

Early on, the Kenoma and the rest of the Achamite contingent sent with them will be able to take over a jail in downtown Godsblood to hold Vaeka until her execution, clearing out all other Bloodite prisoners and employees in the meantime. This means they have a relatively secure position to guard their prisoner from, which is a good thing; after all, the Regent did outright invite the Pleroma to stop them, and Pleroma are nothing if not stubborn.

EXECUTION DAY

After five agonizing days of waiting and several high visible conflicts between the Pleroma and Kenoma, finally the hour of Vaeka's execution arrives. A gallows is set outside of City Hall, ready to welcome its newest victim, and a massive crowd has gathered in an spirit of anxious anticipation. Some worry that violence may break out in the streets, even without the Pleroma's agitation, but gradually the minutes tick by and the gallows remain empty.

First one minutes passes. Then five. Then fifteen. Slowly, it becomes clear to the people of Godsblood that Vaeka will not be arriving. Are the rumors true? Has she been saved? Have the Pleroma been successful, despite all odds?

As the hours pass and the crowds disperse, Vaeka Lovenskol is not officially reported as either living or dead. Fortunately, Godsblood is a place where information has a way of getting around, whether those in charge like it or not. Some are saying that she was seen being whisked away as if by powerful magic, following a bloody fight at the jail in which she was being held. Where did she go? Maybe her supposed connections to the forest people did her good, some surmise.

The days following Vaeka's failed execution carry a strange and uncertain energy. Where before there was tension and distrust, Godsblood now finds itself in a surreal reality where the Regent's word is apparently not absolute. Then again, do they really want a repeat performance?

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Godsblood?
For Pleroma, this is very easy, as they are likely to either already live there or be able to easy take Greentruth's portal. For Kenoma, they may come directly from Achamoth by boat as part of the Regent's envoy or arrive via Eustace's portal which is set up in a shed a fairly long jaunt outside of town. Once there has been some time to get established, Misa will be setting up another portal leading straight to the prison where Vaeka is being stored.

Are the Kenoma permitted by the Regent to kill other Godsblood citizens?
Though the Kenoma are authorized to kill any Bloodites that try to physically fight them, they are expected to keep things clean. The Regent prefers to only punish the guilty, and having the lines be clear will create less of a hassle in the future. Generally, Godsblood is not in a state where physical resistance is likely to happen unprovoked.

Comments

johnny / pleroma / firebrand

[comelately]

A. BEFORE (OPEN)

[ it's a pain in the ass for him to get to and around Godsblood, which is why he doesn't visit - true, Greentruth is also a pain in the ass, but it's easier to stay put than travel about when walking's not an option. Unfortunately, staying put is very much not an option this time, either, and so, he's staying in Godsblood for the next few days. A vacation, he says, if any curious locals ask about him.

In reality, it's the opposite. This is all business, and bloody business, too.

He's lucky, for once, that he's in a wheelchair; mostly everyone ignores him as a potential threat, which means he can move about with a little more freedom in the city, especially since the majority of civilians haven't seen him before. (There are certain bars he's not welcome in from his original stay here, but he avoids those.) Most of the time, he's minding his own business. However, very early in the morning, he can be spotted lingering near the outside of the jail building. In one hand, he has a piece of bread, which he's nibbling at like a little bird. His other hand is empty. If one looks closely, however - and one is sensitive to magic and the supernatural - they might see faintly-glowing markings on it, blue and star-shaped.

If any Kenoma he recognizes are around and meet his gaze, he'll give them a terrible stink eye.

On the other hand, if you're a Pleroma, he'll silently beckon you over. ]

What d'you think?

[ and if you're a stranger of unknown alignment... well, he'll give you a flat look that dares you to try something. Punk. What're you lookin' at? ]

II. GRAY (CLOSED)

[ Good news: the Pleroma have done a decent enough job of vaguely mapping out this building that Johnny thinks he might know a near-direct route to the cell they're keeping Vaeka in. Bad news: he has no idea who might be on guard duty in the building, or when.

He leans towards early morning and late-night visits, when he thinks peoples' shifts might be nearing their ends, in the hopes that they'll either be tired or in the process of switching; so far, it's worked out. A Joestar is a Joestar, however; his luck can only take him so far, and soon enough, he's not only running into a Kenoma, but the very last one he wanted to see. (And the room's not close enough to the cell to be useful, to boot.) ]

-- fuck -- [ he hisses under his breath, then his eyes widen. ] -- Gray?!

[ maybe she'd stepped into this little storage room for a breather, or maybe there's something in here she'd come to get, like a stashed lunch. She probably didn't expect to meet Johnny again, and by the looks of things, neither did he. He seems to have suddenly materialized out of thin air, his entire body stretched like spun taffy, unraveling into existence in an instant; if her eyes are keen enough, however, she might spy the tiny round hole behind him, fixed in the wooden border of the floor-level air vent. ]

[gravings]

[ As someone who takes her tasks seriously, Gray is on high alert even as she takes a detour for some tea leaves in the storage room — the better to greet her Kenoma companions as they stave off their late night/early morning tiredness. When someone materializes from nowhere in front of her, she immediately reaches for Add inside her cloak. But she recognizes Johnny in the next instant, and so she's caught in a dilemma — because she doesn't want to fight him, but he is definitely, unavoidably, not supposed to be here.

She frowns at him, but it's more a look of concern with a dash of disappointment than hostility, probably akin to a mother finding out that her son wants to be an influencer when he grows up. ]

Mr. Johnny... I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to get back in the hole.

[ She has no clue what kind of teleportation magic he has, but she's sure that hole wasn't there before... ]

[comelately]

[ well, this is awkward. He has to consider it awkward, because any harsher word would remind him that this isn't a tepid little mistake, but an accidental clash with the enemy that's likely to end with one of them killing the other. And, as much as he really doesn't want to shoot Gray, he's not about to die for her. Johnny does not get back in the hole, despite her disappointed frown; he sits there frozen on the ground for a moment, then releases a sigh. ]

The hell are you doing here, Gray? You know they're going to execute someone.

[ he keeps his voice low, barely more than a whisper. He's fortunate that Gray didn't attack him on sight. Any other guards roaming around wouldn't be as merciful - and he doesn't think they'd be very kind to Gray for her mercy, either. Not so gracefully, he rearranges himself, pushing his legs underneath him so he can sit on his knees. ]

[gravings]

[ He's right, of course, but she tactfully decides not to agree with his unspoken disapproval aloud. Since he's looking to chat, she slowly closes the door behind her without turning around. She doesn't want to fight or have him discovered, but neither does she completely trust that he's alone or that he isn't willing to attack while her back is turned. With his (presumed) inability to walk, it would make sense if he had a partner or some other way of getting around if he's venturing into enemy territory this deeply.

While he's arranging himself, Gray chooses her words carefully, standing neither aggressively nor completely at ease. Her cloak obscures her body language, her expression easing to neutral. ]

I can't say who's right or wrong... but I can't leave my companions to defend the prison alone. All of you are going to attack, aren't you?

[comelately]

[ he knows why she's not turning around. She's right. Johnny wouldn't shoot her in the back like this unprovoked, but that's a thin line to cross, given the circumstances. Still, the gesture is a double-edged one: certainly, it shows she doesn't trust him, but it also shows that she doesn't want the others to find him (or them) in here, which means that she does. Johnny can't say he doesn't understand that, either. ]

You know I can't tell you that.

[ it's dangerous. The fact that she's seeing him here is dangerous. Truth be told, he should just leave - he's collected the information he wanted, if not the answer he hoped for, and getting in and out without someone trying to kill him is, frankly, the best possible outcome. He glances behind him, briefly, then back at Gray, pressing his lips into a thin line.

It just doesn't feel right to leave her here. ]

... This is no place for a nice kid. [ a beat. ] Are you here 'cause you want to be, or because you're supposed to be...?

[gravings]

[ It was more of a rhetorical question than anything, so his non-answer is expected. They both saw how disastrous the Regent's address was. Attacks will happen, whether the larger Pleroma force wills it or not.

When Johnny glances back, she hopes vainly that it means he'll be leaving after all. Alas, he seems to have something on his mind. Preferably something that doesn't include a stalling tactic.

As before, Gray chooses her words carefully. Because she feels that this actually is something important to convey — something that wouldn't be evident to him, especially not now, but which is evident to her daily. ]

There are people here I want to protect. It may be hard to see from where you are, but there are a lot of kind Aions with the Kenoma. If this is where I have to be to help them, then I'll be here.

[ She's aware that it's overly simplistic as far as motivations go, but it's the best she can do. She feels a little like she's bunkered in a basement, trying to weather a storm. ]

A.

[goldendeceiver]

[ Johnny and Ernesto have never had the chance to really talk much before now, but despite setting up shop (literally) in Godsblood, Ernesto pays enough visits to Greentruth that he'd be a known Pleroma to any of those staying in the forest. Ernesto also has the benefit of that tiered up eyesight that lets him spot Aions with ease too, so even if he wasn't very good with faces, and even if he didn't recognize Johnny immediately, he'd still be able to tell this was an ally.

That's all to say the question makes perfect sense, even if the two of them didn't come here to scope out the jail together, and Johnny isn't expounding on what he means by that.

With a quick glance to the jail, Ernesto quickly makes his way over to Johnny so he can speak in a lower tone, slightly out of the immediate line of sight anyone with a rooftop vantage might have.

Now within a good speaking distance, he offers an exasperated looking smile. ]

I think they're being about as careful as anyone can expect them to be, and not leaving us a whole lot in the way of easy openings.

[comelately]

[ he remembers Ernesto even if they've never spoken because of the dog thing. What is it with Pleroma and animal people...? It doesn't surprise him any more, but it's still weird that there are so many of them, in his opinion. Whatever. Maybe Ernesto has a good sense of smell that can help them pinpoint Vaeka, or something. ]

Yeah... The building itself, though. It seems pretty normal to me. I was worried they'd have some kind of evil barrier around it or something.

[ what is an evil barrier and how does it work? who knows. Johnny doesn't, either, but he's beginning to expect the unexpected when it comes to Aions (and this world in general.) ]

... They don't have an invisible one or something, right?

[goldendeceiver]

[ Johnny is about to be severely disappointed in his new ally's helpfulness, because Ernesto can't smell any better than anyone without animal theming. The hearing is top notch, but that's probably not going to do them much good in this particular situation.

Ernesto frowns thoughtfully, just nodding at the phrase "evil barrier" like it's a normal thing to say. Considering someone on the Pleroma side is capable of making energy barriers that can lock people in or keep people out? Well, someone on team Kenoma having that capacity is just as likely.

Lucky for them that doesn't seem to be the case, huh? ]

Ha... probably not. You can get pretty close to the building without too much trouble, as long as you're calm about it, and don't rile up the Kenoma standing guard.

[comelately]

[ see, ernesto gets it!! even if he has regular average sniffing abilities. ]

Yeah. Lucky for us.

[ hopefully, anyway. It could be that both he and Ernesto lack whatever requisite sensory ability is needed to notice an Evil Barrier, but he can't get too hung up on what-ifs when literally anything seems to be possible, at this point. ]

I think I can get in.

[goldendeceiver]

[ Sure would be handy to have some kind of evil detective abilities, but alas the one that comes with a higher attunement just means that Ernesto can see it radiating off of individuals, not buildings.

His ears perk up at Johnny's comment, and he frowns thoughtfully while glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the jail (not that he can see it from where he's standing). ]

Without alerting all of the Kenoma?

A

[vapour]

[ This Kenoma stands on a roof of a building adjacent to the jail on such a fine morning in Godsblood, crouched down and watching the other curiously. Unfortunately for Johnny, Childe is able to identify him as a Pleroma and a Firebrand, at that. Assuming Johnny happens to glance up to spot him at some point, it'll be a blank staring contest for several moments between them before Childe blinks first. As if admitting to his loss in the impromptu game (that obviously Johnny knew they were playing just now, yeah?), the Kenoma sighs in defeat before giving a cheeky little wave.

Good morning. The silent greeting is clearly there, but as to how sincere (and safe) it's meant to be is anyone's guess.

For the moment, at least, the Kenoma doesn't seem keen on opening his mouth or approaching the Pleroma in any form. Although Johnny isn't (yet) able to detect Childe as a Kenoma, he may be able to feel a bit of something in relation to them sharing the same legacy, even if he's unaware of what it is. ]

[comelately]

[ the fact that there's a dude he doesn't recognize up on one of the roofs nearby is enough of a warning sign for Johnny. There aren't that many Pleroma, for one thing, and only a portion of them even came to Godsblood. Of course, there's no way to be sure, but Childe certainly seems suspicious - and the wave doesn't really do all that much to dissipate those suspicions. He's well aware that there are plenty of very friendly Kenoma around...

Still. He's not... doing anything, other than giving Johnny weird vibes. Johnny continues the stare for a few more seconds, and then, stone-faced, lifts his hand in a return wave.

Hi. ]

[vapour]

Good morning! What're you doing up so early? [ he's sincerely curious, although he has a pretty good idea it's something that will bring trouble.

Nevertheless, there's no real reason for Childe to stop him, either. He's not here to make these situations easy on the other Kenoma and for himself it would be boring to interfere with every little prep or action the other side might take behind the scenes. He's a head to head when the opponent is at their very best kind of guy.

Although he waits for a response, he will furrow his brow slightly and gesture to what Johnny's eating after he speaks (or if he gives him the silent treatment after a moment has passed .) ]

That's... not your breakfast, is it...?

[comelately]

[ oh, he's getting shouted at now. Johnny squints up at Childe for a moment, expression somewhat skeptical in a what-do-you-think-i'm-doing way, before he sits back in his chair, resting his free hand on a wheel. ]

I'm not havin' a conversation with you shouting down at me from a roof, man.

[ also, maybe it is?? what's wrong with bread?? he takes another bite of it, chewing as he watches Childe expectantly. ]

[vapour]

[ a fucking lot?? that's not a complete meal how can one be at their best if they don't have the right food?

Childe seems to contemplate Johnny's suggested ultimatum of that if he wants to talk he's got to come down to ground level. Ground level is not as great a view for him to observe things from, but he supposes if he really felt like being an actual watch for the Kenoma this second he would have kept his presence unknown. After a moment, he'll get up from his crouch and swing over the side of the building to climb down with a sighed "okay, okay."

Once he lands on the ground, though, he'll immediately hone in on the piece of bread and stare expectantly as he waits for an answer. He'll only wait so long of course, but... ]

A

[deushexmachina]

[He had been watching Johnny for just a little while, the proximity of the jail looming enough to threaten the horizon. It was an intimidating setting, the air heavy with anticipation. When Johnny beckoned him—subtly, but clearly—Jayce would stroll over with a practiced casualness.

Pleroma has a way about them.]

I think they expect us to be obvious, [he says, his eyes briefly on that bread in hand.] What do you think about it?

[comelately]

[ another Pleroma he's seen around but never talked to. A perfect opportunity to break bread and make a good impression, except when Johnny sees him eyeing his loaf, he holds it a little closer. Not sharing, apparently. ]

I think they're damn confident to tell us exactly what they're doing and where. Whatever - or whoever - they're stationing in there must be a real monster.

[ it's like he said to Rand before: the whole thing is an explicit trap, and they don't really have any choice but to stick their collective foot right into it and hope for the best. ]

[deushexmachina]

[The loaf inching closer in that protective hold brought a flickered smile to his face; Jayce recognized the reaction as something Viktor might do. Any ice Jayce carried in his stature thaws.]

A real monster, [he repeats, turning the phrase over like a set of cogs.] Something—someone—who'd undoubtedly lure our types out here to intervene.

[Jayce would agree on the trap theory.]

We're expected to enter. I suppose that itches the question: what's the most unexpected way to breach?

[comelately]

[ well, he has some ideas. Johnny's quiet for a moment. ]

Go straight to where the prisoner is. We start at the end.

[ he's looking at the building again. ]

I'm tryin' to figure out what room they're keeping her in.

[deushexmachina]

Can't argue with being forthright. [Jayce winks, the gesture somewhat incongruent over his shaky smile.] Don't suppose you can turn into a bird? [A pause, he clears his throat,] I've seen someone do that, I mean. Depending on the intensity of security—and with how rumor spreads, I'd guess it's been amplified—we should try the topmost or deepest areas first. Structurally, it's easier to build heavy containment below than above.

[The calculations etch quickly in his mind.]

Probably not kept on the same side of any cardinal orientation as an entryway. The more labyrinthine, the better.

for yuuta (aftermath)

[comelately]

[ The rescue was a success - or, at least, Johnny's part of it was. He'd seen her bindings fall away himself; then he'd watched her scramble from the room, following Syrlya's voice, with Ciel hobbling after her tracking a trail of blood. In the heat of the moment, he'd considered chasing them, too, maybe trying to put a stop to Ciel, because he had no illusions that she was anywhere close to giving up. Instead, when he tried to pull himself back onto his knees, the vivid needlelike sting of his burns exploded along every point of contact with the floor, as if they'd been waiting for this moment of calm to strike, and he'd yelped and dropped onto his back once more.

It's not new to him, the end of the adrenaline rush and the renewed pain it brings with it. He's been in a lot of fights now. The difference is that this fight technically isn't over. Technically, he's lying in the middle of enemy territory while a battle's raging just outside, and he's got three nails left, whole-body injuries, and no idea if any other Kenoma are still patrolling this building. They could run in and gun him down at any second. But what is he supposed to do? Run? If he shot himself back outside, it's not like his wheelchair would be waiting for him. There's a chance a Pleroma might see him and pick him up, but odds are that a Kenoma would spot him first. And he's not getting anywhere fast crawling - not in this condition.

So what? What now? This part, they didn't plan for. Johnny didn't think his opponent would be so tough. He stares at the ceiling, biting his tongue to try and distract himself from his singed flesh, and wonders, briefly, if his escort is still hanging around. ]

Hey... Rika, help me.

[ but, obviously, there's no response.

Even so, Johnny is a fiery mixture of nerves and stubbornness, and, exhausted and agonized though he may be, he can't just lay there. He drags himself to a sitting position, and then against a wall, and he tries his best to listen to the sounds outside, muffled through the sturdy barrier. Waiting for a quiet moment, waiting for his nails to grow back in - waiting for something to happen that he can springboard off of, and desperately fighting to keep himself awake and focused as the pain threatens to choke out his consciousness. ]

[recursive]

( rika is, of course, not here. she had torn out of this room and to yuuta's defense when she had sensed he was in trouble, and it was a good thing she had — she had kept something terrible from happening, like having his shard torn out of his chest by brute force. as it is she lingers around him now, but just barely; he's not sure he will be able to manifest her right now, or at least not very much.

he's not totally empty on cursed energy, but he's damn near close. that's not necessarily common. he had never trained to be a marathon runner — he's more of a sprinter, using the immense reservoir of cursed energy at his disposal to cudgel the opposition as quickly and brutally as possible. back home, where his assignments had usually been against powerful solitary spirits and curse users, it hadn't had enough draw-backs that he'd contemplated training otherwise. here... he's starting to think he will have to start trying to be more judicious with how he uses it. with both himself and rika taking damage, him reinforcing against amos' incredible strength, and trying to heal through the hurt he'd put him through... he's wobbling a little bit as he winds his way through the prison and toward the room he had seen syrlya and johnny go into.

apparently the mission has been a success — or it is thus far. he won't start to relax until they're all out of here and safely out of the striking range of achamite soldiers and Kenoma Aions. yuuta has most likely either seen or heard the kerfuffle of syrlya and rand escorting vaeka out of this place, followed by a heavily-limping ciel. he ignores them, instead navigating past and to the room where she'd been kept, where he finds johnny... worse for wear. that's probably putting it lightly. his brow draws together as he takes stock of the painful shine of burn wounds, and though his first instinct is to try to heal him, he knows he doesn't have the energy right now. it's questionable that he has enough energy to fully reinforce himself, but that doesn't mean he's not gonna try.

with johnny on red alert, yuuta will belatedly raise both hands, currently unarmed, before approaching. he looks rough. his clothing is stained with blood, and his face is a mess of black and blue — a busted lip, an eye nearly swollen shut. and yet he approaches his friend without hesitation, bending down and reaching out a hand. ) Sorry... This is probably going to hurt. ( the both of them. but they need to get out of here. )

[comelately]

[ it's wise of him to raise his hands, because Johnny's got his left leveled at the door when he hears footsteps - it's a bit feeble, and would look ridiculous to anyone who couldn't see the glow on his fingers and the battered Tusk standing beside him, bearing his same wounds. Naturally, he assumed anyone coming back through would be a Kenoma; it's their building, after all. When he sees Yuuta, he blinks a few times, clearly startled. He looks like shit. Johnny knows he does, too - that's not the point. It's that he came back here in spite of it.

A lump rises in his throat, and he does his best to ignore it. He lets his hand drop to the ground, Tusk evaporating into nothing again. ]

Yuuta... [ he croaks, and his voice trails off; he doesn't really know what to say that wouldn't be stupid or weird, and he's tired. Even if he can't find the words, the relief - and disbelief - is apparent in his expression and his tone. Eventually, he settles for: ] No fuckin' shit.

[ very eloquent. Yes, it's going to hurt. Just sitting here hurts, honestly, but he's sure he's felt worse, and he'd rather be hurt than dead, a fairly novel turn of events from the past half-year. So when Yuuta stretches out his hand, Johnny reaches back to take it, even if he winces while doing so, and tries to at least get onto his knees. It feels a bit like he and Yuuta are more likely to just crumple on their way out of this place, but it's better than doing it alone.

Tusk slowly fades back in at his side, still in its third form; though weak, it starts trying to help pick up Johnny, too, pushing his back with a mumbled chumi. ]

[recursive]

( his dark blue eyes flicker nervously between johnny and the Stand, but fortunately for everyone involved, johnny doesn't shoot before he ascertains who it was that had approached him. as far as he's aware, the building is largely abandoned now, except for perhaps anyone that's presently unconscious (like amos, probably). the threat of failing in their mission to secure vaeka and make sure her execution was carried out was presently a little more important than cleaning up Pleroma tablescraps, it seems.

and that's certainly what they both look (and feel) like. leftovers. when johnny's hand drops, and the strange pink creature disappeared, he can't help but smile. it makes his whole face hurt, since it's basically one patchwork quilt of bruises, and his busted lip threatens to start bleeding again, but — he's just happy he's okay. hurt, of course, but fixable.

yuuta's exhausted too, so he doesn't really reply more than a dry chuckle. he reaches out and helps johnny up and into a position where he can help back onto his back, tusk reappearing to help along the way. he considers asking rika as well, but he's not even sure he can spare the cursed energy it would take to manifest her for even that long. eventually (and achingly), they manage to get into a position where yuuta can loop his arms under johnny's knees and pick him back up onto his back.

every other time they've done this he's acted as though the other guy weighed as much as a bushel of bananas, preternaturally swift and strong despite the encumbrance, but it's clear that if that was him on a full tank of gas, he's currently running on fumes. he's able to stand and begin walking towards the entrance of the building, but he does so more slowly than he ever has before, and he actually seems cognizant of the weight now. if yuuta were totally out of cursed energy, he doubts he'd really be able to carry johnny for very far. as it is, he's pretty sure he's fine, but they just won't be setting any speed or agility records. )

They got out. I saw them. But... they were being followed...

( so he isn't really certain what the outcome here is. but what he does know, is... as much as it pains him to admit, they're probably down for the count. running out there and looking for trouble might just serve them up to other Kenoma hungry to make up for losing their captive. he doesn't really want to replace her. )