maskormenacelogs | While the lines on the wall start to fray

[For a moment, he stops, stunned. The power drain was a very real thing, leeching from his mind in small shreds of pain. For all the good it did, he might not have acted at all.]

I'm just getting started!

[That fear trickles in beneath his rage, creeping cold tendrils of ice into his veins. It's like the battle with that clown all over again, when again and again, nothing happened...]

Really? Because I haven't.

[ Now it's time for Pan to play a game. There's a click of his fingers and the fire goes out All light extinguished from the area as Pan steps into the shadows all but vanishing.

There's an eerie silence that falls over everything. No sound of bugs, no sound of the wind, nothing.

It's then it comes seeping in. His music it permeates the area, flooding it with an awful kind of chill that sinks into one's heart. That fear you're feeling, Tetsuo? It'll grow with the sound of this music. ]

[Tetsuo's eyes widen.

He's had nightmares about this forest. It extends everywhere, branches reaching like malevolent claws, shadows with eyes behind them. Shapes in the fog - feline or human... Tetsuo whirls around, stepping backwards. A branch snaps under his foot, and spooked, he whirls around again.

Music spills out from the darkness, soft and haunting.

The whole forest is watching him. Just like that, it feels like nothing else here is alive. He's too scared to listen; the music interferes with his second sight. It fills his mind with poison that he can't shake...]

Knock it off!

[His shield is at the ready, all senses taut and waiting for the hint of anything. Any breeze, any whisper, any noise at all.]

[ The voice echoes, no discernible location as it just comes from all around when he says: ]

But, I'm having so much FUN. [ And the music continues. There's a blast of wind fills the area, to send a chill down Tetsuo's spine. A loud flutey wail catches on the wind, as if they're screaming in pain, a pain that Tetsuo would soon feel. Despair, agony, isolation all wrapped up into one.

Pieces of the ground float about, just hanging and drifting in the air quietly. At random intervals they may be flung at Tetsuo's feet just to give him even more of a scare. ]

[The darkness surrounds everything. Eyes open, eyes closed.. what he perceives is largely the same. Everything around him is emptiness. Not even death. There is literally no one else in this hell that he can sense.

But the wind howls through branches, rattling the foliage and catching his hair. It's summer, but he's regretting leaving the jacket behind. Behind that coldness lies worse - the music rises again. But unlike the haunting drift of slow fear, this is an intense scream. It could be of a predator. It could be of prey. It could be either, but both carry a promise.

He's next.

All too familiar despair wells in his throat. Fear sharpens his senses, while a growing feeling of helplessness dulls them. And the wind blows cold through his thin shirt, taking his hope with it. He can't attack what he can't see! There is nothing here, while at the same time, paranoia tells him that everything lurks out in the endless shadows. That's not a branch, it's a crouching jungle cat, waiting to claim the rest of him now that it's gotten a taste, and he's alone. That's no music but the manic laughter of that clown, ready to beg him to tear him apart, then seize hold of him anyway, ruthless fingers tightening around his throat-

Tetsuo takes a step back, then another. His third trips him to the ground, leaving him to flail wildly as he hits an uneven surface. He scrambles to his feet, only for something to lash out at his foot. In this dim setting, he can't tell what.

Tetsuo yelps, jumping backwards and barely keeping his footing this time.]

What the-?!

[ More objects seem to fly out of the darkness, but now far more deadly looking. Knives, swords and axes just whiz into the camp. All of them precise as how they just narrowly miss Tetsuo in receiving a fatal blow. It's meant to intimidate and drive Tetsuo to panic, to try and run. He wants the boy to recognize what he truly is on the inside: a coward and with that knowledge he'll know never to think he can best Pan.

The wind dies down in the camp, the objects fall with a clatter and silence settles over everything. There's no sound of nature or animals just the stillness of night. Maybe there is the occasional creak or groan, just to add enough atmosphere to set Tetsuo on edge.

And then all about, small little glowing spheres, like eyes appear about. All of them menacing in their own way. ]

[Something whizzes by his head, a sharp snip to the air where there was silence before. He can feel the breeze as it passes him, and .. the dull gleam of metal as it grows close enough.

He screams, flinching away only for another one to appear.

But he doesn't run. He instead screams again, this time rage at helplessness building until he can't take it. He lets himself sink into that feeling, fueled by fear - he's furious that he still has to be afraid! He shouldn't be! He has all this power now, he should never be helpless again!

Fueled by despair - he has to do this, or ...

These feelings rise further and further, burning under his skin. The next sharp object evaporates instantly under the blazing plasma of his energy shield. It sears the air around it, crackling with intense power. It sears his mind and body, making him wince with the backlash.

But he holds it up anyway, ignoring the ice filling his veins. He can barely see past it, though in dimmer spots warping about the shield he can see endless eyes all around him. Fine. He'll kill them, too! He'll kill ALL of them!]

[ He watches the energy flare off of Tetsuo, burning the weapons he hurls about at Tetsuo. His eyes widen in both anticipation and excitement. So, this is some of the power Tetsuo had. How interesting.

But, the game's winner had always been decided. He can see that shield falter in spots and he knows Tetsuo can't keep it up forever. So he'll take this opportunity to hurl more power at him, waves of force and balls of fire come crashing towards that shield to bring it down. To attack every last bit of Tetsuo's mental fortitude. ]

[Seconds draw out. He can feel his vision start to distort. Tetsuo roars defiance at the darkness, pouring all the energy he can spare to make his shield brighter. He vanishes from a dim speck to nothingness, his presence announced only by a brilliant devastating sphere of annihilation. He's flicked his shield up before, but he never fed himself to it like this. For the first time, he can truly see just how much power he can call in a very visual form.

All around him, the light goes from red, to yellow, to a brilliant white. And the darkness is gone.

Nothing can stand against it. In this one moment, he knows true invincibility. There is nothing but him in this small protected bubble, and nothing can touch him!

Except for his power itself.

He can feel the strain clawing deep into his head, ripping and tearing until his vision streaked and his breath comes in ragged gasps. And still he clings to the power anyway, refusing to let it drop for a second. Energy ripples and twists in chaotic ropes of stray plasma, bleeding uselessly away from his shield. The form is unstable, aftershocks of power radiating in shockwaves around him. His hair streaks back in a fierce wind. Trees bow and sway around him, lit by lightning below. Mulch and dirt evaporates into steam and dust.

Pain starts to overtake his concentration. Tetsuo roars defiance anyway, hard enough that his voice cracks painfully with the sheer volume. It echoes through the forest, but he can't hear it through the wildfire tearing his brain apart. Afterimages sear deep into his eyes until all he can see is the fire in his head manifest.

The shielding sphere around him hardens and coalesces, darkening into view as he lets his concentration slip. He can tell he's losing his grip, but he can also feel the impact of things against his shield. He falls to his knees, hands glued to his head, curling in on himself as his life force burns bright around him. Now, if he lets go, he knows. He won't be able to move fast enough. He can't get out! But if he lets go-

It could be minutes. He doesn't know. It seems to stretch forever, each breath harder than the last and thoughts evaporating into instinct. Everything hurts too much to do more.

Tetsuo's scream finally cuts off as his shield fractures, coalescing into lightning around him. The last bits discharge immediately and harmlessly into the atmosphere, leaving him drained and dazed.]

[ and in that moment of weakness, when Tetsuo's defenses are gone and he is unaware for just a moment; Pan appears. He's behind Tetsuo smirking and mentally tutting at such a display. Sure, it was impressive, far impressive than he could imagine. But it was just a glimpse of true potential that would never be realized.

Tetsuo after all had paid a steep price for that moment of safety. He couldn't protect himself anymore and Pan still had all the energy to spare.

His hand streaks quickly and Tetsuo would feel that horrid sensation he did back January. A hand slipping beneath the skin and bone that protected the boy's heart. Pan than firmly grasps the boy's beating heart in his hand but does not remove it. In this moment the only thing that is keeping Tetsuo alive is Pan's magic. All he'd have to do is drop the spell and his hand would come out of it's semi solid state and just shred that heart to pieces.

Pan knew he won once again, but...he doesn't pull the organ from Tetsuo's body. He simply holds it as he stands there, smirking all the while. ]

Looks like I win this game, Tetsuo and I think I'm about ready to claim my prize.

[Breathing heavily, all Tetsuo can do is stare up at Pan in horror. The world swims and dims around him, leaving just the two of them in a stretch of nowhere. He can sense no one else no matter how he tries. Or maybe it's too scattered...

His head pounds, keeping rhythm with his heartbeat, pulsing black dots searing themselves in his vision. He tries to get up, determined to put some fight up -

And then Pan's hand plunges into his chest all over again. Tetsuo's eyes go wide in shock, mouth working soundlessly. His mind instantly races back to January, but this time he's worn himself out too much to reach for anyone. No one will come, some dark part of his mind whispers, even if he does. He's going to die alone.

Icy pain lances through his body, though it's strangely detached. Pan's hand doesn't pull back yet, but he's sure it's just a matter of time. What does he want, to gloat over this? Like hell!

A last shred of defiance burns in his eyes anyway, glaring up at Pan. The effect is lost when he tries to cast his mind out again, only for it all to be too much for him. He cries out in very real pain, trying to move his right hand to press against his temple.]

B-bastard...

[ The look of defiance only makes this all the sweeter because he's about to take something from Tetsuo. Something that'll leave more of a lasting wound than the other one he cast on his heart.

He grips the heart tightly and he doesn't bother even crushing it, he has other plans for this.]

Like killing you would really do anything now. No. I've got something better in mind because truly? This is going to hurt Kaneda far more than it'll hurt you.

[ He leans in to whisper in Tetsuo's ear, closing the gap between them, his prey having no choice but to listen: ]

You'll forget everything that happened tonight. You won't remember what happened to you or who did it. All you'll remember is these feelings. The dread, the horror. Everything. You won't have anything to associate this pain with but it'll be there.

[ And in a flash his other hand streaks to the boy's arm and grabs hold of it. His smirk widens and he just pulls, his telekinesis doing the work for him as he just rips the boy's arm off completely. He casts it aside like some toy and he pulls back to look at Tetsuo in the face, his smirk still all the more sadistic.]

Now...go to sleep and forget.

[This is going to hurt Kaneda far more than it'll hurt you, Pan says.

Tetsuo doesn't believe that for a second. It hurts so much already.. and why Kaneda?! Wasn't it Tetsuo who Pan messed with? This asshole killed him - so why Kaneda?! What's so great about him that makes it more important than this? This wasn't between Pan and Kaneda, this was between Tetsuo and Pan! Pan betrayed and murdered him, he had to have his revenge, so what does Kaneda have to do with this?!

Questions that can only be asked with wide eyes - why?! - before the dread sinks in deeper and deeper. Pan seizes his arm before Tetsuo can do anything, holding it immobile. He doesn't even hear the sound as much as feels it. A bone-deep snap that shakes his whole body. The world flashes white in front of him, a sharp ringing cutting out all other sound. For a second, he's confused. His arm feels warm. But also... something is wrong. In shock, he looks at the arm in front of him as it's tossed away. He knows the scar on the forearm.

But that.. that can't be...

Still dazed, he forces his left hand to move, reaching over Pan's to shakily grasp at the stump. It doesn't feel like anything at first. It feels like meat and jagged bone. He can feel it twitch under his hand as his shoulder pulls back, hopelessly trying to move an arm that isn't there.

His hand grips harder until bone shards dig into his palm, clamping over the wound. None of this feels real. He can't feel anything; it's like his body's suddenly not his. His hand is coated in something warm and sticky...

Then the screaming starts. Raw and primal, ripped out of his body like a caged beast let loose. He barely hears that Pan speaks again, but it doesn't matter. His heart hears it, and his body obeys. The white fades out, and he sleeps.]

[ Truly, Tetsuo was only ever a means to an end for his goals. He might not have even cared about Kaneda if he weren't the one to go and shatter the hourglass that held Neverland together.

Everything he knew about the two he could hurt them both. Tetsuo's pride and now Kaneda's fail to protect his friend again. It would all trickle down the vine with these two now. All of N5 would feel this pain he bestowed upon this one boy. All of his friends would feel it more, knowing they failed Tetsuo once again.

In the end, Tetsuo was just the catalyst to a greater string of pain Pan wished to give out. He pulls his hand out of the boy's chest and with a single wave of his the boy vanishes and will end up somewhere else in one of the cities. Let Kaneda and his friends try and find him before he bleeds out. ]

Edited (woops sorry forgot that last bit) 2016-09-06 19:21 (UTC)

While the lines on the wall start to fray

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