Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Kingdom Hearts: Scattered Fragments (Private RP)

The Shadows gave way to Soldiers, which then gave way to Neoshadows. Hanox moved from target to target with ease, making quick work with them. Unfortunately, after the Neoshadows were Large Bodies and Wyverns, and his pistols, while powerful, couldn't take these new enemies down on their own. He put his guns together and concentrated. His shotgun came out a moment later.

"I'm coming in!" Hanox shouted, closing the gap between himself, his compatriots, and the Heartless. The Nobody raised his shotgun into firing position and opened fire on the nearest Large Body, whose back was turned to him. It took three pulls of the trigger to down it. He heard a noise behind him and without looking, pointed the shotgun over his shoulder and fired twice, downing a Wyvern that had tried to flank him. It was then a small group of both Neoshadows and Wyverns surrounded him. On some unknown instinct, he stomped on the ground hard with his right foot. The six offending Heartless suddenly started floating, as if gravity had been turned off for them. Several quick trigger pulls of the shotgun destroyed them.

Four more Large Bodies surrounded him. Hanox used the same gravity ball technique he had used the previous day while he and Ritsuka were escorting Esmerelda back to where they were now. Surprisingly, all four of them were affected by it. 11 or 12 shots later, they had been dealt with. Hearing yet another movement behind him, the Nobody quickly turned his shotgun back into his pistols and fired twice over his shoulder from each pistol, eliminating another pair of Heartless, a Wyvern and a Neoshadow.

Even with his, Ritsuka's, and Moguri's combined effort up to this point, more Heartless continued to come out of the tunnel. "God dammit..." Hanox said, breathing somewhat heavily. "They just keep COMING." Four more pistol trigger pulls, two more Wyverns down.

It was madness, never before had Ritsuka and Moguri had to deal with so many Heartless all a once, if Hanox hadn't joined the fray they surely would have been overwhelmed. The two apprentices kept the attention of the Large Bodies, allowing Hanox to shoot at their vulnerable backs. Hanox's Zero Gravity spells also helped Ritsuka and Moguri pick off the Heartless with spells and slashes, but it was just never enough.

"Ritsuka!" Moguri called.

"I know, there's way too many to just be Frollo's doing... something big is coming." Ritsuka dreaded as he defended against the attack of a Neoshadow and slashed back in retaliation. Suddenly, their heard a sharp female scream, followed by the familiar voice of Quasimodo.

"Esmerelda!"

"...Or it's already here." Ritsuka realized. "Moguri, Hanox, keep standing guard, I'll go see what's up!" He said before dashing back into the Court of Miracles.

It didn't take him long to see what was causing all of the panic and fear among the gypsies, as standing nearly two stories tall was a giant, gargoyle like Heartless, it's face piglike with horns and wings made from shattered and reforged stain glass, the heartless symbol emblazoned on its chest. But most importantly, clenched within its giant fist, was Esmerelda, the gypsies girl struggling with all of her might to free herself from its grasp. As Ritsuka approached, Phoebus was knocked back by a hard kick from the creature, while Quasimodo's attempt to leap onto the fist that held Esmerelda was met with a glass wing to the face.

"I have you now, you witch!" Frollo taunted sinisterly as he climbed onto the Gargoyle's other hand and carried to its shoulder.

"Frollo! Let her go!" Ritsuka demanded as he leaped up and attempted to slash straight through the villainous man. However, Frollo just smirked as the Heartless opened its mouth and shot a ball of searing flames at Ritsuka, knocking him back down to the ground right next to Phoebus and Quasimodo.

"I shall return for the rest of you heathens in time, but for now... the witch burns." Frollo announced to the crowd of gypsies before he, the Heartless, and Esmerelda disappeared in shadowy flames. With their disappearance, the Heartless in the tunnel would have settled down, allowing Moguri and Hanox to finish them off.

Hanox and Moguri stood guard at the tunnel, defeating the Heartless that made their way through. The Nobody stomped on the ground again, which allowed Moguri to easily handle a group of about 7 or 8 Heartless that had started floating. Hanox shook his head as he shot a couple of more enemies. Strangely, after a bit, the flow of Heartless seemed to slow to a trickle, and finally it stopped. Hanox looked over at Moguri.
"Come on," he said, somewhat breathlessly. "Let's go check on Ritsuka."

The Nobody turned away from the tunnel and ran towards where they had heard Esmerelda scream. When he got there, he saw Ritsuka on the ground next to Phoebus and Quasimodo. His golden eyes immediately focused on the Wielder before looking over to his other companions.
"What happened? Where's Esmerelda?" Hanox asked, concern - that had yet again been added by his subconscious - in his voice. Again, that was something he'd really need to figure out.

"Ugh... Frollo... tricked us." Phoebus groaned as he sat up on the dusty stone floor. "He didn't actually know where the Court of Miracles was, he just said that to goad us into finding it ourselves... we led him right to them." The ex-soldier lamented with a frustrated scowl on his face.

"No, I led him right to them... this is all my fault." Quasimodo said, tear filled eyes staring down at the woven band clenched in his oversized hands. "...Esmerelda."

"Damn it!" Was all Ritsuka could say as he sat up and slammed an angry fist into the stone floor. This was as much his fault as it was anyone else, if he hadn't been so careless, if he had went for Esmerelda instead of Frollo, or just straight for the Heartless before it had a chance to blow him back, maybe... this was now the second friend he failed to protect.

"It's not over yet!" Clopin declared, gaining their attention. "Frollo will not be satisfied with just letting that beast of his bite Esmerelda's head off. No, he will want a public execution, he wants her to burn on the pyre like the witch he believes her to be, and that will take time to set up." He explained in a much more serious tone that most were used to seeing him use.

"So... there's still time to stage a rescue!" Ritsuka realized, shooting up from the ground with a determined smile on his face.

"But, what about that demon?" Quasimodo reminded them.

"Don't worry, Ritsuka may have messed up on his own,"

"Hey!"

"But with us helping out, we can take care of the Heartless, right, kupo?" Moguri looked to Hanox.

Xazek simply looked at Yuxara as she answered his query. Once the other Wielder had finished speaking, he merely nodded and, when prompted, followed her through the perfectly still and almost completely silent halls. The only sound was their breathing and their strangely muted footsteps echoing off the walls. Upon reaching the Gray Room, he didn't move any further into it, and stood next to Yuxara. When his guide stated the purpose of the room, he merely nodded, his eyes scanning the impressive room.

The Nobody looked over when he heard the sound of a new voice, seeing that it belonged to a young, slender looking man with vivid blond hair and eyes that approached seafoam green in color. When his new colleague, named "Seixan", addressed him, he nodded, turning fully to face him.
"Xazek," he said, a hint of a smile upturning the corners of his mouth. Like the other, it fell quite flat, his eyes remaining coldly neutral. "My name is Xazek," he continued, inserting the barest minimum of friendliness into his voice. "Thank you for the vote of confidence. I promise not to disappoint."

The nascent Nobody cast a quick glance at Yuxara before returning his gaze to Seixan.
"Yuxara was showing me around the Castle," he said.

"It's not anyone's fault here..." Hanox quickly reassured, seeing his companions lament what had happened. He didn't necessarily feel any sympathy or empathy for them (yet); he did, however, have the idea that cooler heads would mean a better chance of coming up with a good plan to save Esmerelda from Frollo.

When Clopin spoke, he did so with a seriousness in his voice that garnered the Nobody's attention, same with his compatriots. What the Gypsy said seemed to make a lot of sense. Even though he himself had never even met Claude Frollo, everything he had heard about him in the last 24 hours pointed to the fact that he seemed to have an ego the size of Notre Dame. Someone like that would want an audience. A big one.

The Nobody then nodded in acknowledgement to Moguri's words.
"Yeah, we can," he said resolutely. Hanox then looked over at Clopin, a look on his face that matched the resolve in his voice.
"It will take some time," he said, "but not that much." He lapsed into thought once again before looking back up at the Gypsy. "There have to be other tunnels down here, yes? Which one would get us to the site of the execution the fastest?"

"Ho ho, now you are thinking like a gypsy!" Clopin replied with a devilish smile. "Yes, the catacombs reach all across the city, and I know just the one that will get us to the square where Frollo will surely light the pyre."

"I doubt Frollo is going to just let us waltz right up and take her." Phoebus stated as he stood back up. "He'll be expecting us."

"...But he won't be expecting me." Ritsuka's eyes turned to see Quasimodo standing up as well, somehow taller and straighter despite his severe hunched back. "If you could keep his attention, I can get Esmerelda off of the pyre and into Notre Dame."

"Of course, once she's in the cathedral, she'll have sanctuary, and Frollo won't be able to get to her without inciting the wrath of the people." Phoebus deduced.

"Sounds good to me, but... are you sure Quasimodo?" Ritsuka asked, realizing asking the hunchback to go against his master was a delicate issue. Quasimodo gave a firm nod.

"Esmerelda has been kinder to me in the last two days than my master has been in my whole life. I could never forgive myself if I let him hurt her!" He declared, clutching the woven band his his callous covered hand with determination. Ritsuka couldn't help but smile with pride at his decision.

"Alright, then it's settled, we'll leave saving Esmerelda to you! Meanwhile, the rest of us will go in guns blazing to grab the attention of Frollo and the Heartless!" Ritsuka delegated the roles.

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go, kupo!" Moguri declared.

"Right then, follow me!" Clopin said, immediately dashing down one of the dark tunnels, the others following closely behind.

Before giving up his heart, Kaze had indeed never really dealt with many strong enemies, and as such, Katsuki erroneously thought that this was a legitimate threat to Ryuga's safety. Even if he had known this, however, when it came to Ryuga's appeals, Katsuki wouldn't have been willing to relinquish the leverage he had. At least, not completely. He lifted Ryuga up slightly, but in a position that told the dangling Seeker that he wasn't off the hook just yet. He would listen, but any funny business, and Ryuga would fall over 200 feet to the street below them.

"Start talking, then," Katsuki said sharply, his voice hard. The dark aura that surrounded Katsuki wavered slightly, but re-solidified after a second, indicative of his suspicion of Ryuga.

'Man this is annoying. Damn you, Raixon, you'll pay for making me waste so much effort on this prick!' Ryuga cursed in his head, but he had to burry his frustration and continue putting on a show for Katsuki.

"R-Right..." Ryuga feigned his fear, letting out a nervous sounding cough before continuing. "That guy that attacked you, Raixon, he and his Organization have been growing in numbers and power as of late, and like I said, they don't really take kindly to guys like me, like us." He began, his voice a bit frantic. "I've been doing whatever I can to prepare, but at the end of the day, I'm just one guy, even if I could hypothetically become strong enough to take them all out, there's no guarantee that I'll be able to bulk up in time before they come gunning for me. But then, I came across you, and I figured I'd take a page out of their book and try to scrounge up some... accomplices."

He wasn't lying, the Organization had been growing lately, with new Keyblade Wielders coming out of the woodwork, and now that they knew he existed, it was only a matter of time before they were all coming after him. He needed to accelerate his plans, and having a partner in crime, even if just in name only, would surely help.

"Look, I get that you don't trust me, and to be frank, you're not exactly giving me any reason to trust you at the moment, but just hear me out, ok? Remember, you still owe me one." He reminded, hoping that if anything, he would want to clear up his debt.

Seixan nodded, a slow and almost sagely motion as Xazek replied to the simple questions. There was something about Number Ten that he just couldn’t quite put a finger on…an observation seemed just out of reach, but there was no irritation. Such thought might come unbidden at a later time, when his mind was clearer. “As she ought to,” he mused. “As absent as Raixon may seem at times, he is involved in his own field research.”

Yuxara nodded in small agreement. “We receive our overall vision and directives from such excursions of his,” she further explained to Xazek. “Which leaves me behind to assure said objectives are accomplished.”

There was a small pause, in which Seixan took advantage of to continue his query earlier, glancing over at Yuxara. “I was wondering if you’ve seen Devereaux. It’s odd not to see him out and about.”

Yuxara seemed unbothered with the question, precisely because of the knowledge of the answer she provided. “Devereaux is assisting Kostexu with a few procedures,” she replied smoothly. “However, what with Raixon returning soon for Xazek’s induction, we should all be heading to the Round Room fairly soon.”

There was a fluttering ghost of a smile that passed over Seixan’s lips. “Understood.” He nodded his quiet farewell to Yuxara and Xazek in turn. “Xazek, was it? I will be seeing you around. Do take care, and may the Balance keep you.” And with those parting words, the blond retreated back into the hallway from which they had come. Yuxara’s violet hues trailed after him a moment, clouded, but momentarily the gaze returned to Xazek.

“Shall we continue, then?”

Katsuki begrudgingly listened to his temporary captive. The explanation he gave sounded realistic enough, and the Seeker's experience in Traverse Town supported the notion that Raixon and others like him didn't take kindly to Katsuki and Ryuga. Also, if Raixon and others of his ilk were growing in numbers, that would indeed be a problem for them. Even so, Katsuki still didn't trust Ryuga all that much.

However, It was then that Ryuga mentioned that Katsuki still owed him one, and that only made the nascent Seeker's expression get even darker under his hood. Not only did he not like the prospect, it was also true. He still hadn't paid off the life debt. He wanted to disregard that statement, but his newfound pride wouldn't let him. He really didn't want to be beholden to anyone, so the sooner he was out from under Ryuga, the better. As such, he really didn't have any other choice than to play ball. He didn't like it, but neither could he deny it.

Katsuki, a little harshly, pulled Ryuga back onto solid ground and let go of him. He then crossed his arms, and took a step back, the dark aura spiking in intensity for a moment, but returning to its light presence almost immediately.
"Fine," Katsuki said bitterly. "I'll humor you."
For now...

"Phew, alright..." Ryuga let out a relieved breath as he was set free by Katsuki. "Now that we got that out of our systems, let's get to it shall we?" As he said this, the air around them began to shift, the unmistakable sensation of darkness suddenly appearing in the vicinity. "Or, I guess it will just come to us."

Down in the courtyard of Notre Dame, a giant, gargoyle shaped Heartless appeared. However, this was not just any old Heartless, it was in fact one of Heartless of one of the 13 Knights of Darkness, this one in particular he let out on loan to the despicable Judge Claude Frollo. The man in question was riding on the beast's shoulder, while a woman was clenched in its stone like fist.

"See that Heartless down there?" He said as he pointed out the creature to Katsuki. "Well you see, any minute now, a pipsqueak of a Keyblade Wielder is going to show up and defeat it. Once the thing is taken out, the Keyblade is going to release the heart that once belonged to the Heartless. All I need you to do is stay out of sight and collect the heart once it pops out, simple." He explained. "Do that for me, and your debt is repaid, then if you're interested afterwords, we can start talking about a more... "permanent" partnership." He added, turning back to Katsuki to hear his reply.

Katsuki felt the shift in the air around him as the massive Heartless appeared in the square below them. He wasn't sure what had caused this shift until he saw the creature below them, just before Ryuga had pointed it out. He nodded in response to the other Seeker's question. The thing's sheer size was impressive, and he let out a low whistle of appreciation for it. The nascent Seeker also saw a man standing on the Heartless' shoulder, dressed in dark robes and a tricorn hat, and a woman in the Heartless' fist. Budding curiosity slowly spread across Katsuki's face; he was wondering what they had walked in on, beyond Ryuga's explanation of the "pipsqueak of a Keyblade Wielder".

Katsuki looked up when his ally of necessity finished talking. Ryuga seemed to be looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. He still wasn't really enthused about this, but it sounded harmless enough, for now at least. He also was uninterested towards this "permanent partnership", and figured that he would still be when this small task was done. Although, that would depend on how this little task turned out.
"Watch the fireworks and collect a heart..." Katsuki said, some bitterness still pervading his voice, but a much lesser quantity than he currently felt. "Sounds easy enough...." Part of the Seeker was wondering what Ryuga thought would have him on board in the future. He hoped it wasn't anything that would compromise him...

Hanox followed closely behind the colorfully dressed Gypsy as they raced down the tunnel to the alleged location where Frollo hoped to conduct Esmerelda’s execution. Something told him it would be in the square in front of Notre Dame. Grandest backdrop; certainly sent a message. However, in addition to those obviously ego-boosting factors, Hanox was wondering about something else: why target Esmerelda in particular? Was it to teach the Gypsies a lesson? Send them a message? Possible, as everything he had heard about Claude Frollo over the last day or so indicated that the man detested the denizens of the Court of Miracles more than anything else on this World. However, there was something about this whole situation that told him there was more to it than that. This concerned him; or, at least, it would have if he had a heart.

The Nobody decided to voice these “concerns”, but not without first trying to learn the identity of the man who was helping them.
“Excuse me, sir,” Hanox said, addressing the Gypsy in front of him. “Might I ask your name?” Hanox then cleared his throat, his next question directed to the group at large. “Also, something doesn’t quite add up here. I get that she’s well known and loved in the Court of Miracles, but why would Frollo target Esmerelda specifically? And in such grand fashion? I get that Frollo hates the Gypsies, but based on the circumstances this seems almost...personal.”

"They call me Clopin; pleasure to make your acquaintance." Clopin introduced himself as he rounded a sharp corner, guiding the group further into the catacombs.

Hanox's next question got the group thinking. None of them really gave the matter much thought, at least not as much as Hanox apparently did.

"Maybe... he's trying to punish me." Quasimodo suggested. "He knows how much I care about Esmerelda, so maybe this is his way of punishing me for disobeying him."

"No offense Quasimodo, but do you really think Frollo cares enough about you at this point to base his whole triumphant play around a vendetta against you?" Phoebus countered.

"Well, what else could it be?" Ritsuka asked, unable to come up with an alternative reason himself.

"Who knows, perhaps he is simply acting out of a scorned heart, that had been stolen away by our fair lady of Paris." Clopin playfully posited.

"Frollo?" Moguri said.

"And Esmerelda?" Phoebus added.

The entire group felt a cold shiver run up their spines at the mere thought of it, not wishing to even consider such a horrific scene.

"Well, it doesn't really matter what his motives are, he's gonna hurt our friend so we're gonna stop him!" Ritsuka declared, shaking off his disgust and replacing it with determination.

"Well said my friend!" Clopin said as he came to an abrupt stop, bringing the others to a halt as well. "Alright, this is where the hunchback and I leave you. The four of you head up this staircase and you'll pop out just a block away from the courtyard of Notre Dame. Quasimodo and I will continue down the tunnel and pop out on the other side of the cathedral so he can sneak inside, so make sure you grab Frollo's attention and never let go!" He relayed the plan to the group.

"Right, you can count on us." Ritsuka replied before turning to the rest of his team for this rescue mission. "You guys ready?" He asked, the lot of them nodding their heads in approval. "Alright, then let's go!"

"Exactly! Dinner and a show, so to speak." Ryuga said, happy to have finally gotten him to do what he wanted. Still, the relationship was tentative at best, but he knew that once he got a taste of what Ryuga had in store for them, he would at least become a willing participant. "Anyway, if you understand, I need to get going. Gotta cover our tracks to make sure Raixon and his ilk don't track us down. Good luck." With that said, Ryuga opened a Corridor of Darkness and passed through, disappearing from La Cite des Cloches.

He reappeared in the Realm of Darkness, the feeling of power surging through him from the environment did wonders to relieve his stress from that excruciating negotiation. He took a deep breath, both to calm his nerves and to prepare for the task ahead.

"Alright, let's get to it then." Ryuga let his own dark aura swell, a dark blue glow emanating from his chest that made the intensity of the aura increase. Almost immediately, a small army of Heartless answered his call, eager to do his bidding. He knew that the Organization was on to him, and there was no way they were just going to wait for him to make another move. They were going to be searching for him, so to keep them off his track, he had to spread out his forces a bit, keep them guessing as to where the important things were and what were just distractions. He thought it would be a pain, but with the power he had received from the Fragment he had received from Twilight Town... it was almost child's play.

"Alright troops, let's move out." He ordered almost playfully as he and the Heartless disappeared from the Dark Margin, spreading out all across the Realm of Light.

Hanox nodded in response to Clopin’s introduction.
“The pleasure’s mine,” he said. “Mine’s Hanox.” The Nobody continued to follow the Gypsy even as the others were discussing possible answers to the question he had just posited. Quasi’s answer might have been plausible, but Phoebus’ counter sounded much more reasonable. It was probably safe to say that Frollo had gone off the deep end and was single-mindedly focused on Esmerelda.
“Well, scorned heart or not,” Hanox said, trying not to think of that prospect as it was sickening even to him, “I think Phoebus is right, Quasi. Frollo seems to be so single-mindedly focused on Esmerelda that you’re not even an afterthought to him.”

At Ritsuka’s declaration, Hanox determinedly nodded. Even if he really didn’t feel anything, even a Nobody knew that abandoning someone who was considered a friend. He might not have had a heart, but he knew what was right and what was wrong...

After the allons-y, the quartet took off down the tunnel towards Notre Dame. The four of them moved as quickly as they could. Hanox took point, with Ritsuka slightly behind him; Moguri and Phoebus brought up the rear. They traveled in silence, the only sound being their hurried footsteps echoing off the walls and ceiling. Hanox picked up the pace. They had to get to Esmerelda before anything more happened to her.

At long last, the group reached the end of the tunnel.
"Here we are," Hanox said, his voice hard and flat, yet having an underpinning of determination to it. The four clambered out of the tunnel and up onto the street. Hanox looked around. He saw that Clopin was right: they were only a block or two from the Cathedral Square. "Alright," the Nobody continued. "We need to thi-" The words stopped in his throat as he saw Ritsuka booking it in the direction of Notre Dame. "Ritsuka! Wait!" Hanox shouted, chasing after him. Dammit... Hanox thought. He'll get himself killed.... As he followed his companion into the square, he waved for Phoebus and Moguri to follow....

"Frollo!" Ritsuka shouted as he charged into the courtyard. A large crowd of people had gathered in front of Notre Dame, the audience that Frollo oh so desperately wanted, and yet they parted like the Red Sea for the boy that they recognized as the one to fight off the demons that had plagued the Festival of Fools.

At the center of the procession was a pyre, a long wooden pole stood up with kindling lining the base, and tied to it, dressed in tattered rags, was Esmeralda, who even now struggled to free herself from her bindings. Looming over her, lit torch in hand, was none other than Judge Claude Frollo, an angry scowl on his face as he turned towards the interruption.

"Let Esmeralda go, now!" Ritsuka demanded as he summoned his Keyblade and lowered into a fighting stance.

"...How pitiful!" Frollo said as he swallowed his irritation. "To think that the boy who had once took up arms to defend the people of this city not a day's past now intends to stand in the way of righteous judgement! Surely, this vile witch has cast a spell on the poor boy's heart!" He accused, Ritsuka's grip on his weapon tightening in anger.

"Says the man willing to burn down half the city just to find her!" Phoebus rebuked as he and the rest of the party joined Ritsuka in the square. "It seems to me that it is your heart that has been put under a spell, Frollo!" He continued, leaning into the disturbing suggestion of Clopin's, if anything just to spite the man.

And spite him he did, if the contorted scowl that appeared on the man's face was anything to go by.

"Do you now see the corrupting power of the gypsies? It seems not even the great Captain Phoebus is immune to her unholy charms! She and her kind are a threat to each and every soul in this city, and their evil must be cleansed!" Frollo declared, refusing to give up the battle for the hearts and minds of the people.

As the discussion went on between the two other Nobodies in front of him, Xazek watched and listened in silence in cool observation. He did notice Seixan’s slow, pensive nod, and he vaguely wondered what was on the other man’s mind. While he figured that the other most likely felt nothing either, there seemed to be a bare hint of disquiet in the other Nobody. While curious, he couldn’t have either proved it or disproved it, and so he pushed the now inconsequential thought to the back of his mind for the time being.

After this minor rumination, the nascent Nobody merely stood there and listened, making minor mental notes of names and locations as they were mentioned. His expression was completely flat for the duration of the discussion. Upon mention of his name, he looked at Yuxara and nodded once.

Seixan then addressed him, and he nodded at the gentle query of his name. The barest trace of a smile that didn’t even come close to reaching his eyes lightly appeared on his face.
“And you as well,” he said, just before the other Nobody walked off.

At Yuxara’s question, Xazek looked to her once more and nodded.
“Yes, we shall,” he said, his voice soft and flat

So, this was Claude Frollo. The Judge didn’t look quite as hideous as Hanox had imagined him to look. He was on the older side, at least 60, with refined features and an air of distinguishment about him. However, this air was very much drowned out by the maniacal, murderous look in his eyes and the horrific vitriol coming out of his mouth. Everything he said circled back to Esmerelda and the Gypsies. This son of a bitch really thought they were evil incarnate. Well...someone should probably look in a mirror.

Hanox’s expression progressively darkened as he listened to what the Judge was saying, his gold eyes looking like boiling, molten metal. He grit his teeth, baring them slightly as his mouth curled into a bit of a snarl. He felt…felt?....yes, felt...a burning sensation swirl violently through his chest cavity. As he stared daggers at Frollo, the Nobody realized that he was angry; like legitimately angry. While this was intriguing, he wasn’t really thinking about that part of it right now. A homicidal scorned love needed dealing with.

“Are you sure it’s them who needs to be cleansed?!” Hanox interjected, his voice sounding as hot and dangerous as his eyes looked. “Or perhaps your pants and robes from chasing after Esmerelda?!” Hanox knew he was stoking the fire here. He might have just been reborn the previous day, but even he knew that no one reacted that badly to a spiteful lob if it wasn’t at least a little bit true. “Burning down half a city and trying to exterminate a people isn’t the best way to win someone’s heart Frollo, doubly so if it’s the people of the person whose heart you’re trying to win!”

Hanox was banking on the possibility that grilling Frollo about Esmerelda “scorning his heart” would be enough of a distraction for Quasi and Clopin to save her. Even if it wasn’t, the Nobody was getting too pissed to let it go.
“Burning Esmerelda at the stake doesn’t show she’s guilty of witchcraft, Frollo!” Hanox shouted at the judge. “It just shows that the lust of a supposed righteous man is a major fire hazard! If she didn’t love you then, then she sure as hell isn’t gonna love you now!”