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Geo likes early mornings like these. The sun breaks its way through the dreary clouds, valiantly attempting to banish the fog that has crept over the land with its weak rays. The sharp bite of wind nipping at his ears. A stillness spreading itself across the terrain, if he didn't traverse at this time often, Geo would have found it unsettling. Nevertheless, he knows it won't last, today's geysers were soon to erupt, and would inevitably shatter the brittle quiet.
Looking at the sun, Geo realises that he has some time to kill before he has to check on today's geyser haul. They spurt trash at the same time each day. He and the kids figured out a way to gauge this using the position of the sun - morning geysers only erupt when the sun is fully visible over the cliff in the east. Right now it's only half-peeking. Geo smiles. He trudges up a hill, wet mud underfoot from last night's rainfall, to reach a secluded overlook of the lands. One of his favourite places. A space where he's able to just bathe in the company of the howling wind and his own thoughts.
As he goes to slump on the sofa he had once lugged up here, Geo stops. He whips his head round, pricking his ears. Something feels off - he could sense it. Geo notices the silence, the absence of the wind's wail, the stillness of air. It's unnerving, what was once full of energy, now completely lifeless. A chill fills the air, dissimilar to the bitter breeze he had become so comfortable with. Geo feels his skin raise. The rising rays of warm light dissipating, as the sun seemingly hides behind the clouds.
Everything around him stopped, as if life itself had forgotten about this land as well.
Then, the world exhales and the sky bursts into colour.
The force of it knocked him off his feet, sending him tumbling into the mud below. Getting his bearings, Geo jerks his head upwards and his eyes bulged. The sky was tearing apart, a brilliant blue etching through the sky. It splinters open in one gaping crevice to reveal a breathtaking array of colourful hues all swirling together. Geo swallowed, it was beautiful, beautiful in a morbid and fundamentally wrong way.
The tear pulsed, he could feel it reverberating inside him, rattling his organs from the inside out. In horror, Geo realised he could hear it, its grotesque heartbeat, a macabre facsimile of a living creature. It has made itself home under his skin, he could feel it burying itself into his very core. There's an odd pressure enclosing his body, like something was pushing its way out. Geo glanced down at his arms with dread, beneath his flesh, raised markings writhing to the surface, casting a prismatic glow along his limbs. Brushing down his arms was proving fruitless, but that didn't stop Geo from trying again, and again, and again. Still nothing.
What the hell is happening?!
As though the world was taunting him, a blinding flash snaps robs him of his vision. He hisses in pain. Blinking through the daze, Geo's vision materialises, revealing a now-empty sky. Except, his eyes widen, he realises it's not quite as empty as he had thought. There, a dark silhouette plastered onto the colourless sky, plummeting to the floor at an alarming rate. They're a blur of black, brown and molten orange, and Geo is close enough to see their arms extending upwards, like they're trying to latch onto whatever had spat them out so carelessly. Muted screams are carried by the returning wind, Geo knows those will be featured in his future nightmares. The ground rises to meet them and with a sickening thud, the screaming cuts off. Silence returns. Geo almost prefers the bloodcurdling shrieks.
Snapping out of his haze, Geo knows he has to rescue this person. After years of keeping the Finders safe, he can't resist the instinct to protect - it's become an integral part of him. A thought flashes into his mind. The sky ripping open caused a commotion, which would surely lure the Hoarder from wherever it usually resides. If he were to even attempt to help this person, he'd need to get to the crash site as soon as possible. Banishing all his questioning thoughts from his mind, Geo spun around and ran back down the hill.
As he's stumbling down the mud, petty doubts start to dirty his judgement. What is he even doing? He doesn't even know if they survived the fall! He should be checking on the Finders! But Geo knows he can't turn around just yet, he can't just abandon this person. What if they lived? Geo couldn't live with himself if the figure lay forgotten, just as he was. So no, he would check if they were alive, get them away from the crash site, and patch them up at home. If they didn't survive, Geo thinks with a solemn expression, he would honour their memory and bury them someplace where they'd never be forgotten again.
With a plan of action, Geo reverts back into a sprint.
The crunch of glass underfoot is the only sound louder than his heartbeat. Geo skids to a stop at the edge of the ditch, lungs burning, hands bracing on his knees. In the distance, a geyser erupts - he pays it no mind, he needs to find this person before the Hoarder does.
Standing over the crash site, it registers in the back of Geo's mind that the sun has finally uncovered itself from behind the clouds. Its warm rays expelling the fog that had settled and revealing the figure lying directly in the centre of the crater, like earth's open wound. Skeletal remains of twisted metal and plastic crushed into jagged sculptures. The metallic stench of blood hangs in the air, Geo wrinkles his nose. He scrambles down the slope of debris, each step sending waves of junk cascading downwards onto the man laying prone. He's half-buried in the wreckage, limbs splayed out in a constellation of dirt, as though the earth itself had tried to claim him. Tucked into the earth like a mother cradling her young from the cold. Soil clings to his skin like a layer of armour, warm and protective. As he reaches the heart of the crater, Geo realises the ground here is unusually pliant, a far cry from the rocky ground that usually accompanies these areas.
Despite all the Earth's care, the man lies still, lifeless. Disappointment runs through Geo's core. He bows his head - it was a long-shot anyway. There's no way someone could survive a fall from that height.
Then, his ears twitch, catching the faintest of breaths escaping the man's lips. Geo's head snaps up so fast he gets whiplash. Hurrying over, he kneels at the man's side and places his ear over his mouth. Because there's no way - Geo must've imagined it. But there it is again, a feeble breath fans over his cheek. Geo lifts his head in astonishment. How the hell was this man alive?
Blood clings to his sweat-soaked skin, dripping from cuts running up and down his body. A definite concussion from the looks of the blood haloing his head and his arm is bent at a sickening angle, clearly broken. However, considering the height of the fall, his injuries are actually quite tame, the soft ground must have cushioned his landing somehow.
"Hey! Hey, are you alright?" He pleads wildly. Geo starts patting at the man's face, wary of any injuries hidden by his unusual clothing. "C'mon, you need to wake up!"
The man's eyelids flutter, a groan escapes his lips. Then, his eyes snapped open. For a moment, there's only confusion reflecting in his gaze, the vacant stare of someone lost in their own mind. A blink and cognizance locks into place, his whole body tensing at the feeling of unfamiliar hands on his face. Before Geo could react, the man shoots up on his feet like a spring, shoving Geo away with a strength that belied his injuries.
There's a hammer laying in the wreckage that Geo hadn't noticed before, the man scrambles for it, a steel look in his eyes. Geo backs up, arms raising in surrender. Apparently not realising the extent of his injuries, he reaches for the hammer with his broken arm and promptly falls to his knees with a shout. The man shuffles backwards, bracing his broken arm to his chest, eyes wide. Geo looks at him pitifully, he's reminded of a wounded animal, stuck in a bear-trap, at the mercy of hunters around him.
With a hesitant breath, Geo lifts the hammer with difficulty and extends it toward the man. Though he knows it's reckless to put a weapon in his hands, Geo can't ignore the hope that it might be seen as a peace offering. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. You're injured. I just want to help."
The man stares, calculating, before reaching for the hammer with his other hand and then uses it as a crutch to lift himself from the ground. "Where… where am I? How did I get here?"
"You're in the Land of Lost Things." Geo scratches his neck, sheepishly. "And I was kinda hoping you would answer your second question. Seeing as though you fell out of the sky and all."
"Oh. Is that why I'm all banged up?
Geo nodded. "Speaking of your injuries, we need to get out of here quickly if we want to patch you up. All that noise has definitely attracted unwanted attention." He gestures to the edge of the crater and makes his way over.
The bloodied man glances at him, eyes glazed over.
"What- what do you-" His voice falters as his knees buckle, swaying unsteadily. Geo moves in a flash, taking on his weight before he met the floor a third time. He huffs, this guy is a lot heavier than he thought.
"You've probably got a concussion. We need to get you somewhere safe."
"Just- just give me a minute." He takes some heaving breaths and smirks. "I'll be fine in no time."
Geo hesitantly accepts, if the Hoarder wasn't here by now then it probably just wasn't coming, right? Bouncing his knee, Geo takes this time to observe his new companion. He's a brute of a man, all corded muscle and covered in raised, discoloured scars. Most notably, was the jagged scar carving down his face, glowing an unmistakable green. His left eye mirrors the glow, casting faint shadows across his face. Geo shivers at the sight of it, it's unnatural.
Some kind of fighter, he muses, a soldier perhaps? No, unless hammers have become a standard for soldiers, he shakes off that thought. Maybe some kind of adventurer then? Hope blooms in his chest, an adventurer might just have the right obscure knowledge to explain what the hell is going on.
Then, the thunder of footsteps cleaves the air with a crack, snapping him into the present. His muscles lock, heart dropping to his stomach. Dread curls wild in his gut. Geo jerks his head towards the sound, eyes wide, the other man just furrows his brows in confusion.
"We need to leave! Right now!" His voice hard, leaving no room for argument. The words have barely left his mouth when the ground shakes again, much, much harder this time. A large shadow enshrouds the crater, Geo looks up, blood turning to ice.
It was too late. The Hoarder had found them.
They weren't running fast enough, that much was obvious. Between Geo hauling this guy's weight and his several injuries, the Hoarder was rapidly gaining on them. The man seems to realise this too, as he starts to pull away in its direction.
Geo tightens his grip, alarmed. "What the hell are you doing?"
"That's a bad guy right? I'm gonna fight it!" He exclaims, punching his fist into his palm. There's a confident smirk on his face, Geo doesn't know if it's warranted or just the concussion talking.
"No you're not! You're injured, we're getting out of here."
The man's expression turns sincere, smiling in a way that leaves no room for doubt. A silent vow that renders Geo speechless. "I'm a ninja, this is my job. I'll protect you."
"It's not me I'm worried about!" Geo shouts, but he's already bounding off, neglecting his many scrapes and bruises.
Geo doesn't know what he's more in awe of, this guy's audacity, confidence, or idiocy. Who the hell was this guy and what was he doing in the Land of Lost Things? He said he was a ninja, reminding Geo of the elemental ninja that Spitz and Fritz love going on about. Always rambling about the latest figurine they'd found in someplace or another.
The ninja reaches the Hoarder, and for a moment Geo thinks he's about to watch this guy die. He should have tried harder to stop him from running off. Curse him for being able to move so fast even with all those injuries. With wide eyes, he watches as the Hoarder throws a heavy punch at the ninja's much smaller stature, who is… not moving? Geo calls out, bewildered that this guy is just going to roll over and take it. "MOVE!"
Just as the hit is about to connect, the ninja's forearms ignite, ablaze in a molten orange. He swings his hammer in a sweeping arc, and the Hoarder goes flying backwards into a pile of junk.
Geo's breath catches in his throat as the air ripples around him. His gaze locks onto the man in front of him, pupils dilating with a mixture of fascination and concern.
"What the hell…" Geo trails off, mind racing, trying to determine what he had just seen. Was it magic? Some kind of fancy tech? Then worry slithers into the cracks of his mind. Was he dangerous? He didn't seem like a danger to Geo in the crater, but he'd only known him for a couple minutes. He bites his lip. Every part of him is yelling at him to get away, to get to safety, but he couldn't. Rooted in place, Geo marvels at the tremendous display of power, drinking in the way his light coils around his thick arms like magma.
A jolt of recognition runs through him. The glow was achingly familiar. He studies his new darkened markings, they had glowed like that not that long ago - albeit his were more prismatic - were they connected somehow? This man had to have some answers for him.
Ahead of him, the ninja slams his hammer into the ground, sending fissures surging outwards. He leans his weight on it, doubling over and coughs a splatter of blood into the cracks. Those injuries are affecting him then.
Geo takes this time to shout, "Come on! We can make it!"
He pivots with his hammer, and starts staggering over - back hunched over and panting. Something flashes in Geo's vision, he curses, the Hoarder has already recovered. Its rusted joints groaning, each movement tolling the slow, inevitable knell of their demise.
The ninja's eyes harden and yells at Geo to "Get outta here!"
It trudges its way over, the earth itself shuddering under its weight, making Geo's own body quiver. Curling its hand into a fist, the Hoarder aims a heavy blow at the ninja, air whistling as the punch hurtles towards him. With a burst of energy, he kicks off the ground and disappears into the air in a flash. Silhouetted by the blinding sun, the ninja reappears above, hammer raised high above his head. Then, combined with his strength, gravity took hold and the hammer came crashing down onto the forearm it narrowly managed to throw up in time. It strains, metal screeching under the pressure, the other arm shooting up to brace against the hammer's momentum. The two forces collide, a battle of brute strength and raw power.
But Geo can see how the ninja's arms tremble, his breaths becoming more and more laboured, his body pushed to its limits. And apparently the Hoarder notices this too, sensing a shift in the air, like a predator locking onto its prey.
No longer content in blocking, the Hoarder surges forward, batting him out of the air. The ninja is sent tumbling to the ground. For a few horrifying moments, Geo is sure he wouldn't get up again. Until his shoulders seize with a bloody cough, and he's forcing himself back on his feet and darting back into battle.
The battlefield instantly bursts into a storm of chaos once more, metal clashing against metal and the coppery scent of blood choking the clearing. Geo stands transfixed at the edge of the fray. Breath shallow and heart pounding so hard he was sure the Hoarder would hear it and switch targets. His knuckles white from clenching them into fists by his side.
And there, in the heart of the battle, the ninja continues to fight onwards.
Geo has hazy memories of the fighters he grew up around in Shintaro's mountains - they all fought routinely, stuck within the confines in which they'd been trained in. But this guy… he fights to his own rhythm, a tune only perceptible to his own ears.
His eyes track the ninja's movements, every swing of his hammer, every feint, every shift that sent his body snapping away from a hit that would've mangled him. The man was a blur of orange, his laughter ringing out through the battlefield, as the Hoarder is pushed backwards with another well-timed hit.
How was he still standing?
Watching him, the answer is obvious, the way he ensures all its attention is on him, guiding the fight away from Geo's position. He doesn't just fight to win, he fights to protect, and that desire clearly drives him past limits that should never be breached.
What was once a straightforward fight, has devolved into a brutal dance of desperation. The injuries plastered all over his body finally taking a toll, slowing down his pace significantly. Rolling under a swing, the ninja drives his hammer into its kneecap, sending it sprawling off balance. It retaliates with a backhand that sends him skidding across the ground, hammer clattering out of reach. He lunges for it, only for the Hoarder's uninjured leg to slam down in front of him, cutting him off from his weapon.
Seemingly out of options, the ninja braces himself, power thrumming over his limbs, he unfurls himself into… Spinjitzu? Geo had never seen it performed in person, only overhearing stories of the technique from passing Munce. But watching that searing tornado strike the Hoarder in rapid succession fills him with awe.
It was clearly a last-ditch effort for the ninja, seeing how it sent both forces crashing backwards in the dirt. They both scramble to their feet, now becoming a race of who can recover first, and between the mound of junk brought to life versus a guy whose body was on the verge of giving out - it is clear who is going to win.
"Well…" The ninja mutters, staring up at approaching form. "That- that was a bad move…"
In a blink, the Hoarder is pounding his fist straight into his person, sending him flying back in a grim replica of his first move. The crack of metal on bone echoes throughout the clearing. He's hard to track, until Geo hears a choked off howl pierce the tension. Even preparing for the worst couldn't brace him for what he sees. Geo spins on his heel, lungs seizing as a sharp breath tore through him.
There, still standing on two feet, was the ninja, impaled on a length of rebar. A jagged piece of metal protrudes from his waist, slick with his blood. His non-broken hand clutches at the wound, fingers slipping on the wet crimson, as he desperately tries to clog the blood flow. Face twisting in pure agony, as breaths barely escape his battered lungs. Then, his knees buckle, eyes rolling into the back of his head, hand falling to his side, and his body goes limp. The ninja hangs there, strung up like a butterfly pinned against a board.
Geo's vision blurs at the edges, doubling over as his body prepares to empty itself in one harsh heave. Before the first wave of vomit could escape, an ear-grating screech fills the air. He tears his eyes from the ninja, looking up in horror as the Hoarder lumbers towards him. Fight-or-flight instincts screaming at him to move, muscles tight and ready to flee, but his body refuses to obey. The bitterness snakes up his throat, threatening to consume him entirely, as the Hoarder's shadow swallows up his last dregs of courage. Its red lights piercing, fist raised, ready to deliver the final blow just as he did to the ninja.
Geo shields his arms across his face, a useless attempt at protection, as he awaits the pain that was sure to come. Except no pain came. A gust of wind rushes past him. His arms drop to his sides as he watches a massive chunk of earth spear itself into the Hoarder's chest, impaling it against a nearby cliff face.
His head jerks around, mouth agape. The ninja is somehow awake again, consciousness flickering like a dying bulb. His legs awash in that familiar molten glow, encircled by those same fissures as earlier. A defiant smirk spreads across his face, revealing a set of teeth stained in red.
"Hah, I told you I'm great at my job." He pants, before more red spills from his lips.
Boots pounded against the blood-slick ground as he skids to halt at the ninja's side. It was so much worse up close, slumping against the rebar, his body trembling with every ragged breath. Blood flecks his lips, no doubt coating his tongue in that awful metallic tang.
"H-holy shit, just hold on, you're gonna be fine." Geo doesn't know which of them he's trying to convince. Shrugging his jacket and pressing it against the wound, trying his best to ignore the weak, gasping protests falling from the ninja's lips. Geo's jaw clenches. He knows the signs, his body is shutting down. They need to get out of here as soon as possible.
His eyelids begin to flutter shut again, and Geo brings up one of his hands to lightly tap at his face, his touch gentle but insistent. "Hey! Stay with me, you can't fucking sleep - not right now."
Eyes flit open, gaze still unfocused but slightly more alert. A weak smile tugs at his lips. "Oh… h-hey handsome, didn't I… tell you to run?"
A warmth rushes up to his ears, cheeks flushing hot. His stomach leaping in a way that had nothing to do with copious amounts of blood on the floor, and everything to do with the stubborn, dying man in front of him. Geo swallows hard, pushing down everything except for the well-being of the guy who saved his life.
"Look at me." He orders, trying desperately to infuse a level of firmness into his voice. Geo gives his cheek another light slap, just enough to keep him awake. "You don't get to just check out on me. Not after saving my life like that. Stay awake."
The ninja let out a wet laugh that ended in a coughing fit. "Come on…" he slurs, voice dripping with the kind of energy only a man who'd just been impaled could muster. "No respect for the almost-dead?"
Geo lets out a heavy breath he didn't even know he was holding, relief coating his guilt-ridden insides. However, the relief was short-lived, overcome by the whirring sound emerging from behind him. The Hoarder could wake up at any moment now, and time was quickly falling away from them, like the blood drip-dripping to the floor.
"I need you to focus." Gripping his shoulder with his one free hand, forcing eye contact. "That strong, glow-y thing you just did? Can you use that to break this rebar out of the wall? We need to get out of here before the Hoarder recharges."
The ninja blinks, before nodding earnestly. Breath hitching, he reaches around his back to take a hold of the rebar, tightening his good hand like a vice. Arm aflame once again, the metal groans, screeches, then finally snaps in half with a shower of sparks and dust. Unfortunately, this left him with no support, causing him to careen forwards into Geo's waiting arms.
"I've got you, I've got you." Geo assures, letting his forehead fall to his shoulder. He can already feel the blood staining his clothes.
"You've got me?"
Geo looks down. The ninja's eyes solemn. Compared to his early bravado, he seems stripped bare, the confidence that curled around his words now absent. The blood loss must've really got to him.
"Y-yeah." The earnestness in the ninja's gaze flustering him. "We really need to get back, are you okay to walk? I can carry you if you need me to - just say the word."
"I'll be fin-" He swallows back the words, a wave of dizziness washing over him. "On second thought… yeah, you might have to carry me."
With a nod, Geo carefully slides one arm beneath his knees and one around his back, before lifting him up like someone he couldn't bear to hurt. Each movement slow and deliberate in order to avoid agitating his many wounds.
"My hero." He giggles, drunkenly reaching his hand up to cup Geo's cheek. If the Hoarder doesn't kill him first, this guy was sure to. At least he's awake, he reasons, blatantly ignoring the way his stomach curls in delight.
"Enough of that! You need to keep pressure on your wound." Geo stammers.
Thankfully, the ninja obeys with a huff. They walk in relative silence for the majority of the journey to the Rookery, only interrupted by the man's rattling breaths. He's trying his best to ignore how the ninja seems content to continue staring up at Geo, eyes glazed over, flitting over his face, as if trying to burn his features to memory. Geo quickens his pace, he can see the Rookery standing tall in the distance.
"By the way… I never got your name." The ninja mutters.
Taken aback, Geo furrows his brows. "You just fell out of the sky in a strange land, fought a sentient pile of junk, got impaled, and that's the first thing you ask me?"
"Well, I've got to put a name to the pretty face don't I?" Geo thinks the flirty effect should've been ruined by the rebar still embedded in his side, or maybe by the way his teeth are still stained a bloody red, but for some reason, it doesn't.
"…It's Geo."
He smiles up at him. "Hah, I’m Cole. It’s lovely to meet you."