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

[radishlobbyist]

"They weren't clouds," she says, voice getting curt and clipped as her frustration with having been whisked away from battle takes over again, "I would bet you they were more of the shades that appeared." She grits her teeth. "And they were starting their attack just when we got yanked away." She looks down at her sword. "I was just bracing myself to fight them."

Which, in hindsight, maybe made her look a little silly, going against them all by herself with her sword and fire techniques. But drawing her sword was all she'd had time for.

[enthunder]

Given Light's career so far, she didn't even blink at the idea of charging the shades with nothing but magic and a sword. She could be a hypocrite, but not one quite as bad as that; her expression held no judgement at all as she nodded.

"We- Red team, we were also gonna..." The lurch of the train caught her attention, and she scowled down at the floorboards, "So the boss doesn't think we could do it, huh. What, those things are impossible to beat? Like hell."

[radishlobbyist]

"We should have stayed," Wen Qing agrees eagerly, relieved that Lightning isn't trying to argue with her on this. It feels good to have confirmation, and from a proper warrior at that.

"I don't even know if we could have defeated them but we owed it to these people that we try. I was with a group of civilians, half of them could barely even walk, never mind run or take on an army of shades all by themselves! What are our powers good for if not to fight the battles the ordinary people can't fight?"

[enthunder]

Another nod, the agreement just enough that Light wasn't in immediate danger of punching a wall and breaking something. And without that vent, she just curled her fingers into fists uselessly. The memory of the shades, swirling and coiling through a perfect, clear dreaming sky. She had woken nauseated, but filled with purpose, and now, what?

"I thought that dream was a Focus, a warning of what we were gonna face. So what's the point if we just get yanked away the moment they show up?"

But Wen Qing has had it worse, she realises - she was with people, innocents who'd been left there to face the dark forms. She'd just been cursing out a particularly unchallenging boar. She casts about for a reassurance for them both.

"What if those things- shades- followed us. We dreamed about them, right? So maybe they're not what we were meant to be fighting. Could be, the train's using us, luring 'em away from the planet."

[radishlobbyist]

"That could be," Wen Qing agrees, though she sounds very doubtful. The sense of betrayal, of helplessness, is far too fresh for her to be truly willing to believe the best of the train again.

She looks down at her sword, her brows knit together deep in thought. "I would like to believe it is that but I have found that more people are selfish than selfless. If given the choice, most would save themselves rather than risk everything for strangers." She doesn't sound bitter about it, just a little bit weary.

[enthunder]

She's not really able to find much belief for it either, but it's something she can hope for, perhaps. The train could've just left them there, after all - it was empty when they arrived, so it could start over again, she supposes. She discards several half-formed thoughts and answers, and just shakes her head instead. Better minds than hers have failed to understand what's going on with this place. The train's speed is levelling off, and she rests one hand against Wen Qing's shoulder companionably.

"Don't think we're going to get answers now. Let's focus on what we can do."

[radishlobbyist]

"So, back to business as usual," Wen Qing surmises unhappily. Lightning is right that there is nothing that can be done now about the people they left behind but it still rubs her the wrong way to simply leave it at that, she will have to find some way to make her displeasure known.

For now, though, she gives her a tight little smile and leans slightly into the hand on her shoulder. "Let's figure out what we can do. Be better prepared, I think, that would help. If we do get a chance to stand our ground, we should be the best we can be."

[enthunder]

"More or less," she agrees, equally disaffected. She drops her hand after a brief tensing of her fingers in the fabric of Wen Qing's top, not wanting to pass on the nervous energy still simmering within her. "Yeah. I'm gonna go see if anyone saw anything more detailed. Some of the psychics, maybe... We can start working on a battle plan. See you at dinner?"

[radishlobbyist]

Wen Qing nods and even musters another small smile for her which is a little less forced. "I'll see you there." Her voice has gentled and she reaches out for Lightning again, though her fingers fall short of touching her. "Thank you. For..." Listening. Not dismissing her. "Thank you." She nods her chin at the door. "Now go. There's work to be done"

and that's a wrap!

[enthunder]

She nods back, firmly this time, and then jokingly salutes at Wen Qing's order, one hand closing into a fist and resting against her own chest. "Copy that. And... anytime, okay? Later."

And she's gone, slipping through the crowd.