savetheearth | 03 ❧ video; iphone

[It was intentional. Stupid, but intentional. He'd wanted to get just close enough for an echo: to get some control over what was happening to him, rather than just waiting for it to happen.

[Then he'd gotten too close. His expensive clothes may as well have been a bright, flashing sign. The guy moved in, and then....

[The redhead trembles, staring at the thing that had appeared. It took the man down like it was nothing. Just a few quick slashes of its bladed arms, and the guy was down. Dead.

[And now, the creature stares at him, like he's supposed to do something. Like it's waiting for him.

[If it got away from the body, he could show it to the network. Much as he scoffs at most of those idiots, maybe—

[As though reading his thoughts, the creature moves obediently away from the body.]

... Fuck.

[The screen is dark, camera currently covered by a hand. When Axel speaks, his voice is calm and measured.]

Alright, Numbers Club. Let's see if any of you know.

[The hand moves, and the camera struggles to focus on ... something. It's not human, that's for sure. The combination of bad lighting and a slightly shaking camera makes it a little tough to see, but eventually, the creature comes into view. It bobs gently, appearing to be floating slightly above the ground. The four blades on each arm look like they're colored slightly different than the rest of it.

[Look closer: it's blood.

[Axel speaks again. Despite the slight shakiness of his hand, his voice is still stubbornly calm.]

What the fuck is this thing?

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[It takes a minute for Adam to recover enough to respond... When he does, he still looks a little winded.]

It's called a Nobody. ...How the hell do I know that.

["But now you can be nothing instead of just being a Nobody."

[His very first echo. And here Adam is, saying that word like it means something.]

... Repeat that.

[On screen, the creature appears to still slightly.]

[...ok now you're worrying him.]

Um... it's called a Nobody?

[A quick switch, as he makes their conversation into a private one.]

What is that? What's a Nobody?

Uh... as far as I can... remember, I guess, it's a creature without a heart. Which makes no goddamn sense.

And this ... thing is one of them?

[But that ... doesn't make any sense at all, does it? That blond man — he definitely didn't look anything like this creature.]

Yeah. It's a type, anyway.

What're the other types?

[Why yes, Axel does sound way more intense (and interested) about this than he's sounded about ... pretty much anything else.]

Well, that's an Assassin, and there are ones called Dancers, and Dusks, and Samurai...

[He trails off, looking curious.] ...Do you know what's going on?

... My first echo. [The one he hasn't talked about.] I told someone: "We are just Nobodies who have no one to be, yet we still 'are.'"

[No, that's not the whole story. But it's a part.]

[oh. well then.]

...Sorry. I guess I don't know enough to know what that means. I think some of them do look like people, though.

So I might've been one...?

[Although he says it aloud, it's quiet: more speculating to himself than anything. He might've been a Nobody. Him, and the man he killed.

[... Well, the man he killed with fire, anyway. Not the one that this creature killed for him.]

[...well shit. Adam doesn't know what to say to that, so instead Axel gets:]

Are you ok?

Yeah, I'm fine.

[BLATANT LIES. He's not even bothering to keep the camera on the Assassin anymore; Adam's getting a lovely view of the concrete, now.

[... Which has a lovely stream of blood running across it, off to one side.

[Totally unaware of this, Axel continues. There's no trace of arrogance in his voice, and he sounds far more genuine than he ever has, when talking to Adam.]

... Do you remember an arrogant man with long, blond hair and green eyes? Or a man broad shoulders and long ... blue hair?

[Adam feels bad, because that does sound really sincere and he wants to be able to help.]

Sorry... that's not bringing up anything.

How 'bout an "Organization XIII"? They all wore black coats, like that one I got.

[And I was Number VIII, he doesn't say.]

...Yeaaaaaaah that did something. [well shit.]

You got an echo?

Yup. [maybe they should stop this is getting kind of ridiculous.]

[But Axel wants to knoooooow!]

What was it?

It's, uh. this group of thirteen... Nobodies, I guess, and they went around doing stuff to try and get their hearts back.

Still doesn't make sense to me, but.

[... Wait a minute.]

You sure it was thirteen?

Um... yes? I mean, it's got thirteen in the name...

That's weird. I remember fourteen.

Huh. Yeah, I'm... not. [weird]

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