¤ 35 - It Came From Outerspace

[honorinflames]

[filtered to Natsuki... and fine, Katara too]

You better not have gotten bit. [aka, you two better check in. :\]

[he'd been holed up in his room, but with the way these things seem to be spreading, and how no one knows how to fight them... he decides to brave the halls and go hunting. On high alert, he's making his way along, listening to information filter over the journal as he goes]

Do we know anything yet? Where are these things even coming from? Are we sure it's not just--

[and then a tiny sound catches his ear behind him and he whirls! The journal catches the expected sounds of flame and tumbles to the ground. Over the frantic sounds of firebender vs. space lobster--] They're so fast!

[free for all lobster fight in the hallway!]

Comments

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she focuses on her part of the job, shooting continuously and finally manages to hit one with enough bullets that it falls to the floor, frost encrusting its shell.

And then it twitches.]

I don't think these things die! [so much shooting. Thank god she's got unlimited ammo.]

[honorinflames]

We'll see about that!

[while one of the things is actually immobilized by the ice, Zuko hits it with fire. And then more fire. ...Which melts the ice, but also totally fries the thing. He doesn't pause until the alien is just a little shriveled-up black shape in the middle of a big scorch mark.

And then he waits, watching it carefully...]

...Did I get it?

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she trains her guns on it, looking for any sign of life - and then gets distracted and starts shooting at some other shadow that was moving in the corners of her eyes.]

I hope so. You only almost cremated it. [maybe there's hope after all!]

[honorinflames]

[glancing to make sure there's nothing else moving in his vicinity, he takes a creeping step toward it... reaching out to poke at it with the point of his sword]

It's not moving...

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she edges around him, keeping the back-to-back formation and watching the rest of the hallway]

That's what has been poisoning everybody? A tiny...whatever the hell it was??

[honorinflames]

It looks like an elbow leech...

[the fried outer crust makes a little leathery crunch when he pokes it, so he steps closer...]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[sparing a glance at that thing]

I think it goes for ankles than elbows. Is that a shell?

[honorinflames]

No, I think it's just-- [and then it makes a little crunch sound all by itself, and Zuko freezes.

...maybe he just imagined it?]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she twitches at the sound, and she's already beyond trigger-happy.

She can't help it, takes a sneak peek at the thing before turning around again.]

Just what?

[honorinflames]

[he was going to say that he thinks the outside is just crispy from being fried, but he doesn't really get that far. He gets out a tentative 'uhh,' and starts to shift his weight back to maybe get away from the thing... and then it decides to unleash a surprise attack.

With a gross crunching-squishing noise, the thing cracks its charred outer layer and springs!]

Aah! [--it's too fast and too close! All Zuko can do is sort of... crash back into Natsuki as he tries to protect himself]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[she yelps as he crashes into her. She falls forward, but gets back on her feet quickly enough, spinning around and trying to figure out what happened.

And...did it just - what the fuck is this, a horror movie??]

[honorinflames]

[he's doing much the same thing, whirling one way and then the other, trying to keep his back protected but also trying to frantically watch all directions at once]

...Where did it go??

[sexyhitchhiker]

How the hell is it still ali -

[and something in the corner of her eye.] Ceiling. [She's shooting, but...is it faster now that it doesn't have a shell???]

[honorinflames]

[and even when he hits it with a direct punch of flame, the thing just shrugs it off and keeps going without slowing down]

...This isn't working! [especially since he swears he hears more skitteringshuffling down the hall]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[the ice slows it down a bit, but it's still going strong]

...We might want to retreat. Just saying.

[glancing about. Is the exit blocked off?]

[honorinflames]

[the path to the stairs and elevator looks clear... but it's all looked clear every time those little monster slither out of the shadows, so...]

You're right--come on! [they're just going to have to chance it, and go before the creatures have much warning. backing a few steps down the hall, and then turning to bolt for escape]

[sexyhitchhiker]

[and she's running right behind him, eyes darting all over.]

Clinic seems pretty safe. [despite the fact that nothing they do seem to stop them.]

[honorinflames]

[the elevator seems like an easier place to defend than trying to make it all the way down the stairs, so he darts for that--checking for blobs before jamming the door-close button]

I don't know if anywhere is safe. ...Maya was mentioning something about leaving the castle entirely.

[sexyhitchhiker]

[keeping her guns trained at the space between the slowly closing doors. God, why do they close so slowly.]

I'm not leaving the castle.

[honorinflames]

[glancing her way as the doors finally shut. ...did they really make it out of there in one piece?]

What? Why?

[sexyhitchhiker]

There are unconscious people in the clinic. What if the things come back for seconds?

[honorinflames]

[oh right, those guys]

Maybe we can move them or something. Otherwise we're all going to end up--

[with the doors shut and the elevator finally starting to move, Zuko goes to sheath his swords... but pauses when notices something different about the back of his hand]

...Uh-oh.

[sexyhitchhiker]

What is i - [staring at his hand now and she starts cursing under her breath. Fuck. Not him too.]

Don't make me carry you too. [this statement obviously means that she cares about his well-being and state of health]

[honorinflames]

[yeah really, you are the most caring friend]

How did that even happen?? [he was sure he'd batted that thing away from hin before it made contact]

[sexyhitchhiker]

Maybe when it came back to life.

[looking him over and jabbing the elevator button for the second floor] How do you feel?