Nightshift 25: Hallway outside of F & M Blocks

[theycutitout]

[[ from here ]]The darkness was almost tangible, which was entirely likely considering the numerous laws of physics and general order that the Institute broke. There was hardly time to consider the idea. There wasn't even time to watch where she was going. No, there was only time to close her eyes and let her feet guide her down the path she would

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[intoindra]

While Roland was all for getting the wounded out while someone else distracted the flesh-eating monster person, normally he had at least some kind of backup. A company of men with automatic weapons, some other demons... anything. Fighting alone was not exactly the best course of action.

...then again, it would just be his karma to get eaten while protecting others.

Roland had just enough time to make sure that the girl and the two men were safely out of the range of Heat, before the man was almost upon him. In his haste he managed to unscrew the flashlight, letting the outer casing fall to the ground with a loud clang before grasping one of the batteries in his hand. The atma mark of the lightning bolt suddenly glowed with a brilliant yellow light as Roland drew out the power of his atma...

And the end result was tremendously embarrassing, when compared to the might of Indra. Celestial thunder, this was not. But hopefully it would stun Heat just long enough, because Roland proceeded to drop his equipment, dash at Heat and try to knock him down with a nice sturdy right fist. While he likely didn't have the hand-to-hand experience of Heat, he had a few tricks up his sleeve, and he wasn't a weakling by any stretch of the imagination. He could handle this, he hoped. He'd just have to determine if Heat was too far gone to be brought out of that demonic hunger. "Causing problems already? And here I thought I'd have more time."

[notmyfather]

"Keman, I can hardly understand you," Valyn said, his tone slightly pedantic and chastizing. Really, what was wrong with the dragon? "We'll talk later." Now wasn't the time or place to get into anything.

"And I'm afraid that isn't nothing and you aren't fine." He turned his attention to the young woman. "You need healing. And we should remove ourselves from this area immediately anyway."

He didn't know who either of those men were, but.... well, it was best to move elsewhere.

"Come on." He held his hand out to the wounded girl, to help her. But she'd gone, ignoring their offers.

"Well." He set his lips and shook his head. Oh ancestors. Had Keman just passed out. "I suppose we should do the same. Are you still with us?" Biting back a sigh, Valyn leaned down to help the dragon up.

[intoindra]

If Roland had enough attention to divide between Heat and the others, he would have been resignedly amused by how the others scattered like fog in a morning breeze, leaving him as the sole target for Heat's ravenous hunger. What goes around, comes around, huh?

Still, Heat was the one who was launching the attacks, not Roland. Taking that brief pause would hopefully make Heat start thinking and stop trying to eat people.

And maybe the heavens would open up right that moment and God would hand him holy writ to publish and be made famous for, while he was on the topic of wishful thinking.

"We aren't where you think we are, Heat," he stated firmly, "you and I are the only ones here, and there's plenty of other monsters running around if you're hungry. ...for that matter, how did you survive, anyway?"

[notmyfather]

"That doesn't matter here," Valyn said, hauling Keman up. "You only have a little bit of power. Here." He tossed Keman's arm over his shoulders, wincing at the lance of pain through his own arm and side. He felt something rip as he took the dragon's weight onto himself, and he clenched his teeth together tightly. The wounds from last night.

He'd done this for Shadow countless times before, helping his cousin to the bed or couch when he'd been beaten, but it felt odd to feel someone else's weight against him.

"We aren't far from the women's barracks. Maybe Raine can do something for you. And if she can't, maybe she can do something for me."

He could feel a warm wetness on his side and knew he was bleeding again. But he ignored it, and began the trek to the women's quarters.

(Heading here)

[intoindra]

And that left just Roland and Heat in the same hallway. Brilliant. He wasn't sure if Heat had gotten any stronger since Roland's own death, so he'd just have to try his best. He wasn't going to let an untamed Tuner run around the populace, that was just asking for trouble.

"You know I don't shy away from a fight if it's necessary," he answered, as he had been one of the three who'd fought against Heat back when he'd stood against the Embryon. Or, rather, he'd fought for a little while; the entire group had been falling over themselves to get a shot at Heat, and that meant Indra had spent a fair amount of time in the back. Regrettably.

"But this fight isn't necessary. If you devoured me now, you wouldn't get any atma for it, nor is there even a Society to profit from. The same is true if I devoured you. What, then, is the point?" Yet, even as he spoke, he kept ready and alert; who knew when Heat would erupt and attack?

[intoindra]

"Then what-" And that was exactly as much as Roland could get out before Heat was on him. Had he not been waiting for this precise moment, the older man knew that he wouldn't have been able to catch Heat in time. The AI moved rapidly, far faster than his counterpart could have been, and Roland was pretty sure that he couldn't hope to dodge someone who had far more combat experience than he. What Roland did have, though, was human creativity and a far more educated understanding of the demon organism.

The worst thing to happen would be Heat going berserk and losing his mind- any more than he already had, at any rate. The only way to prevent that would be to make sure Heat got some food. And the only source of atma anywhere in the immediate vicinity would be none other than Roland himself. Not the most enviable position in the world, but Roland was used to running from making hard choices. Now he just had to hope that Heat wouldn't go the opposite direction, and fly into a blood frenzy or something.

...of course, he couldn't help but remember that not fighting against Heat was a sure-fire ticket to getting someone killed.

So Roland shifted his weight, seeing that Heat wanted food more than a killing blow, and let those teeth sink into his left shoulder, trying desperately to stifle a hiss of pain as Heat bit into his flesh, blood starting to ooze out of his shoulder and into his uniform. While that happened, his left arm went up and grabbed Heat by the hair, forcing him to stay at Roland's shoulder- and by extension, not towards anywhere more vital. The pale man's right arm wrapped around Heat's left arm and torso, making sure that he couldn't take any shots with anything more than one arm. ...that also insured that, if worse came to worse, he could form his lance and stab before Heat could realize what was going on. "You pathetic bastard," he hissed, "not even a day since you killed Serph and you're hungry for more?"

The only merciful thing was that Heat didn't have his demonic power; Roland could soak a few punches, and Heat couldn't gnaw through bone. Cold comfort, but every straw had to be grasped at.

[damned_monsters]

The eight legs clicked on the floor as it moved through the hall, drawn by the sounds of the scuffle. The vibrations hit the sensitive hairs on its legs and it quickly headed over. If there was a fight, then there might be prey that could be easily taken down. An easy meal was always a good meal.

The scorpion approached from behind Roland, the size of a large raccoon, and snapped its claws once before rushing the pair.

[Kaze]

[intoindra]

Roland was honestly wondering what the best course of action could be. He didn't want to kill Heat- this was the only remnant from Roland's own world, twisted as it was from the original- but neither could he afford to be killed and devoured. Heat was like the flames he commanded; wild and unpredictable, and if he raged he'd either consume everything or he'd be wiped out for the protection of everyone there. A shame Sera wasn't there; if anyone could calm Heat, it would have to be the Cyber Shaman. In her absence, Roland would have to do his best to guide the red-haired man... but how?

Of course, feeling teeth ripping into his flesh, blood streaming down his back and chest, the motions of a foreign mouth starting to devour him, awoke very unpleasant memories. It was karma, it was all about karma, and no matter how hard he ran or how far he tried to escape, it would always find him. It would find him, and drag him back to that terrible sin he'd committed so long ago...

Suddenly Heat dragged him forward and pushed him away, and Roland unconsciously released his grip, confused for a split-second. But then he saw the look in Heat's eyes, recognized the warning; where some of the Embryon might have wasted valuable time asking Heat why the hell he was doing what he was doing, or what was going on, Roland immediately spun around. He couldn't see- his flashlight had been dismantled for parts, after all- but he knew that Heat's senses were a great deal more sensitive than his own.

That was why, even as he turned, Roland's data was beginning to shift. There was no one else in the hallway, after all; for that moment, it was alright to shift his right arm into the great three-pronged lance of Vajra, the pale man's eyes beginning to glow as he forced the demonic transformation through his body. It was going to hurt like anything in the morning, but survival right at that moment took priority.

He just hoped Heat wasn't so far gone that he'd just bite first and ask questions later. Again.

[damned_monsters]

The scorpion emerged from the darkness like a pale shade, the tail taunt and ready to strike. Air rushed against its body as the prey moved, and it stopped a short distance away. Something new was in the air now - a weapon?

Foolish.

Raising its tail, the scorpion struck at the armed one, hoping to eliminate the threat before moving on to the younger one.