Path to the Mad Man

David was now right next to Byron. "Byron...." He just sighed. "He's deep in denial, and isn't about to come out of it." David now looked to Robin. "Ma'am permission to stay and fight?" He asked his commanding officer. "By the way....I'm not taking no for an answer."

Axel finished packing his things. "If the Syndicate is as they are made out to be, then you'll kill yourself, David," he said as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulders.  He looked at the tearing young girl.  He wanted to tell her that her father made a decision, one out of love, but a decision nonetheless, and bore the consequences.  But it was not his place to say anything.  He headed towards the hallway.

"You don't have a choice in the matter little birdie," Byron said with a strange edge to his voice despite the smiling expression. "Dormir, grab your things and get ready. We'll be leaving shortly."

"NO!" Dormir said defiantly. "I won't leave until the bad men pay for what happened to mommy and daddy!"

"Dormir," Byron repeated, "You will come with us and leave this be. Simple as--"

Byron suddenly began stumbling. He stepped around clumsily, trying to balance himself. His eyes were fluttering as if he was wrestling with himself to stay awake. "D-Dormir..."

"My semblance is..." Dormir murmured, "Lullaby..."

Suddenly, everyone's vision would get blurry, the energy draining from their bodies, the world slowly fading away.

"Dormir, don't..." Byron grimaced, his smile starting to look pained as struggled to stay standing.

"I'm sorry onee chan," Dormir whispered, "But I can't leave it like this..."

All at once, everyone would blackout and fall asleep...

Hours have passed before Byron managed to wake up, looking up shakily to see his three teammates sprawled on the floor sleeping.

"Dammit..." Byron murmured, his eye looking regretful and pained despite the smile on his lips. "Dormir..."

The little mouse faunus was nowhere in sight...

David soon awoke. "Dang it." He said as he quickly stood up. He looked around and saw the mouse was gone. "......I blame my self........napping on the job....we should have just left." He said as he looked for signs of her.

Robin herself forced her body to rise to it's feet, stumbling slightly, she placed a hand on her head before motioning for the other s to follow her, "Come on, we need to find her. And when did she learn how to use her semblance?" She asked Byron.

Still wobbling like a drunkard, Byron stumbled towards the closest wall and steadied himself by leaning against the wall.

"A long time ago," Byron muttered, "It's an area of effect type like mine. A psychological hypnosis semblance. Everyone within hearing range of her voice gets put to sleep. It's fitting since she's always bedridden. It drains her though and with a weak body like hers her semblance is a danger to herself..."

Byron turned his back to the group, his shoulders shaking. "Why couldn't she just leave it be..."

David looked at him with a look that screamed, 'Remember about a few weeks ago.' He was not even goanna say it, those image hunted him. He did how ever understand, that this was organized group, not some gang of radicals. He opened his hud to see if his drone was still out.

"Then she's gotta be close, we need to spread out...oh man, we are never letting her use semblance again..."Robin stumbled on the bed post, leaning on it for support, "David, still got that radar thing?

"No. She had plenty of time to get far," Byron murmured, his back still turned to the group. He jerked his head towards Thanatos which was still leaning against a wall next to his bed. Everyone had woken around ten o'clock that day. The clock on Thanatos read 5:20.

David pulled up his drone. He looked and it was still up for now, but low and power. "It's got a good hour before it returns. We'll have to move fast." He said as he readied his mods.

"Let's split up and start with places where she'd be familiar with," suggested Axel.

It was then when Alyss suddenly stumbled into the room, her legs looking shaky. "Where is... where is Dormir?" she panted. "The gun I keep... in the nightstand.... is gone..."

Then without warning, Byron grabbed Thanatos and jumped out the window, the glass shattering as he plowed right through it. Landing on the ground below with a heavy thud, he slung Thanatos over his back and started running.

"Byron, NO!" Alyss yelled, trying to walk towards the window. "Dammit. That idiot must be heading straight for the mafia's base..."

David jumped out the window and began following him in the air. He swooped down next to him and got on his radio. "You think your going in alone you're nuts."

Axel took out a communication scroll. "David, make sure you have your homing beacon on so Robin and I can keep up." He turned to Robin, "well, it looks like us peasants are walking."

Robin sent a quick glare at Axel, but then grabbed Alyss by the shoulder and turned her around. "Listen, do you have anything that can catch up to them?! A car? A bike? A horse? Anything?"

"Well..." Alyss's eyes looked over at the night stand next to Byron's bed. A ring of keys was lying there, a little hare key chain attached to it. "Byron left his keys to his hearse..."

Alyss looked at Robin, biting her lower lip as if unsure whether to say anymore. "Listen," she said, "Byron told me he was going to make everybody go back to Beacon today and he was taking Dormir. He may not say it out loud, but he's trying to protect all of you. He told me once in a letter that you are strongly against taking human lives. If I know Byron, he's trying to make it so you won't have to deal with that. The Marchello family are dangerous Robin. I know what I say may not change your mind... but if you follow Byron to their home, you're going to get into a lot of trouble. The Marchellos once tried to take Byron in but decided against it. Partially because he refused and also because...."
Alyss bit her lower lip. "... Because Byron is weakest when he is at his strongest..."

Alyss remained silent from there. It looked like the woman would say nothing more from then on. It was up to Robin what to do next.

"......" Robin sighed, and grabbed the keys, "What happened then, and what happened now, are two very different things. Back then, he had no one. But now, he has us. And despite what you think, we're strongest when we're together, all of us. That's what I understand."

Robin went to the open bedroom door, "Come on Axel, we need to catch up to them."

The hearse was fast enough to catch up the Byron and David. Byron was still running furiously ahead of everyone, making turns around corners and running at ridiculous speed like an Olympic runner. The hatter continued running until the group reached a massive manor. Byron climbed over the iron gates and ran up the path up towards it. Everywhere, men in suits wearing bowler hats were lying on the ground sleeping and snoring. Even as Byron kicked the door open, every guard he passed was asleep and snoring.

"Let me make it on time!" Byron could be heard yelling, staying far ahead of the group.

~~~~~~

Meanwhile, a room deep into the manor at the underground basement was filled with many mafia men, all of them collapsed on the floor. On the far side of the room sat a man on a large cushioned chair like a throne. He wore a a tombstone gray suit, wearing a top hat on his head. He had a cold face and long jet black hair. On his back were a pair of jet black raven wings. To his left, standing like a dutiful soldier was Harekles.

They both stared from across the room at the little girl with big mouse ears on her head, tears welling up from the corners of her eyes. She was panting, her hand clutching her chest like her heart was hurting.

"I guess we can take these off now," the raven man mumbled, pulling out earplugs from his lobes. Marchello did the same for his hare ears as well as his normal ones. "So little Dormir, what has brought you hear today?"

"L... Lulla..." Dormir panted, sweat dripping down her face.

"Stop it Dormir," Harekles said with a bored, tired tone, "You've used your semblance far too many times. You're not going to be able to do it again."

"I... I..." Dormir panted, "I want... to know... why... why did... why did daddy... have to die.... He wasn't... bad... he was... my daddy..."

"It was because of you," the raven winged man said bluntly.

"Don Chronos, our business is supposed to be kept private-" Harekles tried to say but a quick glare from Chronos shut him up.

"Your father needed the money," Chronos said, "because of you. Sure he made enough running that old inn to pay for basic needs... but then their's you."

Dormir shook her head, unable to understand what he was saying.

"Your medical bills, your medications, all that care that kept you alive was getting expensive," Chronos stated, making a gesture with his hands to emphasize his point. "He had no choice but to borrow money from us. That old rat couldn't pay up in the end you see, so now he's taking the dirt nap."

"No..." Dormir murmured in disbelief.
~~~

Byron ran towards where the carpet was tossed away, a section of the floor opened up to reveal a staircase underground. He ran down the stairs, heading straight for the door at the bottom.

~~~

"I'm afraid that's how it is," the don stated gruffly. "With your father dead, the debt is cleared. So go on and run home to... whoever, I don't care."

"Give him back..." Dormir said, tears pouring from her eyes. "Give them back...."

Dormir lifted up the pistol, holding it up with both of her little hands.

"GIVE ME BACK MY MOMMY AND DADDY!"

The door behind Dormir suddenly swung open, Byron stood at the entrance, staring at the scene. Dormir slowly turned around and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Onee chan? How did you-"

Blood splurted from Dormir's mouth. She slowly looked down to see a stab wound right in her chest, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

"When... did..."

Dormir fell to her side, blood pouring from the wound in her chest rapidly. Her eyes were wide, her breathing was shallow. Byron slowly walked towards her and got down on one knee. He reached down and took Dormir's little hand into his, squeezing it tightly as if to comfort her. His back was turned to the group behind him so they could not even see his face.

"Onee.... chan...." Dormir whimpered, tears slowly pouring from her eyes as much as the blood in her mouth, "I'm.... scared...."

Dormir fell silent.

Byron placed his hand over her eyes and gently pulled down her eyelids to close them for the little girl who could know longer do that herself.

The mafia men were slowly getting back up, groaning annoyingly. Without warning, Byron punched one in the face and sent him flying. All at once, the mafia men pulled out their machetes and machine guns. Byron dashed out, Thanatos transforming to weapon mode. The mantle of blades shielded him from the bullets while he smacked around mobsters that got in his way using the long barrels of his guns, throwing them left to right like rag dolls.

"FATHER TIIIIIIIIME!!!" Byron roared, running straight for the raven winged man when suddenly his right arm was caught, ensnared by a woven leather whip. He tried free himself when another caught his left arm. The two mobsters that caught Byron started pulling in opposite directions, retraining Byron in place while a pair of mobsters pointed their guns at him, ready to fire.

David smashed right into the mobster glowing a dark blackish red aura. He looked up at them his one eye glowing a hellish red. If there was one thing he hated more then watching friends die, it would be watching a child die. "This will be your end." He said in a dark voice as he equipped his ripper mod. Davy was out in full killer mode. There was no dark humor, just cold face and darkness. [music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQCulqOe04I I Have wanted to use this for some time now.] He rose his claw and slashed at the guards in front of him.

Axel and Robin arrived to see Byron and David fighting the mobsters. A mobster charged at them at the door way. Axel used his superior speed to kick him in his kneecap, quite possibly shattering it before Axel unleashed a blast from Spite into his other knee and into his right arm. Looking farther into the room, Axel could see Byron restrained and ready to be executed. "Robin!" he shouted, motioning at Byron. He stuck out his hand for Robin to take, intent at throwing his light teammate above the crowd of mafia men who were just now starting to recover from Dormir's semblance.

No such action was necessary, for Robin was a bow-woman before she was a leader. Twin pangs rang through the air, and two blurs flew through it.

And two arrows found their mark in the heads of the men holding Byron.

"Leave. Him. Alone." Robin said, her voice taking on a deadly calm. Already she had another bullet arrow nocked to her bowstring, and she was taking aim at Father time.

David easily took out the two mobsters and Axel took out another, but more mobsters were coming at them from all directions. Robin's arrows hit their marks, both men unable to even yell out before the arrows punctured their heads. Now free once again, Byron charges for the Don, punching out and knocking over anyone who got in his way.

As Robin aimed her arrow, ready to strike the Don, she suddenly found herself in the middle of four mobsters. Looking a distance ahead, Harekles was standing where Robin was a mere second ago, tipping his hat to her with a tired expression.

David had dealt with them, and now readied his explosive mace. He spun it around and around, before bringing it down onto a group of mobsters. "You are all pathetic worthless roaches!" He yelled as he watched the mace sweep towards a man.

"No need to insult the mafia men, David.  They are a coarse and crude lot.  Teach them to fear you"  Axel called out.  He moved towards the middle of the room where he'd be in sight of the incoming mafia men.  Revving up Laughter, he chose his target and charged at him, shoulder first, knocking him into a column and drawing blood with his tri-spiked spaulder.  The mafia man attempted to recover and drew a large knife, but the impact left him weakened, perhaps from a cracked rib in addition to the puncture wounds.  Axel grabbed the man by the collar and threw him to the ground before pouncing on him.  To make his point to the incoming group of enforcers, Axel disembowled the one on the ground with several blows from his chainaxe, causing his arms and legs to flail in tortured agony and his blood to splatter all over Axel's face.  Axel got up. The disembowled mobster was miraculously still alive after his impromptu open-chest surgery. After making sure that the mob men saw that their compatriot was still alive, he stomped the man's neck, abruptly twisting and breaking his neck to put him out of his torment. Axel then kicked the mangled mess of a lifeless corpse towards the reinforcements. "Stay back or your fate will be like his," he yelled, holding the blood-drenched Laughter out in front of him in defiance.

Robin's semblance was an odd one. Sure, it sounded simple on paper, being able to push objects away just by focusing on them, but when you get right down to it. Being able to cause shock-waves and telekinetic pushes had a lot of versatility to them, if you put your mind to it. For instance, if there was an open wound, Robin could open it even more so by "pushing" on the insides of the wound, causing it to erupt like a vein volcano. Now naturally, this would be disgusting and brutal, so she wouldn't even consider that option even in most trying of circumstances. Or, if going by hard science, when a object lands hard enough, it will cause a shock-wave due to kinetic energy being spread over a surface not unlike the way water ripples when something is dropped in it. However, due to the third law of motion, it was likely that the object that was dropped would likely break, every action shall have an equal and opposite reaction.

Now, the point of this little lecture was the fact this was a rather trying situation, and she was currently surrounded on all sides. But more to the point, Robin semblance was all about causing force to be applied to a given area, and due to the nature of her semblance, she was free from the binding law that would normally cause a person's arm to break. Basically, she was free to put as much force into something so long as she had the Aura for it.

Robin clenched her free hand and put as much Aura as she could spare, causing it to glow bright red and, for lack of a better term, slammed it into the ground, causing a massive shock-wave across the ground. Knocking the gang members flat on their ass.

David and Axel were handling the mobsters well but more just seem to be coming from all directions.

The mobsters surrounding Robin were tossed about by the breaking ground and the sudden shock wave, one tossed at the ground and slid in front of Harekles.

"You kids just keep on getting weirder," Harekles murmured, dropping his cigarette to the ground after one last puff. Putting it out with the end of his cane, he cracked his neck and stared boringly at Robin like a lazy man killing time watching television. "How about a date doll face? Let's dance."

Harekles pointed the long end of his cross-shaped cane at Robin and for small rockets shot out, flying towards Robin in spiral motions.

Davy looked at the mobsters pouring in. He just sighed. "BURN IN HELL!" He screamed as his flame mod came to life. He sent walls of flame out towards the men around him. He listned to the sound of screams all around him, and loved every second of it.