"It's not going to do much good if you piss it off," McCoy found himself saying, exasperated. The bat looked like it'd fold the moment it touched something once, and not only did they have Spock to worry about, it didn't look like it was worth the trouble. Of course Jim was going to cling to it. He'd found something that didn't leave him completely open and tactically, it made more sense. McCoy just didn't see that bat being worth it. Too small, too flimsy, and they might as well not be armed if that was what they were depending on for their safety.
It looked like the creature had the ability to take some form. Or maybe it had been there the entire time and was just now revealing itself. A little girl, whispy and barely there, appeared in the darkness, lit by some vague, eerie light. McCoy wasn't completely surprised. The laugh had been enough of a clue, but he didn't expect her to look so harmless. She looked like Joanna had at the same age, completely adorable, and about as much trouble too.
She also didn't seem to notice that she was managing to tug around a full grown man easily. In fact, she was getting rougher each time. It was making him nervous.
McCoy didn't move. He remained very still against the wall, although he was glaring daggers at his captain. "Jim, would you just leave it?!"
From the continued laughter, the thing didn't seem the least bit pissed off with him, but that was probably the only good thing he could say about it. Kirk was growing aware of how ridiculous he looked getting pulled around like this, and even more so when his attacker materialized into the form of a glowing young girl. Materialized wasn't quite the right word for it - she looked as ephemeral as a cloud, but there was nothing unsubstantial about the grip on the other end of the bat.
Seeing her appear, Kirk tried to pull as hard as he could in case he could take advantage of her distraction, but no luck. If anything, her strength only seemed to grow in response, although with her enthusiasm - if this kept up, he'd have a hard time staying on both feet. What was this about? Was she playing a game, or...?
Bones was yelling now. Kirk glanced back at him, and shifted his grip more firmly around his flashlight before pulling both hands away right when the girl tugged on the bat again. No choice. Kirk kept his eyes on her as he backed up, motioning for Bones to head south. "Go!"
The sylph went sailing back with the bat in her hands at that, temporarily elated that she had won the game. The feeling didn't last long, however. Without the man in gold supporting most of the bat's weight, the sylph was forced to drop the heavy thing, and it hit the ground with a disappointing clang. Also, it seemed that her playmates were trying to run away now. How rude. Why would they leave so soon?
The light around the sylph glowing brighter as she floated toward the man in gold, and she swirled around him again, the air in her dance seemingly begging him to play longer, or at least take her with them. The air churned faster, and if the man let it go on for too much longer, the miniature maelstrom would threaten to start drawing breath from his very lips.
Where the hell was Spock when you needed him? Jim would have listened to Spock from the get go, because at least he could have laid it out in a way Jim couldn't refuse. Jim finally decided to give up the damn bat and get going. He was ordering a retreat. The creature had fallen back and seemed to, for the moment, content with the bat.
McCoy had a moment to feel elation at the fact that it looked like they could get going, with only the loss of the bat as their main worry. The doctor moved further down the hall. He'd only gotten a few feet when there was a ringing clang that echoed back towards them. With a sinking feeling of dread, he looked back over his shoulder. The bat had been dropped, forgotten.
Then the little girl began to glow, brighter than before. She began to float towards Jim. Before he could do anything about it, the creature seemed to envelope him, swirling around him.
McCoy didn't think. He reached out, trying to grab at Jim's wrist to yank him out of it.
Neither of them delayed when it came to moving. Kirk saw the girl sail away from them, a blur of light clinging to its prize, and turned before he heard the sound of his bat clanging against the floor. He didn't expect this to win them much more than a couple seconds' headstart, but at least that put Bones ahead of him if things got ugly.
He glanced back over his shoulder in time to see "ugly" take the form of the girl-cloud beelining straight for him. He needn't have bothered to look back - there was no missing the mini-tornado of wind and light which spun around him now, almost playful if not for its intensity. Kirk's arm swung out as if he could hit the thing with his flashlight, but he might as well have tried fighting air. He opened his mouth to order Bones to keep going, but nothing came out but a soundless cough. It was like the words had been stolen from his lips, along with few healthy breaths.
It was the slap of someone's hand clamping around his wrist which shook Kirk enough to remember himself. Bones, he thought, and then immediately: Run. With his help, Kirk managed to break out of the maelstrom, and didn't waste a second - or any words - in running. He doubted Bones needed to be told to do something twice.
It looked like the creature had the ability to take some form. Or maybe it had been there the entire time and was just now revealing itself. A little girl, whispy and barely there, appeared in the darkness, lit by some vague, eerie light. McCoy wasn't completely surprised. The laugh had been enough of a clue, but he didn't expect her to look so harmless. She looked like Joanna had at the same age, completely adorable, and about as much trouble too.
She also didn't seem to notice that she was managing to tug around a full grown man easily. In fact, she was getting rougher each time. It was making him nervous.
McCoy didn't move. He remained very still against the wall, although he was glaring daggers at his captain. "Jim, would you just leave it?!"
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Seeing her appear, Kirk tried to pull as hard as he could in case he could take advantage of her distraction, but no luck. If anything, her strength only seemed to grow in response, although with her enthusiasm - if this kept up, he'd have a hard time staying on both feet. What was this about? Was she playing a game, or...?
Bones was yelling now. Kirk glanced back at him, and shifted his grip more firmly around his flashlight before pulling both hands away right when the girl tugged on the bat again. No choice. Kirk kept his eyes on her as he backed up, motioning for Bones to head south. "Go!"
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The light around the sylph glowing brighter as she floated toward the man in gold, and she swirled around him again, the air in her dance seemingly begging him to play longer, or at least take her with them. The air churned faster, and if the man let it go on for too much longer, the miniature maelstrom would threaten to start drawing breath from his very lips.
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McCoy had a moment to feel elation at the fact that it looked like they could get going, with only the loss of the bat as their main worry. The doctor moved further down the hall. He'd only gotten a few feet when there was a ringing clang that echoed back towards them. With a sinking feeling of dread, he looked back over his shoulder. The bat had been dropped, forgotten.
Then the little girl began to glow, brighter than before. She began to float towards Jim. Before he could do anything about it, the creature seemed to envelope him, swirling around him.
McCoy didn't think. He reached out, trying to grab at Jim's wrist to yank him out of it.
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He glanced back over his shoulder in time to see "ugly" take the form of the girl-cloud beelining straight for him. He needn't have bothered to look back - there was no missing the mini-tornado of wind and light which spun around him now, almost playful if not for its intensity. Kirk's arm swung out as if he could hit the thing with his flashlight, but he might as well have tried fighting air. He opened his mouth to order Bones to keep going, but nothing came out but a soundless cough. It was like the words had been stolen from his lips, along with few healthy breaths.
It was the slap of someone's hand clamping around his wrist which shook Kirk enough to remember himself. Bones, he thought, and then immediately: Run. With his help, Kirk managed to break out of the maelstrom, and didn't waste a second - or any words - in running. He doubted Bones needed to be told to do something twice.
[to here]
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