My Past Reads Like A Fall Out Boy Song Title [OPEN]

[exuviiated]

[The fields have ears.]

[Of corn, that is, but it's trampled and a mess by the time anyone might come across it-- this is Aaron's fault. He's been pacing for a solid hour as the wound on his side slowly clots.]

[He knows that he should put something over it; pressure, a cloth, even his hand, but he can't. His hands are shaking and his head hurts and all he can think of is Riddler.]

[Or, rather, what Riddler did to him. And vice versa.]

[By the time he's worked off enough nervous energy to stop pacing around, he's not alone anymore. A shallow well of shadow forms almost unconsciously behind him (they could be one of Lux's, now that people must know that he has stronger magic) and he turns towards where he thinks his visitor is.

Who's there?

Comments

[mechanacet]

[Cam is now fighting more defensively. On the back foot now that the numbers assaulting them have doubled. Their attacks are mainly counters now, only going on the offensive if either of their opponents makes a move towards Daniel.

Speaking of, Daniel is concentrating through the mother of all headaches right now. A grinding can be heard from in the inside of the tractor's engine compartment, like something were trying to rip itself free. Lightning is still coursing through and around his cane, the two uncorrupted cables striking repeatedly at the cable still covered in the shadowy goop, causing sparks to fly as they burn the sticky darkness away.

Daniel hasn't broken eye contact with Aaron yet either, he seems to be attempting to stare him down.] Make me. [Daniel's voice is stern, powerful with the stray electrical energy in the air crackling around him. Any nearby lights are likely to go haywire/start exploding due to the stress Daniel's put himself under as he overuses his abilities.]

[exuviiated]

[He shouldn't even be able to use his magic if he's putting that much strain on them! Maybe it was different for other types, though- Aaron remembers his healing magic sputtering and dying once he was too strained and tired to continue, or maybe he just wasn't good enough.

But he's good enough to use the magic he has now, and so he lets the cats melt into shadow and instead sends a torrent of shadows towards his tiny robot and him. They stick near the ground instead of rising up like he's tried before, and he looks even more frantic.]

I will!

[It's going for his ankles; now-- too much for Cam to hold of on their lonesome.]

[mechanacet]

[Daniel's been dealing with headaches like this since he was around four years old. He's used to it, but Aaron's right, he won't be able to hold on much longer. But he doesn't have to, as the engine of the tractor pretty much tears itself from it's compartment, metal shrieking as it bends and breaks, disconnected pipes and wires acting as legs and arms, reaching out to grab Daniel and Cam, who has fallen back before Aaron's latest onslaught.

Having gotten what he came for, Daniel directs the engine-automaton, which consists of much of the internal parts of the tractor, back towards the observatory, time to retreat, regroup and recover. As he's falling back, however, Daniel has a few parting words for Aaron.] I've gotten what I came for. Any further fighting would be pointless. [Daniel smiles, a bit of the friendly scientist shining back through.] I'm looking for answers to the puzzle of this world. If you find you need them too, come to where the stars shift nightly. [It's a bad attempt at being cryptic, but Daniel means his workshop at the observatory.]

[exuviiated]

[He knows well enough that the only reason Daniel is leaving is because he's got what he wants, but it doesn't stop him from chasing him out with whiplike tendrils of shadow to his ankles, snappy enough to be cutting if they hit bare skin.]

STAY OUT!

[Rest assured he will not be going to the observatory any time soon. OR ever, really.]

[mechanacet]

[Daniel makes sure to leave deliberately slowly, he's not in any danger from the ground shadows as he is still being lifted by his bizarre walking engine, which is infused with his magic. At this point, it's more about making a statement than anything else.

He is quite confident in the curiosity he's instilled in Aaron, it's something about human nature he tends to bank on, that humans are too curious not to seek out potential answers to any questions that they find important to them. It tends to eat at them. Even if they don't notice it at first. And so he and Cam go, without fuss, but without hurrying either, especially if it'll make their encounter with Aaron more memorable to the boy.]