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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jan 31, 2013 17:13:49 GMT -5
"So... where to now, Electric Ghost, RJ?"
"I'm not going with you." RJ plainly looked right at Beth when she responded. The problem of these people was not her problem.
"I can... probably get you there, but I'm not going topside either. Too dangerous for people like us."
The spectral figure promptly faded out of sight, headed off to who knows where, and when the group's course of action was decided the rest of the natives also began to go their separate ways. Likely, back to where the island touched the water, to continue monitoring anything coming or going from Colyne.
Kaede meanwhile didn't feel like she needed to speak up or say anything about her involvement. It was nice that Beth was just including her without hearing her actual opinion or stance on the matter, but then she would have agreed anyway. Of note that when Beth mentioned her in comparison to Snake, she didn't laugh or act any differently. She wasn't trying to start trouble and she didn't think it was necessary. Either way, before long the spectral figure had returned, while RJ just went back to work.
"The coast is clear, and they are heading over tonight. If you want to make it, we have to leave now."
---
Like before, the group was led through the dark, labyrinthine city in their trek to the gap between the two halves of the island. They would be able to tell they were approaching the center however, because the buildings were getting less tall and less densely packed, to the extent that eventually they would be able to see the night sky... and the upper half of the island. Given the angle at which they were moving because of the altered gravity, it looked like lighted gleaming mountain extended out before them, and that they were looking down on the peak ahead.
Of course they couldn't just cross over, and they would soon be able to see why. Upon reaching the end of the buildings on the bottom half, there was a range of clearing, and then just a sheer drop. Like a cliff, over which the linked point between the two halves of the island. There was an identical drop on the other half, across the way, and so in effect it looked almost like a valley. The two sides with the drop in between, as the two points met below, like an hourglass. To one side, much farther down the gap between the two halves was what could be guessed at the remnants of a former bridge, one of the seven that linked the two sides. Like a ripped up rail track, it was severed in the middle and the two sides bent and twisted as the metal was warped at odd angles. Clearly they would not be able to cross there. Further in the other direction though, was one of the remaining working bridges. It was clear to see how it was still connected to the top half, because it was just as much lit up.
This was not where they were headed however. The spectral figure led them along the bottom half side of the canal, though her vision was focused on the buildings on their side rather than the other lighted half. Finally she stopped, nodded in affirmation, and had the group follow her in what looked like an old abandoned train station (for any in the group who had seen such things before). After heading down some time the group was nearly ambushed by a large amount of natives, but the spectral figure like before was able to clear things up. It seemed these people down here were something of an impromptu resistance, and they were the ones trying to separate the two halves of the island. They all seemed active and busy, preparing for their next move, to destroy the next bridge that night.
---
"مجرد البقاء بعيدا عن طريقنا و لن نضطر أية مشكلات."
"Yeah. Once we set the charges on the bridge, we'll help you get to the other side."
"Я по-прежнему не понять, почему мы предоставляем им пойти с нами, они точно предоставить нашей позиции."
Like before but to an even further extent, the vast differences in people and culture of the island became apparent, as the group was led through some service tunnels following the rebels. Eventually they reached a grating which was cracked open by a fellow with metal skin, and one by one they filed through. Where they emerged was far below the edges of the two edges between the halves of the island; by looking up they would be able to tell that they were down in the gap between.
What lie ahead of them, spanning the gap was like a spider web maze of rusty pipes and grating. Looking down from above it might have looked like just a big mess of scrap metal, but down here they would be able to move between the tangle, though with some necessary caution. Water flowed and collected here from all over the island (since given the altered gravity and the shape of the two halves, this meeting juncture was actually the lowest point on the island), and it was pouring all about them in constant streams from above. Like many waterfalls from above water splashed all over the place and over the metal tangle of pipes and grating, and even if they stood directly under some, water droplets like rain still spattered everything. Understandably it was quite slippery in places and difficult to move through the mass of intersecting metal between the two sides, but some thinking and care would allow for safe passage.
"Right, just follow us, and don't look down if you can help it."
It might be apparent why, as through the tangle of pipes and metal if one were to be able to see through, there was just a black abyss into which all the water fell. It wouldn't be easy to just fall all the way through, since both above and below the tangle extended, and it really was like a mass of spider webs; slipping and falling, and you'd probably just fall down and land on another pipe or grate. But doing this enough times, or trying to get down...
"당신에게 가면으로 나오는 일은 없습니다."
And so they led onwards, having to go both up and down at times, as going simply straight was not an option. After some time they would be nearing the giant supports of the bridge that spanned the gap far above them, the area more widely lit from the ambiance pouring down from above.
---
After some time, the rebels had been planting explosives and keeping watch. Largely though, it was just tedious work as they labored as covertly as possible while water poured on them from above. Kaede meanwhile, had plunked herself down beneath a thick grate where the water falling was less on her. From there she had been talking with one of the rebels keeping a lookout.
"So what is it about Connor's body that caused the plague? He wasn't sick with something before, was he?"
"Well I don't know much, but something about him the doctors up top thought was worth studying. One even, thought it was worth trying to recreate."
"제너. 인간 쓰레기들."
At this, one of the rebels planting the explosives turned and spit down below, and most of them in general seemed rather displeased by what had been said. The one keeping watch nodded back to them in agreement.
"Right, real bad one, that. Anyway, somehow what he was doing, ended up making its way into everyone else. Well.. most of everyone at least..."
"So... what happened to the doctors then, and the people who weren't effected?"
"Well most of them-"
He was cut off by a blinding light and a sickening hum. There was shouting over speakers from above on the bridge, and suddenly things started to get hazy, the air distorting around all of the group in the tangle by the supports. They'd been found.
"انهم معنا! يجب ان نترك الان!"
"Is there enough there to bring it down?!"
"Нет времени, нам придется надеемся, что она достаточно!"
Immediately they all began shouting between one another, scrambling and slipping to get everything together. They had to abandon the work they'd been doing as they all tossed things in bags or on their back, and started to leave. The shouting from above continued and it wasn't really discernible over everything that was going on, but the light was getting more intense. The group would begin to notice the air getting very misty, and no more water was falling on them. A distinct sickness or nausea rising in their stomachs, and the area was getting hotter, the metal around them very much so. The rebels were not unaffected either, though they were already making a break for the way they had gotten here. They had to hope that what they had done so far was enough, because they couldn't continue and they couldn't stay.
"This is it! If you still want to get to the other side, you'll have to make your way through but we have to go back!"
"But... but which way do we go?!"
"Away from here! This whole place is gonna blow!"
With that there was a steam explosion as all the water in the area was suddenly superheated. Beyond obscuring vision in the area, there was also a chance that the sudden burst of heat and pressure may have affected the group. For Kaede this was certainly the case, whom was not only knocked off her feet, but also scalded pretty bad from the explosion. Her vision was blurred, her ears were ringing, and the light was still on them and so very burning and bright. She ended up landing a ways down, across a long pipe, though she could see the abyss not so very far beneath her.
This is it, we have to get across... where is everyone?
It was hard for her to think after the blast, and in a daze she looked around for the others. It seemed by now the rebels had fled from the area, and the light from above was now moving away after them. But there was commotion now, a stirring of activity from up on the bridge above, as machinery kicked into gear and more shouting could be heard. They couldn't stay here and they wouldn't just be able to hide, not only because of the possibility that the rebels might detonate the explosives they had placed at any time.
She had to find the others, and they had to leave. Shakily she crept to her feet, wobbling terribly from the concussion of the blast. Looking around in a haze, she began to climb across the tangle of metal away from the area. She could only hope that it was in the right direction.
"Guys? Anyone?!"
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Post by Sprite on Jan 31, 2013 19:31:52 GMT -5
Snake still seemed rather sullen about the joke Beth had made, staying rather silent and grumpy the entire way to the train station. The instant the native rebels came out at them, bristling with hostility, the warrior prince returned the same feeling. His eyes smoldering with all sorts of unpleasant threats and angry intentions.
Upon the explanation of the natives being a resistance movement, he seemed to calm down a bit. As they were led into the webwork of pipes he looked around with a low whistle of amazement.
"Nice setup you've all got down here."
As Kaede conversed with the various mutant inhabitants of Colyne, Snake absent-mindedly listened and stored the information away. He was occupied with trying to gauge just how deep the drop was from where he was sitting. He spat down into the depths of the pit, leaning forward to try and catch the sound of it hitting the bottom.
That was of course when all the commotion began.
Never a peaceful moment around here, you chose a great place to go honeymooning, Andersons."
Squinting up at the bright lights shining down into the pipe pit, Snake scowled as he couldn't determine the sources. As if to make matters worse, the rebels left them with the explosive rigged pipes. As the temperature began to rise, and the water eventually caused a steam explosion, Snake merely crossed his arms in front of his face as the explosion knocked him off his perch and down into the pit.
---
"Quit your yapping. I'm right here."
Snake reached up and pulled his head up to where Kaede could see it from where she lay on the pipe. Despite being a bit frazzled, the prince seemed none the worse for the wear, his supernatural endurance having warded off the burning effects of the steam explosion without much difficulty. Looking about, Snake cupped a hand around his mouth and his free arm wrapped itself around the pipe he and Kaede were on.
"You all better be alive!"
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Post by CJ on Feb 1, 2013 1:58:39 GMT -5
Beth grinned nervously at Snake's angry outbreak. She knew he would never do anything to harm her (at least for now) but she couldn't help but notice, out of the corner of her eye, that Tomahawk's right finger tips were catching on fire. The small flames disappeared quite suddenly when Luis hissed in apology at him. Beth wasn't sure if Connor or Snake noticed it at all.
She was embarrassed at assuming RJ would have some reason to be concerned with their problems. She nodded at the spectral figure and stretched out her hand for it to shake hers. Her face flushed when she realized the ridiculousness of trying to shake hands with a ghost and smiled meekly instead.
"Thank you for everything."
---
After a few more pukes, Beth Anderson was glad to be at their next destination. She tried not to analyze the environment too hard, lest she vomit again and kept her eyes toward the ground. Of course, upon seeing the black deep, she listened to the metal skinned fellow's advice. She looked up and her eyes spun as she nearly fainted from the sheer intensity of the imagery. Tomahawk grasped onto her as she lost her footing.
She could stand up to powerful pirates and criminals but intense imagery, it seemed, could have been the end of her.
---
Tomahawk was shaking.
The Andersons' Honeymoon, as Snake called it, was not going very well. Only Snake and Beth would know water was a sort of Kryptonite for the brain inside of Tomahawk. Fortunately, the outer shell of the robot prevented water from getting anywhere close to it. Still, Connor's instincts were driving him crazy as he lifted up various pieces of scrap metal to shield himself fruitlessly against the splatters.
Beth thought of how convenient it would be to ask Shroud Demon to borrow his helmet. She already lost one opportunity to see his face that day (she was too distracted by RJ). Now she could kill two birds with one stone. Connor could feel safe with the bucket on Tomahawk's head and she'd be able to finally glimpse what secrets lied behind the metal crown.
She was about to ask him when she overheard Kaede say something about Connor. She had been ignorant of the locals until this point (mostly because she couldn't understand them). When she asked Connor about what happened to his body, he said Arch saw over its disposal. But now there was this talk of studying. The plague didn't have to do with Connor's arrival, it was all about his body's residency here.
Her mind wandered to the first day they met. They were only ten-years-old then. Connor was alone, curled up, covered in grim and filth in an alleyway. He looked so small and it wasn't just because she was taller than him then. The years proved he was incapable of standing up to anyone, must less defending himself from harm. He was always weak, but he was happy for it. Getting over another cough seemed to make him a bit more grateful to be alive. He kept his pain to himself while trying to help others get through their own struggles. She hated to admit it, but she loved him for it.
His smile was a frozen image in her thoughts. Connor was here. His brain was here, with her and the others for the past year or so, but his body was in this horrible place that whole time. Beth was furious.
She stormed forward toward Kaede and the others when the blinding light struck. She tried to remain calm and ran to Camellia and Finnegan to see if they would be alright. Her hand reached into her pocket and removed the lid to a small bottle. A tiny bit of Snake Havey's old energy flew out of it and entered her right ear. Her eyes became serpentine emerald and her features took on that of a Ravunyan's. She did this thinking it might help if she and Finnegan needed to move Camellia. She began to speak to them but she halted when she heard a horrible pop.
Tomahawk seized as sparks and flashes erupted behind its faceplate.
Beth threw up her arms in response to the steam explosion, in great part because of the energy she was using. She likely only blocked some of the blast for Camellia and Finnegan. Like Snake, the burning sensation of the steam wore off quickly, but then so did the Ravunyan's energy. It was gone, permanently.
She heard Kaede and Snake's calls, but they seemed almost as foreign as the language of the rebels moments before. Her feet carried her to Tomahawk, lifeless on the ground with smoke rising out of its head.
"Connor," she said quietly at first, patting Tomahawk's face. "Hey."
No response.
"Connor, get up. Come on, we have to go!"
Was there a power button she could press? Restart? She knew nothing about technology or what could have caused the steam or Tomahawk's reaction.
"Connor, please get up!"
Her Devil Fruit powers couldn't sense any brain activity. She nearly choked, trying to fight off any notion that he could be dead.
"I can't leave you alone again. Connor... please!"
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Post by Kuro on Feb 1, 2013 18:07:03 GMT -5
The Shroud Demon looked all around him as they went to the next destination in their amazing adventure. The story was clear now; the heroes were on an island of the future and in their quest to help one of their own, they would help the just rebels escape from their oppressive rulers! They would help the poor victims and let them enjoy freedom in the happiness of the world! They were the saviors of the weak and helpless, oh he was so grateful for being able to go through all of these wonderful environments and meeting all these wonderful people, it was so fun, so fun. Not only that, but they had to protect a princess, and he was the main bodyguard for her. Fun, fun, fun, just like a hero should.
Annnnnd in the middle of his thinking, everything happened. He had been too distracted in his thoughts to notice anything around him until the humming began and people started bumping into him as they ran away. Then his stomach got really really weird, and his head got hot...hot...hot...really really hot!
"AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
The Shroud Demon began jumping around and clawing at the air around him, screaming the whole time. One could easily tell that he was in serious pain, and perhaps one could tell why if he or she looked at the increasingly hostile environment around them. His bucket, the thing that was supposed to protect him, his last defense against evil, his heroic helm, his loyal ally throughout all the lonely years...It was hurting him. The effect was...bad. Very bad. To be so betrayed...Under his helmet, he was crying.
He threw himself on the floor and writhed in agony as his metal armor also made him feel like he was swimming in magma. He was in too much pain to even think of taking off the armor, which would really have only required cutting the leather straps and belts binding the pots and pans to his body. He flailed at the helmet still on his head, but any time he tried to take it off, the extreme heat just burned him by contact, rendering him unable to do anything.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH! HELP ME HELP ME HELP! HELP ME!"
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Post by Kyubey on Feb 1, 2013 20:20:03 GMT -5
Camellia was always ready to find someplace new. If it was dangerous, that was perfectly okay with her. This group she decided she would be following for the time being didn't seem to take her seriously at all. And she didn't like that. Clearly, the only way to solve her problems would be to demonstrate firsthand just how capable she and her butler were. She hoped something would happen that would give her that sort of chance.
---
Camellia never stopped being amazed at all the new sights and people. In particular, anything shiny caught her attention, but even the not shiny things, including things that an ordinary girl might have dismissed as trash, caught her interest. Often she would lean over the edge of the cup, and at a couple of points nearly fell right out of it, prompting Finnegan to remind her to be careful about her balance. She didn't listen, and throughout the trip he ended up having to do some impressively tricky maneuvers to keep her steady. She took in every detail of their environment, but listened to none of the words. She had accepted quite some time ago that whatever Connor's issues were, they had little to do with her, and were not even close to being the exciting part of her adventure.
Her fun was cut off, however, by water falling everywhere. As both she and Finnegan knew, water was generally bad for Camellia. It was bad for any user of Devil Fruit, but for her especially, as she was confined to an open vessel that would easily fill up with rain or any other sort of water that would be splashed on them. The tea would mix with the water, making it difficult for Camellia to control her power, and if the cup filled too much then she had a strong chance of drowning. Thankfully Finnegan did a good job at keeping her shielded, for the most part, and she did her best to heat up to the point where any foreign, unwanted liquids would evaporate fairly quickly.
But none of that could protect her when the place began to heat up.
As the bright light hit them, Camellia shut her eyes tightly and covered up her ears, before sinking down completely into her teacup.
"Finnegan, I don't feel good..." she gasped in almost a whisper. "Too hot. Way too hot. Make it not so hot."
"Miss, listen, try to use your power to regulate your temperature. You are able to do that, remember?"
"I know, but... not this time." She could control her own temperature to an extent, that was true, but she couldn't do anything about the sides of her teacup itself, which were now scalding hot. Finnegan seemed to realize this as well, though he showed no signs of pain as he continued to grip the handle.
"Away from here! This whole place is gonna blow!"
"Soru."
When the steam explosion hit, Finnegan and Camellia seemed to disappear as the butler darted backwards to avoid the blast. As it was, the two were unscathed, at least compared to the others, and were now standing far back enough to continue avoiding injury.
"Finnegan... help..."
"Indeed, Miss. Now can you see why we must leave this place and these people?"
"We're not going to leave."
Now, he was surprised. "What are you saying?"
It was then when the sound of Shroud Demon crying out in pain reached their ears.
"We can't leave them now! You have to help, Finnegan!"
"While this situation truly is unfortunate, right now we must..."
"I know you want to help them too, Finnegan. I know you better than you think I do. And if you're not really the kind of guy that helps people in times like this, you can leave me behind right now."
Finnegan took only a moment to hesitate, astounded by his mistress's sudden selflessness.
"You don't have to think about only me, you know. We're not the only ones on this adventure anymore. And some of them might need your help. I'll be okay for just a bit longer."
"But first, I must follow my sworn duty to help you. I'm going to set you down now."
Finnegan walked to the nearest wall and carefully placed the teacup against it.
"Now, if you would, miss, please revert to your normal form."
"But..."
"I'm about to take you out of the cup, and I cannot do that unless you're solid."
"If you say so." Suddenly, the cup wasn't filled with liquid at all, but a small, but otherwise ordinary human girl in a simple dress, who awkwardly fit within the vessel. Finnegan softly lifted Camellia, her useless legs dangling limply as he did so, and put her down next to the cup, leaning her on the wall. With one hand, the girl propped herself up, and smiled weakly at Finnegan.
"That feels better. Thanks."
"It is simply my duty, Little Miss." With those words and a comforting smile, Finnegan bounded back in the direction he came from. While Finnegan had always been agile and swift, now that he was no longer burdened by anything his speed increased tremendously, showing abilities that no normal butler would possess. First, he went to Shroud Demon, who seemed to be the one in most distress.
"Please remain calm, good sir. I'm going to get you out of here," he said to the bucket-headed man as he would attempt to grab onto his ankle and drag him off, towards the area where Camellia was located. By himself, the job would take a while, even with his speed, but he hoped that one of the others would be willing to help, if they weren't too hurt to do so.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Feb 3, 2013 18:57:12 GMT -5
"Quit your yapping. I'm right here."
"Luan, is that you? Get up here, quick! We need to find a way out of this place as fast as possible, I'll go get the others, just find a way through!"
Kaede still couldn't see well after the explosion, but she knew Snake's voice when she heard it. She didn't have time for formalities or to pay heed to some perceived rivalry, as the situation was dire. The kind of weapons they were faced with, and the place they were in was a massive threat to all of them. Connor perhaps the most, and she feared that because of the state he was in, it may just kill him outright. The heat was rising by the minute, and it was getting progressively more hazy from the accumulating steam, but she had to be fast. She had to find a way back to the others, and so she did her best to make her way through the tangle in the state she was. When she reached the downed Tomahawk, she ran over and dropped to her knees.
"Override directive; 5J7A."
Seeing the collapsed robot, she assumed her worries to be true. The heat ray had knocked Connor out of commission, so he wouldn't be able to move on his own. She had to get the robot working then, lest the heat wave returned and fried Connor from within like a chicken wrapped in tinfoil in a microwave. She had done it before, taking control away from him in emergencies and making the robot act in his stead, so she knew what to do. There was just one problem however, in that the robot did not move.
"Override directive! 5J7A! Repeat, 5J7A! Come on, get up!"
She shouted this time, believing that her words before had been lost in all the commotion going on. Eventually she even tried beating on the torso of the thing, but to no avail; the robot was non-responsive. This changed things completely, and Beth might notice the look of panic that crept across Kaede's face as she went pale.
"Beth... find the others and go after Snake, he was supposed to find a way out of here! I'll handle Connor, but we need to leave this place NOW!"
Setting her bag down, she practically ripped it open and furiously began to rummage through it for the necessary tools. Connor being taken out of commission was one thing, but the Tomahawk itself being incapable of functioning was quite another. She had taken control of the robot from Connor a few times before in emergencies, and assumed she would be able to do the same this time, to just have it resume operations without Connor piloting it. But if it was not responding to her even now, then that could only mean that the heat ray had not only take Connor out, but had also fried the robot itself. She was a chemist, not a roboticist, and even if she was she didn't think she would be able to perform a field repair of this magnitude in so little time. She would have to do something more drastic, and for it she needed the right tools, which she searched for.
In doing so she began to hyper-focus on the task at hand in an attempt to block out the world around her and all that was happening in it. Eventually she found herself looking with worry at the robot with a pair of pliers and a multitool in her shaking hands. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and set about her work. It may have been rough, starting out, amounting to little more than some banging and prying of metal. But the longer she went, the more she got the hang of working under this pressure and before long it was like she was in her own world. Her hands moved at impressive speeds, guided by lightning reflexes. She needed to think fast and process faster, which she was managing quite well. Before long she removed the outer casing of the robot, to reveal the case containing Connor's brain within.
"This might take a minute,so I'll just catch up when I'm done! GO!"
She knew it wasn't right to do this to Beth, to shout at her and expect her to just entrust Connor to the girl they barely knew, and whom Kaede was sure they didn't trust. She had great faith in them though, the Andersons, and though she would have liked to mean as much to them as they did to her she knew it could never be. What she could be though, was what she had been thus far; the girl helping them through this difficult time. A guide, of sorts, but now she needed the others to go on without her for the time being. She just had to hope Beth would, if not trust her, at least listen to her.
There was no other way, not if they wanted to live through this.
---
If anyone was paying attention, they would notice that by that point, the spotlight that had been following the rebels now began to slowly trace its way back to the supports of the bridge, where the outsiders were struggling to regroup and find their way out. It would not be long before they were back under its effect, but then that was just the first one. By this time several other spotlights far above on the bridge had been fired up, and the mechanisms of machinery could be heard as they moved into place. Before long, and a number of other searching heat rays began to sear their way across the tangle of metal and water, looking for anyone unfortunate enough to still be in the area.
It was worth noting though that if Snake had bothered to spend a little time actually looking for a way out, he would be able to find a way through no problem. While mind-boggling to navigate at first, eventually it made sense... or at least was able to be followed if he went back to show the others. If they could regroup, he would have no trouble leading the way across the gap to the other side, where a similar storm drain waited on the wall bordering the upper half of the island. If experience counted for anything, they would be able to open this with some effort, and make their way inside.
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Post by Sprite on Feb 5, 2013 14:35:59 GMT -5
"I've got it, you make sure to bring Anderson back."
Hauling himself up to stand on the pipe, Snake cast his gaze about. Working his superior abilities of perception to the utmost he managed to clear up the general confusion that the maze of pipework caused on his senses. As if a fog had been lifted, he could now see more clearly in every direction. Spotting a grate further ahead, he adjusted his jacket and proceeded the upward climb.
In a matter of moments he was before the grate itself, hissing for Luis, the snake whip dropped to the floor and manifested in his half-zoan state.
"Go find the others and guide them here, Luis. I'm going to get this grating open."
With a nod, the anaconda-whip slithered off with great speed back towards where he could sense the rest of the group.
Turning his attention to the grate, Snake cocked a leg back and launched his foot into the metal gate. Dust and powdered rocks flew from the edges. With a few more deft kicks, the grate fell through and the way was open. Crouching and drawing a knife, Snake waited for Luis to bring the rest of the group back.
---
As Luis progressed back through the pipework maze, he worked his reptilian senses to pinpoint every member of the small group. Though the steam in the air interfered slightly, the snake-whip was a seasoned hunter. Passing by Camellia, the whip paused for a moment before continuing on, but stretched out its length so that the girl might have the option of coming along with him by simply grabbing onto him and, it would be a little like a horse ride but without the saddle.
Coming to where Beth, Kaede and Connor lay, Luis stopped and hissed for their attention. Pointing his head in the direction where Snake waited, Luis peered at the still Tomahawk.
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Post by CJ on Feb 5, 2013 20:18:58 GMT -5
Everything felt slow as the chaos continued.
Shroud Demon's screams seemed so distant as Kaede knelt down and went to work on Tomahawk's face opposite her. Before, Beth couldn't stand the look on her face when she realized the voice directives weren't working. For Connor to die after all of this time, it was something she would rather not think about.
She shook her head when Kaede asked her to leave. She couldn't leave Connor now, not with the danger of the inevitable explosion of the bridge.
When she saw the brain case, she knew Kaede was the only one who could do anything now. She felt absolutely helpless, kneeling there without anything to do. She had to listen to Kaede and trust she would get them out of the situation, as she had many times before.
Beth clutched onto Kaede's hand.
"Don't leave him," she said quietly. "We'll be waiting for you."
She kissed her fingertips and placed them on the case Then she took off running. The spotlights began to follow her as they did for others. She felt relieved to think they might give Kaede some distraction to get Connor out of Tomahawk in time. The robot's well being had never really occurred to Beth recently. For a brief moment, she remembered how easy it was to shut down the machine for Connor to occupy it. Whatever consciousness it had was likely long gone by now. It was yet another reason to feel horrible about the whole situation.
Luis slithered to help Camellia. She let her own son play with Luis so she wasn't all too surprised to see it try and help her. The Zoan was creepy, but nice. She tried to remember if it ever had a previous owner. She couldn't imagine Snake teaching it such kind manners.
Snake would see Beth running toward him, looking worse than he had seen her since Vasil took her son. Her eyes widened to see their escape route. Tomahawk would have never fit in the thing. Perhaps this was all for the best... only if Kaede and Connor made it there in the first place. The thought hadn't occurred to her about how they were supposed to fit Camellia's tea cup.
"Snake," she sighed, looking back for everyone else, "Kaede's getting Connor's brain. We've got to keep this grate open for her for when she gets back."
It was clear she wouldn't go into the entrance before Kaede got back without force.
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Post by Kuro on Feb 5, 2013 23:07:03 GMT -5
The Shroud Demon could do nothing but scream and writhe in agony, even as Finnegan dragged him to supposed safety. He didn't notice that he had gone anywhere. All that mattered was that the pain was still there, his own armor was betraying him, almost setting him on fire, burning him, melting him alive! He couldn't hear what the others were saying and had no idea what they were doing. He just wanted the pain to go away, he needed to go away, he knew that he couldn't die here but he didn't want to hurt, he didn't want to hurt, he didn't want to hurt.
a young boy with blonde hair sitting against a wall
He didn't want to hurt.
arms on knees and head lowered
He wasn't going to die.
nothing before him, nothing around him, nothing ever for him
He had to get through this.
he was going to die
He was going to live. But he needed someone to stop the pain. Much to his sorrow, he needed to take off his armor and bucket: but in the state that he was in along with the temperature of the metal, he wouldn't be able to do it anytime soon.
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Post by Kyubey on Feb 6, 2013 23:38:14 GMT -5
OOC. Kuro gave me persimmons.
When Luis stopped by Camellia, the tea girl did not know how to react at first, but knew that either way, she couldn't say waiting where she was for long. Finnegan had gone to rescue Shroud Demon by her orders, but she still wished he would hurry up. The heat and pain did not subside for her. Somehow, she understood what the whip wanted her to do, and did not have to think long about whether or not she would follow it.
"Really? I can get on?" she said happily, her voice hiding her pain. "Thanks a bunch!"
Though Luis was right next to her, Camellia found some difficulty in pushing herself against the wall and towards the whip. Regardless of how she was when she was tea, her basic human form was not strong at all, and even something as simple as climbing onto Luis caused her some strain. She groaned with effort as she got herself situated on the whip's back, and, knowing that her legs would not help her in holding on, wrapped her arms around Luis as tightly as she could, hoping he wouldn't go too fast.
---
Finnegan was dripping with sweat as he dragged the helpless Shroud Demon along, following roughly the same path Snake took. He managed to proceed a good few feet, but it was difficult to even get that far, and he had much farther to go. He did a double take when he saw Luis slithering along with Camellia in tow, surprised that the Little Miss was allowing someone else to carry her, but thankful that she would be moved to safety. But, now that most everyone was moving along so quickly, he knew for certain that trying to transport Shroud Demon by dragging him wasn't going to get him very far. He was more likely to wear out before he got to safety, and his current methods were not doing poor Shroud Demon any favors either. He only needed to take a second to stop and plan out what he would do next. First, he needed to retrieve the teacup. With everything else that was going on, Camellia probably didn't even realize that she was leaving behind her one means of being carried around. He simply couldn't ignore that.
"Pardon me, sir," Finnegan said sympathetically to Shroud Demon, "I will only be just a moment. Soru."
With that he darted to the place where he left Camellia's cup, and just as quickly brought it back, and placed it beside Shroud Demon. The handle burned in his hand, and he winced with pain as he lifted it, but he was every bit as careful with it as he was on the coolest of days. Next, he had to do something about the armor. As it was, Shroud Demon would roast if he remained wearing it. Finnegan was still hesitant to just up and remove the armor, though. Shroud Demon was clearly the sort of person who liked to stay guarded, and might not have responded well to having his protective garments removed. At the very least, Finnegan wanted to ask if it was alright to help him take off his armor, but at the moment he doubted the bucket-headed man would give any kind of sane answer, and it was better to remove the armor and risk Shroud Demon feeling uncomfortable than to let him broil inside his self-made metal cage and risk him never feeling anything again. Finnegan rubbed his hands together, and readied himself for the task ahead, now determined to see it through to the end.
"Hold still, my good chap. I'm going to get you out of those now, don't you worry. I give you my word, this will all be over soon."
Finnegan dropped to one knee, used his nice sleeve to wipe sweat from his brow, and set about taking off Shroud Demon's armor, starting with the bucket. He nearly lost his composure when his gloved hands came into contact with the metal, finding that it burned far worse than the cup did. He could only imagine what Shroud Demon must have gone through being trapped in them. It must have felt like a literal hell, and it made the butler wince with just the thought of it. Whenever he removed a piece of the armor, he would place it in the empty teacup, and, though he struggled a bit with the straps on the breastplate, he was done in a matter of minutes, the armor neatly placed in Camellia's now vacant little home. Now, all that was left was to get them both out of there. Shroud Demon was no longer encased in metal, but still Finnegan doubted the man would be able to move on his own just yet, after going through such torture. Besides, Finnegan could move much faster. Now that Shroud Demon was much lighter, Finnegan hoisted him up onto his shoulder, rising as he did so, gripping the metal-filled teacup in his other hand.
"There there, old sport. Let's get out of this wretched heat, shall we?"
He grunted with strain as he realized how much heavier Shroud Demon was than Camellia, but still, he was used to carrying someone around, and taking on this load was a task that he was entirely willing to do. The cup in his hand still hurt him, and added to the difficulty of his work, but he was not unused to tests of endurance either. He couldn't move as fast as he sometimes did with such weights burdening him, but he moved ahead briskly, following behind Snake and the others.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Feb 7, 2013 1:14:06 GMT -5
"Don't leave him, we'll be waiting for you."
"...be safe."
Kaede blinked when Beth grabbed her hand, and it took her a moment to draw herself from the task at hand and muster a response. Once she had though, looking up she saw Beth was already gone, off to help the others reach the other side. Good, they would be able to make it in time. The searchlights having given up on the rebels now scanned the tangle for anyone else, though at the rate the others were moving they wouldn't be able to locate them. Or at least, not enough to cause harm. The important thing was that they all made it to safety, and while security from up on the bridge would be looking for the others in vain, Kaede could finish her work here without being noticed.
Ok, have to be careful. Won't be hard to undo, but have to be careful.
Going over in her mind how she needed to proceed, she needed to remind herself what she was dealing with. The robot was not from Colyne, but Connor's housing case was, and it built to last. Comprised of advanced metal alloys which she didn't even understand, the sphere could probably take a direct shot from a tank shell. For armor it would have been amazing, but this was more like a containment vessel, for a brain no less. She could smash it with a hammer and it would be fine, but a wrong move in severing connection with the robot and removing the thing, and there might be long-term side effects or even permanent damage to Connor's nervous system.
And so she worked, with practiced hands and adequate tools. Now that she didn't have to worry about the others, she had some peace of mind in which to work, and her hands weren't shaking anymore. There was still some lingering heat in the area, but her goggles and surgical mask took care of that well enough. And now she had the housing case unbolted. Lifting it up with an accomplished smile (though concealed by the mask), she moved it up and down out of the robot's 'head' to see all the connecting wires.
"There we go Connor, almost done now. These wires though, might be hard to work with properly, gonna have to go slow. If only I had some light-"
Almost like magic, the area all around her lit up, with a vibrant hum. She laughed a little to herself at the fortuitous nature of the change in lighting, until she started to notice the air distorting. It was difficult to tell at first, as her goggles did a good job of blocking out most details; they were really just for protection. But it really became apparent when she could barely make out the robot before her. Setting her tools down, she lifted her goggles for a moment and looked up to see what it was.
"...oh."
One of the searchlights was on her. It seemed that the others had done such a good job of making it to safety, that security up on the bridge more or less gave up for now, and instead focused on where they all had been in the hopes of finding stragglers. Well stragglers they found, in Kaede and Connor. With a gulp she repositioned her goggles, knowing she had to work fast now. It was only a matter of time before the other searchlights all began to focus on her. She could hear the shouting from above now, and just one beam had been bad enough; she didn't want to think about what multiple would be like.
"Well so much for working slow, we'll just have to do it the old fashioned wa- yeeeooow!!"
Though she went to resume her work, she drew back in pain when she received a nasty shock from her tools in picking them up again. The searchlight was beginning to have its effect again as steam started to rise once more, but she couldn't let that stop her. Clenching her teeth she continued, getting past the initial shocks and now dealing with the increasing burn on her hands. At least they weren't shaking though, some good news.
"Ok, first the ancillary connectors- gah! Then the data rel- ow! relays, then it's the sensory arra- yeowch!"
In an attempt to cope with the increasing heat and pain as a result, Kaede went over the steps to the process to herself aloud, though she kept getting shocked by bolts of increasing frequency and magnitude arcing off of the robot and even Connor's brain case. If only she could work in reality as fast as she could in her head though, because it was starting to get unbearable. With another searchlight having focused on her and the area, it made sense why. To her credit though, she was making good time of the removal process, despite the fact that steam was now coming off her body alongside the environment as she was being cooked.
Good... sensory arrays... done. Now onto the... principal connectors... then only the... core link... left.
Eventually it got to the point were speaking aloud was too hard with as heavy as her breathing was, but she needed a way to focus, so continued on in her head. It was almost all a blur now though as she was clinging to consciousness, and she more or less went through the motions of the steps rather than actually being able to pay attention to what she was doing. Being incinerated from the inside as much as the out, there were far too many things to pull at her mind right now to be able to focus so surely on the procedure, and it was becoming impossible to simply ignore the pain. It was either run away, or pass out, and all she could do was try extend the time between. Try and remain active while her body was failing.
Juuuuust... oneeee... mooooore...
Her thoughts were lagging, as she lifted now the burning brain case, and with her free hand made the last efforts to separate the remaining connections. The electricity bolting off of the case and the robot pierced her skin now, and only served to reflect the heat of the environment back, but she was so close now. So close... It was when a third searchlight focused on her, and now the shouted commands from above were so directed that she could almost understand them, that she exceeded her limit. The burning sensation throughout the area and throughout her entire body was too much, and she promptly slumped over in a smoking heap, hanging onto the brain case in her arms still connected to the robot by a single cord. It was over, it was too much. She had come close, but in the end, being cooked alive by three searchlights at once proved too much for Kaede. Blackness closed in as unconsciousness came to welcome her. She assumed that security would let up once she was out of it, and she only hoped Beth would forgive her.
...
Beth
......
Connor
.........
Andersons
............
No.
She cut the cord. She was still laying across the grated mesh alongside the robot, but she brought her arm up in one clean motion to sever the remaining connecter to the robot with the multitool. She was glad to be able to drop it now, as being made of metal the tools had been burning her hands terribly.
"Guys... I did it. Oh..."
Looking up from the ground, she was practically delusional and thought for a second that they were all waiting there for her to finish. But they weren't. No one was there, they had all left and were waiting for her in safety. They were waiting for her, and she had to return to them with Connor. That was enough to get her moving again.
Pushing off of the now burning ground, she grabbed Connor's brain case, and wrapped her arms around it, holding it close to her body as though it were the most important thing in the world (at that point it may as well have been). It was giving off electricity such that it looked like a plasma ball, and it was glowing that it was so hot. In picking it up, it burned her so badly that after a few moments she couldn't even feel it anymore. But it was free, she had it, and there was nothing left to keep her here. So she ran. She couldn't make out where exactly she was going, she fell over more than once, and she barely had the strength to stand. Her mind seemed almost disconnected from her body at this point, but she knew where snake had gone to, and that was all that mattered.
She stumbled through the tangle, climbing up over pipes and falling down off grating, but she struggled on. Even as three of the searchlights kept on her like a cat on a mouse. There was no letting up, so she couldn't afford any mistakes, to stop or to make a wrong turn. She had already had to leave her bag and her staff behind, as much as they meant to her, but all that mattered was Connor. It wasn't like he made it easy for her though; the heatwaves of the searchlights already had their effect on Kaede, but they simply reflected off the metal of the brain case, directly back into the girl. It felt like the small metal sphere was burning a hole into her body, and she could no longer feel her arms holding it. But like with the remaining connector cable before, she was so close. She could see now clearly, the path the others had taken and it was not much farther.
And then the fourth hit her. Every searchlight on the bridge that the Colyne security could spare was now focused on the chemist, and it felt like every single cell in her body was on fire. It was to the extent that her very bones were burning from within, and she could no longer see as her eyes were being immolated. She cried out in one last scream of pain before her vocal cords burned, and she hit the the ground hard, skidding to a halt. Curling up into a ball, all she had left was to hang onto the case that held all that was left of Connor, she had to protect it. Nevermind that it was probably contributing the largest to her being cooked alive, she was beyond caring about that. She just had to keep it safe, keep her word to Beth. Had to help the Andersons.
---
A short while after the rest of the group all reached the grate on the wall of the upper side of the island, they would fell the explosion. Hell, they would see it. If they had been watching the bridge from their position on the banks of the slope into the abyss below, they would have seen the searchlights scanning all around before settling on some unseen point near the supports. It was not long after that, that they all focused on this point in the distance, and slowly began to move in unison across the tangle as if following something. The fourth and final one joined in, but it a few moments later and the sight was obscured as the bottom of the bridge was blown out. The force of the explosion emanated outwards and practically shredded the tangle apart, sending scrap every which way, and if the group was careful some might even hit them.
The point on which the four searchlights had focused was within range of the massive explosion, but the bridge itself was split in half as the two sides were buckled upwards and away, like someone ripping them up like train tracks. Alarms sounded all around, both on the upper and lower portion, and sirens could be heard approaching. Likely forces to put out the fire, but the searchlights were out and security was done for. Now the only light to the area was the soft glow of the upper portion of the island shining down, and the various fires of burning metal across the tangle from the explosion.
Still though, they had made it. The grate was open now, they had crossed the gap and they could head up through to the top portion of the island where their goal awaited. That is, if they had what they needed to reach it.
---
Eventually the people of the group would be able to see all kinds of police vehicles and crisis crew operating near the bridge in trying to deal with the bombing. After seeing the explosion though and the magnitude that it had, it was not impossible that certain people in the group would be concerned for Connor's and maybe even Kaede's safety. Although it was dark, heading back into the tangle would not be too difficult with the many fires still burning around, and the path they had followed to get here would be easy to retrace. Beth would have the easiest time finding the two, because of her energy ability. Whether or not she could locate Connor was probably the biggest help though, because Kaede would barely be giving off any signal.
Either way they would probably be able to find her, huddled up beneath a mound of scrap that had been blasted forth by the explosion. She was alive, but non-responsive, and her body was still steaming. Hot to the touch even, and if they tried to move her, there would be no resistance to however they pulled. Almost like she lacked bones, similar to if she was made of rubber. Either way the important thing was that she had Connor's sphere held against her, kept safe. This might be a bit hard to get from her though, given to how she was clutching it, and how it had burned into her.
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Post by CJ on Feb 7, 2013 16:11:40 GMT -5
"Shit!" Beth said in surprise over the explosion. There was only one other sight she knew of to compare it to.
Without saying a word, she went away from the group and grate to search for Kaede. She knew she was supposed to go on ahead, but she couldn't bare to wait any longer for the girl. Something was wrong and Beth had a feeling she knew what was up.
Was Kaede far away, gone in some secret technological exit? It was hard to tell at this point. Energy to Beth felt like a tug. She could feel certain pinches and pulls where people were. Describing to others what it felt like was like trying to describe color to a person born blind (or machinery to Beth). She crouched and moved slowly to make sure the workers wouldn't see her.
Kaede's energy seemed to stop at a point. Beth's heart sank. She wasn't far away at all.
Pulling apart the scrap pile, she found Kaede curled up beneath it.
"It's OK," Beth assured herself as she looked away. "It's OK. Oh... yeesh..."
Her breathing became short and tears swelled up in her eyes again. She sobbed, understanding only part of the horrible condition Kaede was in. It was hard to look at her for too long without feeling sick.
She lived her life assuming everything would come to a happy conclusion (likely thanks to have a Timelord direct her actions) but it was moments like this that really got her thinking. To her, this was all her fault. She wasn't capable enough to free Connor's brain on her own or prevent all of this from happening in the first place.
She noticed Kaede clutched onto Connor's brain case. At first she was ecstatic it was safe. Then she realized Connor was still technically dead, with nothing for his brain to latch onto to. She couldn't even be sure it would be useable again. She shook her head, remembering that Kaede sacrificed herself to protect the case. She wouldn't do something like that if it wasn't worth saving. Now, someone else needed saving and Beth tried to calm herself enough to act.
With barely a thought, she flipped off of the top of a bottle in her pocket. The last bit of Connor's energy flowed into her ear and she took on some of his features and abilities. Focusing again on the brain case, Beth tried not to force it from Kaede. Instead, she scooped it up with her and cradled her in her arms. Her skin was hot, but she couldn't feel it immediately with Connor's own energy powering her.
The energy quickly faded away and she felt the heat of Kaede's skin. At this point, it wasn't unbearably painful but still was a bitter reminder of the pain the technology prodigy must have went through.
Beth sneaked back to the group, carefully not to run or move too quickly to disturb or hurt Kaede. She gulped and glanced over the group.
"We have a new priority. Connor's body is going to have to wait. We need to get Kaede help. She's only barely alive... I'll take care of her from here on out."
After all, how could she even think of getting Connor a new body when Kaede was dying? There were more important things to worry about than some near impossible hope. She was so distressed to notice Shroud Demon wasn't wearing his armor or that Camellia was out of the tea cup. In the safety of the group, she felt comfortable taking Connor's brain out of Kaede's grip slowly.
"Snake," Beth hesitated, looking away from him. "I know this isn't right to ask you this but could you hold into Connor's brain?"
She knew it would be much easier to pass Kaede to Snake, given the current situation with him and Connor, but Beth felt personally responsible for her. She hoped Snake would do one last favor for her. She nearly tugged at her face to get the tears out of her eyes.
"Let's go through the grate and see where it takes us. Come on, people!"
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Post by Sprite on Feb 13, 2013 17:00:44 GMT -5
Snake frowned seeing Beth approach. He hadn't seen the tough restaurant owner likes this many times, and more often than not there was good reason for her visible worry. Nodding slowly, he assented to Beth's requests. Drawing his whip he leaned forward and squinted as he tried to make out Kaede and Connor amidst the tangle of pipes.
Luis arrived back first, with Camelia in tow. A wry grin tugged at the corners of Snake's lips. He didn't call the zoan whip back to him quite yet, seeing as how the tea-girl might need the anaconda as a temporary caretaker until Finnegan got back.
As the searchlights began to converge on some distant area however, Snake felt a shock of alarm pass through him.
"Shit!"
Knowing in his heart that the spotlights were on Kaede and Connor, Snake made to leave the safety of the grate and go out to bring the two back home safely. The spotlights did not affect him as severely as they did everyone else, his Ravunyan blood rendering him much hardier and resilient than even most superhumans. But before he could make it far, everything exploded.
---
Snake busted his way out of a pile of rubble and spitting out some scrap metal, ran over to where Kaede was curled around Connor's brain case. It was odd seeing his tormentor in such a state, but there was no joy or triumph in the Prince's face as merely knelt by the girl as Beth sobbed next to him. An expression of frustration and worry dominated the Ravunyan fighter's visage as he simply nodded in reply to Beth's request.
Standing up, he took the casing from Beth, holding it solemly in his two hands. Images and garbled words flashed through his mind as he recalled the horrific battle in which Connor had attempted to extract his own brain. He wasn't sure if Connor was conscious at all inside the casing, but the Prince spoke up just loudly enough that he and Connor might hear it.
"For Kaede, we'll set everything to the side for the moment, Connor."
Stuffing the brain case inside his jacket, Snake placed a hand over it to keep it safe and lead the way through the grating and deeper into the hellish technological wasteland.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Feb 13, 2013 19:46:50 GMT -5
Kaede was largely unresponsive, though when Connor's sphere was taken away from her, something seemed to catch her even in a state of near-death delirium. She certainly wasn't conscious, or at least she wasn't aware of anything, and she wasn't moving at all. She only managed to groan softly, which already may have been hard to hear given the surgical mask, and it wasn't even clear if she knew what she was saying or if it had any relevance to the situation at hand.
"No... no... no..."
She just continued on as they went through the grate, as though caught in some nightmare. As aforementioned, she was unresponsive however, so there wasn't much point trying to figure out what she was distressed about.
---
In entering the open grate, the group would find themselves in a location similar to how they first got down into the ravine between the two halves of the island. It was nothing more than a drainage system, though following it eventually would lead to a larger cistern. Whereas before the rebels had tunneled their way into the drainage system on the lower half of the island however, up here the place was still in pristine working condition. As such there was no clear way out, other than through the clearly marked service exits. Of note, that the place was dimly lit with red lights, and any and all notices did not actually bear any form of description. Instead they just had easy to understand, simple pictures, and assumed text was instead replaced by bar codes. It may have made sense, that in a place like this where barely anyone spoke the same language, they wouldn't bother posting translated descriptions all over the place and instead just relied on visuals.
Who then, were the barcodes for?
---
Upon making their way up through the cistern, they would be able to find their way to one of the service exits no problem. After some fiddling with the door mechanisms to unlock it from the inside as well, they'd be able to return to the surface. What they would find though, was unlike anything they had seen thus far.
Light. Colored light, everywhere. The upper half of the island was a lot similar to the bottom half, though different in all the ways that mattered. It was not so densely packed together, it was much nicer and cleaner and didn't look like it was entirely constructed out of concrete and rusting metal, and most obviously there was power. Where the group emerged onto the street, it was all lights and color and noise. The buildings were no less tall here but the streets were wider, and they were full of people. Many just going about their business, while many more were crowded around the windows of buildings where broadcasts were visible. Currently all the news was on the bombing that had just occurred, and people seemed in a panic, while the clean up and police sirens could be still be heard in the distance.
Along with the assault of light upon the group when they emerged, they would also be hit by the sound of screaming. Some people had seen them exit the service facility, and panicked. Immediately they began to flee the area and a huge commotion started, while a good number remained to watch these strangers but from a safe distance.
"Is it them? Are they rebels?!"
"Some of them might be sick, stay away!"
"Quick, somebody alert the police! They might try and blow up more buildings!"
Above the murmur of the small crowd that remained there could clearly be heard some shouting above the rest. All in all, it seemed that the locals were none too pleased by the presence of the group, though they did not immediately recognize them as outsiders. It seemed, at least for the moment, they mistook them for the rebels. Possibly the ones responsible for the gate bombing even.
"No... no... no..."
Kaede meanwhile continued on, seemingly unaware of all that was happening around her, still trapped in her own delirium. Either way the group wouldn't have much time to attack, speak to, steal the brains of, and or otherwise interact with the crowd. Any sort of sound or light they may have been hearing before would soon be drowned out by sirens and flashing lights of blue and red. Spotlights soon fell on the group and the thrum of engines could be heard.
"Disperse! This is a police matter, leave the area or be included in the action!"
As expected, the number of people whom remained now dispersed every which way they could. The booming commands and searchlights came from hovering police vehicles a ways above and orders were being transmitted via speaker. As well, to take the place of the crowd of civilians, a number of individuals hoisted down off repelling lines from the vehicles. From their appearance alone, it was impossible to tell if they were just heavily suited people, or actually full-on robots. Whatever they were, their clothing had strange, inhuman features to it and they all had what could be guessed as lighted weapons trained on the group.
"Attention citizens, you are currently in violation of Statute 48561 and are illegally trespassing beyond the permitted range of your identification markers. You are wanted suspects in the investigation of the destruction of the fourth gate, submit or we will apply force."
Whatever the common citizens had mistaken the group for, it seemed the police had done the same, and viewed them as suspected terrorists. Native inhabitants of the island as well, it seemed.
"Do you comply?"
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Post by Kuro on Feb 13, 2013 21:16:25 GMT -5
At some point when Finnegan took off Shroud Demon's armor, the hero fell unconscious. The pain of practically being completely covered in hellfire for so, so long was simply too much. Finnegan would have had to carry the man since that point, but although he was definitely heavier than Camellia he was still a very skinny, almost emaciated man. Along with his new lack of any armor, he was much lighter than any adult his age. His body was silent as it became a burden through wastes and grates.
It wasn't until the sound of worried citizens arose that the hero woke from his slumber. Even then, his body only twitched a bit while his eyes slowly and barely opened.
"...Egh....Don't worry...i'll...i'll"
It was only quiet and drowsy mumbling at the moment, but after a few moments he looked up. Now, his face could be seen by all...if you could call it a face. Where his head should have been was an intense glowing light with some hints of a very bright purple-red thing in the center. When people get burned, sunburned as an example, they get a little pink where they were burned. Shroud Demon was now the extreme example of such a thing. His face was so bright pink and full of UV radiation that it was glowing as if it was irradiated. Although his helmet had been off for quite a while, it chose this moment to glow because it wasn't being stuffed into Finnegan's clothes. His actual face couldn't be seen past the light, which was bright enough for everyone in the nearby crowd to see.
"Uh...Wait....Wait...I...Oh. Thank you, kind gentle- I mean, thank you, M.O.M! You truly are a mysterious old man, the one who protects the heroes from afar, the one full of secrets and able to save anyone, you are truly the one who saved my life! I thank you, I thank you so much, thank you so so much!" He briefly hugged the whole man and looked around him in excitement, forgetting for the moment that he was without his precious bucket. "Wow, is this the upper part of the whole thing?! It's so beautiful and everything seems like its glowing! No, perhaps shining! This, this really is the most beautiful place ever, i'm so glad that we can all see it, that we can all-"
He stopped hopping in place and looked at Kaede. He moved to get near her and looked at her horrible, broken condition with many memories in mind and then looked at those who called themselves the police. He stood up and looked at them with a pleading expression on his face and although no one could really see that, it showed through in his voice.
"Police, good, so g-good that you're here. Our friend really needs a doctor! Can you take us to one? Please, police officers? Please? She's so badly wounded, we really need a doctor. Please take us to one, please."
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