You Can't Run from Fate

Perhaps it was hypocritical, but the crap Zeel was saying to June ignited a deeply rooted hatred within the man. Kiigan had been harsh with her before, and even thought something similar just moments ago, but the creep had gone way too far. "I hate your type so much..." he growled low in his throat. His eyes became a little slantier. A tooth on the right elongated to match the already cat-like one on the left, and claws extended from the fingers on his left hand. Chakra began to bubble wispily around him, moving his spikier hair as if there was a slight breeze.

"The stereotypical evil-guy ploy. Reveal the darkest secret of an ally to try for shock value, hoping to turn the two against each other. Demonize the target. Maybe that'd work if I didn't already know an actual demon," he continued to seethe, not sure if they guy could hear him. But he didn't care. "I really hate guys who do that crap! Trash!" The rage was building. Before he knew it, he was screaming, Matatabi lending him enough chakra for it to produce a small shockwave at Zeel.

Zeel simply snapped his neck to the side before tilting his head down, letting his bandages seem to glare at the Jinchuriki instead of doing the motion with his own face as he shrugged off the wave of pressure. "As I said before, I'm not evil. It's just business. I'd be an idiot to keep this to myself! Look at her now. Completely powerless! If you can't break an opponent physically, then it's easier to break them mentally. Look how easy it is to control her now! In fact, it probably wouldn't take much at all to kill her where she stands."

Without even changing his stance, the man tilted his head, losing the angry expression he'd managed to pull off. "Now that that's out of the way, what do you say about my offer? It's still not too late to help me haul this bitch away. I'll even try that method of extracting your demon that I mentioned before. As long as you stop being a nuisance, I'd be glad to try a few things out!"

However, before he could continue, the Blacksuit was suddenly distracted as he caught a glimpse of something flying in his direction at blinding speeds! Without thinking, the man swung wildly as his fist managed to slam into a familiar white furry mass. Puu! In a split second, Zeel stopped and glanced over as his fist smashed into the summon, causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke as the man stood still in shock at his lucky blow.

But, right below him, something in June had finally snapped. A mix of anger and sheer despair filled her as she recognized the sound of Zeel hitting her companion. A sensation that managed to frustrate her to her core as she wallowed in her uselessness, but with a newfound urge to act against her own will. In a sense, it split her on a subconscious level. As much as she wanted to fight, she couldn't. Her spirit felt completely broken, but, as tears streamed down her face and as she gave in to her sadness, her mouth forced itself open in a wail as her body found a way to do what she had been refusing to do against her own will!

In a brief moment of desperation, June's powers finally activated as her back erupted in vicious bone spikes, ripping through her coat as well as part of her dress, stabbing Zeel's foot and forcing him to lift his leg from her and stumble backwards! Involuntarily, her face twisted in distress as she forced her eyes shut, the spikes only growing longer until they finally stopped at several feet in length, completely masking what was once a curled up human form as the woman could only clutch her chest in pain. Almost acting on instinct as she stayed still, sobbing to herself while somehow only barely aware of what she was even doing.

While June was sobbing and clearly on another plane of emotion far from the limited one Kiigan understood, the jinchuriki seemed stunned. So stunned that he didn't even retort to Zeel's offer, in favor of staring at the bones she'd sprouted, impaling the "not evil" guy's foot. He blinked a few times. It was grotesque...but kinda awesome. And useful! This was useful! He hated to think that way, since he despised when people looked at him and thought of ways he could be used, but even that contradiction didn't stop him right now. Maybe they wouldn't both die here after all, if she could just commit to using her abilities for their intended purpose.

"Yes!" he called once he found his voice, tearing his eyes away to look at Zeel with almost a bloodthirsty grin. It was quite the malicious look, since Kiigan was pretty sure killing this man was what he wanted. The hatred had erased any question he'd had about this creep's fate. "June, that's it. Get up. Show him just how wrong he is," Kiigan encouraged, thinking back to her blow up on him not so long ago. "This is your chance to be strong on your terms. Break that cycle you hate. This is getting better. This is helping people. This is catching up with those that passed you by!" he almost pleaded with her. He didn't know her super well, but he had a feeling there was a slight chance she could back out of this. She needed to do this, and she needed someone to be on her side, right? Just like he'd wanted someone, anyone to support him.

"You think your words can reach her?!" The bandaged man shouted as he shrugged off his bloody foot, instead choosing to glance back down at the crying girl. "This is all the bitch can do anymore! She can't hear you. She doesn't even care! This is her true form! A crying, stubborn, child who can only lash out just enough to protect herself! Just another pathetic excuse for a ninja without the guts to follow through."

Before he could continue, June took a deep breath as she curled up even tighter. Her teeth gritted together as she forced herself to speak. "Get... away...." She muttered in a hushed tone. Her hands balled tightly into fists as her face scrunched up in a swell of emotion. "Get away... from me...."

"What's that?!" Zeel yelled down at the woman as the bandages unwrapped around his right arm, once again revealing his unnatural glowing skin as he prepared another Nature Energy attack. "I can't hear you! Was that a demand?! Are you trying to tell me what to do?!?"

"Get... Away...!" She repeated in a louder voice. Then, suddenly, eyes still full of tears, June quickly got up as she spun around to face the man!

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"

By the time Zeel recognized what was going on, it was too late! Her hands were together?! She had been forming hand signs while in that position to keep him from noticing?! "You bitch-!" The man exclaimed a split second before a burst of lava launched from the crying girl's mouth, almost immediately covering him before he could react! The molten glowing ooze sizzled in a deafening roar as the backdrop to the bandaged man's screams of pain as he struggled to try and remove it, only to find himself unable to. The bandages! It was sticking to the underside of the bandages! "YOU'LL BE SORRY, BITCH!" Zeel screamed impulsively. "THE PILLARS ARE COMING! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!"

As June stood up, spikes still sticking out of her back, she took a series of heavy breaths. The lave dripping from the corner of her mouth quickly steamed into stone as it mixed with her still flowing tears, crumbling away as something changed inside of her. While she was still crying, a determined expression crossed her face as she held her hands together over her chest. "I don't care...." She finally forced herself to admit. "I don't care who you people are. And I don't care what you want from me! I don't even care if I die! All I want... the only thing I want right now.... Is just for you to leave me alone!"

Immediately, the man snapped his fingers as the collars on the cats around the area flashed with strange symbols. "Fine...." He admitted. "Then I'll just have to make your death extra painful, you useless bitch! I still know your weakness!"

Before she could react, the cats were already swarming her! Around five of them began jumping at June as she desperately raised her arms to try and defend herself against their claws as they kept cutting at her, three others instead biting at her legs before switching to clawing her shins through her dress once she began stumbling back. The woman winced in pain before she suddenly just had enough of it. Without thinking, she reared her right arm back as spikes viciously jutted out from it, completely destroying what was left of the right side of her coat as the rest of it slunk off before she suddenly swung her arm forward, completely shredding the side of one of the attacking cats as its intestines were ripped out of its body! The blood splattering all over her side as she landed the horrific attack!

With a grunt of effort, June took another step back as her bloody right leg also formed numerous spikes around her shin, ripping the side of her dress apart as she delivered a powerful spiked kick into the face of one of the attacking cats! Its eyeball flying out of its skull at the impact before the other companions joined in, four cats all pouncing onto her left side while she was off-balance, almost knocking her over as another two dug their claws into her stomach. An angry shout escaped the woman at the cuts as she swung her left arm back, letting loose a scream of effort as a series of rib-like spikes rose up, ripping through the side of her top before impaling two of the cats and forcing them against another rip-like set of bone spikes that ripped through the midrif of her outfit, clamping together against yet another cat as the other one attacking her stomach manages to slip away.

Almost completely drenched in blood, the woman forced her mouth shit and took a deep breath through her nose as she forced her left arm against her chest while making hand signs to hold up what was left of the top of her outfit to keep herself covered before she aggressively glared down at the remaining cats. Just four left?! Come on, then! Give me a reason to do this!

As the group launched at her again, June opened her mouth, spraying a wide slush of lava as she swung her head from left to right, blasting three of them out of the air as the ran directly into the burning material before the white haired woman took a step forward, turning her body sideways as she formed another, longer, spike from her left shoulder for the final cat to run into. Its body became impaled on it as June looked away in disgust. Its gore splashing all over the side of her face.... Then, her expression now practically blazing with intense rage, she turned to glare directly at Zeel.

"B-but-!" The man in black stuttered as he took a stumbling step backwards, reeling with pain as he put his weight on his wounded foot. "The cats said- You shouldn't have been able to get over it so quickly! The data all says you should be- You shouldn't be like this! You shouldn't be like him!!!" Desperately, Zeel forced his body to turn around as he pointed both arms at Kiigan, firing two beams of Nature Energy at the man as a last resort while holding the hostage's body in front of his torso with his bandages. "YOU WON'T KILL HIM!!! AH- AHHAHA HAHAHAAAA!!! IF I TURN HIM INTO A CAT THEN YOU'LL BE SCREWED, BITCH!!! I KNOW YOU'RE WEAK!!! I KNOW YOU WON'T KILL SOMEONE THAT CLOSE TO YOU!!!"

As the beams came at him, it seemed the celebrating man had been caught in them, spelling certain doom for the already half-cat. Hopefully Zeel didn't celebrate too soon, because if he looked again, there was a stump in the place of Kiigan. That meant jinchuriki had already moved, spurred on with new energy following June's awakening.

His new location was much closer, since he hoped he had the element of surprise now. Once and for all, he was ridding this creep of his last bargaining piece. His flaming hand was on the connecting wrap between Zeel and the third hostage, burning him loose. As one arm shoved the boy away, his other arm attacked. "Didya see that?!" he yelled at their foe. "She did it, jackass!" grinned Kiigan savagely. Chakra gathered in his fist, flames growing as if to hind how much power he'd built. With a rebel yell of pure effort, he swung his fist in another Cherry Blossom Impact aimed at the mummy man's head. How he felt right now, Kiigan wouldn't care if it ripped his head clean off. He might actually like it.

Should the attack miss, Kiigan remained in close range to continue the rampage, to make sure Zeel went down. He may not have lava or bones, but Matatabi's blue fire was searing. Odd to think that just the other day she'd said she couldn't do anything, that she was worthless, essentially. Lava and bones. If she could come this far so fast, he struggled to think what level she'd be on if she'd been open and able to start where she was now as a child. ...What did that say for him? Hmm. That was bothersome...

"UGH!" Zeel grunted as the blow smashed right into his face. In a split second, his head was forced back as his teeth simultaneously extended, all jutting out in directions that just barely missed the man due to his punch throwing the aim off while one of the fangs was even knocked loose, flying straight out of the bandaged man's mouth.

"WORTHLESS-" He exclaimed without moving his mouth as he pulled back his hands to try and launch another blast of Nature Energy. However, to his surprise, Zeel suddenly found that his arms weren't glowing, instead revealing his slender, barely muscled, dark grey arms. His bone like fingers twitching at the surprise. No way... he couldn't be out that fast! It must have been the lava and the fire! The singed bandages had formed leaks in his seal! A weak laugh escaped Zeel as the bandages around his head began to come undone, revealing a face that seemed to be a butchered, misshapen, mass of black stone-like material covered in scars and stitching. His other eye socket seemed completely hollow and skull-like while his face seemed to lack a nose, instead just having a set of holes under a pointed skeletal bridge. Finally, a ridge on his forehead opened, revealing a third eye with a black pupil that sharply contrasted to stare at Kiigan as if it had a completely different consciousness than the rest of the person.

The bandaged man's teeth slowly began to retract as he looked helplessly at the man. He was out of tricks. For now, this was all he had. "Congratulations, Jinchuriki. You win.... For now.... But next time? I'd try to get on the good side of the Three Pillars if I were you. If you think I'm a freak... well, he might not be as bad, but I'm nothing to the boss. Enjoy what peace you have because you can't fight them. You CAN'T fight them.... You. Cannot. Fight. Them."

"I have a name," the red-head spat sharply, refusing to even tilt his head to look at Zeel. "Shut up already," Kiigan grunted down at the man who was finally defeated, his flames and aura fading. Be backed away from the man, placing a hand over his wounded side as if feeling the pain from it for the first time.

Looking back over to June, he'd been prepared to offer some sort of compliment, but the sight sort of murdered his thought process. This was not the face of victory. Her dress was ripped and bloody, showing more skin than she wanted, which made it feel wrong to see. Bones were still extended every which way despite the fight being over. Even someone as emotionally unavailable as Kiigan could tell she wasn't fairing well.

Slowly approaching, he found himself at a little of a loss. "June," he started, voice quieter than usual since she seemed like a vase that was cracked but still holding its shape. Breathing on it too hard would cause it to crumble. "It's over. You did it," he offered, extending a hand as if her grasping it would pull her out of where ever her head was at. "You did good." His eyes darted over as much of her as he dared to look, taking inventory of wounds. Then they found her eyes and locked on attentively.

June closed her eyes for a moment as Kiigan spoke, not sure what to think. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. Everything had just happened so fast that she was still trying to process it. Her eyes darted to where their attacker was only to find that he was gone, the hostage on the ground next to one of his extended teeth, both lying where he used to be. He must have just snuck away while they weren't looking. But... it didn't matter. As long as he was gone, that was fine. As long as this was over.

Without thinking, the white haired woman tried to wipe away her tears with her right hand only to quickly stop after accidentally cutting her brow and cheek with the spikes. Awkwardly, she extended her trembling hand to Kiigan before stopping before she could accidentally cut his hand with her weaponized limb as well. "Kii.... Kiigan...." She muttered, slightly trembling as she stood still.

"I- I'm sorry...." The woman muttered as she tried to think up some way to hide how shaken she still was. "I-.... It's cold and the blood.... I think I just want to go home now.... But... I... that was right, wasn't it? But now, I don't.... I... I think I'm scared. But I don't know why.... And I don't know how to get these things back inside of me, Kiigan."

She looked up at the man uncomfortably, clearly unsure of the entire situation they were in right now or how she should feel about any of this. "I just... I wish I was.... I don't know...."

Kiigan looked back at her with a little bit of discomfort as well, not sure how to help. He winced as she accidentally cut herself. A thought occurred to him, though, pulling a crooked smile from him. "What a sight we are..." he huffed, finding a small bit of humor in all the disturbing events. "Your bones are on the outside and I'm half black cat..." Well, maybe humor wasn't the right word. Not that he'd admit it, but he was scared he'd be stuck in this form forever, so he could relate to her a little. But while there wasn't anything he could think of that would solve his problem, he suspected June could solve hers with a little concentration.

"Well...try to calm down first," Kiigan said, trying to think of a process that might help. "That Zeel guy could pull his teeth in and out, and if he got that ability from someone like you, then you should be able to also," reasoned the man, examining the bones and the places they came out of. Perhaps he examined a little too closely, since now he was almost embarrassed. He'd seen a few naked women in his time, so it wasn't really that. She was covered where it counted...but it still made him feel weird. "Once we figure this out, I'll cover you up and get you home. So, here's what I'm thinking. You know how you move around to pop bones when you need to? Fingers and shoulders and stuff? Maybe if you think of it like that, you can pull them back in...or even push them all the way out? They seem to be an extension of your body, so you should be able to just think and control them like a limb... I think...Maybe start with your hand." He kept his hand extended to her as incentive to try it.

"Uhh... okay...." The genin muttered as she raised her right arm and tried to focus on the task at hand. However, instead, she stopped and hesitated, her face turning red as she finally picked up on Kiigan's awkward stares. "Please stop looking at me!" June randomly shouted before trying to hold her bone-covered arm in front of herself until the man inevitably finally looked away.

"It's just... you know...." She muttered almost quietly enough to purely be for herself. Now finally free of his stares, June once again focused on the bones. What was the sensation like when they came out? She didn't have any problem with that. It was... it was almost like a tingling feeling? Like the feel of tensing up a body part without moving it? Okay. Then, maybe........ Slowly, one of the arm spikes slipped back under her skin, the area closing as it did so.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped her at the realization. So she wouldn't just have open wounds all over her? That was good. That was really good.... After another breath to try and calm herself more, June tried to mentally pull and clench at the next three spikes. Still good, this was working. Now that she had started to get the hang of things, the next few came more easily and then the next few until right arm was finally back to normal. "Okay... that's... I think I understand now."

After switching from grabbing the fabric with her left arm to her right, June next looked down at her bloody ribs as she carefully retracted them before trying to cover her stomach with her freed left hand. This was such a weird ability.... Then, with little effort, her back and leg spikes went back in as she stared blankly ahead, still processing that this was all real. Finally, with a slight groan of effort, her body somehow managed to pull the shoulder spike in, as well.

"O-... Okay.... I think I'm done, Kiigan...." She finally announced. "I.... Well, I guess... I don't want to do this again, but I should probably learn how to control this? I... I don't know, will I have to change how I dress to use this ability in the future? I don't think I want to do that, but...."

Her request for him to stop looking at her actually got a blush from him, causing him to turn his head and look for something to do. So while she'd been slowly retracting the bones, he went off in search of his coat. Noticing that Zeel was gone, he also searched irritably for the man, but wasn't surprised when nothing turned up. It didn't feel good knowing that the guy could come back to haunt them. He should have killed him when he had the chance...maybe next time.

Next time, he'd be ready. Kiigan hated the feeling of not being strong enough to do much. For the first time he saw the merit in power, if only to protect himself from those wanting to use him. It was just the beginning, but the seed had been planted. As if inspired by June, for the first time he felt some drive down deep inside.

Returning to June, he draped the coat around her shoulders, hoping to offer her some modesty since she seemed so uncomfortable. "Let's realize our potentials together," he said with determination, quite a different expression than the lazy, bad tempered one she was probably gotten used to seeing. Shortly after he became a little self conscious about it, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Er...so yeah. We should learn to control what we've got, right? Even if it's a pain...and yeah, I think you'll have to find something better to wear," he muttered. Then, suddenly, an evil gleam appeared in his eyes. "If you want, of course. I personally don't mind a little extra skin..."

June's eyes widened in surprise for a second as Kiigan put the coat over her as a sudden, unconscious, sharp yelp escaped her for just a fleeting instant. She didn't expect him to sneak up on her and just do it like that! Her face flushed red as the man went on to say they should work at it together? So suddenly? "Uhh, it's not like... I don't...." She stuttered, staring at the brawler's abs before she forced the jacket closed tighter, practically burying her face in it to hide her embarrassment.

As random as the outfit comment was, he did save her. Twice, technically.... And the kid.... "I- I guess that wouldn't- I.... Sure, I- I think that's okay? I don't...." Reflexively, she turned away, unsure what to say. Well, she already kind-of agreed to it, right? So it was only fair for her to go with it... right...? "I'm sorry, just this is a lot to take in.... I need a bath so bad right now...."

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And so their encounter with the Blacksuit came to an end, the two of them returned home. It was later realized by them that their mission had actually concluded. As it turns out, the child had just assumed the two of them had beat him before he could see them and just assumed the whole thing was a result of his request. In a sense, he wasn't exactly wrong.

However, one thing that completely slipped by both of them was a short but simply note that was later found in the field by people without the proper context to understand it. The note read as follows:

"I enjoyed your show. May you preform beautifully yet again when they arrive.

Sincerely,

~ The Training Field Ghost"