Ark 21 Episode 36: They Needed The Push...

Participants
Darius Corvo



A Team Torn Apart like Cotton Candy
-( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAtYoTLrxCU) The team had come together for the first time. And they have failed for the first time. They were able to return to the hideout and Jayleen able to put everyone on a bed to heal. Medical machines are attached to both May and Kodi as they slowly recuperate. Darius on the other hand, stands out in the war room alone. His robes covered in dirt and explosive residue. His face covered in dried blood and his right eye almost practically shut. The Plasma inside of his body had worked enough to quickly heal him in the major injuries, still working on fixing him up completely. His right arm had already been healed of the torn muscles from the arm bar; though it isn’t the physical damage that fucks with him at the moment. Darius can’t help but feel completely responsible for what had happened to both Kodi and May. He is the leader and is supposed to be the one looking after them. They are all strangers to one another. No prior history of friendship or comradery. They are all just a group of strangers coming together without a days work trying to be a team. And Darius sees now that this is a problem. Their mission had completely failed and as their leader, he takes the responsibility for it. Whether it be the planning went back or the situation changed to quickly on them. But that is no excuse for the leader to have failed his team. He thinks that he could have done something different. That if he never sent May in with him, he could have saved her from being impaled by a pipe. Or that if he had done more research on Kodi’s backround, he could have prevented her sister from attacking her. Lastly, if he had told Artemis to give a better security around the place, maybe Cessair would have been found before she could strike. All these things pass through his mind. Darius finds himself alone. He is alone and in his own dark thoughts. A place he shouldn’t be in a time like this. Though he thanks her and is happy to be alive from being saved by Artemis; his pride had taken a real blow from it. Having once again been defeated by Roberto in combat, he feels the drive to make sure there isn’t a third to add on to that list. Being beaten and saved by Artemis wasn’t how Darius saw the mission unfolding. Maybe she sees him differently now. Could she think that he is weak for needing saving? Perhaps she feels that there can be better teams out there to work with. More thoughts run through his mind, trying to breakdown every little thing that could and did go wrong in this mission. While doing that, Jayleen walks into the room with her glowing blue body and says-“The two blondes will be okay…It is surprising though, the Onihoruda you recruited…Her healing should have already woken her up. So I took a look at her brain activity and it is going off the charts…What should we do?”- Darius looks down at the table, unable to raise himself up to do anything else.-“She’s battling something…I can feel it…After what happened to her…I wouldn’t be surprised if a War is going on in there.”- ////In the medical room\\\\ Two beds are placed against the wall with Kodi and May resting in both of them. On the opposite side of the wall, Ratchet sits in a chair with his nose pointed up towards the ceiling passed out from the mission. Drool drips from his mouth and onto the floor, completely knocked out. Lee on the other hand is sitting on the left side of May’s bed. His head laying down on the soft mattress and his left hand clasped around her left hand. He had stayed by her bedside the whole night and accidently fell asleep holding her hand, hoping she would wake up. The beeping sounds of their heart monitors is a comforting sound to people in the room, at least letting everyone know they are still alive and fighting the good fight. Until the two girls wake up, all they can do is wait and see. And with Darius in the war room contemplating the next move…anything can happen…-

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKedjN-2r44) Kodi fluttered her eyes straight open... her mind overflown with thoughts.... Her blue ocanic whirlpools were calm an unease.... She sat up from her bed.. ripping out the IV from her arm.... looking over at Ratchet.... sleeping as well as Lee... sitting with May.... extending her hands onto her face... she felt as if that hellish nightmare was so real... Though... deep inside... it felt as if it was just her reality coming within her.... She didn't want to do anything that had to do with her past... anything..Her brash self stood up.. fully healed... she started to walk toward a mirror by her bed.... looking at herself for a moment.. it was as if.. she was staring at another person of the reflection.....She gritted her serated teeth hearing.. Cessair's words... in her thoughts..." AS IF ANYBODY... LOVES YOU!" The female screamed as loud as ever.. slamming her fist into the mirror... her eyes widened..What was happening to her.. it was as if she was fighting with her own self.... hoping to not have woken up Ratchet.. or caused a commotion..... she heard the heart montiors beats once more.... If Ratchet hadn't woke up.. walking over.. toward him, she picked him up from the chair.. only to set him on her bed.. laying him down... Grasping a bandage from the counters around the rooms with beds... she then spoke to Lee without looking at him but to only.... wrap her bloody hand.."...She'll be fine.. Though you worrying.. helps her even more.." The female spoke in the most calming yet chilling tone.... after she had wrapped her hand.. she would of headed out... the room only find her way toward the war room.... she kept silent for a moment.. before speaking... "Well that was a shitty first mission, I apologize about that interupption with that bitch of a sister.. Though...now, I ain't leavin ya side nor this team.." She scoffed while closing her eyes as if she was leaving everything behind.. erasing everything from before.."Now.. It's all for nothin now..Am I right..." The blondes faint blue eyes.. stared at Darius... extending out her right hand.. offering a firm grip handshake.. as a token of her own friendship and loyalty...The female was trying to express more than she could handle.. Though she went back to her brash abrasive self.. if Darius had tooken the handshake..... she'd pull him in.. giving him a homey like hug before pushing him off.."So don't worry about me gettin hurt an shit.. Because it was me at fault.. I mean I do have the attention span of a goldfish." She chuckled making his own remark... "Though don't make it as if its your fault that we got our ass whooped.. We did it for the team. an look the other blonde snatch is fine... I'm fine. Were alive.. Now stop being a debby downer an grow back your dick.." She punched his chin in a playful kidding matter while she would of walked away from him only to cross her arms an lean against the wall opposite to where the male was standing..‏

May woke up from her deep slumber, confused by where she was May tried to roll onto her tummy, being the usual position she took when sleeping. The pain in her side erupted, with a moan she went back to the originally position she was in. Opening her eyes she realized that just the right eye is able to open up, bringing her left hand up to her eyes she feels the bandage that surrounds her left eye. May takes the time to survey her body, seeing all of what is wrong with her. She starts at the bottom; wiggling her toes :Nothing:, she rotates her ankle :left ankle sprained:, she bends her knees :Nothing:, rocking her hips back and forth :pain erupts in her right side:. Pulling at her right arm she noticed that something or someone was holding it in place. With her right eye blinded she didn’t even sense or notice the person beside her. Turning her head to the side, she looks at Lee with his head laying on her bed. Sliding her hand out from his, she lays her hand on his head, threading her fingers through his hair gently. “Thank you” she whispers to him. Looking across from him she spots Ratchet laying on the empty medical bed, smiling she watched as the drool fell from his mouth. She felt tears prick her eyes, bringing her left arm up she hide her face under it. Here she was beaten down, bruised, and broken and people were making sure she was alright. But she wouldn’t be in this situation if she would have just listened to Darius, he had told her that she wouldn’t win with hand to hand but she went against his advice and did what she felt she could do. More tears fell from her eyes as the warmth of friendship was taken over by the feeling of regret and failure. Was it her fault that the mission had failed, she had a gun, why didn’t she use it more. She felt so stupid and wanted to just leave and hide in the shadows of her torn life. Pulling her hand away from Lee’s grasp she didn’t feel like she deserved the kindness that he was showing her. Biting her lower lip she swings herself to the edge of the bed, tasting blood in her mouth she knew she was pushing herself to hard but she needed to get out of here. Pushing down she let her right foot touch the ground, lifting herself up she kept her weight off of her left ankle. Holding onto her side she remembers how she pulled the pipe out of her flesh, looking down at herself she sees a bandage circling her waist. Holding onto her side, May looks around the room; spotting a bathroom she makes that her desires destination. May also spots a shattered mirror and glass on the floor by the other bed, confused by what might have happened she puts that in the back of her mind as she makes her way across the cold floor. Without waking the boys she limps her way over to the bathroom, making sure that she doesn’t put too much weight on her ankle. Opening the door of the bathroom, she goes inside to look at herself in the floor length mirror.

(http://data2.whicdn.com/images/64259928/original.jpg)

There are bandages surrounding her body, covering the hole in her side and the scratches that cover her body. Moving on she walks up to the sink and uses it for support, turning on the water she cups it in her hand and splashes it on her face. Looking into the mirror at her face, all she sees is the failure that she is. “Like they need you here, failure.”‏

The sniper was currently in Darius’ room, wiping down one of her glocks in a calm fashion. She had no wounds or bandages on her she'd healed rather nicely and she wasn't much involved in the fighting except for when she swooped in on the wrecking ball to help Darius out. From all that fighting she got a bullet wound in her leg but after Jayleen pulled it out she healed quickly and all was well. Nothing was eating away at her, their failure did not bother her much as she looks closer at her firearm to inspect it. Her sonar hearing had been picking up on movement, listening in on Kodi talking to Darius but of course after shattering the mirror. It seemed their leader was not doing so well with their defeat and hiding himself in the armory but Artemis had left him to his thoughts figuring he’d need space. He was strong and brave just as she assumed when they first met…but just like most men too hard on themselves. May and Kodi had taken most of the damage almost losing their lives but that was their profession and they knew the stakes as did Artemis. After she’d saved him and they were in the truck he hadn’t spoken to her probably from hurt pride or guilt or both. So she would wait…when he was ready to come to her. Next up was May who got up and in all honesty, neither of the women should be out of bed especially with the beat down they were given. The super soldier flashes a grin to herself before pushing off of the edge of the bed where she was doing her activity. There was a heavy burden in the hide out but the ever optimistic sniper of the team wasn’t one to let such things as doubt and regret cloud her mind. She leaves, gun still in hand out of force of habit to go to the medical wing of the base, finding Lee there probably still asleep with her cuddly raccoon passed out on the bed as well. Trained eyes shift to see the still open bathroom door, able to hear Mays conversation to herself. Without a word she steps into the room and heads over to the blonde to watch her, a never faltering grin still plastered on. “Yeah, I sometimes despise the people in there…” She’d catch her attention and she points to the mirror. “The people that live in there, total idiots. Failures…dead beats…useless…and they got the nerve to look back at us and say nothing.” She comes in regardless of if May wanted her to or not and continues, rubbing the back of her neck with the glock. “Yet no matter how many times we tell them how much we hate them…they’re always there. They come back and they take all the bad things we say to them. Because who better to listen to than yourself? That’s why when I fail or I fuck up I look in there too but I don’t say bad things….” She stands beside the taller full figured women and gives her a cheesy smile in to the glass. “I say good job dumb ass!! Ya fucked up but you’re still here. Better luck next time. Cause theres always a next time.” With that being said she turns to May and her smile widens, it was a pretty big genuine one too that reached to the snipers eyes. “Wanna give it a try??”

Fighting For Eachother
-(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqUVC0jpZEw) The way Kodi talks to him, the way her demeanor towards him becomes of actual substance; if at any other time Darius would have been glad to welcome this new attitude of hers. But lost in his own darkness, Darius continues to just stare down at the table of the war room. When she extends her hand out, out of respect for the warrior she is, Darius doesn’t let his thoughts cloud his level of respect for her. Lifting his hand up, he shakes her hand and gives her a nice firm handshake. To Darius, he is one of the people who will fufill her wish of being looked at as a man. Not in a weird way of that he thinks about her like that. But in the fact that he respects her as a warrior enough to never place any gender between them. He treats her as he would any male assassin who had earned his respect. Unlike other females that he feels need protecting or guidance, Kodi is one of the few who he will never think he needs protecting of. When she comes in to bro-hug him, Darius is surprised and his eyes widen a bit; in shock of this reaction out of her. He almost is lost for words by the time her fist comes to playfully smack him right on the chin. When she walks away, her speech, it seemed to give him a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. But even that light seemed so small in his eyes, it might as well not even be there. Looking back down at the War Room, the images of the night continue to pass through his brain. How everything just went wrong. His voice then appears to break through the silence for Kodi to hear. His voice beginning to sound somewhat dark but still somehow showing a caring feeling in what he talks about-“I can’t…I can’t leave something like what happened up to no fault…”-His hands slowly clamp down into fists, the dirt gathering and falling to the floor from him still wearing the same robes from the night before. He then slams his fist into the table, with his eyes glaring down towards Kodi. Not out of anger with her, but towards himself-“I should have calculated for that! There had to have been a back-up plan for the main plan!”- The tone of his voice quickly rising and the anger coming from it could be felt throughout the entire hideout. Darius’ blood begins to pump through his body; increasing his heartrate. The images of another time period, this time in the early 1700’s quickly begins to appear. His eyes flash towards Kodi, the image of her leaning on the wall begin to mix in with the images of the early 1700’s. In her place, standing in the same pose is a man dressed in Assassins robes, with a white hood. He has flowing blonde hair, like Kodi’s. Feeling frustrated now in the visions, Darius actually forces his body to pull back on seeing it. Letting the visions static and mix the real with the past worlds. Feeling his heart about to burst and the anger welling up inside of him, Darius grips the edge of the War Room table and flips the entire thing! *SMASSSH!* The table shatters and sends debris all over the room. Darius yells out-“I shouldn’t have taken any of you into that battle!...What was I thinking!?!?...”- His voice once again becoming somewhat softer as he continues on yelling at Kodi, but more so yelling at himself.-“I took…A group of strangers…with no experience…no training together…Just a handful of random people who even I don’t know…Into a battle we couldn’t have won….”- Darius really taking the situation to heart. The visions then come back to him once more, flashing the view of the same Assassin standing in front of him. Darius looks around to see himself in a much smaller body, not even an assassin. But in turn, one of his native American ancestors. In child sized body, the small native is on the ground crying. And Darius can only watch as this memory is played out. The blonde assassin makes his way over and helps the small native American up and dusts him off with his hands. The Assassin gives the boy a soft smile and says-“Don’t cry, Kid…You are alive…You ain’t dead…So stop being a debby downer and grow back your dick!”-

The assassin then releases a loud and obnoxious revealing sharp serrated teeth in his mouth, just like a shark. After seeing that, the memory comes to pass and Darius’ vision returns to normal. Feeling his heart instantly come to a slow beat once again, Darius pushes his back against the wall, wondering if everything he had been doing with this team was the right thing. His eyes softly lift up to look at Kodi once more-“This isn’t their fight…It isn’t your fight…This is my fight…And I should have never brought any of you into this World…I can’t put you all back out there again to actually DIE this time…I can’t have that blood on my hands…”- His eyes then droop down to the ground, unable to lift himself to look her in the eyes after saying that.-

( mmmf that sexy theme tho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B8M8s2Y2yQ) Kodi would only blink as she had heard the tone in his voice... as he spoke...-“I can’t…I can’t leave something like what happened up to no fault…”-The female wathed as he slammed each of his fists onto the table... his eyes... would of glared down at Kodi...Though she did not budge one bit while he continued to blame himself.... The female gave him a stern stare...thus only understanding how he is acting at this moment.. she too had felt this before.. being at fault of there own self...He bickered about they're should had been a back up plan....She raised her left eyebrow... as it seemed he was looking at her as his eyes flashed at her... She sooned blinked noticing Darius force his body to pull back...only to grip the edge of the table flipping it ... Kodi only gazed as it shattered....The male soon screamed out..-“I shouldn’t have taken any of you into that battle!...What was I thinking!?!?...I took…A group of strangers…with no experience…no training together…Just a handful of random people who even I don’t know…Into a battle we couldn’t have won….”She could feel the pain within that sentance... taking it to head... Thus he only pushed himself onto the wall.... His eyes soon met up with her stern blue oceanic whirpools...-“This isn’t their fight…It isn’t your fight…This is my fight…And I should have never brought any of you into this World…I can’t put you all back out there again to actually DIE this time…I can’t have that blood on my hands…” Thus his eyes lowered down once more.... Kodi then shook her head..."Are you seriously looking down.. Pick your head back up.. your gonna let one fuckin mission get you down...Over some of us about die?! Really? Dying People die... and it wasn't the blood on your hands.. are you that weak.. We just didn't go in there... without fucking training.. we need to build up this team.." as she spoke she walked over to the male looking down... grappling him by the top of his head only to slam the back of his templet on the wall...before making him look at her directly in the eyes... Her eyes were as abrasive as ever.. though with a hint of loyalt an fury..."You need to fucking realize people die or get hurt... So why don't you dust yourself back up and make up another plan..And act more fucking leader like...." She bared her serated teeth at him... as she then patted the side of his face.. in a more of a caring matter..."Take a deep fuckin breath... dear god.. do you need to smoke.. and you say I need to calm myself.." Kodi only chuckled, seeing Darius somewhat of a little brother but she then went back to being serious....awaiting for Darius to speak.. as she back up folding her arms.. as she looked at him... directly in the eyes by now...‏

“Yeah, I sometimes despise the people in there…” Looking away from the mirror, May looks towards the petite woman with blue hair. "What?" May was confused by what she was talking about, then it hit her, she was talking about May's reflection. “The people that live in there, total idiots. Failures…dead beats…useless…and they got the nerve to look back at us and say nothing.” The room gets smaller as Artemis enters the bathroom and places herself right next to her. May was a giant compared to the smaller female, but for some reason she could sense the other females strength. Looking back in the mirror May stares back at her reflection. -She was right- Her reflection showed her everything that she hated about herself, looking at her bruises and scrapes she saw the failure in every cut. “Yet no matter how many times we tell them how much we hate them…they’re always there. They come back and they take all the bad things we say to them. Because who better to listen to than yourself? That’s why when I fail or I fuck up I look in there too but I don’t say bad things….” Looking at the female in the mirror she watches as her face morphs into a cheesy smile,  May's face still showed the pain that she felt inside. “I say good job dumb ass!! Ya fucked up but you’re still here. Better luck next time. Cause there's always a next time.” Getting the chance to look away from her tattered self, she can't help but smile back at the female. “Wanna give it a try??” Looking back in the mirror she responds "I would, actually. Nice job fucker!! You messed up but you're still alive and next time will be different. Because you are part of this team and you will show them what you are made of." A tear falls from May's eye, trickling down her cheek, using her good arm, the left, she wipes the tears away. "What the hell? I never cry in front of people. I must be drugged up or something." More tears seemed to flow out of her, she found it annoying that now her emotions decided to bear down on her. All of a sudden a smash caused the whole hideout to shake. Holding onto the sink, May was able to keep her footing, coming down on her left ankle she winced at the pain. Looking over at Artemis she made sure she too was alright "We better go check out to see what that was." Pushing off of the sink she put her arm around the females shoulders. "Do you mind helping a cripple move around?" If Artemis agreed to helping her walk, they would both emerge out of the bathroom together. Taking one final look at Lee, she would smile to herself, she still couldn't believe that he had sat with her as she healed. Then looking at the bed she couldn't help but feel that warmth of friendship again, for someone who lost her family she found herself surrounded by people who cared. "I think it came from the War room."‏

The blonde beauty would actually tear up and Artemis grinned when she took the advice and talked back to herself this time more positive. Great, one down now to….there was a loud commotion and Artemis picked up on Darius yelling. Damn, looks like giving him his space would have to wait as May decided it was time to see what was going on. “May, you shouldn’t be out of bed.” But it would go ignored and Artemis helps the woman walk out of the medical room and over to the war room to watch Darius flip a table over and then Kodi slam him in to the wall. She flashes pearly white teeth at the scene laid out it was like something out of one of her favorite Spanish soaps as Kodi tells him to lift his head up and to get over it. She helps May in to the room and lets themselves be known. “If we’re beating each other up go easy on May alright? Shes tough but I don’t much think she can play right now. Plus let it be known I don’t want to be hit in the face unless it’s in a sexual way.” She joked to ease the tension going on, it was so thick one could slice it with an imaginary knife. She still had her glock in hand as she lets go of May when she felt the blonde could stand on her own but just in case she pulled up a chair, even if she doesn’t sit on it she could rest her hands on the back to keep her standing. This room was full of assassins, Artemis was not one and in all honesty she wasn’t sure why she was even here, she had nothing to do with any of this hell even now she didn’t exactly know who it was they fought against or why it should even matter, Darius didn’t much talk to her at all through this whole experience but right now she knew he needed support and to be shown that this wasn’t his fault. Kodi seemed to be doing a good job of that but she would assist, as a team they’d help. “We’re still standing, Darius. And we will follow you to our last breath. You act like before you we weren’t already in this sort of life. I am a hit man, my tomorrow is never certain, nothings changed now that I work with you. I’m sure the others can say the same.” She gestures towards the two blonde bombshells. “Not like we’re just doing this blindly because you told us too…they have a reason and I’m sure with some training we will advance to where we need to be.”‏

We Can Only Look Up Now
-Even though he felt like he put them all in harms way, they all began to come and explain to him that they were willing to give their lives for a cause they knew nothing about. But to stand behind Darius as their leader. His skull smashes against the wall, cracks being placed where his head impacts as he listens to what Kodi says. And then he listens to what the others say as well. At that time because of the crashing of the table, Lee and Ratchet both had woken up in a frenzy to see both Kodi and May not in their beds. But then they ran into the war room; seeing them there put smiles on both of their faces. Especially for Lee when he sees May still trying to kick it like she is a badass. Walking over to her and Artemis, Lee attempts to wrap May’s arm around his; allowing her to have more leverage on her side than the small petite body of Artemis’. (plot XD) As he attempts this, he says-“Hey Art, I got her if you wanna go and try to calm your, Slave Master down.”- And if Artemis did let Lee get a hold of May, he would be able to easily balance her with his mortal strength. He is no super soldier. No high trained assassin. Not even a tech genius that can build an unbreakable weapon to use in battle. The guy just happened to be the best driver in the city and could get his hands on anything with an engine. But that didn’t let that stop him from doing anything and everything he wanted. And whether she saw it or not, right now that involved taking care of May. Shooting her a soft smirk while holding her, Lee whispers to her-“You just don’t know when to take a break do you, May…Try not to make me worry so much next time.”- His smirk slowly expands into a smile for her as he says that last portion. With everyone now in the room, Darius looks around and wonders what the next move should be. That is when Lee once again steps up and says-“Day…I’ve known you for years, since before either of us could even drive…If something like this has you this passionate and this worked up…Then all of us know how serious it is. And if it is serious for you and means a lot to you…Then it means a lot to all of us…Because we are a team. And a team looks out for one another. So come on…What’s the next move?”- Darius slowly comes to understand that even though they failed, they are still the team that he had recruited them to be. All standing up now, and ready to fight till the end of this. Darius comes to smirk as he slowly raises his hands to pull back the hood of his robes. Revealing the dried blood and bloodshot red right eye of his.-“Our next move…We train…And you all become TRUE Assassins…It’s time you all learned The Creed and what it is we stand for…”-