A Summation of an Endless Spiral

"'Preciate it." Luc said as she left the hallway, and walked over to where Leo had been laid down. Sitting down, she pulled her knees to her chest and watched the rise and fall of the Kadabra's breathing, letting her own irregular breaths come to synchronize with those of the unconscious pokemon.

After a while without hearing so much as a sound from elsewhere, she finally ran a hand across Leo's back, "We should probably go." Luc lifted the unconscious pokemon onto her back and started to make her way out of the safehouse before stopping at the door and looking back. That wasn't right, was it? "Sorry buddy, I didn't really think that one through. I should be the one who's going, right?" Turning around, she gently placed the Kadabra on the couch before placing the two pokeballs against his sleeping body. "Sorry I'm not better at this." With that she spun on a heel and left.

---

Under the shroud of night, Luc sat atop her perch on the roof across the street, watching for movement in the windows of her house. There were things, of course, she would be over there in an instant for. But she had spent a long time making sure the household routine worked like clockwork - as long as she made sure there was food in the fridge, it would all work out fine, with or without her.

No. It would probably work better without her. She didn't really have any place there. No, more than that, she was actively harming them by being there, wasn't she?

Silently, she watched the house through the night, until the last light went out. Burying her hands in her face, she did the only thing she could.

---

"Y'know, I've been thinking a lot recently. About hurting people. Not like that, I mean. Well that too, obviously. I mean, I was just thinking about how I could force my mom to shape up. That's pretty fucked up, right?" Though she was still talking to the man, it was clear as she talked over his groans into the pavement that Luc really didn't care much about whether he was listening or not.

"But no. I was thinking about how all I really do is hurt people. It's pretty much the only thing I'm good for, really. I want to protect people, I want to be helpful, but the only way I can do that is. Hurting. Other. People." With each word she leaned ever so slightly forward, putting more and more pressure against his head. The sort of guy who sold drugs to students. Who didn't care just how much damage he did. No one would miss him, and if she was going to go down this road what better place to start? No one left to disappoint, no example to set, she was free to lash out to her heart's content against someone completely at her mercy. And yet...

She couldn't do it. Every single excess left a miserable feeling in the pit of her stomach. As much as she knew she would need to do this eventually, seriously contemplating it made her sick. As much as she knew she needed to take that step, she couldn't even convince herself to seriously try to take it. She could hurt him sure, but it seemed trying to kill someone just wasn't really something she could do on command. She stepped back, "Thought I could do things differently. I tried. Tried a few ways, but I'm so bad at it that I'm not even useful as someone to be used. I could keep trying forever, but trying doesn't count for shit - only succeeding, and this is the only way I know how to succeed."

...Well she couldn't just let him go either - squatting down, she grabbed him by the chin and lifted his face to look into his eyes, "So. I'm not gonna say you can't sell. That would be dumb and some other asshole would just come to take your place. But you must be this tall to ride, get it?" She holds her free hand flat just above her head, "No one younger than me. I'll let you keep what you need to buy more stuff, but half of your profit? That's mine now, got it? Say yes ma'am." She forcibly nods his head before he has the opportunity to say anything. "Glad we understand each other." As she stands up, Luc rifles through the man's wallet, grabbing hold of his license and the money inside before tossing it back to him. "Good talk."

---

Leucosia Rallis had fallen into a rhythm. It had only been a few hours since she started her campaign of violently shutting down dealers for the night, but the process was pretty much the same between them. She already had five IDs. Fanning them out in front of her like a poker hand, she allowed herself a moment of self-satisfaction when she noticed a glimpse of movement across the rooftops. She considered ignoring it, but ultimately her curiosity drove her to hop up a fire escape and make her way up. The moment she reached the roof she laid eyes on someone watching her; a figure in a purple-and-pink outfit with shades of black, a midnight purple visor covering their face and two golden horns.

What the hell? Did they not get that Coballion had tossed her already? Strictly speaking this shouldn't have been her business anymore, but it didn't keep it from being irritating as hell. Thinking like that, Luc ran at the stranger ready to give them a piece of her mind. Suddenly a golden ring appeared in the stranger's hand, and with a flick of the wrist it was flying straight at Luc. Dropping flat against the roof and dodged the ring, she was quick to get back to her feet, chuckling to herself. "Hah. Probably not something I can really manage."

The moment she got back ot her feet, however, she merely caught a glimpse of the stranger tossing another ring before hopping off the side of a building. "Can't head them off, can't chase them straight up... I'll have to think of something for next time." Luc starts heading back the way that she came, a little more dilligent in watching her surroundings than she had been a few minutes ago.

---

After the encounter with the stranger, something had occured to Luc. She was hunting down people with close ties to crime; it wasn't unlikely to run into a contractor like this, and if she did, well that was pretty much it. That in mind she took out her phone, staring at it for a bit before finally sending the text, starting to transcribe information from the IDs she had confiscated as she waited for a response.

[can we talk?]

Less than a minute later, a portal opens and Rika steps through. One snap of her fingers and it closes. She's looking oddly relaxed, even for her. "Heya," The psychic smiles. "You've been busy, huh?"

Luc looks up from her task. Rika already knew about that, huh? "Little bit. Surprised word travels so fast."

"Not really that. I was watching you is all." Rika takes a step forward, arms crossed. "So, what's this all about that you've gotten up to?" She gestures to the notebook and stack.

"Hm. Oh right. Kinda why I called you, sorry to say but this one's business. I need to know about contractors working the drug trade." She spreads the licenses like a hand of cards, "Been beating up local dealers that sell near the schools and holding on to their information. Maybe I could take on a contractor like this, maybe I can't, but I'd rather not test my luck."

"Mhm. Ostensibly bad people. Interesting," Rika nods, floating up a bit and reclining in the air. "So you're trying to do some good in the world by beating people up. I can respect that. Quick question though," The psychic pauses, staring down Luc with a terrifying intensity. "What happened at your place tonight?"

"What do you mean? You said you were watching, right? Or you saw what came after, at least." Damn, had she seen that somehow? Rika had spent the whole end of their last conversation needling her; if she had seen that and was about to do more of the same, this was about to head south real quick.

"Perhaps I should make myself more clear." Rika's tone becomes very calm and very firm. "You murdered someone. Totally unaffiliated with this whole theology business, and you beat the shit out of them." The disapproval is saturated in every word. "Care to explain that for me, friend?"

"Is that what you think happened?" Luc tilted her head, seemingly puzzled. She had tried, admittedly. But Hideki was as affiliated as it gets! "Only one I've tried to kill was knee-deep in it, unless you're saying he wasn't part of it with his contract broken. Even then I failed pretty miserably. Couldn't stick to my guns, I guess!" That's right. If she was going to try something like that, she needed to commit. All the way. No flinching because someone saw her, or moralizing with herself or any of that bullshit.

"Well, what am I supposed to think when you're hovering outside your own house in the dead of night and waiting until it's all dark before you disappear?" Rika scoffs. "That said, if you actually did beat up either of those two killers then personally I wouldn't care. Though, mind, others certainly would." The psychic growls. "Is this what justice means to you? Going out and beating up people like a roving vigiliante bandit?"

"You saw that? That's uh... Pretty embarrassing. But nope. That's no kind of justice at all." Oh. Rika really only did have bits and pieces. Which was for the best really. She wasn't up for another round of being told how worthless her efforts were.

"I was in your head once. Sometimes I take a peek. Either way, yes, you should be embarrassed." The psychic stares. "Now, justice isn't exactly my portfolio, I'm no god, but I would imagine someone who does isn't fond of mixing it up with revenge, with, uh, dispensing it at the business end of a bat or some boots. That's pretty fucking tasteless."

Seriously? What the hell? Normally Rika couldn't help herself talking about how Giratina really cared, and the other gods didn't and blah blah blah. NOW she wanted to talk about trying to do stuff to keep Cobalion happy? Or... Was she trying to rub it in? "Well yeah. Cobalion already realised he can't use me or I'm not the kind of person he thought I was or whatever." She waves a hand in the air, "No more god-powers. Turns out he didn't know I couldn't give him what he wanted, and what I wanted really was impossible. So here we are. But it's not really revenge. I don't have something personal against them. Just figure if this is what I'm good for, might as well use it how I know."

Rika just stares in silence as she processes the information. After a moment, she sighs. "You idiot." The psychic rubs her forehead with a free hand. "All the talent and skill and understanding in the world, blessings of gods, and you honestly thought your highest calling was spitting that in the face and pretending you're in a comic book." The psychic growls, shaking her head. "When I said you need to stop languishing in your situation and change it, this sure as hell wasn't what I meant. You can be so much better than this, and yet... here you are. What the fuck, man?"

"...I tried. I tried for a long time, really. And every time I did things just got worse. Every time I've tried to avoid violence, figure out a way to do things without getting violent it just makes things worse. I just didn't realize until lives were on the line how bad it was." She looks away and back to the book, "It's funny though. How many people have said that. I didn't realize until recently how much I hate it. How many times do I have to fuck it up before they stop with the bullshit? Or worse, they're the sort that try to butt in on personal matters and make things better and suddenly you're scrambling to make a reason that, 'no officer, there's nothing wrong here, I just fell down the stairs, look there's the dent in the wall.'" She pauses, "Whoops, irrelevant shit getting to me again. Anyways, you've got it wrong. When we were doing the magic thing, that was way closer to the comic thing. I'm not pretending to be a hero anymore. Look," She pulls a wad of cash from her pocket, "That's what I've taken from drug dealers tonight. Didn't tell them to stop selling or get off the street. Just that I'll be back, and some of their profits are my profits now." If Rika could play mindgames, so could she.

Rika is quite for a long time, though it's clear from her body language she's progressively growing more irritated under she sees the wad of cash. That's what makes her snap. Her eyes glow and, with a gesture, Luc gets psychicly slapped. "LOOK AT YOURSELF, YOU IDIOT!" The psychic snarls her Nihilego snarl. "This what it's come to? Being a racketeer? Ugh," Rika seems to hold herself back from another slap. "People listen to you! Your friends do. They listen to you in a way they'd never listen to me. You understand the suffering of others, you can use that to actually make something of yourself. People rely on you to protect them, those other girls sure do. And this, this, THIS is how it's going to go for you?" The air twists and churns as the sin in her becomes more palpable.

The psychic slap only causes Luc to lower her head as she realized that Rika was being entirely genuine this whole time. "The only reason they don't listen to you because you work for Giratina, for whatever that's worth. And it's not like I won't still be making sure my family's taken care of, I just realized my feelings on it or whatever aren't worth making things harder. And isn't that why you told me I should join up with Giratina? I'd figure you'd be over the moon." She sighs as she feels the air churn. Maybe she really had messed up so bad that even Rika, seemingly dedicated to convincing her to take that step towards Giratina, was telling her she had messed up. But even if that was true, it was a little late to say so, wasn't it? "But I think we've got a misunderstanding. This isn't ending. It's over. Cobalion's left me, I can't call on any of the powers. This isn't how it's going, it's how it's already gone."

"Before that even. They listen to you. You're a leader. A leader I always wanted to be." Rika hisses again, far too animalistic. Despite, or perhaps because of, all her fury, it takes the psychic awhile to actually formulate what to say next. Eventually the words do come, as an explosion of sound and force."WHY WOULD I BE HAPPY? YOU'RE NOT A DESPICABLE PERSON LIKE ME, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS BULLSHIT LEUCOSIA!" The ground quakes and a sonic boom rides through the air. After a moment, she's left panting. "... ugh. Don't do this, kid. This shit here, this is beneath you. You're an actually good person. You don't need or want a life like this or mine."

Wait. Maybe this was the chance she'd been looking for? Yeah it came at a shitty time, but maybe this really was the perfect time to get through to her? "Hm. It took a contract with Giratina before you started doing anything to hurt us, and even then you said you didn't really think of us as friends, right? Nah, I can't really see you as despicable." She still doesn't lift her head - she barely moves and yet somehow it's become infinitely more as if she's presenting her neck to Rika, "I don't really want it, but I realized I can't have everything I want. So I'm choosing which ones are important. This is my choice."

"You have no idea the things I've done, or the lengths I've gone to with hiding them away. Or did you, too, not notice all the missing girls around here?" Rika snarls. "Your choice sucks. Find something better to do or I'll make your choice for you. Shape the fuck up, Luc."

My choice sucks? What kinda right did she have to talk about anyone's choice sucking? Telling people to get better in the same breath they talk about how awful they are and that they're not even going to try to fix it? Right. She had let herself forget for a minute there. If this was her path she had to commit. She was never going to be able to do this nonviolently, and she didn't have the power to do it with violence. "It's weird. Every time we talked this is more or less what you told me, right? You said you've been in my mind; you know it's still something I was worried about when we talked last. Now that I'm making peace with it, it's a problem?" Embittered, she looks straight at Rika for the first time since she lowered her head, "But making sure people are miserable is part of your job now, right? So I guess it makes sense."

"I'm trying to help you you ungrateful little-" Once again, it seems like Rika is going to attack before, at the last possible second, her whole body tenses and she stops herself. Panting, seemingly from strain, the psychic touches down on the ground. It's awhile before she can actually talk again, but the sinful aura around is at least dissipating a little. "... I don't want you miserable. I want to help you, even if every part of me is screaming to kill you." A few more labored breaths and she steps back. "I can't get through to you now I guess. Fine. I'll come back later and try again. But, please, try to do better for yourself. Bring some light in the world. It really needs it."

"What was it we were saying last time about people trying to be helpful?" Luc closes her eyes and throws her hands up, "Do what you want. I really can't stop you. Literally."

Rika sucks some air between her teeth, fists clenching and opens up a portal and leaves before she can do anything drastic.

After Rika left, Luc sat in the alley for a while unmoving.

"Do better for myself, huh? Not 'be better than this.' Just do better for myself..."

The rustle of an animal or something from down the alley roused her from her contemplation and she started to walk away - but not six steps into leaving, she's plunged straight down into the earth through a tunnel until she finally finds herself in a murky green cave with a pool of dark green liquid.

"Well that was... Unexpected." Checking her phone, she clicked her tongue before approaching the only other feature in the room, the pool of liquid. Immediately greeted with fleeting images of people she knew; Yulia baking a cake, Sayori chatting with two older people (her parents?), Miyako studying at her desk, Lizzy skating around town - but the liquid slideshow was suddenly interrupted as her body was wracked with pain and a vaguely familiar form rose from the water, glaring at her with glowing green eyes.

"You and I need to have a chat."

Her breathing becomes irregular as she does her best to ignore the pain. It was difficult to imagine she didn't know what this was about, but at the same time she couldn't help wanting to deny him as much satisfaction from this as possible. "Two times in two days. And in person this time. I'm pretty flattered."

"Hmm, well... my hypothesis was right. Looks like I'm still putting your life in danger just by existing. My, my, Cobalion! Since when did you have restraint? Is this an ironic statement?" Zygarde slowly slithered out from the pool, sliding around Luc. His new metal tail scraped across the ground. "Either your god has a sense of humor, or he didn't do his job right... again. Though at least he's stuck more to the plan than you have."

She closed her eyes and puts a hand to her head as the pain steadily increased. Wonderful. He was trying to play mind games now too. "I wasn't really a fan of the plan to begin with. Little less when Cobalion started asking about the details."

"Oh, no, no. Not THAT plan." Zygarde shook his head with a chuckle. "I'm talking about a grand plan. I have an agenda, you see... and that's probably as far as I should go, huh? You see, I like you because you're unpredictable. You're quite interesting. That is, until you started deviating from the path too far. Of course, I thought there was some hope for you when Cobalion put you in time-out, but..." He slithers right up to her face. "Then you almost got yourself killed."

As the pain increases she shuts her eyes tighter, and her free hand balls into a fist, "Yeah... Bit of... A mistake." The words seem to come with a fair bit of effort. "Didn't think Rika... Would do a total one-eighty..." And that had been a surprise - she thought at worst, Rika would just tell her to join with Giratina or something like that. It might have even been a welcome one if she was a bit better. If she was like Yulia or Terra she might have been able to take advantage of it, but it was silly to think putting her life on the line as a sign of trust was enough on its own. That was outside her skills.

"You didn't think, huh? Such an interesting piece ready to just throw your life away?" Zygarde slithered forwards, forcing Luc to take unsteady steps backwards as the pain steadily ratcheted up and her more solemn mask cracks. "See, what amuses me is... Cobalion didn't give up on you because your self-perceived failures were caused by outer circumstances. Things you couldn't control. That's why he still stuck with you. But then you went off the deep end! Tried to smash Hideki's skull in. I mean, I don't personally care, he's a piece so far off the map that it'd take a chain of fifty Steelixes to get him back on, but Cobalion sure cared. Seems he's finally taking my words to heart. Here's the deal. Musketeer code. One: Protect the innocent. Two: Show mercy. Three: Act righteously. To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't strip all your power away, considering if this were a test? You'd get an F!"

"I don't know why he didn't before now." She had never agreed to any code like that. If he finally realized that what she had been saying all along was right, then good on him. Still... Luc felt a pang of regret. Do what's right. Save people from themselves. Don't get killed. Even by the code she had agreed to. Zero for three. At least she didn't have to worry about it for long.

"Because you cared! You tried. Your problem is that you don't know how to manage yourself. And that's interfering with the master plan. And you know what I don't like? Interlopers." Zygarde hisses, the first sign of his cheery facade dropping. "So here's the deal. I'll give you two options. Option A: Shape up. Keep up your work, stick to the missions. Earn Cobalion's respect." He goes quiet. "... Ask me what the other option is," he suggests with a giggle.

She was suddenly struck with a new burst of resolve, steadying her breathing, speaking slowly and in a measured manner - as meaningless as the defiance of the pain she was in was, it was all she had. Sign or die. She was suddenly reminded of that first contact with Cobalion. "Doesn't strike me as too hard to guess. So play along or else, right?"

"... Hmm, you're right. Actually, that makes three options." Zygarde pauses. "Okay, well. Consider Option B death, then! Ask me what Option C is!"

"...Okay. What's Option C, Zygarde?"

"Work for me." Zygarde's eyes glow brighter.

"Well, seems A is right out. And I'm not a fan of B." So that was it. She was trapped. Again. No choice but to take the contract. Again. A life to be traded to someone else's goals. Again. Well, everything would be the same but the one holding the leash, so it wasn't a REAL choice, was it?

"Aren't we all. I mean, A is a perfectly legitimate option. But you wouldn't want to risk messing up again, would you? I can forgive mistakes. I can't forgive repeated mistakes that shouldn't be repeated." Zygarde chuckles softly. "You don't have much time to decide, really. Cobalion suppressing your powers is saving you here - you're not even smoking yet! But don't think that'll save you for much longer. I estimate you've got three minutes at most. Maybe four. Not bothering to calculate."

Something Zygarde said clicked in Luc's brain. "Suppressing my powers?"

"Yeah. He never took them away. Why do you think you're hurting when I'm here?" Zygarde rolls his eyes.

"Don't know. Don't know how this is supposed to work." So he didn't even take her powers, just cut her off. How many times does someone have to be shown they're wrong?

"Point is, they're still there..." Zygarde trails off. "... Hey, wait, so I misinterpreted you? I misinterpreted someone?" He cackles. "... What do you know. You're still rather fun. But either way..."

"Right. Choice has to be made now, huh? So either throw my lot in with one god or another." So Cobalion hadn't completely lost faith in her. Which made him a bit of an idiot, granted, but now it was an actual choice. Who was she willing to let use her in their plans? Well, neither of them really but that wasn't an option. "I went through this with Cobalion already? Why bother with me? But... It's a little more clear here. I don't know how you feel about him really, but I know he doesn't care much for you. If I agree to work for you, I'm what? A trophy to wave in front of his face? All that does is make me like that smug jackass, but for you instead of Giratina." Yeah. That's the only real reasoning, isn't it? "So that's my choice."

"You misunderstand. Option A isn't work for Cobalion." Zygarde's gaze turns into an intense glare. "Option A is don't mess up. Ever. Again."

Did he think she was dumb and didn't get it? Or did he just want to force her to choose, take that extra chance to rub in Cobalion's face 'Your chosen chose me of her own free will.' Yeah, if it was between that and playing along with all this stupidity, it wasn't really a choice. "Yup. And if the other choice is being a victory trophy, I'll take it."

".... Heh." Zygarde's glare falters, and he slithers back. "I mean... I could think of at least twenty-two uses for you. I mean, look at Adrian!" He pauses. "... My Adrian, not your brother. I got her to stop moping and become a true Savior. But I won't pry. You've made your decision. I'll take it." Unfortunately, the pain does not subside, but it seems Zygarde's going to send Luc back anyway. "You know what to do. Anything else before we part ways?"

The moment he mentioned Adrian, she clenched her fists, ready to fight. But he went on and she realized how stupid that would have been. She really was just too damn tired for all this. "Nope. Got this killer headache bothering me, and I'd rather just go sleep it off."

"It'll pass when you get out of range. Maybe." Zygarde chuckles. "One more thing. Don't mention our tete-a-tete to anyone. Trust me, I'll know." With that, he lowered his head. "Now, uh... get ready." He gave Luc no time to get ready as he promptly lunged forwards and chucked her straight into the ceiling. Just as it seemed Luc was about to suffer a nasty head injury, the ceiling turned soft and loamy, and up went Luc, propelling her into one of the parks in Sinsu after, again, about a minute. The ground closes up, leaving no sign of any tunnels.

---

["[...]I have to go, schoolwork time. Hope you get back safe."]

"They're all so convinced." She reads over the message again as she talks to herself, curled into a ball against the parapet. Slowly she rolls over and spreads out, looking up at the sky through vision blurred by tears. "Leucosia, you can do it. You can change. No, just ignore that last time. You've got it this time. No its okay, just try. You'll get it this time, you just have to try. No, ignore the people you hurt on the way, you're just not trying hard enough."

"Then what the FUCK have I been doing?!" She tossed the phone across the roof, immediately regretting it. "Dammit. DAMMIT!"

After ten minutes of lying there on the roof crying, she finally calms down. "No. That's fine. They're fine with it. I warned them. If they get hurt, if they get used, that's their own damn fault."

"I just have to keep going."

Don't mess up ever again. Doesn't that almost sound like: Make sure it's a big one?

---

[I don't mind talking, you know that. :p]

It was weird. Before she had no idea what to say, how to convey any of the things on her mind to someone else, and even the idea of sharing some of it was uncomfortable as hell. Now there was so much she felt like she was going to explode, and...

Luc could tell her. Right here. About all of it. She could call up Sayori and Yulia and tell them exactly what happened and let her subsequent death at Zygarde's hands serve as a warning. "You shouldn't trust him."

...But who would that help? Even if things went exactly how Luc wanted, the only thing that could do is set them back to square one looking for a plan of action against Giratina. The only person who would get any satisfaction out of it would be herself, and she wouldn't be alive long enough to really enjoy spiting him. More importantly, saying something would be putting Sayori in danger, and if she did it now, there's no telling how Zygarde could manipulate the information after the fact. No. Somewhere there was a place. A crack where her life could be used to break down the whole thing. It was just a matter of biding her time until she found it.

[No good plc for it]