Event: Abort! Part Two (day 25, Egret). Luggage carriage

[voidtreckermods]

They are on world world#27462947582 for about five hours, helping, ushering people out of the city, fighting monsters, keeping guard. All seems well in the city itself, peaceful even except for the slight panic of people being told to move south.

Wherever they are, north in the desert, travelling through the countryside to the south or still in the city itself they will notice from their peripheral vision a darkening of the sky. Looking up they will see clouds. Strange clouds, appearing in the blue sky out of nowhere.

Their SCA’s start beeping, rapidly, flashing red. The clouds are too weird to be clouds, dark shapes in the sky. It might be that the Voidtreckers heed the warning and tap their SCA to evacuate to the train. It might be that they do not.

If they don’t then there is a moment, a moment of absolute stillness as those around them notice the shapes. A confused pause. Children stop their chatter, people stop their complaining, even the monsters seem to sense something and pause in their attacks.

The remaining voidtreckers are yanked away, even without pressing their SCA, they glow gold and disappear.

They all appear in the luggage carriage and not even a second later, with no warning the train lurches, flinging everyone off their feet as it enters the void.

It’s not really easy to tell speed in the void, but they will get the sense that they are moving fast. Faster than before, leaving that world and whatever those shapes were behind.

(OOC: Information on this event is here and part one is here)

Comments

Gladio | Last Man Standing

[callmegladio]

Since Gladio had been on the hill watching the clouds, he'd been able to watch it all play out. Part of him had realised that this was all too good to be true. That he wouldn't be allowed to enjoy this. Of course not, that would be too simple.

So he watched. He watched as the clouds he had been observing changed. Distantly he could hear beeping, but his focus was on the sky. On the approaching darkness. The clouds... were not clouds. Gladio had no idea what they were, but he knew enough to know screaming danger when he saw it.

Slowly he moved to his feet, rising to stand, as if the extra height would offer him a better view.

But it was as he was standing that the strangest of things happened. Stranger than the clouds.

Silence.

It was as if he had suddenly gone deaf. Even the wind seemed to have stopped, breath held, waiting for what was about to happen. Gladio held his own breath, eyes still on the sky...

... Only he would never know.

Before the calm was broken, Gladio found himself on his knees back on the train, a sick feeling in his stomach and an ache in his chest. He immediately pushed himself up and away to get through the crowds of people and the hell out of the luggage carriage.

[longforgottenpromise]

In his path to the door there was a young man, his eyes are distant, as if he is in shock. He is in shock. One moment he was travelling away from the city with those they had convinced to evacuate and the next there had been those shapes, the eerie silence and then they had been pulled back to the train.

It doesn't take much imagination to think about what might be happening there. They need to get back.

He has no way of doing that, if he had a horn, if he was any use at all he might have a chance. But he didn't. He was useless, as helpless to help those of that world as he had been to help those of Tai. He barely seemed to notice the large man coming straight towards him.

[callmegladio]

Gladio wasn't so far gone that he didn't see what was in front of him. And while the kid clearly hadn't taken notice and moved out of the way, Gladio did. The kid looked as dazed as he felt.

Everything came into sharp focus in that moment, and before Gladio could think, he'd scooped the kid up and carried him along with him, just as all hell broke loose behind him. Someone yelled about a boar just as he got the door open and stepped outside.

The door closed as he moved himself and the kid into the next carriage. Once they were as safe as he could get them, he set the kid down and moved down to kneel in front of him. "... Hey? Are you alright? You didn't get hurt or anything coming back, did you?"

[longforgottenpromise]

He panics slightly as he is grabbed, mind back in the room. Gladio will notice that though he seems to be picking up a decent sized teenager, Taiki weighs about as much as a bag of feathers. Inhumanly light.

Being jolted back to reality turned out to be terrible, because the carriage absolutely stank of blood and his eyes practically rolled back in his head as a wave of blood sickness hit him. By the time Gladio had put him down his legs practically buckled under him.

He shook his head, barely understanding the question.

[callmegladio]

The kid didn't have time to hit the ground, Gladio had caught him and looked confused as hell. Picking him up and getting him out of the room had been pure instinct and he wasn't sure why he'd done it. Something in the kids eyes maybe... But now he was wondering if he'd done something wrong.

"Hey, your... Taiki, right?" Gladio paused there, trying desperately to remember the name, and he was pretty sure he had it right. He knelt down, holding the kid up, an amazingly light kid... For some reason Gladio had to wonder if he was the only thing keeping Taiki anchored, if he let him go, would he float away?

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki clung to Gladio and managed to nod, shakily. "Sorry... Yes. I'm Taiki..."

This was Gladio. He thinks. He and Lord Gyousou had spoken to him before. Taiki felt bad for clinging to him like this but he doubted he could stand on his own.

"Sorry... It's just... There's blood..."

[callmegladio]

"Blood...?" He knew he didn't have any on himself, so back at the luggage carriage...

"Hold on." With Taiki already clinging to him, it didn't take much to pick him the rest of the way up as he pushed himself to his feet. "Lets get you away from it then." It was an easy thing to do. Out of the dressing car and through the sleepers. Though he paused on his way, slowing his steps. "... You want me to drop you back off at your room?" He asked. "Or is there somewhere you'd feel better? Medical, maybe?"

[longforgottenpromise]

He felt bad and a little embarrassed about being picked up and carried away. But he hasn't the strength to protest and he can always make sure he thanks Gladio properly later.

He clings weakly to him and nods. "My room... Is fine. Sorry... I'll be alright there."

He was feeling better already actually, as they moved away from the luggage carriage and the smell of death and blood.

[callmegladio]

Then that was where Gladio took him. He wouldn't have felt right just leaving him in the middle of a corridor. So, once they reached Taiki's room, Gladio gently set him back down to his feet with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about grabbing you and running. You just looked like you needed to be outta there as much as I did. But you're sure you'll be alright now?"

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki shook his head as he let go of Gladio and leaned against the wall for support instead. "No... Thank you. I am very grateful you did."

His head was clearing now at least and he took a few deep breaths as the nausea faded.

"Are you alright?"

He had been in quite a hurry. Taiki didn't blame him. Whatever had just happened. Those shapes... That had not been good. Not at all.

[callmegladio]

Gladio had crouched down so he wasn't towering over the guy, and gave him a warm smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Confused, but unhurt." And that would be the state of things for a while. He hoped that there would be answers at some point, but he was doubting it.

"You take care of yourself, alright?" The kid still looked a bit green around the gills but it was easing so Gladio was happy to leave him to rest.

[longforgottenpromise]

He nodded, he felt the same way. Very confused. But unharmed.

He wished they knew what had just happened, but he knew they would not like the answer. "You... Please take care yourself."

He would be fine, after he had some rest.

[callmegladio]

Gladio smiled and pushed himself back up to his feet. "I'll see you around, Taiki."

He turned and headed back toward the luggage carriage to see if there was anything more he could do.

[adropofsunlight]

What... just happened. Rapunzel had been so focused on the task that she only found herself paying attention when the people went quiet. It was strange a sudden. curious as to why this had occurred so soon found herself glancing up. The clouds, at least she thought they were clouds had formed. That was odd. Clouds weren't there a moment ago.

With her mind focused on what was before her she hadn't been paying all that much attention to the beeping and soon found herself in the luggage cart suddenly and without warning. Just as she thought she was fine she suddenly found herself flying backward as the train set off and soon found herself bumping into someone.

"I'm sorry. I.. guess I didn't have a good enough balance."

[callmegladio]

There were people everywhere, the luggage carriage was packed so full that he was being bumped every which way in his need to get out. But then the train lurched and Gladio grabbed into something to keep himself upright. Someone fell into him and he managed to grab onto them to stop them from falling to the ground.

It was only after the train settled that he was able to focus on the one he'd grabbed.

"Rapunzel?" He gave a weak laugh and a shake of his head. "You're fine. You're not hurt?"

[adropofsunlight]

"That's... good." She figured. But she was still getting over the shock of what just happened more than her falling over now. She could shake what she saw away from her mind. Weren't they meant to be there to help them? But then clouds and suddenly they were here... Why? She didn't know exactly.

"D-Do you understand what happened?"

[callmegladio]

Gladio had moved to bodily shield her from the other's around them, the luggage carriage was getting very full. "I don't..." He shook his head and heaved a sigh before looking down into the worried gaze of Rapunzel. "I can make guesses... And my guess is that planet just got razed to the ground and we just had a narrow escape..."

[adropofsunlight]

Rapunzel had figured that well... the worse had happened. She didn't want to honestly believe it, but now the thought simply won't go away.

"So.. basically the world isn't there anymore?" She gripped her hands slightly. She was starting to feel a little numb. She wanted to cry get upset at the thought of those people suddenly not being there anymore. But at the moment she felt numb and guilty.

[callmegladio]

"I don't know..." Though he doubted it. Not with how big that thing in the sky had seemed and how fast they'd all been pulled away. "... I hope something was left. But..." Gladio sighed and moved a hand to rest gently upon the girls shoulder. "There wasn't anything we could have done."

[adropofsunlight]

"Are... you sure?" It wouldn't help her feel less guilty, but she would at least understand and accept that not being able to do anything might have been the fact. But she still sort of wished that they could have also been given that chance before being pulled.

"I mean, we could have maybe managed to get some of them to come with us when we got pulled."

[callmegladio]

"I'm sure." He looked around then, her next question concerning him. "... I don't know. You think we could fit anymore people in here?" Gladio asked with a frown. "I think we did as much as we could. There wasn't anything else we could do."

[adropofsunlight]

"I don't think so... so maybe moving might be a good idea." She could already tell there wasn't a lot of room, so she was already starting to make her way out of the carriage.

Once she was out she gave a small sigh of relief. "I guess everyone is going to be a lot of things...So... I guess for now I'll just stay out of the way unless someone needs help."

[callmegladio]

Gladio followed after her, using his size to gently move people out of the way to get himself and Rapunzel through to the other side. Once they were out of the luggage carriage and into the dressing, it was a little easier to breathe.

"I think they'll be a lot of confused feelings for a while..." He said as he reached to gently take her by the elbow and moved with her to the side, just as the doors opened and someone came barrelling out to run straight through the dressing carriage and out the other side. "... And hectic."

[adropofsunlight]

She was stunned for a moment. she hadn't honestly been expecting anyone to suddenly come out like that for whatever reason. Though really considering what had just happened what else should she have expected really?

"Maybe staying in my cabin will keep my out of the way of anyone."

[callmegladio]

"Might be safer... Least till things calm down." Gladio glanced back toward the luggage carriage with a slight frown.

"... I might go back in and see if anyone needs help getting out." He flashed her a grin. "Do you need an escort back to your room, Rapunzel?"