The preserve, Saturday evening

[what_the_shock]

There were a lot of extra people in the town, but none of them were visiting Miguel. (Thank shock. There wasn't anyone dead he knew that he'd want to get a visit from.)

That said, he wasn't sure he wanted to get in the way of anybody else's guests, either. Or freak them out. So, rather than swing around the buildings in town for a bit of exercise, he'd come out to the preserve. Hopefully the trees would be enough of a challenge.

Which sort of became a secondary concern when he swung over a clearing with a giant sword stuck in it. There was no mistaking that sword, and after carefully listening and looking around, there was no Zack anywhere near it.

Unfortunately, being in his UMF outfit meant no pockets (and therefor no phone), so with a frown (and a bit of effort), he pulled the sword free and tried to find the best way to hold it to carry it. "King shocking Arthur here," he muttered. "Zack, buddy, hope you're okay."


[OOC: expecting one or two, but open!]

Comments

[dishonored_dreamer]

It wasn't that Angeal had come back to this place in order to consider the sword, exactly. He'd given Zack his space, and had mostly just come back to see how serious Zack was about leaving it behind.

And there it had remained, through the remainder of the day. Angeal, meanwhile, had nowhere else to go. He'd come here for Zack, after all, and Zack... well. He'd made his position clear.

This person picking up the sword, on the other hand? Angeal couldn't even begin to guess at what he was aiming at.

"You know," came his voice from somewhere in the trees, "that doesn't belong to you."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel heard the other guy just before he started talking, so at least he didn't startle. That might end badly with this thing in his hands. He gave up and propped it over one shoulder.

"No, it belongs to a friend," Miguel said. "Who's going to get it back."

He started for town.

[dishonored_dreamer]

"He left it there," Angeal called after him. "On purpose. I have my doubts Zack wants it back."

Call it a gut feeling, there.

[what_the_shock]

"Call me crazy, I don't take advice from strange voices in the woods," Miguel called back. Though he was definitely making note of where that voice was, in case it had anything to do with why Zack would just leave this sword he never left.

[dishonored_dreamer]

Yeah, no, sorry Miguel. There was now a fairly large man swooping down from above to land in front of you, arms crossed over his chest, wings outstretched behind him.

"You know," Angeal said, in a voice that was solid and stern, chin raised slightly, "most people would call a guy and ask."

... What the hell was this guy wearing?

[what_the_shock]

"Most people wouldn't lurk in the woods giving people grief, either."

Seriously, wings on one side? How did the guy even get off the ground?

"Scuse me." He moved to step around Angeal.

[dishonored_dreamer]

And Angeal sighed, side-stepping to put himself between Miguel and the way forward.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave with that."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel rolled his eyes and jumped, getting even with the treetops before shooting out a web to connect further down the way.

[dishonored_dreamer]

And Angeal rolled his eyes and... you know. Took off. To fly after him.

The trees didn't seem to slow him down, much. In fact, he was coming in fast to tackle Miguel from behind only a few moments later.

Miguel, you were messing with a SOLDIER, now.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel scowled and kicked back to push the guy off as hard as he could, then turned around and spread his arms out. "What is your shocking damage? You have a problem, or you just like being an asshole?"

[dishonored_dreamer]

"That sword," Angeal said, catching himself mid-air and swooping in again, "belongs to Zack. It isn't yours to take."

Basically, Miguel, Angeal was demanding to know who the hell you thought you were.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel shot out a bit more webbing, more a warning than a threat, since the guy was talking.

"Yeah, and I'm Zack's friend, and I don't know you from the shocking Hulk, so back off!"

[dishonored_dreamer]

The webbing was deftly avoided, and Angeal spared a moment to roll his eyes in exasperation as he continued to pursue Miguel.

"I'm the one who gave it to him."

[what_the_shock]

Still not quite trusting the jerk in the woods, Miguel swung away quickly, then made it to the Boards in closer to two minutes than five.

He looked until he found what looked like the door, then swung down and knocked.

[puppy_fair]

It took a few moments, but Zack did open the door, looking at Miguel for a moment with a quiet tilt of his head, and then nodding silently and stepping to the side to let him in.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel sidled in, careful of the size of the sword he'd webbed to his back.

"You, um. Forgot something." He hooked his thumb at it.

[puppy_fair]

"Apparently so," Zack replied, looking at the sword with a small frown on his face. "You brought it all the way back, huh?"

Making his way all the way back to the woods just to put the sword back out there really wouldn't have the same sort of point to it, now. He sighed.

[what_the_shock]

"Wasn't sure what was going on." Miguel sliced the web apart and set the sword down gently against the wall. "Need to talk? Or drink? Or...I mean, I can take the thing to another dimension if you want, but I thought I'd see what was up first. Guessing it has to do with the jerk in the woods?"

[puppy_fair]

"I mean..." Zack sighed. "Yeah. Kind of? Kind of a lot, I guess."

He fidgeted a little.

"It used to be his sword."

[what_the_shock]

"So he said. So something happened and you're pissed at him?"

[puppy_fair]

"Well," Zack said after a long pause. "He died."

That was kind of the tip of the iceberg, here. That fidget turned into a flat out nervous pacing, and then Zack shook his head, walked toward the sword, grabbed it, and shoved it into the closet at the front door.

He couldn't look at it right now.

[what_the_shock]

"You know that's not usually intentional, right?" Miguel asked. Just checking. Unless it was.

[puppy_fair]

"Usually."

Zack's reply was... terse. It was actually really terse as he slammed the closet door shut hard enough to leave a crack in the wall above the frame. He didn't mean to slam it, exactly, and he winced a little at the result of forgetting his own strength.

But he didn't turn around to face Miguel just yet. Just shook his head a little and mumbled again, "Usually."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel winced. "Ouch. So...you want to talk about it?" He eyed that crack in the wall. "Or maybe spar or something?"

[puppy_fair]

"I don't think I could hold myself back in a spar right now," Zack sighed, shaking his head. "And I don't much feel like going out right now."

He threw his arms up and then ran his hands through his hair roughly, turning on his heel and pacing for a minute.

"I called him. He's not wrong."